She started pacing back and forth. “Scouts have one of the most dangerous roles in a unit. They go ahead of their squad, into enemy territory, and often return with nothing but their lives. Some don’t return at all. In the last civil war, between the four great houses...”

I turned to Naveen, my eyes wide. “War?” I mouthed.

“I'll tell you later,” he mouthed back. Then he seemed to think better of it. “Ask Florence,” he mouthed.

I tried to tune back into what Professor Stonefist was saying.

“If you’re chosen to be a scout, your job isn’t to fight. It’s to move unseen, to gather information, and to survive long enough to report back with it. That means learning how to use your environment, how to disappear into the shadows, and how to remain silent even when it seems like everything around you is trying to find you.”

Magda paused, her expression growing more serious. “Some of you may know I wasn't always an instructor at Bloodwing. Decades ago–yes, decades,” she said drily, as some chatter went up from the class. “Vampires aren't the only long-lived race in Sangratha, as you should be aware. Decades ago, I was a scout in the last civil war between the great houses.”

She looked over the class, her eyes dark with a faint challenge. “Some of you may have heard of me. They called me Grimblade.”

Beside me Naveen gasped. A few other students in the courtyard did, too, clearly recognizing the name.

“But I thought...” Naveen stopped, his face reddening.

“You thought what, Mr. Sharma? Care to share that thought with the whole class?” Professor Stonefist barked.

Naveen shifted nervously. “I thought... I guess I thought Darkstep was a man,” he said sheepishly.

There were some snickers. But I saw a few students nodding.

“You thought wrong, Sharma,” Magda Stonefist said. But her voice was mild. “It won’t be the first or the last time someone makes that mistake though. Some of the most famous scouts in Sangrathan history have been female. Many of them were also dwarves. All of you should be aware of that.”

She strode forward into the center of the courtyard. “Now. Let’s get started shall we?”

“Grimblade?” I whispered at Naveen.

His face was still red as a beet. “I'll tell you later.”

“We’ll be starting with the basics over the next few weeks,” Professor Stonefist was announcing loudly. “Grappling, strikes, throws, disarming techniques. You’ll learn how to make your movements count, and more importantly, how to stay on your feet when someone bigger or stronger comes at you.”

She looked around at us. “When I was scouting in the Yavara Jungle, I survived because I knew how to use my surroundings. If you make it through this course, I also teach an advanced Concealment and Survival class where you’ll learn how to disappear in plain sight, set up ambushes, and turn the environment into your weapon.”

Naveen’s eyes lit up. “Awesome,” I heard him whisper.

“But first,” Professor Stonefist continued. “We’ll start simple. I want you to pair off, get into the rings, and show me what you’ve got. Knock your opponent down or pin them. I’ll come by each of you, assessing your strengths and weaknesses.”

I was about to ask Naveen if he wanted to pair up when Professor Stonefist marched up to us.

“Nope,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Nope what?” I asked, confused.

She grinned. “Go find another partner, Pendragon. I can tell from the look on this lad’s face that he wouldn’t give you a fair match.”

“Yes, I would,” Naveen said hotly.

She raised her eyebrows. “Really? You’d be okay throwing your friend into the mud and slamming your fist into her face?”

That sounded remarkably similar to what had already happened to me yesterday but I said nothing.

Naveen blushed. “Well...”

I rolled my eyes. Naveen was clearly too much of a gentleman. Or maybe he just needed to learn what women could really do. In any case, I wanted a fair fight. Not someone I could beat one-handed.

“Go partner up with Aldric over there,” Professor Stonefist instructed him. As Naveen walked away, she eyed me up and down. “And you. A rider, huh? Lean and slender. Those ears look pointy. Can you hear better with them than most people?”

“A little,” I admitted. Fae did have better hearing than mortals. And I was half-fae.

“Good. Perhaps you’ll wind up a scout since there are no dragons to ride. Wouldn’t be the worst outcome for you.” She scratched her chin. “You can pair up with Lace Ironstride over there. She’s a Second Year student who usually helps me supervise the First Year class. She’s more experienced, but I suspect you’ll keep her on her toes.”

I looked over to where a bold-looking dwarven girl was standing with her feet spread apart.

“Sounds good,” I said, cracking my knuckles. “So the goal is...?”

“The goal is for one of you to be taken out. You can do that in a nice way or a not so nice way. Lace fights fair. Usually.” Professor Stonefist grinned at me and I grinned back.

Lace was built like a boulder. She was at least a head shorter than me, but much more solid. Her strength was clear in the way she moved.

Still, a few minutes later, Lace was on her back. I’d pinned her in the dirt but I didn’t rub her face in it like Visha had done. I also didn’t punch her in the nose.

“Good match,” I said, standing up and offering her my hand. I suspected Lace would be an even more challenging opponent the next time. She’d underestimated me a bit, but I was sure it wouldn’t happen twice.

She took my hand and nodded as she jumped to her feet. “You’re fast. I’m stronger, but speed can be a great asset, too.”

“Speed is something that we dwarves always need to work on,” Professor Stonefist said ruefully, approaching our ring. “You’ve got impressive speed,” she said to me. “Quick reactions and agility are valuable in a fight. But don’t forget, you need to be more than just fast. Strength and endurance are key, too.”

I winced a little, thinking about how Visha had certainly proven that the day before.

Professor Stonefist walked around me, observing my posture and form. “In the next few classes, I want you to work on building up your strength and endurance. We’ll focus on drills to increase your resilience. Strengthening your core and upper body will help you maintain control and get more power into your moves.”

I nodded. “Understood.”

The professor turned away. “Switch!” she bellowed. “Find a new partner. If I haven’t come by to give you an assessment, I will do so before class ends. Or you’ll stay late and wait. One or the other.”

I quickly found a new partner. First up was a slender dark skinned mortal boy named Vaughn Sabino who nearly had me matched in speed for a few minutes. But I wound up pinning him face-up against a wall. He was gracious about losing and made me promise we could spar again the next class.

“I’m usually the fastest in the group,” he said, with a grin, as I left the ring. “I’m looking forward to a challenge.”

By the time class ended, I was sore and tired but happy. Basic Combat was different from Advanced Weaponry, but in a refreshing way. The class seemed much more at ease–with the professor but also with one another. Even though we’d arguably spent the last hour fighting and competing, it had been in a good natured way. I sensed a camaraderie already starting to develop.

Professor Stonefist was tough but she seemed fair. I appreciated that she was mortal. It was a nice change of pace to be amongst mortal students and not highbloods, even though I was a little worried I wouldn’t have my mettle tested quite as much.

“So, what were you going to say when the professor interrupted us at the start of class?” I asked Naveen.

He flushed. “Oh. That. I was going to say that as we dwarves age, it’s easier on our eyes to be indoors. Artificial lighting isn’t as harsh as sunlight.”