Laylari awoke in her chamber stiff after the sparing with Joesh and the Wildcat the day before. She hadn't gone to sleep right away because of the tumultuous thoughts running through her head. Would the Shangs take her? How would they know she was good enough? What would her name be? She had finally settled down around the watchman's cry of midnight. There was then a knock at the door. She hobbled over to it and opened it to see Joesh and the Wildcat's far too awake and smiling faces.
"Welcome to dawn training!" said the Wildcat.
"Your kidding right?" Laylari asked. "You're not kidding…" she trailed off.
"Nope, you have to practice to keep in shape. The more you sweat in practice the less you bleed in battle." Joesh quoted an old proverb.
They led her to a practice court and started her on stretching, and then Joesh excused himself for a moment and left the room. She was stretching her back by having her legs in a partial split then bending forward to rest her elbows on the floor when she heard the door open. She looked up and immediately fell on to her backside.
"Oh no. No, no, no…" she said weakly.
Entering the room was the Unicorn looking stretched and refreshed with her fighter's gloves in her hand.
"You knew this had to come," said the Wildcat. "We have to know if you are fit to join us and the only way to know is to see what you can do."
"Why can't I just fight you?" Laylari pleaded.
"I'm good, but I'm not the best. You'll be fine"
The Unicorn stepped back into a fighter's crouch and bared her teeth at the girl. Laylari prepared herself and circled, looking for an opening. The Unicorn lunged. She was almost impossible to follow!
Sorry about the cliffhanger but what kind of writer would I be if I didn't make you wait a little?