Nightfire | The Whispering Wall #1

Thirty Four: Distances

"Good," he said. "Again."

Jordan moved first this time. He ran forward and dodged sideways, his foot connecting with Yddris's knee. The next minute he was back on the floor.

"Ow," he huffed. He rolled over and picked a splinter out of his chest. "What did I do that time?"

"Got stuck," Yddris said. "You went for the inside of my knee but didn't have the strength to pull me off balance, so I had time to grab your foot instead." He held out a hand to help Jordan up. "With knees you want to unbalance your opponent. A good hard kick to the side will do it, just don't let them grab you."

"Kiel's teeth, he looks like you launched him through a window."

Nika climbed through the trapdoor, bringing with him both the smell of food and Ren, as a blur of dark fur that shot through the trapdoor. Jordan's stomach growled as he laid eyes on the two grease-stained parcels in the Unspoken's hand.

"I feel like I got launched through a window," he said. "Is that food for us?"

"I thought you might want something more substantial after training," Nika said, handing one of the parcels to him and the other to Yddris. "I think you've been at it long enough, don't you?"

"Sure," Jordan said, already sitting on the ground with his sandwich unwrapped. Ren made her way over to him, sniffing tentatively. He fed her a slice of meat from inside and took a big bite himself.

Nika chuckled. "Hungry?"

"Starving. Is this one of Vek's?"

"It is. Good guess."

Jordan nodded. It tasted just as good as the first time he'd had it. Nika laughed, and then turned to Yddris.

"When are you taking him to the castle?"

"When he's ready to go. In other words, when he's not looking like I hooked him out of a gutter on my way up there."

Jordan snorted, swallowing his mouthful. "Not my fault your attic's filthy."

"Watch it, boy."

"I'm just saying," Jordan said, with a shrug and his head down so that his tutor didn't see him grinning, "Could do worse than a bit of dusting, that's all."

"I'll bear it in mind," Yddris growled, breaking into his own food. Jordan got the distinct impression he was being scowled at.

After eating he rinsed in the courtyard –a few days before, he had found that to his chagrin, what passed for a bath in Yddris's house was a cold puddle in a tin tub and some grainy soap – and reluctantly pulled his shirt and cloak back on. By the time he'd done up all the clasps and fought with his hair and cowl for the right to see two feet ahead of him – Ren had immediately taken up residence inside his hood and seemed to have fallen asleep – Yddris was waiting by the front door.. There was no evidence that the Unspoken had had any repercussions from the morning of training, whereas Jordan was already stiff and walked like he had poles up his trouser legs.

It was his turn to scowl.

"Be back in time for dinner," Nika said, folding his arms and coming to the door as they stepped out. "Hap and Koen are bringing back sausage and eggs."

"Where are they?" Jordan asked. The two other Unspoken had been gone by the time he woke up that morning, even though Yddris had kicked him awake just past dawn.

"Doing runework on one of the big estates," Nika said, "I forget which one. But estates always part-pay in food."

"We will be." A hand hooked itself onto the back of Jordan's cloak and began pulling him away, ignoring his protests and the indignant squeak from its second resident. "Get a move on, boy."