XX

Wren stomped his feet for warmth, and yawned. It was very late, and the bitter cold cut bone deep. He looked around the empty yard, still not seeing anyone. He had been told to meet someone from the Enclave out here for some recommended training, yet so far it was just him and the snowflakes. The night was dead quiet, with only his shuffling feet making any sounds at all. He thought about going back inside where it was slightly warmer, but he didn't want to get in trouble. He wanted to see his sister. She had been gone all day, talking to someone with Keel, and had only got back a few hours ago. She went to sleep almost immediately, clearly exhausted. Keel said he would catch Wren up on what happened later, but the curiosity was killing him.

From just over his shoulder, a voice made him jump.

"Boo!"

Wren yelped and spun around. Sophie emerged from the shadows, stepping into the light of a lantern.

"How did you get there?!" Wren asked, still catching his breath.

Sophie giggled. "Actually, that's why I'm here."

Wren raised an eyebrow at her.

"The Enclave does a lot to keep everyone safe, and we all try our best to keep stuff secret. Something that is highly encouraged, is the art of shadowcraft."

Wren crinkled his nose. "What does that mean?"

Sophie flourished her cloak, silently spinning it through the air.

"It's the reason you didn't see or hear me, silly! Here, look at the pattern."

Wren leaned in close, getting a good look at the material of the cloak. It was smooth, but not shiny. As he moved it in his hand, it seemed to shift through the colors of greyscale, not quite black, but also not any one shade of grey.

Understanding lit up his eyes. "This helps you hide!"

Sophie nodded enthusiastically. "More than that, it's also enchanted to muffle sound. So are these shoes."

"So," Wren started, placing his hand on his chin. "You're going to teach me how to be sneaky?"

"Yup!" Answered Sophie. "Most people the Enclave takes under them learn the basics of shadowcraft, which includes stealth, evasion, and deception. If you have a knack for it, like me, there's even more you can learn.

"Do I get a magic cloak too?" Asked Wren.

Sophie giggled again. "First, you gotta earn it. Follow me, I need to test out your basic abilities."

She led him across the yard to a warehouse. By the looks of it, it was abandoned, with a large rusty lock chained to the front. Sophie climbed on to a box set against the wall, reached up to grab the lip of the roof, and pulled herself up. There she crouched, like a cat watching a mouse.

"Come on! This is step one!" she called quietly.

Wren frowned slightly, then moved to follow. He climbed on the box, but wasn't quite tall enough to reach the roof. He hopped, his fingers just brushing the roof. He tried again, jumping a little higher. His fingers found purchase and he heaved, lifting himself up slowly. He flopped up onto the roof next to her.

"You're gunna have to get better at that. Imagine a city guard has you cornered, and the only way out is up."

"That was my first time!" He complained.

Sophie turned and scampered across the roof. She came to a small opening, and disappeared inside. Bewildered by what was happening, Wren carefully stepped towards the hole, making sure to not slip. He peered down, and saw Sophie sitting on a rafter, looking as comfortable as can be.

"Come on down!" She called.

Wren looked around. There were several beams crisscrossing every which way. On the floor below, he noticed what looked like a make-shift obstacle course. Walls of varying sizes, balance beams, and logs ran the length of the warehouse. It was like this whole place was set up as some kind of training center. He looked at the rafters again, trying to formulate a strategy to get to the floor.

He hung his feet over the edge, took a breath, and dropped in. His feet hit a board and he immediately toppled to the side. He shot his arms out, just catching another beam. He hung there, breathing hard.

"Nice job!" encouraged Sophie from above. "Now, use your body weight to swing to the next one!"

Wren kicked his legs, swinging his body like a pendulum. As he came forward, he let go. There was a sickening moment where he found himself sailing through the air with nothing to grab on to, and a terrifying drop to the stones below. He didn't quite wing hard enough, and smacked into the next rafter down, catching it with his arms. He clung to it desperately, trying to get his breath back. Looking around, he realized there was nowhere for him to go from here. Panic began to creep into his mind as he felt his muscles start to fatigue.

"Use the wall!" Cried Sophie.

"What?!" Wren shouted back.

Sophie sighed loudly and rolled her eyes, then began to elegantly hop from rafter to rafter. She landed on the beam that Wren clung to, looked down at him, and said, " Watch me."

She dropped down, hanging to the piece of wood by her hands. She then swung her body to gain momentum, and let go, flying towards the wall. Instead of smacking into it like Wren thought she would, she rotated in the air, landing with her back against the wall. Her hands and feet pressed against the bricks, she rebounded, landing on the floor below and tucking into a roll. She popped up with her hands above her head, as if expecting applause.

Wren could only watch in awe, dangling from the rafter helplessly.

Fully expecting to slip and come crashing down, he lowered himself down by his hands, then began to swing. This time, he made sure he was swinging with more force, and let go. The wall came flying up to meet him. Forgetting he had to rotate, he smashed into the solid bricks painfully, bouncing off and plummeting to the ground. He started to shout, seeing the stones below racing to catch him. Sophie dove forward, knocking him out of the air. He lay on the floor, breathing hard.

"Okay, well believe it or not, I've seen worse." Sophie said playfully.

Wren sat up on his elbows, looking at her in disbelief.

"Let's take a few moments, then I'll show you how to do the obstacle course."

"I don't know if I'm cut out for this Sophie!" Wren groaned from the floor.

"Nonsense!" She countered. "You just need some practice!"

Wren pulled himself up, and spent what felt like the next several hours copying Sophie. She taught him how to scale a wall, mount over a low barricade, run along a balance beam, and other acrobatic tricks. By the time they stopped for a late night snack, Wren was sweaty, sore, and exhausted.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Overall, that was pretty good Wren." She complimented.

Wren shook his head. "I could hardly keep up with you, and my fingers are going numb!"

"No really, I've been doing this for about four years now. You caught on very quick."

Sophie pulled a pack over from the corner and dumped it out. Thin, pointy pieces of metal poured all over the floor. They looked to Wren like knives, except they were made entirely out of one piece of metal, with no hilt or guard. The sides were blunted, and both edges came to a point, not curved at all.

"These are practice knives, for throwing." Explained Sophie. "They won't really help you in a fight, and are more of a distraction. But knowing how to throw a knife might just save your life." She picked one up, flipped it end over end, then turned and whipped her arm. The knife sailed through the air, rotating end over end, before sinking a couple inches into a piece of wood set against the wall.

Wren stood up and grabbed one. He looked at the target several feet away, mimicked how he saw Sophie stand, then flung his hand out. The piece of flat metal tumbled through the air before smacking flat against the wood, and clanging to the floor.

Sophie chuckled light heartedly. "At least you hit the target! That still counts for something."

Wren picked up another and Sophie moved behind him. She slowly guided him through the actions, showing him how to stand, rotate his shoulder, and release. After a few more tries, Wren launched a knife and it stuck, point forward, into the target.

Wren shouted, punching the air.

"See? you're starting to get it! Now, to move on, you need to get every knife into that target."

Wren moaned aloud.

Many failed attempts later, the piece of wood was thoroughly covered with throwing knives. Wren rotated his shoulder and squinted, feeling the soreness within.

"One last thing for tonight. Oh and don't worry, Marco has excused you from coming in until the afternoon, so you'll be forgiven for sleeping in." Sophie said, winking at him.

She climbed a ladder that Wren only just now saw, up to the top rafter, where she walked to the hole in the roof and climbed through. Wren wearily followed. Only a few lanterns lit the street, most of the light being from the obscured moon. Sophie was sitting on the edge of the roof, her feet dangling. She patted a spot next to her, motioning for him to sit. He plopped down next to her, and looked out over the sleeping city.

"I want you to watch the shadows. See how the lantern light gives them a sharp edge? That's a hard place to hide. But look over there" Se pointed towards a spot under some trees. "See how the light fades into darkness? That's where you want to be. If the shadow is moving, like from a tree in the wind, move with it. Try not to break the silhouette."

Wren nodded, seeing the street with a totally different pair of eyes. "Sneaking isn't just about hiding behind something, it's about blending in."

"Exactly!" Exclaimed Sophie, delighted he understood.

"You can't always walk silently either, so you have to take note of your environment. Step when the wind blows, walk to the pace of others, and move naturally. Move too quickly and you'll attract attention, move too slowly and you won't blend in."

" I get it." Wren replied. "Pay attention to what's happening around you. Shadows are useful, but only if they make sense, and move how people expect."

Sophie clapped her hands happily. "I could make a scout of you yet Wren. Last bit; sometimes the best place to hide, is among people. You can duck into a crowd, then drop your hood and stand up straight. Move with a purpose, or stop to talk with someone. Pick up an object and look busy. If you look like you belong, you're less likely to draw suspicion. And if you can't hide well, at least you should run well."

With that, Sophie jumped to her feet and took off across the roof.

"Hey wait!" Called Wren.

He scampered after her, gasping as she gracefully leapt from the roof, sailing over the gap, to the roof of the next building.

Wren pumped his legs and hurled himself from the building, his eyes wide as he struggled not the scream. He landed on the next roof on his feet, stumbling to keep his balance. Up ahead, Sophie was scaling the brick wall of another building, finding handholds against the seemingly flat surface. Wren was panting by the time he got there. He looked up, hardly able to believe she was climbing so quickly. pressed his fingertips against the surface, trying to find leverage. Only the smallest purchase was there, but trusting in her lessons, Wren heaved. His boot found a crumbly lip, his other hand grasped a brick sticking out ever so slightly. Before long, he was halfway up the wall. His arms ached and his fingers burned, while above him Sophie was looking down, her tongue sticking out of her mouth. Desperate to not look like a fool, he kept climbing, shocked by just how many places there actually was for him to grab on to, once he paid attention.

He finally hauled himself up onto the next roof, breathing hard. His breath clouded in the air above him, and sweat clung to his arms despite the chill. Sophie plopped down next to him, her legs hanging off the edge. Wren grunted as he sat up. He hadn't realized it in the moment, but they were up pretty high. He could see into the graveyard on the hill from here. The sky was beginning to lighten in the east, and a few townsfolk were out.

"I love it." Sophie whispered.

"The view?" Wren asked, still panting.

"This." She said, motioning around them with her arms. "Being able to scale buildings, going where no one else goes. Who else gets this view? I love the freedom."

Wren looked out and felt peace settle into his mind. She was right, it was a feeling like nothing else.

"Can we do this again sometime?" He asked.

Sophie turned to look at him, smiling.

"Of course! I will speak to Marco, I'm sure he wouldn't have a problem with it. We could come out every night, as long as I don't have any assignments."

Wren smiled, feeling happiness. He had made another friend, and now had something to look forward to. He held his hands up, looking at the callouses from tonight's unusual workouts.

I'm going to strive at this. He vowed to himself, clenching his fists. This is something I can learn to help protect Lira, and help the Enclave. This will be my purpose now.