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"Nari works."
He nodded. "Ok. Do you have any training in combat courses at all?"
"Not much," I assured him. "I switched from dance to weapons in eighth year, so I'm a bit behind."
"Could be worse," he pointed out. "We've got two from my year who were following the Path of the Word. Had never taken more than the minimum agility courses in their primary training." He held out his arm, directing me to an open area of the room. One far enough from everyone else to be almost private. "I understand your main Path is Body?"
I gave him an incredulous look. "Doeseveryoneknow about me?"
"Pretty much." Then he laughed. "Not often that things change in a temple. I only ask because I'll need to know if your body is strained in any way."
"Is your ward a woman?" I asked him.
He nodded. "Yeah, and we started class-based intimate assignments last year. I promise, I get it."
"Then I'll let you know," I promised.
Because it sounded like Grath was planning to take me under his wing. Still, Ghale had picked him, so I wasn't ready to trust him completely. Talin had warned me that Ghale had already made one threat. His partner, Oryll, didn't like me much either. And yet, Grath didn't seem to be judging me. He was honestly doing his best to show me all the necessary moves to stretch my muscles.
My problem was Talin. It seemed he'd paired up with a woman only a few years older than me, so probably someone he knew. Like me, she wore a shirt that was little more than a bra. Unlike me, her lace was only barely visible. A swirl could be seen inside each of her shoulder blades, and her hands, wrists, and the first third of her forearms were all covered with the markings we'd earned as children.
"Second-year," Grath said, following my eyes. "Her name's Lurel. She's paired with a rather pretty bisexual man. I don't remember his name. Oh, and your jealousy's showing."
"Sorry," I mumbled.
He moved into the next stretch. "It's normal. Your guardian is the one thing that is yours and yours alone. Unfortunately, it doesn't work the other way around, but we learn to adjust." Then he looked over at me. "Just know that it's harder for him than it is for you."
"What is?" I asked.
He pointed between us, his finger moving from him to me and then back. "Ghale wants to separate the two of you for class because we tend to be a little overzealous about our desires. Wards, I mean."
"I've heard both terms," I assured him.
He nodded. "Yeah, well, desire fits better than ward, so most of us use it. Just didn't want you to think it's derogatory, because that's what will come next. Ghale will push at you to makehimbreak. He has no interest in a Priestess of the Body in the middle of so many new guardians. They'll still be learning to handle the rings, and I get the feeling the man is bitter about having worn one for so long. Rumors say the training stays when the ring leaves."
"It's barbaric," I grumbled.
"Yeah? And it's Zeal's will. So how about you put in a word for the rest of us, huh?"
Forgetting all about the stretching, I turned to him. "Let me make this very clear. He had nothing to do with this idea. There is nothing in his book that mandates it. Check if you don't believe me. The rings are used because it's easier to train you by torture than patience, and your god is fucking pissed about it."
Grath grabbed my shoulder and pulled me over, making it look like I was stretching. "You've talked to him?"
I shifted to a side lunge and tugged my shirt to draw his eyes to the spot just above my cleavage. "See the symbol?"
I couldn't, but I knew what it was. A five-headed snake, made in a circle, laid above the paired triangles of all six gods. Mine had appeared with my last immersion. Wraythe's, Talin's, and Eladehl's had all come with a kiss. Each of the guardians wore theirs on the inside of their bicep, but on opposite arms. Eladehl's was a hand span above his dick, woven perfectly into the lace of his Path.
"Yeah," he breathed. "That's not like any lace I've seen before."
"Because it's not lace. It's his claim, and I'm not the only one who wears it." I ran my fingers over where I knew the symbol lay. "Most of my instructors don't want me here, but I want to learn, Grath. I have a feeling I need to. Will you help me?"
He pushed out a breath. "As much as I can, but Ghale is going to make this miserable. He's going to push you, and hard, because if you give up, then it's one less problem for him."
"Yeah," I said, "except I can't. I have a god telling me to do this, and a priest telling me to quit. Who do you think I'm going to listen to?"
"Except Ghale's lessons are going to hurt. We don't pull shots here. You can't do it all, Nari. Your courses for the Body, and the ones for Protection? They're going to conflict. One of them is going to make you hurt too much for the other, and the instructors are paired. They'll coordinate it to run you off or fail you out."
"Then they'll have to fail me," I decided, "because if I can't make them like me, then I may as well give them something to hate."
