great warrior. Harner is a boy with an imagination. Char made that clear enough," Sahrena replied without looking at her daughter. "Go to the practice-grounds the next time Harner is scheduled. Watch what Char has him doing. I think you'll find him to be less than you think he is."
Dorvina did as her mother suggested. What she found dismayed her. Harner was working out against the boys of the next year-group—and losing. Boys as much as two years younger and far smaller were tapping Harner's armor with depressing regularity. It was only when he got mad and started trying to really hurt someone that he finally connected, and that boy was only Stavin's size. The boy had fallen backwards out of the circle; if not for the Warmaster's shout to “leave off,” Dorvina thought Harner would have kept going even though his opponent was down. That would have been a deeply dishonorable act.
Dorvina returned to her home in tears and threw herself on the bed and cried her heart break out. How could Harner do that? He swore he was better than Stavin— That brought her up short. Has it all been a lie?
She didn't come to the evening meal.
* * *
Sharindis obeyed her father's command three days later. She made her way to the practice ground and listened for his voice. Once she knew which shadow he was, she walked unerringly toward him.
"You wanted to see me, Warmaster?" she asked, coming to attention just as one of the male warriors would have done.
"Yes, Sharindis, I did," Warmaster Kel'Horval said with a small bow. "These are my third-year boys. A few of them believe they are ready to join the expedition already. Would you care to explain to them the error of their ways?"
Sharindis bowed deeply and said, "As you wish, Warmaster."
Charvil smiled at his daughter and then frowned at his students. He snapped, "Eldric, Jallan, Geove, front and center," and scowled as three of the eight-year-old boys ran to face him.
"Sir!" they said in unison as they snapped to attention.
The Warmaster frowned, though it was hard to do considering what he had planned. "You three seem to think you don't need to pay attention to my lessons. You seem to think you're ready to face anyone. Let's see how you do facing a blind girl."
"But Warmaster," Jallan began as he stepped forward, "she's just a—" Tap . Sharindis' walking staff struck his breast plate directly over his heart.
"You're dead," Sharindis said softly. "I'm going to hate telling your mother about it."
"That's not fair!" Jallan squalled. "I wasn't ready! I'll show—" Tap tap. Sharindis struck him in the chest and stomach. He turned toward her and attacked, girl or not. As he turned her staff smacked into his chest again, then his back as she lightly dodged his strike.
"Do you really think bandits in the lowlands are going to wait for you to be ready?" she asked, following his moving shadow with her whole body.
"You're just a girl!"
"And I just killed you four times," Sharindis replied.
"Did not!" Jallan cried. "You cheated!"
"There is no cheating in battle, Jallan," the Warmaster said as he stepped forward. "There is what works and what doesn't. Geove, would you care to try your luck?"
"No, Warmaster!" Geove said as he stared at Sharindis.
"Eldric?"
Eldric stepped forward and bowed. "Yes, Warmaster." Turning to Sharindis, he bowed, then came to ready. At the Warmaster's clap, he attacked, but Sharindis blocked his strikes. After five exchanges, her staff tapped his breast plate.
"One to Shari," the Warmaster said.
Eldric stepped back, then attacked again. Shari didn't give him a chance. Her staff tapped his armor twice more in rapid succession. After the third tap she brought her staff to salute, and Eldric did as well. "I yield," he said as he bowed deeply to her.
The Warmaster stepped forward and looked at the three boys. "Now, you've just been beaten by a blind girl. Do you have anything to say?"
The three boys came together and snapped to attention. "Our apologies,
Dorvina did as her mother suggested. What she found dismayed her. Harner was working out against the boys of the next year-group—and losing. Boys as much as two years younger and far smaller were tapping Harner's armor with depressing regularity. It was only when he got mad and started trying to really hurt someone that he finally connected, and that boy was only Stavin's size. The boy had fallen backwards out of the circle; if not for the Warmaster's shout to “leave off,” Dorvina thought Harner would have kept going even though his opponent was down. That would have been a deeply dishonorable act.
Dorvina returned to her home in tears and threw herself on the bed and cried her heart break out. How could Harner do that? He swore he was better than Stavin— That brought her up short. Has it all been a lie?
She didn't come to the evening meal.
* * *
Sharindis obeyed her father's command three days later. She made her way to the practice ground and listened for his voice. Once she knew which shadow he was, she walked unerringly toward him.
"You wanted to see me, Warmaster?" she asked, coming to attention just as one of the male warriors would have done.
"Yes, Sharindis, I did," Warmaster Kel'Horval said with a small bow. "These are my third-year boys. A few of them believe they are ready to join the expedition already. Would you care to explain to them the error of their ways?"
Sharindis bowed deeply and said, "As you wish, Warmaster."
Charvil smiled at his daughter and then frowned at his students. He snapped, "Eldric, Jallan, Geove, front and center," and scowled as three of the eight-year-old boys ran to face him.
"Sir!" they said in unison as they snapped to attention.
The Warmaster frowned, though it was hard to do considering what he had planned. "You three seem to think you don't need to pay attention to my lessons. You seem to think you're ready to face anyone. Let's see how you do facing a blind girl."
"But Warmaster," Jallan began as he stepped forward, "she's just a—" Tap . Sharindis' walking staff struck his breast plate directly over his heart.
"You're dead," Sharindis said softly. "I'm going to hate telling your mother about it."
"That's not fair!" Jallan squalled. "I wasn't ready! I'll show—" Tap tap. Sharindis struck him in the chest and stomach. He turned toward her and attacked, girl or not. As he turned her staff smacked into his chest again, then his back as she lightly dodged his strike.
"Do you really think bandits in the lowlands are going to wait for you to be ready?" she asked, following his moving shadow with her whole body.
"You're just a girl!"
"And I just killed you four times," Sharindis replied.
"Did not!" Jallan cried. "You cheated!"
"There is no cheating in battle, Jallan," the Warmaster said as he stepped forward. "There is what works and what doesn't. Geove, would you care to try your luck?"
"No, Warmaster!" Geove said as he stared at Sharindis.
"Eldric?"
Eldric stepped forward and bowed. "Yes, Warmaster." Turning to Sharindis, he bowed, then came to ready. At the Warmaster's clap, he attacked, but Sharindis blocked his strikes. After five exchanges, her staff tapped his breast plate.
"One to Shari," the Warmaster said.
Eldric stepped back, then attacked again. Shari didn't give him a chance. Her staff tapped his armor twice more in rapid succession. After the third tap she brought her staff to salute, and Eldric did as well. "I yield," he said as he bowed deeply to her.
The Warmaster stepped forward and looked at the three boys. "Now, you've just been beaten by a blind girl. Do you have anything to say?"
The three boys came together and snapped to attention. "Our apologies,
Similar Books
