remember what you have taught me."
"Just keep inside your mind that the trials aren't a game. There is more to lose than your life. Do what you must to survive. That is all that matters."
"I will," I say.
Ebb places a small kiss on my cheek then hurries back to her room.
17
I head back to our room and put on some clean clothes. Flot and Jet are still there. Flot is reading a book this time, and Jet is cleaning his armor. Flot finally looks up.
"Wow, she really must have punched you a lot. Your face is bruised. So are your arms and chest. Are you hurt?" asks Flot.
"I'm fine," I say.
I hurry to put clothes on, so that most of the bruises are covered. It doesn't take me long to change.
"Did you hit her back?" asks Jet.
"A few times, but I was trying not to hurt her."
"Oh, so you got beat up just so you wouldn't hurt her?" asks Flot.
"No, she was better than me," I admit.
"Wait, you're saying that someone was better than you at something?" says Flot.
"... Yes."
"Just what I thought. You aren't the Sky Child," says Flot.
"How did you hear about that?" I ask.
"What, you being the Sky Child? Seems like that's the only thing people are talking about. Though, when everyone hears about how Ebb beat you up, I'm sure they won't think you are the Sky Child anymore," says Flot.
"How will everyone hear that Ebb beat me?" I ask.
"Because I'm going to tell everyone about it!" says Flot.
Jet laughs.
"Do you want me to use what she taught me on your head?" I ask.
Flot covers his face with his book, and Jet goes quiet.
"I'm heading to the feast now. Are you coming?" I ask.
"Yeah," says Jet.
"I will come when I'm done with this chapter," says Flot.
"What are you reading?" I ask.
Flot ignores the question. I look at it, and I remember reading it a few snows ago. The name of it has something to do with the end of a sidewalk, but I have no idea what a sidewalk is. Most of the stories in it are short and strange, and make no sense, but I like them.
Jet follows me out of the room. I turn to him.
"So what are you and Flot up to?" I ask.
"Oh, nothing," says Jet.
"I'm serious, I need to know," I say.
"We've been talking about girls is all."
"Oh, that's right! You really like that girl, Till," I say.
"Shut up!" says Jet.
"Did you finally talk to her?" I ask.
"Yes."
"And?"
"And it's none of your business," says Jet.
"Must have gone fairly well, or you would be complaining about it."
"She might like me. She says nice things to me, but I can't tell if she just wants to be friends or not."
"Friends isn't what you want to be?" I ask.
"I want to maybe be more than friends."
"That sounds serious," I say.
"I'm too young to be serious."
"Well, friends is a good place to start. I hope it works out, and I hope that she is nice."
"She is," says Jet.
After walking for a while, we finally reach the feast chamber. I get into line so that I can get some food. Jet stays next to me. I look around and I see Ebb. She smiles at me, and I nod back.
"I'm glad that you've finally made a friend," says Jet.
"Me too."
We get our food, and it's more wolf stew. I think since we didn't hunt today, Cleave and the other cooks just made what they could out of leftover meat. It's not as good as yesterday's wolf stew.
I sit down at the head table. I watch as Jet finds a seat far away from where I'm sitting. I also see a few girls sit down next to him. The girls seem interested in him, but he either doesn't really care, or he just doesn't realize it.
I look across the table, and I catch Chaff staring at me. His mouth is twisted into an evil grin that makes my stomach sick. Helm turns and whispers to me.
"Chaff wanted to wish you good luck on the trials."
"I'm sure he did," I say.
"My guess is he actually wants you to fail," says Helm.
"I'm sure he does."
Chaff is pathetic. It only makes me want to do better in the trials. Maybe I will get lucky, and one of the trials will be fighting my worst enemy. I would very much like to beat
"Just keep inside your mind that the trials aren't a game. There is more to lose than your life. Do what you must to survive. That is all that matters."
"I will," I say.
Ebb places a small kiss on my cheek then hurries back to her room.
17
I head back to our room and put on some clean clothes. Flot and Jet are still there. Flot is reading a book this time, and Jet is cleaning his armor. Flot finally looks up.
"Wow, she really must have punched you a lot. Your face is bruised. So are your arms and chest. Are you hurt?" asks Flot.
"I'm fine," I say.
I hurry to put clothes on, so that most of the bruises are covered. It doesn't take me long to change.
"Did you hit her back?" asks Jet.
"A few times, but I was trying not to hurt her."
"Oh, so you got beat up just so you wouldn't hurt her?" asks Flot.
"No, she was better than me," I admit.
"Wait, you're saying that someone was better than you at something?" says Flot.
"... Yes."
"Just what I thought. You aren't the Sky Child," says Flot.
"How did you hear about that?" I ask.
"What, you being the Sky Child? Seems like that's the only thing people are talking about. Though, when everyone hears about how Ebb beat you up, I'm sure they won't think you are the Sky Child anymore," says Flot.
"How will everyone hear that Ebb beat me?" I ask.
"Because I'm going to tell everyone about it!" says Flot.
Jet laughs.
"Do you want me to use what she taught me on your head?" I ask.
Flot covers his face with his book, and Jet goes quiet.
"I'm heading to the feast now. Are you coming?" I ask.
"Yeah," says Jet.
"I will come when I'm done with this chapter," says Flot.
"What are you reading?" I ask.
Flot ignores the question. I look at it, and I remember reading it a few snows ago. The name of it has something to do with the end of a sidewalk, but I have no idea what a sidewalk is. Most of the stories in it are short and strange, and make no sense, but I like them.
Jet follows me out of the room. I turn to him.
"So what are you and Flot up to?" I ask.
"Oh, nothing," says Jet.
"I'm serious, I need to know," I say.
"We've been talking about girls is all."
"Oh, that's right! You really like that girl, Till," I say.
"Shut up!" says Jet.
"Did you finally talk to her?" I ask.
"Yes."
"And?"
"And it's none of your business," says Jet.
"Must have gone fairly well, or you would be complaining about it."
"She might like me. She says nice things to me, but I can't tell if she just wants to be friends or not."
"Friends isn't what you want to be?" I ask.
"I want to maybe be more than friends."
"That sounds serious," I say.
"I'm too young to be serious."
"Well, friends is a good place to start. I hope it works out, and I hope that she is nice."
"She is," says Jet.
After walking for a while, we finally reach the feast chamber. I get into line so that I can get some food. Jet stays next to me. I look around and I see Ebb. She smiles at me, and I nod back.
"I'm glad that you've finally made a friend," says Jet.
"Me too."
We get our food, and it's more wolf stew. I think since we didn't hunt today, Cleave and the other cooks just made what they could out of leftover meat. It's not as good as yesterday's wolf stew.
I sit down at the head table. I watch as Jet finds a seat far away from where I'm sitting. I also see a few girls sit down next to him. The girls seem interested in him, but he either doesn't really care, or he just doesn't realize it.
I look across the table, and I catch Chaff staring at me. His mouth is twisted into an evil grin that makes my stomach sick. Helm turns and whispers to me.
"Chaff wanted to wish you good luck on the trials."
"I'm sure he did," I say.
"My guess is he actually wants you to fail," says Helm.
"I'm sure he does."
Chaff is pathetic. It only makes me want to do better in the trials. Maybe I will get lucky, and one of the trials will be fighting my worst enemy. I would very much like to beat
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