***
"Go, Jordel." Mickel's voice held a note of sadness. "There's nothing for you here."
He was right, of course. My knuckles cracked as I clenched my fists. My eyes flickered around in search of something to punch. Finding nothing, I satisfied myself with throwing things into my pack with more force than was strictly necessary.
"I mean, what are you going to do, hang around on the streets for two years while you wait for me to graduate? You're fifteen, and you need a job. Probably something hauling a plow, like the ox you are."
I threw a glare at him, but he just laughed.
"Go to Insen," he said. "See what you can find there. Maybe you can be a Qui after all. And when I'm done here, maybe I'll come find you there. Besides, I'm not as fragile as you think I am. I have a few tricks of my own, you know."
"Running away," I said.
"I'll have you know I'm quite good at it too. Go, make your fortune in Insen, and buy me a drink when I get out there. Go on, get outta here. No point in hesitating." A sly grin crossed his face. "Unless you're waiting to say goodbye to Salli?"
"No." I had hesitated only a moment before replying, but it was enough for Mickel to catch.
"I knew it!" he gloated. "I knew you had a thing for her. Well now you have to say goodbye. C'mon." When I didn't move, he plucked at my sleeve. "C'mon!"
"No," I said, perhaps more forcefully than I had intended. It got the point across, though.
"All right, all right, fine. Don't say goodbye."
I turned back to my pack, relieved that Mickel was listening to reason for once. As soon as I took my eyes off him, he took off like a shot down the stairs. "I'll tell her for you!" he shouted back at me.
"Damn it!" I growled. Leaving my pack on the floor, I raced down the stairs after him. But what I had in the way of a strength advantage, Mickel more than made up for in speed. He dashed like a rabbit, out the door and down the street. There was only one place Salli would be right now. The same place I spent most of my time. In training.
Cursing under my breath, I did my best to keep a steady pace toward the training hall. There was no chance I could beat Mickel there, but maybe I could at least get there before he caused too much damage.
Fortunately, the training hall wasn't far, and I couldn't have reached it any more than a couple of minutes after Mickel. If I could just get in there, haul him out by the scruff of the neck, and tie a leash on him while I finished packing and got out of town, I'd be fine. This was assuming he hadn't already found Salli. If he had, well, I'd still have to finish packing and get out of town, only now it would be with a red face and Salli laughing at me the whole time.
I pushed open the doors. On the plus side, the place was nearly empty. Fewer people to laugh at me. On the other side, my eyes immediately found Mickel, a huge grin on his face, talking with a girl with her light brown hair drawn into a bunch at the back of her head and a wooden sword in her hand. Sweat soaked the back of her shirt, making it look like Mickel had actually pulled her out of practice. I wouldn't put it past him. She turned to look at me, and I closed my eyes.
Maybe when I opened them, she'd be gone.
When I cracked open one eye, I nearly jumped. Not five inches from my nose was Salli, her eyes boring into mine. A look of satisfaction on her face, she lowered herself down from her toes and settled back into a more natural pose.
"Mick said you had something to say to me?" she said.
I threw a glare at Mickel, but I don't think he noticed. He was too busy trying to keep from laughing.
"I-"
"You can relax," she said. "I know why you're here."
"You do?"
"Of course. You think I'm stupid? Don't answer that," she said as I opened my mouth. "You're here because I'm the best fighter around, and you need someone to take over after you leave."
I blinked once before jumping on the opportunity. "Yes," I said. "That's it."
"Well, I know I'm not as good as you at hand-to-hand, and they don't let swords on school grounds, but I'll do what I can."
"Thank you," I mumbled. For some reason, I was almost disappointed in how the conversation had gone. With nothing else to say, I turned toward the door.
Her hand caught me by the arm.
"Jordel," she said. The word wrapped itself around my heart and squeezed. "Was there anything else?"
For a long moment I said nothing, lost in her eyes. For that moment, it was hard to believe that the first time we met I was on the receiving end of her fists. Hard to believe until she whacked my arm with the wooden blade she still held.
"Well?" she demanded, her eyes searching mine.
"No." I couldn't think of the words, and wouldn't be able to get them out if I did. "Nothing else."
To my surprise, Salli threw her arms around me and squeezed. Awkwardly, I put an arm around her and patted her back.
"We'll miss you around here," she said. "Take care of yourself in Insen. Watch out for the Madmen."
Abruptly, she extracted herself from my arms and went back to her training without a backwards glance.