by Billy Wong
Julie took it in and cringed, and Rose felt a bit sad that she'd lose her student. It looked like Justin had won this round. But to her surprise, the girl giggled then. "Yeah, it may not be the safest path, but I can tell it's the most exciting. I'm sure you experience more memorable things in some weeks, than other people do in their whole lives. And you can really see the difference you make in the fight for good. So I'll hold my course, and I think it'll be pretty hard to change my mind."
"All right, but don't you dare get yourself killed!" Rose said it with a smile, but meant it with all her heart, knowing the guilt of such a thing would be hard to bear.
"I'll be fighting alongside the greatest warrior in the world, right? Then I have nothing to fear!"
Remembering all those friends she'd fail to save before, Rose shook her head vigorously and warned, "You mustn't think like that. Putting all your faith in others is a terrible idea. You have to always be careful, and know your own limits. But we're getting way ahead of ourselves. So Julie, you drink?"
They talked for hours about things like food, drink, and sports (which Rose brought up) and grooming, clothes, and jewelry (which Julie brought up). Then they shared their favorite beginners' spells, Julie one to condense moisture from the air good for light cleaning, and Rose a little flame nice for heating up food—or singeing an opponent's eyes. Having found each other fine conversation partners aside from their shared interest in fighting, they returned to their rooms to get a good night's rest.
#
Derrick watched Julie chat with Rose during a break and frowned. He had not seen his girl much yesterday, and been surprised to find out where she'd been. While he was all for the two women becoming friends, Julie's combat training under Rose unnerved him. Surely innocent Julie wasn't cut out to be a fighter. But he didn't approach her about it, not wanting to upset her. He turned instead to his longtime friend, knowing Rose would listen and not take offense at his reservations.
When they had some free time, he took the warrior aside and asked, "You're training Julie now? Do you know what she intends to do with this knowledge?"
She gave him the obvious answer. "Become a warrior, what else? She's already entertaining notions of adventuring with me. It's kind of scary, actually."
"I'm glad you agree. I'm worried about her. She's not the type of person who could kill someone, even in self-defense, without having it on her conscience for the rest of her life. And if she hesitates in a fight, then..."
"She's dead," Rose finished dejectedly. She frowned. "You might be right about her conscience, she kept apologizing to me after every awkward word—she's a good person, no doubt about that, but seems rather unsuited for fighting to the death."
"Will you stop teaching her, then?"
Rose shook her head, though she did look conflicted. "I can't just blow her off for no good reason, and being an attendant at the tournament isn't going to make her a killer or dead. Besides, it's still too early to tell for sure if she's able to put her qualms aside enough to perform well in battle. I mean, I don't think I'm the 'kind' of person you'd expect to be able to live with herself after the thousands I've killed, but while it does hurt to think about it, you don't see me huddled in a corner crying everyday, do you?"
Derrick was quite certain he didn't want to see Julie's mental fortitude tested the "proper" way, and proposed, "I think it might be worth considering to show her some mild hint of the horror of battle, to see if it would discourage her from this path."
"Not a bad idea. It could be a good indicator of whether she has the stomach for it. But how would I do that? There's no bloody battles being waged around here now. Even there were, it might make it look too obvious I'm trying to dissuade her."
"You could tell her stories of the worst battles you've been through."
Rose laughed ironically. "I think you and Finn have told her way too many glorious tales of my battles, for me telling the same tales a little more gloomily to do much to discourage her."
"I never thought she'd actually be inspired by those tales," Derrick said with a sigh. Then he suggested in a casual tone, "How about you show her your torso scars?"
"What?!" Rose recoiled. "Show them willingly, to someone I barely know? They're hideous! I look like I should be dead underneath my clothes. Why would I..."
"Sumafu saw them, and he was more of a stranger than Julie. And she's a woman, unlike him."
"I didn't agree to let Sumafu see, he walked in on me bathing! And I barely talked to Julie before now."
He shrugged. "Still, you're not that hideous. She's already used to your face scars—I just think seeing your torso might better drive home how dangerous fighting really is."
She sighed. "You'll have to get me drunk afterwards."
"That'll cost a fortune." More seriously, "So you'll do it?"
Rose paused for a moment. "Fine, I'll let my undershirt get 'pulled up' when I take off my armor. So if she quits, who'll be my attendant?!"
"I'll be your attendant if Julie won't. It's the least I can do, if I make you lose yours."
"Good! I think you'll be a better attendant than a trainee like her, anyway. I'll tell you how it goes tonight."
#
That night, Derrick waited anxiously at his door, hoping Rose would bring him the news he wanted. Finally she came in, and he felt relief at her grin. At least, until she sat down and announced proudly, "She saw my scars after training. You know what she did? She said I was amazing, and that she wished she could become as strong as me! I was kind of relieved, honestly."
The shocked scholar almost fell out of his seat. "What?! B-but Julie... she didn't react negatively at all?"
"It impressed her how much I could survive and still be strong and energetic, I think. I'm glad she didn't freak out. That would have hurt me, you know."
Though upset by the failure of his plan, Derrick forced a smile. "Then I'm glad you didn't get hurt. What are we going to do?"
"I'm going to keep training her. Unless I become more sure she can't handle the stress of battle, I don't want to make her feel bad by rejecting her for no valid reason. Besides, it's only a tournament."
"All right, it's not like she's itching to fight in a war right now." He grinned. "Have fun at the tourney and we can figure out what to do after."
"I'll bring back some nice trophies for the center!" she promised.
Derrick looked somewhat doubtfully at her proud, confident face. "So you think you'll win? You're acting more cocky than usual."
"I'm not certain I'll win. But as for being cocky, I'm just having fun. Getting to fight people without having to kill them is a great release, so I feel all loose and comfy!"
#
Rose continued to train Julie for the rest of the week, and took pride in watching her student's progress. She hoped she wouldn't grow too attached to do the best thing for her. Remembering how she'd been reluctant to let Derrick adventure with her when they first met, she wondered why she felt more enthusiastic when she imagined Julie doing so. Derrick had even been a better trained fighter than her. Was it because she already knew Julie, because of their student-teacher relationship, or—this would be pretty bad of her—because Julie was female? Eh... who knew.
The tournament participants arrived, and set up a multitude of brilliantly colored tents at the fairgrounds. Rose felt a little overwhelmed by the sight and imagined how the knights and lords would look with their armor shining in the spring sun, their soaring standards and trains of attendants. They'd make her look like a peasant in her faded old armor, she knew. But then the peasant was going to kick some butt! Satisfied by her thoughts, she eagerly anticipated the coming contest.
She and Julie set up their own tent, a humble thing looking more like that of common soldiers on the battlefield than one befitting the so-called Knight Protector of Kayland. Walking around the huge camp, Rose felt a bit uncomfortable as she caught some of the noblemen's disapproving stares. But others smiled admiringly at her, and she was happy to
return their smiles. She also saw Adam, a young noble whose mentor she had been forced to kill while not in his right mind. When he told her he hoped for her victory so he could take pride in a strong friend, she knew he had forgiven her and was moved nearly to tears.
Back at the tent, Rose drew a rose above the flap and laughed at her ugly creation. At least it was recognizable as a flower, and before long she had a visitor. Noticing a well-groomed, black-bearded man peeking inside, Rose welcomed him in. He was clad in bright scarlet and huge, though not quite a match for her gigantic husband when he'd been human. The powerful man, who looked to be in his thirties and possessed of a well-fed regalness, announced himself.
"Greetings, Lady Rose. I, Count Brandon of Resnick, am honored to meet you." He extended a big hand and Rose took it, immediately feeling his great strength when he squeezed hard. Impressed, she nonetheless squeezed back harder, bringing an appreciative grin to his face.
"You live up to the tales. I suppose I won't be disappointed to bring you here."
"You invited me?" Rose asked in surprise.
Brandon eagerly confirmed it. "Yes, I was the one who had your name added to the list of invitees, though I don't know why it wouldn't be there in the first place. Unless maybe some people are afraid of you showing them up, of course."
Rose felt flattered by his words. "And you're not, I presume?"
"No, I'm itching for the challenge."
"Don't you have enough from all the hundreds of warriors who are here?"
"I've been champion of both the joust and melee for years, and won many other events when I felt like participating. It's about time I had an opponent of my caliber."
Rose smiled bashfully. "I'm glad you regard me so highly. I'll be happy too, to test myself against a strong opponent who's not trying to kill me."
"After hearing about your deeds, I've always wondered if even I could stand against you. Now we'll find out."
Curiously, she asked, "You seem like a great fighter. How come I didn't see you in the battles against Coblan and Sevria? Your presence would have made a big difference, I'm sure."
"I was busy; there were other priorities in my life at those times."
Rose wondered what had been so important, but she understood that duty to one's country could not always take precedence. "I'll be honored to add you to my list of conquests!" she teased, and to her delight he smiled. "We should compete in all the contests this year. That way we'll have a more complete picture of how we match up."
He nodded. "All right. Let's do that."
"This is going to be a great tournament!" she beamed.
"I think so too. I'd wish you luck, but I'd be lying! See you in the losers' circle!"
"Yes, see you there!" she shot back as he left. She was going to love facing him!
Julie, who had simply been staring at the count since he came in, said worriedly, "Wow, he's one of the biggest men I've ever seen! You think you can take him on?"
"I've taken bigger," Rose said with a shrug. "But he'll be a fun opponent, I know!"
Staring, her pupil said, "I'd be terrified to fight a man like that. He could kill me with one punch!"
"Then you would have to avoid getting punched. A warrior faces many kinds of opponents, and it's essential to know when to adjust your tactics. Admittedly, I've been lucky in that respect. Even though I've fought all sorts of enemies, they mostly haven't been stronger than me, except for those of the monstrous sort. Still, I've had to deal with greater speed, greater reach, tough defenses, strange styles, overwhelming numbers, opponents I didn't want to kill, and all sorts of underhanded tricks. You can't think one approach will win every fight for you, no matter how strong you are."
"I know that. But I don't know if I could handle it."
Rose realized doubt was beginning to grow in Julie's mind about becoming a warrior, though she hadn't intended to sow that seed with her words. But she didn't want to give up her student yet, not when the jury was still out on her potential. "Don't worry, it's not too hard to pull out something different when you need to if you're smart. I can't count the times I've gotten out of a jam by doing something I hadn't even imagined before. You just have to be observant."
"So will I see you improvise soon?"
"Of course. Every good fight, pretty much. Just watch me!"
What Julie said next brought a smile to her face with its innocent enthusiasm. "This is going to be fun!"
#
And indeed it was, the tournament beginning with the less prestigious athletic contests before proceeding to the main attractions. Crown Prince Lawrence's enjoyment was evident as he presided over the events. Remembering that the middle-aged prince had taken part in every tournament for decades before becoming regent, though, Rose wondered how much he missed participating right now. Most watching seemed greatly impressed by her performance, but none more than Julie.
She tied for third place in the archery contest and got second in the rock-throwing competition, Count Brandon with his height and longer arms beating her out by a hair. Then came time for boxing, and Rose fought Brandon in the finals. She knocked him down more than once, but he expertly used his greater reach and got many good hits on her, ever taunting that he'd mess up her pretty face. Though she thought she should be the winner, the judges declared the bout a draw, neither having trounced the other.
Next came wrestling, and Rose knew it was time for her to win something as she again faced Brandon in the finals. This time she scored a clean victory, pinning him after tiring him out in the longest match in years. Unused to the light javelins used, Rose placed eighth in the spear-throwing contest, though her casts were nearly perfect by the end after adjusting to the weapons. Finally she took part in a footrace, and though she only placed ahead of slightly more than half the competitors, she thought it a good try for a woman who still hadn't lost much of her pregnancy weight. If she kept up her recent amount of daily activity, she might soon actually be fit again.
"Be glad it wasn't a marathon!" she joked as she congratulated the victors.
When she walked away to find Julie, Count Brandon ran up next to her. "Lady, you are awesome!"
Rose laughed. "You're pretty amazing yourself. Remember though, I'm a contest ahead of you!"
He sighed. "You do know there was a fly hounding me throughout the archery contest."
"If you're going to blame a fly, I get to blame the judges for that boxing mess."
"Doesn't matter, I'm going to beat you in the joust and the melee."
With a proud expression, she rolled her eyes. "We'll see."
"I'll be glad to!" the count replied, and the rivals cheerfully parted.
Julie waited in the stands for her teacher, and once she got close stood up and yelled, "You were wonderful, Rose! I couldn't believe how well you did!"
"Thanks," Rose said with a flex of a huge arm, " but those were just sports and not all that comparable to the battlefield. What I really want you to see is the melee... though it'd be more ideal if you could somehow watch all the good fighters there at once instead of just me and whoever I'm fighting, but life isn't perfect that way."
"You think Lord Brandon and you will fight again?"
Rose smiled. "I'm sure we will, and I love it. He has been champion for years. I'll be happy to put an end to that!"
"You sound so cocky when you're around him," Julie said teasingly. "It seems weird."
She furrowed her brow. "You and Derrick sure love calling me 'cocky,' don't you? What are you guys trying to imply?"
"Not that!"
"Anyway, you can blame Finn. I used to be more humble in the day, but I couldn't help him rubbing off on me. He's just adorable... and I guess Brandon is partly responsible too. He'd crush me with his words if I didn't fight back!"
"You like him."
Rose acknowledged her admiration of the warrior. "He reminds me a lot of Finn, especially when I first met him. All bravado and masculine pride, but not a bad person—a man who knows his
worth, and can back up bold words with deeds. Who appreciates a good challenge, and knows how to have fun. I love men like that."
"You love fighting them, too."
"They give me the proper respect, and don't try to use some pathetic excuse when they lose."
Her student laughed. "I guess your husband should be glad I'm here to watch you, huh?"
"Maybe," Rose answered with a bit of guilt. She might've been tempted to flirt with Brandon, considering she had no idea how long Finn would be stuck as a dragon. "But the tournament would be even better if he was here!"
#
The knocking on his door sounded somewhat hesitant, as Derrick thought it should. It was late, and he'd been awakened from his sleep for the third time—twice by Rose's crying children, now by his visitor. He tossed his legs over the side of the bed and dragged himself off the mattress. Walking to the door, he unlatched it and began to pull. Then it rapidly swung forward and he suddenly found himself sitting on the floor four feet away, his forehead in great pain.
The enormous black man who walked in did not wear his trademark mask, but Derrick instantly recognized his ruined face. "Joghra! What are you doing?!" The giant grinned and raised a fist, and Derrick threw himself down on his back while a bolt from his gauntlet whistled by his head. He scrambled to his feet and thought for a moment to fight, but knowing it would be no use turned to run. Joghra reached out with a long arm to grab the back of his shirt, but then the thin cloth tore and Derrick threw himself out the window, choosing likely death over a certain one.
#
Joghra looked out the window to see the scholar lying still on the ground below and smiled. If he was dead, that was good, and if he lived, it didn't matter. Looking to the twin cribs across the room from Derrick's bed, the Sevrian knew he had all he needed to exact a perfect revenge. Carefully taking the babies from their beds, he covered them with his enormous cloak and left the tower anticipating the fruition of his plan.
