~ LINNA ~
Wind whipped Linna’s hair about her face. She’d rarely seen the sea so tumultuous, the waves so high and white capped.
Storm coming, little seagull,a voice whispered inside her. Bad one.
But she knew that. She’d known that for a year now, even before she’d left Paratheen in the middle of the night to seek out the Empress and the Commander. They didn’t want those titles anymore, though; they just wanted to be Tasia and Joslyn. As if they were two completely ordinary people with completely ordinary lives.
Linna ground her teeth in frustration. They’d left her alone once before, falling out of her life for almost five years when she thought they were dead. She’d brought them back that time, but not this time. This time, they didn’t want to be brought back.
Which left only her, standing on a beach while an angry Preyla threatened some fresh hell upon Port Lorsin.
Linna reached up, tied her hair back and away from her face, then turned away from the crashing waves towards her charges.
Andreth was done already, outpacing Maya as usual. Tareth was, surprisingly, also finished, and he stood beside Andreth, hands on hips, waiting for Maya. He shouted something at his sister – it was probably meant to be encouraging, but Linna could tell by the way Maya set her jaw that she didn’t take it that way.
“Tareth,” Linna called, but the wind snatched the name away and dragged it towards the sea before the youth could hear it. “Tareth!” she called again, louder, and called Andreth and Maya’s names for good measure. The three finally turned towards their ku-sai and jogged her way, the wind tugging at them the whole way.
She waited until they stood close enough to hear her without having to shout above the wind and waves. Calmly, she asked them, “What is the art of the sword master?”
Andreth and Maya turned to their older brother deferentially.
“Life,” said Tareth.
Linna nodded. “Protecting life, guarding life, saving life. That is the art of the sword master. Never forget that is why we train so hard each day.”
The three nodded. They’d heard their teacher give the lesson many times, but they didn’t understand the truth of it yet. How could they? Linna hoped they’d never have to understand it the way that she did.
“Now, once more through your movements,” Linna said.
“But it’s freezing out here,” complained Maya.
“I know. But will your enemies only arrive on days when the weather is perfect?”
The children looked unconvinced by this argument, and Linna knew from her own experience where their minds were – in the palace kitchens, with a hot mug of tea and a bowl of porridge in front of them.
“I’ll offer you this,” Linna said. “If you do it perfectly the first time, we will finish for the day and head inside to break our fast.”
This time, the children nodded. Linna nodded back at them, and they spread themselves out along the beach and went into mountain.
For now, her pupils had lived through another night and made it unharmed to this windswept morning.
For now.
* ** **