“Lawrence, how is your training going?” Elsie asked as they walked down the stairs.
“Not as well as I would like. I am making progress, but I feel like I have lost my edge, and I don’t know what to do to get it back.”
“Don’t you think you will improve eventually, Lawrence?” Elsie asked, trying to reinvigorate Lawrence’s attitude.
“I don’t know Elsie, and I am worried that I won’t recover soon enough to become a Knight.”
Elsie stopped. Her face became angry. “Don’t ever say that, Lawrence!” she scolded. “You have great skills and I know in my heart that when you turn eighteen, you will be inaugurated into the Knight Guard, just like Razzius and Benni.”
The two continued to make their way to the dining room and as they came close to the door, a familiar figure crossed their path. It was Flint. He was dressed in a royal blue vest and black pants and he looked over at Elsie and Lawrence. Lawrence felt out of place amongst the royalty, but neither Elsie, her mother, or her father ever treated him like anything less than family. Normally when Lawrence and Elsie were in the presence of Flint or Maggie they would unlock arms. However, when Lawrence attempted to do so this time he felt a tight grip from Elsie.
She spoke, her face tensing slightly as she kept a tight grip on Lawrence who was still trying to wiggle his arm free. “Good morning, Father, how are you this morning?”
“I am well. And Elsie my dear, how are you this morning?”
“Equally well, Father. I was just seeing Lawrence down to the dining room where we will enjoy breakfast together before he goes to his training.”
“I see.” He turned his attention to Lawrence who was still struggling to get away and save face with him. “Good morning, Lawrence, how is your recovery going?”
Lawrence was embarrassed but managed to choke out, “It is going well, sire, thank you for your concern.”
There was a silence between them for a while, the only sound the clanging of dishes in the dining hall. After several moments, Elsie exclaimed with a huge smile across her face, “Well, Father, Lawrence and I are going to eat breakfast. See you later, Papa!”
Elsie dragged Lawrence past Flint who waved as the two walked off. Elsie pushed open a massive oak door to the dining hall and revealed their usual eating place. She didn’t seem content to eat inside this morning and shouted to her servants, “Everyone, we have a beautiful morning outside, let’s move breakfast to the terrace!”
“Right away, miss,” all three servants responded in tandem and immediately set about moving breakfast outside for the two.
Elsie tightened her grip around Lawrence’s arm. “The fresh air will be good for you.”
“Is there anything that you do for me that isn’t good, Elsie?”
“Well, Lawrence, if I wasn’t here to help you, who knows what you would do? You’d probably still be sleeping, and knowing you, you would rush to training unfed, unkempt, and unprepared. Benni told me that you had to stop early yesterday because you were having trouble breathing again. Is that true?”
“Yes,” Lawrence muttered reluctantly.
“That won’t change unless you take better care of yourself,” Elsie scolded. You need more rest, and you need to work on your endurance too. These are all things Benni and I have been telling you Lawrence, and unless you listen, you may not recover fully.”
“I know.” Lawrence frowned.
The two continued to walk to the terrace where an exquisite breakfast spread was laid out for them to enjoy. Even though Lawrence was slightly irritated by being woken up so early, the good food always made it worth it. Scents of mixed berries, sausages, and fresh milk shot Lawrence into a cavalcade of sensory overload. He could feel his stomach crying for food, and much to his enjoyment, the Pyre family delivered quite well.
Lawrence knew something still wasn’t right. He could run and fight, but only for a short while. Before his injuries, he used to train for hours and now he was lucky to survive one. As he took his first bite of food, thoughts of failure pervaded his mind and Elsie noticed his unhappy face.
“Lawrence, what’s the matter?”
“I…I don’t know.”
“Lawrence, you haven’t been yourself lately, I’m worried about you. I wish you would talk to me about it.”
Lawrence hesitated for a moment and sighed. “Elsie, I feel like ever since my injuries… and now with my mother living in the castle, I just don’t feel like I have a reason to be in the Knight Guard anymore.”
Lawrence’s comment shocked Elsie. Since the first day she had met him, he seemed intent on becoming a Knight, yet the more she thought about his words, the more they made sense. He had told her that his original reason for joining the Knight Guard was to make enough money to support his mother, but now without that motivation Lawrence was struggling to find a reason to stay. Elsie wanted to talk to Lawrence more, but she could see that the conversation was upsetting him. Lawrence had stood up to leave.
“Lawrence, where are you going?”
“I’m going to go get some early training in, Elsie; I have to find out whether or not I’m really cut out for this anymore. Lately, I just don’t know.” Lawrence shook his head; his emotions were clearly getting the best of him.
“Lawrence, why are you being so hard on yourself?” Elsie questioned. But, it was too late. Lawrence walked off without a response and vanished from her view.
Lawrence headed for the courtyard where he would be able to get in some solo practice before the other Knights and trainees arrived. Upon reaching his destination he began to stretch. Lawrence could feel his muscles pull and tug as he bent from side to side, and he winced from the dull pain that continued in his chest as he stretched his arms high above his head. The sun beat down on him, forcing him to squint and shield his face with his free hand. He wondered if he would have to continue his conversation with Elsie later. Lawrence looked around and upon noticing that he was alone, he began to practice. Lawrence listened as his blade hissed and sang as he drew the longsword from its sheath. He held it toward the sky, and as he did, he saw his reflection in the clean, polished blade.
“Who are you going to become?” Lawrence asked himself out loud as he swung it toward the ground. A pain shot through his arm and he dropped the sword. “Damn it!” Lawrence shouted out. He bent over gingerly to pick up the sword. Lawrence had just begun training and already he had hit a snag. Lawrence continued to swing his sword, cringing and fighting through the pain, until he heard a voice calling to him from the entrance to the courtyard.
“Lawrence, good morning.”
Lawrence turned around to see Benni walking toward him, waving. As Benni got closer, Lawrence extended his empty hand. “I thought I would get some early training in this morning-”
Before Lawrence could finish his sentence Benni interrupted, “Elsie woke you up again, didn’t she?”
“Yes, she did, and then she started lecturing me about how I have to take better care of myself and all that nonsense.”
Benni shook his head and looked at the ground. “Lawrence, isn’t it possible that you are overreacting?”
“She just doesn’t get it, Benni. She just doesn’t understand how much work I am putting into my training. Even though I am putting so much effort in, I still lack the skills I had before my injury, and I still can’t keep up with the rest of you! Benni, what do I do?”
Benni studied Lawrence for a while with a thoughtful look on his face. After a couple of seconds he said, “Lawrence, I think I know what you need.”
“What do you mean, Benni?” Lawrence asked inquisitively.
“Lawrence, you need to train harder and longer than ever before, and instead of being coddled like a newborn every night, you need to get to bed early and prepare for the next day.”
“What are you saying, Benni? Should I leave the castle?”
“Yes, Lawrence, that is exactly what I am saying. You need to get away from all of these distractions and concentrate complete
ly on your training.” Benni stopped for a moment, deep in thought. He smiled and then said, “Lawrence, why don’t you come live with me and my family?”
“Do you really think that will help, Benni?”
“I’ll tell you what, Lawrence; have a sparring match with me. If you win, continue living at the castle. If I win, you come live with me and we start training together. Deal?”
“So all I have to do is get you to yield, and I can do whatever I want?”
“Yes, but if you lose, then you pack your things right now and take them to my house.”
“You’re on Benni, let’s do this!”
Lawrence had been aching for a real challenge since his injury, and he was about to face someone he knew very well. Benni and Lawrence trained with each other often since neither of them spent much time training with their assigned mentors. If anyone could test Lawrence’s progress, it would be Benni.
“Shall we begin?” Benni asked, taking his stance about ten paces away from Lawrence.
Lawrence readied his stance and shouted, “Yes, prepare to lose, Benni!”
Benni knew that Lawrence was nowhere near ready to face him yet, and he hoped that this would be an eye-opening experience for him. As Lawrence had recovered from his injuries, Benni had noticed that Lawrence’s efforts in training had fallen off. Lawrence would say it was because his injuries still pained him, but Benni knew otherwise. It was time for Benni to prove Lawrence wrong. Benni knew that as the only Knight living within the castle walls outside of the Captain and a few of the other veteran Knights, Lawrence could slack in his daily regimens. But Benni also knew he had to get Lawrence to realize that if he continued to do this he would never reach his full potential.
The two squared off, swords drawn, shields poised, and visors down. Lawrence could immediately feel his breathing deepen as the visor closed and he began to struggle for air. His body still hadn’t fully recovered and at this rate he wouldn’t last very long. Benni stood calmly as he was used to training with his metal faceguard down. “Let’s begin,” he shouted, “as far as our rules go, the first man to get the other to yield wins!”
Immediately Lawrence rushed toward Benni with his sword held high above his head. He screamed at his opponent, “Yaaaaaaaaah!”
Benni waited until Lawrence got close. He knew that Lawrence would be expecting him to block his attack. As soon as Lawrence was close enough, however, Benni dropped both his sword and his shield. As Lawrence went to swing, he hesitated upon seeing Benni do this, and it was that moment that cost him. Benni took one step forward bringing him into very close proximity with Lawrence. Benni took his right hand and placed his palm against Lawrence’s face, he proceeded to place his right leg behind Lawrence’s right leg and as he caught him off balance, pushed backwards, putting Lawrence on the ground. As Benni pinned Lawrence to the hard unforgiving earth, he noticed something that frightened him. He felt Lawrence’s entire being, his entire energy disappear. Upon connecting with the ground Lawrence let out a loud “Ooof!” The fight was over before it ever really began. Lawrence was beaten.
Benni stood up and kicked away Lawrence’s sword and shield. He stood over him and said firmly, “I’ll let my mother know you are coming to stay with us.”
“Benni, wait!” Lawrence’s voice creaked as he struggled to get to his feet. “I was just joking around. Let’s do this for real now!”
Lawrence fumbled around for a moment, attempting to locate his weapon. Finally, he picked up his sword and shield. “Come on, one more time!”
“Fine, but you already lost Lawrence, if you must…then come at me.” Benni readied himself once again.
Benni drew his sword; Lawrence charged again. His footwork was very sloppy and he more so stumbled than ran. Benni hated doing this, but he knew it was necessary. If Lawrence ever wanted to be strong again, he would need to commit himself completely to his training, and get away from all of the distractions that living in the castle brought with it.
Lawrence got close, and Benni simply parried his attack. Lawrence swung overhead and tried over and over to land a blow, but to no avail. Benni knew what he had to do to prove his point. He planted his feet and as Lawrence charged again, he swung at Lawrence’s sword as hard as he could.
Zzzzinnnnggggg!
The sound of steel cutting steel broke Lawrence of his delusions as the top half of his sword fell to the ground. He stopped in his tracks with an empty look on his face. Benni had just cut Lawrence’s sword in half, and without a weapon to continue the duel, Lawrence had lost again. Lawrence stood there motionless and without words, almost as if all of the life had just been sucked out of him. Lawrence looked down at the half sword that he still held in his hand, turned it over to examine it, and threw it to the ground. The earth parted as the edge of the half blade sliced into the ground. It sat there for a moment until it collapsed under its own weight, flicking up some lifeless dirt as it did.
Benni’s booming voice tore him from his personal sanctuary. “You have no hand to hand skills, and your sword play needs work. You have no stamina and tire easily. These are just four problems that I notice right from the start with you, Lawrence. Go get your things and take them to my house. Tomorrow morning will mark the first day of our training, and let me tell you this right now, if you think that I will go easy on you because we are friends then you had better think again. In fact, as of right now, we aren’t friends. We are training partners!” Benni knew this was how it had to be, and with the death of the old Lawrence Sanctus, a new one could be born.
Lawrence stood speechless for a moment, but eventually he walked away from the broken blade and Benni. He returned to the castle. Lawrence was in awe of how easily Benni had defeated him, and it was something that he dreaded happening to him in a real battle. He longed for Benni’s skills. He hoped that he could become that great someday, but right now he had another problem he had to deal with: Elsie.
As Lawrence reentered the castle, he immediately crossed paths with Elsie who was speaking to her mother on the ground floor. Lawrence approached the two as if to talk to them, but Elsie immediately shot him a concerned look. It stopped Lawrence in his tracks, paralyzing him; it was almost as though he had lost all function. As he stood motionless and the conversation ended, Elsie approached him.
She stopped about four paces away from him and looked at him suspiciously. “What are you doing back so soon, Lawrence?”
“I don’t know how to tell you this, Elsie,” Lawrence mumbled, looking at the ground. “I don’t want you to take it the wrong way.”
“What do you mean, Lawrence?” Her facial expression changed, and now her eyes begged for the truth.
“I’m leaving.”
Elsie felt a strange sensation course throughout her entire body as she was unsure how to react to the situation. Over the last few months she had grown used to spending every morning with Lawrence, and now she wouldn’t be able to. Even though she knew Lawrence needed a change of pace, the news was still shocking to her.
“What, why?!” Her voice was intense, fearful. “Why would you leave the castle, Lawrence?”
“I can’t stay here anymore, Elsie. I told Benni that if he beat me in a sparring match that I would go live and train with him. I gave my word. You know I’d rather stay here with you, but maybe he’s right. Maybe I can’t recover fully if I stay here. Maybe I have been slacking. I feel like living here has dulled my recovery. I realize now that what you were doing was only to help me, but I have to help myself first. I can’t just rely on you. I appreciate everything that you and your family are doing for my mother and I am eternally grateful. However, if I am to become stronger and reach my full potential as a Knight then I need to be somewhere free of distractions while I train. Elsie…” Lawrence trailed off as he collected his thoughts. “I will return to you, but not as a weak Knight who couldn’t protect you if his life depended on it, but as a stronger, more able Knight. I will become a Knight so strong and so agile that you will be able
to count on me for anything. When I am finished, no matter what evil may come to these lands…I will protect you.”
Elsie didn’t say anything for a while as she stared into Lawrence’s eyes. There was a glint of resolve and resilience in them that she hadn’t noticed in quite some time. Finally, her soft, calming voice broke the silence between them. “I have no doubt that you will, Lawrence.” Elsie didn’t want to cry. “So, I guess this is goodbye for now.”
“Yes, yes it is, Elsie.” Lawrence could feel his emotions tearing at him. But he had to be strong.
Reality finally overcame Elsie. Small tears began to well up in Elsie’s beautiful eyes. Her body shuddered momentarily and she sniffled as she looked away in embarrassment. “When are you leaving?” she managed to choke out, tears flowing.
“I’m packing my things now; I’ll be gone before supper,” Lawrence responded.
Elsie could no longer hold back the heavy stream of tears that now flowed freely from her eyes. She didn’t want Lawrence to go, and she knew if he did that the two could grow distant. She wanted so badly to stop him, but she knew that if Lawrence was to fully recover, he needed the constant tutelage of a training partner who was as dedicated as he needed to be.
“Lawrence, I’m scared!” Elsie cried. She grabbed his hand and clenched it tightly. “Please, don’t go! I’m…I’m…” Elsie wanted to tell Lawrence how she really felt, but it didn’t feel right to force something like that on him right now.
“You’re what, Elsie?”
She gazed deep into his eyes. Her voice was soft. “I’m afraid you won’t come back.”
Lawrence took her hand gently and said, “Elsie, I’ll always come back to you.” He paused for a moment. “Elsie, when all this training is done I hope to have a new reason for being a Knight. When I finish my training, I need you to promise me that you will go somewhere with me.”
Elsie had no idea what Lawrence was talking about and needed more clarification. “What do you mean, Lawrence? Go where?”
The Trinity of Heroes (I Will Protect You Book 1) Page 12
