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Thea grinned. ‘I’m a shieldbearer…’ she ventured, glancing at her sister to gauge any emotion. Nothing. Wren was absorbed in her work, as usual.

‘So we’ve heard,’ Ida replied. ‘Everyone’s talking about you.’

‘Saying what?’ Thea hoped her chipper retort would stir some sort of response from Wren.

‘Some say you’re a brazen fool. Others say you’re the fresh blood Thezmarr needs.’

‘Interesting.’ Thea approached the bench, studying Wren’s handiwork and handing her a thick slice of bread.

At last, Wren looked up and took it gratefully.

‘How’s the design coming?’ Thea asked.

‘Not quite there yet,’ Wren said around a mouthful. ‘I’m using dye to colour the water so I can be sure there are no leaks from the different chambers.’

‘That could be unfortunate.’

‘Exactly. It’s taking some tweaking.’

‘You’ll get there.’

‘I know,’ Wren replied, taking another enthused bite. ‘How is life as a Thezmarrian shieldbearer? Is it everything you always dreamed it would be?’

Thea glanced at Ida, who looked intensely interested in her own potions. It wasn’t that Thea kept secrets… not many, anyway. But she didn’t talk as openly with the others as she did with Wren. Despite her sister being younger, Wren had mastered wisdom and a cool head – much to Thea’s frustration. With Ida distracted, Thea allowed herself to consider Wren’s question. She thought of the morning lesson with Torj and the pull of her muscles as she drew the bowstring back. But she also recalled the fear spiking as she entered the dormitories last night, the eyes on her both there and across the dinner table. ‘Parts of it,’ she said honestly.

Wren nodded.

‘You knew it would be like this?’ Thea asked.

Wren grimaced. ‘I suspected that not everyone would be thrilled about a woman wielding a blade alongside the guild’s most prized warriors.’

‘I was too wrapped up in getting here, in being able to call myself a shieldbearer.’

‘I know,’ Wren said again.

Thea hauled herself up to sit on the workbench, her feet dangling beneath her. ‘You seem to know a lot these days.’

Wren laughed. ‘I’m very all-knowing, all-powerful.’

‘Doesn’t surprise me.’ Thea paused.

Shaking her head, Wren shifted through various sheets of parchment before consulting a sketch. ‘I suppose you want to be a Warsword’s apprentice? That was the announcement this morning? What you and… Hawthorne were discussing?’

Thea baulked. ‘How did you know he and I discussed anything?’

Wren shrugged. ‘I saw him approach you in the courtyard,’ she said matter-of-factly. ‘I don’t like the way he was looking at you.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Thea retorted. Her pink-tipped cheeks did her no favours, though.

Wren gave her a knowing look. ‘Wars have been started over looks less heated than that, sister. Is something going on —’

‘No,’ Thea cut her off. ‘He only wanted my word that I wouldn’t nominate him as a mentor. Less than nothing there.’

If her sister detected the note of hurt in her voice, she didn’t say. Wren only continued looking at her designs. ‘I don’t think that’s the issue, Thee…’

‘There’s no issue.’ Thea sniffed. ‘And who wouldn’t want to be one of their apprentices?’

Wren scoffed. ‘I can think of a few people —’