17.

The next morning, just as the sun peeked over the horizon, Scathach woke the group of trainees up from their barracks and had them run the same distance they did yesterday. Without stopping or taking a break, each person put on a weighted vest and ran all the way back. 

When they reached the courtyard, Scathach picked people at random and had them spar with weapons for the next five hours, watching closely, noticing everyone's progress. No matter what weapon Ivy picked, it just never felt right to her. No swords, clubs, maces, daggers, or claws felt like it fit her fighting style. 

Scathach would say, "You never know where you'll be, and what objects you will have around you to defend yourself with. Having an idea of how a weapon is handled can be life-saving one day. Or if someone else is using a weapon that you've used prior, you will find that you have a knowledge of what attacks they can and cannot perform, giving you that extra knowledge."

Ivy stood at one end of the long, rectangular, fighting sandbox. The midday sun beat down relentlessly, making the sand beneath her boots feel like a hot skillet. She gripped the wide dagger in her hand, testing its weight as she swayed side to side. Her oversized metal helmet, with a fur plume jutting proudly from the top, felt heavy and stifling, and sweat was already trickling down her neck.

On the opposite side, Taber reached for the bronze spear that had been embedded in the sand, yanking it free with a quick motion. He twirled it effortlessly in his hands, the polished metal gleaming, before crouching low into a fighting stance. His helmet mirrored Ivy's, though his plume was slightly askew, giving him a rugged, battle-worn appearance.

Ivy took a deep breath, the heat of the day pressing down on her shoulders, and kicked up a cloud of sand as she charged forward, raising the dagger high. Taber's eyes narrowed with focus. In one smooth motion, he swung the spear, the flat end striking Ivy's hand with a sharp thwack, sending the dagger spiraling into the sand. In the same breath, he pivoted and swept her legs out from under her, the bronze spear stabbing just inches from her face.

"Yield!" he commanded, his voice steady.

Gritting her teeth, Ivy scrambled back. She rolled to her feet, and lunged for the dagger. But Taber was quicker—he swung the spear like a baseball bat, the impact against her helmet ringing out. The force sent her helmet flying off, and Ivy stumbled, the world spinning for a moment before she fell on her back.

The spear tip hovered near her throat again, as Taber demanded her surrender. Ivy, breathing heavily, felt the hot sand stick to the sweat on her skin. She wiped her face with the back of her hand, smearing a line of blood from her nose. Her eyes flicked to Taber's outstretched hand. After a brief hesitation, she grasped it, pulling herself to her feet with a begrudging nod of respect. 

Scathach had been watching this matchup closely. Looking to see how Ivy's friend, Kaly was doing, she saw Kaly, sitting on the chest of her opponent, casually using her weapon to clean the dirt from under her nails. His blood slowly stained the sandpit. When Scathach approached, Kaly just laughed, reassuring her that her opponent wasn't dead, though he probably wouldn't be training again.

When it was supposed to be dinner time, Scatchach pointed to the surrounding forest and said, "If you can manage to kill them, there are a lot of wild beasts and monsters here you can eat. If you choose to do that, you'd better kill it and cook it quickly because the ovens turn off in two hours. If you don't get it in time, then tough shit." 

As people started to wander into the surrounding forest, Kaly walked over to Ivy, saying, "Follow me. I've seen a place with a lot of animals and stuff there." 

As she led Ivy into the treeline, a sharp scream cut through the air, coming from a long distance away. The screams were overshadowed by the roar of an animal and then were abruptly cut short. 

Kaly and Ivy exchanged looks, but continued trudging through the forest until they reached a massive meadow. 

Kaly held up her hand, stopping Ivy, and crouched, pointing, "Right there." 

It took Ivy a few seconds to see what she was pointing at. "Wow!" A hungry gleam flashed in her eyes. A herd of moose was grazing; they were colored a leafy green, with tufts of fur shaped like leaves scattered across their hide. There were also some horses that had the skin and the eyes of toads with the feet of chickens.

"What do you think?" Kaly asked. 

"The frog-horses look poisonous, so we should go for the other ones." 

"Score!" Kaly sprinted from the treeline across the meadow and, with one hit, caved in the head of a moose without it even realizing she was approaching. 

The rest of the animals scattered, and Ivy quickly activated her energy and chased one of the herd down, twisting its neck until she heard a sickening snap, and the moose went limp. 

After dragging her carcass over to Kaly, she asked, "Alright. So, how are we gonna get it back to the castle?"

"Ah." Kaly said. "Uhhh," she sighed, looking down at the animals, "We carry it."

After a grueling trek back through the forest, they finally reached the castle with about an hour to spare, before the ovens would be shut down. 

The other trainees watched as they passed by. Two girls, both carrying over 500 lbs of dead moose on their backs... an interesting sight. 

Only a few of the group had found any real food. Most resorted to eating plants, small rodents, and reptiles. 

Pearson had captured a large rat, several large grubs, and a group of grasshoppers, which he put in a bowl and crushed, making a paste to spread over the cooked rodent. He gagged and held back tears with every bite. 

"I've never cooked something this big before," Ivy said, looking at the massive brick oven before them. 

"We just toss these in and wait, right?" Kaly asked. 

"Well, let's see…" Kaly noticed Ivy's eyes got distant and dark as she searched for the memory, "For multiple months, I had to eat nothing but rats and mice I'd find in forests and on the streets. It would take a few minutes to cook whole, so based on how heavy these animals are…" she looked at her fingers, counting, "It'll definitely take the rest of the time to cook these." 

"I bet I can eat more than you."

"Yeah? You're on!" 

A few days later.

Scathach had the group of trainees spar once more, with her picking their opponents. 

Noticing she didn't have anyone to fight, Kaly asked, "Who am I going against? Don't tell me everyone's too scared to fight me now?" A dark smirk crossed her face. 

"I'm your opponent." Scathach said.

Kaly chuckled but stopped when she realized Scathach was serious, seeing the look in her eyes. "...Alright, let's go, then." She said, stepping into the sandbox. 

Intrigued, Ivy walked over, wanting to see the fight. 

"I'm stronger than you," Kaly warned as Scathach entered the sandbox that acted as their fighting ring. "Like, way stronger than you." She said, pointing a curved blade at Scathach. 

Scathach didn't say anything and just placed her hands on her hips. 

Kaly noticed Scathach didn't have a weapon. Oh well. When Kaly attacked, she would spin, slash, kick, and punch. Her braids flowed around her hypnotically as she moved. 

Ivy watched, almost in a trance. Despite Scathach blocking or effortlessly dodging each attack, Kaly was like a dancer. Every step deliberate and beautiful, as her back would arch, or as she would stand on her toes. 

Kaly stopped and stared at Scathach, 'Okay. I shouldn't be surprised. She IS training us after all. Despite being human, she's a bit stronger than the rest. I'll be a little more serious now.'