You there!

A dark-skinned officer,

young but confident,

points our way as

we approach.

You’ll spar with him.

He jerks his thumb

toward a beast of a man.

My heart stutters but

this is what I came for.

I step forward.

Not you, him.

He wants Zahra.

Zahra, barely trained,

here for loyalty,

friendship, love.

She would not be

the first to die in training.

She knows it.

She steps forward.