The Cavalier (35 page)

The second gnoll recovered quickly from Jonas’s light and swung its heavy broad sword at Kiln’s back. Kiln knew the gnoll was there and sensed the beast’s attack. He ducked under the heavy blade, stepping backwards into the beast, simultaneously reversing his grip on his knife and slamming the razor sharp blade into the belly of the gnoll as the beast stumbled forward. The knife sank in deep and Kiln spun away, ripping the sharp knife through the gnoll’s bowels as he used his deadly long sword to spear the other injured gnoll right through its left eye. Both gnolls fell to the ground dead as their crimson blood dripped freely from Kiln’s blades. If you blinked twice you would have missed the kills.

Jonas jumped from boulder to boulder, his agility bringing him easily into the clearing. His body glowed brightly and the two gnolls in front of him stepped back from the light.

One gnoll, in desperation, flung its war club at Jonas, trying to extinguish the painful light. Jonas had only a split second to react, using his cognivant powers to stop the club just before it hit him in the face. He focused on the club, wrapping it in energy. It floated in the air for a moment before Jonas used his mind to reverse the direction of the club, sending it somersaulting back towards the astonished gnoll. He felt the familiar dull ache in his head as he used his powers, but it would not be enough pain to significantly affect him. The club hit the gnoll in its forearms as it brought them up to deflect the weapon.

The second gnoll, still slightly blinded by the powerful light, lunged forward, jabbing at Jonas with a long spear. Jonas, trained by the best warrior in Kraawn, reacted on instinct. Instead of retreating, he swayed to the side spinning around the spear point toward the enraged gnoll. The beast’s eyes grew wide in astonishment as Jonas, using the momentum of his spin, swung his sword through the air, slicing a shallow cut across the gnoll’s forehead. The creature stumbled backwards, frantically trying to wipe the blood away from its face as it poured into its beady deep-set eyes. But Jonas did not let him go that easily. As his sword sliced across the beast’s forehead he used his left hand to yank the spear from the wounded gnoll’s grasp. As the blind gnoll stumbled backwards, Jonas spun the spear in his grip so the tip was pointing toward the beast, and jabbed the long weapon forward, lancing the gnoll in the throat.

Jonas pulled out the spear point and the dying creature fell to the ground just as the second gnoll recovered from Jonas’s initial attack and tried to run away into the protection of the night. Jonas spun the spear around again so that the bloody point was facing the fleeing beast. He used his long arms and powerful legs to throw the spear with all his might. It was a left handed throw, but the distance was not so great.

The spear shot through the darkness, hammering into the beast’s back. The power of the throw launched the gnoll to the ground and the dying beast slowly tried to crawl into the cover of darkness. The doomed creature made it about two paces before the fatal wound took its toll and it dropped face first in the dirt.

Jonas spun around to survey the scene. It was all over in a matter of seconds. Kiln moved toward him calmly holding both his blood-covered weapons. Lambeck was busy searching the dead gnolls and yanking his arrows from the corpses.

“Nice work, Jonas. Your light saved us,” Kiln said. Jonas let the light draw back into him until it was nothing more than a slight glow surrounding his body. “Can you hold the light a bit longer while we get the fire lit again?”

“I can.”

“Lambeck, get the fire going and let’s get these bodies dragged out of the clearing. I’m hungry and my beef smells good.”

***

They saw no more of One Eye’s warriors, but nonetheless Kiln made sure that the areas surrounding his home were scouted regularly. They also had to continue surveying their cattle to make sure no more animals were being stolen.

With all of this happening, Jonas’s training continued. Kiln began to train him in hand to hand fighting. Jonas had learned a little during his time with the knight apprentices, but again he realized the hard way that he was still just a novice. He spent many evenings training with Kiln and the other men, and most of his time was spent flying through the air to land hard on his back.

Kiln was unstoppable, his speed and strength with the sword carried over in hand to hand combat as well. It was the Sharneen, a war-like tribe that lived far to the east, who had taught Kiln their secrets of combat. Kiln explained to Jonas that they were a small people, slight of build, with narrow eyes spaced wide, but they trained their bodies to have great power and speed. Kiln learned much from them, and they from him. He trained their chiefs in formation fighting, while they taught him secrets of the blade and hand to hand fighting. These were the secrets that Kiln now taught to Jonas.

“Jonas, the key is balance. Always be on the balls of your feet, so you can move quickly in either direction. You want to use an opponent’s energy and momentum against them,” Kiln explained. “If they punch you, don’t retreat or shy from the punch as most fighters do. Move into the punch and redirect their energy so you are in control.”

Kiln showed Jonas how to redirect an attack to one’s advantage. He taught him how to throw an opponent and how to immobilize him with wrist locks, submission holds, and pressure points. Jonas learned that there was a difference between fighting to avoid hurting someone, and fighting to maim or kill an opponent. Jonas learned that the throat, groin, sternum, kidneys, and joints were the locations to direct an attack to completely disable an opponent.
 

Kiln built a wooden frame of a man for Jonas to practice his strikes. He taught him how to strike without hurting himself, how to use his palms, the sides of his hands, his shins, knees, elbows, and forearms as weapons. The strikes hurt at first, but after a while the pain subsided as his body adapted to the hits. After months of training he began to build up calluses from constantly hitting the wooden dummy. Jonas’s powers were substantial, but they had their limits, therefore he was happy to learn any skill that would help him survive.

“I think I will have to make a new wooden dummy for you,” commented Kiln as he walked up to Jonas. Jonas had been practicing on the dummy for an hour and he was sweating heavily. The dummy was indeed in bad shape; the wood had taken a beating, especially in the strike points that Jonas constantly worked. Months ago his hands would be bleeding, but not now. They were strong, the striking areas covered with thick skin. He stepped back from the dummy and took a long drink from his water skin.

“Your form has improved,” Kiln complemented Jonas.

“Thank you, sir,” replied Jonas as he set the water skin down. His upper body was bare and there was a layer of glistening sweat that covered his lean muscular torso. His God Mark shone brightly as the mountain sun reflected off the silver and blue etchings. It had grown some, now covering most of his torso.

Kiln sat down on the wood fence that penned in his sheep. “Do you know how long you’ve been here, Jonas?” he asked softy.

“Yes, sir. I have been so absorbed in my training that time has meant little to me. Do you want me to leave?” asked Jonas, wondering where Kiln’s questioning was going.

“You have been here for over two winters, Jonas, surely you know that.”

“Yes, sir, I do.”

“Do you not want to go to Annure as you previously planned?” asked Kiln in a fatherly voice.

“I do, sir. I know I’ve been here longer than was previously arranged. It’s just that I’ve never felt more alive and at home than I do here, with you and your men. I do not want that to go away.”

“I see,” Kiln said with understanding. “I, too, have enjoyed your company, and your friendship. You are gifted with skill and power that I’ve seldom seen. But it is not your destiny to stay here secluded in the mountains with me. Take it from someone who knows, seclusion does not solve your problems.”

“I know, sir. I have known that all along. I guess that is why I was trying to stretch this time out as long as I could. I know that once I leave here, that my life will be filled with constant struggles.” Jonas wiped his dripping brow with his hand and looked up at Kiln, his long sweaty brown hair glued to his forehead, and his deep brown eyes filled with emotion.

“I understand. Are you afraid?” asked Kiln.

“I am, but not for me. I’m not afraid to die, I realize that now. I should have died years ago with my mother.” Jonas hesitated for a moment. “I’m afraid to fail. I’m afraid I am not strong enough to serve Shyann. I’ve been weak my whole life and this power is new to me. I wonder if she picked the right person.”

Kiln laughed and shook his head. “Jonas, trust me. She picked the right man. You have a pure heart. I’ve been around fighting men my entire life, and believe me, she did not fail in her choice. You are on your way to being one of the best swordsmen I have ever seen, and you have powers that will get you through the tasks ahead. I can feel it.”

“Sir, do you have faith in the gods?”

Kiln paused for a moment before answering. “I have faith in myself and my friends, nothing more.”

“I see. Do you ever feel like praying?”

“Jonas, the gods are real, I will not deny that, but I question many things, all of which keep me from praying to anyone. I rely on myself. My success or failure will fall on my shoulders only. Praying means you are relying on others. That can be dangerous for a warrior. Do you understand?”

“I do, but what things do you question?” Jonas asked, leaning on the railing as he put on his cotton tunic.

“I question the gods’ motives. Who they are and what they want. The world we live in can be a terrible place. I have seen awful things and I wonder why the gods would allow it. Why does a poor farmer, who can barely feed his family, slaughter a lamb before and after the farming season as a gift to his god? Does his god require it? If so, why do they not help these people live a better life? There are many things about religion that makes no sense to me, Jonas.”

“Perhaps the gods don’t have the power to change everything.”

“Maybe, but why do the priests preach the opposite. And why do many of these same priests live a pampered life in their big temples paid for by the coin and sweat of the poor. The system is corrupt, Jonas, and I will not give my allegiance to a god that allows that to happen.”

“Maybe the gods don’t have total control over what happens here. Maybe corrupt men created the corrupt system, not the gods. Maybe the gods struggle to do right in this world, but their power is not inexhaustible. Or maybe they allow man to do as he will to test his character. Shyann is good. I can sense it, feel it, everything about her resonates hope and courage. Isn’t that something to believe in?”

“For you, yes, she chose you to help her. I believe she chose well. But there is no place in my heart for the gods. Besides, there are too many
maybes
in your argument. I believe in what I can see and hold in my hands, my friends, honor, courage, and my sword. I do not deny the god’s existence or their power, but their purpose and their role in our lives is unclear to me. And until I have clarity, I will continue to pray to no one.”

“I see. It is a difficult topic of discussion. As you said there are many unknowns when it comes to the gods. But I feel good about believing in something other than my sword and myself. I am Shyann’s ally against evil. Shyann’s purpose is linked to mine, I can sense it, and until I feel differently, my sword will uphold her will.”

“I respect your principles, Jonas. As I said, Shyann has chosen well.”

“Thank you, sir. I owe much to you. You have taught me things that I never dreamed of knowing.”

“I want to thank you too, Jonas,” Kiln replied.

“For what?”

“For awakening a part of me that was dead for many years. I tried to escape something that I couldn’t face. I tried to bury a part of me that has always burned like an ember deep in my soul. I am a warrior Jonas, pure and simple. My skills are being wasted away in this mountain retreat because I was not strong enough to face my fears. I do not want to die up here. I want to die with my sword in my hand. You have made me realize this, and I thank you for it.”

Jonas smiled warmly at Kiln, unaccustomed to seeing any hint of emotion in the hard man. “I knew you were not all ice and muscle,” grinned Jonas.

Kiln smiled and stood up. “Don’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t. I wouldn’t want to ruin your reputation.”

“A reputation that I will have to repair when I leave here with you,” Kiln said seriously, the hint of a smile slowly emerging.

Jonas looked at Kiln in surprise. “Really! You’re going to leave with me?”

“I am. As soon as this winter is over, we leave for Annure.” Now Kiln was smiling openly, and Jonas couldn’t help but laugh in excitement.

***

The winter was long and cold and Jonas grew frustrated as he was not able to train as usual. He continued to hunt the forests around him with Lambeck when the weather permitted. There were no more gnoll signs, and the winter days melted away without any major incidents.

He exercised with Kiln inside the barn, keeping their muscles strong, and training with sword and fist. But he felt locked up, not being able to run the hills and climb the steep cliffs that surrounded them. At the same time, Jonas was excited because each day took him closer to when the snows would subside and he and Kiln would venture out into the unknown.