“Here’s the deal, kid,” Eligor began in the midst of stretching,

  “Unlike your marble pillars and servants, we have to earn what we want. That’s true in life and regarding the scrawl.”

  My spine stood straight, my hands kept twitching. Come on, just get to the magic already. I could feel the anticipation rising with my heartbeat, drumming rhythmically within my chest.

  Eligor tore the moisture from the air, condensing it into a harsh, misshapen sphere of water. A flick of his wrist sent it hurdling across the ground. It tore a deep line in the snow.

  “See, when we channel the scrawl we’re drawing energy in. From where? Don’t ask, we don’t know. Important part’s that a strong body can handle more of it.” He continued.

  I looked down at the drawn line, trying to imagine what its purpose was. It might have been the beginning of a diagram?

  “When I say run, you run. Stop, you freeze right there. If I say faster and you slow down, I’ll clip you on the head.”

  My eyes met his, repeating those commands until they stuck. “What...are we doing?”

  “You’re running.”

  Silence.

  Each second that passed caused his breathing to grow a little louder, and mine a little smaller as his filled the space. His chest rose, mine sunk toward my spine, until his filled the entire space between us.

  “I just said run.”

  I took off, snow crunching underfoot. The first few strides felt almost graceful — fencing footwork, perfectly repurposed for —

  “You call that running?” Eligor bellowed as I rounded the corner of the house. “You’re flopping like a damn drunkard! Pull your arms in!”

  My arms snapped into my ribs, almost painfully.

  My boots approached the line as Marilleth leaned against the wall. Eager to join the show, it seems.

  As I passed her, I heard her mutter “So much wasted movement...”

  I would’ve glared at her if not for Eligor staring straight through me.

  The next several laps descended into disaster territory. I felt my chest staging a rebellion, my breath cut me as my throat dried in the freezing air. How am I still upright?

  Half of my energy was wasted pushing the snow aside instead of pulling me through it. A half-frozen clod of dirt hit me in the back of my head as I finished this lap.

  I collapsed, falling into the bitter snow as I pressed the sore spot. Stars danced in my vision as the world began spinning. I couldn’t find my balance until it stopped.

  “Told you I’d clock you if you dropped speed,” Eligor barked “No more running for now, mister noble.”

  Before I could even catch my breath, he jabbed a finger toward the snow. “Down. Pushups.”

  I dropped to my hands, arms quaking under my weight.

  “I told you to keep your back straight!” he bellowed. My spine shot stiff instantly. I did not want another clump of dirt to the skull.

  “Not that straight! Make it natural.”

  I adjusted, terribly.

  The next several attempts were a blur of pain, shaking elbows, and burying my face in snow. My body launched its coup soon after. I collapsed into the frost, unable to manage an arms-length more of anything.

  Eligor huffed, “suppose it’ll have to do. You better shape up that form before you end up walking like me at your seventeen years.”

  “Is he even alive...?” Prodded Marilleth, seeming only the slightest bit concerned.

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  I groaned into the snowdrift, finally peeling myself off the ground. “Ugh... we’re doing that every day?”

  “How else are you supposed to get stronger? Strong body, strong magic,” Eligor shrugged. “Marilleth, found any work for him today?”

  “Essa wants firewood.” She replied, jerking her chin. “Let’s go.”

  We walked down a snow-covered path toward a large house atop a hill. The first layer was mortared stone. Logs layered atop it for the second floor. A tall brick chimney rose from the yellow thatching like a watchtower. Before we even reached the door, I heard shouting. “Take this! And that! You’ll never defeat the great knight Donvan!”

  Turns out it was a young kid, slashing at a tree with one of its own branches.

  A woman was washing clothes, periodically heating the water with a burst of fire. She looked up toward us, waving. “Marilleth, dear! Welcome back!”

  She lifted a hand in acknowledgement. “You asked for help. He’s here.”

  She smiled, “So you’re Eligor’s new student. Gods, I remember when he used to put you to work too, Marie.”

  Marilleth grumbled something under her breath, muted as a gust of wind blew past us.

  Essa led us around the house to a chopping stump. An axe lay buried in it, surrounded by old cutting marks

  “We need all those logs split. Halves, then halves again.” She instructed, warm smile on her face. “I’ll be over here if you need anything, alright?”

  I nodded, wrapping my aching fingers around the axe handle. After placing a thin log on the stump, I brought the axe down.

  I missed entirely.

  It slammed into the block, impact rippling through my palms. On instinct, my hands snapped open, sending the axe hurtling toward the ground.

  Marilleth scoffed. “You swing like it’s a sword.”

  I let out a sigh, “It’s ingrained. I don’t know what I’m doing here.”

  Without a word, she took up the axe. She readied it above her head, pulling her whole body weight into it as she ended in a deep squat. The halves tumbled to either side as the blade tore cleanly through them

  She shoved the axe back into my hands. “Not showing you again.”

  I copied her motions as best I could. My swing was off-center, but it split the wood partway. I smacked the halves against the stump a few times, ears burning red from my inexperience. Though... it was a cut this time.

  “...Better,” she admitted, watching for a heartbeat longer.

  She brushed the snow sticking to her dark green cloak, walking off without another word. No advice. No lingering. Gone.

  Okay. I can handle this myself.

  My pile of chopped firewood grew in proportion to the burning in my shoulders. My hands still throbbed from the occasional miss. Donvan’s heroic battle-cries echoed down the hill as he dueled the same tree for what had to be an hour straight. My breath started fogging a couple minutes ago, sun dropping below the horizon with its orange evening glow.

  Without warning, Essa reappeared from the front yard, wiping her hands on her apron.

  “Well now,” she grinned, “would you look at that.”

  I rubbed the back of my neck, “...but I chopped them uneven.”

  She pulled her eyes over to me, nudging one of the split logs with her toe. “They’re going in the fire anyway, dear. You did just fine.”

  My heart quickened. I couldn’t hold Essa’s gaze for another second as the tip of my boot crashed into the dirt. I could feel my body hinging at the hips, preparing a grandiose bow on instinct, but I locked it in place.

  What do I do, truly? I stood there, speaking not a word as my face flushed red. There was no way she was telling the truth, anyway...

  “...thank you.” I managed to squeak out. I probably look so pathetic right now, gods help me.

  “Well, go and head on back. I’d hate to see you freeze over.”

  “R...right.” I turned my heel, beginning the long walk to Eligor’s

  Those words echoed in my head for quite a while. I couldn’t remember a time where I’d ever heard those words. No... before my training really began in earnest, Fray helped me learn how to read. I used to get so mad when I didn’t get it...

  I arrived at the front door, toes dragging. I wonder what he had in store for me this time. Squats? Crunches? Maybe he’d not give me dinner, not that I was entitled to it.

  I gripped the door-handle, hinges groaning from a mixture of rust and frozen oil. Marilleth was watching an oven in the kitchen, small pieces of rye bread slowly rising on a metal baking sheet.

  Eligor was sitting in his usual chair, lounging by a roaring fire. He turned to me. “How was your work?”

  “Essa thought I did well...” I muttered, “but-”

  “If she says good then it’s good. Leave it there.”

  I stood there for a second, door closing behind me in the same awkward silence as earlier. I waited for him to belt another order at me. It never came.

  “Mornin’s for training. Afternoon’s for workin. I’m not sure what you’ve got on in that head of yers, but sit down.” He reached to his other side, pulling out a small book as I took my place by the stack of firewood.

  “Leonn, you’d better get to reading this. I’ll be testing your knowledge tomorrow.”

  Eligor extended the book out to me, barely a hint of a grin on his face. That was the first time he’s used my name since I got here. I reached out, restrained yet eager to take a look.

  It was a hand-copied leatherbound book. Branded onto the front cover, the title read Practical Applications of the Scrawl. Once I started reading it, I couldn’t pull my eyes away. Nobles concern themselves not with how the scrawl works, but how to use it. The biggest mysteries lay right in front of me.

  I finally tore my gaze away from it, looking back at him. He hadn’t given this to me just to broaden my knowledge. He entrusted it to me. I’ll have the entire thing memorized by next week.