The training grounds were slick with mud from the morning rain, but Corliss didn't let up. The Wardens-in-training stood in a line, their spears held steady despite the chill seeping through their thin uniforms.
"Again!" Corliss barked, her voice cutting through the damp air like a whip.
Arteja adjusted her grip on the spear, her arms burning as she thrust forward in perfect unison with the others. Her breath came in sharp bursts, the cold biting at her lungs.
"Arteja, Lirael—front and center!" Corliss ordered.
The two girls exchanged a glance before stepping forward. Corliss tossed them wooden shields, her gaze stern. "You've been improving. Let's see if it's enough."
The other trainees formed a loose circle as Corliss pointed to a larger Warden-in-training—Rowyn. "Rowyn, you're up."
Rowyn stepped into the circle, her grin predatory. She was older, stronger, and had been training for years longer than Arteja or Lirael.
"Together," Lirael whispered, raising her shield.
Arteja nodded, her grip tightening on her spear. The fight began with Rowyn charging forward, her strikes powerful and unrelenting. Arteja blocked one blow with her shield, the force rattling her arm, while Lirael lunged from the side.
Rowyn deflected Lirael's attack with ease, spinning to deliver a sharp kick that sent her sprawling into the mud. Arteja used the distraction to dart forward, her spear aiming for Rowyn's side.
But Rowyn was faster. She caught the shaft of Arteja's spear and yanked it from her hands, sending Arteja stumbling forward.
"Too slow," Rowyn taunted, raising her weapon for a finishing blow.
Before she could strike, Lirael tackled her from behind, sending both of them crashing to the ground. Arteja scrambled for her spear, her heart pounding as she lunged forward again, this time driving the blunt tip into Rowyn's stomach.
The older girl groaned, rolling onto her side. Corliss stepped forward, her expression unreadable.
"Not bad," she said, her tone begrudging. "But not good enough. Rowyn held back, and you still struggled. If this were real, you'd both be dead."
Arteja helped Lirael to her feet, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. The fight may have been a training exercise, but Arteja could see the disappointment in Corliss's eyes—and it stung more than any blow Rowyn had landed.