Battle Strong - Elizabeth McCready (book series for 12 year olds TXT) 📗

Dear Diary,

Please, tell me what is wrong with this world. No, not it's flaws, but rather what forced it to have them. Tell me why this country, my country, is led by heartless, cruel, and malicious people. Tell me why Isaac Mansford is still alive after everything he's put our country through. I think without him, the Quill would be a better form of leadership. I say we just behead him and feed his remains to the xunn in the mountains, in respect we'd be following his own normalities. Then again maybe that wouldn't be the best idea, after all his methods are exactly what I wish to diminish.

Tell me how it's possible for people to be so hated and awful, yet so widely accepted. I mean, they even named the royal village Mansford. He doesn't contribute anything useful. He's evil. I just don't understand. They say it's necessary, they say we need the Quill and Mansford. But do we really? All they are is a group of imbeciles telling us what to do. Are the decisions they make really guided by any moral standards? At all?

You know, I think my mother's golden hair has faded to gray as a result of the decisions our supposed leaders are making. She can hardly catch a breath between every mistake they make. It's driving Delahonte closer and closer to its demise, who knows what will happen when it does. I can't even imagine how Ander is handling this.... Ander..

It's been awhile since I've written about him.. Well, Awhile since I've written at all. But don't you worry, I haven't forgotten my little journal. And I certainly will never forget him. I still remember all of our laughs, our stories, the memories. We had the world in our hands. We were young, but we were also in love. That is something most say is impossible. How could someone so young really be in love? Truth is, love knows no age. It knows no limits, nor end.

It's been a while, my dear little diary. Would you like some memories?

His name was Anderson, but we all called him Ander for short. To me, Ander was the most handsome boy in our tiny hometown called Humes. For me, it was easy to fall for him. You see, Ander was smart, funny, charming for a thirteen year old, surely. I, on the other hand, was not only unappealing to the eye, but also quite awkward. I know, hard to believe right? But I must remind you, diary, you only get the intelligent controlled side of me so understand that what you see on paper is not what you will see in flesh. But you know, he somehow managed to fall for me as well. One day, when I was just twelve years old, he and I were walking in the woodland that separated the villages. I remember staring at him, feeling as though I was the only girl in the world that could be this lucky. His pale brown and pin straight hair was just long enough to fall into his gorgeous emerald eyes, he was laughing and going on about his latest adventure with his friends. We were never happier. We told each other everything, and somehow never had to worry if the other was off with some other lover. Well, you don't know to worry about those things at such a young age, I suppose. Funny how things change, huh?

 As the years went on we were still together, our love was always strong. We were partners in crime almost literally, we were in every training together when learning of the ancient language, learning of the Quill's standards, and leadership training. The only thing we weren't together for were the several weeks of battle camp.  One day, something changed, we had both gone to a training camp each year, different locations depending on age and skill, until the final base. If someone is accepted into the final base they are considered the best of the best fighters. For the final base, warriors could be chosen during years four, five, or six. But year fours rarely get chosen due to their lack of experience and skill. There are only six years total to prove you are a worthy soldier.  Camps start the year you turn thirteen, and your last is the year you turn eighteen. The final base is not a base that everyone goes to. Only potential army leaders are sent there, the twelve warriors selected each year are the best fighters that any camps have to offer. Fighters who have lost no more the five sparring matches. The only catch is, in the final base most of the twelve chosen will die, there have been years where all of them died. Is it worth it?

It was my second year of camp, his third, a week before I had to depart when the incident happened. You see, the smallest of errors can alter the course of your entire future. It only takes a little tug of a horse's reins to get the animal to change into an entirely different speed or direction. I guess you can say that's what happened with us. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't save my relationship. He hated me, and I will never understand why. I'm not sure I'll ever know what I did. 

After leaving for training and writing letters to Ander with not a single reply, I knew it was too late.  That year going back to camp, I would remember all the moves and stories Ander had told me about fighting. I practiced even away from camp for him, I wanted so badly to impress him. I figured one day, we would come face to face again. I'd have to show him what he had made of me. From that point on, all of my anger and brokenness channeled into my fighting. I was undefeated at that camp. After my fifteenth birthday, camp started to be old news for me. I began to purposely lose fights in hopes of being removed, but for nothing it seemed. They somehow knew that it was just me trying to get out. I had no friends, so I hadn't told anyone. But somehow they knew.

They started to push me beyond what I had thought were my limits. Forcing me to strive to be a malicious fighter. They focused on me more than any of the other kids. I didn't know why, even though part of me could offer a reason. No one knew my secret, therefore no one knew what I had to lose. Why would they push me?

Diary, I think you are finally starting to understand. Life in this world is no joy ride. Not yet anyway.

Sincerely,

Beth

Beth felt a hand on her shoulder, waking her from her deep sleep. She struggled to open her eyes, the corners of her mouth curled upward.

"Good morning, Bethie." Ani Donoway whispered to her.

"Hi." Beth yawned with a stretch of her limbs, observing her mother's turquoise gown.

"You don't like it?"

"I like it, but I haven't seen you wear it in ages."

"Well, today is a special day," She said adjusting the silver necklace upon her slender neck. "This is the day my little girl grows into a woman. Someday you will do things never done by a woman in this kingdom, and soon you will be a lady of the country and you will be the change our country has been waiting to see. This is a special occasion, dear."

Beth and her mother were more of friends than mother and daughter, in Delahonte, it was unusual for children to be close to their parents at all. But Ani and Beth were different than the others. When Beth was a young girl, her mother didn't send her out with the nursemaid every day like the other women did, she instead took her child to training, and let her be an independent spirit. Not raised to be the prim, proper, image driven females of the kingdom.

"You think very highly of me, mother."

"You give me reasons to do so, now get prepared, we will leave soon."

Beth recalled how much the camps had once meant to her as she brushed her long blonde hair from her face. She had always been thrilled to pack her bags and pursue the ability to learn maneuvers that she could show to Ander when they had returned home. She had loved the jokingly appalled look on his face when he acted as though she was actually beating him, and how he would share how to observe an opponent and in turn defeat them. She had surrendered to letting herself believe that the reason for her success was Ander. Or maybe he was just the reason for her new inability to focus. She had finished brushing her hair when she heard a knock on the door to her bedroom.

"It's not locked."  As if on cue, the decorated wooden door swung open.

"Happy Birthday, Beth!" Emylee yelled in an unnatural voice as she launched into Beth's bedroom. Her best and only friend. Emylee was with her during the good times and the not so good times.

"Hey, I thought you weren't coming." She waltzed to Emylee and wrapped her arms around her.

"I told Jak to find another time we could go. The ball isn't going away, and I couldn't dare miss your birthday or saying goodbye."

"Well, I suppose that makes you a good friend."  Beth said, a smile forming on her face.

"Hey, control yourself hot shot, there's no need to get all mushy on me. It's your sixteenth birthday, it's my duty to be a good friend. Even to a monster like you." She laughed with a wink.

"I do have a heart, you know. Disguised as it may be."

"A heart? Oh, that is definitely news to me." The girls laughed.  Emylee looked at her hands, eyes flickering with what looked like pain.  "Are you nervous?"

"No, I have to switch to a new base whether I put in the effort or not. So, I might as well show them what I've got."

"Beth, what you do there, it's dangerous. You know the outcome. Either you die, or you become a part of the military leader people, I don't know what they are actually called. But, you are definitely not going to year five or six, you're the best female fighter Humes has ever seen. One of the only females at all. Everyone knows that, they'd be stupid not to choose you. It's so dangerous. There are people that are going to make it their personal mission to kill you."

"That's kind of the point, Em. Either people aren't eligible because of their birth, or they aren't qualified physically, or just not going to step up, and much like you, everyone is afraid. Someone has to be prepared if there is another war. Plus, I will always have someone trying to kill me, even if I'm not out there."

"Can you just be careful?"

"I'm always careful, you know that. I'm not new to this, I've