After Inge left, I stepped inside the room and closed the door behind me. Unfortunately, the draft I'd been feeling from the hallway had not stopped. My eyes darted around the room, searching for the offending open window.

"So," Hale said, tossing off her blanket to reveal her...Hale-ness in its entirety. "You got on Inge's nerves, huh? Must take some balls to get her to use [Forced March] on ya. What'd you do?"

"Say I was tired. Can you put some clothes on please?"

She smirked as she rested one hand on her bosom. "Am I making you uncomfortable, Flake?"

"No," I said, eyeing her levelly. "I want a shirt and you're wasting time, mate."

Hale paused, her smug smile wavering as she dropped her hand. "Wait," she said, "you're serious?"

I arched an eyebrow. "Serious that there's a draft in here and it's cold? Dunno how you can stand bein' as free as bloody ever."

Hale gracefully slid off of her bunk, making sure I got the full view of what was between her legs. Further confirmation that she was female. She sidled toward me, swaying her hips as she crossed the distance between us. Did she want to spar? Already?

What was her class? Neither she nor Inge had told me. She hadn't even asked for mine. And sparring in this cramped room didn't seem like a good idea. I could do it in my cell, which was even smaller, but I'd been using my pillow as a partner. There were no guarantees of how the spar would go with another Human.

Hmm. I eyed her form, concerned that she might not actually be Human. Her blushing ears were pointy, the tips curving back slightly. Softly glowing, translucent scales covered every inch of her pale skin. She touched my chest with webbed hands, her cold fingers rubbing my pecs.

"Are you sure?" she whispered, her forked tongue darting out between her fangs.

My response came in the form of my fist hitting her jaw. She careened backward, stumbling onto the dresser as she clutched her chin.

"What was that for?" she shrieked, spitting out a bloodied tooth. Score.

I knit my eyebrows. "What, you didn't want to spar?"

"Did I want to-no! I was coming onto you, you dense prick! You broke my jaw!"

Shrugging, I slid my hands in my trouser pockets. "I've killed over less."

Hale stared at me, her mouth agape. I was half tempted to say she'd better close it before flies crawled in but then I remembered it was far too cold for anything to live out here. I shivered again as another breeze blew through the open window.

"You gonna get me my clothes or not?"