Spirit (Legend of the Dragons Book 1)

by Denelle Elison

  Briahnna wasn’t expecting that, and she looked at Atira, completely distracted. “Excuse me?”

  “He’s been locked up in his room for three months.” Atira leaned her head on the wall. “I’ve barely seen him since he’s come home. Once I heard that he was finally out, I thought he’d be ready to start training again. You know, become the best, just like he’s always been. He got mad at me and yelled at me. He told me that he’d probably never be able to do the things that he once loved ever again. I told him that wasn’t true. He just needed to start. Then he shook his head and walked away.”

  Princess Atira looked at Briahnna. “Why won’t he at least try? He’s giving up before he even starts. His leg is pretty bad. But his arms seem to have healed well. He should start working them. Build them to be strong again so that he can at least use them. Legs help you scale a wall, but it is possible to do it without. I’ve seen him scale this entire wall without his legs.”

  Briahnna sighed. “Maybe you should look at it from his point of view.”

  “I have,” Atira insisted. “He would feel better if he started training, even if he started small. He would start to feel like the man he was, not the man he is.”

  “Sometimes going back to the person we were, isn’t the answer,” Briahnna said. “Maybe he needs to learn from the person he’s become. And maybe starting small in this large room only seems overwhelming. Especially when you have an entire army of men watching.”

  Atira laughed. “They certainly watched you, didn’t they?”

  Briahnna rolled her eyes. “I am afraid I will never be forgotten…What about his own room? Is it large?” She paused and looked around. “What are those things near the weaponry?” she asked, pointing to some sort of mechanism that the soldiers or guard, or whoever they were, were using to lift themselves up and peek over the bar, then letting their bodies down after each peek.

  “Those are pull-up bars,” Atira answered. “They strengthen your arms. The soldiers have competitions to see who can do the most. Desmond used to win every challenge. He was the man to beat…I was going to beat him someday.”

  Briahnna’s eyes widened. “You can do those?”

  Atira snorted, “Of course, silly. How would I catch myself if I couldn’t even lift myself?”

  “How indeed,” Briahnna said, looking at her hands. “Would you be willing to train me?”

  Atira knelt in front of her. “Excuse me?” She paused. “So…you don’t want me to stop?”

  “Of course not,” Briahnna answered. “I wish to learn. But…we can only come once a day. You need to go to school. You also need to learn to become a lady.”

  “A lady!” Atira scoffed. “Why? So I can preen over men? And act stupid in fancy dresses?”

  “That is not being a lady,” Briahnna laughed. “A lady has influence. She is a silent guide.”

  “You don’t seem like a ‘silent guide’ to me,” Atira said.

  “Ok then, not so silent,” Briahnna smiled. “She is a guide. She is smart and cunning. She is noble, true, and able to care for herself.” She looked around. “You can be those things and still keep yourself in good form.”

  Atira’s eyebrows rose. “Good form?”

  Briahnna gestured around the room. “Whatever you do here.”

  Atira nodded.

  “Now about your brother,” Briahnna began.

  “My brother?” Atira interrupted.

  “Yes,” said Briahnna. “You wish to help him, right?”

  “Of course.”

  Briahnna pointed at the pull-up bars. “Is his room very big? Could you have one of those put in it? From what you’ve told me and from my own observation, I don’t think he really wants to start small while being watched by his soldiers.”

  Atira’s eyes brightened. “You’re right! There are many things we could do to his room! Come on,” she said grabbing Briahnna’s hand. “We need to find Bronsley.”

  Briahnna pressed herself against the wall. “We still haven’t found a way for me to get down.”

  Atira laughed and ran to grab a few things from a corner that held rope and other objects Briahnna didn’t recognize. “Here,” said Atira handing her a strapped contraption. “Let me help you put this on.” Atira helped Briahnna into a harness and hooked a rope to her. Then she hooked the rope to the wall. “Watch me climb over the edge, and when I tell you to. Try to follow my exact movements.”

  “You’re just going to leave me?” Briahnna exclaimed.

  “No,” answered Atira. “I’m going to be belay you.”

  Briahnna’s jaw dropped. “You can’t hold my rope!”

  “Of course I can,” Atira said swinging herself over the edge.

  “Wait!” Briahnna screeched getting on her hands and knees and crawling to the edge of the balcony. It was too late. Atira had already started her descent and was close to the bottom. These people were just so fast. Briahnna crawled backwards and stared at the edge of the balcony.

  “You are up here!”

  Briahnna was stuck in her spot when she looked to see Liam pulling himself up and over the ledge. “Liam right?”

  “When Desmond told me to check on you because you climbed the wall, I didn’t believe him. Yet here you are!” He looked around and laughed. “That was very dangerous, My Lady.”

  “You think?” Briahnna was still frozen, looking down at the rope that was hooked to her.

  “Are you afraid to descend now?” he asked.

  “I have a twelve-year-old holding my rope,” she replied stiffly.

  “A very capable twelve-year-old.” He took hold of her arm and led her to the edge. “Look down.”

  “No, thank you. I’ve already done that.”

  Liam laughed. “Well, your twelve-year-old has used weights to anchor herself down. You will be quite safe. She knows what she is doing. Let me help you over the ledge.”

  Liam held onto her as she crawled over the edge of the balcony. “Find a foot-hold and keep a hold of the rope,” he instructed her as she slowly found her footing.

  She kept a death-grip on her rope and looked up at Liam who stood on the ledge.

  “Now kick off and Atira will slowly release the rope while you descend.” Briahnna’s eyes widened, and Liam laughed. The woman was a sight; her dress hanging out of her harness haphazardly, barely covering her legs. She didn’t seem to care, due to the obvious fear radiating from her. “Keep your legs directed toward the wall so that when you swing back to the wall you can just kick off again, and you will slowly lower to the ground.”

  “Ahnna!” Atira yelled from the ground. “I’m ready! Just kick off! I’ve got you!”

  . . .

  Desmond turned the corner to his room and found his door was wide open. Upon entering, he found Ahnna sitting in his chair reading while Atira instructed the chief builder.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  Atira turned. “Bronsley and I are redecorating your room,” she said brightly.

  Desmond looked down at Briahnna dumbfounded.

  She lifted her eyebrows and shrugged.

  “You’re just going to sit and give her free reign…over…” he gestured around his room, “everything?”

  “She’s your sister,” Briahnna replied.

  “You’re her lady’s maid. Couldn’t you have told her no?”

  “I am her lady’s maid, not her mother. A lady’s maid does not order her charge around,” Briahnna stated matter-of-factly.

  “Aggravating woman!” he growled.

  “I have a name!”

  “Yes, and for some reason it eludes me, Princess!” Desmond spat.

  Briahnna stood from his chair, turned, and walked out.

  Eyes wide, Desmond turned to Atira. “She walked away from me!”

  “Do you blame her?” Atira asked.

  Desmond limped to Atira. “Do you not find it a bit disrespectful for your ‘lady’s maid’ to walk away from me?” he asked as he tried to discern what Bronsley wa
s doing.

  Atira shook her head. “Not when you treat her disrespectfully.”

  “She’s your lady’s maid,” Desmond said, trying to get her to see his point.

  “Since when have you ever treated my lady’s maid so rudely?”

  She had a point. For some reason Ahnna made him unbelievably frustrated. Then again, she had been sitting in his chair, acting as if she had every right to be in his room.

  “Why are you in here?” he asked.

  “I already answered that,” said Atira.

  “We have it!” Liam sang as he came barreling in with a pull-up bar. He was trailed by other soldiers and guards with more training equipment.

  “What are you doing?” Desmond asked, looking at the entourage of men.

  Liam set the bar down and stood by Desmond, slapping him on the shoulder. “We thought we’d help you get back into shape!”

  Understanding dawned in Desmond’s eyes, and he shook his head. “I don’t want your help.”

  “You never do,” Liam said. “That is why you were not consulted.”

  Desmond started to breathe hard, feeling panicked. “Get out!” he demanded.

  Liam’s eyes widened, and then he glared at Desmond. “You stubborn fool!” he said with quiet animosity. “Your sister has been without her father and brother for a year. She is only trying to help you.”

  “I don’t want help!” he yelled. “Get out!” Desmond looked around at the stunned faces staring back at him. When he saw tears in Atira’s eyes he looked immediately away only to have his eyes land on a pair of emerald green ones staring back in dismay in the doorway. He ground his teeth together.

  Ahnna walked into the room, took Atira into her arms and left. Everyone followed suit with Liam closing the door behind him.

  Desmond stood staring at the closed door and threw his cane at it.

  . . .

  Briahnna sat on Atira’s bed watching her throw knives at a target near her window. “Are you okay?” she asked.

  “I’m fine,” Atira snapped.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “I already did.” Atira’s knives hit harder and harder with every throw. “And just because I talked to you once doesn’t mean I will ever again. You ruined everything.”

  Briahnna exhaled and looked at the ceiling. She was so tired. It had been a very long day. She hadn’t used those muscles in a long time. Had she ever used them? The soft, downy bed in the next room called to her. It had been two months since she had slept in one.

  “What are you staring at?” Atira asked rudely.

  Briahnna’s eyes traveled down to Atira followed by her head. Two could play at this game. “Your high ceiling. What does it look like I’m staring at?”

  Atira looked taken aback. Briahnna figured she’d probably never been spoken to in such a way.

  “I’m tired,” Briahnna confessed. “You don’t want to talk. And I’m not going to sit here and be inflicted by your rude behavior. I think I’ve had enough of that directed toward me. There is a bed in the room that is connected to yours, and I don’t think I can resist it any longer. Beds don’t misunderstand and misdirect kindness.” She stood and left Atira staring after her.

  Chapter 29

  “WAKE UP!”

  Briahnna shot out of bed and looked around wildly.

  Atira was grinning at her with a cone-shaped object near her mouth.

  “What is wrong with you?” Briahnna exclaimed. “That’s a terrible way to wake someone.”

  “Well,” Atira paused, “you were soooo tired yesterday that I thought it would take more than a small nudge to wake you. I thought you wanted to get into shape.”

  “Get into shape?” Briahnna questioned.

  Atira bit her lip. “How did you put it? Get your body in good form.”

  “Oh.” Briahnna looked out of her window. “What time is it?”

  “It’s dawn,” Atira answered happily. “We wake with the rising of the sun,” she said in a singsong voice. “Early to bed, early to rise. We train our bodies early so that we can endure the hard work of the day.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” Briahnna said warily.

  “It will make sense after a couple of weeks,” Atira said, opening Briahnna’s wardrobe.

  “Atira! You should never go through another’s wardrobe,” Briahnna lectured.

  “You don’t have anything suitable in here to train in!” Atira exclaimed.

  “When Marta found me clothing I don’t think she expected me to train.”

  “I’ll go find something of Desmond’s then. You’re just slightly shorter than him. We’ll just have to synch up the waist a bit,” Atira said, measuring Briahnna from a distance with her arms.

  Briahnna gasped. “I’m not taking clothing from your brother!”

  “He has so much, he won’t even notice.”

  “I don’t care!” Briahnna insisted. “It’s not proper.”

  “According to a lot of people, training isn’t proper,” Atira said, eyeing Briahnna. “So...” Atira quirked her eyebrow.

  “It’s a matter of decorum.”

  “Do you really want to wear a dress again to climb the walls?” Atira asked.

  Briahnna let her breath out through her teeth and shook her head.

  Atira brightened. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Do I really have to climb that wall again?” Briahnna said to herself as Atira was leaving.

  Atira peeked back inside. “No,” she said winking. “We’ll find a different one to climb today.”

  . . .

  After Briahnna changed into some trousers from Desmond’s wardrobe, Atira led her to the training facility. Briahnna turned to go through the door but Atira grabbed her hand to lead her up a staircase nearby.

  “Where are we going?” Briahnna asked.

  “We’re going to the running track,” Atira answered.

  “Do you have a different one?”

  “No.” Shrugging, Atira smiled at Briahnna and pushed open a door to the third level of the training facility.

  Briahnna ground her teeth together and glared. She found herself standing on the exact track that she had climbed to the day before. “There is a door and a staircase that lead to this level?”

  “Apparently,” Atira said.

  “So I didn’t have to swing like a monkey on a rope?” Briahnna growled.

  “Don’t you feel so much better now that you’ve done it?” Atira asked with wide innocent eyes.

  Briahnna exhaled and eyed Atira. “Well, Your Highness, what do you want me to do?”

  “We’re going to run around the track ten times for warm up,” Atira answered happily.

  Briahnna’s jaw dropped. “Ten times?”

  “Of course,” said Atira. “Just ten times. It will be quick and easy. We need to warm up your muscles.”

  “Maybe I don’t want to do this after all,” Briahnna sighed.

  Atira rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. “Yes you do. I saw your face yesterday. It will get easier. I promise.”

  “I don’t know if you’re trustworthy,” Briahnna said watching soldiers begin their daily routine. “You keep changing personalities on me.”

  “Did I let you fall yesterday?”

  Briahnna shook her head warily.

  “Exactly,” said Atira. “Now let’s start running. We haven’t got all day and you have a lot to learn.”

  Briahnna started running and Atira caught her quickly, giving her a quizzical look. “Is this really how fast you’re going to go?” she asked.

  Soldiers were zooming past them and Briahnna started to panic. That’s right. These people were born fast. Everything they did was fast. “I thought that we needed to start out slower,” she said, trying to figure out how to cover her mistake. She needed to find a way to stop this training before someone found her out.

  “Um,” Atira started. “You’re that out of shape?”

  “I’ve never done this
before,” Briahnna said, exasperated. She stopped and turned around.

  “Stop acting so put out,” Atira said, grabbing Briahnna’s arm. “If we don’t run faster, it’ll take us all day to train. If I’m to go to school today, we don’t have all day.”

  Maybe she could do this. Briahnna started running and conjuring her wind at the same time. She directed it toward her lower body and accelerated considerably. Atira caught up. She didn’t notice the wind that was directed at Briahnna’s lower half and Briahnna exhaled in relief.

  “Thank the Southern Mountains,” Atira said. “I really thought that we’d be running all day.”

  Briahnna nodded at Atira. She was trying not to lose her concentration.

  “Princess Atira!”

  “Hello, Radal,” Atira said through her breaths.

  Briahnna looked up to see one of the soldiers running backward and smiling brightly at her. She smiled and looked down again.

  “So much concentration for a run,” he said, goading her.

  Briahnna looked at him again. All of these men were so rugged. Their skin was calloused from too much sun and climbing. They were lean and strong, all angles and hard lines. Capable. She laughed at her musings and stumbled slightly, but his hands grasped her arms to keep her upright.

  She had raced Jerrick so many times with the wind that she found she was able to do it rather effortlessly now. She smiled at Radal. “I had attracted so much attention with my antics yesterday that I thought if I kept my head down I might stay out of the spotlight.”

  “Not possible, My Lady,” Radal laughed. “Do you see any other women in this facility? Other than our beautiful Princess, of course,” he said, nodding at Atira and winking.

  “Obviously, I was only kidding myself,” Briahnna laughed.

  Atira quirked her eyebrow, “Did you just giggle?”

  Briahnna blushed and Radal let out a bark of laugh, turned around, and ran ahead of them.

  . . .

  Prince Desmond made his way to the dining hall for his morning meal and heard laughter.

  “I truly thought that she would drop me just to be rid of one more lady’s maid,” Ahnna said through a mouth full of food. She was bright with sweat.