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asked, lightly placing his hand on hers to get her attention.
    “Think of what?” Tali asked, suddenly pulled back to the present.
    “She thinks of a man, and a handsome one, I’ll wager,” replied a male pledge, a Sun Guilder from the merchant class judging by his finely tailored orange vest and royal blue
scarf.
    Those around him laughed good-naturedly, but Tali felt her face grow hot from the implication.
    “I asked,” Zarif said quickly, trying to save her more embarrassment, “which part of training do you think will be the most difficult?”
    Tali swallowed her discomfort and forced herself to give him a halfhearted grin. “You should know the answer to that. You saw me ride a horse this morning.”
    Zarif laughed and reached for another corncake. “So I did. But I’ve a feeling you’re a quick study.”
    “I’ll need to be if I hope to make the Guard,” Tali answered.
    “Now that the dreck has gone off to serve in the kitchens and stables where they belong, we can assess the real competition,” the Sun Guilder said, motioning to an approaching
servant to refill a platter of corncakes. “Though I doubt any here can best me.”
    Spoiled rotten son of a money merchant, Tali thought, clenching her teeth to keep from spewing the words aloud. Probably trained by his own personal maestro and raised with servants to
accommodate his every wish.
    “My mother says that Centurio Abelino is a patient instructor,” said a young woman from the Moon Guild, passing the large tureen of stew across to Tali.
    “I hope that is true,” Tali answered, grateful for the change in subject, and helped herself to another small portion.
    “Even you girls should be able to outdo the remaining Earth Guilders,” said the Sun Guilder with a snort, trying to steer the conversation back to his own biting remarks. “Do
you suppose they plan to train with pitchforks and hacksaws? I doubt they know the first thing about swordsmanship.”
    “Through no fault of their own, of course,” Zarif responded smoothly, then turned to his fellow Moon Guild pledge. “Varah, please tell us more of Centurio Abelino. Does he tend
to favor speed or jumping in his horsemanship training?”
    Tali noticed the subtle look exchanged by Zarif and Varah and appreciated its significance. The Moon Guilders, known for their civilized and polite behavior, now worked together to keep the
conversation lively and nonconfrontational. Tali rubbed her palms on her thighs, willing herself to calm down. She had none of the diplomacy or grace of the Moon Guilders; rather, she wanted to
punch the cocky Sun Guilder…hard.
    “I’ve heard that Jaden’s endurance training is by far the most brutal. He isn’t satisfied until he smells blood,” the Sun Guilder said now, still trying to
monopolize the discussion.
    “I’m sure that’s just a rumor, Drayvon,” replied the Sun Guild girl next to him, glancing toward the platform where Jaden sat. “Perhaps he’s stricter than the
others in order to earn our respect. After all, he’s not much older than we are.”
    “How old is he?” Tali asked the girl.
    “Eighteen. The Queen named him centurio a year ago.”
    Zarif nodded. “He’s the youngest centurio in Second Guard history. But it’s the Final Tournament I fear will be the biggest challenge, not Jaden’s training.”
    “If last year is any indication, you may be right,” Varah said.
    Tali had heard the story. An Earth Guild pledge had fallen to his death while crossing the Batenza Falls. Apparently he had slipped off the makeshift bridge, though no one had seen it happen.
His body had been found broken in the river below.
    “That wasn’t an accident,” Drayvon said, leaning in to take a loud slurp of his stew. “The dirt killed himself.”
    An uneasiness descended upon the table. Tali glanced at Zarif, who frowned into his stew. She had heard the Earth Guilders called “dirts” before, but her father forbade the term on
their