The Apprentice (29 page)

Chapter 23
                     
 

Breakfast ended quickly and Rowan
immediately threw himself into the morning training. Darius and several other
trainers had them run for a long time before breaking the boys up in order to
work briefly on individual skills. Rowan was made to practice with a bow. Then
it was back to physical exercise in order to strengthen the body. It might have
simply been because of the approaching Revel, but Rowan had the distinct
impression that Darius was working everyone considerably harder today than he
normally would have.

By the
time the sun was high in the sky and midday had arrived, Rowan was exhausted.
He had done more exercises than he could count and he was fairly certain that
the distance he had run would have taken him all the way to the nearest city.
With the Revel coming up, the trainers were allowing the boys the freedom to
work on their own, creating their own training regimens to suit their needs and
particular skills. To this end the trainers even made available equipment that
was normally restricted. However, they strongly encouraged the boys not to
hyper-focus on a single skill or event. As Darius said, “If you’re already good
at something, then you don’t need to focus on it. The more skilled you are, the
more training and practice is required to improve.” His point was that they had
a limited amount of time and it would be wasteful to neglect their other
skills. Rowan knew this to be true, but he felt that it wasn’t going to hurt
him to continue practicing with a blade. Besides, he was doubtful that he would
greatly improve many other skills.

After
the trainees had been released to work as they saw fit, Rowan was joined by
Erik.

“Ho,
Rowan! Are you ready?” Erik asked, grinning.

“How
about we wait and rest for a moment,” Rowan said. “I don’t know about you, but
I’m tired.”

“There
is no rest for the weary. Not with the Revel this close.” Erik pulled Rowan to
his feet and began herding him towards the arms master.

“Why is
everyone so obsessed with this competition?”

“You
really don’t care about the Revel, do you?” Erik asked, to which Rowan silently
shrugged.

“I
suppose it would be less important to you, since you didn’t grow up in the
capitol watching the competitions each year. They are all about skill and
strength and proving that you are better than any other. It offers glory.”
Erik’s voice was filled with reverence and he had a far-off look in his eyes.
Rowan could tell the boy was picturing victory and the excitement of past
games. Something about the way that Erik spoke made Rowan picture his own
victory. Despite what he claimed, Rowan couldn’t help but be drawn to the idea
of testing himself against others and proving his worth. He felt a desire to
prove that he was worthy of the attention that Baird gave him.

Perhaps
having someone to compete with will motive me
, Rowan thought as they approached the arms master.

“Wooden
blades or dulled blades?” the man asked.

Erik
looked to Rowan for an answer. Rowan paused for moment to consider the
question.

“What is
used in the official matches during the Revel?”

“Dulled
practice swords,” Erik responded quickly. “It’s more dangerous but it simulates
actual battle and serves as a better test of skill.”

Rowan
weighed the two options before choosing wooden blades. He took the ones that
were offered to him by the arms master and began walking away with Erik
following.

“Shouldn’t
we be practicing with the metal blades?” Erik asked, taking one of the wooden
ones from Rowan.

“No.
It’ll be easier and more productive to practice with these first. That’s how I
learned with Baird, and after using a real blade it is very clear how much more
effective it is to learn using lighter weapons.”

“It
can’t be that different.”

“Trust
me, there’s a big difference,” Rowan said. “It’s much easier to learn and
master the correct forms with something lighter. Then once you have the muscle
memory, you can switch to a heavier practice weapon in order to get used to the
weight without adopting a poor form.”

“Alright.
If you say so, then I’ll trust your decision,” Erik said.

Together,
the two of them walked across the training fields and found an empty spot where
they could spar. As they walked, Rowan tried to observe the other boys. Some
were doing physical training such as running and sit-ups and push-ups. There
was a small group taking turns wrestling and a few boys were practicing on the
archery range. Across the field, Rowan saw that Byron was also sparring with a
blade. Rowan noted that Byron had chosen to work with the dulled metal blades
and he seemed to be having some trouble adjusting to the increased weight.
Despite this, it was clear that Byron had some knowledge of how to wield a
sword. Rowan watched him use his raw physical strength to overpower his
opponent. He looked away as he saw Byron strike the boy and send him to the
ground.

A pair
of younger boys working side by side captured Rowan’s attention. One of the
boys, the taller one, was shooting arrow after arrow directly into a hanging
branch on a tree while a small boy, who appeared quite young, hung from the
upper branches of the same tree.

Rowan
paused to watch the two boys for a moment before hurrying to catch up to Erik.
When they finally had a suitable location, the two boys took a fighting stance
and prepared to square off.

“Just to
be clear,” Erik began, “there are no cheap shots or striking the opponent while
he is down.”

“Agreed,”
Rowan said. “Also try to avoid the face wherever possible. I would prefer to
keep all of my teeth in my mouth.” As an afterthought he added, “And no
sensitive
areas.”

Erik
laughed as any boy would and heartily agreed.

The two
boys took on the formal sparring stance that they had been taught in training.
Baird had not been overly focused on style or formal sparring.
When you
fight a man in battle, it is nothing like dueling. Stances and forms are useful
teaching aides, but do not expect a man to adopt a stance or strike a pose
before he kills you. If he does, he is a fool and will end up with a sword in
his belly.

Rowan
began moving to the left, hoping to circle around and catch Erik off guard.
Many of the more inexperienced boys got flustered when their opponent moved in
a direction that was not forwards or backwards. They made the mistake of
staying where they were until approached, and then they would try to keep their
distance. It was a bad habit, and Rowan gathered that it had come from watching
nobles dueling, as they only dueled on a dueling strip. They also fought with
rules, and like his master, Rowan found the idea of such dueling practices
ridiculous. Rules were limiting and left you ill prepared in a real fight.

Rowan
watched Erik as he circled, keeping an eye on his footing. He had hoped that
Erik might remain standing still, but Erik knew better than that. The boy
mirrored Rowan’s movements and the two began to circle each other, keeping
their distance.

Despite
what Erik had implied about his level of skill, Rowan knew that he had been
given some lessons on how to wield a blade. The boy had, after all, been in
training for some time.

Rowan
remained wary, not wanting to be overconfident, but after almost a minute of
inaction he decided to make the first move. Swift as an arrow, Rowan stepped
forward and closed the gap, aiming a blow at Erik’s right side. Erik quickly
countered but Rowan forced him backwards as he continued to strike left and
right, searching for a weak spot. Rowan found his movements surprisingly quick,
having become accustomed to Tenro’s weight.

Several
of Rowan’s strikes landed, but Erik ignored those and continued to focus on
deflecting Rowan’s attacks. This was different from how Rowan had recently
started sparring with Baird, stopping after any killing blow and removing the
use of any limb that was struck cleanly. Baird wanted to emphasize the reality
of a swordfight, and it meant that once again Rowan was severely handicapped.
Rowan ignored this and continued to push forward, attempting to quickly
overpower Erik.

He was
caught off guard as Erik suddenly ducked and rolled forward, avoiding a wide
swing and quickly taking Rowan’s back. It was a move that took Rowan by
surprise and left him off balance as tried to turn and backpedal. He was quick,
but Erik was quicker, and Rowan received a heavy strike to the ribs.

The two
of them continued like this for a while, sweating heavily under the sun. It
quickly became apparent that Rowan was the better swordsman. Despite the larger
boy’s advantage of strength and reach, Rowan’s training had noticeably honed
his skills. And after using Tenro, he was much quicker. However, Rowan found
himself struggling to adapt to Erik’s fighting style. After practicing so long
with Baird as his only partner, Rowan had grown used to anticipating his
master’s style. This helped to even the fight between them, but Rowan still
maintained a clear advantage.

By the
time they were finished, their fighting had drawn the attention of several
other boys who had come over to watch them practice. Rowan was dripping with
sweat and heaving from exhaustion. Some of the boys on the sidelines cheered
briefly for the two of them and one of them clapped Erik on the back.

“That
was fun,” Rowan said to Erik, extending his hand to shake.

“I
couldn’t agree more,” Erik replied, taking the hand. “We should keep practicing
together. I have a lot to learn and you make a great sparring partner.”

“As do
you,” Rowan said, returning the compliment. Sparring with Erik had been good
for him, and he welcomed the challenge.

“I
appreciate the compliment,” Erik said. “Hopefully someday soon I’ll be able to
best you when we duel.”

With
that, Erik turned and acknowledged the small gathering of boys who had been
watching. Rowan stood to the side, watching as Erik exchanged pleasantries with
some of them, most of whom Rowan didn’t know. Among them, however, Rowan
noticed the two boys that he had been watching earlier. He couldn’t place a
name to either of them.

The
smaller boy strode over and looked up at him. There was an awkward moment of
silence.

“You
fight really well,” the boy said.

“Thank
you,” Rowan replied, wishing he knew the boy’s name. “I noticed that you have
some talents of your own. I saw you earlier when you were climbing about in the
tree with that other boy over there. You are quite nimble; it must be a useful
talent. I wish I could do that.”

“You
really mean it?”

Rowan
could hear admiration in the younger boy’s voice. “Of course I mean that,”
Rowan said. “I always mean what I say. Being quick and nimble is a useful
skill, especially for scouting. I’m afraid of heights sometimes, so I bet you
could climb circles around me in a tree.” Rowan was stretching the truth a little,
but he could tell that the younger boy was enjoying the praise.

Erik
must have noticed Rowan’s absence from the group, because at that moment he
walked back over to Rowan and pulled him forwards, forcing Rowan to join the
group.

“What
are you two doing off by yourselves,” Erik said. “You should come and join the
rest of us.”

With
that, Erik pulled the boys into the group. Rowan smiled as he joined the others
in their conversation. He laughed at a good joke and made small talk. With Erik
present, it was easy for him to feel welcomed.

Chapter 24
                     
 

Over the following weeks, Rowan and
Erik developed a routine, sparring with each other on a daily basis. Erik
showed a tremendous amount of improvement, and Rowan could tell that he was
improving as well. His new friend was not as skilled a partner as Baird, but he
had a unique style and Rowan welcomed the challenge that he presented.

Their
sparring sessions continued to attract attention as some of the other boys
began to watch and, after a while, began to join them by following Rowan and
Erik’s example and sparring with each other. They were often observed by the
trainers, but it seemed that the instructors were content to let the boys
practice. They did not encourage the boys, and took no active role.

Twice
Baird showed up and observed. Rowan assumed that he had heard about it from
Darius.

When
Baird came, he would stand at a distance and watch the boys without saying
anything. Towards the end, he might offer a few pieces of advice to some of the
boys, as well as to Rowan, before leaving. Baird was helpful enough in the
advice that he gave, but he kept an obvious distance. Rowan wondered if it was
because he did not want to interfere, or perhaps because he thought it better
to avoid showing any preference to Rowan or the other boys. Baird’s presence
seemed to unnerve many of the boys. Erik told him it was because they were
intimidated and in awe of the knight.

To
Rowan, Baird’s presence was merely a mental distraction as he felt his every
movement under observation. He knew that any mistake he made would be called
out later. It was helpful when sparring with Baird alone, but there, during his
training with the others, it was distracting.

As Rowan
and Erik were joined by others, Rowan was able to meet more of the boys and get
to know them on a personal level. Occasionally he would spar with one of them
in addition to his daily bout with Erik. He had already known many of their
names, such as Andrew and Soran, who he would be competing with in the
swordsmanship competition. Others, such as Damien and Heath, were introduced to
him. Heath was the small boy whom he had met on his first day of sparring with
Erik. The boy wasn’t a particularly gifted swordsman, but Rowan learned that he
made up for it as a fairly skilled archer and an amazing runner. Damien was
Heath’s companion, and his better in archery.

Erik’s
acceptance of Rowan and their newfound friendship was a good thing. In the
weeks leading up to the public Revel, Erik shadowed Rowan often and Rowan spent
much more of time in the company of others.

Rowan
also noticed signs that the barracks were becoming divided. The barracks split
into two factions, headed by the older boys Erik and Byron. Erik had more
adherents, but they were quieter. Byron’s followers continued to taunt and
insult Rowan, but not so openly as before.

Gradually,
the Revel drew nearer and people began to prepare for the festivities. To
Rowan, it seemed as though the amount of people in the surrounding city doubled
as the capitol became a hubbub of hurried activity.

The boys
received lectures and directions from Darius and the other trainers and there
was no longer so much free time to practice. By this time they were expected to
have finished their preparations. Baird stopped by to see Rowan, which he
appreciated even though they weren’t able to spar together. His master told him
not to be nervous, and although Rowan had heard it a dozen times already, Baird
informed him of how the Revel was going to be organized and what Rowan should
expect. The biggest problem that many of the boys often had, he said, was the
nervousness that stemmed from being observed by a large crowd. Rowan thanked
Baird for the advice and the information before allowing his master to return
to his duties, which seemed to be more and more pressing and time consuming
lately. But Rowan knew better than to comment on it. If Baird wanted to tell
him, then his master would do so.

Rowan
also saw Princess Eliza in the days before the Revel began. He only caught a
glimpse of her from a distance as she was paraded through the streets with her
father. Both wore formal royal attire and were surrounded by guards and a royal
procession. It was quite a spectacle.

Finally,
the day which marked the beginning of the Revel arrived.