Training with Dimitri was my new favorite hobby. I started making up excuses to come earlier and stay later. They never worked. He'd send me on my way or walk with me to class. I'd like to think it was because he wanted to walk with me to class, but it was because I had a class with Lissa.
Today, I gave up on ever getting to spend more time with him and focused on getting the most out of the time we had. I fought hard, trying to get him into the position we'd been in before. I wanted to be close to him, but he'd never allow it. This was the only way.
I occasionally got a blow in, but I didn't even distract him enough to do something else. He simply fought back harder. I groaned with frustration when he called for us to stop. He mistook my groan for determination.
"You're exhausted," he said. "And we're out of time."
"One more go," I said, trying out a lame excuse."Or are you scared?"
His lips twitched, but he moved to the mat and fell into his stance.
I faked a move to the left and instead, moved to the right. But the exhaustion kicked in and my concentration slipped. My legs were jelly and I staggered as I tried to hold myself up. I tripped over the edge of the mat and fell towards the floor.
The pain seared through me. I hadn't realized how hard the floor was until now. It felt like I'd broken every bone in my body, all at the same time. I knew that wasn't true, but all the same it hurt a lot.
Dimitri was beside me in a flash. "Are you okay?" he asked.
I said i was fine.