Wingborn by Becca Lusher Page B

being explained, but she was
not the only one smothering yawns after their busy morning.
    “Remember we
asked for this,” Derrain murmured, as they settled into a
classroom.
    If she ’ d had more energy she would have hit him.
    “ Now we
know why there are so few Riders,” Harlan grumbled. By now his
boots were sadly scuffed and no longer shiny . “ Gods, I don ’ t think I can take much of
this. ”
    “ Don’ t be soft, ” Corin scolded. “ This is a great opportunity. I ’ m not giving up yet, not after a paltry
bit of exercise. I might change my mind when they start lecturing
us on poetry, but I ’ m
hoping they ’ ll skip
that. ”
    “ T hey save it for Aquila, ” Dhori said, taking the seat next to Mhysra.
    “That’s
something to look forward to,” Mouse chuckled.
    Corin and
Mhysra groaned, “Great,” and shared a grin.
    Moaning, Harlan put his head on the desk. “ Wake me if anything
interesting happens. ”
    It didn ’ t, and at the end of the day Mhysra waved farewell
to her new friends before going to see Cumulo. He hopped down two
perches to meet her.
    “Well? How did it go? ”
    Smiling, she
tickled his head. “It’ll do.” She’d already made some new friends
and if it stayed like this everything would be fine. “I can
cope.”
    Tilting his
head for a stroke, he sighed with relief. “Good. Tell me the same
tomorrow.”
     
    THE NEXT MORNING Mhysra and Derrain met up with Dhori on their walk through the
city. The air was icy, promising a blizzard before dark. Not that
Hethanon cared, sending them straight off on another punishing run.
Cold to the bone, the students trudged to their training masters
and went through the motions with mind-numbing weariness.
    “ Tired , my lambs? ” Hethanon cooed, but his sweet smile rapidly faded
into a scowl. “ Toughen
up or leave. ”
    The morning after that brought the first
desertions, with not one training master retaining all of their
students. Sergeant Rees ’ line looked particularly thin. Mouse had lost his partner already
and, unfortunately for him, was obliged to train with Lieutenant
Lyrai instead.
    “ He’ s evil, ” he whimpered at midday, flexing his shoulders. “ It ’ s bad enough when he ’ s shouting, but working with him is
torture. He wants to
kill me. ”
    “ You’ re getting off lightly. ” Harlan was unsympathetic. “ Try having Rees on your
back. ”
    Mouse changed his tune the following
quarter-moon when he was paired with Mhysra, after another student
left and Dhori was moved to work with someone else. It was a day of
changes. Since they could all now manage the exercises without
injury, Hethanon brought out staffs for them to use.
    “ The
staff is an all-purpose weapon, in training and in combat. Master
it and you may try something more difficult. No one picks up
a sword who cannot handle a staff. This is the opening
exercise. ”
    Mhysra was soon grateful to be opposite
Mouse, who though shorter was of equal strength. At Wrentheria,
Mhysra had taken daily staff lessons with her cousins from the age
of seven, and had yet to develop any fondness for it. By contrast,
Dhori looked as though he ’ d been born to wield it. Lieutenant Lyrai
complimented the lad on his prowess and sparred with him to
demonstrate how a sequence of moves should be done at full speed.
Not that the rest of them did the same. For the moment everything
was done slowly, building up their muscles and numbing their
brains.
    The afternoons were no better, and Mhysra
finally understood all of her brother ’ s complaints about the selection school. It was no
wonder so many students dropped out – the boredom was staggering.
Only her new friends and the thought of Cumulo kept her going.
     
    24 th Blizzard
    WINTER MIGHT HAVE been holding Nimbys in a merciless grip, but after completing her
first half-moon of Rider training, Mhysra couldn ’ t remember feeling happier. That morning
she ’ d attended the
service at the Cathedral of Maegla and