The Apprentice Page 26

  “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.

  Chapter 25

  The first day of the Revel dawned hurriedly and hot. The sun rose early, as though eager to begin the day.

  The morning was rushed and everything seemed a flurry of activity. After waking, the boys were quickly dressed and fed before being paraded out onto the field as part of the opening ceremonies. There was music and cheering as Rowan and all of the others made their way onto the training field, which had been completely transformed to accommodate the large crowd of people. There were different areas set up so that multiple events could be going simultaneously and the audience would not have to focus on a single event, instead having the liberty to choose what they watched.

  The ceremonies had begun early in the morning and continued after the boys were led off the fields. Rowan wished that he could stay behind to observe and enjoy the rest of the festivities with the crowds, but that was not his place.

  “Listen up,” Darius said, his booming voice calling the boys to attention. It took several moments for silence to settle as the boys stopped to listen, their conversations quieting to hushed whispers and then fading away entirely as Darius waited, staring into the crowd. “All of you already know which events you are competing in and when they are scheduled. Some of you may have events that run for multiple days, but no one should have any event that overlaps in terms of scheduling and very few of you will have more than one in a single day. Those of you who are not competing today, once you’ve heard what I have to say, you may leave and go join the crowd to cheer on your friends.”

  Rowan noticed several boys smile when they heard that. Like them, Rowan would not compete on the first day and he had been wondering what was expected of the non-competitors.

  “The first and most important thing I want to tell you all,” Darius continued, “is that these events are based around the idea of sportsmanship. Winning is good, but the Revel is truly about testing yourself, pushing yourself to your limits, and proving your abilities to all of the people watching. With that in mind, I expect everyone here to act honorably, in both victory and defeat.” Darius’s eyes swept over them all. Rowan felt them lingering just a moment on him, Erik, and Byron. “Those of you who are free today may now leave and watch with the crowds. The rest of you, gather around the trainer who is in charge of your event so that they can instruct you on how that event will be run.”

  Darius began to read off a list of the trainers who were in charge of each event. Rowan hung around to see who was going to be competing and to wish them luck. He caught Erik as the boy walked over to join the group participating in hand combat.

  “Good luck,” Rowan said. He noticed that Byron had joined the group while Erik had stopped to talk.

  “Thank you, Rowan. Are you not competing today?”

  “I decided to compete in archery as well as in swordsmanship, but neither of the events are today, so I’ll be watching your competition and rooting for you on the sidelines,” Rowan replied.

  “Thank you. Hopefully I’ll do well. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d better join the rest of my group.”

  Erik politely took his leave.

  “Remember to beat Byron for me!” Rowan called out as his friend walked away. This earned him a dirty look from two of the boys standing next to Byron, but the bully himself ignored Rowan’s taunt.

  With Erik gone, Rowan decided to move outside where the crowds had gathered to watch the competition. He looked around and spotted several boys off to one side. He recognized Andrew and Heath and crossed the field to join them. A small section of the field had been roped off for officials and participants, and this was where the boys were waiting for the events to begin. The area offered a complete view of the training fields, which was lucky because the rest of the area was filled with crowds of observers.

  “He is definitely going to win,” Rowan heard someone say as he approached the group.

  “Ho,” Rowan said in greeting. Heath welcomed Rowan and Andrew gave him a slight nod, but the others were too focused on their discussion to notice his arrival.

  “What are they going on about?” Rowan leaned over and asked Andrew.

  “They are speculating on who is going to do well in certain events, evaluating their competition
. They also have bets on some of the other competitions. It is useless to speculate, though.”

  “How come?” Rowan asked curiously.

  “A competition is about more than just a person’s physical abilities. Those things are important too, but victory is about more than that. Luck and circumstance factor into the outcome of a duel. But ultimately victory is about one’s willpower, their spirit. A person must have the will to win; that is what defines a winner.”

  “Hum,” Rowan mused. He could see Andrew’s point, but was reluctant to agree entirely. “Perhaps for a race or a competition of physical endurance,” he said. “But what about technique? Wouldn’t you agree that technique can be a deciding factor? In sword combat, for example, there are instances in which willpower alone would never be enough to win?”

  “No,” Andrew said, suddenly very serious. “One’s technique is a deciding factor, but it is gained through training and hard work, which is part of one’s will to win. Beyond that, if one doesn’t have the will to win, then they will lose to someone who does. Even Baird, with all of his might and skill, could potentially lose to someone who was skilled enough and desired victory with all of their heart. A strong spirit has the ability to overcome immense obstacles.”

  Rowan thought about Baird and all of the times that his master had beaten him. Rowan doubted that Baird would ever lose just because he was not invested in his battle and his opponent desired victory.

  “That desire to win, however, is something that is not easily gained,” Andrew continued. Perhaps he had noticed Rowan’s skepticism. “One must want it with all of their heart. It is more than a desire for victory. All of us have that; everyone desires victory in battle. This is about needing victory, about believing that defeat is not an option and fighting with your entire being in order to win at any cost.”