Elariana
After the training, I feel strangely light for the rest of the day. Not like I am not tired, because I am. My legs were shaking, my arms were sore, and my movements were still far from looking like a real fighter. But the tiredness feels good. Not humiliating. Not something I need to be ashamed of. It feels like my body finally did what it is capable of.
In the evening, when it is time for dinner, I do not tense up about the great hall as much.
The noise is the same. People talking, laughing, moving everywhere. But I no longer feel like every glance is a knife at my throat. I sit next to Zane, and that alone feels safe. Not because he would protect me if needed, though I know he would, but because beside him I do not have to constantly watch for what I am doing wrong.
As we si
