Page 35 of Phoenix's Fire

But Ayla gave him a confused look. "Do rabbits really make holes?"

Rymar just pointed at Zasen. "Ask the hunter."

"Dens," Zasen told her. "Well, warrens, but yes. Shallow ones, though. I'll point out a few when we go hunting, okay?"

"Okay!" Ayla agreed, sounding much too excited about it, but then her eyes came back to me. "And you'll help me with hand-to-hand after your job?"

"Any time you want to learn," I swore.

Which made her smile grow again. "Maybe now?"

"That is why we came out here," I agreed, gesturing towards the grassy space I'd made. "Want to try a few more rounds?"

"I want to do it again, but faster," she said. "Then I want to try full speed with you, Kanik."

"Let's do it," Zasen said, stepping back and gesturing before him. "Ready when you are."

I only felt a small flare of jealousy, but it was smothered by pride for this girl's determination. Nothing stopped Ayla, and that was the best thing about her, even if Zasen was using that to his advantage.

"So is this why the elders said I shouldn't wrestle with boys?" she asked as she moved before him.

Zasen chuckled, but Rymar barked out a full-throated laugh.

"No," Rymar said.

Just as Zasen told her, "Yes."

So I groaned. "That's not what they meant, Ayla. The elders were talking about sex, but the guys are right. Those elders didn't want you wrestling with men because they didn't want you to realize how powerful you can be."

"More powerful than any Mole," she breathed, then nodded for Zasen to try again.

This time, when she flipped him, Zasen hit hard enough that it forced out a grunt.

Eleven

Ayla

Iended up spending almost another hour with the men, learning how to flip them. When that was done, I needed a bath. I'd spent enough time wrestling with the guys that I had to hurry to get clean. I almost felt bad about it, since I should be worrying about Meri, but if I hurried, I wouldn't be late.

Rymar had said he had to go to City Hall, but he assured me there wasn't a time limit. Still, I rushed through getting dressed, choosing my favorite pale-green dress. I wanted to look good, demure, and not too strange when I saw Meri again.

When I returned to the living room, Rymar looked up, then froze in the way that only Dragons could. Everything about him paused, as if he wasn't even breathing. When he started moving again, he blinked first, then the rest of his muscles relaxed, making me giggle.

"I can't do that," I told him.

"Lizard thing," he admitted. "Our muscles have a torpor state. It allows us to freeze because some things hunt off movement."

"Oh."

Then he stood tipping his head at the door. "Ready?"

"I think so," I said, holding my arms out a bit for inspection. "I don't know what else I'd need."

"The book." Then Rymar shoved a hand into his pocket and passed me a handful of paper. "Money," he said. "Just in case you girls decide to do anything."

"You can pay for Meri," Zasen called from the kitchen as I hurried to get the English copy of my favorite book from the shelf in Zasen's room. "And make sure you eat! It's almost lunchtime," he called, raising his voice so it followed me.

"Okay," I promised, coming back with the hardbound copy in my hands. "Tell Kanik I appreciate the lesson."