Around one hour after the meeting with the leader, Zirtel arrived at the tall stone arch that marked the boundary between the school and the outside world. For a moment she panicked, thinking everyone left without her, but then she spotted another couple of students waiting there. It was two young men, both around her age, wearing a much nicer version of her same uniform. Zirtel had seen them around the school before. She racked her brain trying to remember their names to no avail, and ended up just waving at them awkwardly when they spotted her.
"Zirtel, are you coming to the competition?" one of them asked, scrambling to his feet. He was thin and blonde, with delicate features and, fortunately for Zirtel, with his name embroidered on his vest. Dario Elyas, of course. Zirtel could remember sister Theb yelling at him during training, she had shared some classes with him.
"Right, yes, I am. You too, Dario? How many people are coming?"
"Oh, wow, you remember me!" Dario beamed at her. "We're only waiting for the commander to pick up Andrea and then we'll be off."
Zirtel nodded and went to stand next to the pillar. After a minute of silence, they spotted a couple of figures walking in their direction. The silver armor was easy to see. Immediately, the two boys scrambled to pick up their rather sizable backpacks. Zirtel compared them to her own luggage. Hopefully she had packed enough, she only had a change of clothes and some money, plus her sword, strapped at her back.
When commander Dorlas and Andrea arrived, Zirtel felt relieved to see that Andrea had packed just as light as she had. The girl, looking to be around Zirtel's age, was wearing a crossed bag and a narrow sword at her hip, and she had already changed out of the uniform into a ruffled travel dress. She waved cheerfully at Zirtel and the two boys.
"Time to get going," Dorlas announced, and started walking down the path without looking at them. Everyone followed.
After some time walking quietly, Dario tried to start a conversation with Zirtel, but before she could say anything, Dorlas threatened to leave them behind if they got distracted, and they ended up in full silence until they arrived to a small village. There, they stopped at the first inn for lunch, and Dorlas disappeared mentioning some paperwork, so Zirtel was left alone with Andrea, Dario, and the other boy, whose name Zirtel was sure began with an M but hadn't managed to catch yet.
"So, Zirtel, what do you want to do when we arrive to the capital?" Andrea asked her. "I'm dying to see my parents, pops must have been so worried about me! I can't believe they wouldn't let me send letters."
"We're still a couple of days away from the city, though. I'm worried the commander wants us to walk the entire way. Will you be alright, Andrea?" The boy probably named M asked her.
"Of course, that's why Zirtel and I have you boys to protect us!"
"Oh, I think, we could try to work together if there's danger, right?" Zirtel asked tentatively. "We are all students in the same school!"
"Ah, yes yes yes" Andrea replied with a big smile. "But still, you know it's not the same! Girls shouldn't do some stuff."
"I don't know," Dario added, glancing at Zirtel. He was the only one she had trained with. "Some girls can be scary."
"Dario, don't give me excuses! You're the best one in our group, we're just here to cheer you up in the competition!" Andrea pouted, and sat closer to Zirtel, whispering to her. "He's trying to not take care of us. but we won't let him do that, right?"
Zirtel felt a bit irked at the idea of going there just to cheer on Dario, but the whispering made her feel included. She ended up just nodding helplessly. "Yes, we won't."
"I knew you'd agree!" Andrea beamed at her. She looked pretty cute with her loose hair and ruffled dress, and even Zirtel was able to notice the M boy looking at her like he saw a fairy.
"I agree too!" M added while standing up, speaking loud enough to be heard by the entire inn. "Us men have to protect ladies, what else is our training for?! My family has always taught me that's part of being a gentleman."
Andrea giggled while Dario made a face of pain. Luckily, the innkeeper arrived right at that moment with four bowls and set them right in front of them.
"There you go, kids!" the old man said, extending a hand. "Now pay up! It's a silver piece each!"
Zirtel winced inwardly. Sister Theb had only given her a dozen silver pieces. Maybe the emperor would provide free food for the competitors?
"I'll pay!" the M boy said, still standing up, and reached to drop four silvers on the innkeeper's hand.
"Oh, thank you, Milo!" Andrea said at him.
Milo blushed up to his ears, and Zirtel decided to concentrate on the stew instead, repeating the boy's name in his head to make sure she'd remember it. There were only three students, it must be easier than a class of ten, she could do this, right?
The stew at least had some big pieces of meat, even if they were a bit salty, and Zirtel got even more when Andre announced she didn't like hers. The meal went by without issue.
"I don't think the commander is going to return too soon," Dario said once they were done. "What do you guys want to do?"
"Maybe we can train," Zirtel suggested. She was used to a pretty busy training schedule, and she was itching to swing her new sword again. "It'll be bad if we get rusty before the competition."
"Oh, that'll be fun! Dario, can you help me with the forms?" Andrea asked Dario, already walking around the table to latch onto his arm. "I saw a nice grassy hill outside, we could go there."
"Ugh, right after lunch?" Milo complained. "I'm going to stay here. In case the commander comes back."
"Alright, alright, let's just do that. Us three can do forms together then," Dario accepted.
However, it was soon clear that they wouldn't be working together. Andrea kept latching onto Dario asking for explanations before they had even started. Zirtel tried repeatedly to add something, but she never seemed to find a good moment to speak, and she ended up stepping away to train on her own.
About a hundred meters away, she found a plain with a good deal of bushes, the town almost out of sight now. Zirtel took out her sword and started practicing forms, slicing through the plants seamlessly, completely in her own world until she heard a voice calling out of her.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing? Are you trying to join the competition?"
Zirtel turned around to see a group of three young men wearing knee length green tabards. She didn't recognize the symbol drawn on it.
"Yes, I'm heading to the capital! Are you from school?" she made a salute in their direction. "I'm from the Red Springs!"
The three boys laughed.
"Red Springs? With that shabby sword? They'd turn you away from the door!
"Yeah, are you even a girl with those clothes? What would your mother say?"
They kept laughing and jeering together for a minute. Zirtel could feel her eyebrow twitching, and tried to keep her face stern as befitting of a Red Springs student.
"Some people really don't know their place!" the tallest one said, and stepped forward. "What do you say, should we teach her a lesson?"
"Yes, it'll be better if we turn you home now instead of letting you get injured in a real match! That's our duty as students of the Shining Emerald Jewel of the Lion's Eyes!"
Zirtel's eyebrow twitched again. That was a school name? She had never heard any books that mentioned it, and she would have never guessed that symbol to be a dragon. Or an eye. Or an emerald. Regardless, it was too much to stand. As the senior student from the Red Springs school, she still had some pride!
"Alright!" She replied, taking a medium stance, and pointed her sword at the group. "Show me what you can do!"