Valkyrie Rising ✓

Chapter Fourteen

In Briar's gym next session, we're doing more with archery. I'm still struggling with standing correctly and timing my breaths according to releasing the arrow, and Briar hovers around me for what feels like forever, tweaking my stance here and there. Every time I shoot, hit or miss, he encourages me with a soft "good try" or "that's a little better" or "keep trying". It's annoying, really, but my desire for him to move on to the next recruit motivates me to hit inside the rings on my target.

Briar does finally move on to Kaz, but only has a few suggestions for him, then it's on to the next recruit. I'm so frustrated that I needed so much extra help that I storm out of the gym as soon as the bell signals the end of the session.

Kaz gives me a strange look when he joins Eveia and me at the table a few minutes later. She's griping about the waste of time the free session she had was, so Kaz can't question my quick escape.

Wick is a few minutes late to lunch, his hair dripping, but an excited grin on his face.

"Best session ever!" He doesn't wait for anyone to ask, just launches into a play-by-play of his aquatic adventure. Apparently, Kiira is having us swim in the lake near the base of the mountain.

"How were your sessions?" he asks politely when he finishes. He stuffs a forkful of spaghetti into his mouth.

"I'm pretty sure Briar is in love with Nadia," Kaz says.

I bet he's been waiting all lunch to share this insight; it comes out way too fast to be spontaneous.

I roll my eyes. "He definitely does not."

"He can't stay away; he's always watching you, and helping you, and complimenting you."

"We're talking about Briar, right?" Eveia says. "Not anyone else?" She gives Kaz a sly smirk.

Kaz laughs it off. "You should have seen him with Nadia today. Spent more time coaching her than anyone else."

"You hit the target yet?" Eveia asks a little smugly. I remember she had the same session first thing this morning.

I swallow hard, my food suddenly turning to a lump in my throat. "First of all, Briar's an instructor," I say to Kaz. "He's supposed to watch and help and compliment." I turn to Eveia. "And barely, which is why he had to take so much time."

Kaz surveys me, an eyebrow arched. "You think you were the only one struggling?" He shakes his head.

"I was too busy trying to stop being so terrible to notice how anyone else was doing."

Kaz shrugs. "Whatever you say."

The bell rings and Wick looks mournfully at the remainder of his lunch. "If only I hadn't talked so much."

I toss him my roll to eat before we go our separate ways. Wick heads up to Briar's gym for the archery class, Eveia to the cave mouth for Kiira's rescue session in the lake. Kaz and I head downstairs for a double session of brute force.

"Today, you'll be learning how to win a fight," Shark says. "Yes, everything you've learned so far, all the training you received, should go into winning. But today, you'll learn pressure points. I'll be going around, spending a few minutes with each of you, discussing your strengths and weaknesses. Then you'll spar."

I'm not looking forward to this; I have all weaknesses. I glance over at Kaz. He looks calm, confident even. And he should be. He's well-muscled, fit, and has had Shark's guidance as his floor leader since day one.