The morning sun filtered through the tall, ancient trees surrounding the training grounds, casting long shadows across the dirt. The air was crisp, still carrying the coolness of dawn, but there was a tension simmering beneath the surface, threatening to turn that cool air into something more volatile.
I could feel it in the way my muscles coiled, in the sharpness of my breath, and most of all, in the way Aeliana was pushing herself today too hard, too fast.
I watched her from the sidelines as she sparred with one of the younger soldiers, her movements sharp but not as fluid as they once were. She was improving, no doubt about that, but she wasn't ready to be pushing herself this hard.
Every time she stumbled, every time her breath hitched in her chest, it set my teeth on edge. I wanted to tell her to stop, to ease up before she hurt herself, but I knew how well that would go over. Aeliana was nothing if not stubborn.
