The Apprentice (27 page)

Rowan
shrugged. “Alright,” he said.

“Can I
come too?” Eliza asked, suddenly excited. “I could watch and you could show me
how?”

She had
never been taught to use any weapon other than a bow. Her father had forbidden
her from learning to use weapons because he said it was dangerous and not
something that she should ever need to know. Although this only increased her
desire to learn some of the crafts of war.

“No. I
need to spar with Rowan,” Baird said. “I can’t be responsible for teaching you
too.”

“But I
could just come and watch the two of you,” Eliza protested. “I won’t be a
bother, I promise.”

“I don’t
mind if she comes,” Rowan said apathetically.

“She
cannot come,” Darius said. “Eliza, you know how your father feels about you
learning such things. Besides, it’s about time for you to be off and do your
studies.

“And
now, if the three of you will excuse me, I will take my leave so that I can go
and assist some of the others.”

“Of
course,” Rowan and Baird said together while Eliza remained quiet. Darius bowed
and left, heading towards the other side of the practice field where a group of
boys were mulling about.

Eliza
turned to face Baird.

“Are you
going to let me come with you?” She put her hands on her hips to make it clear
that she wasn’t going to be happy if his answer was no.

“Eliza,
I don’t want to deal with this right now,” Baird sighed.

“Why am
I
not allowed to come? I have to learn everything else in order to be proper
royalty, but I can’t try the one thing that I actually want to?”

“I
taught you archery.”

“That
was fun, but I don’t care about that. I had to learn archery anyway, so it
wasn’t a choice that I got to make.”

“Eliza,
I need to go and spar with Rowan. Your father has forbidden you from learning
how to wield weapons and I will follow his orders. Now please go and study.”

Eliza
fumed as she turned away and left. She knew that it was useless to continue
arguing with Baird. He could be incredibly stubborn and she knew that she
wasn’t going to change his mind.

Why
am I not allowed to participate in the things that I find interesting? I am the
princess
, Eliza
thought. She shot an angry glance over her shoulder. Baird and Rowan were
walking to a more open area and Erik was still hacking away at a practice post.
Idiots
.

She
wished more than anything that she could join them. She would have even settled
for just watching them; that would have been interesting enough for her. But
now she was stuck returning to the castle for lessons. Eliza hated lessons.

Chapter 21
                     
 

Rowan was happy to have seen Baird.
It had been several days since he had seen his master and although he would
never admit it, he was quite lonely without him. Seeing his master and getting
to spar with him was livening. Within the barracks, Rowan felt incredibly
isolated. He was alone for the most part. Some of the boys would be willing to
interact with him for short periods of time and others would tolerate him when
they needed to work with him. But for the most part, Rowan was ignored and he
did little to change that.

It was
Byron and his group that made life hard for Rowan. Far from ignoring him, Byron
seemed to take pleasure in harassing Rowan. They tormented him often. Rowan
would often return to his bunk to find that a mess had been made or things had
gone missing. He was tripped when walking and things were thrown at him, always
behind his back so that he could never see who did the throwing.

There
hadn’t been any actual violence or fighting since the first day, but Rowan did
not trust Byron. The boy’s friends were quick to anger and not very bright, a
terrible combination. Rowan knew it was only a matter of time before things
escalated. So far he had prevented any further confrontation. Byron and his
friends knew that he could fight most of the boys with a good chance of
winning, but that was only in a fair fight. The problem was that Byron had many
friends and Rowan did not.

This was
one of the things on Rowan’s mind as he walked back to the barracks. He
wondered what might be missing this time. Or would they have dirtied his bed
again? The last time, Rowan had found his bed damp. That night was incredibly
uncomfortable, though he was able to take his anger out the next day when
Darius paired him up with one of Byron’s close friends for a fencing lesson.
After that, Darius had given him a stern lecture and temporary bedding to sleep
on while his was cleaned. He decided not to worry about it until the problem
presented itself. There were more pressing issues that he had to deal with.

The
sparring session with Baird had been a nice workout. Rowan found that he had
improved during his time at the capitol. Though he still could not match Baird,
he would get strikes in during every match. At least that was something to be
proud of. Now that Rowan was becoming adept with a sword, he had a greater
understanding of how skilled Baird truly was. He knew he had a long way to go
before he reached that level of skill.

It had
been good to be with his master again, although Rowan couldn’t help but notice
that Baird had seemed distracted. It was as if his mind wasn’t entirely focused
because something was bothering him. Rowan wondered if it had something to do
with what Baird was always working on. He had asked about it, but Baird had
brushed him off without giving an answer.

Instead,
Baird had brought up the topic of the Revel, something that Rowan had been
hoping to avoid. Baird wanted to know what events Rowan would be competing in.
In a manner similar to his master, Rowan had avoided the question. In truth, he
didn’t want to participate at all.

The
Revel was an interesting and appealing tradition, but not one that he wanted to
be a part of. The other boys had been preparing for their desired events over
the course of the year, and Rowan had only learned about the competition the
previous week. His only true skill was the blade, though he figured he knew how
to use a bow relatively well. But he just didn’t see the point of competing. If
he lost, then he would be made fun of and humiliated. If he won, then those
that he beat would be angry with him. Either way, he would not be making any
friends. Under normal circumstances, Rowan wouldn’t care what others thought of
him; he was competitive and strong. But he felt somewhat different now that he
wasn’t in the constant presence of his master. What he wanted at the moment was
to fit in. Byron was his enemy, but Rowan still hoped that some of the other
boys might warm up to him eventually.

As he
entered the barracks, he thought about asking Darius if he could forego the
competition and just watch, enjoying the festivities. That seemed like a very
welcome idea to Rowan.

He sat
down on his bunk. It appeared to be just as he left it. The bed was still made
and clean and nothing that he could see was missing. He smiled. Perhaps in a
short while, he would go and ask Darius about the upcoming competition.

*           *           *

“Absolutely not,” Darius said.
Rowan stood in the trainer’s quarters trying to convince Darius to let him
forego competing in the Revel. “I’ve already stated that participation is
mandatory. This is an event of honor and everyone must compete in at least one
event, though I would prefer two or more.”

“Every
other person has known about this for a long time. They’ve all had time to plan
and train. Some of the boys have competed before!” Rowan argued. “I had never
heard of this tradition until I arrived at the capitol and began training with
you.”

“Don’t
make excuses, Rowan. You are perfectly capable of competing in several of the
trials. You could probably even be a strong contender in a few. I would suggest
that you compete either in archery or swordsmanship, though I think there are a
couple of other areas that you might do well in if you trained hard enough. I
see no reason that you cannot participate and test yourself.”

“But I’m
not even a soldier in training,” Rowan said. Darius seemed to counter every
argument Rowan could make. He could tell that he was fighting a losing battle
with the instructor, but he was still trying his hardest.

“As I
said before Rowan, the Revel is an event of honor, courage, and strength. Even
though you are not training to be a soldier, you are the apprentice of a great
knight and you are training to become something more than you are now. To do
that, you need to be able to test yourself and your growth. And remember that
your own actions will reflect back on your master.”

Rowan
couldn’t think of anything else he could say in argument.

“Unless
you become physically injured or for some other reason are unable to compete,
then your participation in the Revel is mandatory,” Darius said. “I expect to
hear from you within the next couple of days regarding the event or events that
you have chosen to enter.”

“Yes, sir.”
Rowan turned to leave, but Darius’s voice caught him just as he was walking out
the door.

“One
more thing before you leave,” Darius said. Rowan turned around in the doorway
to face the trainer. “I know that you will be able to do well in this competition,
Rowan. You are quite skilled and your training with Baird has been very
productive. This
should
go without saying, but I expect you to put forth
your best effort. I will know if you do not try your hardest. And I will also
be able to tell if you do anything to purposefully disqualify yourself in any
way. Remember, your actions will reflect back onto Baird.” Rowan thought Darius
was finished, but the trainer still had one more thing to say.

“I know
that you can do well, Rowan. You have a lot of potential and you also have the
dedication to see that potential through. I believe that I am beginning to see
why Baird chose you as his apprentice.”

As soon
as Darius finished, Rowan turned and left. He didn’t want to show any emotion
to the trainer and he could tell his face had flushed with embarrassment at the
praise. He still doubted himself sometimes.

However,
Darius’s comments had also annoyed him. He didn’t want to participate in the
Revel, but the thought of intentionally forfeiting had never even crossed his
mind. If he was going to compete, then he would do his best to win. His
reservations were not about his skill or ideas that he would embarrass himself,
Rowan just didn’t want to make more enemies than he already had. He had
dignity, and it annoyed him that Darius couldn’t see that.

Rowan
was so wrapped up in his thoughts as he walked back to the barracks that he
didn’t notice that he wasn’t alone until it was too late.

“Where
is the
special
boy off to now?” Byron’s voice seemed to come out of
nowhere. Rowan jumped as he suddenly became aware of the presence of others.
Byron stood blocking his path with a smug grin plastered on his face, and the
boy wasn’t alone. Three other boys stood by Byron, and Rowan recognized them as
his main lackeys.

“Are you
done sucking up to Darius for today,
lolfar
? Or perhaps you were with
Baird this time,” Byron said, using his annoying nickname for Rowan. Rowan
didn’t know what the word meant, but he could make a few guesses and none of
them were very appealing. Byron and his friends laughed.

“What do
you want Byron?” Rowan asked. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with the bully and
his friends right now. He quickly glanced behind him to make sure that none of
Byron’s friends were hiding in his blind spots.

Byron
saw the glance and his grin widened.

“Thinking
of running away, eh? Probably a good idea,” Byron said. Rowan clenched his
fists, struggling to contain his anger. “You’re a weakling compared to me. I
don’t know how you got chosen to be Baird’s apprentice or why the princess
seems to favor you, but that’s the only reason that I haven’t done anything
serious to you yet. You don’t deserve to be special.”

Anger
had seeped into Byron’s voice, heightening the tension of the situation. But
the bully caught himself at the end and regained his senses as he again led his
friends in a chorus of laughter. He decided to taunt Rowan again.

“What
was it that you were talking to Darius about anyway? From what I’ve heard, it
seems like you were trying to get out of competing in the Revel. Is it true?
Are you actually that scared and weak?”

“Why
don’t you just leave, Byron? I don’t want to deal with you right now.”

Rowan
knew that he shouldn’t have spoken. There were four of them, and while Rowan
could probably take any one of them on individually, he wouldn’t stand a chance
against all of them,

“What
was that,
lolfar
?” Byron said, taking a menacing step forward. “I don’t
think I like the way you’re talking to me.”

Rowan
took a step back. It was hard to allow Byron to taunt him, but Rowan wanted to
avoid physical conflict. He had been warned against fighting by both Baird and
Darius. He was suddenly glad that he was not carrying Tenro. With the blade in
hand, it would be impossible to defend himself without facing serious
consequences. Rowan watched as Byron took another step towards him. He took a
defensive stance, focusing on Byron as he prepared for the worst.

He was
momentarily conflicted over Darius’s orders against fighting, and Byron chose
that unfortunate moment to strike. A heavy blow to the stomach sent Rowan
stumbling backwards. Rowan quickly regained his balance before Byron had
another chance to strike, cursing himself for dropping his guard.

Byron’s
followers erupted into laughter. Insults and jeers were hurled at him, and any
thought of restraint left Rowan immediately. He lunged at Byron and barreled
into him, knocking them both to the ground. Rowan used all of his weight to pin
the larger boy to the ground while he returned the blow he had received
earlier.

Rowan
heard shouts coming from Byron’s friends and he was quickly knocked aside
before he could do too much damage. The blow disoriented him. He felt something
behind his back which he used to steady himself as he stood up, tensing in
preparation for the next blow, which came very quickly and knocked him back to
the ground.

He fell,
dazed and disoriented. Something struck him in the gut as he tried to stand up.
Several more blows followed, forcing Rowan to curl into a ball to protect
himself. The blows seemed endless.

Then,
beyond the sound of pounding fists, Rowan heard shouting. The voice was vaguely
recognizable, but he couldn’t tell who it belonged to.

“Hey!”

The
voice drew closer and suddenly the blows ceased. Rowan heard voices and he
listened as the newcomer shouted again.

“What is
going on here?”

Rowan
recognized the voice as belonging to Erik. And sure enough, when he regained
his senses and looked up past the boys that stood over him, he saw Erik’s
recognizable blond curls.

“Stay
out of this, Erik,” Byron said. Rowan couldn’t see the larger boy, but he could
hear anger in his voice.

“No.
You’ve gone too far this time, Byron. You need to stop this.”

“I
need
to stop this?” The bully let out a barking laugh. “I don’t think so.”

“Byron,
I’m warning you, you’re getting out of hand and you need to stop.”

Erik’s
statement was met with silence. All of the other boys, including Rowan, waited
with apprehension to see how things were going to play out. For several long
moments, Erik and Byron stared each other down to see who would give in first,
Erik’s gaze filled with confident power and Byron’s stare laced with malice and
hatred.

Rowan
could feel the tension between the boys building, and he was worried the two
would come to blows. He was grateful for Erik’s help, but even the two of them
wouldn’t be able to win such a fight.