As I staggered, finally, from my perch, William came forward from beyond the line of trees. I swayed, my legs seizing. He took my hand, squeezed it, and turned it over. He placed the wooden boomerang in my palm.

“Arika must practice,” he said.

He waited a moment.

My heart filled my throat. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him why he’d done it. Instead, I tucked the boomerang into my belt and turned my back on him.

The Trainee

THE TRAINEE

In the following weeks, I trained as if my life depended on it. I threw the boomerang three hundred times each morning. When my fingers were raw, I pictured myself, back in Jones’ grasp. I saw myself betraying my friends. I felt the hot poker of pity. And I picked up my Apex and threw it again and again.

I also engaged the bandits to learn their expertise. From Walker, I learned to salt meat for storage. I removed innards and cleaned them for eating, covered in thick gravy. With a mortar and pestle, I learned to grind nuts into flour, and to make bread from it. I added oil to the nuts and created butter for the bread.

I took over watering and weeding Hurley’s garden, and I learned which part of the plants were edible and which would make me sick. We made soap from animal fat, and mended clothes with needles and hand-spun thread.

I coaxed Booster into taking me hunting. We waited high in the trees and rappelled down with only a thin rope to break our fall. I lugged a desert antelope back to camp and, later, I helped skin the beast. I scraped the hide and presented it to Hurley for tanning.

I followed Pidge as he checked his traps for small game. All the while I peppered him with questions. How many traps? How do you set them? How do you choose bait?

With Fly Man, I flipped rocks to find edible insects and gathered dry kindling from bushes. He showed me how to dig worms for fishing, and collect bird eggs without disturbing the nest. He demonstrated his skill as a groom, showing me to cool and brush Mary after riding.

Hosea, I had to admit, was an excellent teacher. We learned dozens of maneuvers. Strikes, kicks, punches and blocks, as well as defensive moves to counter each attack.

“Every body part is a weapon,” Hosea said, again and again. “The hands stab, quick and strong, like daggers. Your elbows strike like the mace. Your knees chop, left and right. They are battle-axes. Use your legs like a staff. Pummel your enemy and vault away. Keep your shins and forearms ready. They protect you, like a suit of armor. You have eight limbs now; use them!”