The Continent (The Continent #1)(62)

“Go on, Vaela,” Yuki says. “Give it a try. Just as Noro showed you.”

I hesitate.

“What’s the problem?” Noro says.

“It feels wrong,” I say. “I don’t want to do it.”

“It’s a wooden knife, Vaela,” Noro says. “You can’t hurt him.”

“I know, but it feels wrong. Even pretending to do this.”

Noro sighs. “Your throwing knives are meant to distract or disable an attacker. You must learn how to kill, and that means you have to get close. Now do it as I showed you.”

The warm wood of the training dagger rubs against my sweaty palm. “Really, I just—”

“Vaela. Please.”

“Fine.”

I take a breath and exhale deeply. I put a tentative hand on Takashi’s left shoulder; he whirls to face me and shoves me backward, so hard that I fall to the ground. Stunned, I look up at Noro—but he only laughs.

“Did you think you might just give him a friendly tap to let him know you were there?”

I get to my feet. “No.”

“If you don’t do it quickly, you’ll be the one who dies. Again—and take his jaw in your left hand. Do not touch his shoulder.”

Takashi turns his back and begins to whistle. Determined, I rush up behind him and reach for his jaw—but he turns and pushes me again. I stumble, but don’t fall this time.

“What was that for?”

Takashi spits. “You made more noise than an anzibatu. Not very light-footed, this one.”

“I beg your pardon!”

“Vaela,” Noro says. “Remember what I told you about stealth. You are small—a young woman. You will be no less capable than a man once you learn these techniques, but you cannot physically overpower a Topi warrior—probably not even another female. They are impossibly strong.”

“They hurl rocks in sport,” Takashi says. “My cousin has seen it done.”

“Shush,” Yuki says. “Let him teach.”

Noro continues. “You must use the element of surprise. It is the sharpest tool of any itzatsune.”

“But I’m not an itzatsune. I’m just trying to learn how not to die.”

He steps closer to me, and whispers in a voice only I can hear, “You are Vaela Sun, the love of my heart. You can be whatever you wish. Now do it again, and be quiet this time.”

Takashi gets back into position and resumes his whistling. As I approach, again he spins about and shoves me.

“Too loud,” Takashi says.

And again.

“Are you even trying?”

Again.

“Come on, now, don’t get discouraged.”

And again, and again, and again.

I sit in the grass, tears in my eyes, my shoulders aching from all the pushing and shoving. “I can’t do it.”

“You can,” Noro says, crouching down beside me. “Get up, miyake. You must not quit.”

His eyes burn with confidence. What does he know that I don’t?

I get up. I try again.

And end up on my backside.

I’m sweating by the time it finally happens. I approach Takashi like a mouse; Noro gives me a nod of approval. I reach for my victim’s chin, grab it, prepare to draw the wooden blade across his neck—and scream.

“He bit me!” I say, clutching my left thumb. “He bit my finger!”

Noro shrugs. “You put your thumb over his mouth. Of course he bit you.”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake…” I close my eyes and exhale slowly. “Turn around, Takashi. We’ll go again.”

I rub my thumb against my forefinger and slink back into position, scowling.

This time, I keep my fingers clear of his face, and draw the knife from left to right as Noro showed me. Takashi makes a gurgling noise, grips his throat, and falls to the ground, twitching.

“That’s not funny,” I say, but I’m smiling, because I did it, and even his grim joke can’t spoil my mood.

Yuki gives a cheer, and Takashi grins. “That was well done,” he says. “She’d have had me.”

“Excellent, Vaela,” Noro says, and I glow with pride at his praise. “Do it again.”

My smile fades. “Again?”

“We must teach your muscles to remember. Then you can do it without thinking.”

I cross my arms. “I don’t want to kill someone without thinking.”

“You may not have a choice.”

“Isn’t there always a choice?”

“Not if you want to live.”

His words chill me, but I can’t think of a retort. What am I going to say: okay, then, maybe I don’t want to live. That would be a lie. I don’t want to take a life, but I don’t want to lose my own, either—and I don’t want to see those I love come to any harm. Am I selfish? There never seems to be an answer to this question. I can only ever remind myself that I am not in the Spire, and the Topi would gladly see me dead.

I sigh. “Get up, Takashi. We’ll go again.”

After what must be twenty more successful attacks, Noro calls for a break, and the four of us settle down with jugs of cold water from the nearby stream. I’m dripping with sweat; cool rivulets run down the back of my neck, tickled by the mild breeze.