The Student

by Darin Niemann

  Stroking his chin, the librarian thought for a moment. He then went to a nearby shelf and trailed his finger across a few books before finally taking one down.

  “Here it is. This will be much more insightful than that one.”

  He laid the book down on my table and simply started walking away. Not knowing exactly how to respond to his quick retreat, I merely watched him go.

  Once he was gone, I glanced down at the volume he had retrieved off the shelves. Remedies - The Many Uses. The book’s topic appeared to be aligned with the information I was searching for. I scanned the first few pages and realized that the old man was perhaps on to something. This book, so far as I could tell in such a short time, went into much greater detail and had actual facts unlike the vague and useless everyday information contained within the other text I had been told to peruse.

  Curious now, I wondered about the strange yet helpful librarian. It seemed likely that he was or had been a healer at one point.

  Shaking off all other thoughts, I began to read the book. It showed itself to be of far more use than the other tome and I soon finished my work. I made a mental reminder to ask Enelo, the next time I spoke with him, why a less informative book was being used when a superior book could be used.

  ~

  That night, I lay in my bed thinking of the day’s events. While in thought, Erik came through the door looking exhausted, though not from his usual swordsmanship training as was evident by the clothing he wore. Instead of the usual school training attire, he was dressed in a fancy, black doublet which was highlighted with the king’s colors of red and gold. It looked more than a bit uncomfortable.

  “What have you been up to?” I asked.

  The prince heaved a massive sigh and dropped to his bed.

  “Politics. I have spent the entire day attending a ball that seemed to last forever.”

  I laughed, “Why did you go, if you dislike it that much?”

  He yawned as he explained. “As my father was the host, it was my duty to attend. It would not sit well if the king’s own son did not attend his father’s ball.” He lay down on his bed and continued speaking while staring at the ceiling. “There are always many people that wish to talk to me, mostly because I am the king’s son and they want to make a connection to him. It quickly becomes tiring after the thirtieth dance partner asks about your father and his opinions on matters of state.”

  The talk of noble affairs reminded me of the girl I had met in the hallway earlier today. I almost didn’t tell him about it but something made me think I should.

  “A girl approached me today asking for me to introduce her to you.”

  He simply grunted at the news. “She is doubtless another leech looking to glean information of my father and his doings.”

  I pictured her face in my mind. They way she had acted made me think otherwise.

  “I wouldn’t be too sure of that, she appeared sincere enough to me.”

  He yawned again, as he lay down to sleep, “Perhaps. Perhaps not. For now it is time to sleep. Good night Kayne.”

  “To you as well.” I spoke as I drifted off.

  Chapter 9

  The following day started in the usual manner, as I awoke and prepared myself for my classes. As usual, I mostly ignored the teacher in my first class. Surprisingly, I knew most of the information already. Apparently, Enelo had been more than thorough in his attempt to prepare me for the school material.

  The older man from the library was indeed correct and the new book he had given me was much more helpful than the originally assigned course book. I thought about asking the teacher, as he was a respectable man, but decided to wait and convey my thoughts to Enelo directly.

  After classes, I went to the lunchroom for some food. Normally I tried to eat at odd times, later or earlier than other students, so that there were fewer people crowding the area. Even after years spent living in the city, I still prefered the quiet of solitude.

  Another reason to eat at abnormal times, was that Maxim and his brothers were apparently still looking to ‘teach me a lesson’. They would attempt to follow me when I left the lunchroom and I would have to lose them in the numerous hallways of the school.

  I was faster than they were, so usually I could simply outrun them. I was still cautious though, for if I somehow was cornered I wasn’t sure what would happen.

  Today though, the rumblings in my stomach wouldn’t allow me to wait and reluctantly I attended lunch at the usual hour. At first, nobody paid me any mind and I ate in blissful peace. My seclusion didn’t last long as suddenly a person sat down across from me. I was prepared to abandon my food and run when I glanced at the newcomer. I relaxed as I saw the familiar red ribbon. Taking another bite of my food, I waited for her to speak.

  “Greetings,” she said, before partaking of her own food.

  “Well met.” I replied, continuing to eat.

  We ate in silence for some time before I finally became curious enough to voice a question, “Why are you here?”

  She looked at me as if I was daft. “I am here to eat, isn’t that why everyone is here?”

  She smirked as I sighed and rephrased my query, “I meant, why are you sitting here with me?”

  “I’m assuming that Prince Erik will eventually show up to eat with you and that you will then be forced to introduce me.”

  I grunted. Simple as it was, her plan wasn’t necessarily a bad one. She was missing some vital information though.

  “Regretfully, Erik will not be coming today; he has an early training session today so he won’t be showing up.”

  Her smirk faded as it was now her turn to sigh.

  “Well, perhaps tomorrow he will be here.”

  Clearly, she had no desire to dine with me but rather was intent on meeting with the prince. Which was fine with me.

  I was about to say something in response when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Startled, I turned to find Maxim and his fellow goons with unfriendly grins on their faces. Caught up in conversation with the girl across from me, I hadn’t been paying attention to my surroundings.

  “Oh, I hear you’re still trying to act as if you are Prince Erik’s friend. As a nobleman, it is my duty to put an end to such unacceptable behavior.”

  The hand on my shoulder grasped tighter until it begin to hurt.

  “How about we take a stroll through the gardens. It’s nice and quiet there and we can have a pleasant conversation.”

  Knowing I didn’t want any part in that conversation, I braced myself to break free of his painful grip and run.

  I was just about to move when the girl spoke, “If it isn’t the troublemakers, Maxim and his nameless brothers.”

  The taller sibling on Maxim’s left turned red faced with anger, “We have names too!”

  I did my best to keep my grin hidden, but It was hard. The girl sat there, a victorious smile on her face. So far, she had succeeded in making at least one of them out to be a complete idiot. With the way things were going I doubted it would take her much longer to outwit the rest.

  Maxim, withdrawing his hand from my shoulder, spun to glare at the tall guy.

  “Quiet! Let me handle this.” He ordered.

  Turning back again to face the girl, Maxim regarded her.

  “I do believe I have seen you around. What is your name?”

  The girl, still smiling, replied in a cheerful voice, “I am Iselle, apprentice to Havarsen.”

  Maxim’s eyes looked to grow at least twice in size as he registered the second name. He looked taken aback by the name of her master, and was not sure how to react.

  After a moment, he gave a shaky smile, “I… ah... just remembered some things that need to be taken care of. If you would pardon me.”

  He and his brothers left quickly and did not look back. Amazed at this sudden turn of events, I stared at the girl I now knew as Iselle. She had, in one sentence, scared off the unruly noblemen. I was impressed and also curious as to who this person actually
was.

  “Why were those noble’s sons so wary of you?” She took a moment to ponder my question.

  “If you did not recognize my master’s name then it must be true; you are not nobly born.”

  She did not state it rudely or as one of higher standing looking down at a lesser person. I did not deny it. She had earned, at the least, an explanation.

  “Yes, it’s true enough. In my youth I was alone and had to fend for myself. I did what was necessary in order to live. Enelo found me and took me in, saying I had potential.”

  She had a thoughtful look as she studied me, questions evident on her face. Not wanting to delve into the rough experiences of my past, I attempted to shift the conversation towards Iselle.

  “What of yourself, then? Why were they so shaken when hearing your master’s name?”

  A small frown appeared on her face as I returned the discussion to the original subject.

  “My master, Havarsen, is a tradesman of some renown. He has strong influence with many of the wealthy, including Maxim’s father.”

  Apparently, she was unwilling to provide further explanation as she fell silent. From what I had been told, though, I now understood why they had left in such hurry. If she informed her master that Maxim had been troubling her, it could reflect poorly on Havarsen’s future dealings with Maxim’s father.

  “I see.” I said. “But, why go through all this trouble of talking to me when you could merely speak with the prince directly?”

  She grimaced slightly as she answered my question.

  “My master dislikes attending balls, parties, or events of any kind. He prefers a more solitary existence. I am also unable to frequent such gatherings myself, as my master frowns upon such things.” She paused, the grimace on her face turning into a more confidant expression as she continued. “As such, I have never met Prince Erik but was advised to do so. Some day in the future it could be useful to have such an acquaintance.”

  Having a prince as an ally could definitely prove useful for those with ambitions. “That seems wise. Still, you could simply walk up to him and introduce yourself.”

  She shook her head. “And be immediately marked as yet another noble’s daughter who fawns over him simply because he is the prince? No, being introduced, instead of introducing myself, places me in a more favorable light. Especially if introduced by a trusted friend.”

  It was strange to think that Erik trusted me, but it wasn’t that . I had no hidden intentions or ambitions, unlike many of the others that he encountered on a daily basis.

  I was beginning to understand why Erik was glad to have me as his roommate. The intricacies of the nobility, from what I had experienced so far, were frustratingly complex. On the other hand, who was I to judge? Let them have their ways, as I have my own.

  “I know little about the ways of nobles but your reasoning seems sound. I’ll introduce you the next time we are all together. Though, don’t expect Erik to let his guard down so easily. He is a cautious person; rightfully so.”

  Iselle inclined her head in agreement. “To be otherwise would be folly.”

  We finished the rest of our meal in companionable silence. Even though I had recently met her, I was beginning to regard her with respect. If her designs were genuine, she could be a strong ally for the prince.

  I rose from my seat, ready to be on my way.

  “I thank you again for your interference with Max and his brothers. Until next we meet.” She simply nodded in reply, apparently lost in thought. I had some thinking of my own to do, so I set off towards the gardens; It was one of the best places I knew of for peace and quiet.

  The school’s gardens were larger than the king’s personal garden, though not near as immaculate. It was still pretty to look at, even though the main purpose of the garden was for the healer’s school. This was made evident by the numerous herbs, plants, and other flora that were clearly not there for decor. Many were even quite ugly and contrasted harshly with the world around them.

  Instead of the stone benches of the king’s garden, the school’s garden contained small wooden benches with little seat cushions on them. These made for quite a comfortable spot to rest. I sat down on one such bench and rested my eyes. With a full stomach and both eyes closed, I quickly became tired. A short nap was sounding rather nice, and I began to drift off. Abruptly, for the second time that day, I was startled as someone tapped me on the shoulder from behind.

  Already too late to run, I realized how bad the situation was as I quickly noticed that the only people around were Max and his brothers. This time there would be nothing to keep them from stopping at a simple prank. They roughly shoved me off of the comfortable bench and onto the ground.

  Having been in a similar situation before, I knew what came next and rolled myself into as tight a ball as I could. My arms came up to block my face just as the first of the kicks came flying in. There was nothing I could do but accept them. If I attempted to get up and run now, it was likely that I would be hit in a more vital area and the damage could be much worse, perhaps even permanent.

  After what seemed like an eternity, Max hollered for his brothers to stop. I was roughly dragged to my feet and shoved in a direction. They were leading me towards something, but I wasn’t sure what. When the fountain came in sight, I had only a few seconds to take a breath and cover my head before they shoved me into it face first.

  It was a shallow fountain, only a few feet deep. In other words, it hurt. My arm were scratched and would probably have some bruising. On top of it all, I was completely soaked through. Today was not a great day.

  Not knowing what more to expect, I straightened myself with my head above the water. Taking a breath, I looked around to find the trio walking away and laughing with each other. They didn’t bother to say anything more and simply left the gardens.

  I lifted myself out of the fountain and sat on one of the benches close by, dripping steadily the entire way there. Checking myself for serious damage, I realized how lucky I had been. As I had thought before, there appeared to be good amount of cuts and would-be bruises. Thankfully, it seemed as if I had not broken any bones. They had either been quite weak or they hadn’t intended to do major harm.

  I winced slightly as the excitement of the encounter began to wear off. The pain began to make itself known. Most of it came from my back, legs, and hands as I had used those to cover my more important areas.

  For some time I sat there, water steadily dripping onto the dirt below me to form a small mud puddle. As I rested, I contemplated how stupid I had been to be caught like that. Even with the worry-free lifestyle I had been living these last few years, I had never forgotten the lessons of my past; until now, that is. I would have to be more prepared and cautious during my time at the school. This was not the safe haven that I knew as Enelo’s place.

  By the time I left the garden, my clothes were no longer dripping wet. It was getting late now, the sun starting to go down. Not really caring where I went, I chose an empty hallway and started walking. I began to feel angry at Max and his goons, but that anger turned inward towards myself. Anger at being caught unaware, and frustration for not being able to defend myself.

  As if coming out of a trance, I looked around and saw that somehow I had wandered near the school’s military training grounds. It was mostly empty this late at night, with only a few people finishing up practice.

  Anger still burning inside of me, I noticed a training dummy made of straw. I approached it and stared at it. The anger built inside me and before I knew it I struck. My fist hit the dummy in it’s stomach. It felt good, hitting it with all my might. Though my single punch only brought a small measure of satisfaction. For the third time that day, I was surprised by unexpected company.

  “That’s not how it works, boy.”

  A voice called out, in the shadows to my right. Following the voice, a sturdy looking man came out into the light. He was as tall as me, but he was most definitely the stronger of us. I couldn�
�t see much more of him in the darkness, but the action of drawing his sword was unmistakable.

  I backed away, cautious of the naked blade. He saw my hesitance and nodded. Walking with a smooth flowing grace, he approached one of the other nearby training dummies. He positioned his sword in front of him, with the point facing upwards towards the dummy’s face. Then, he struck.

  It was fast. One moment the sword was in front of him. The next, it was buried in the dummy’s neck. It had almost been too fast to see, but I had just barely been able. The sword had been quickly pulled back and then whipped across so as to strike at the neck.

  The man winked at me, “That is how it is done, lad. Now you try.”

  He offered me the hilt of his weapon. I stood there, speechless, not knowing if I should grab it or turn around and run. He spoke as he snatched my wrist and put the sword in my hand.

  “Clearly you have frustrations to vent. A dummy is perfect for such things.”

  I looked at the sword in my hand and then shrugged. Why not? Perhaps my anger was clouding my judgment, but I cared little.

  I took my place in front of the dummy and attempted to mimic the stance the stranger had used earlier. I took a deep breath and swung. My aim was a bit off as the blade ended up striking the dummy in the shoulder. The blade felt good in my hands and using it had relieved a bit of my anger as well.

  I turned to thank him and return the sword. He stood there, mostly shrouded in darkness, studying me intently. After a moment, he took the sword.

  “What is your name, lad?” He asked.

  Confused as to his intense scrutiny, I replied, “Kayne.”

  “Aha! I knew you seemed familiar! You’re that kid apprentice that patched me up a while back. What’s it been, five years now?”

  Unbelievable. It couldn’t be. I looked closer at the man in front of me, as he had stepped forward out of the shadows. He did indeed look similar to the brawler I had helped, though I hadn’t noticed at first from lack of light and due to his now clean-shaven face. His red hair was now cut and washed, and he no longer looked like a drunkard. I shook my head in disbelief.