"Could you train me?" Garron asked, breaking the silence as they walked through the forest.
"Train you? Why would you want me to train you?" Aiden said, still holding his nose.
"Are you joking? I've seen you fight back in the prison. Could you teach me?" Garron asked, his excitement growing.
"I don't think we'll see those weapons again any time soon-" before he could finish, Garron interrupted.
"I know! But still, you can fight hand-to-hand. I've seen it. And the knife moves you used... can you teach me that?" Garron asked once again.
Aiden sighed before speaking. "First, tell me. Aren't you already somehow trained? Pretty much every soldier I've seen back at the village knows how to fight. Do you really need additional training?"
Garron looked away, his voice quieter. "It's just that... I was never trained."
Aiden looked at him, slightly surprised. "You weren't? Why?"
"It's because you can only receive training by officially joining the garrison. And they only recruit adults."
"And the problem is?"
The answer formed in Aiden's mind before Garron said it.
"You... aren't an adult, are you?" Aiden said, watching him.
"I will be soon! But... not soon enough to join early."
"How soon?"
"Soon."
"That is not a response."
"But you can train me!" Garron turned to Aiden. His eyes were pleading, though not entirely sincerely. "Please! I'll be a good student."
I have an idea, Aiden thought. But I need to be careful with my words.
"Fine. But I need something in return."
Garron looked at him, his excitement no longer hidden.
"I need you to spy on Zane," Aiden said bluntly.
Garron's face changed. His expression turned serious. "Spy... on him?"
"Listen. I've been watching this rebellion closely. You aren't all on the same side, am I right?"
Garron's gaze dropped to the ground. "It's... right. We're divided. Between the council and Zane. But that doesn't mean I'll spy on him."
"I know. But don't you want the rebellion to survive?"
Aiden lowered himself to Garron's level before continuing.
"This faction has a lot of flaws. And with how small your numbers are, every crack matters. If you keep ignoring them, it's only a matter of time before those cracks bring the whole thing down."
Garron didn't respond.
Aiden kept going. "I'm not asking you to bring him down. I just need to know if he's the kind of person who can fix it."
"And how would you know who's capable or not?" Garron asked.
"By their actions. Look at everything that's happened. Zane sent us on a mission with almost no intel. There was a traitor in our group. It wasn't even the right time to go. If someone else had gone instead of me, do you think anyone would have made it back?"
Garron didn't respond.
"If I hadn't had experience with this kind of mess, you would've all died."
"Zane created this rebellion. He saved us from something worse."
Aiden paused for a moment.
"He might be a savior," he said. "But that doesn't make him a leader."
He let the words settle.
"Tomorrow morning, I'll be at the training ground. If you accept my offer, meet me there."
Aiden's voice was calm.
"Take your time. It's an important decision."
The rest of the walk back to the village was quiet. Garron kept his gaze low, and Aiden didn't speak again. The air felt heavier than before, though not from tension.
By the time they reached the outer gate, the sun was just beginning to climb. Aiden gave a short nod to the guard on duty. The man barely acknowledged them before returning to his post.
Garron peeled off without a word, disappearing toward the deeper parts of the village. Aiden watched him go for a moment, then turned his attention back toward the edge of the training field.
Selina was already there.
She stood near the weapon rack, her back to him, examining a few worn blades laid across the wood. When she turned and spotted him, her posture changed slightly.
"You're back," she said, relief slipping into her voice before she could hide it.
Aiden nodded. "Seems that way."
"I didn't think the mission would be over this fast."
"It wasn't fast," Aiden replied.
Selina stepped closer, her eyes searching his face. "Then you got out early."
"I got out alive," he said. "That's more than most could say."
Selina hesitated, then looked past him.
"Where's Lyanna?"
"She went to speak with Zane."
A faint tension returned to her posture. She nodded, then reached over to a cloth-wrapped bundle and lifted it with both hands.
"I brought this."
She unwrapped the cloth carefully, revealing a two-handed sword. It was a bit longer than she needed, worn along the edge, but balanced.
Aiden raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"
"I've handled one before. Not often, but it felt right." She shifted her grip and looked at him. "Besides... if you're going to train me, I figured I'd bring something worth swinging."
He gave a small nod and stepped into the ring. "Alright. Let's start."
Selina followed him in and took a basic stance. Aiden could already tell she was bracing too much through her shoulders and standing with too wide a base.
He circled slowly. "Drop your right hand lower on the grip. You don't need to choke the hilt. And bring your back foot in. You're not fencing. That stance won't hold under pressure."
She adjusted, unsure but trying.
"I thought you'd be more tired," she said, trying to keep her tone light. "Or are you just built different?"
Aiden gave a quiet breath. "I'm not teaching because I'm good at it."
"Then why did you offer?"
"Because I know what happens when you walk into a fight with only hope."
Selina didn't respond to that. She tightened her grip on the sword and nodded.
"Start with a simple swing. Wide arc. Feel the weight."
She obeyed. The first strike was strong, but it pulled her off balance. Her back foot slid, and she had to shift her grip halfway through.
"Again," Aiden said.
She swung again. Then a third time.
"You're trying to control the blade too much. It's going to pull at you no matter what. Don't resist it, use it. Let your steps match its path."
"Sounds like you're used to this," she said between breaths.
"I'm used to adapting," Aiden replied. "That's not the same thing."
They kept at it, Selina repeating the same motion in slight variations. Aiden corrected her spacing, her posture, her follow-through. He didn't overexplain. Just pointed out what needed fixing and let her figure it out through repetition.
Eventually, she paused and rested the blade across her shoulder.
"Did anyone else make it back?" she asked, quieter now.
Aiden looked toward the trees for a moment, then back at her.
"Not everyone."
Selina's grip tightened slightly.
"I thought the mission was simple. Just bring someone back."
"It was simple," Aiden said. "Until it wasn't."
She didn't ask for more.
And he didn't offer.
Instead, he picked up a wooden pole from the edge of the ring and held it in a similar grip to hers.
"Watch this."
He demonstrated a slower, cleaner arc.
"Let your weight carry into it. If you stop the motion too early, you lose strength. Let it swing through."
Selina nodded and tried again. This time her stance held. Her follow-through was tighter. Still unrefined, but improving.
"That's better," Aiden said. "You're starting to understand how it moves."
Selina glanced at him. "And you? How long did it take you to figure all this out?"
Aiden thought for a second. "I still haven't."
He tossed the stick aside and stepped away from the center.
"You've got basics. We'll work on real sparring next time."
Selina didn't argue. She sheathed the sword across her back and followed him to the edge of the field.
She looked over at him. "You said before that you weren't much of a teacher."
"I'm not."
"Then what are you?"
Aiden paused before answering.
"I'm a pretty good support."
Her expression shifted slightly, more thoughtful than before. "Then I guess that makes two of us."
He didn't answer.
But he didn't deny it either.
You will be far more than that.
As she turned and walked back toward the center of the village, sword on her back and thoughts no doubt still lingering on what he hadn't said, Aiden stayed behind for a while.
Thinking.
Just enough progress to keep going.
And tomorrow, they'd do it again.