The sun blazed hot over the training yard of Sunspear, casting long shadows over racks of glistening steel. Swords, spears, daggers, longbows — everything a warrior could wish for lay within reach.
Mars stood barefoot in the sand, sweat on his brow, lifting a heavy bastard sword. It was balanced well enough, but it felt wrong in his hands — too heavy, too stiff, like fighting against the tide of his own body.
"You're gripping it too tightly," Ser Lewyn said calmly beside him. "Let the sword do the work."
"Oh, it's working alright — just not for him," Velyra whispered dryly in his mind.
Mars frowned faintly, then set the sword down and picked up a spear. It felt more natural — a weapon of his people. His movements became smoother, flowing. Circles. Lunges. Sweeps. But still… something was missing.
"Your body remembers... but your heart wants something else."
He tested a polearm — a Dornish variant with a wide blade at the end, like a Guandao. The arc of its swing felt familiar. His stance loosened. Ser Lewyn raised an eyebrow with interest.
"Hmm. You've got what most soldiers lack: motion and control."
Before Mars could reply, a shout rang across the yard. A guard had collapsed, his face tinged green.
Ashara was the first to act. Without hesitation, she knelt beside the man, checked his pulse, sniffed his breath, looked beneath his eyelid.
"Poison," she murmured. "I think… scorpion venom."
She called for the healers, ordered two guards to fetch a stretcher, and stayed with the man, speaking calmly to him until help arrived. Her voice was steady. Her hands were sure.
Mars stood still, struck not by the scene — but by her. He had never seen Ashara so determined, so in control.
"She has the eye of a healer… and the instinct of an assassin," Velyra remarked drily. "Your soulmate's got bite."
Later, as the sun dipped low and Mars sat with her by the training yard, he asked, "How did you know? About the poison?"
Ashara shrugged. "I saw something like it once — years ago. I just… remembered. Besides… I pay attention. More than you think."
"A sharp eye, a kind heart," Velyra whispered softly. "A perfect match."