As Bria and Adelyn carried the stretcher out of the main doors, Nia came back out of the armoury with armfuls of plate armour which she dumped on Rosa’s table.

‘Made from dragon scales and soaked in dragon’s blood.’ Rosa picked up a dark red vambrace and held it out to Nia. ‘Hold your arm out girl. No, the other one! My old fingers will suffice for now, but you may need to get someone else to do up and then to tighten the straps. It might fizz a bit whilst it gets to know you.’

Nia slowly lifted up her left arm looking at her in horror. ‘Fizz? Gets to know me?’

Rosa shrugged again. ‘You know, sting, itch, smart a little. You will be fine.’ She clamped the vambrace around Nia’s forearm and Nia shrieked.

‘You said a bit!’

Rosa chuckled. ‘Those men have either forgotten to tell you or the spells are running down. All the guards used to be entertained by novices putting on armour for the first time’

Within about quarter of an hour she had covered Nia in red armour, picking the darkest of each of the required pieces. Nia was hopping up and down trying to scratch herself and swat herself at the same time and whenever she stood still for a moment Rosa would clap another piece into place.

‘Why are they sticking to me. I thought you said straps. Ow ow ow’

‘They will try to cling to you but they would get knocked off in a fight. Bria can help you with straps in a bit’ She sandwiched Nia between the backplate and the breast plate, drawing even louder shrieks

By the time Rosa had covered her top half in armour, Nia was trying to to use the corner of a bookcase as a scratching post. Rosa took advantage of her momentary stillness and jammed a helm on her head which prompted more yowls of protest. The helm seemed to be the key though and within a couple of minutes Nia had stopped trying to scratch. She turned her head experimentally. ‘I can see in the dark.’ She put her hands up to her face. ‘There are no eye slits and I can see.’

‘Wouldn’t be much use against dragon fire if they boiled your eyeballs with their first breath, now would it.’ Rosa collapsed back down in her chair. ‘You can put the rest on’

Nia started putting on the tassets and grieves on her legs followed by the sabatons and doing up what straps she could reach, before finally sliding her hands into the gauntlets.

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‘Am I going to get very hot in this?’

‘Silly girl. That armour is for fighting dragons. It’s tough and it will heal you but its most important job is to protect you from heat. You can stand in a blacksmith’s forge and come out unscathed. Get the poleaxe and get along now.’

Nia bent down and prised the long chest open. Inside were long cloth-wrapped bundles. She picked up the top one and pulled the fragile coverings off to reveal a gleaming master work, as good as the day it was made. The polished ash handle and the gold patterns inlaid into the blade, beak and languets gleamed. She jumped as Rosa spoke, just behind her. ‘Stop gawping girl and get out there. It’s just a weapon and you have a job to do. Try running to the door, without tripping.’

Nia did as she was bid stopping only to scoop up her bedroll. Running in full armour with a five-foot weapon proved every bit as tricky as she thought it would. She stumbled a few times but managed to get through the gap between the doors without embarrassing herself.

‘Dragon’s fire. Look at you girl. Gloria has returned!’ Sir Anders was the only person in the hall who wasn’t speechless at her appearance.

And then a sharp voice came from the small door to the archives. ‘Not Gloria nor any part of her. Just a maid in a costume. Your experiment going well, Preceptor?’

Jemryn started to open his mouth but the voice rang in his mind ‘Keep still, rabbit. The time is not yet.’

‘Lore master, your appearance is timely.’ The Preceptor spoke from the door to the refectory. ‘We need knowledge of the poisons that the valkyrs used and how they may be countered.’

The Lore Master frowned. ‘They were reputed to be swift and permanent, soaking through the skin and stopping the heart. I never heard of anyone recovering.’

The Preceptor shrugged ‘Perhaps they weakened with time. We have one very sick recruit who may survive with the right care. Uncover what you may and bring me an update in two hours.’

The Lore Master’s frown deepened. ‘May I take samples of the poison?’

The Preceptor thought for a moment ‘No. The research is more important. I’ll arrange for samples and deliver them to you. Any harm that’s caused by the samples will be on your head.’

After the Lore Master had disappeared back inside the archive, the Preceptor turned to Nia. ‘Anders wasn’t so far wrong. You look the part and you will grow into it.’ He smiled. ‘You are going to be the talk of the whole city when you ride out. Lars is back from causing terror and pain in a whole generation of boys, but you will top that in tonight’s gossip. Go and grab your supplies and find a place suitable to burn off that poison. I suggest a beach where the wind blows out to sea’

‘Is Camryn..?’ stuttered Nia

‘Her breathing has improved already. We have every hope she will recover. Bria and Adelyn have taken her to the infirmary. Some of the young recruits have taken Ragni there too. Your task will be to put that weapon beyond any use. But I see you need some adjustments on those straps. Bria and Adelyn can help and you can reassure yourself that Camryn is still alive.’ He caught Nia’s shoulders and spun her to face the refectory door, then gave her a gentle shove in her back to get her started.