Chapter 18
With her return to the white house, Bradamante felt a surge of hope. If she could still see herself as a warrior there, then maybe everything Manat had said was still true. Maybe Bradamante could still become that strong young woman she so admired.
She wished she had not lost so much time from her training, but that could not be helped. She wished her teacher were still alive, but wishing would not change the facts. If she wanted a better life, she would have to create it on her own.
She devised her own training routine. Every night she ran along the beach outside the white house to strengthen her legs and her heart. She swam in the bay to build the muscles in her arms. She staged mock fights, picturing her teacher in front of her, instructing, goading, correcting. She practi
