Tris POV:

Halfway into stage one, I'm getting stronger. I can feel small muscles form on my arms, but they aren't nearly as big as anyone else's.

Next to me, Edward punches his bag like there's no tomorrow. We've been sparring for about a week now, and my ranking has stayed fairly high. Max tells me I'll do just fine in the second stage, but right now I'm ranked about twenty overall.

Finally, Eric calls Edward and Peter into the ring. Rankings one and two, he calls them.

But while Edward stays alert and quick on his feet, Peter always waits for his opponent to attack. They duel for a few moments before Edward sweeps Peter off his feet and we hear the sound of skin slapping the matted floor.

Four hands Peter an ice pack and goes to update the rankings. Right now, I'm in eighteen place and Peter is seventh. He curses under his breath and walks out the door, slamming it on his way out.

I roll my eyes and look towards Edward. He's also ranked first for a good reason. He came in first in fighting, and now, he's hit the bull's eye at least twice. Myra not so much. Christina tells me they're dating, and I know it's true. They hold hands outside of training everywhere and last night at dinner, the rest of us caught them kissing. We laughed it off by I still hoped that that would be me and Four.

It seems all I talk about is Four.

He doesn't talk to me like Peter or Eric and while he respects me like a human being, I wish he'd talk to me outside training.

Then Eric smiles at us. "I hope you're happy with your results. After our next lesson-knife throwing-four initiates will be forced to leave."

I should be worried, but I just have an uneasy feeling in my stomach. Max says he'll let me stay no matter my results, but I want it to be fair. I will make it into the top ten by the end of training if it's the last thing I do.

But later that night, Christina wakes me.

"Can you sleep?" she whispers.

"No," I admit back.

"Good," she says, obviously relieved. Then her voice grows shallow. "Do you smell blood?"

I sit up and soon, a screaming noise fills the dark room.

"Oh my God," Christina says. "Is that Edward?"

"I think so," I admit. "We've got to help him." I climb down from the top bunk and tiptoe towards Edward's bunk. Myra is sobbing on Edward's bed and I rub her back and tell her to turn the lights on as I see Edward's shadow.

"Help me," he gasps. He's clutching his face and as the lights go on, I see that a butter knife has been wedged in his right eye. I grab Edward paper towels from the bathroom and press them to his eye. "It hurts," he gasps.

"Let me help you," I mutter, dabbing them against his face.

Then Christina runs in with Max, Eric, and Four.

"Go back to bed," Max tells everyone. But he has Eric take Edward to the Infirmary. Myra runs after them.

Then I turn to Four. Everyone else has gone to bed, and I walk with Four into the hallway.

He caresses my cheek softly. "You okay?" he asks gently.

I nod. "Can I stay with you tonight?"

Four smiles lightly. "Of course."


The next day, Edward and Myra don't show up for training.

"What happened to them?" Peter asks.

"They chose not to stay," Eric says with a slight shrug. "And now they are Factionless."

"Factionless?" I whisper.

Peter looks at me. "Yeah," he says, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "Dauntless keep those hillbillies under control."

I roll my eyes as Four clears his throat. "Today, we will be practicing with knives and target boards..."

Oh joy.

"Hey Tris!" Peter calls a few minutes later, as he throws one knife after another. He may be annoying; but needless to say, he's ranked second for a good reason. "Dare me to throw one blindfolded?"

Just then, Four walks up, miraculously. "How about you try hitting the target while looking first? None of your knives are sticking."

It's true; every single one of Peter's knives hit the board backwards, and the blades all end up falling.

"Here," Four whispers, taking my hand in his and extending our arms out at the same time. He shows me the motion twice more before letting go. "Now you try," he says, smiling.

I like to think that because Four helps me personally each day, he just wants to spend time with me. But we're here for training, and I know Four wants me to succeed. But as each day grows longer and longer, I long for him to kiss me again.

I repeat the motion Four just taught me and let the knife fly out of my hand. It doesn't hit the bull's eye, but it pierces the board and stays.

I smile up to Four and he winks at me before moving on.

"How'd you do that?" Peter whispers. "Tris!" he whispers. "Tris!"

I ignore him and focus on the blades in my hand. I throw a few more, each of them inching closer towards the center of the board.

"Tris!" Peter says, louder this time. "What are you, stiff?" Then his voice quiets; the room is suddenly filled with the sound of Eric's raised voice. "It slipped?" he screeches. "Well I think you ought to go pick it up!"

"Wh-while everyone else is still throwing their knives?" Al whimpers.

Eric crosses his arms. "Why? Are you scared?"

"Of being hit by an airborne knife?" Al retorts. "Yes!"

"Everybody stop!" Eric yells. He whispers in Al's ear before shoving him towards the targets.

"Four, a little help here?" Eric asks.

Four takes a few of Will's knives and gets into the position he showed me. "Yes, Eric?" he spits.

Eric ignores Four. "Now you're gonna stand there. If you flinch, you're out."

"Out?" Al whimpers.

"Well you'll either be Factionless or dead," Eric says, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

Al's breath is so shaky I can see it from here. Beads of sweat roll down his forehead in anxiety as Four throws knife after knife at Al.

"I think you can get a little closer," Eric says. "Maybe a little haircut or trim off the top."

Four nods.

"Stop!" I call out.

Eric puts his head in his hands. "Anyone but her," he mutters.

But I'm on a roll. "Anyone can stand up there. It doesn't prove how brave he is."

Eric talks with Four for a moment before sighing. "Al get back here."

"Why'd you do that?" Peter whispers. "You could have had to take Al's place."

"Eric wouldn't do that," I say.

Peter nods. "Try it then."

"What? No."

"Why?" he teases. "Are you scared?"

"No," I say, bolder this time. Then I roll my eyes. "Fine."

Peter looks over to Eric and Four, both of whom are engaged in other initiates. He motions for me to stand against the targets and I do. My head barely reaches the bull's eye, but Peter doesn't make a joke out of it. He merely throws a knife. It hits next to my arm and I suck in a sharp breath of air. He throws another and it inches closer to my face.

"What are you doing?" Eric asks, as Peter throws a third knife.

"Target practice," Peter says. He takes his eyes off me and I curse when I feel heat go to my ear.

I touch my left ear and warm blood touches my hand.

"Alright, we're done for the day!" Eric calls. But when I start to walk past him, he grabs my arm as well as Peter's. "We train soldiers, not rebels," he says to us.

I nod and hurry past him. "Four!" I call. "Where are you going?"

"I don't need your help today," he calls. "We didn't even use the punching bags."

"Well where are you going?" I ask.

Four smiles. "Want to go for a train ride?"


"It allows more leeway for free thinking," Four admits. he just helped me on the train and I'm leaning on his shoulder. The day has started to turn to dusk and Four even put his jacket over my shoulders.

I nod. "It gets kind of stuffy in the Compound," I say with a wiry laugh. "We're constantly controlled by bravery."

"And fear," Four mutters. "We're always controlled by fear."

I smile. "Are you usually like this?" I blurt out suddenly.

"Like what?" Four asks. His eyes are kinder than usual tonight, and whenever he smiles, it reaches his eyes.

I shrug. "You're usually pretty quiet."

"Do you like that?"

I shrug again. "I don't care, honestly. It's nice to hear your voice in a cheery manner."

Four suddenly looks down to my collarbone. "You got tattoos," he says, reaching out for them. I push his jacket aside and Four's fingertips melt into my ink.

"Do you like them?" I ask. "They represent my family."

"Ravens," he mutters. "I love them." Then Four pulls me closer and presses his lips to mine. He wraps his arms around my neck and a burst of excitement and wonder rushes through me. "We should get back," he mutters over my lips.

I nod, and Four lets go of me. He takes my hand and helps me up and off the train. When we get back to the Compound, he pulls me to his chest in a hug. "Goodnight," he whispers, kissing the top of my head. "Want me to walk you to your bunk?" he teases.

I laugh. "I'm good thanks."

He squeezes me once before letting go.

By now, it's past curfew and although a few Dauntless are still partying at the Club and Bar, the Pit is mostly full. I decide to walk near the Chasm. The sound of running water has always helped ideas flow through my mind. But when I start to yawn, I stand up and stretch. It's time to go back to the dormitory.

But when I get to the halls, arms grab me out of nowhere. I claw back at them, but they just hold me tighter. Then I sniff awkwardly.

Lemongrass and sage.

"Al?" I whisper.

No one responds, and a few on the hands on me have paused.

It is him.

Then the arms start again and a voice laughs.

Peter.

"Well, well, well," he says in a sing-songy voice. "Tris, never knew you'd give up so easily."

He puts a hand over my lips and I bite down on it. Peter curses, and he finally gives up and takes his hand off my mouth. But then he laughs again. "She'll be perfect," he purrs. "Max will never know we were here." In the dark, I see him lick his lips. He starts to touch me and Al's grip on me tightens.

"Feisty," Peter says with a laugh. Then he puts a piece of cloth up to my mouth.

I scream. Chloroform.

It just presses against my mouth when a voice stops Peter. The chloroform cloth falls from my mouth, but I've already inhaled it. I fall to the ground as someone fights Peter and Al.

Then he rushes to my side. "Stay awake," he says. "Tris, please."

I'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"My hero," I whisper, before passing out against Four's chest.