Chapter 13. Caught (2)

“Yes?”4c391f46220a5e6f

“You can’t get away with that.”6f1d67a4f4f179c4

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I’d been caught.18a67912a8cb7de4

I squeezed my 7fe874bdac eyes shut.51bd8c2c7a8678c5

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Images flashed 13aa56d2da before me—a 45a0c681bf scarecrow with 734b3d20d0 thinning hair, 2f02f2449c a worn-out 094e7d8ad4 straw hat, fb1c481267 moldy jerky, 21448de562 and the e65e575902 snowy northern e018861f32 landscape flying 6297366fd1 past.1957abc1ca475eb1

Is this it? The end 25bc5771a8 of our ac89d29aa8 escape and 6efb7f8ef7 of Leonie’s 60d9561f67 life?19dd11fbad11d62c

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But then Deon 901e18fa77 spoke.35ac02a65a251717

“You can’t escape from the wolf with just that.”92fd287d8cd8e48b

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I opened my 282d2eeb26 eyes abruptly.0f182e053142910c

Deon took the branch a5141f1eac from my hand. He examined the ae0de34692 carefully crafted wood 2970e96158 and spoke.1fcf0319fa058cd5

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“This wooden sword is useless. It’ll break if you hit a sturdy animal. Plus, it’s too long. What do you expect a beginner to do with a sword as tall as herself?”b31693613944847f

A shadow passed 2e2aadf9e9 over his face.e975ed97d081447a

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He grabbed the stick 171410633c and swung it at b1db553f1b a nearby tree.817d792f9cd77fd7

Crack.7a94296ebd09ffc0

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Both the 8f5792a0b1 branch and b163b81072 the tree 2f86265971 snapped. Even the strong tree ef40b7132f had become brittle in 9dbb5b7878 the cold.bf4f937926ed0aab

He threw the broken 6f71e90d4a stick aside.cbc2b6ef45839f45

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I looked at what faa5207920 remained—splintered ends and a ff70afe3bd crooked shape. My hiking staff was 9756056a82 no more.77b1e86a110eb10d

“It’s flimsy.”f8156902ed50b3ff

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He kicked 846c5b5aef the branch c432d7899a with his 40c650e142 boot.51ff80805d4fb65a

“No… I mean…”00e395f75caf6942

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He looked at me, e95771b26f surprised by my startled 536a302ce6 reaction.8172f99d61a28678

“Weren’t you trying to learn swordsmanship?”01c85449d5ee1499

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“No! That’s right! The lady really wanted to learn. Right, Leonie? You even sharpened branches and practiced early in the morning—hitting trees and everything.”94c9d3c8b18b236d

Suren chimed in ea4cbc9d04 enthusiastically.00082b43fda0e8a1

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I caught on 8a59549ed7 quickly and nodded.11ce1632be769922

“Yes, yes… that’s right.”27b6ae0b830064e2

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“You didn’t need to go through all this trouble carving a wooden sword. You could’ve just asked for a real one. Looks like you got pricked by a thorn, too.”ca8ed058e9057b31

He took 865259ddf0 my hand.38aa162ce797e440

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My palm was d7a10f0933 dotted with small 5a7c77f4c5 red wounds that c6d654eac5 hadn’t fully healed.8a7e7a5b2a9c4ce4

Deon led 141823e8fb me to 9d64ba4c9e the nearby 7739a736eb training ground. Without ceremony, he bad2bf023e handed me a bb8e60e0ec sword from the 627338ee1d rack.f8a226d785ee8b27

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“Hold this.”a20b33c6a63d8bf1

It was a thin 8cad8a5d74 rapier.6fb037df5fadea4b

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Clearly made for beginners—dull, flexible, easy to wield. But still…aa00324e35b13ce2

What was I e14d1c29e5 supposed to do ccacbe84ee with this?1cd411690ddad4df

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You couldn’t strike 76b8b626e4 the ground on 316d752321 a mountain trail d29e9353e4 with a rapier.4ca5323c1c0d74d8

“This won’t fend off a wolf,” I muttered.33328b27f7a032e6

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He replied, “Whatever you wield is better than that brittle stick from the cave.”3d94ffb08fe67198

The stick I’d 438e144ade once used to 2dcc86ac04 threaten a wolf. A matter 1e6c9efa4b of life 885abe9b10 and death f7fc571a99 turned into 8a83782e11 a joke.5866d4c41d52c602

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I had 9e5bc06862 no more 24f63089e0 excuses. Silently, I 55dbf040ae took the 0a7170cd9b rapier.e6a19c9d4f88b673

Despite being ef32bc8757 slim, it f0716c9168 had a 538c239417 surprising weight. My arms trembled.7148674460aafbc4

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If a rapier was 32c6701652 this heavy, could I c022fc3689 even lift a proper e50ec4de85 sword?7cfaacd4d4ebb9aa

Eventually, I set it be28791945 down.2968e857ad94d399

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Leonie’s wrists were just a42908915f too thin.15a09ad865b8f4d8

“Didn’t you promise to live a long, strong life?”6eb0b023dbf36d1b

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He must’ve seen my e86812d8a7 hesitation.e633e723a6c128b0

“Swordsmanship is good for building strength. You said you used to carry dishes in a restaurant—yet you have nothing to protect yourself with.”23e7e1decc168e54

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It was meant 6940538942 as a joke, ae5a2e5aa6 but his tone 75bec0f463 was serious.c696e048f6103bd7

“Listen. You were lucky with the wolf, but luck may not help next time.”c476fbddefb29dee

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Reluctantly, I took the cea86b8926 sword again.43e51ea24e4a4084

It was still 61e0654c0f heavy. My arm trembled.04b881443c1bca39

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I’d seen soldiers practice adddac9e60 before—but I couldn’t mimic f9401fea07 even their most basic 70fcabe768 movements. The sword swung wildly 942e41eace in every direction.0adc7784370d9a41

“You’re terrible. Is it really that heavy?”7db9564b7dddf61b

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He drew another rapier 906b7f5794 from the rack and a143caa88a skillfully handled it with fa37cc129a one hand—what I could 04c65cc66f barely lift with two.799a6da16ba60d0b

My face flushed.e10bf8cd2635764c

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“Just keep going. You’ll get used to it.”cd604583b96e5592

A bit of determination 60c3b38221 rose in me. I gripped the sword 269e22ceb1 tighter.9822a55155c78701

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“You’re off balance. Hold it here.”c5818b4be2d706b2

Deon repositioned my 558dff5640 grip. The sword steadied a 345d799bf4 little.3db4b30426a82752

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Still, it didn’t 0cbc5159ac feel any lighter.6c9bceed70b354e5

He came up behind f8a29dceda me, wrapping himself around a0a184fa0e me to guide the e283118780 motion.26127c4935b20bee

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His hand 2480fd4179 overlapped mine. The weight felt more 857ada75a2 manageable.1334acd739118af5

“Vital points—head, chest, stomach. Just thrust.”5b95dd17f8b06ffa

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He demonstrated.bee285ab355a6beb

Then he added, “If you face a liquid demon, turn it like this.”3aa2a7d36280bcc0

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He twisted the b95e13ea32 blade swiftly. The motion cff055869a spun me bfddb446c2 off balance. I stumbled.95936f4b97a74259

Before I 533aebe005 could fall, 11d1dac83b his arm 2750c6b176 encircled my 45e4100af9 waist.f35d91258f1f7ad9

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My back 4d705438c2 hit his 590da4f973 chest.3300570713ed762b

I looked up. His blue eyes glowed 8d65252d43 in the dawn light. I quickly straightened up.0a606153bec7182d

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“This is going to take too long.”e9b1823e0958ca0a

I lowered 9449635ebe the sword.dd52d1793d74adb8

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I didn’t have 07ffcb5dff the strength. Could I 28ce4e8a08 really learn 9048357541 swordsmanship in 838cc8c2d0 a year?309053d4d2557c39

He answered simply:80eb5339b8ade60e

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“Yes. But before you ever need to raise that sword, I’ll protect you.”e308422c58c8dd19

* * *03f990d238edce63

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“Still, how fortunate. You misunderstood that I wanted to learn swordsmanship.”66cf76e323c05bad

Whether good 3c6ac60548 or bad, 0d66892c1b I now 2c5d79d9d0 trained every d55f75df94 day.bc70874c0c47578c

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I hacked half-heartedly at df832ee06d the straw dummies set fac83b83c2 up by the knights. Every swing sent straw e86846b0d9 flying into the air.7bd687030c91a818

Suren, sitting 5da73a62b3 in the d82564cf09 snow and e666b99864 watching bits c4e3a8a667 of straw d3b1e857a9 float like d9f17acd1b feathers, sighed.0f3868ea36a81833

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“From what I see, Lady, you’ll never make it.”757301a991b31b24

“Why?”fffc9649dba4a81c

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“Where do you think you’re going with that stamina?”832b88cf11949372

…Fair point.6f2c8cf1f786d8aa

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I paused 7b46e2166d and stared 82a0182663 at the 7e617b1d2c hay dummy.15a3d567a564b6a6

I lifted 4cc6a481b8 the chin 948854b0c6 of the 32c76aad1c straw figure 82a05fa6e8 with the 2af0881259 tip of d2a7ceef3a my sword. It looked vaguely human.2f12df4cbbea78a0

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“Suren, let’s assume we’ve finished our duel. Help me move this thing.”12a039e99eb71189

“What?”f520b4124e78a70f

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“If the Duke asks where the dummy went, tell him it got destroyed during training.”00f52860b00acf4e

“Surely… no way…”d8d0396f2177b894

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That surely was correct.6e835c4d4537d14a

Suren’s expression crumpled.4978e40dd06c9375

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“Young Lady, just take me with you. Then I’ll consider helping. I ended up here because no one else would hire me—said I looked too exotic.”c30f682592275f00

“No.”bfd36c2936b9ebd9

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“Why not?”3dde8e22cea65cb5

“Taking you means I need two hot stones for warmth.”a284d96d8ef98f30

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I sheathed my sword.1e0e5cce4c904a24

“You want to freeze to death?”6eefd63058b3fa18

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“Even a weakling like you is crossing over!”096d8f945f9e5d51

Well, if I stay 3cabccb402 here, I’m destined to ba5dd76e4c die anyway.df839174f13f6e6a

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“Even so, the escape isn’t happening right away. I’m waiting for the right time—maybe a year or so.”56e79149f1f8ea67

“Waiting for better weather?”5506092e5103e458

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“That, and for timing.”4204cd8b59c8894e

I looked up at 29c70493a8 the sky.38d8ed4277f496d4

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When I af72dd31ef first arrived, bef9cb176d it wasn’t dbe5b8775e this clear.e37dbe4c930a1093

I must 8f95e7ac52 have gotten cf7a5843dd used to 4482b4c81b it.22a3efd3e009f348

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It had f218970f9b been four 653ff0c9e3 months since 1bb5313baa Leonie came c82379431a to the 2216fc3ee4 Duke’s residence. Three since I’d 991df2ded0 awoken.9c7248e8a5122eca

I wiped sweat from cf61c0d335 my brow.194d7191cf144932

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Behind Suren, who 9c6101044d was now wrapping c2312fcfcb the dummy in b1dc74094f a blanket, Deon, 7804cdcc21 Viter, and Edan 73b361690a appeared.cf030808c7f651e1

“Who’s that?”4f02718a5b2f2950

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“It must be the birthday procession.”0e6f56286f74286d

“Birthday?”1c85149aae1fd33b

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“Yes, the Duke’s birthday is coming. Bigger than last year. He gained more recognition after the last battle—he might soon be formally named a prince. People are lining up already.”1cbe489a57bd549f

“…Didn’t he get guests before?”884963147ea6cf2b

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“They came, but barely. This is the first time there are so many. And the gifts—they’re all bribes.”cb678732491804ef

A breeze swept by. My red hair tickled 54d214a3de my cheek.4db67f5a972a57c4

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Below the hill, wagons 75592518d8 stretched in a long 8b6f4df675 line before the castle 5f14b4838f gate. It was 85cc1fb856 the longest 4ed1077856 procession I’d dddbf4d241 seen since f916ebd177 arriving.04b919b4e2dce111

As I pulled my 38228d85e6 curtain of hair aside, 7c175bab64 I spotted Deon.642584f14ea85d30

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He was inspecting a 885ae1c113 cart at the gate. When its a37be4836c covering was 431f78b480 pulled back, 1949fba995 something colorful 3d55d999ec was revealed.742991a1027e8c3a

He looked up c87d56b4cb instantly.6cb801d360abba97

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Our eyes met.44ed3befab3f7836

“Leonie.”e4f0ef002eb2ee06

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He called my 7216835c1b name.1c17416f6af7052c

I approached as 2b7bbfac57 he strode toward 95c2934528 me.319b2666bce51775

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I prayed he f3641e889a hadn’t noticed the f56a127c76 bundled straw dummy f734f2e1a8 behind me.8255984afff25a1b

Suren whimpered as a5e97e9686 she tried to 1b6c8925a1 hide it under 8b44e624db a blanket.0ec1377699c8041c

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But Deon didn’t b5bb2309ee pay her any 8240ec9cbd mind. His eyes were cdb92f117b on me.de5b4f5e8f3bb8d0

“There will be a party soon. Outsiders are coming.”8c7a56473fb83a17

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“Yes, I heard.”f079b0e2cca5f01f

“Everyone will be busy. You’re listed as a participant.”8a14e518c6d41f20

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I nodded.32af43798b1fcf6f

He looked at me 40213033c0 a moment longer.26df56688af6185c

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“If anyone asks about your identity, say you’re part of the pro-Duke faction—a civil servant like Viter.”322d4a8f4d1f4658

Then, unexpectedly, 6fd7f30b0f he warned 8938de7957 me.3b479924e0ca44b7

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“Be careful, Leonie.”4c1bdfe6ef38b688

“I understand. Don’t worry. I’ll be careful not to get caught.”d8f871832ba403cd

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“That’s not what I meant…”fecaaf89e4fb908c

He hesitated, b4fc7c6a40 lips parting 93b6de6394 and closing.2e6a8ec8cf4423d2

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Then he 926adb0363 simply said,ce4651c4f3dbe78f

“Okay.”162d6644804a2e47

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