Valkyrie Rising ✓

Chapter Fifteen

The next morning is spent delivering monologues in Hejae's class. He emphasizes the importance of owning a character.

"You can't con someone if you don't believe it yourself."

I'm pretty sure I earn some points with Hejae when I volunteer to go first, and deliver a nearly flawless portrayal of a Queen Gorgo asking her senate to send aide to their king, who is defending their nation with only a small band of warriors. At least, he claps and smiles when I finish.

After lunch, we meet Kiira in the cave mouth. She tells us we'll be swimming in some real life conditions, and today will give us a good idea of what a future in the Rescue division could be like.

I'm pretty confident swimming is not for me, but I know it's a great skill to have in my arsenal no matter what job I take, just as acting will be.

We take the shuttle that brought us to the mountain down to a pull off with a trail leading into the woods. As soon as I step off, I can hear rushing water.

It is a grueling double session. Wick must have been a born Rescuer to have enjoyed this. We take turns swimming from the dock halfway across the pool and "rescuing" a fellow recruit from the waterfall.

I cough as water fills my lungs while I struggle to stay afloat in the churning water near the base of the falls. It's not deep here, but the goal is to not touch the bottom and keep our heads above water. Easier said than done with the angry water jerking me around.

I drink more water waiting for my Rescuer, a brawny boy from Kaz's floor, to reach me. My arms and legs feel numb from treading rough water for so long. Finally, he nears me. He practically dislocates my shoulder when he grabs my arm to bring me back.

I do not look forward to my turn "saving" someone. In fact, if Iskren hadn't promised death should I fail, I would probably quit right now. Another example of his plan backfiring. We finally reach the dock where the others wait. I think I drank a whole gallon of lake water, and I cough up as much as I can while still taking time to breathe.

Kaz grins at me while he shakes out his arms, preparing for his rescue swim.

"Funny, you have less of a damsel-in-distress and more of a drowned-cat-thing going on than I would have expected," he says.

I'm still struggling with breathing normally, so I take a page out of Eveia's book and lift my middle finger.

I've never done this before, and the thrill of doing something so scandalous excites me. I know it is an outdated gesture, and I'm not even sure exactly what it stands for, but I've seen enough kids get in trouble with the elders in our community over one simple finger movement, so I know it must be inappropriate.

I wonder if Kaz knows its meaning, or just takes it as the "leave me be" sign Eveia usually uses it for. He just winks at me. Unhelpful. I'm too embarrassed to ask him, especially in class. What if I'm the only one who's never learned it?

There is only a small splash when Kaz cuts into the water, his dive a perfectly arched movement. I envy his power as his arms slice the waves, propelling him quickly towards Caither, his "damsel in distress".

I find myself hoping she has a "drowned-cat-thing" as well, and wonder at the feeling. I know I'm desirable; I am Viry, after all. I've never worried a man might not find me attractive. But with Kaz, I just can't tell his attitude towards me. I know we're friends, and I know he enjoys my company. Sometimes he looks at me in a way that makes me feel like my stomach has squeezed into a ball and started bouncing around my ribcage.