Over the next couple of days she was a staple to the training grounds. The first day back, Ri-is was there and he was surprised to see her return. Of course she had woken up that morning sore but a little bit of her magic had taken care of that. She was not going to be able to take down a trained official in anyway but at least she could hold her own for perhaps a couple of seconds. In a fight that could mean life and death and compounded with her healing power, she might be able to do some damage.

"I've been meaning to ask, is it alright for you to be spending so much time here?" Ri-is, like always, did not look winded.

Hakuno pushed her sweat-plastered hair out of her face. "Yes? Enkidu is out with the King so I am just finding ways to entertain myself. Not like I am not taking this seriously," she added quickly.

Ri-is laughed and scuffled up Hakuno's hair. "I can see that. If my men worked as hard as you did, I would not need to yell at them." The last part he said in a loud voice and he eyed the nearby training soldiers.

Hakuno blinked. "Your men?" She took a step back and really took in Ri-is's appearance. He was older than most of the soldiers, she realized. Something clicked, and she remembered a meeting she had sat on with Gilgamesh. A war council before conquering Nippur. "You are the trainer," she said in awe. "You train all of Uruk's soldiers." She dropped into a bow, not really sure what one was supposed to do in this situation. Oh Gula, why did she not remember this before!?

Ri-is waved her attempt at formalities away. "I have trained you for the past couple of days, you do not have to be so formal with me, you are not one of my soldiers."

Hakuno stood, her face burning. No wonder many of the guards would pay attention to the lessons. "I, I'm sorry you took so much time out to teach me a few things." She looked down at the practice sword.

"Nonsense." Ri-is leaned against the fence and barked out a few critiques to the guards practicing in the fighting ring. "The lord of yours has put our King in a good mood and when our King is in a good mood, everyone relaxes. Think of it as a little payment."

"I will."

Ri-is looked like he was going to say something else when he noticed something behind Hakuno. "Ah, you finished your shift at the gate?"

Hakuno turned and froze. She could not hear the conversation buzzing between Ri-is and the guard, her focus was entirely on the guard's face. She took in every detail and matched it to her memory. The black hair was longer and he had a jagged scar across his shoulder but it was him. The guard that told her to hide in the forest.

"Zaibu? Are you alright?"

Hakuno blinked and focused on Ri-is. The solider he had been talking to had walked away. "Yes, I'm sorry."

"You were really focused on Rigiljo there, are you sure you are alright?"

Rigiljo. Hakuno stored the name away. "Oh, he looked like someone I knew from the mountains and I was taken aback. It was not him though." Why did it seem like she had gotten so good at lying? She glanced over and saw Rigiljo was wrestling with another guard. Was this the guard that caused everything?

Hakuno turned to Ri-is. "I am sorry but I must be going. Enkidu will be returning tomorrow and I need to make sure the rooms are in order before they return. Would you like me to return the swords to where they belong?"

Ri-is shook his head. "That is alright. Do not be a stranger now, if you want to return here, I am sure I can spare a little bit of time to teach you something." He gestured to the archery rings. "Try your hand at archery?"

Hakuno shook her head. "I would probably break my arms even trying to pull back one of those bows." After a few more pleasantries, she excused herself. Before returning to her room, she found Shub by the kitchens and relayed the name to her.

"I will do my best, I know a couple of slaves that know a bit about the guards."

"Be careful, make sure you are discreet and see if Urash if get any information as well."

Shub grinned. "I learned from the best. Do not worry."

"Did you really kill this many?" Hakuno stared in disbelief at the pile of animal pelts.

"Most of it is the King's," replied Enkidu. "He enjoys hunting but he does not seem to enjoy taking apart the animals to eat." They tilted their head slightly. "I tried to teach him but I think you would be the better teacher Hakuno."

She wished she was there so she could see Gilgamesh try to skin an animal. That would be an interesting experience. She could already hear his loud voice, arguing with her about how he was skinning the animal correctly in the "kingly way".

"He also told me a few stories about you."

"About me?" Hakuno asked in surprise.

Enkidu nodded. "He told me how the two of you met and some of your-adventures? Yes, I think that is what you would call it, you two have had." Their expression darkened for a moment. "Munzar..."

Hakuno's eyes widen. Gilgamesh had spoken that much about what they had been through? "He has really opened up to you," she whispered. She sighed. "That is good."

Enkidu stared at her in concern. "Hakuno? What is wrong?" They reached out and hugged her.

"Enkidu?" Her voice was muffled by their tunic.

"Something is wrong. I do not know exactly what it is, but I know you are upset. Please, tell me."

"It's nothing important, really, I was just thinking." She tried to pull herself away from them, but Enkidu held tight. She had forgotten how strong they were.

"Thinking about what?" prompted Enkidu. "I am not going to let you until you tell me."

"I think Gil's stubbornness has rubbed off on you a bit," murmured Hakuno. "But please release me because it will be easier to speak with you that way."

She could sense the hesitation in their movements, but they listened to her wish and released her. Hakuno sat on the bed and pulled her legs up to her chest. "I was just thinking about how happy he is now. Being with you, Enkidu, he has been happy. Really happy. And the kingdom is recovering, I can feel it."

"Of course, that was your plan all along. I would heal him while you worked in the shadows."

She shook her head. "Yes but… Oh Nabu, I do not know!" She ran her fingers through her hair and was annoyed by how fast her fingers ran through it. It was light and airy yes, but she missed her long locks. "Enkidu, would it not be better if I did not come back to him?"

Enkidu frowned, their eyes alit with confusion. "Hakuno, I do not understand."

"He lost me once Enkidu. Whose to say that will not happen again?" Tears pricked the edge of her eyes. She had sensed this simmering below the surface. She had felt it while watching Gilgamesh and Enkidu together. "Enkidu, I cannot protect myself like you can. You are strong and powerful and I am not."

She looked down at her hands. They were rough and callused from her few days of training with Ri-is. But still, this was nothing. She could not overpower anyone with training, her gift useless for the most part. She did not have the connections that a Queen would actually have. She was just a simple foreign girl out of her element.

"You cannot say that!" Enkidu swept her up in another hug, their arms powerfully locked around her. "You have strengths! You taught me, a child of the forest the ways of man. You planned all of this, you helped him, your King. And he thinks of you the same way. If you cannot defend yourself, then I will in your place. Let me protect you in that way so you can focus on being with your King, the one who has your heart."

Why did Enkidu have to be so nice to her? To the selfish person she was. She did not deserve them in anyway. She was only in the right place at the right time.

She was such a selfish girl.

Once her tears had subsided, she pulled away and Enkidu let her. "If you chose to leave after you figure out who did it, I will go with you." The intensity of Enkidu's expression took her aback.

"But Enkidu, what about Gil?"

Their expression altered to one of pain. "I will be sad yes, I think of him as a close and dear friend, but you are a dear friend to me as well and I know Gil will be alright but you, I will worry about you. I worry about you out there."

Yes, she truly was a selfish girl.

"Alright then," she whispered. "Guess that settles everything for me then. I will need to stay here."

Enkidu smiled. "He will be happy once you reveal yourself, you will see!"

Hakuno wished she could share his enthusiasm but a part of her still worried about it. Would it be for the best for him to see her again?