Over the next two days of travel, I fall into an easy rhythm with my companions. In the mornings, Lirika keeps me company on the upper deck while Bren continues my training. It’s a lovely, sunlit time, the summer heat slowly starting to creep up on us, a gentle wind offering some relief.
Bren remains concentrated on the techniques he’s teaching me; when he touches me to fix my stances it’s the most professional of taps or turns. There’s no judgement from him, or any undercurrent of attraction to upset my equilibrium. There’s just understanding and a focused effort to find the techniques I can best use with the body that I have.
In the afternoons, Lirika and I continue to work on my lockpicking skills. The small wooden box proves to have the most complex lock of them all, and it takes hou
