"Rise and shine, soldiers!"

Estelise shot up in bed and felt every muscle in her body cry out in pain. Practicing magic all day was tiring, and she hadn't expected her body to hurt so much after just holding a sword. She had endured a full week of training, and things were yet to get easier. Breakfast was plain bread and plain oatmeal.

At the temple of Dibella, Estelise would wake up to a selection of chopped fruits. Lunch was freshly baked bread with thick layers of butter and cheese. She was used to indulgent meals, high quality ingredients, everything seasoned properly.

In the Castle Dour they ate like peasants, and she had yet to grow tired of complaining about it. Most soldiers agreed with her, but a group of elven warriors from Morrowind were proud. One dark elf was particularly proud of her ability to eat stale bread.

"We don't have men throwing everything we want at us here," Fioran retorted as she walked past with her empty bowl. Estelise was still struggling to get through hers.

Fioran took every opportunity to point out how out of place Estelise was. She also loved taking a jab at the erotic services the temple of Dibella provided. She was harsh towards everyone, even her friends, but Estelise felt like she had the most problems waiting to be pointed out. The other soldiers didn't seem to react to her criticisms, and Estelise wondered if she too would get used to it. For now, she decided to simply avoid Fioran and her group of dark elf friends.

A young Argonian soldier named Neesh sat beside her. "I don't like the plain food either," he said, pushing his own half-empty bowl away. "If I had any money I'd go down to the market and buy some proper ingredients."

Estelise thought for a moment. She still had some money left, and as a follower of Dibella it was never hard to earn more. For seven days she had been practicing every hour and eaten their boring food. She deserved a decent meal.

After breakfast, when the captain was busy instructing a pair duelling at the other side of the courtyard, Estelise sat her sword onto a bench and slipped out the gate. She was sure the other soldiers were too busy practicing to notice her. Once she was out of sight, she ran down the sloping ground into the middle of Solitude. It was a short walk to the marketplace. She felt a wave of excitement wash over her as she browsed the stalls; she hadn't rebelled like this since she was a child. She just hoped the captain didn't realise she was gone. The fresh ingredients looked so inviting, she had to stop herself from buying enough to feed the entire imperial army. She settled on a fresh loaf, a slice of cheese, and some garlic to throw into the stew later that evening.

"Are you going to share that?" Estelise jumped. Neesh stood beside her, hopeful eyes shining. She placed a hand on her chest and blinked.

"How long have you been behind me?" She asked.

"Not long!" He beamed at her. "I came looking for you when I didn't have anyone to practice with. Why are we sneaking out?" Estelise sighed. He had no idea how to be subtle.

"I was hungry, okay?" She handed him the loaf of bread. "You can help me carry it, since you're here. Now let's head back."

Neesh happily skipped after Estelise as he followed the path back to the castle dour. They snuck into the courtyard with their armfuls of food, looking around for Captain Aldis. Estelise found her eyes drawn to Fioran powerfully swinging her sword at her sparring partner. She couldn't decide if her lack of armour was foolish or showed confidence; the dark elf's strong arms were bare as she swung her greatsword, her partner struggling to hold back her attacks.

Estelise realised she had been staring when Fioran's eyes met hers; only for a second before she went back to watching her opponent. When she remembered where she was, she looked up and saw Neesh holding open a door. Following him into the barracks, she wrapped her food in her cloak. She sat it under her bed and the two headed back outside of practice.

Neesh had experience with a bow and only had to polish his sword skills before being battle-ready. Estelise had never held a weapon in her life and struggled with everything. The arrows never went in the direction she wanted, she couldn't work out how to swing an axe, and every sword made her arm hurt after a few minutes. She looked over at Fioran again, tirelessly wielding her two handed weapon. Estelise had to use a one-handed weapon if she hoped to survive; she would need to use magic as much as possible. She had settled on a small iron sword simply because it matched her favourite dress. After failing to block any of Neesh's attacks, she threw down her sword in frustration. Neesh put his own sword down and walked over. "Hey, it's okay." He put a hand on her shoulder. "You'll get there."

Estelise's tantrum caught the attention of the others, including captain Aldis. He left the archers he was instructing and stood beside the pair. "What's going on?"

Estelise felt every soldier's eyes on her. "I can't do this. It's so hard. I'm not meant to use a weapon." Aldis had a concerned look on his face. "Captain, my magic is incredibly strong. Can't I just focus on that? What do I need a weapon for?"

Aldis shook his head, lips pursed. "A good mage, but an inexperienced soldier." Estelise blushed. Neesh put an arm around her shoulders and glared at the group of dark elves snickering beside them. Aldis continued. "You cannot possibly rely on only magic. You could run out of magicka at any time. Someone might have a poisoned weapon that stunts your spellcasting. You can't go out there without a weapon."

Estelise nodded, refusing to meet his eye. Neesh patted her arm in an attempt to be comforting.

"Of course the spoiled brat wants the rules changed just for her." Fioran stood with her greatsword resting on her shoulder. "Let her rely on magic. Let her get herself killed."

"What do you have against magic?" Estelise snapped back.

Fioran flashed her a cruel smile. "I don't need potions to keep myself alive," she said. She swung her sword at her sparring partner, in an obvious attempt to show off. Her partner's sword bent under the pressure of her heavy blade. The two clashed their swords together as the rest of the soldiers looked on, some impressed, some clearly envious. Estelise started at Fioran's back muscles as she lifted her heavy sword.

She couldn't stop staring.