Beginning's End by P. M. Dooling

Author:P. M. Dooling [Dooling, P. M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Demon, Wizard, Magic
ISBN: 9781542927734
Amazon: 1542927730
Barnesnoble: 1542927730
Goodreads: 12543616
Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing
Published: 2011-09-03T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

The next week was a blur of exhaustion and pain to Avery. Gumptin had them up at dawn training harder and harder each day. It horrified Avery and the other girls to discover Gumptin had actually taken it easy on them the first day.

Along with their normal training routine, Gumptin had somehow managed to incorporate two hours of study time in the library for the Protectors as well. Gumptin had them learning about different beasts and Demons. They studied maps and were lectured to about the history of Orcatia. Avery and Bunny took to the studying easily, just as they had at school back on Earth. Of course, for Avery it was more of a fear of failure than actual interest in the subject matter. Skylar, due to her flightiness, and Avery suspected, possible ADD, got about a third of what Gumptin taught them. Even though Sasha seemed to spend more time painting her nails and applying balm to her lips than paying attention, she still managed to impress Gumptin with her ability to retain almost everything he told her. Jade, however, was another story. She and Gumptin butted heads more sitting in a library discussing a book than they did when Gumptin was screaming at her to push her body beyond its breaking point. When Jade wasn’t playing around with one of her sharp knives, she was either sleeping, eating, or trying unsuccessfully to get Avery, who was trying to pay attention, to talk to her.

Mid-week, Gumptin incorporated the Protectors’ horses into their training. They had to learn to use their weapons while on horseback, an exercise that left more than a few injuries. The worst of the injuries having been inflicted on Avery, who was grazed on the arm by a wayward arrow shot from Sasha’s bow. It happened while Sasha was on her horse, Belle, about to release her arrow aimed at a distant target. Belle was at a fast gallop when she jumped over a log, causing Sasha’s body to jerk forward as she shot. Avery, who had been chatting with Jade and not paying attention at the time, heard the slight whistle of the arrow a split second before it reached her. She leaned to the right, the arrow grazing her arm and sailing into a nearby tree, as opposed to landing in Avery’s upper chest. It was all Avery could do to put aside her own rattled nerves and stop Jade from tearing Sasha down off of her horse and throttling her.

Gumptin, however, found the bright side of the incident by praising Avery for her speed and defensive maneuver. It was the first time since Avery had been told she was a Protector that she was actually grateful for the abilities that came along with the position.

Even though Gumptin had been quick to praise Avery and call the whole situation a valuable training exercise, he was also quick to make sure that from now on the girls all stood behind anyone who was shooting sharp objects.

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