If this is all Dauntless initiation is, Ward thinks while attacking a punching bag, I can do this all day. While many of the other transfers are struggling to figure out how to hold their bodies and move their limbs, Ward easily slips into the role of combatant, even if his opponent is made out of canvas.

"You're a natural," May comments as she circles the room. "You do this a lot in Candor?"

"I like to keep my body strong," he responds, punctuating his statement with another round of punches.

"Keep it up and you'll be on a fast track to somewhere good," she advises him, before moving on to correct the form of another initiate.

Ward pauses to look around the room at the others to see if anyone is on par with him. Most Candor can hold their own in the type of casual fistfight that erupts in a faction where everyone is honest, but few have put the hours into training that Ward has. The Amity girl is barely tapping her punching bag, as if she's afraid she'll hurt it. Of the three Erudite, the boy and one of the girls are almost as bad as the Amity girl, but the taller girl might be a force to be reckoned with. She doesn't have as much brute force as Ward, but her technique is flawless, and she isn't afraid to hit as hard as she can.

May notices the tall girl as well, and after an hour of sparring with the punching bags has passed, she calls everyone to the ring in the center of the training room. She calls up another instructor, and the two of them take their positions in the ring.

"This is how your rankings will be determined in Dauntless," she explains. "You'll fight one another in the ring. This is civilized fighting, but it's Dauntless civilized. That means no eye gouging, no biting, and try not to kill each other. Other than that, do what you have to do to ensure you're the last one standing."

"We'll give you a demonstration," the other leader adds, "and after that, we'll have the first initiate fight of the year."

From the way May looks at the tall girl and Ward, he knows they'll be the ones to fight. He knew the Dauntless were ruthless, but he didn't know he'd be forced to attack another initiate on his first full day in the faction. He isn't worried about whether or not he can win; he is worried about what sort of reputation he'll get if he is the first one to knock someone out cold. Will the Dauntless find that an impressive show of bravery, or will they find him too bloodthirsty, even for them?

By the time May is dragging her opponent off the mat and ushering him on, he still doesn't know what to do. Should he throw the fight? May will certainly know if he does; the girl is good, but he is better. Can he hold himself back enough to make it look like an even match, to avoid beating the girl to a pulp? That is the best course of action, he decides, but he isn't sure whether he'll be able to control himself once the fight begins.

As they circle each other, Ward can see the girl is even more nervous than he is. He is bigger and stronger than her, and he knows that she doesn't have the same experience in fights. Her first punches, while technically perfect, are shaky and weak, and he deflects them easily. Growing bored of waiting around, he strikes. He aims for her nose, but she's quick, and his fist only glances her cheek. It's not as solid a blow as he would have liked, but he knows it still hurts. She feints, only to land a kick against his ribs. It's a good kick, but it lacks power. He aims a punch for her gut. She crumples to the ground. Whatever textbook she memorized forgot to mention that punches hurt, he thinks wryly. He is about to raise his foot back and kick her in the ribs before he remembers his plan. He will not kick his opponent while she is down. That's low. That's dirty. That's not Dauntless.

He allows her to stagger to her feet. Everyone watching the fight knows that he's going easy on her, but she still seems to believe she has a chance. Her attacks have renewed vigor, but they still aren't strong enough to do any real damage. He allows her a few more, then decides to finish this. Maneuvering behind her, he puts her in a headlock and drags her to the ground. As soon as he feels her go limp, he releases his hold. May told them not to kill each other, and he plans to obey that rule. She is unconscious, but she'll regain consciousness in a moment.

Her pride, well, that may never return.