Dimitri's Point of View in Frostbite (Vampire Academy) (Book 2)

Part 4

Chapter 4:

I passed some of the student's parents on the way to my first class. I recognized more than half of them. They were easy to pick out of the crowd too. Since they wern't from the school's regiment. Parents and their guardians had already started coming to campus to accompany their children to the ski resort. And I knew my next class would have more of the schools guardians than usual.

I arrived at Rose's bodyguard theory class. I had known that guardians that normally worked out side the Academy were paying a visit today, although I didn't know who.Until I saw the bright red hair that belonged to a short Scottish woman. Janine Hathaway, Rose's mother.

I was surprised to see her standing in front of the class, among two other guardians whom I faintly recognized. Both men, one tall but old while the other was strong and young. I nodded out of respect before taking my rightful place in the back of the class room.

Janine was tough, she was the kind of guardian that you didn't want to get stuck battling with. She was one of the few woman we had, and the shortest. With being only five foot tall she looked small and helpless. But fought like a tiger. I had seen her in action, she had guarded one of my Moroi's friends. And I remember the way she fought. Light as a feather and quick as a whip. If I was this surprised to see her I couldn't imagine what Rose's reaction might be.

The students started to pile into the room then. And as usual Rose was the last of them. Walking in with Mason at her side. I saw her look up her eyes darting immediately to Janine. Her face darkening as she took her seat.

But as she sat down her posture slummed as she seemed to sink into her chair. As if to melt right in it. Staring at her mother in complete bafalment.

Stan spoke up now, introducing the guests and explaining that they were going to share real-life experiences with the class. I glanced around checking the windows and doors for any sign of dangers, although not surprisingly, found none.

Stan paced the front of the room. "I know this is unusual. Visiting guardians usually don't have time to stop by our classes. Our three guests, however, have made time to come talk to you today in light of what's happened recently..." Everyone in the room knew he was referring to the Badica incident. Clearing his throat he tried again. "In light of waht's happened, we thought it might be better to prepare you to learn from those currently working in the field."

The class tensed with excitement. Apparently hearing gory stories was more interesting than learning from a textbook. The one time I glanced in Rose's direction she turned around and met my eyes, I averted mine quickly, hoping she didn't catch me staring at her.

The old guy launched into his story. His descibed the time when the youngest son of the family he guarded had wandered off in a public place that Stirgoi were lurking in.

"The sun was about to set." He told them gravely. He swept his hands in a downward motion, showing the class how a sunset worked. I hid a smile that was playing at my lips. "There were only two of us, and we had to make a snap decision on how to proceed."

I could see Rose lean forward out of the corner of my eye. She was clearly engrossed in the story. "We had the family stay inside a restaurant with my partner while I swept the rest of the area." Continued the old guardian, he spread his hands out in a sweeping motion. By the time he finished his story the boy had been found with no Strigoi encounters. A happy ending.

The younger guardian went next. Talking about howhe'd gotten the drop on a Stirgoi stalking a Moroi. Which tended to happen a lot more than others thought.

"I wasn't even technically on duty." He said. "I was visiting a friend and the family he guarded. As I was leaving their apartment, I saw a Strigoi lurking in the shadows. He never expected a guardian to be out there. I circled the block, came up behind him, and..." Then he made a staking motion, far more dramatic than it needed to be. He finished off his staking with a twist. Which was really unnecessary.