Chaff with my fists. He wouldn't be able to smile that evil grin anymore.
"Do you think you are ready for the trials?" asks Helm.
"If I said no, would you give me more time?" I ask.
"No."
"Then what does it matter? I have done what I can. Hopefully this isn't my last meal," I say.
I realize that it actually could be my last meal. I don't know if I will be able to make breakfast in the morning, before the trials start. So my last meal is old stew. That makes me sad.
I can feel Sickle and Scythe staring at me, and I know that they too hope I die tomorrow. I wish they were the ones going through the trials.
I look up and see that Flot has finally come to eat. I watch as he gets food then sits next to one of his friends.
I wish I could eat with Flot and Jet, but I have to do what is expected of me now. I liked things better when people didn't expect anything from me. All I had to do was hunt and stay alive. They let me keep to myself, and they definitely didn't make me go through any trials.
But if I wasn't going through this, if they didn't think I was the Sky Child, I never would have made friends with Ebb. I don't know her very well yet, but I am still glad that she is my friend. So I keep that thought in my head, that what I'm going through will all be worth it. Worth it if I survive.
I don't want to talk to Mast or Helm, because I'm angry at them. I know they aren't the ones that created the trials, but they are the people that are making me go through them.
I finish my meal and head toward our room. I decide to take a side-tunnel that is shorter than using the big circle of the Crag. As I pass by rooms I look inside, not really paying attention to them. All of them are lit except one. When I reach the dark room, I hear a noise coming from inside. It is very quiet, but I recognize the sound of breathing. I turn and look into the darkness.
That is when it looks back at me. I see a pair of eyes, but they are hard to make out. Without warning, the shadow attacks me. They kick me in the stomach and I fall to the ground. I wait for them to move closer, and I punch the shadow in its groin.
The shadow groans in pain, clutching itself. I get up off the ground and put my fists up, the way that Ebb taught me to. Even in the darkness I can see the sharp metal object that the shadow is holding. The shadow reaches out with its arm and tries to stab me. I step away from the arm and send my right fist flying as hard as I can, right where I can see the shadow's eyes.
I am very lucky, because my punch hits exactly where I'd hoped. The shadow falls to the ground, and I can tell that they will be asleep for a while. I hear the clank of the knife hitting the ground. I also hear footsteps running up to me. I hold up my hands again, ready to fight my new attacker. Only it isn't a new attacker, it is Ebb.
"Are you okay Sam?"
"Yes, I am fine," I say.
"Why didn't you wait for me?" asks Ebb.
"I wasn't thinking. I am sorry. I'm just so worried about dying in the trials that I forgot people may still be trying to kill me," I say.
"You will never beat the trials if you don't pay attention to your surroundings," says Ebb.
"At least I heard them and then saw them before they attacked," I say.
"But you could have been killed!" says Ebb.
"I know. I'm sorry," is all I can manage.
I reach down and pick up the knife then drag the attacker into the light. It looks like they have taken a dark shirt and wrapped it around their face to cover it. I remove the shirt, and stare at my attacker.
I do not know who this person is.
"Ebb, do you know him?" I ask.
"No."
It is a man who looks closer to being a gray one than a new one. There is nothing really different or interesting about his face. He just looks like a person. Someone that maybe wouldn't be noticed. His hair does not cover much of his head, and his stomach sticks out.
"What are you going to do with him, Sam?" asks Ebb.
"He tried to kill me, but I don't know why. I don't think he
"Do you think you are ready for the trials?" asks Helm.
"If I said no, would you give me more time?" I ask.
"No."
"Then what does it matter? I have done what I can. Hopefully this isn't my last meal," I say.
I realize that it actually could be my last meal. I don't know if I will be able to make breakfast in the morning, before the trials start. So my last meal is old stew. That makes me sad.
I can feel Sickle and Scythe staring at me, and I know that they too hope I die tomorrow. I wish they were the ones going through the trials.
I look up and see that Flot has finally come to eat. I watch as he gets food then sits next to one of his friends.
I wish I could eat with Flot and Jet, but I have to do what is expected of me now. I liked things better when people didn't expect anything from me. All I had to do was hunt and stay alive. They let me keep to myself, and they definitely didn't make me go through any trials.
But if I wasn't going through this, if they didn't think I was the Sky Child, I never would have made friends with Ebb. I don't know her very well yet, but I am still glad that she is my friend. So I keep that thought in my head, that what I'm going through will all be worth it. Worth it if I survive.
I don't want to talk to Mast or Helm, because I'm angry at them. I know they aren't the ones that created the trials, but they are the people that are making me go through them.
I finish my meal and head toward our room. I decide to take a side-tunnel that is shorter than using the big circle of the Crag. As I pass by rooms I look inside, not really paying attention to them. All of them are lit except one. When I reach the dark room, I hear a noise coming from inside. It is very quiet, but I recognize the sound of breathing. I turn and look into the darkness.
That is when it looks back at me. I see a pair of eyes, but they are hard to make out. Without warning, the shadow attacks me. They kick me in the stomach and I fall to the ground. I wait for them to move closer, and I punch the shadow in its groin.
The shadow groans in pain, clutching itself. I get up off the ground and put my fists up, the way that Ebb taught me to. Even in the darkness I can see the sharp metal object that the shadow is holding. The shadow reaches out with its arm and tries to stab me. I step away from the arm and send my right fist flying as hard as I can, right where I can see the shadow's eyes.
I am very lucky, because my punch hits exactly where I'd hoped. The shadow falls to the ground, and I can tell that they will be asleep for a while. I hear the clank of the knife hitting the ground. I also hear footsteps running up to me. I hold up my hands again, ready to fight my new attacker. Only it isn't a new attacker, it is Ebb.
"Are you okay Sam?"
"Yes, I am fine," I say.
"Why didn't you wait for me?" asks Ebb.
"I wasn't thinking. I am sorry. I'm just so worried about dying in the trials that I forgot people may still be trying to kill me," I say.
"You will never beat the trials if you don't pay attention to your surroundings," says Ebb.
"At least I heard them and then saw them before they attacked," I say.
"But you could have been killed!" says Ebb.
"I know. I'm sorry," is all I can manage.
I reach down and pick up the knife then drag the attacker into the light. It looks like they have taken a dark shirt and wrapped it around their face to cover it. I remove the shirt, and stare at my attacker.
I do not know who this person is.
"Ebb, do you know him?" I ask.
"No."
It is a man who looks closer to being a gray one than a new one. There is nothing really different or interesting about his face. He just looks like a person. Someone that maybe wouldn't be noticed. His hair does not cover much of his head, and his stomach sticks out.
"What are you going to do with him, Sam?" asks Ebb.
"He tried to kill me, but I don't know why. I don't think he
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