At first, Rowan struck the shield with the softest of force, the wooden sparring axe clicking playfully against the wood.
“No, with strength.So she can feel it.”
Rowan hesitated.Women did less than half of the things back home that they did in the north.They certainly weren’t struck with sparring weapons.
“I do not know if I can,” he said with a smirk.
“What do you mean?Swing the axe!”
Rowan’s green eyes settled on me, his thick brows raised in uncertainty.
“It’s fine,” I said.“Let us get this over with.I would like to go eat.”
Rowan did swing harder.The echo of the hit travelled through my arm, pressing against my elbow in a way that felt truly wretched—like my elbow was being twisted the wrong way very quickly.Even my shoulder felt the grind of it.
“Come on,” Fell said.“Truly swing.The first time someone feels the weight of a blow should not be in an actual fight, no?”
Rowan shook his head.“She is… You do not understand our country.I must protect her.I cannot swing a weapon at her with force—steel or wood.Back home, I would be killed for what we have done already today.”
“Gah!”Fell’s laugh was so lovely, even if I hated everything we were doing when I heard it.“Fara, you come.Rowan can hold Halvar.”
Fara struck the shield I held as Fell guided me—raising my arm, sliding the shield, explaining which parts must be guarded at the expense of others.By the fourth hit, my shoulder screamed.By the eighth, I’d begun to think my elbow was permanently harmed.
“I think I understand now,” I said, sliding my aching arm out of the shield and turning to give it back to Fell.“We can stop.”
Fell pressed his lips together.
I huffed.“You are mood-filled today.”
He smiled, setting his forehead against mine.“I am nevermood-filled.”
“And now you are being adorable to cover it up,” I said, catching his smile against my best efforts and then forcing it away.I took a step back.“But I am annoyed by it, so you must let me be annoyed.”
“Why are you annoyed?—”
“Because you are making me do something I do not want to do.”My tone was properly sour—a buildup from many days of Fell pestering me over training.Fara turned somewhat awkwardly away from us to provide some semblance of privacy.
“I am notmakingyou do anything?—”
“Yes, you are.I have only agreed to this because you have been so insistent.Are you trying to turn me into Jura?Is that it?”
“No.”His shoulders sank, and I felt terrible for saying her name so casually and with so little warning.Fell’s voice softened as the breeze tugged at his tunic.“I am only understanding now why you are bothered.”He smiled half-heartedly.“This has nothing to do with Jura.”
“Then what does it have to do with?”
“Norser are not supposed to feel fear,” he said.“But I do.I think if something were to happen and I was away?—”
“Nothing is going to happen, and you will not beaway?—”
His eyes flicked to the horizon for just a moment, but it was long enough… my heart tumbled.
“Right?”I said, vaguely aware that Rowan and Fara were walking back toward Aalt with Halvar, trying to give us space for our disagreement.
“I would not wish to part, but?—”
My voice hardened.“But what?”
“Arik is crazy and wild—you know this.I know this.He is planning something.Of course, he always is planning thirty things—” Fell waved a hand around wildly.“But this feels bigger… I would not want to leave him alone.I am the only person in the world who I know does not think of his crown—there is to be no raiding this summer.But there is a gathering… so many captains in one place has never been done.I must go with him?—”
