Free Dark Company by Natale Ghent Page B

reached the head of the line, there was a row of swords hovering in the air. She raised her hand to take the closest one and the sword flew away, clattering to the ground as if pulled by a wire. What was wrong with it? The pewter being stared at the errant sword, then pointed to the next. Skylark reached for it, and this sword flew away too, as did the next and the next, until a dozen swords littered the ground. The recruits watched with detached fascination as sword after sword flew away. Eventually, the pewter being grabbed a sword from the row and attempted to hand it to her. The sword sprang from her grip as though polarized. The being reached for a shield and tried to force it into her hands. It shot into the air and dropped, spinning on its edge before rattling to the ground. The recruits gaped in amazement.
    “That will be enough,” the being finally said when it became apparent no weapon was willing to be hers. It held its hand up to silence the troops. “Please step aside and allow the others to complete the ceremony,” it told her.
    Skylark moved to one side. The Warriors retreated, keeping their distance. She tried not to let it bother her, but she couldn’t control her thoughts.
    “They’re afraid,” the mouse said. “They sense the confusion of the pewter one.”
    “Is it confused?” she asked.
    “Very.”
    “So am I. What does it mean?”
    “It means that this is not for you.”
    When each recruit had a weapon, the pewter being called for order again. “Everything until now has been relatively easy,” it said. “From this point forward, you will face some very difficult challenges. We will test your mettle to the fullest. We will train you to be swift and bold so you can fight the Dark in all its forms. The Dark is your enemy. The Dark hates the Light. You are of the Light, therefore the Dark hates you and everything you stand for. It will not hesitate to cut you down so you must not hesitate to strike first. Your initial challenge is sparring. Fall into pairs.”
    The Warriors quickly chose partners to avoid sparring with Skylark. She stood self-consciously to one side of the field, wishing she had blown up like the Nightshades during the initiation ceremony. The pewter being gave the signal and a riot of clanging swords and roaring lions ensued. By instinct, everyone knew what to do. Skylark watched with envy. What was her purpose if not to fight alongside the Warriors? Where did she belong? And what was the point of pretending to be a Warrior if she really wasn’t one? She let her thoughts stray to the boy. If only she could go back and be with him. The mouse pulled her hair the second she thought this.
    “Ow!”
    “Stay focused on the task at hand,” he scolded.
    Skylark folded her arms and begrudgingly watched the recruits, trying to keep her mind from wandering. But whenever she got bored and let herself drift, the mouse would tug on her hair, until she wanted to knock him from her shoulder.
    At last the pewter being gave the signal to cease fighting.
    “Very good!” it said. “You have transitioned well. Your skills will improve greatly with training and experience, but for now you understand the principals of combat.” It glided along the ranks. “The next challenge is flight training. We call it jumping.It’s a form of teleportation from one location to the next—without gliding. You will make ten lines and jump together in groups.”
    Skylark loitered near the back as the Warriors formed ranks. Once the lines were established, she slipped into a space on the end.
    “Being able to move quickly and undetected is a Warrior’s greatest asset,” the pewter being explained. “The Dark is fast and ruthless. We must therefore be faster and braver still. Your first jump will be a short one—to the other side of the field. Once you have mastered that, we will increase the distance. And don’t forget to include your totem in your flight equation. Expand your energy