Chapter 202 Training with Cain 2

Chapter 202: Chapter 202 Training with Cain 2

Talia’s POV

It was not a smile, but it was close.

"Better," he said. "But not good enough."

I nodded and raised my fists again.

I was exhausted, but I was determined. And, I would not stop until he told me to.

By the time we finished, the sun was high in the sky.

I stood in the center of the training ground, breathing hard.

I looked down at my hands, raw and bloody. I looked at my arms, that was covered in bruises. It hurt, but it was a good kind of hurt. It was the kind of hurt that meant I was getting stronger.

My body was covered in sweat and bruises. My knuckles were raw, and my legs were shaking.

Cain looked at me, and he nodded once.

"You will live," he said.

The words were simple, but they carried weight. He was telling me that I had passed his test, and that I was strong enough to survive.

It was the closest thing to praise I had ever heard from him. And at that moment, I let out a breath I did not know I had been holding.

The tension in my chest eased, and I felt a wave of relief wash over me. I had done it, and I had proven myself to him.

"Thank you." I said.

He did not respond. He just turned and walked away, disappearing into the shadows as silently as he had arrived.

I watched him go, and I felt a strange sense of respect for him. He was cold and distant, but he was also a great teacher. And I knew that he would not have wasted his time on me if he did not believe I could succeed.

I stood there for a long time, watching him go.

I was exhausted, I was sore, and I was covered in bruises.

I looked at the sky, and at the sun that was now high above me. I had spent the whole morning training, and I had learned so much.

But I was stronger than I had been yesterday.

And tomorrow, I would be stronger still.

I walked back to the pack house, with my legs heavy, and my body aching. But I was smiling, because I was ready for whatever came next.

As I walked through the first floor of the pack house, I noticed Piper’s door was slightly open. I could hear her humming softly, and I smiled at the sound. It was a tune I had heard her hum back in Cresswood, during the rare moments when she had thought no one was watching.

I pushed the door open gently and peeked inside.

Piper was standing by the window, arranging a stack of old books on a small shelf. Her hair was tied back, and she had a smudge of dust on her cheek. She looked up when she heard me, and her face broke into a warm smile.

"Talia!" she said. "Look at this. I found some old books in the library, and Stephanie said I could keep them."

I walked inside and looked at the books. They were worn and faded, with cracked spines and yellowed pages. But they were beautiful in their own way.

"These are lovely," I said.

Piper grinned. "I know. I have always wanted a collection of my own. And now, I have room for them." She gestured around the space, and I saw that she had already made it her own. A few dried flowers sat in a cup on the windowsill, and a small blanket was folded at the foot of the big bed.

I felt a warmth spread through my chest knowing that she was happy here, and she was safe.

"How was training?" she asked, her eyes moving across my bruised arms.

"Brutal," I admitted. "But good. Cain is a tough teacher."

"He looks tough," Piper said. "I saw him in the courtyard earlier. He moves like he does not weigh anything."

"That is because he does not," I said. "He is all muscle and shadow."

Piper laughed, and the sound filled the room.

I sat on the edge of her bed, and she sat beside me. The afternoon sun streamed through the window, casting a warm glow across the room. For a moment, I forgot about the Ashen Lands, and Malachai, and the danger that lay ahead.

"I am glad you are here, Piper," I said.

She looked at me, and her eyes were soft. "I am glad I am here too. Because I do not know what I would do without you."

I reached over and took her hand. "You will never have to find out."

We sat there for a while, talking about nothing and everything. She told me about the books she had found, and I told her about my training. She told me about the other servants she had met, and I told her about the plans for the journey.

When I finally stood up to leave, she hugged me tight.

"Be careful," she whispered.

"I will," I said.

I walked to the door and looked back at her. She was standing by the window, with the sunlight catching her hair, and she looked so happy that it made my heart ache in a good way.

I smiled, and I closed the door behind me.

I walked back to my room, with my legs heavy and my body aching. But my heart was full of joy because, I had trained hard, gotten what sounded like a compliment from Cain of all people, I had seen Piper happy, and the promise to find my mother was going to be fulfilled.

Now, I was ready for whatever came next.