Putting forth my best effort began with being well-rested for the next day’s exercises. Closing the UI, I laid my head down on the pillow and shut my eyes. Having spent the better part of the day in rigorous training, sleep followed quickly.
5
Dawn broke with the sound of soldiers drilling in the courtyard below, with crisply shouted commands and the echoes from hundreds of feet marching in time waking me from my sound slumber. While the inn might have catered to travelers, the soldiers schedule certainly didn’t. Although my Deathless status might ensure that I woke up refreshed, it didn’t do anything at all to improve my mood at such a rude awakening. Muttering a series of curses under my breath, I got out of bed and threw my gear together.
I reached the common room and found that I was once again the only one present, so I took a seat at one of the empty tables and ordered some food. When I’d finished, none of my companions had managed to find their way downstairs, so I headed off to the training grounds to find out what the Drill Master had in store for me that day. Entering the practice fields, I was greeted by the same enthusiastic young corporal who had helped me find the Drill Master the day before.
“Good morning, ma’am,” he said, welcoming me onto the grounds. “Drill Master Evans asked me to show you to the field he has reserved for you today.”
The way the corporal phrased his statement made things sound quite a bit more formal than I had anticipated. With a sudden sense of reservation, I followed him across the open field, and was relieved when the corporal led me to the same sideyard we had used the day before. As I entered the smaller arena, the corporal left us alone, closing the gate behind me.
Drill Master Evans stood across from me. Arrayed around him were several weapon racks, each filled with a variety of training weapons, from long pole arms to small daggers. Even from across the small field, I could see the dulled edges and blunted points of the practice arms.
“Thank you for agreeing to teach me again today, Drill Master,” I said as I motioned towards the weapon racks. “But looking at all of those makes me a little nervous about what you have planned.”
“Don’t worry,” he replied with a mischievous grin. “You’re only going to have to use one of them. The rest are for me to use against you.”
I suddenly understood what a devious fellow the Drill Master was.
“However, before we begin, I must first correct an oversight on my part,” he added.
“I realized this morning when I sent the corporal to watch for your arrival that I had forgotten to ask your name.”
“My apologies, Drill Master,” I said sincerely. “The oversight is mine. I didn’t realize my error until you just mentioned it. My name is Dreya.”
“Well met, Dreya,” he replied. “And since you are my student and not one of my soldiers, I insist you call me Evans. None of this ‘Drill Master’ business.”
“Of course, Evans,” I said with a smile. Gesturing towards the weapon racks, I continued. “Now, tell me. Just what kind of torture do you have planned for me today?”
“Nothing you can’t handle,” he replied with a laugh.
I almost believed him.
Evans stepped over to the rack closest to him and drew forth a long sword. We had discussed the weapon the day before when I had told him the reason I had decided against the it.
“I see that look in your eye, Dreya,” Evans said reproachfully. “Your teacher is not senile; I remember what you said.”
Raising the sword up smoothly, he slid the blade over his shoulder. I watched as he easily slipped the long bade in place behind his back. Then, with a quick flourish of his hand, he drew the blade over his shoulder cleanly.
I had tried to do just that with one of our looted long swords. The blade was simply too long, and the sword failed to clear the scabbard before my arms reached full extension. Obviously, Evans knew some trick or technique to overcome that limitation.
“Come, I will show you,” he said.
As I approached him, he turned around, revealing the device that had made his maneuver possible.
Across Evans’ back was a scabbard unlike any I had seen before. The actual sheath covered little more than the tip of the blade, enclosing barely a third of its length, which left the rest of the steel blade exposed. The sword remained in place due to an ingenious clasp that locked the cross guard in place. Held fast at both ends, the sword would stay securely in place across the wearer’s back. However, when needed, the blade could be drawn easily over the shoulder, only requiring a small portion of its length to clear the short section held inside the sheath.
“Clever. Very clever,” I said. “That definitely solves the problem I was concerned about.”
“Yes, it does,” Evans replied. “While I would make a gift of this sheath to you, it is not mine to give. I only borrowed it so I could demonstrate its use for you.”
“The knowledge is gift enough for me, Evans. Thank you.”
“See if you’re still thanking me after a few hours,” Evans said ominously.
He tossed me the long sword from his hand and began walking me through a series of forms.
Our training followed a similar pattern to the day before. First, Evans taught me a few basic sword forms. When I was comfortable enough with them, he began to work in additional strikes and thrusts. After a while, he then switched to defense, pointing out various blocks and deflections. By the time we had gone through all that, it was early afternoon, and Evans called for a halt.
“I swear, I have never seen anyone pick up training as fast as you,” he said. The praising tone of his compliment was unmistakable.
“Thank you, Evans,” I replied. “I did have some prior experience with the short sword, so that helped, but I must say you are an excellent teacher as well.”
“Perhaps,” he replied skeptically. “I had planned on just the half day today, but I must confess that I am truly enjoying instructing you. How about we break for lunch before continuing once again?”
“Yes! I would really like that as well,” I answered enthusiastically. Aside from the opportunity for additional training, I was enjoying the lessons thoroughly. The Drill Master’s style and manner made his instructions come alive in my mind somehow. It seemed that all he had to do was lead me through the motions, and my body was able to duplicate his techniques. As we left the arena, I resisted the temptation to peek at my progress, choosing instead the delayed gratification of seeing all of my advancement at the end of the day.
Instead of heading back to the inn, Evans invited me to the officers’ mess for lunch. Accepting his invitation, I followed as he led me out of the training grounds and inside the central keep.
I was curious about what I would discover once inside the keep, but unfortunately, there was not much for me to see. The officers’ mess lay just inside the side door where we entered, obviously located close to the central courtyard for the officers’ convenience. As we entered the large room, I saw that only a few of the many tables were currently occupied.
A steward rushed over, and Evans instructed him to bring us lunch, but to serve it with only water to drink since we still had more training to do that day. The meal was a hearty stew, similar to what I imagined the regular soldiers might be served, only much better seasoned. Sopping up the rich gravy with a crust of bread before downing a gulp of water, I finished my meal in record time. Once Evans had finished as well, he sat back and looked across the table at me.
“We’ll need to give that a little time to digest before heading back,” he opened. “Why don’t you tell me a little bit about my new pupil while we wait?”
It was a perfectly legitimate question, and I detected no hint of subterfuge or an ulterior motive from him. However, I was still reluctant to give away too much information about myself. My prior experience with the Bloody Hearts and just being Deathless in general fueled my sense of self-preservation. Still, I knew he was an honest man, one who had already spent a great deal of his time ai
ding me. After a bare moment’s hesitation, I told him everything I was willing to share.
“I ran afoul of some criminals in Lorida,” I began. “While trying to avoid them, I came across some fellow adventurers. We traveled together for a while and became close friends. Eventually, they helped me deal with the people that were pursuing me, and now we are seeking our fortune together on the mainland. I don’t know that there is much more to tell.”
“I wasn’t sure you were going to tell me the truth,” he said once I’d finished. “I’m glad that you did. Honestly, I’m not sure I would have done the same if I were in your place.”
“A few of those Bloody Hearts came all the way out here,” Evans continued. “Had the gall to try offering your bounty to my soldiers. We’re professional soldiers dammit, not hired thugs. We kicked those bastards out the gate faster than you can blink. Still, based on the description they had already given out, I was able to recognize you fairly easily. Don’t see many women as pretty as you out this way, and none at all with eyes that color.”
“You knew the whole time?”
Evans nodded his head slowly.
“I knew you were the one they had been searching for the minute I saw you. As for what I’ve been teaching you, you earned those lessons with your fighting on the wall the other day,” Evans explained.
“Thank you,” I replied sincerely. “Just so you know, that bounty has been lifted.”
“Glad to hear it,” Evans replied with a glint in his eye. “I’d hate to see you have to kill too many of those bastards before they learned to leave you alone.”
“C’mon,” he added, rising from the table. “Enough jabbering, let’s get back to work.”
The afternoon session went much differently. After returning to our small arena, Evans had me take up a defensive stance and then drew a weapon from one of the racks for himself.
“Now we see how much you’ve really learned,” he said as he advanced towards me.
I hoped he would take it easy on me, but he didn’t. Over the next several hours, Evans pummeled me relentlessly, making sure to leave at least one bruise with every single weapon he had available. Halfway through, he handed me a short sword for my off-hand and had me practice fighting two-handed with the long sword.
At first, it felt ungainly, as I was accustomed to handling the much lighter short swords. But soon, the lessons of the day took over, and I was able to wield both weapons more comfortably. I wouldn’t say that I did well against the Drill Master, but I did manage to get better.
Finally, as the sun dipped below the tops of the buildings, Evans called a halt to our session.
“As much fun as I’ve had, I think its best we call it a day,” he declared. “I dare say that if I had the time, I would have you back again tomorrow. But duty calls, and I can only put off my responsibilities for so long.”
“Thank you for all you’ve done, Evans,” I replied as I replaced the practice sword on the rack. “I appreciate everything you’ve taught me, but I wouldn’t want to keep you from your men.”
“Well enough,” he answered. “But if you find your way back here some time, you know where to find me. We’ll see if I can’t spare a few more hours so I can tell if you’ve managed to learn anything in the meantime.”
Shaking hands warmly before parting, I left Evans and the training grounds behind and returned to the inn. Hopefully, I would find my friends there this time.
As I walked across the courtyard again, a loud shout came from outside the western walls. Glancing between the open gates, I caught sight of the first wagon in a long caravan as it crossed over the threshold and into The Citadel. Surprisingly, Stel was walking beside the wagons as they entered the courtyard, and he flashed me a smile as I joined him in walking alongside the caravan.
“Just went out for a little stroll and happened to meet up with a caravan heading out,” he said with a sly grin.
“What a strange coincidence, and just as we were looking for one!” I replied.
“I’ve been talking with the caravan leader,” he said, getting back to business. “They don’t need any more guards, but are happy to let us tag along for as long as we like.”
We had hoped to make some extra coin hiring out as guards, but the potential for safe, or at least safer passage was what we were really looking for.
“They will be spending the night here before venturing on in the morning,” Stel concluded. “Probably best we get everyone together and let them know the plan.”
We left the caravan behind and set off for the inn. Luckily, we didn’t have far to search to find the rest of our companions. Venna, Khorim, and Broda were all in the common room when we walked inside, and Stel quickly informed the rest of them of the caravan’s arrival.
We knew the inn would soon be bustling with activity. The caravan’s many merchants and guards would arrive shortly, all searching for a warm meal and soft beds, so we quickly ordered food and drink for ourselves before the place would be overrun with eager patrons. Once the food had been served, we settled down to rehash our days with each other.
Venna had met with the Curate stationed at The Citadel. Although he was not of her order, he was still willing to offer some advice on her journey ahead. I sensed that there was something she had left unsaid but did not press the matter with her.
Broda and Khorim had spent their day looking over the stonework of the fortifications. The soldiers had done an admirable job restoring things after the horrific beastkin attack, and once the damage had been cleared, the dwarves took the opportunity to examine some of the details of the construction. Apparently, there had been a great deal of dwarven craftsmanship involved in the building of The Citadel, and the two had been admiring their kinsmen’s handiwork.
Stel, as he had told me, ventured out on the road from Orlan. He had hoped to meet up with the next caravan heading out to the mainland and wanted to secure positions for us as guards. While he had managed to meet the incoming caravan, it was already well-protected. When it was my turn, I began to tell my friends about my training session with Evans.
“I happened to meet the Drill Master here during the battle with the beastkin,” I began. “After it was over, he offered to teach me a bit. So, for the last two days, Evans has been training me with the spear and then the long sword.”
For some reason, all of my friends were simply staring at me with their mouths wide open. I realized that my last comment might have been taken as a double entendre, and waited for the inevitable jibe to come, most likely from Khorim, although I didn’t rule out Broda completely. I was surprised when it was Stel who spoke.
“You’ve been training with Drill Master Evans?” He asked incredulously.
“Yes,” I replied cautiously. “He seemed perfectly nice. Is there something I should know about him?”
“Girl,” Khorim said, with a hint of awe in his voice. “He’s not just a Drill Master, Evans is The Drill Master. Powerful people from Realms far and wide vie with each other for the opportunity to train with that man. He’s practically a legend!”
I had spent the last two days training with a legend, and I hadn’t even known! Thinking about it for a moment, I was suddenly grateful for my ignorance. Had I known who he was, I might have acted differently or been too awed by the man to truly take in his lessons. Perhaps my ignorance had been a blessing, at least in this instance.
“I… I had no idea,” I eventually replied.
The rest of the evening was spent with my friends endlessly inquiring about my time spent with Evans. They were even more shocked to learn that he had asked me to call him by name rather than his title. Apparently, this level of familiarity was a rare honor as well. Eventually, when they finally ran out of questions, we retired for the night. The inn had become crowded and was growing rather rowdy, so before the night got too late, or things could get out of hand, we retreated back to our rooms. As we reached the top of the stairs, Stel motioned for me to wait with him a moment as the others
went on ahead.
“I just want you to know none of us begrudges you the honor the Drill Master has bestowed upon you,” he said with great sincerity. “If anything, it only reinforces what Venna has already told you. We count ourselves lucky to have you as one of us.”
Stel’s intuition had been correct, as usual. I was concerned that my continued run of good fortune might become a source of friction among my friends. His words provided me the comfort and reassurance that this would not be the case.
“Thank you, Stel,” I gratefully replied. “I want you to know that I consider myself equally fortunate to have such understanding friends.”
With a simple nod, he then bid me goodnight before following Venna into their room.
Once inside my own chambers, I made a quick review of my equipment, ensuring all was ready for the morning before getting ready for bed. Lying down amid the soft blankets, I quickly checked my notifications. Finding only the one I had expected.
Unlocked skill discovered! You have discovered the Blades sub-skill Long Sword.
Quickly closing the screen, I anxiously opened my character sheet; eagerly anticipating the progress I had achieved under Evans’ instruction, I focused in on my Skill gains.
Skills
Bow – 33%
Critical Hit – 29%
Blades – 27%
Long Sword – 25%
Second Skin Omnibus Page 48
