Chapter 4
A Bittersweet Boon
TEN YEARS AGO
Zaid stood at the edge of the practice ring, watching the older boys attempt every possible maneuver to take each other to the ground. The soft sand did little to cushion the falls, but still more so than dull bone swords that they cracked against their skinny arms.
Zaid ran along the length of the gate, trying to keep up with them and see through the slats. His breath came quickly, but he grinned the whole time anyway. The practice ring and the barracks surrounding them sat on the north side of the city in a tight cluster of limestone. It housed the military as well as the younger pupils who had yet to receive the red markings of a full warrior.
As he ran along watching the pupils practice, Zaid imagined himself, a few years older and traini
