Es pondered deeply on how she had left his chamber, and she couldn’t help but feel like she could have waited a bit to fully hear him out.
She was barely getting it through an entire day and these unnecessary emotions of hers were draining her energy, hence, she knew she needed an outlet.
Seeking so clarity, she made the decision to et with Revana for her morning training exercise – a necessary distraction from her thoughts.
Admittedly, this wasn’t even her idea, but Donovan’s. Unable to train her by himself today, he had instructed Revana to take his place, ensuring she would continue his regin in his absence.
The training ground was practically a vast, open field frad by natural landscape, with tall, wooden posts that stood sentinel at its edges, marking the boundaries of the extensive arena.
Each section was divided by stone markers or rope, with areas dedicated to a different type of training – archery, combat drills and endurance exercises.
The surface beneath Es’s feet were a mixture of packed dirt and wet grass from last night’s rain, a testant to countless hours of practice.
Positioned at the starting line of a track that wound into the woods, Es took a mont to gather her thoughts. Her gaze drifted to Finnian, who, blindfolded, was focused intently on the training dummies, relying solely on his heightened senses to see if he could locate and strike their vital spots like Donovan.
Lost in her contemplation, Es was jolted back to the present by a sharp whistle. She turned to find Revana suddenly at her side, ready to guide her through the day’s challenge.
"Five laps," she instructed. "Start at a steady pace, then push yourself on the last two. I need to gauge your endurance and speed, see how far you can push before your legs give out."
Revana’s tone was sharp and commanding, and Es nodded, feeling the weight resonate within her.
"What are you waiting for? Get into position– on your knees." Revana’s command brooked no delay, and Es imdiately went on her knees, settling into the starting position.
"Breathe evenly, keep your posture upright." Revana instructed, stepping closer to assess her form. "No slowing down, you must either maintain the pace or add to it, even when the burn sets in. The goal we aim to achieve is endurance, not just speed – see how you can survive. Until I say otherwise, do not slow down, not even for a second. I’ll be watching you, so don’t even think about slacking."
Revana paused for a minute, heightening the anticipation in the air before giving her command, her voice cutting through the tension. "Go!"
Es took off like a startled deer, the earth springing back beneath her feet as Revana jogged behind her, offering command and reminder like a well-rehearsed cheering routine.
As Es started her first lap, which was a grand circuit around the forest periters back to the training ground, she ntally calculated the distance. ’A quarter mile? 400 or 450 ters? This should be easy!’ she thought, feeling a hint of bravado.
The pace was just right, and her legs moved in rhythm, her breathing steady, just as Revana had drilled into her.
To her surprise, she found herself falling in love with her snug-fitting training pants. Who knew that ditching her gowns would feel so liberating? Not only did they allow her legs to move freely, but they flaunted her figures in a way that made her feel like a warrior goddess.
Back in her pack, she was always enticed with how the females rocked the look as well, but unfortunately, they could only wear it during training.
"Is that the best you can do?" She heard Revana’s disciplinary voice slice through the air like a whip, and she tsked. "At this pace, you’d be a delightful snack for any predator! Pick up those legs! You don’t want to be an easy prey, do you? Put so muscles into it and keep moving!"
With a sigh that could rival a steam engine, Es complied, forcing her legs into a faster rhythm. By the second lap, her calves began to tighten, a dull ache spreading from her feet up to her thighs. Her lungs worked harder with each breath, and the once cool air turned into fire the minute it hit the back of her throat.
Ah! This was just the second lap, her body couldn’t possibly be giving out just yet!!
"What’s this?" Revana was frustratingly hot on her tail. "No slowing down the pace, else you’re gonna have to restart the lap. Do you want that?!"
"No."
"I can’t hear you, I said, do you want to restart the lap after making it this far?!"
"NO!"
"Then quit dawdling and move your butt!"
By the ti Es reached the third lap, sweat dripped down her temples like a tiny waterfall, and Althea, Lothar, and Finnian stood on the sidelines, watching Es vanish into the depths of the woods again.
"You can do it, sister!" Finnian cheered on, his enthusiasm so loud it might just scare the squirrels out of their trees.
"She’s doing good for a first tir," Lothar chid in, crossing his arms. "Donovan knew exactly what he was doing when he assigned Revana to train her. The drill sergeant of the day – no rcy, no breaks, I can almost pity her."
"That’s because my sister believes she can be just as great!" Althea added her own positive remark. "I’m sure Es can finish the remaining two laps. She just has to maintain the pace, isn’t that what my sister said?"
"Donovan wants to see if excess training can awaken her wolf." Lothar told Althea. "He doesn’t believe she’s without a wolf. I don’t know what he’s planning, but he’s up to sothing for sure."
"Wait, where’s Acheron?" Finnian asked when he realized Acheron never showed up to train with them.
"He left for the North. He has sothing important to do there, but he’ll be back in two days," Althea replied. "If Acheron was here, he’d spice things up a little."
anwhile, Es’s chest heaved with strain as she kept pushing herself to keep going, a reminder that she was definitely not designed for this level of exertion.
Her heart thumped in her ears, like drums keeping ti with her struggles, while each step felt as if she were lifting boulders instead of her own legs. With each stride, she could feel the muscles in her leg start to burn, as if they were on fire, the sensation threatening to turn into full-blown cramps.
The ground beneath her felt unforgiving, but she would not give Revana the satisfaction of seeing her slow down – no way she was going to let those eagle eyes witness her collapse like a deflating balloon.
She would not show weakness, and so, she kept pushing forward, gritting her teeth, whilst ignoring the sharp pain that flared with every stride.
As she rounded the fifth lap, her entire body was staging a full-scale rebellion. Her legs wobbled, and her arms might as well have been made of spaghetti. Every cell in her body was crying out for rest, but giving up? Not an option! With her muscles threatening mutiny, she clung to one thought like a sailor in a storm; keep moving.
She was determined to prove Dahr — and everyone else – wrong, even if it ant running till her legs turn to quivering noodles.
The final lap was nothing but pure will. Her vision was literally a hazy watercoloring painting, and sweat stung her eyes. Each breath felt like a battle, and just when she thought it was over, that she was finally free to collapse on the ground, Revana’s voice pierced through her exhaustion.
"High knees! Go go go!" Revana had zero interest in letting Es catch her breath.
’Kill now!’ Es internally scread, on the verge of tears.
"I don’t see those knees up, the longer you delay, the more tired you get, keep moving."
Es decided right there and then that sparing Donovan was off-limit. If she survived this, she’ll have so serious payback to dish out.
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