Knightess

2

My head falls into the snow, sending chills over my body. I clutch the rock and sit up, preparing to throw it at whoever it was. Instead, I hear laughter. I turn around and see Jackin, my twin brother.

We look nothing alike. While I have blonde hair and blue eyes, he has brown hair and hazel eyes. Not even our face shape is the same. Sometimes I wonder if he is my brother at all. The only thing we have in common are our personalities.

I glare at him while he doubles over in laughter. "What do you think you're doing here? You're about to be late."

"So are you," he says back as he finally begins to stop laughing.

"Well, you shouldn't have walked all the way here just to scare me! You could have yourself arrested for being late," I snap while he pulls me up. I brush off the wet snow and hold back the urge to shiver. "How'd you even know I was here?"

His smile immediately fades. "You're always here before you go to your Training. You think it's a secret, but I've known it for a long time now."

I groan. Of course he of all people would know. He always watches over his family, so he knows almost every secret. Like I said, he's just like me. "Of course you do, you stalker," I say and begin to walk towards the hill.

The third whistle will blow anytime now. It's always the longest wait before it goes off. I'm about to say this when it cuts me off. "Let's go," I say and begin to run.

I hear Jackin's feet crush the snow behind me as we race up the hill. Just down it is the village, and at the outside of it is the Ring. I stir up a rabbit camouflaging in the snow and it darts away. If I had a bow and arrow with me I would have shot it for food if it was another ordinary day. But it's not.

We run through the empty, icy cobblestone streets. A few times Jackin loses his footing and almost falls. I laugh every time, except for when it happens to me. Then it's his turn to laugh. We make it to the Ring, a large arena with white washed-out walls as high as the pine trees. We stop in front of the giant, moldy oak doors. I hate this place. It stinks of mildew and sweat. "You should go find Grandmother. She'll be waiting on the benches," I say to Jackin. "I'll go through the armory and weaponry area door."

He nods and begins to open one of the doors. He stops and puts his hand on my shoulder. "Be careful," he says to me and then slips through the door.

"I will," I say quietly to the door.

I go to the back of the Ring, where a tiny door stands alone. I open it and quietly go in. Inside, almost forty girls are crammed into the small dim room. They rush this way and that, carrying armfuls of armor and swords alike. Some chat loudly in corners. I take off my cloak and hang it on the many pegs hammered into the wall.

I walk over to a mirror hanging on the wall and fix my breastplate, which was crooked. I sigh. It was my Grandmother's armor she wore for Knightess Day and though she did not get Chosen, people whisper how skilled she was that day. Unfortunately, her armor is no longer as skilled as it was when it was new. It's cracked and reddish-brownish and smells like dust. I was barely able to squeeze my giant feet into the boots, and my toes are reminding me of it. It will have to do for now. Only for a day, I remind myself.

I tie my hair back into a bun at the nape of my neck and remember that I left the helmet at home. Seems like I've forgotten everything today. Even telling Jackin about the two mysterious women I met. "Althea," a voice calls and I turn. It's my friend, Agnes.

I wave a hand at her and she comes over. Her brown hair is jumbled in tangles and her eyes are blood-shot. I laugh. "Looks like someone didn't get a good night's rest."