Something moves in my peripheral vision and I spin around as a new soldier runs at me with a spear. I step right, trapping the spear with my crossed swords and deflecting it to the side. When the soldier stumbles, I help him along with the flat of my blade. Then I lift my sword again, scanning in all directions, but no one else attacks me.

A slow clapping rings through the air, and I turn to see Arxa watching with appreciation. “I had a hunch you were thinking too much the first time around,” he says. “That was an impressive performance. Quite impressive.”

Chapter Twenty

From the exuberance in Dineas’s face, you’d think he’d just stumbled upon a pot of gold, not beat three men into submission. He’s covered with dirt, and the fresh scratches on his hands and arms have me itching to grab a washcloth. He’s also limping like an old man, but he’s beaming. I’ve never seen him so happy.

My palms are still damp from seeing him fail, entertaining the sinking feeling that my potions might have erased more of his skills than I’d thought. I’d feared our quest was ended before it even really began.

As the party heads inside the compound, Dineas falls back next to me and breaks into a wide grin. “What do you think, Zivah? Not bad for someone who can’t remember his own name.”

His elation is infectious, and I smile in return. Back in Dara, I’d believed him cocky when he boasted he’d be able to beat Ampara’s best. But now that I’ve seen him fight, I understand. And though I had nothing to do with his skill or training, I feel a surge of pride at his victory.

Arxa walks with us to the door of Dineas’s room. “You gave us a good demonstration today, Dineas.” He doesn’t seem to recognize Dineas from his visit to Khaygal outpost. We didn’t think he would remember one prisoner’s face out of hundreds, but I’d worried nonetheless. I wait for him to say something about Dineas joining the army, but he doesn’t. Instead, he turns to me. “Zivah, I’d like a word with you.”

“Of course, Commander.” I try to ignore the tingling in my stomach as I lead him to a sitting area in the back. There’s only a small window in this room, and a shaft of light falls between our two chairs. I put my hands in my lap to keep from fidgeting. “Is there anything in particular you wished to discuss, Commander?”

He leans his weight back into his chair. “Tell me everything you know about Dineas,” he says. “Every detail, no matter how insignificant.”