Weeks passed.
Not slowly. They rushed past me, each day folding into the next until time became nothing more than a blur of bruises, sweat, and stolen moments of sleep. And somewhere in between all of it... something changed. Even though the weather didn’t show it, autumn was slowly turning into winter. Which only meant in Skadi that apart from snow, there was now even more snow and cold.
And apart from the seasons changing, I had also changed. Because one morning, I caught my reflection in the polished metal of a practice blade. And for a second, I didn’t recognize the girl staring back at me. She stood straighter. Moved with more certainty. Her eyes didn’t look quite as unsure. I had gotten stronger. Not just physically. Though that part was undeniable.
My movements were sharper now.
