~ Close to the border of China with Kazakhstan ~
Sunday morning…
Sarah woke up with a smile on her face. Her smile faded quickly when she realized that she is by herself in the bed.
Flood of thoughts assaulted her mind. Did she dream that Aiden came previous day? Did she spend the night in his embrace? If that was not a dream, where is he now? After few seconds of panic, she calmed down with a thought that Aiden probably went back to his assigned bed before everyone woke up. Yes. That is a reasonable explanation. Because that familiar woody-flowery scent still lingers under her fur cover. He was here... And her smile was back.
Sarah swiftly got ready for the day.
She followed sounds coming from the clearing used for training. Someone was counting: "134… 135… 136…"
Sarah held her breath while trying to understand why is Aiden doing squats while holding an oversized log above his head? And a disciple (Haru) is next to him doing the same…