A Court of Ink and Blood

ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔗𝔴𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔶 𝔈𝔦𝔤𝔥𝔱

"So I'm just helping you train the women?"

Thalia walked beside Cassian as they approached the camp at the crack of dawn. He had reminded her that the women she'd helped heal wanted her to come train with them and while she was all up for helping, she was a little nervous when Nesta had told her how Cass had been hyping up her name for the past couple of training sessions. 

"Yes exactly. They've been practicing how to fly for the past couple of weeks but they want your help with the fighting part" 

"Brilliant. Good. Okay yeah"

"You nervous?" Cass was smiling at her as she clenched and relaxed her fists swinging by her side. 

"No of course not"

"You sure about that?" 

"I'll use you as an example on how to throw someone on their back if you don't shut up"

"Don't threaten me with a good time Thal"

"Ever the flirt Cass" 

Cassian laughed in response but Thalia barley heard him as she zoned in of the make shift arena. Hidden behind a layer of forest just off from the camp lay a large training ground. Wooden targets had been fixed to surrounding trees, women fought in small groups and there was a clear marked out fighting ring in the centre. 

Upon entering the clearing the women around all fell silent, turning to look over as Cass and Thalia walked forward. 

"Don't be nervous" Cass whispered in her ear but as hard as she tried to appear the tenty or so strong Illyrian women looking at her from every point was somewhat intimidating. Even for the Lady of Death. 

"We have someone new fighting with us today. I'm sure you know of her well. For those of you have not yet received treatment from her this is Thalia" 

Thalia recognised half of the women but the other half appeared older or more haggard in terms of immortality aging. She knew they were the ones Nesta had told her about, the ones who had feared her ability to heal, who only showed up to train because they knew it was that or die when the war came. She could feel their testing eyes. 

"We remember you" A voice stood out from the crowd. A women older than Thalia, a face somewhat familiar stood before the group. "We remember when you first came here as a child. Left by the dawn" Her voice was husky as she looked over Thalia, presumably speaking for the other elders of the group. Thalia remembered them faintly. Before Rhys came into power when they were teenagers the ways of the camp were still backwards and while Thalia had remained under Rhys' wing, most of the older women had stayed under the darkness of their tents and hidden away by the males. 

"Is it true you took out an infantry of males all at once?" Another voice came from behind the older woman, a younger girl. 

"You'll have to be more specific than that" Thalia put on a bored tone, attempting to seem unphased by the eyes of women she hoped would come to accept her.

"I heard you killed like thirty of Hyberns men at the end of the first war in one night. That you stood on the battlefield the next day unscathed"

Thalia remembered it well. An entire camp of Hyberns goons had got too drunk for the winter solstice a few weeks before Thalia had been taken, they were easy pickings. 

"Yes it is" She replied. 

The women up front, the ones who she didn't know were silent. It felt like it lasted a life time until a girl who looked barely strong enough to raise a sword spoke up. 

"Can you teach us?"

She looked at them now, their eyebrows raised and expectant, hopeful. 

"Yes"