The Forsaken

into betraying Gadya. But there is no denying our connection, even if we refuse to act on how we feel.
    One night after dinner, I overhear Sinxen talking to another hunter about Liam, near one of the huts around the fire pit. I linger behind the hut, trying to catch the words.
    “He’s gonna lose his edge, getting distracted over that girl,” the other hunter is saying.
    “Yeah, it’s not like him to talk so much about a chick,” Sinxen agrees. “I heard that Markus saw them together down by the river.”
    It takes me a moment to realize that they’re talking about me. I freeze.
    “Usually girls have crushes on him, not the other way around,” the other hunter muses. “He’s gotta remember to stay focused.”
    Their voices start growing fainter, like they’re walking away. I strain to hear, moving sideways around the hut. But I can’t make out any more words. I just stand there for a while, heart racing, not sure what to think. I already knew Liam liked me. But I didn’t know how unusual it was for him to feel that way about someone. And I don’t know what to do about it.
    Then, on the fifth day of training, I wake up early, and there’s no sign of Gadya. It’s unlike her to be late. I pick up my spear and go down to the grassy area that we use for our training ground. Minutes tick by as I wait.
    I’m about to give up and go look for her, when I hear footsteps behind me, and someone steps out of the trees.
    I turn around, expecting to finally see Gadya, or maybe just another villager who wants to chat.
    Instead, I see some kind of unholy monstrosity.
    A tall masked figure draped in hoofer skins stands before me, wielding a spear twice the size of mine.
    Before I can scream, the figure lunges forward, swinging his weapon wildly. His mask is a scowling wooden atrocity.
    My training kicks in immediately, and I parry the first blow as best I can. Then I spin around, like Gadya taught me, trying to stab my attacker in the flank.
    But he’s way faster than I am, and he knocks the spear out of my hand with barely any effort. I stumble back. He raises his weapon.
    I’m about to scream for my life, when I hear a muffled voice say, “Relax, Alenna! It’s okay!”
    The figure reaches up a hand and takes off the wooden mask, tossing it onto the grass.
    It’s Liam.
    “What the hell!” I exclaim, both furious and relieved. “What’s wrong with you?”
    “You’ve got a substitute teacher today.” I can see that he’s trying to stifle a grin, and it makes me even madder.
    “You really scared me, you jerk! It’s not funny.”
    “I wasn’t trying to be funny. I wanted to see how you’d respond.”
    “Why?”
    “Because you gotta be prepared if you’re really coming with us.” He kicks at the mask. “I got it off a drone. Ugly-looking, right?”
    “I’m mad at you.”
    “Sorry.”
    I take a deep breath. “What does Gadya think about all this?”
    “It’s cool. She’s running errands today. Besides, who do you think trained her?”
    “Are you serious?”
    He nods. “Yep. And I cleared it with Veidman, too. He agreed it’s better if you have more than one instructor. That way you gain experience in different styles of fighting.” He pauses for a second. “If you’re coming on the expedition, I don’t want you getting hurt.”
    Is he being straight with me? Or did he just want to find a way to finally spend some time with me? Either way, I realize that by training me today, he’s not hanging out with the other hunters, and I’m flattered. “So what’s with that creepy mask and the hoofer skins, anyway?” I ask.
    “Element of surprise.” He starts putting down his weapon. “You never know what to expect on the wheel.”
    I suddenly reach down and pick up my own spear. “Then who says this battle’s over?”
    He grins. “That’s the spirit.”
    I lunge forward like Gadya taught me. For a second, I think I’ve caught him off guard. But then his spear is back in his hands, and he has knocked mine away from me again. My palms sting from the impact.
    “Good attitude,” he muses, “but we gotta work on your technique. . . .”
    We spend the rest of the day practicing. Liam is a lot kinder than Gadya, but he’s also a lot stronger and faster. Impossibly fast. By the end of the day, I’m more exhausted than I’ve ever been in my life.
    We finally take a break just before dinner. I slump down on the grass. I’m panting for air and drenched with sweat. I lean back on my