By Talula Kya Nali sat in her room, propped up in a chair, her head bandaged. It hurt worse than that day, early in her training with Sensei Osgood, when she first sparred with a live opponent. The boy had misjudged his distance and gave her a good bump on the head with his wooden practice sword. She smiled at the memory and then winced at the effort. There was a soft knocking at her door. She had half a mind to get up and flay the interloper for making such an ungodly racket but held her temper and called out. "What?"