Guardian (Sequel to Fearless)

Chapter Forty Five

Iris was nervous as she combed through her hair. Tomorrow. The time at the sanctuary had flown by so fast. She'd face her guardian trials tomorrow --for better or worse, she'd face them. Tomorrow decided whether or not she'd get to stay here at the sanctuary. She looked into the mirror at herself. It was a moment of clarity. It was already evening-time.

A presence stepped behind her into the mirror. Hench watched quietly at the comb that slicked through Iris's curls. She'd been there the last ten minutes, waiting patiently for her trainee to be ready.

After a moment, Iris laid it down on the counter and turned to her mentor. Hench smiled at her. "You ready, girl?" The question had a double meaning. The first was the obvious meaning. Iris was ready for her celebration. Every new initiate got one at the end of their six-month training period. The second meaning: was she ready for what was to come tomorrow?

Iris inhaled and straightened her spine. "As I'll ever be."

"Good, good," Hench said and reached into a deep, inner robe pocket and pulled out a sash. It was red, with the symbol of the Remorda Guardians embroidered onto its surface. Hench held her chin high. Slowly, she wrapped the sash around Iris's shoulders and draped it over her robes. The action felt so honorary.

She gave Iris a minute to survey it in the mirror before speaking again. "Iris, this is likely the last time we will be alone together before your trials." She paused. "I just want you to know that I believe you can pass them. I believe in you just as all of Eldia believes in you. Do me proud, girl. I want to keep you here. It's about time we had another woman here." Hench chuckled and grabbed Iris's shoulders as a gesture of camaraderie.

"I have something to say to you too," Iris said with a tearful smile. "I don't know why you chose me to be your first trainee. In your fifteen years here, you finally broke your streak and chose me, and for that, I am forever grateful to you. I've learned so much from you, and I can only hope I will be able to learn more. I want to say that in this last six months, I have had more bruises than I have ever had in my entire life... but I've also had the chance to make a friendship of a lifetime. No matter what happens tomorrow, I hope we will always be that." Iris paused. "Because you didn't just teach me better fighting skills... better ways to hone my body. You taught me that family isn't always blood. You taught me that a person can be fierce, yet loving --that a person can be as tough and mighty as they are beautiful. And you are. Inside and out, you are a beautiful person. And I am a better person for having known you." Iris swallowed the lump in her throat. "I love you, Rhalla. I will not fail you."

Hench pulled Iris into a hug. "Better not," she said into Iris's hair, and the way she said it was so utterly Rhalla that it was endearing.

The women let go of each other.

"Well, it's time," Hench said and motioned for Iris to walk. Together, they walked down the empty halls and toward the assembly room. Iris noticed that there was no one about the corridors. All guardians were likely already waiting on their arrival.

Nothing was said during that final walk. Two minutes of silence, and they were standing at the double doors. They exchanged one last look before entering.

And once they did, the room roared. In cheers and applause. Hench led Iris down a makeshift path to a small stage in the front of the room and Iris's gaze bounced back and forth. In this room, she saw so many Remorda Guardians --faces she recognized and faces she didn't. They all looked so happy. Iris noticed that there was food piled up on a banquet table to the far right and drinks lined up that Iris definitely wouldn't be partaking in tonight.