Rex Pov
I woke up before the sun. The yard was quiet. I grabbed my gear and walked outside. The young ones were already there. Eamon. The girl. The boy. They were standing in the clearing, waiting.
"You are early," I said.
"We want to train," Eamon said.
"Before breakfast?"
"Before breakfast."
I looked at them. They were thin but eager. Their eyes were bright.
"Alright. Show me what Landon taught you yesterday."
They showed me the knots. Eamon did it slow but steady. The girl did it fast. The boy did it right on the third try.
"Good," I said. "Now we work on stances."
I put them through the drills. Feet apart. Weight forward. Hands up. They were getting better. Not perfect but better.
"Eamon, your feet are too close."
He spread them wider.
"Girl, your hands are dropping."
She raised them.
"Boy, stop looking at the ground."
He looked up.
We ran through it again. And again. They were sweating. Their arms were shaking. But they kept going.
