*
“It’s not so bad when Joachim’s the one doing our practices,” Niam said with a disapproving frown as he rubbed tenderly at his inner calf. “Kine is downright cruel. That man missed his calling. He should be torturing innocent children into false confessions or something.”
Davin couldn’t help but smile at his smaller friend’s discomfort. After all, Niam’s remark had led to him being covered in refuse and thick splotches of horse dung for the better part of a day. The only up side to the unwholesome experience was that no one wanted to practice hand-to-hand combat with him while he stank.
“Why isn’t he allowing you two to use any of your powers?” Niam asked. “You’d think that’s something Kine and Joachim would approve of.”
“Our big mouths,” Maerillus said sourly. “Joachim found out that sometimes our abilities don’t kick in so well. And since they cannot teach us how to use our powers, they’re doing a crash course in old-fashioned combat.”
“Crash is the main idea,” Niam said sorely.
“Well I for one am grateful,” Maerillus told them both. “Those tralls were able to see me the first time we encountered them.”
“It’s not the training we’re complaining about,” Davin said, feeling too grumpy to look on the brighter side. That would be for later when there were no girls, no dung, no objects to dodge, and he could pound Jolan Kine into the sand with impunity. “It’s the methods.”
All three boys jumped when a wolfish voice suddenly spoke out behind them. “I’m glad to know you feel that way, boys! I think what we need is more bonding time together,” Jolan Kine announced in a darkly mirthful tone.
Niam and Davin groaned.
“Maerillus, you’re working with the slatted swords. The lieutenant’s waiting outside. Niam, you’re doing throws and releases with me once I’m done with Hapwell here—and I can’t wait till he sees what I have in store for him.”
Davin just closed his eyes and shook his head
The Wizard’s Hammer laughed and handed him a blindfold. “In about an hour, go to the kitchen, put these on and wait.”
Davin took the cloth and eyed it suspiciously.
“Oh,” Kine added as an afterthought. “If you hear anyone laughing, don’t worry . . . you’ve already met the girls.”
Davin threw the blindfold as hard as he could at Jolan Kine, wishing it was a rock instead of a long piece of cloth.
The Dread Lords Rising Page 72
