She’s been … scuffling with city guards? Honing these skills. “Why?” I ask. “Why did you want to learn to fight?”

She shrugs. “I’m good at it, and I really love it. I thought I might want to be a guard someday.”

“But that’s dangerous!”

“And that’s why I didn’t tell you. I knew you’d react like this.”

I stare openmouthed at her. All the sneaking out. It was so she could practice fighting in secret?

“You should be glad,” Kellyn says. “She was a big help just now. Especially since you divided their numbers by coming out of your tent.”

“You stay out of this!” I hiss. Then I turn back to Temra. “I can’t believe you didn’t think you could tell me about this.”

“Because you would have forbidden it! It’s my choice what I do with my life.”

“You’re damned right I would have! It’s my job to look after you.” Mother and Father would be so disappointed if they knew. Not just about this, but how I failed to protect Temra. From this blasted sword and the warlord and everything else that threatens us.

Petrik crawls out of his tent. He’s fully dressed in his scholar robes. He takes in the dead beasts first, then looks over Temra and me—for any wounds, presumably. Then his eyes land on Kellyn.

“You just had to use your shirt, huh?” Petrik says, looking distastefully at Kellyn’s torso.

“I didn’t have time to ask to borrow your dress.”

Petrik shakes his head, like he can’t even bother. “I’ll make some tea.”

CHAPTER
TEN

Temra cleans the claw marks for me in the privacy of the tent, neither of us saying a word. After, we all sit around the fire, Temra and Kellyn with their weapons unsheathed, prepared should the few wolves that fled decide to return.

Kellyn has thankfully donned another shirt.

I tell him, “Thank you for saving us. That was quick thinking about the torch.”

“Have I earned my keep, then?”

“I’d say so.”

A silence follows, and I feel the need to fill it, but I have nothing to say. Discomfort spreads over me like a scratchy cloak.

“We need to have a discussion about following orders when we’re under threat like that,” Kellyn says. “I need you all to listen if I’m to do my job properly. Strangely, the scholar was the only one who obeyed.”

“I knew I could help,” Temra says defensively.

“And now that I know you can, I will use that knowledge next time I give orders.” Kellyn turns his gaze to me expectantly.

“I’m not about to stay behind if Temra is in the thick of danger. If I hadn’t pushed her away, that wolf would’ve—” I cut off, unable to finish the thought.

“So it’s better that you were hurt instead of her?” Kellyn asks.

Temra says over the top of him, “You shouldn’t have thrown yourself at me. That was reckless.”

“I’m stronger than you are,” I say simply. She couldn’t very well have held her own against a wolf barehanded. I barely did—and only for a short amount of time at that. Any longer, and it would have had me if Kellyn hadn’t intervened.