by James Wisher
“Why would they do that?”
Gabriel studied the smaller boy for a moment to be sure he wasn’t making a joke. “Why do you suppose they’re here? The masters want to pass on what they’ve learned; they just need students willing to do the work. What do you say, interested?”
“Why do I need to learn how to fight when I can hire a bodyguard?”
Gabriel nodded. “I’m impressed, Arthur, you’re braver than I thought. I wouldn’t have the courage to put my life in the hands of someone only there because I paid them. After all if someone should offer more…”
Arthur swallowed. “I see your point. My father intends to leave me here for the full three years anyway, perhaps I could benefit from your special class.”
“Excellent, you can be my second in command. I don’t suppose you know any others that might be interested. If we can’t find three more we won’t have a class at all.”
“Second in command, I like the sound of that. Unfortunately I’m not the most popular person here. You might have done better to choose someone else.”
Gabriel grinned. “Not a chance. You do the best you can for me and I’ll stick by you. Besides who better to ask than the less popular kids that are always getting picked on. If anybody should want to learn to fight it’s them.”
They wolfed down their food so they’d have time before the next class to talk to the other students. Arthur knew six more that might be interested based on the criteria that they got picked on a lot.
“Where do we start?” Gabriel asked.
“We should start with the best prospect, my neighbor Mick. His father thinks he needs toughening up, so he’s stuck here for the full three years too.”
Mick was a tall, soft, round boy with mousy brown hair and glasses, if anyone Gabriel had ever seen needed toughening it was Mick, he had the size but lacked muscle. The boy sat by himself at a table near the wall. His head popped up every few seconds, eyes darting around the room, like a small animal on the lookout for predators.
His eyes widened when he spotted Gabriel and Arthur approaching. For his part Arthur smiled and sauntered on over, taking the seat beside Mick. Gabriel sat on the bench across from them.
“Mick, my man, have I got an opportunity for you,” Arthur said.
“That’s what you told me before you went to the docks,” Mick said.
“I’ll grant that wasn’t the best decision of my life, but this is different. Gabriel here is putting a group of students together for special classes. We’ll have a chance to really learn to fight, not play at training with the older students bossing us around.”
Mick looked at Gabriel. “You’re the one that beat Merrik. You don’t want me in your class. I’m just trying to survive until I get out of here.”
Gabriel held Mick’s brown eyes with his own. “If all you want is to get by, you’re right, I don’t want you in my class. Is that what you want, or is it the best you think you can do?”
Mick’s expression changed to a frown of confusion. “I don’t understand.”
“If all you want is to put in your time, keep your head down, and sneak by I can’t help you. But if you want to get stronger, if you’re willing to put in the time and effort, there’s no reason you can’t become a fine warrior.”
“A warrior? Look at me.” Mick laughed, but he sounded close to tears.
“I am. You’ve got the size, you need some muscle. That’s simple to fix, not easy, but simple. We’ll run, lift weights, swing weighted swords, and spar. I promise for the first month you’ll hate me and wish you’d never agreed to train, but you will get stronger. In three months you won’t recognize yourself. What do you say?”
Gabriel watched as the emotions played across Mick’s face. When his lips compressed into a determined line and the corners of his eyes tightened he knew he had his second recruit. “I’m in. I’m sick of being afraid.”
“Good.” Gabriel and Arthur shared a grin. “That’s two.”
The next two on Arthur’s list weren’t at all interested as both had hopes of convincing their parents to let them come home after their first year. Gabriel was disappointed but not surprised. “Who next?”
“The twins are our best chance,” Arthur said. “Erin and Jax are a package deal, if we can convince one the other’s a cinch.”
Arthur led the way to another table, seated in the center, side by side were the twins, slim, blond hair, and green eyes, they looked up from their meal when Arthur sat down. That’s when Gabriel discovered they weren’t identical; Erin was one of three girls enrolled at the academy. He hesitated, not sure if a girl could handle the hard training. Of course he wasn’t sure if Arthur and Mick were up to it either, so why not let a girl try?
He sat down beside Arthur across from the twins and Erin immediately focused on him. “You’re the one that beat Merrik,” she said.
“Yes, has everyone heard about that?”
Jax nodded. “No one likes Merrik and when somebody stood up to him the story spread fast. You’re a hero.”
“Hardly, I just can’t stand bullies. There’s no honor in picking on someone weaker than you.”
“We’re starting a special class,” Arthur said. “You two’d be perfect. What do you say?”
“What sort of class?” Jax asked.
“Real training,” Gabriel said. “With the masters not older students. It’ll be tough, but you’ll have a chance to learn something, not just kill time.”
“Will we learn to fight like you?” Erin asked, sounding eager.
“No, you’ll learn to fight the way that’s best for you. You’re both too slender to use a power style like I do. You’ll need to focus on speed and agility since you both have the type of build that makes excellent duelists.”
The twins looked at each other, and then Erin said, “Sounds fun, we’re in.”
“Great,” Gabriel said, relieved the first part of his project had gone so smooth. Now if he could keep them all from quitting after the first week they’d have a chance to accomplish something. “Why don’t you three collect Mick and meet me in the hall. I’ll make one more pass to see if anyone else is interested.”
“Waste of time,” Arthur said, and the twins nodded in agreement.
“I’ll only be a few minutes and it can’t hurt. I wouldn’t want anyone interested to feel left out.”
Arthur led the twins back to Mick’s table and the four of them went out into the hall. Gabriel had spoken to two people when someone shouted from the hall. He ran out of the mess hall and found Arthur on the ground, the twins on either side, blood running down his face. Merrik had Mick by the shoulder and was squeezing so tight his fingers sank into the boy’s flesh.
“Let him go.” Gabriel said.
Merrik sneered. “We were discussing this special class of yours. This lot’s changed their minds. Seems they’ve decided it wouldn’t be good for their health.”
“Let him go, now.”
Merrik’s sneer fell away and he looked nervous. A crowd had gathered and now the hall and the doorway to the mess hall was full of students. He spotted Morgrin watching with an arrogant grin spread across his face.
He shoved Mick into Arthur and the twins. “Maybe you’re the one in need of a lesson.”
“Like the one you gave me this morning at sword practice?”
Merrik snarled and swung a wild right hook. Gabriel ducked and popped up to snap two quick jabs to his opponents face. Merrik’s nose broke under his fist on the second blow and he staggered back, blood running down his face.
Roaring like an angry beast, Merrik charged. Gabriel grunted when the bigger boy’s shoulder slammed into his stomach. Merrik wrapped his arms around Gabriel’s chest and lifted him a foot of the ground. Gabriel hammered his elbow down between Merrik’s shoulders. His grip broke and when Gabriel’s feet hit the floor he brought a knee up into Merrik’s gut driving the wind out of him. Gabriel took a step back and launched an uppercut into Merrik’s chin with every drop of mu
scle he had. Merrik’s head snapped back and fell on his ass, barely conscious.
Gabriel rubbed his sore ribs and fought to catch his breath.
“You all right?” Arthur asked. He’d wiped the blood from his face and came to stand by Gabriel.
“Yeah.” Gabriel straightened and found the cadets staring at him, then Merrik, then back at him. “You all right, Mick? Erin, Jax, what about you two?”
“I’m all right,” Mick said, rubbing his shoulder.
“We’re fine,” Erin said. “That was awesome.”
Gabriel nodded. “Good, now you’ve seen what fear can drive people to do. Do you still want to train with me?”
“What do you mean?” Mick asked. “We were all scared to death, but we didn’t do anything besides get beat up.”
Gabriel smiled. “Not your fear, his.” He pointed at Merrik who seemed to be gathering his wits. “He’s afraid that if you learn to fight he won’t be able to bully you anymore. He’ll lose his power. That’s why he wanted to stop you.”
The four of them looked at each other as though the idea that Merrik might fear them had never crossed their minds. It probably hadn’t, but it needed to, he needed to give them a reason to train.
“I’m still with you,” Arthur said.
Gabriel clapped him on the shoulder. “I knew I could count on you.”
“We’re with you too,” Erin and Jax said together.
Gabriel looked at Mick. “What do you say? We’d hate to lose part of the team now.”
“I’ll do my best,” Mick said.
“I can’t ask for more.”
Merrik got up and spit blood on the floor. “If this bunch of losers is your team you’re a guaranteed failure.”
Gabriel was sorely tempted to punch him in the face again, but his aching hand talked him out of it. “We may fail, whenever you push yourself past what you think are your limits that chance exists, but I’d rather have four people I can trust and that will give it their all at my side than a hundred like you.”
Arthur and the others swelled with pride when he spoke. He meant every word, they were a good bunch and he was glad to have them.
“Well said,” Gabriel hadn’t noticed Benson standing at the edge of the crowd. “I see you’ve found your class.”
“Yes, sir. We’re ready to start whenever you say.”
“I say let’s go meet your teachers.”
* * *
Six months wrought remarkable changes in Gabriel’s little group. Arthur turned out to be a natural with a broadsword now that he had proper instruction and he’d stepped into the role of second in command with great enthusiasm and a surprising amount of skill. His good cheer made him a natural for the others to talk to when they had a problem. They still didn’t seem comfortable with Gabriel, he wasn’t sure why but it was true all the same.
The twins had become an incredible team; fighting as a pair they worked together better than any team Gabriel had ever seen. The biggest change had been in Mick, the boy had lost forty pounds of fat and added twenty pounds of muscle. He’d taken to the claymore like he’d been born in the northlands and brought up wielding it. His increase in confidence was a wonder and pleasure to see. Gabriel couldn’t be more proud of the group he’d assembled.
The only thing that concerned him was why Master Benson had called him to his office. Summer break was right around the corner and before that was graduation for the third years, the twelve that hadn’t convinced their parents to let them quit anyway.
He arrived at Benson’s office and knocked. “Come in,”
Gabriel pushed the door open and found Benson seated behind his desk. “Sir?”
“Close the door and have a seat. We need to have a talk.”
Gabriel did as instructed, a little flutter in his stomach. “Is everything all right, sir?”
“Better than that, your team, and they are a team, not a special class, have made remarkable strides in six months. You should be proud.”
“I am, sir.” Gabriel smiled as he thought about them. “They’ve worked hard.”
“So have you. I watch you with them sometimes. You spend more time instructing and encouraging them then you do on your own training. How do you feel you’re coming along?”
“I’ve really enjoyed strategy and tactics, but my weapons training has been pretty much nonexistent. But that’s ok, I train on my own with Master Zin during break and he’s agreed to train me all summer before the next semester starts, so I’ll be fine.”
“Good, now the reason I called you. Your team will have their yearend test, a sparring match with four of the third years, chosen and led by Merrik.”
“Merrik?”
Benson nodded. “When I spoke to his class he fairly leapt at the chance. It’s the most enthusiasm he’s show in three years.”
“I’ll bet. Why only four, there’re five of us after all, sir.”
“Gabriel, you and I both know none of the third year students can touch you in a sparring match. Your test is getting the other four ready to fight, use those tactics you’ve been studying.” Benson handed him a piece of parchment. “This is the list of fighters Merrik’s chosen.”
Gabriel studied the list, Merrik was fighting of course and the other three were the biggest cadets in the graduating class. No big surprise, Merrik hoped to intimidate them before the matches started.
“You’ve got two days to prepare. Good luck.”
Gabriel got up and saluted. “We’ll be ready.”
He left Benson’s and went to join his team in their quarters. Gabriel smiled when he reached the door, he’d never even gotten to meet his first roommate, they’d assigned the new class this room his first day. Inside he found the others sitting around talking, looking relaxed, that would last much longer.
“So what did Master Benson want?” Arthur asked.
When Gabriel finished telling them Mick said, “We’re going to get killed.”
“It’s not fair,” Erin said. “How come you don’t get to fight?”
When it seemed no one had any other complaints Gabriel said, “I don’t get to fight because I have nothing to prove. I’ve already beaten Merrik, and he’s there best fighter. Now it’s your turn, Arthur. As my second I’m pairing you against Merrik. Jax you’ll go against Big John. Erin you’ll take Bryant, and Mick that leaves Giles for you.”
“Big John?” Jax said. “He’s the biggest cadet in the whole academy. He’ll smash me flat.”
“No, he won’t. He’s too slow. Off the four of you, Jax, you have the best chance of winning. Mick, your claymore will give you a huge reach advantage over Giles so you should have an excellent chance as well, just remember not to overextend. Arthur, you’ve got a tall task, but if you fight defensively and wait for Merrik to make a mistake, which he will, you can beat him. Erin, you’re the one I’m most worried about. Bryant’s a solid fighter who doesn’t take chances and so he won’t give you easy openings. You may need to fight more aggressively than you’re used to and hope to take him by surprise.”
“I don’t know, Gabriel,” Arthur said. “We may not be up to this.”
“I’m not sure if we are either,” Gabriel said. “I think the master’s expect us to lose.”
“So what’s the point?” Mick asked.
“It’s a test. Sometimes in war you have to fight even when you’re not sure you can win. The masters want to see how we handle ourselves under adverse conditions, but I think we can win. I believe we’ll win, but if don’t we’re going to show them they can’t push us around anymore. We’re going to show the masters we can fight even when the odds are against us.”
The others were grinning now, eager to show everyone what they could do. “I’m ready to take another shot at Merrik,” Arthur said.
“That’s the spirit. We walk into this heads up and ready to go. When they see you’re not afraid it’ll put them on the heels. That’ll be another advantage for us.”
* * *
Two
days passed quickly and on the third morning Gabriel and his team gathered in the courtyard, they wore protective armor and helmets and carried wooden replicas of their preferred weapons. All the cadets and masters had gathered to watch; Gabriel spoke to several cadets interested in gambling and learned his team was a three to one underdog, better odds than he expected. Someone had drawn a large circle in the sand and Benson waited in the center. Merrik’s team stood on the opposite side, armed and armored like Gabriel’s team.
Benson looked at Gabriel who nodded. “The contest will now begin. I will judge all strikes, first to land a fatal blow wins. Questions? Good. Merrik send your first fighter into the circle.”
Merrik patted Big John on the back. “Go get’em big guy.”
Big John stood six foot six and weighed about four hundred pounds. He lumbered into the ring like a boulder falling down a mountain only less graceful. He carried a wooden claymore like Mick, but a foot longer.
“Gabriel?” Benson said.
“Okay Jax, like we practiced.” Jax’s hands shook on the hilt of his slender rapier. “Stay under control and he’s yours.”
Jax swallowed. “Okay, Gabriel, I won’t let you down.”
“I know.”
Jax entered the ring, all five foot five one hundred and twenty pounds of him, followed by the derisive laughter of Merrik’s team. “You two will obey my commands at all times. If I feel one of you is in danger of serious injury I’ll stop the match.”
Big John laughed. “Maybe you should stop it now.”
“He’s right, sir,” Jax said. “I don’t want to hurt him if I don’t have to.”
The assembled cadets laughed and Gabriel allowed himself a small smile. John’s knuckles turned white where they gripped his sword. Jax raised his weapon it a basic middle guard that would allow him to react to an attack from any direction.
“Begin!”
