Chapter 129
[ 796 words ]
Better than the training den
129: 129.
Better than the training den Aria
Birds chatter somewhere high in the trees.
There morning chitters ping ponging in the massive oaks around.
It’s a good sign.
A positive sign that means the environment is starting to heal after the assembly tried to poison it.
Wind whispers through pine branches overhead, carrying the scent of earth, moss, and sunlight.
I follow Rick as he guides me to what will be our training ground for today.
His long white hair is tied at the base of his wolf’s tail.
An interesting style for a man his age, but it suits him.
My wolf loves being out in nature.
Better than the training den.
I smile despite myself.
You’re only saying that because no one can witness Rick throwing us to the floor out here.
She snorts.
Like we won’t have a few strays coming to take a peek.
Fair point.
All the warriors and even the juveniles, hoping to start their training when they come of age, have taken an interest in watching our theatrical training.
Rick likes putting on a show for the pups.
I remind her.
That is the only reason she doesn’t bitch so much about it.
She knows they get entertainment out of it, and she doesn’t want to take them away from it.
There is a rustling sound as he pulls out a bag of mini cookies from his pocket.
“Hey, I thought those weren’t going to be done until dinner,” I gripe.
“Sweet talked Minerva into putting a batch in early,” he said without shame.
I jog up to him so we’re walking side by side.
“I think she has a sweet spot for you.”
He keeps his eyes ahead.
“She just likes the enthusiasm I have for her desserts.”
“You keep telling yourself that.”
The older male glances over his shoulder, a white brow arching high on his forehead.
“You’re stomping.”
“I’m walking,” I defend.
“Like a boar on a war path.
How do you expect to overcome your enemies when they will hear you coming a mile away?”
“I do not walk like a boar.”
“I bet I could defend your attacks with my eyes closed.”
I scowl.
“No, you couldn’t.”
His grin widens.
“Was that a scowl I just heard?”
“You can’t hear a scowl.”
“Sure, I can,” he says.
“Sure, and logic is just a choice,” I say under my breath.
“What was that?”
“Nothing,” I reply quickly, my voice going squeaky at the end.
“Sounded rude.”
“Thought you said you didn’t hear it?”
“Though you said you didn’t say anything,” he retorts with a laugh.
The sound echoes through the trees, and I find myself smiling right along with him.
He hands me a cookie, and I accept it.
“Don’t think I’m getting soft, you have to earn the rest,” he tucks the snack back into his pocket.
“Wouldn’t expect anything else.”
Training with him has become strangely enjoyable.
Infuriating, and a gut punch to my pride on occasion, but enjoyable.
We continue walking until the sound of running water reaches my ears.
A few minutes later, the trees open as a bubbling brook comes into view.
Logs curl around the edges of the fair side, a curtain of vines hanging down into the water.
Small amphibians and aquatic creatures move about their day, giving peace and tranquility to this small piece of the territory.
My wolf immediately perks up.
I like this place.
Rick drops his pack on the bank of the brook and gestures around us.
“Today’s lesson.”
I look at the springs.
“Are we sitting by the water today?”
“If you’re lucky. I’ll give you time to collect yourself after.”
I groan.
Rick sits on a flat stone and motions for me to do the same.
I settle across from him.
For a few moments, he doesn’t speak, and neither do I.
The forest hums around us.
Insects buzz and chime.
Frogs ribbit, the occasional splash of a small creature diving into the water.
Eventually, Rick folds his hands.
“Tell me where your fire comes from.”
I shrug, feeling a bit embarrassed by my lack of knowledge.
“Inside me.”
Rick immediately makes a face.
“Terrible answer.”
“If you are just going to tell me I’m wrong, why not save time and tell me what you clearly want me to know?”
“Because I wanted to understand how wrong you were.”
I throw a pebble at him.
He catches it without looking.
Show off.
Rick points at an obscure dip in the ground below.
On closer inspection, I notice the air puffing out of it.
That can’t be right, can it?
I step closer to the broom, kneeling down and brushing my fingertip just below the surface.
Warmth greets me where cold should be.
I glance up wide-eyed at Rick, and he smiles back.“Where does that heat come from?”
I study the water and look back at the mini mud pool.
“The earth.”
“Good.”
He points toward the sun, opening his arms down in an arch all around us.
“Everything around us, living below and beside us, comes from the earth.
It is the one thing we all share.
Your sypher abilities might manifest as fire, but fire isn’t separate from nature.
It is one of its many forms.”
“So you’re saying my powers come from nature?”
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