“Assashin—ready to train?” Soma asked, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

  “H… yes. Always. I—I’m ready,” he stammered, nerves and excitement jangling together.

  “Good. Then let’s start. Don’t be scared—I promise I won’t hurt you. But don’t get cocky, either. The gap between us is still huge, if you haven’t noticed.” Soma’s grin was half-tease, half-warning.

  They took their positions, blades at the ready. Theo stood off to the side, eyes bright, waiting to give the signal.

  At his nod, Soma exploded forward—faster than the eye could follow—her twin daggers aiming straight for Assashin’s throat. He reacted instantly, raising his long silver sword to parry the strike. He reposted, trying to turn defense into offense, but Soma was a blur. As his blade came close, she vaulted over it, dropping like a shadow behind him. In one fluid motion she slammed her heel into his shoulder, freezing his arm. She twisted his wrist, stripped the sword from his hand, and pressed one dagger to his neck.

  Assashin sank to his knees, breathless and laughing through the defeat. “You’re… truly incredible, Soma. I trained, I sweated—thought I might actually beat you for a second. But look at this—an utter defeat. Not even five minutes. You make it look effortless. Please—keep teaching me. I want to be like you, my new role model.” He managed a half-choked chuckle, pride mixed with genuine awe.

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  Soma blinked, then grinned, a small, proud curve of her lips. “No—thank you. I haven’t enjoyed a fight like that in a long time. You pushed me, and that means you’re skilled. Even if you lost, you earned my respect. And you’ve proven you can stand by me on the raids to come.” Her smile made Assashin flush; Theo watched, eyes watering with happy pride.

  Theo barreled between them, chest heaving. “I will not lose either! I’ll study healing and medicine. If I can’t fight like you two—because I’m small and weak—I’ll keep you alive from the back lines. I’ll patch every wound. I’ll make sure you both come home.”

  Soma scooped him up and hugged him tight. “That’s my little doctor.”

  She turned back to Assashin, the serious glint returning to her eyes. “Tomorrow we strike the camp out west. The one they call the Desert Ship. They earned that name—like a camel, they survive where others can’t. But I don’t believe they’re just squatters. A place that harsh won’t be worth holding unless there’s something valuable there. A mine, maybe. Something they want to keep all to themselves.”

  Assashin nodded, checking the leather wrap on his palm. “If they’re hiding a mine, they’ll be dangerous—and protected. We’ll need a plan.”

  Soma’s smile was sharp with hunger. “Then we’ll get one. Sleep now. Tomorrow

  we take what’s ours.”