She tensed, waiting for another of his outbursts, but he simply nodded, his face grim. “I see. Well, I guess I have no choice but to respect your wishes, en? But my offer is always there. You only have to say the word.”

“Thank you, Weh-sheh,” she said, and bowed her head to him. “By the way, do you know where I can find Captain Augustin? I am hoping he will want to train today and he will show up at the sands, but if not . . .” she trailed off uselessly.

Weysh looked thoughtful. “He might. And there’s a good chance he’ll be in town tonight, at one of the pubs.” He cleared his throat. “So, speaking of pubs, what are your plans for the day?” he asked, far too casually.

She kept her head down as she smiled, but made sure to wipe it from her face before she straightened. “Figuring out a way to stay. I will train at the sands and wait for Captain Augustin.”

“Perfect! I’ll train with you,” he said.

But Yenni wasn’t in the mood for company. She shook her head. “I need some time alone. To think.”

“I see,” he said again, clearly disappointed.

The smile tugged at Yenni’s lips again. “I have no intention of leaving, Weh-sheh. You’ll see me again.”

“Count on it,” he said softly, a promise. “Farewell, Yenni Ajani.”

Yenni smiled. “Good-bye, Weh-sheh.” He changed and took off, and as Yenni watched him soar away she found, for some strange reason, her spirits were just a little lighter.

Yenni ran through her old, familiar spear drills—the ones she’d practiced during many a sunrise back home. First, swift gazelle, where she darted and spun to keep an enemy at bay, then wise tortoise, using her spear to block and parry, and finally fierce lion, where she struck hard with the blunt end of her spear and stabbed harder with the tip.

She alternated between training and resting, and as dawn lightened to noon the training sands stayed resolutely empty, with no sign of the other students and no sign of Captain Augustin. Once the bell tower rang the midday hour she switched strategies and practiced battle spells, doing her best to incorporate them into the smooth, flowing dance of her spear forms. But it was difficult to shift from fighting to reciting spells. As she panted through incantations she lost focus and her spear form went sloppy. Curse these Creshens and their needlessly complicated magic!

As the bells rang one past midday, Yenni’s frustration reached its peak. She yelled, threw her spear down, and plopped onto the sand, resting her head between her knees.