Unequal

Chapter Forty-Five

Chapter Forty-Five -Baurindriel

On the morning of the test, we woke up early and did not speak. We just got ready silently and left our dorm. At breakfast, we loosened up a bit, but really that just amounted to an exchange of two or three sentences between Catz and I about what testing might be.

We had, over the three days, trained a lot more and got accustomed to Catz’s fighting style, so I wasn’t as worried as I had been about failing. When Vaughn walked to the front of the room, everyone grew silent.

“By now,” he said, “you’re all probably wondering what your tests will be.”

Everyone groaned and sighed, clearly not looking forward to exams. I just stared straight ahead, silent, bored, and anxious.

“You’re having a written exam.” He informed us.

My eyes widened and I was unsure if I was relieved or even more worried. “I hope you’re smart, Catz.” I muttered.

He smiled, “Have I failed you yet?”

“Many times,” I responded.

He shrugged, “Just give me a chance, Bauri. We’ll do fine. If we’re to be worried about anyone, it should be you, she-elf.”

“I don’t doubt my intelligence. Scarlett is constantly reading, that must mean something, and Izuk has always come through. You are the only one I’m unsure of.”

“We aren’t that familiar with your abilities,” Scarlett added.

“Too bad we aren’t chasing mice.” Izuk joked.

I smiled, “I’m sure that would be more his speed.”

Michael, who had previously been at a meeting with all the other instructors, found his way to our table. “You’ll start testing in half of an hour.”

When we did start, they separated us from our teammates and placed me in a room with all the other archers, Catz with the other fighters, and so on.

“You have two hours to complete this.” Was all the proctor said as he handed us thick booklets, perhaps 50 sheets.

“Only two hours?” A whiny girl sitting in front of me complained.

The proctor nodded. “It starts now. You best stop whining and get started.”

I opened the booklet to the first page. “Map reading? Really, this will be easy.” I muttered. I gripped my pen and scrawled out answers. Before I knew it, I had flown through half the test.

“Slow down. You still have 75 minutes.” The proctor told me.

I looked at the math equation I was working on and whispered, “It’s simple, though. This test has to be a joke.”

He shook his head. “These problems are supposed to be hard. How many have you struggled on?”

“I don’t know. Seven or eight? Maybe nine or ten?”

He smiled. “Don’t worry about your team failing. If they’re all as intelligent as you, you should be fine.”

I tuned him out and went back to my work. I was almost finished. When I did complete it, I raised my hand. “I’m done.”

The proctor said I could leave and wait in my dorm for the rest of my team members. I wandered down the hallway and found my way to the dorm. Not long after I had sat down on the couch, Catz and Izuk came through the door.

“You finished early, too? Wasn’t it easy?” Izuk asked, sitting next to me.

I nodded. “It was. I’m really not concerned about our team flunking as of now.”

Scarlett walked in. “That was simple.”