'Sparring' is kind of a new concept to Connor. In his village, boys played war games, and even though they knew they were preparing to use these skills in battle, they were still games. Even when he trained with Achilles, he didn't actually fight with him -- he's too old for that, after all.

"She is to spar with me in exchange for my teaching her," he says, then adds wryly: "Though I think she is more interested in sparring than in reading."