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"You two!" Pietor Furan growled, pointing across the room "Down in the pit."
The two boys who he had ordered quickly got down into the fighting pit.
"You will fight until one of you is defeated." Furan ordered "Then the winner will go to the back of the line. The loser will continue fighting the rest of the recruits. Begin!"
The rest of the trainees formed a single file line to the entrance of the pit as the boys began sparring.
Natalya stood between Dimitri and Tolya. She watched silently for the first couple of defeats, then Dimitri lightly tapped her from behind. She glanced back, wary of Furan, but he was watching the fight, eyes narrowed.
"If Tolya loses, let him beat you, then I'll let you beat me." Dimitri whispered "That way we can get out of there quickly."
"What about you?" Natalya asked, quietly.
"I'll be fine." Dimitri replied, with a lopsided smile. "Tell Tolya and don't make it obvious."
Natalya nodded. Leaning forward, she whispered it to Tolya. After a few more minutes, Natalya's eyes wandered for a minute. She noticed with a shiver that Anastasia was watching from a window above the training arena.
She nudged both Tolya and Dimitri before nodding in her direction. They spotted her after a second and nodded to let Natalya know.
"What was that!" Furan shouted down at the girl and boy in the pit "Hit him!"
He was paying most of his attention to the kids in the pit so the three took the chance to talk.
"She's smart to stay up there." Tolya said.
"Where the others can't get to her." Natalya agreed "Bloody coward. She knows she isn't worth a mouse compared to our skills, now and has to rely on Furan."
It wasn't that true of course. No one dared to speak to Madame Furan in any tone, but it felt good to speak about it in private.
Or so they thought was private.
The guard at post near the wall narrowed his eyes at Natalya, who didn't see.
The three of them were getting to the front of the line as he went over to Pietor. He carefully prodded his shoulder. Pietor turned and leaned to listen. As the guard spoke, Pietor's eyes flicked to Natalya and nodded at the guard, the gesture for him to leave.
Tolya got into the pit and went to deliver swift shots at his opponent who was at least a year older. But against all odds he knocked the other boy to the ground in a matter of minutes and went to get out of the pit, without offering to help him up, as was punished in these group trainings only.
Natalya slid past Tolya and got down into the pit. The boy had gotten to his feet and glared at her. She fell into a fighting stance and he did the same.
Pietor turned his head slightly as he watched, eyes narrowed.
The boy seemed much more aggressive this time than he had with Tolya probably because he had already been beaten by someone younger than him.
Natalya ducked and jabbed at his rib cage, but he countermanded and hit her in the stomach, hard. She coughed and took in a huge breath, blocking his next few blows quickly.
The boy threw at her neck and she raised a hand to block and twist, but was unprepared for his kick to the side of her head.
Natalya took a step back, dazed, but went back to retaliate. The boy dodged her blows and circled the cage.
She looked up at Furan. That was breaking the rules. You had to stay in combat the whole time. But he stared back down, eyes cold.
The boy hit her hard across the jaw as she was distracted and Natalya fell back. He kicked her, then leaned and spat on her. Natalya wiped off her face, eyes angry as he went to climb out. Not as much at him. Furan was supposed to stop the fight once she was defeated and the boy had both spat and kicked her after without him saying a word.
###
"Alright!" Pietor shouted as the last opponent was knocked down. "Go to your rooms and be prepared for a full day of combat one on one training tomorrow." he glared at them, before turning away.
"Tomorrow, I'll go first." Dimitri offered Natalya as the trainees were all getting ready to leave. It was late and everybody was exhausted.
She smiled painfully "Thanks. Sorry. Let's not talk tonight. I need to lie down before I fall down."
Both her friends nodded and they turned to walk up the stairs, wincing at the aching muscles.
"Natalya." Furan said suddenly "Stay here." he wasn't looking at them.
She stopped, eyebrow creasing in confusion. Tolya and Dimitri looked at her in dismay, wondering what she had done to attract Furan's attention.
Natalya turned to walk back, her sides still hurting from the earlier fight. The others murmured good lucks before turning to hurry up the stairs. She went up to Furan, who was still turned away from her.
"Sir…" she said.
"Did you really think you'd go unpunished after insulting my sister?" he hissed, hands clasped behind his back.
Natalya stopped and looked at him cautiously.
"If you deny it, I will triple the punishment." Furan growled, before she could open her mouth to defend herself. "Follow me." he walked forward and went to the steps leading down the stairs to the basement.
Natalya followed slowly, steadying her breath.
He opened the door to a workroom and snapped his fingers for her to stay inside next to the door. She stopped, keeping her chin up.
Pietor walked over to a cupboard and pulled out two, long, brown whips.
Natalya was silent now, watching him and blinking several times.
"Hmm….let's see. Barbed?" he asked "Or unbarbed?" he ran a hand along the barbed one and looked back at her. She didn't say anything.
###
Pietor walked into the concrete room, whip in hand.
Natalya craned her neck to see around her arm. Her hands were bound and pulled above her head and she was on her knees, which were already bleeding due to the rough floor. Her back was bare except for the white band that wound around her to cover her chest. She saw that he hadn't chosen the barbed whip, most likely so he could hit her more.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him wrap the end of it around his palm and bring it back.
Natalya screamed as the first lash landed. She already felt heat rushing toward it and a drop of blood trickle down her back.
The whip lashed again and she screamed.
###
Anastasia stood out on her balcony, hands clasped behind her back. She closed her eyes as the first shrieks started. She hadn't even needed to order this; Pietor knew what to do when the trainees spoke offendedly against either of them. They had to learn and learn quickly. Her brother definitely ensured that.
She brought in a deep breath of cold air.
###
About ten minutes later...
Natalya clenched her jaw and squeezed her hands even closer together. Pietor snapped the whip on her upper back. She arched it and let out another scream.
Tears mixed with the blood at her knees and dripped every few seconds from her chin. She clamped her eyes shut and tremblingly waited for the next bite, but it didn't come. She felt hands start to undo her bindings and a firm hand pulled her to her feet.
Pietor leaned to glare at her blotchy, tear-streaked face. Tears still sat in her red eyes and she breathed shudderingly.
###
Dimitri hesitantly looked up as the dormitory door opened. It hadn't been that long and he was very relieved about that.
He saw a small shape in the darkness creep to her bed and lay down slowly, as if in pain.
"Natalya?" he whispered breathily.
There wasn't a reply, just a very, very soft sob. He quietly climbed down and slowly went to her bed.
"Natalya, are you alright?" he whispered, reaching to touch her.
"Dimitri, go to bed." she whispered, her voice shaking.
"What did he do?" he asked, as he felt a hot stickiness touch his fingers. Her back was bare!
"He-he whip-ped me. J-just go to sleep." Natalya said, trying to hold in her tears.
"Dimitri." a voice growled behind him and he whirled around.
"Get in bed. Now." Furan said, his jaw clenched.
"Sorry, sir." Dimitri said, backing off "She's…hurt…"
"I will take care of it." Furan hissed back at him, careful not to raise his voice "Get in bed, now!"
Dimitri scurried back to him bed, trying not to make any noise. He watched as the man gripped Natalya's shoulder as he bent down to growl something to her. He didn't hear Natalya's reply, but she must have said something appropriate, because Furan turned to leave.
Natalya turned her head on her pillow, grateful for its softness.
So I might have another chapter if you guys liked this. Just one more about how she struggles with training the next couple weeks, then a surprise. :) IDK yet!
