Jake finished the fiftieth repetition of the exercise Breaker had assigned him and took the proffered handkerchief gratefully.

“This is completely contrary to what I’ve been taught all my life,” he complained as he wiped his brow. “It’s so awkward, drawing the tonfa left-handed.”

“Then why bother?” The redhead asked, cocking her head to one side and toying with an errant strand of hair.

“Because he’s right,” Jake said grudgingly as he slammed his tonfa home on his hip. “Doing it this way is faster, and flows more naturally into fighting. Once I get good at this, it’ll make a big difference.” He offered the handkerchief back.

“You can hold onto that,” Amari said, wrinkling her nose. Jake shrugged and stuffed the square of fabric in his back pocket. “If Breaker was right about this, do you think he might be right about other things?”

“Like what?” Jake asked, scuffing the ground with the toe of his boot. “He certainly seems wise and well… confident enough. What did he tell you?”

“He said he thought I might have some sort of powers - which is ridiculous - but he also suggested I take a walk in the woods, which sounds like a fine idea. Will you come with me?”

“Of course,” Jake flipped his mop of blond hair off his forehead and took a step toward the treeline some hundred yards away, offering Amari his arm.

She seemed reluctant, but carefully reached out to Jake, her hands entwining around his upper arm. Together they strode away from the dusty rings where fighters practiced. They returned Amari’s practice sword to a small outbuilding full of weapon racks, its loose shingles flapping in the wind, and then continued on into the woods.

The breeze played in the trees and swayed through the long grasses, tickling their skin where it was bare and tugging at their clothing. Jake led the way along a narrow dirt trail bordered by thick loam and thick trunks. The sun filtered through the latticework of branches overhead, casting strange speckled shadows across the ground and the two youths.

“Well, this is rather nice,” Jake said as they strolled, “but was there any purpose to it? Are we looking for something?”

Amari seemed distracted. “Jake…” Amari mumbled, tightening her grip. “I’m flustered.” She mumbled under her breath. “It’s...difficult for me to explain but when I hold onto you, or you to me it’s like...a similar feeling I get when I see Breaker. What is that?” She shook her head and tried to answer his question. “I’m...not sure. He didn’t tell me.”

“Oh,” Jake said, and his feet stopped moving. “You feel the same way when you touch me as when you look at him?” The half elf didn’t know whether to be exhilarated or disappointed, so he settled for confused. “It’s not really for me to say what that is. I mean, are you attracted to him?”