Chapter 9: Edana

  I watched the two talk excitedly, hoping that they were having fun.

  Because, there wouldn’t be anything like this when we head into war.

  “Amber, I have to go first,” I remarked as Soar pulled up next to Misty, and Amber smirked.

  “You’re deciding to play chicken and run off first, right?” she teased, and I sighed.

  “Just like you, I have work to do too. I’m going to test out Eir’s and Professor Gunnar’s weapons.”

  “Weapons? But you are-”

  “I’m going off first.”

  I turned around and Soar began to swim away.

  “Come for lunch too! We’ll be waiting for you!” Amber yelled back, and I paused.

  Every day, she would say this to me. And every day, my cold heart would lurch at her words.

  I swung my spear, Silfurljos, over and over again, feeling nothing, hearing nothing, and seeing nothing but my target. I kept at it each morning, each noon, and each night, never stopping until I dropped to the floor in utter exhaustion. But, one day, as I swung Silfurljos, I heard someone call my name.

  “Edana! Come for lunch!” she yelled, but I kept swinging.

  “Edana!”

  She persisted, waiting for me to stop.

  But, my heart was already torn, and I didn’t want to see anyone. I wanted to be alone, stuck in the dark shadows to nurse the gaping wound in my heart like a wild, hurt animal.

  When I faltered and fell to the ground, too tired to get up, she ran to me.

  “Why did you run yourself ragged this way? Why didn’t you stop when you were tired?”

  She pulled against me, trying to pull me up.

  “Let go of me,” I hoarsely whispered, turning my face away.

  “If I let you go, who’s going to pick you up? Come, I’ll take you to our bedroom.”

  She continued to pull me up to my feet.

  “Let go!” I tried to yell, but it only came as a small gasp of pain.

  The instant she heard that, she let go and held my head, looking me over for any bruises or gashes.

  “Where does it hurt?” she demanded, and I only looked away, unable to, or not wanting to, answer.

  “Fine, if you’re not going to answer me, then I’ll take you to someone who will give me answers,” she sighed, crouching on the floor of the Training Hall and throwing my arms over her shoulders.

  “What are you doing?” I croaked, my head falling against her back.

  “Taking you to see Dr. Rafael of course! You won’t tell me what’s hurting you, so I’m taking you to see someone who can find out.”

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  She grabbed my knees and stood up, bowed over by my weight, and I yelped again.

  “Oops, sorry, Edana! I promise, I’ll take you to Dr. Rafael as fast as I can!”

  She began to kick her legs in the water, but I cried out.

  “Can… you move slowly instead?” I whispered, feeling the world spin before my eyes.

  “Oh, I have Misty now! I can ask her to-”

  “I want you,” I blurted out, and she stopped talking.

  “Me?” she repeated.

  “Yeah. I’m tired, and it hurts. I don’t want to move anymore,” I admitted, and she turned her head to speak to me.

  “Okay. I’ll get you to the Infirmary.”

  She slowed down, gliding along the waves. We swept through past quiet paths where some Guardians were waiting for their partners to come out from the Cafeteria. Everything was silent and peaceful without anyone around, and I relaxed.

  I fell against Amber and closed my eyes.

  “Edana dear, you sprained both the muscles in your legs extremely badly. If you didn’t fall today, you would actually have torn through one of your muscles from overexertion. Dear, you have to stop exercising to this degree. It’s hurting your body.”

  Dr. Rafael frowned in concern over me, and Amber’s fiery red hair was right next to me.

  “I’ll help you stop exercising. Dr. Rafael, what do you want Edana to do?”

  She looked up at him.

  “She needs to rest in the Infirmary until her muscles are fine, Amber. After that, I will enroll her in a physical therapy program so that she doesn’t strain and pull her muscles to this degree.”

  Dr. Rafael gazed back at Amber amusingly, as if he found it funny that Amber was acting more like my parent than my friend.

  “Dr. Rafael, how long do I have to stay here?” I demanded.

  “From the severity of your sprain, it would be around two months before your body heals completely,” Dr. Rafael soothed, putting a hand on my forehead.

  I sighed angrily, tossing restlessly on the bed.

  “Okay Dr. Rafael. Let’s get better together, okay, Edana? I will help you get better.”

  Amber grabbed my hand in a pinky promise.

  “Okay.”

  I finally looked up, locking pinkies with her.

  After that, she would come in each morning, noon, and night, eating all her meals with me, helping me during my physical therapy sessions, and entertaining me all day with news from her classes and books that she got from the library. I found myself waiting for Amber in anticipation all day, watching and waiting for her to come back from her classes and spend time with me. She was always there for me, even when I trained long into the night. She would sit by me, play by me, and fight by me. We were inseparable, and I wanted it to stay that way. She was the one who stopped me from continuously hating and hurting myself, and I could begin to accept who I was now because of her kind and cheerful smile.

  And of course, I wouldn’t let anyone take that away from her.

  “We’re here, Edana,” Soar quietly spoke up, and I slid down from her back.

  “Thanks, Soar, for everything.”

  I leaned against her and she nuzzled my neck in a friendly way.

  “Why all this fuss, dear? You don’t have to thank me for this ride. I’m your bonded partner, Edana. I will always be by your side: today, tomorrow, and every day that we have together.”

  She gently prodded me toward Eir’s cabin that was at the edge of the Institute.

  “I’ll come back for you when you’re done,” Soar called out, and I nodded.

  “See you, Soar.”

  I stepped into Eir’s underwater cabin, seeing Eir’s bright and lovely smile.

  “Edana, you came,” she greeted me brightly.

  “I saw your notification on my watch. How could I miss the opportunity to see the Institute’s genius at work?”

  I ruffled her hair, and she led me to the things on her table.

  “Which one do you want to try first?”

  She gazed at me knowingly, and I grinned.

  “This one looks fun.”

  I picked up a slim water rifle, and she laughed.

  “Let’s get started, Edana. I already set up a course for you.”

  She led me outside, and I smirked.

  Work for me was vicious, but when I was with Eir, it became play.

  Bang.

  It was time to get to work.