6

Dear Raina,

I am extremely relieved that Master Sotur'i has taken it upon himself to train you in the art of defense. Though I confess I hadn't thought he would even consider teaching you something as difficult as the Sword. But perhaps it will come easier to you than it has to me. But can you even pick it up? I would have thought it's weight would be too much for you.
Forgive me. I am certain you possess more strength than shows in your slight frame.
You can be so wholly possessed with fantastical ideas of love that I hardly understand you. I am at Warrior Training for heavens sake! And yet you question me with things like "Who is the apple of your eye?". Oh dear Raina, this is not a summer camp! I am not here to take a fancy to someone and cavort around. This is serious!
But as for others, I fear Kira has gone down in my estimation some. She has apparently gone head over heels for Terk and he for her. But what I cannot understand is how they keep up on their Training. They spend so much time goggling and giggling over each other that it is no less than a miracle that they hear a word of the Warrior Trainers. But somehow they manage to keep up and keep us entertained.
As for your suggestion about Cavalry, I fear you will be disappointed with my choice of going about it. I have taken your advice and I am learning from one of the older Trainees but not quite in the most... legal way.
Benk has become my sort of personal Trainer/Manager and he was determined that I should get some training with Cavalry. I was doing quite well in all other areas and it hurt him so to see me fail so miserably in that area. Well, he applied to Master Gann for specail permission to use the Cavalry Training Grounds and a horse but there is devilry going on behind the scenes here and they refused. Getting ahead here is not an easy thing to do. That is the curse of the King. The people must stay massed together and no one is allowed to become better than another, we must all progress at the same speed.
Well, when we were denied permission, we got together as what you would call the "Amazing Unstoppable Five" and planned a course of action. I cannot explain how truly grateful I am to my good friends. We are all in a postition that anyone of us could plan to become the greatest and the best and leave the others behind, but my dear friends have taken it upon themselves to make me the best. They claim that by training me, they themselves are becoming better and I can't argue that. They are so good to me!
Well, in our planning, we came to the conclusion that we may as well start our rebellious acts now. We discussed how we might do this, steal a horse, lock up the Calvalry Field, assasinate the Cavalry Master, burn the stables in protest, etc. Much to your relief, I am sure, we did none of these. Benk, instead, told us he knew a second year Trainee that would possibly be able to help us out.
We waited a few days while Benk worked out the kinks and this is how I now do my Cavalry Taining:
There is a second year Trainee who's name is Gi, and he was the Calvary Masters Apprentice. With your imaginative mind I am certain you want to know what he looks like, but you will have to be content with knowing that there is not one female in 300 selims that doesn't have a heart race when she sets eyes on Gi.
Gi met Benk a few months past when Benk first came to Warrior Training and Gi had been gracious enough to help clean the stalls when Benk got landed for posting a sign to a horse's butt that said "I smell like Master Junu".
Anyway, Gi has full access to the horses and the Cavalry Field every night after eight because he is breaking in some new horses. Benk talked to him and Gi agreed to train me every night at half past eight. We usually work for an hour or so and then I have to scamper down to the creek and get rid of the horse smell so Master Gann doesn't become suspicious.
At first I could not think why we should train every night, but I know why now. I had always considered myself a fairly competent horsewoman, but Gi has taken it to a new level. I have had to put my body in every imaginable position around the horse and hold onto a sword, knife, or bow at the same time. I ache with the thought of it.
But Gi is relentless. He gives me no rest and for once, I have no qualms about giving up. But now that I have my friends behind me, they wouldn't let me if I begged to. They are just as determined to make me the best Warrior as I am to be it.
Alright, I will now give vent to my feelings and only because you are my sister, I will let you know how I really feel on this training matter.
Gi Medo, is... harmful to my training. He has an uncanny knack for putting me off balance on horse and on foot, and the most annoying part is that he doesn't get it! You keep praising my beauty and saying that any M'an would be happy to train me, but there are times when I feel the discontent in the air and know that Gi would rather be cleaning the stalls than training me. I have even overheard him speaking to Benk about stopping the training but Benk points out that he promised and Gi never backs out on a promise. So, we go on, me stumbling and fumbling and feeling like a complete dolt, and Gi keeping his face impassive but clearly conveying the feeling of discontent and dislike. And what nearly kills me, is when he touches me! That may sound like the silliest thing on this planet, but I get a "shock" every time he touches me. His hand burns me! We keep physically apart as much as possible, but that is not always possible. When he has to show me a position, I cringe with the feeling of his touch and he quickly pulls his hand away. It is the most alarming and disconcerting thing! But every time I mention to Benk that I feel ready to quit the Cavalry training, he disagrees and says that Gi is the best teacher one could have in that area and that I should continue training as long as possible. He won't let me quit! So, I keep going. Every night! Every night I tell myself that I should not care what I look like after a days hard training and every night I can't stop myself from going to the mirror and fixing what I can in a short amount of time.
My only respite is M'ondays. I don't have to see Gi all day and I don't have to train with him at night. If only every day were M'onday! But I must not let this insignificant matter keep me from my goal! It is a sad thing when I think it would not be so very bad to come home and marry G'hast. At least I would be away from people like Gi who stop up my rational thought process. I think I am going crazy.

There. Thank you. I have had my good speel and I now have no reason to think on the silliness again.

I am so very glad you are enjoying your teaching. The children sound wonderful! You are such an angel, I am sure you brighten their day.
Your daydream is a bit disconcerting. It was clearly a fight of Mages, but I have not heard of their existence for many years. I had much rather that it stayed that way. Sages are creepy enough, always knowing everything, but knowing, and having the powers of the elements all in one, yikes! That could be double creepy. But maybe it was just magicians, or wizards or... alright, I have no idea what it was. I am just not good in the interpreting area. But continue to record your daydreams, I enjoy hearing about them and puzzling about them. It keeps my mind off... other things.
I am very curious to know what else Master Sotur'i could be teaching you. Surely it cannot be so great a secret. I myself am learning all the arts of defense and what could be the harm in telling me that you are also learning the Knife or Archery or something of that sort? But I will trust Sotur'i's judgement and not bother you about it.
I have come to the conclusion that Carcon is in love with you. Yes dear girl, that "dazed look" is called love. Sorry sister, but this farm hand you dislike so, is head over heels for you. Be good to the poor kid and talk to him! If you truly don't feel anything akin to liking him, I suggest you talk it over with him and pad the fall of his heart. But don't lead him on and don't be so cruel to him.
Oh dear girl, how I miss you! I wish you were here! Then you could go on and on about your love and I would realize the absurdity of your talk and I would be cured of any desire to do the same. I wish you well in your training. Do not engage yourself to Sotur'i until I am done with my training. That would be rather awkward.
Yes dear girl, I am fully convinced that you are in love with the man with that "true and rich" laugh. If I am entirely mistaken, tell me so and I will still not believe you. I am not such a dolt as to miss the clues you send in your letters. But it is a strange line of coincidences that has brought us to know him and now him to train you.

With all my love and hope for your safety and happpiness,
Itaira

P.S.
Forgive me for having to end on a harsh note, but I must defend my friend's honor. You do not know Benk and I refuse to listen to your suspicions. He is a good and true friend and I will not tolerate your imagining him to be something as horrendous as a Spy for the king. Please do not mention the matter again.