The Gender Game by Bella Forrest (historical books to read txt) 📗

Just about." A shiny golden vehicle was parked up near the sidewalk to our left.

"That's the king's. It's the inauguration of a new hospital… I'm off-duty now, otherwise I'd be there making sure things ran smoothly."

"A new hospital?"

"They say it's going to be the most technologically advanced we've ever had in Patrus," Viggo said.

"Lots of new, uh, technological stuff going on around here," I commented.

"Yeah," Viggo said. "And there will be a lot more to follow in the coming months. Don't ask me for details. I don't make a habit of reading the papers."

Or watching the news or listening to the radio, if his cabin was anything to go by.

I guessed life was a lot quieter that way. More peaceful without the constant bombardment of headlines.

I had lived that way for a lot of my life too—not that I'd had much of a choice in recent years, being stuck in detention centers. It wasn't exactly a priority there to keep the girls informed of current events.

I inhaled deeply as we approached the foothills, once again relishing the crisp, pure air.

"Do you always train by yourself?" I asked.

"Of course not. There are guys I spar with in the gym. But sometimes it's good to be out in the open."

I agreed.

Ascending higher and higher, I finally caught sight of Viggo's cabin as we traveled the last stretch of road. This was the first time I had seen it in daylight.

It really was small for a guy like Viggo. I wondered if he ever felt claustrophobic. Then again, if he did, he could sit out in the open, which I guessed was what the chair on his porch was for…

After disembarking and parking his motorcycle, he led me up the steps to the wooden platform that ran around the cabin, and opened the door.

"Come in if you want," he told me, already heading toward his bedroom. "I need to change."

Closing the door politely behind me, I headed to the sitting room. It looked the same as the night I'd last visited. Even the ointment and bandages were in the same place, although the hearth was not ablaze.

I was left to look out of the window—down at the bustling city—for a couple of minutes before Viggo returned barefoot, sporting a loose pair of pants and a looser black shirt that revealed a flash of his chest.

"Want something to drink?" he asked me. "I only have water."

"I'm okay for now."

We returned outside and I followed him around to the back of the cabin, where he had a sprawling backyard. Most of it was overgrown, but there was a stretch in the center where the grass had been kept trimmed. A makeshift log shelter stood by its border. Beneath it was various exercise equipment. Weights, benches, and other strength training gear I couldn't put a name to.

The view from this side of the house took me by surprise. Viggo's home being on a high plateau, it afforded a view of the other side of this mountain. The cliffs and peaks dipped down into a lush valley, through which ran a glittering river. And on the other side, more regal mountain ranges sprawled out for as far as I could see. Some peaks were so high, I couldn't even see their tips. Low clouds hung over them in an otherwise spotless sky.

Viggo's view was unique. Cityscape on the one side. Wilderness on the other.

He caught me staring in awe.

"So, deeper into these mountains is where you plan to buy land, once you quit being a warden?" I asked him.

"Not too deep, but deeper."

I squinted, trying to gauge how far my vision would stretch into the distance. "What's too deep?"

"Certainly no further than Thickets Bridge."

Wherever that was…

Viggo moved over to the log shelter and picked up some weights. I knelt on the grass as he began to warm up, my attention half on him, half on the view that was still taking my breath away. So far, things didn’t feel awkward, and I suspected that wouldn’t change. He was the same man as he was down in the city… just with a bit more breathing space.

Viggo worked out for the next hour and then retreated into the cabin for water. He brought out a steel jug and two glasses.

"Hope I'm not distracting you by being here," I told him, accepting a glass.

"No," he said, dropping down on the grass next to me. "I planned to give myself a bit of a break today anyway. Still some days to go before the fight… and I know Cruz's style. Seen it many times before."

He removed his shirt, wiping the sweat from his face, chest and neck.

I stood up and wandered over to his equipment, testing the weight of his dumbbells. They were heavy. Very heavy. I played with a few other items before turning to face him. He was watching me.

I slipped my hands into my pockets, kicking at the ground casually as I asked, "Would you teach me a thing or two about what you know?"

"Teach you what, exactly?"

"I don't know. Some punching and blocking tips. Some grappling techniques. You're like a snake when you get a hold of someone."

He glanced toward the front of his cabin, as if to check no one was watching. "Okay." Putting down his glass, he strode over to me. "Let's start with some blocks… Say I go to punch you like this"—he moved his fist toward me in slow motion—"how would you block it?"

I swiped it aside with a swift chop of my right forearm. Not the most elegant move, but it usually did the trick.

"Okay," Viggo said. "And what about like this?" He came in with a slow round hook. Since there was enough space between us, I ducked down and went for his knees.

"Now I would floor you," I said, hooking the back of my ankles against the back of his.

"Try it," he said.

I jerked my ankles forward, causing him to lose balance. He caught his fall expertly with his arms