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“No, it’s not,” Mara said.
Eliot got up, stamped over to Mara, and pointed down at him. “If I say it’s a girl’s name, you little shit, it’s a girl’s name.”
“Leave him alone,” a voice said behind him.
Eliot turned. “Fuck off, Balin, I’ll do what I want.”
Mara squeezed the handle of his blade. If he comes for me, I’ll stick it in his leg.
“Didn’t look that way when the Shadow knocked you on your arse earlier,” Balin said.
Eliot stepped to Balin. “Why don’t you fucking try it? Let’s see who gets knocked on their arse.”
Balin lay down, hands behind his head. “You wanna get tied to the bag again?”
“Cock head.” Eliot went back to his sack, flopped down, and stared at the roof.
“That’s Eliot and Balin,” the other boy said, then pointed at himself. “I’m Joseph.”
Balin propped himself up on his elbows. “How long you been here? You don’t look old enough to be with us.”
“I dunno,” Mara said.
“You dunno?” Joseph said. “One year, two years?”
Mara counted back and shrugged. “Two months, I think.”
“He’s an idiot.” Eliot still stared at the roof.
“You’ve been here longer than that,” Joseph said.
“We ain’t stupid,” Balin said.
“How old are you then?” Joseph said.
“Ten.”
Balin frowned. “Ten? What the fuck are you doing with us if you’re only ten?”
“I dunno, I just got brought here.”
“They probably ran out of space. He ain’t gonna be training with us,” Eliot said.
“What about his blade then?” Joseph pointed at it in Mara’s lap.
Eliot turned his head, then sat up. “You’re a fucking kid. What you doing with a blade?”
“The Shadow gave it to me. He said I have to treat it like it’s part of me.”
Joseph leant back against the wall. “Maybe they’re doing things different now.”
“You can fight then, can you?” Balin said.
“Yeah.”
Eliot stood up. “Come on then, let’s see what you got. No blade.”
“You wanna fight a kid?” Balin said.
