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I stop short

I am

I feelcloser "I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you really smile"

Blood rushes to

Tiet back to business

I march to the corner to retrieve the windslicer "It’s time to teach you sohter in the battle, but you still need to learn how to deal with the Stormers"

I strap the sword to rateful the air has plenty of breezes swirling through the trees before the day’s heat chases theht vortex, about the width ofmore than a blur in the air in front of me "This is called a wind spike," I tell Vane "Or it will be in a second"

I call a Northerly and braid it through the Easterlies When the winds are properly entwined, I switch to Easterly and say, "Concentrate," and the winds lock together, tightening into a narrow pole of whipping drafts the saht as me

Vane leans in for a closer look "Awesome"

"Grab it"

"You can’t--" He stops himself "Never mind None of the stuff we do makes any sense Why would this?"

He reaches out, his hand changing positions several tirip Finally he just grabs it "Whoa, it’s squishy"

I can’t help laughing at that "Wind is never fully tangible, but if woven tight enough, there’s souess" He tosses it back and forth between his hands "Nohat?"

"Line up your aim and launch it as hard as you can Try to hit that tree" I point to an easy target--a stocky palm, branches heavy with unharvested dates

Vane raises the wind spike over his shoulder "This is so weird," he says as he makes a few practice thrusts Then he lets the spike fly

His throw is strong, but his ai a palet

The tree explodes Bark, sand, rocks, and bits of leaves rain on us, sticking to our sweaty faces as the thunderous crack echoes off the trees

Vane stares at the destruction

I wipe the filth from my cheeks "We’ll have to work on your aiet"

He starts to nod, then turns to face s am I supposed to hit?"

"Well, ideally you’ll hit the Storh to catch one, butto a ghostly pallor "I’s?"

"Only the Stormers I’ll try to make sure you don’t hit anyone else"

He ss, and his face twists as he does, like he’s ill

"What’s wrong?"

"I never realized you’d expect ainst a tree for support

Ito understand his reaction "It’s a battle What do you expect?"

"I don’t know I guess I was thinking, like, punching and stuff Maybe a feind tricks to knock the them"

He starts to shake--hard I reach for his shoulder to steady him, but he flinches at , Vane"

"Neither do I" He sinks to the ground "It’s justthe thought of killing people Making thes into his chest and leaning his head against them

"They’re hardly people," I mutter as I lower myself next to him "People don’t massacre hundreds of innocent Windwalkers They don’t tear innocent children limb from limb They don’t launch tornados and hurricanes into hu there--oh yeah, the Stormers do that," I add when he turns towardto wipe out the resistance Not tohere to capture you and force you to share your language All so Raiden can be strong enough to control the world"

I glance at hi him to look calmer But he’s paler than ever I don’t see what his problem is

"Remember, Vane We’re at war"

We’re at war

My father said those exact words to Vane’s father, pleading with hi seriously

A e of the field, watching my parents train the Westons The four adults stand in a circle and my father dehtens on co inside

The Westons shake and turn away

Vane’s dad says they won’t learn

Not can’t

Won’t

Winds rage as my mother screams at them Calls them selfish How dare they expect others to risk their lives to protect the to learn basic self-defense?

Vane’s parents just cling to each other in her storm, shake their heads, and say, "No"

I want to tear across the field and shout at the Westons like my mother My life is miserable because of them--because my family has to protect them How can they stand back and let us make all the sacrifices?

But I stay in the shadows

I ask ht He stares into the night and says, "Westerlies are the peaceful winds" Nothing more

I didn’t understand what he ht now, looking at the green tinge to Vane’s skin