Wooden Swords

How do you continue an Agoge, knowing that you're better than the other children around you? A simple answer, in fact two. First, I wouldn't know; several of us were between being able to handle a civilian and a soldier. Secondly, my answer has to be very quietly.

Nothing will turn your team-mates against you faster than being a Naggar or a Nikita. The rumors around those two were NOT what you would expect from eight year olds.

"She's not even mature enough for that." I told Krassus. <1>

"You'll be amazed what she has planned in four years."

"What do YOU have planned in four years?" I asked.

He looked at me like I was stupid.

"So you're saying she's planning that far ahead of the rest of us?"

"You shouldn't." he said. "You'd be a ball of fat with withered limbs by then."

"Ah." I said. "Rumors of the Culling."

"They're not rumors. And who told YOU?"

"Does it matter?"