CHLORENDIA DOWNHILL
Dragging Lylda to the training grounds was probably one of my more impulsive ideas. Not that I'd ever admit that out loud. After the fiasco with Alpha Alaric, guilt had been gnawing at me, though I buried it under layers of sarcasm and annoyance. I couldn't shake the image of Lylda standing up for me, his frail frame against Alaric's monstrous strength. Stupid, reckless, and entirely unnecessary—but brave nonetheless.
The training grounds stretched out before us, bathed in the golden glow of late afternoon. Sparring dummies, worn and battered, stood like sentinels in neat rows. The air carried the scent of trampled grass, sweat, and the faint metallic tang of weapons that had seen far too many battles. Somewhere in the distance, guards barked commands, their blades clashing in a steady rhythm.