I have been very busy in the past few days—when I was not in training, I was on patrol, and when I was not on patrol I was watching over Alex. I have hardly seen Freya, though I make a point of visiting her at least for a few moments every day. I do not want her to feel alone as she was while I was gone.
Training to be a scout is an interesting endeavor. There is less concern with teaching us how to find the Fallen—indeed, what I need to know for this I have already learned, for the most part. Instead, what Ruhamah will teach me is how to keep myself safe in these circumstances, and how to escape if the Fallen we are hunting become aware of our presence.
That is the other thing—scouts work in pairs, and they have to know one another well, so each can see if the other has been negatively affected by the closeness of the Fallen. I have been paired with Ophell, a Power who has been a scout for many years now. His former partner, Ananiah, was granted the Eye herself not long before I became a Guardian. Ophell was anxious when he learned how young I am, but he seemed satisfied once I had demonstrated my ability to sense the Fallen. We are well-matched—his is a defensive soul, and he has great skill at hardening his heart. I believe he will be likely to defend me as much as himself, for I recognize the look in his eye when he looks at me; it is much the same way that I look at my charges.
Ruhamah is an exacting teacher—thus far I have only learned two maneuvers, for Ruhamah has had me do them with Ophell until I could do them without a single wingfeather out of place. I do not resent the repetition, for I know that it will keep us both safe out there. I just wish that I could be useful to my siblings sooner.
Alex is making much quicker progress at his work than I am at mine. Now that he has a plan, he is working on it with a ruthless determination. The information provided to him by Warren has given him a few more targets for his manipulation, and he has been making careful movements against them. He was very nearly in a fistfight the other day with one of Mr. Hill’s guards, who had made half of a large payment disappear a year back, and if I hadn’t intervened the man might have broken his nose. I say “might”, though, because Alex is a very smooth talker. He may very well not have needed me at all.
Now Alex has four people under his command. Some of the money they have given him has gone to appeasing Warren, who Alex has seen will be a necessary ally, if not a very reliable one. From him Alex is learning to read the flows of money through Mr. Hill’s organization, finding out where it comes from and where it is going. He is a quick learner; he’s already set up a false inheritance for Miranda to explain the payments that are beginning to be made to her account, and he has further plans to multiply the money that he is making now, both to cover the full of her debt, and to give Alex some power himself to bring Hill down.
It’s a dangerous game he’s playing, but a worthwhile one, and he certainly won’t do it alone. I intend to be at his side the entire time.
I wonder if it’s my tendency to move towards danger that drove my seniors to make me a scout? After all, if I’m going to be reckless, they may as well make use of it.