15

"How do you even know what I saw or where I was last night?" you ask, still trying to remain evasive just in case they're bluffing in order to get you to confess.

Jolon looks at Bly, and she shrugs. "I suppose there's no reason to hide it," she says. "Tiva told us everything. That you infiltrated the humans' stronghold and saw what happens to the adults when they go there."

You stare in slack-jawed shock at the news of Tiva's betrayal.

"Don't worry!" Bly says, holding up a hand to keep you from springing up and out of the room. "We won't tell anyone what you did. In fact, we're here to help you through it."

You're not quite sure how to respond. Most of your friends treat Bly as an outcast, and there have been strange rumors surrounding her ever since she quit her lessons and refused to attend her evening job. She sits right on the very cusp of adulthood, and yet few in the pack expect her to fulfill her role in the pack's affairs. "Why should I trust you?" you ask, genuinely curious.

"I don't expect you to," Bly says. "I imagine trust is in short supply where you're at right now, and I can't blame you if you're wary of what anyone tells you."

Jolon walks over to the door and puts his ear up against it, making sure no one is listening in. He nods to Bly, and she continues.

"Let me ask you a question. Didn't you ever wonder why I abandoned all the duties our system expected of me? Why I don't just blindly go along with what the adults tell me to do?"

You have to admit, you haven't thought about it. Like most of your friends, you always just assumed Bly was crazy.

"I saw what you saw three years ago. Unlike you, I had no one to share the burden with. No one to talk to. I kept it inside until I felt like I was going to burst. The way everything around me just continued going on as if nothing had changed—it was crazy! Everything had changed to me! I stopped going to classes. I stopped going to work. I used my time to train my body and my mind, to work out my anger on practice dummies and anyone stupid enough to get in my way."

Bly breathes deep and taps her forehead. "It helped me in here—" She moves her hand over her heart. "—and here. It wasn't just about forgetting though. It was a mission that I set for myself. One day I would fight back against the humans and I'd need to be ready, at peak physical condition. Eventually I found the strength to take another with me to see what I'd seen. I chose Jolon because his abilities complement mine."

Jolon nods. "The claw and the shadow."

Bly drums her fingers in a steady beat over the top of the chemistry table. "The elders considered banishing me to the Snarl, but Ahote stepped in and recommended I be used to train the adults since I'd physically surpassed most of them in the Way of the Claw. I even have a small dojo to the north. The old fools actually gave me the means to recruit and train my own soldiers to fight back against the humans! We have a few regulars for training already, mostly adults, but we're looking to expand. When they officially recognized Jolon as the pack's huntmaster, I asked him to join me."

"It's a ceremonial title these days," Jolon says, looking almost self-conscious. "There's not much game to stalk in Haven. But the elders think highly of my skills."

"But why did Tiva come to you with this?" you ask. "How did she know you were safe?"

"Tiva and I used to be friends, but she thought I'd lost it when I started ranting to her about needing to fight back against the humans. I…" Bly pauses. "I didn't have all that much tact in the days after my discovery. I suppose when she found out the truth, I was the first person that came to mind for her to talk to. She came to my place in the middle of the night, said she couldn't sleep. Scared me half to death creeping around in the shadows like she was. That girl should know better than to sneak up on me like that."

Jolon clears his throat, and Bly curses.

"Shit. We should get going." She gives you a pointed look. "We'd like you to join us, Elizar Evenwood. You would make a good warrior, or if you prefer, a hidden claw in the shadows."

Jolon gives a stiff nod. "It's up to you. Come with us before the night's work begins. We'll take the back exit so nobody sees us heading to the dojo. I don't want to give away our plans to the elders just yet."

You check the clock on the classroom wall and groan. 3:45 p.m. You have just enough time to get to Elder Ahote's office without being late.

"What's the matter?" Bly asks.

"Instructor Lonan told me that Ahote wants to see me in his office at four."

"Ignore the old wolf. You have better things to do with your time."

You turn away from the clock and raise an eyebrow coyly. "I guess in all the excitement after discussing the Purge in class, I simply forgot about visiting Ahote's office. An honest mistake."

"Certainly quite plausible," Jolon says, the ghost of a grin on his face. "Half of the Way of the Shadow is convincing people to see what they want to see. Instead of seeing a delinquent skipping a meeting, Ahote may see an intellectual caught up in processing new information. That is, if you're convincing enough in your delivery of the lie."

"Wait," Bly interjects. "Did you say they had an open discussion about the Purge? In class?"

You nod, and she blinks in disbelief.

"Maybe there's hope to get the elders on our side yet. A few years ago, they were only interested in sheltering us."

Bly's dojo proves to be considerably farther away from the main living area than you expected. By the time you arrive, you're already out of breath. You pant heavily as you open the door leading into what looks like an old school that remains largely in good repair.

Bly waves you into a huge rectangular gym, a wry grin on her face as you stare about, astonished at what she's done with the place. Far from the dingy dungeon you expected the elders to have granted an outcast like Bly, the gymnasium is brightly lit, its walls covered with new foam padding in a startling bright blue while the hardwood floor shines with polish.

"Not quite what you expected, eh?" Bly asks with a wink. "We found the padding boards down in the cellar, and Jolon's got his students keeping the place clean and polished. Says it keeps them focused and on task. I say he's just looking to get someone else to clean the floors, but what do I know? I'm not a 'Master of Shadows.'" She says this with an over-the-top flair, telling you all you need to know about how she truly regards the art of stealth.

"So," she says, hands on her hips. "You've had plenty of time to think on the way over here. Any preference for your training?"