Thalia's sword flashed, quick as lightning, and the cold steel pressed against my throat. My heart pounded in my chest, and beads of sweat trickled down my temple. I had no choice but to admit defeat.

  "Again," I growled at her.

  "Tristan, you're covered in sweat," she said. "You should quit while you're ahead."

  I moved her blade away from my throat. "Again."

  Thalia smirked, lowering her sword. "You never quit, do you?"

  I shook my head. "Not until I win."

  She raised an eyebrow. "And when will that be?"

  "When I can beat you with my eyes closed," I replied, determined.

  Thalia chuckled. "So, never."

  We resumed our sparring, our swords clanging against each other. I focused on her movements, trying to anticipate her next strike.

  But Thalia was always one step ahead of me.

  Suddenly, she lunged forward, and I stumbled backward. She had me pinned against the wall, her sword at my chest.

  "Looks like I win again," she said, grinning triumphantly.

  "Because I let you."

  "Okay, you can tell yourself that if you want," she replied with a smirk, tossing her black braid behind her shoulder. "Let's go. It's going to get dark soon."

  I looked up at the sky.

  The sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the village as Thalia and I returned from our training session. Sweat trickled down my brow, and my muscles ached, but it felt good to know I was improving.

  Thalia was a skilled warrior, but I was particularly tired. I would best her soon. I knew it.

  I followed her down the narrow dirt road, cutting through the forest. Her pack was pressed against her shoulders and draped around her back. Her hips swayed with every step and I was careful to keep my distance from behind.

  She'd sheathed her sword, which hung around her waist. I could walk faster than her, but the view from back here was too nice to risk missing out on.

  She stopped to look at me, craning her neck to set her gaze on my face. "Catch up."

  "Fine," I said, walking up to her. "I was just trying to watch your back."

  She smirked, not saying anything as I stood next to her.

  "What? War is coming. You were the one to tell me that. It's going to start with raiders and..."

  "We have plenty of time," she said. "Maybe you'll be able to actually beat me by then."

  I laughed, shaking my head. "I still can't believe my father sent you. Aren't you offended? I'm of age. I don't need you to protect me."

  "Protect you? No," she said. "Your father didn't send me. The king sent me."

  It was a conversation we'd had before. Normally, Thalia had more patience for it. Not today. Today, she seemed tired, there was a weariness in her voice that wasn't always there.

  "Your father is a powerful vassal, Tristan. You're his only son. His only heir. The king needs all vassals on his side...the situation is delicate."

  "I can protect our village, and I can protect my home," I said. "It will prepare me for war."

  "Perhaps," she replied. "I don't think the king is so worried about raiders or attackers. You do not have a reputation for being prudent, Silverbane."

  "That's unfair and you know it."

  "Is it? If we were to be attacked now, wouldn't you be too tired to fight?"

  I scoffed at her words. "I'm never too tired to fight."

  Thalia raised an eyebrow at my defiance. "You may be a good fighter, but battles are not won by strength alone. You need strategy, discipline, and cunning. These are the qualities of a great king, Tristan. Qualities you sorely lack."

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  I bristled at her words, feeling a surge of anger boiling inside me. "You sound like my father," I said. "I can learn."

  "Can you?" Thalia asked. "Do you have the patience to sit through long council meetings, to negotiate with other lords and vassals, build strong alliances, lead troops, and to plan and strategize for months before a battle? Because that's what it takes to win a war."

  I opened my mouth to argue, but Thalia cut me off.

  "You're capable. You're smart. You can learn. You're just...a child."

  "You're barely older than me!"

  "I'm months older than you," she replied, cocking her head to look at me, her dark eyes shining on her face. "If I were anyone else, I would be married, with children..."

  "Already rearing the next generation of warriors," I said when she trailed off.

  "That is not my lot," she said simply, shrugging her shoulders and speeding up. Night had fallen more quickly than either one of us had expected and it was almost too dark to see more than a few feet ahead. Subconsciously, like she always did when she spoke about this, she touched the scar running from her chin to her clavicle.

  "That is barely visible," I said. "You could make some courtier moderately happy."

  She rolled her eyes, but she laughed. "What noble would settle for ‘moderately happy?’ My father has no fortune to speak of, no sons, and far prettier daughters. I've only ever been good at fighting. So that is what I aim to do."

  This was more than she ever normally shared. She must’ve been tired, too. "Is that what your father said? If so, he is a fool."

  "No. My father is a practical man," she replied softly. "My mother was the fool. Trying to sell me off like some prized mare…”

  I could see the sadness in her eyes as she spoke about her mother. Thalia was usually so strong, so unyielding, that it was disconcerting to see her vulnerable.

  "I'm sorry," I said, not knowing what else to say.

  "Meh. She's dead, Tristan. She didn’t give a rat’s ass what I thought before she died and she sure doesn't care what I have to say about her now. It’s fine," she said with a shrug, though I could tell it wasn't. "Let's hurry. It's not safe out here at night."

  We picked up the pace, our feet crunching on the forest floor. The moon was high, but its light was obscured by the thick canopy of trees. Normally, this didn't bother me. I had grown up in these woods, knew them like the back of my hand. But tonight, I was on edge.

  I heard twigs snap and leaves rustle, and I turned around, my hand on the hilt of my sword. There was no one there, but I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched.

  "Keep moving," Thalia said, sensing my unease.

  I nodded, swallowing hard as we continued on. My heart rate quickened, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The forest was always eerie at night, but this felt different.

  A low growl echoed through the trees, causing me to stop in my tracks. Thalia had stopped too, her hand on her sword.

  "Was that what I think it was?" I whispered, my eyes darting around in the darkness.

  "Stay quiet," she said, slowly unsheathing her sword. "We're being hunted."

  I followed suit, stilling my hands as I gripped the hilt of my sword. We had to be careful now. Raiders could be lurking anywhere, waiting to ambush us.

  Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows. It was a man, tall and muscular, with wild eyes and a crazed expression on his face. He held a bloodied sword in his hand, and I realized with a pit in my stomach that this was no ordinary raider.

  This was a berserker. A warrior so consumed by battle lust that they fought without regard for their own life. I had heard stories of them, but had never seen one in person.

  "Get behind me," Thalia commanded, positioning herself in front of me.

  "No," I said, unsheathing my sword and standing by her.

  We readied ourselves for the attack, the berserker charging at us with a deafening war cry. His movements were erratic, unpredictable, but we stood our ground, waiting for the right moment to strike.

  Thalia moved first, her sword slicing through the air with precision. The berserker dodged her attack easily, coming at me with his sword raised high. I met his strike with a parry, the sound of our swords clashing echoing through the forest.

  He was strong, stronger than any opponent I had ever faced, but I was determined to protect my home, my village, and Thalia. We exchanged blows, back and forth, each strike coming closer to landing on one of us. Each strike felt like I was trying to chop down a castle wall with a wooden axe. This man was not only impossibly strong, he was also damned fast. Keeping up with him was reminding my muscles just how close they’d been to exhaustion even before the fight began.

  Thalia moved in again, her sword aimed at the berserker's chest. He ducked and rolled, coming up behind her with his sword raised for the killing blow.

  I acted without thinking, letting loose a cry of blind fury as I swung, my sword met his in a fierce strike that sent him stumbling backwards.

  He regained his footing quickly, his eyes blazing with fury. He let out another ear-piercing roar and charged at me with renewed vigor. I held my ground, waiting for the right moment to strike.

  As he swung his sword at me, I sidestepped and swung my blade at his unprotected side. It was a risky move, but it paid off. My sword made contact with his flesh, drawing blood and causing him to stumble. A shallow cut, but every drop of blood counted.

  Thalia took advantage of the berserker's momentary weakness and delivered a swift blow to his head, ramming her pommel into the base of his skull and knocking him unconscious.

  We stood there, panting and covered in sweat, our swords still raised, ready for any other attacker that might come our way.

  But none did.

  I looked over at Thalia, who was breathing heavily, her sword still in her hands. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded, her eyes never leaving the form of the unconscious berserker. "I'm fine. You?"

  "I'm good," I said, lowering my sword and taking a step towards her. "That was...intense."

  Thalia let out a laugh, the sound melodic and light despite the situation. "You could say that. But you handled it well."

  "You weren't too bad."

  She laughed again, then breathed deeply, probably to still her heart. I did the same thing. It wouldn't hurt us to take a few seconds to calm ourselves.

  "We should get going," I said, finally sheathing my sword. "Who knows how many more of them are out here."

  Thalia nodded in agreement, but neither one of us moved.

  “If we just leave him here, a villager will come and find him in the morning,” I said. “And word of a berserker will spread.”

  Thalia thought about that for a second. “You’re right,” she decided. “We need to do something about the body.”