Vina slammed to the mat, the breath violently knocked out of her. And her opponent wasn’t going to wait for her to regain it. She didn’t get this self – defense garbage! The boy she had been pitted against was a goliath. She vaguely remembered some instructions about using a larger adversary’s weight against them. Of course, when the fight began everything escaped her brain as her only thought was self – preservation. Desperate, unsuccessful, self – preservation. Vina rolled away from the contemptuous kick aimed at her. What was the boy’s name? Miron. She’d remember that. “Stop. She’s finished. Surrender, Vinnadria.” The instructor has stridden over. Vina felt her natural stubbornness awake, but the instructor must have seen it, because he gave her a warning look. Vina staggered up. If she was supposed to surrender, she would surrender as an equal. Of course the disparagement in size between Miron and her more or less destroyed the appearance of equality. Vina mumbled her surrender, and stalked out of the practice arena to her next class. She tried to remember why she had joined Alirya’s elite law – keeping force: the Sentinels.True, she needed the money - for her little sister who was living alone in an isolated cabin in the mountains. Things had been bad after the death of their grandparents. And, Vina had to admit - there was the unignorable pull of adventure. Vina exited the courtyard, heading for the archery fields. Another class that she excelled at, with her scores – if possible – falling below those in self defense. Sometimes, doubt would worm in, and she would wonder if she belonged in the Sentinels. But she squashed it down, knowing if she entertained such thoughts she would surely fail. And Vina hated failure.
Vina could taste failure in the dust that the dozen or so runners ahead of her kicked up.  Her normally brown hair had transformed into a dirty blond as a new layer of dust settled on her. This was the first training run into which packs with weights had been introduced. Obviously nobody had considered her rate of collapse on non – weighted runs. She wasn’t the only one struggling, but she was the one furthest behind. “Do you need help?” Vina glanced up. A gangly boy was running beside her, seeming to barely break a sweat. “No.” She gasped out firmly. She knew what help meant. Better runners had already accepted it. Help consisted of grabbing hold of the pack of a stronger runner and basically being towed along. Vina would run until she collapsed, but she would not lower her dignity by accepting help. The boy seemed to somehow understand this. “Bryon. You?” “Vina.” He didn’t even sound short of breath as he continued the conversation which was fast becoming one – sided. Vina suddenly felt furious. If she was suffering, he should be suffering too. Bryon seemed oblivious to her none – too – charitable thoughts. “I’ve seen you around before. Your rather dramatic performances in self – defense have drawn quite a bit of attention.” Vina grunted bad – temperedly as she felt herself falling further behind. “Are you sure you belong here?” The direct question stating one of her worst doubts caused Vina to use the last of her energy to give him a furious look. Then she tripped on the level road, and gracelessly collapsed onto her hands and knees. Bryon waited patiently for her to get up. “We’re falling behind.” He pointed out rather obviously. “You don’t have to stay here.” Vina replied. He didn’t answer, just watched her heave herself up, and start trotting after the rest of the Sentinel trainees. Bryon stayed with her through the whole run, coolly jogging alongside as if she didn’t exist. Which normally would have infuriated Vina, but she felt too exhausted.
“I’m willing to offer my help. And believe me, you need it.” Vina regarded the tall boy before her incredulously. But she just didn’t seem to be able to come up with a good comeback. Sleep deprivation, Vina thought dully. She had been working late, loading the barges at the docks from the time of the end of her training until the early hours of the morning. If she made it through training, she would get a decent salary as a Sentinel. But training itself didn’t pay, and her sister needed the money. Not to mention Vina’s landlord was demanding the rent. A wave of desperation rolled over her. She needed to pass training. If she didn’t, she could see years of odd jobs ahead of her. Her decision came so fast, that she surprised Bryon. “All right.” Then, as an afterthought, “Thanks.”
“You’re short.” Bryon stated matter – of – factly. “Which puts you at a huge disadvantage.” “I hadn’t figured that out yet,” Vina commented sarcastically. “No sarcasm.” Bryon sniffed. “If you had been paying attention to self – defense training, you would have gotten an idea of what could help somewhat erase that disadvantage.” “I was paying attention! I just… don’t get it.” “Whatever the reasons, that’s not the only problem.” Vina raised her eyebrows. “You have non – existent reflexes. Well, I could be exaggerating a little, but what reflexes you do have are remarkably slow. Not to mention you are intimidated by any opponent larger than you. So - no confidence.” Vina was fast getting tired of Bryon insulting her capabilities. “Also, you seem to have an idea that accepting help is a bad idea. Our goal is to fix all these problems.” Bryon paused, regarding her. “We’ll start with reflexes. And fitness.” He cast a critical eye over Vina. “You’re not fat, but you’re not fit either,” he said dispassionately. “Although there has been improvement in the few weeks you’ve been here.” Vina’s hands balled into fists. “Look here…” “And the temper. The temper we have to work on. For some fighters it works, but in your case it just blinds you.” Bryon paused again. “That’s a lot of points. Perhaps you’re hopeless.” Vina glared at him. “I’m not hopeless.” She ground out, trying to keep her tone even, despite the fact that tears of frustration were just barely being held back.
“Then prove it.”
“This is your opponent.” Bryon stood back to examine his handiwork. Two straw bales had been stacked one atop the other. Vina felt a little foolish as she took a stand before the bales. “We’ll just work on basic defensive actions today. I have another idea, but it requires more preparation. Duck.” Vina stood uncertainly. “Do you mean ‘duck’ like this?” Vina bobbed up and down at bit. Bryon shook his head in resignation. “I mean duck, but definitely not like that. Let’s try this again. Duck.”  Vina ducked, a little faster this time. Then she reacted to his commands of “Left.” and “Right.” She quickly realized that he was going along a certain pattern, and soon was able to predict what he was going to say. Duck, left, duck, right, left, duck, back, left. So when Bryon went out of pattern with a back after the duck left duck, Vina was caught off balance, but reacted fairly quickly. From then on he did variations. She struggled a little more with them, but she felt pleased with herself at the end of their first lesson. “Good.” Bryon said briefly. “Tommorow, before dawn.” Vina shifted awkwardly, and Bryon noticed. “Never mind. Sleep is just as important as training. We’ll do it in the evening, after training.” Vina gave a nod in assent. She’d miss a day of work. But how bad could that be? “See you. And thanks.” She turned her back decidedly, and was sent flying onto her face with a blow to her back. Vina jumped to her feet furiously. Bryon stood looking all too pleased with himself. “Reflexes, Vina.”
“Age?” “Fifteen.” “I’m sixteen. Really stretch, now.” Vina rolled her eyes as she leaned over to touch her toes. She swayed forward and out of the way as Bryon sent an elbow towards her side. And promptly collapsed as she lost her balance. “You’re getting it!” Bryon rejoiced too enthusiastically.
“How did you ever get in?” Bryon mused, after a one and a half mile run which Vina had completed in 25 minutes, walking quite a bit of the time. “Because your physicality should have prevented it.” He c***ed his head at her. “…unless you did very well on your leadership test.” Vina was too exhausted to reply.
Vina flinched as the first small wooden ball hit her. “Reflexes!” Bryon reminded her for the 25th time that day, just as he had when the 24 other balls that he had thrown had smacked her. Vina narrowed her eyes, and successfully avoided the 26th ball, elation sweeping through her as the 27th ball smacked painfully into her shoulder.
The lunch tray wobbled dangerously as Vina twisted out of the way of the shove aimed at her by Miron. “Kissing up to the royalty, now?” he sneered. “Think that’s the way you’ll get through training?” Vina was too preoccupied with keeping her tray balanced to respond.
“The bad news is that you’re horrible at basically every weapon. The good news is that then you have quite a range of choice. If you pick just one, and work on it hard, you can excel.” Bryon counseled. Weapons training had started in the Sentinels. And Vina’s instructors shook their heads despondently at her lack of skill at any weapon placed into her hands. Bryon gestured to a table strewn with all manner of weapons. The sentinels valued diversity. Vina fingered a bow, hefted up a sword, swung an ax. Then she noticed the layout of daggers. And in the daggers she saw a challenge. She was horrible at close combat. This was as close as you got in terms of weapons. She picked up a throwing dagger, and swung towards a target hung on one of the wall of the armory. Bryon raised his eyebrows in surprise as the dagger split the wood of the target remarkably close to the bulls – eye.
Vina completed a two – mile run with limited suffering. She could slowly feel herself gaining strength and endurance. She grinned over at Bryon, who congratulated her later with a slice of chocolate cake.
As the fist swung towards her, Vina slid to the side, driving her own fist into her opponent’s stomach. He doubled over, and Vina slammed her shoulder into his, driving him off – balance. It didn’t take much to tip him over into a sprawl on the mat. Bryon called off their lesson in celebration, but Vina insisted that they had it. “Showing appreciation? I’m surprised.” He grinned at her. Vina shrugged.And grinned back.
Vina trained hard under the daggers master who she had been assigned to. Although her talent was non – existent, she excelled simply because she trained harder than any other of the students. Thinking about it, Vina had to admit that her attitude was a product of the perseverance Bryon had drilled into her.
“We can’t train anymore.” Vina said firmly. Bryon ran a hand through his dark hair. “Why not?” Vina set her lips in a firm line. “We just can’t.” “Is this because I’m the Lady’s son? Because if it is... I thought you were above titles.” “You’re the Lady’s son?!” Bryon immediately realized his mistake as Vina gazed at him incredulously. “You didn’t know?” “No!!" The Lady was the highest authority of the country. She hand – picked Alirya’s rulers – the Kings and Queens of the land. Vina had never known she had a child. Then the doubts wormed in. What would the child of the Lady of Alirya have to do with a mountain girl? Was she just a good deed of his? Bryon guessed what thoughts were running through her head. “Have you noticed how people tend to stay away from me?” Vina thought about that. “No.” “Well, that’s because you tend not to notice such things.” Vina snorted in annoyance. “They seem to hold me in some sort of contempt. They think that since my mother is the Lady, I receive - or demand - some special treatment.” Vina listened to his explanation impatiently, thoughts swirling through her head. “You weren’t a pity project. You just seemed the only one to act normally around me. So –“ Bryon stopped abruptly. “Well. I did pity you a bit. Anybody would, having seen your self – defense performances.” He grinned. Vina relaxed, more or less convinced of his genuineness. “The question is, why do we have to quit training? If it’s not because I’m the Lady’s son?” Bryon crossed his arms. Vina stared off into the sky over his shoulder. “I have to work.” She admitted. “Work?” Bryon said, without comprehension. “It shouldn’t be that foreign of a concept!” Vina snapped. “Not all of us are children of the Lady!” Realizing that she was being unfair, Vina gave him an apologetic look. Bryon sat down on a straw bale. “There’s more.” He stated matter – of – factly. Vina wondered how he could read her mind like that. “I have a sister, and I’m the only one she has. She needs money. “ Bryon shook his head. “Fifteen years old and you already have a dependent?” Vina shrugged. Bryon reached into a pack of his, and pulled out a role of paper. Vina took a step back, annoyed. “I didn’t tell you all this to accept charity!” “Last lesson, remember? Take help when it’s offered and when you need it. Besides, it’s not charity. It’s a loan.” He held it out. “There’s a ten percent interest.” Vina realized that he knew her too well. “I can work.” She said stubbornly. “And your training will suffer. And then all the frustration that I have gone through with you in these lessons will be for naught when you’re sent back to where you came from.” Vina took the money. And in later months, after she graduated from Sentinel training in the top percentile of the class, and when she was sent on her first mission, Vina repaid him. But there was always some debt between them, for they owed each other their lives many times over. Vina became known as a master of close combat, and Bryon always had her back with his deadly spear.
And she was forever grateful to him for his brilliant training, his endless patience, and his remarkable fortitude in the frustrations caused by her stubbornness. I'm sure she is. Because, with the publication of this piece, her good feelings will hopefully keep her from any hasty, rash, and violent actions she might perform. I hope.
Brian, 14th Sentinel Company, under Commander Vinnadria.