Promise of a Storm by Catharine Glen

Author:Catharine Glen [Glen, Catharine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-06-01T16:00:00+00:00

Interlude

Mount Tsu-rhen

One Month Ago

Sweat soaked Ema's forehead as she met Mitsugi's fierce strikes, one after the other. The monk was fast and often relentless in his training. From the beginning, he'd pushed her, tested her, and forced her to go past her limits.

And today was no different.

Chest heaving, Ema swung for an opening, but he parried with effortless ease — as he always did. During their early sessions, she had thought it a mocking gesture, meant to humble or even shame her. But she had quickly learned how wrong she was.

With quick steps, he surged forward, firing several consecutive lunges and forcing her back on the defensive. She anticipated it and managed to block every single one, the wood practice swords clacking with every strike.

"Good. Again."

Though they'd been at it for an hour, she knew better than to protest. Instead, she pushed her body even further past its point of exhaustion. Her arms and legs tremored with every movement, a constant thrumming that reminded her of how far she'd come and how far she still had to go. A deep ache panged her heart as she evaded a lunge to her side. Their time together was coming to an end.

Tomorrow, she would journey home to Nagheyami-to.

Finally, Mitsugi called an end to their sparring. As usual, they'd drawn a small audience. Most of the monks trained daily, so matches would often kick up around the wooded property surrounding the old monastery. Actually, Ema preferred training out of doors, rather than in the ancient dojo. The onlookers had well-meaning pointers she'd heard a dozen times before. But she listened to every word they imparted and committed them to heart.

She'd never managed to figure out what deal Lord Commander Taisho had brokered with the monks to allow her to stay there. As far as she knew, few guests stayed long-term, and even fewer had the chance to glimpse their techniques, let alone learn them. They had never once hinted at or revealed any nefarious motives during her time there. On the contrary, they had welcomed her to their little world with kindness and patience.

When everyone began to disperse, a similarly sweat-soaked Mitsugi clasped her shoulder and gestured for her to walk with him.

The late winter sun beat down with generous warmth, masking the chill in the air. A blue, cloudless sky stretched over them. Ema breathed deep, filling her lungs with the fresh, crisp air of the mountains as they strolled the main path that encircled the property. Casually, Mitsugi veered off onto one of the smaller, tree-shrouded trails that led deeper into the surrounding wood. She smiled. He knew well of her favorite spot: a tiny auxiliary shrine nestled among the towering evergreens. An ideal place to spend their last afternoon together.

She'd never actually expected to feel so at home here — an entire world away from the bustling city of Nagheyami-to. Oh, she'd worked hard every day, assisting with all manner of menial labor to earn her keep. Eventually, they'd asked her to join them in their daily training — basic exercises to keep one's body and mind sharp.

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