Going to Wellington was quite an experience. It seemed like everyone else was only interested in training, including my roommate, Ara. I didn�t quite know what to think of her. She was nice, of course, but . . . different, I suppose. She was quiet though. I was thankful for that.
It was a big change for me though. I had never been required to learn to fight before. Oh, sure, I�d taken an archery class or two for fun, but it was never anything serious. Here there was a big emphasis on it, and rightly so, I suppose. After all, it was four years in the military after graduation from Wellington. Unfortunately for me, I�m not coordinated or aggressive enough to be a fighter. That much, at least, I dreaded.
My regular classes weren�t exactly pleasant either, but I did well in them. Quite a task in itself considering some of the teachers. I loved studying literature with Lt. Olesia, but every other class was a different story. The others were set on failing entire classes it seemed. Even Lt. Devereaux seemed to find some sick pleasure in it. I had been looking forward to his class, remembering my cheerful friend from years ago. To say that I was disappointed in how much he had changed was an understatement.
I was suddenly thrust back into a world where I was considered an inferior and, after so long in Scotland and Ireland, I hated it. It didn�t help that there isn�t much to redeem Wellington. It�s lonely, first of all, being in a place where every other person is so focused on fighting and training, the stuff I hate the most. Well, I don�t really make a lot of friends to begin with, but here there�s just no one I have anything in common with. Aside from that, I feel completely inept. Guns and archery I can do, but sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat are another story. I just can�t get it right, and I don�t want to hurt anyone, which just goes to show I�m in the wrong place entirely.
If I ever thought being in the military would be easy, I was proven wrong right away. Things are just always going wrong here. People are forever getting hurt. The school is always being shot at or set on fire. It�s ridiculous. But it certainly did clear up any delusions I had.
I should have realized a long time ago that I would really have to fight. When we all went against Alistair, for example. There I was, volunteering to help even though I knew very well I wouldn�t do anyone any good. I do understand that sometimes it�s important to fight, and I should have started really working hard on practicing then. I was lucky that time though. I didn�t have to fight.
And, you know, I really thought things could change. I suppose I�ve always been incredibly na�ve. After all, Alistair does seem to keep coming back.
�He�s so much better than Captain Vaine,� everyone kept saying. Personally, I don�t see it. But then, I was kidnapped while he was in charge, I�m not all that impressed with what he did either.
Granted, I shouldn�t have let that happen anyway. With the way things were going, I should have known people were gong to get hurt and I should have known to keep my nose out of it. But . . . well, if someone is hurt badly and you know you can help them, what else can you do? It was no use trying to hide it forever.
It all started to come slowly unraveled when Gavin was hurt. I shouldn�t have even known about that. I should have been safe in my room. Instead, I was in the garden, and I saw one of the plants start to wilt. Now, I don�t care how much he pretends to be an anal retentive tough guy who hates his powers, I go to that garden a lot, I�ve seen him there a lot, and I know he loves it. Flowers do not wilt there.
It was a long shot, I guess, but I thought something must be wrong. Without too much pleading, I caught a ride with Lt. Wellington. Gavin had been my friend once, after all, and I couldn�t just let something happen to him, even if he was a bit of a jerk. So I helped him. It was the first time I�d used my powers for anything so obvious, or so big, and it was tiring. I was worn out when it was all over, and I slept a lot, despite all of my worries that I had just given myself away. No one seemed to notice though, or so I thought.
After that I decided it would be best to lie low for a while. That was my intention anyway. Then another person dropped into my lap. That one was not my fault. I was minding my own business in the library when he just dropped onto a table out of nowhere. He was hurt very badly, so I helped him. You can�t just let a person die, can you?
The problem is that someone was watching. It was too late to take back what I had done by the time I noticed, and it was no use denying it either. All I could do was hope she didn�t tell anyone, whoever she was, and worry that someone would fine out in the meantime.