The Promise of the Dawn

Chapter Eight: The Child of the Moon

"Hey, newbie!" a voice whispers, distracting me from my original path back towards the barracks.

I glance around me in confusion, trying to find where the disembodied voice came from.

"Here!" The voice says as I'm quickly grabbed by the shoulders and pulled behind one of the nearby buildings.

I would've shrieked out of surprise, had I not been stopped by Cael's strong hands clasped over my mouth. In any other situation, I would've quickly released myself, but something about the proximity of our bodies and the look in his eyes relaxes me, so I allow him to, despite my confusion.

"What're you doing?" I question under my breath, looking around as if scared to be caught being seen so close to him.

A witness to this situation could start an enormous scandal, but I chose not to do anything about it.

"How'd training go?" He asks me.

"Would've been better if your father hadn't forced me to spar with Arthur" I reply, crossing my arms as I lean up against the wall of the building behind me, pinned between it, and Cael.

"Well, obviously. But did you win?" He continues to question.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Either way, why do you care?" I question.

Cael looks around nervously at my question, as if double checking to make sure no one's around.

"I want to keep training you" He finally replies, searching my eyes for my answer.

"Yeah... no" I reply, ducking under his arm and beginning to walk away, but not making it far before Cael grabs my wrist and stops me.

"Wait!" He says as he grabs my wrist.

"Was my father impressed?" Cael asks me as I turn around to look at him questioningly.

"I believe his exact words were 'remarkable'" I reply, quoting the Duke.

"So, train with me then. Meet me near the pond tomorrow morning before training" Cael suggests.

His tone is almost pleading, although I'm unable to determine why.

"You do realize that 'before training' is like five in the morning, right?" I question him.

He pauses for a second, then shrugs. I stare at him disapprovingly for a moment before rolling my eyes and beginning leave again.

"You better know what you're doing" I reply to him as I walk away.

"Is that a yes?" He asks after me with an excited edge to his voice.

"I guess you'll find out!" I call back, leaving him in suspense.

"I'm calling that a yes!" He yells back.

I dismiss him with a slight wave as I walk back towards the Barracks, but, inside, I was just as excited as he had sounded. The next morning, I'm up before the sun, heading towards the pond where Cael asked me to meet him.

"Hey newbie! You're late!" Cael calls to me as I approach.

"When am I ever not?!" I call back, shielding my eyes from the rising sun to look towards him.

"Fair enough" He laughs as I reach him.

"Here, take this" He finishes, handing me a wooden staff.

"Staffs? Again?" I question.

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for staffs" Cael replies, swinging at me and beginning our fight.

"So, I feel like you know more about me then I know about you" Cael says as we fight.