B2 Chapter 1

B2 Chapter 1

Lucan walked into the training yard and paused as his foot squelched in mud. A sense of foreboding came over him as he looked around the yard, finding that nowhere was dry.

It hadnt rained.

Youve been fortunate to fight in favorable conditions so far, his fathers voice came from behind, the knight passing him by and marching out into the yard. It wont always be so. In battle, you may not even rely on the ground to be your ally. That Skill of yours, for instance, how well do you think it will do in wet conditions?

Lucan, still frozen mid-step, gaped at his father before mustering a reply. I dont know.

Then let us find out, the knight said, gesturing at the muddy yard around them.

Lucan allowed himself to continue walking, squelching his way to the middle. His father had raised the intensity and duration of their training since word arrived of the princes campaign. It had been only a few days, but Lucan had been thrashed during them more than hed been thrashed for a year.

Lilian was walking around the rim of the training yard, where it was reasonably dry. Still, she was raising the hem of her dress and eying the ground with distaste. It wasnt the first time shed come to watch them. Lucan doubted the beatings he was suffering were doing well for his image, but he couldnt very well tell her not to come. He also had to admit that she observed most of the customs when it came to her presence as a betrothed. She clapped politely whenever he did something of note, and she carried a handkerchief to hand to him once he was done training.

Lucan took up a training sword that he was growing more familiar with than his real one. His father stood in front of him with a similar weapon. They both wore leather armor to dull any hits they may receive, though his father rarely needed it.

Begin, his father commanded.

Lucan kept his eyes on the knight as he circled and sought a weakness. A delay in his fathers turn announced an opening which he suspected was a ruse. Regardless, he would try. Lucan lowered his body and ate the ground forwardand ended up quite literally eating the ground. The mud had been too thick and wet between them and hed ended up slipping and diving into the muck.

He pushed himself up, spitting out some mud. His father was giving him a familiar look. I didnt say that everywhere was equally wet. Mind the terrain.

As he climbed back to his feet, Lucan grimaced at the taste of muck and nodded at his father with some exasperation. The knight gestured for him to return to his beginning position and Lucan obeyed.

They began anew, circling each other. This time, Lucan eyed the ground cautiously, scrutinizing every bit of it, and that was how he got slapped in the face by the flat of a sword. His cheek exploded with pain and his neck snapped to the side as the knights weapon swung by. Lucan couldnt help but yell in response.

They say its good to keep track of your enemy, his father said, circling him with a leisurely gait.

Lucan held his cheek and gave his father an incredulous look. Do they?

The knight responded with an easy nod.

And who are they? Lucan ground out as he circled in the opposite direction.

Folk who dont make getting a sword to the face habit, his father said.

Lucan wasnt foolish enough to think tales of war entwined with glory were of any truth. What little hed seen of violent conflict had cast light on how much worse a wider clash could be. Perhaps to princes who wielded their politics and commanded their armies, war could be glory, war could be opportunity; but it wouldnt be so for those who knew little of combat and were still obligated to fight. And even for those who knew how to fight, it seldom was, as experience had proven.

Unsurprisingly, Lucan spent the rest of his day on a wild chase through the western forest. Even when their hideout was found, the two brothers werent keen on giving in. But when they chose not to split up as they fled, they sealed their fate. The tracking party caught up to them eventually. Lucan was forced once again to drag someones sons into the growing troop that was being raised, though one of them was quite a bit older than him.

An expanding camp had been formed outside of the bailey, and their men-at-arms were hard at work training and preparing their levied troops. They would march out perhaps twenty days from now, meeting the princes army in Epiza. Before then, their raised troops had to be trained and equipped. Men were expected to bring their own armor if they wanted any, while their estate provided the arms, mostly shields and spears for those without experience with another weapon.

One good thing through all this was that the new buildings in the bailey were all but finished, including the granary; which if they didnt succeed in this campaign would be filled with nothing but dust.

Lucan had had Sawyer also begin building the structure that would later be the Merchant House with which he could hopefully lure more merchants into making the estate their home. But work was still beginning on that building.

His day ended in his fathers study, where the knight and his steward were discussing the coming campaign, and Lucan was attempting to give his head a rest. It was never so simple with his mind though, and it always ended up wandering.

How long do you think it will be? Thomas was saying.

Two months at most, the knight said. Only fools bog themselves down in a prolonged war with the Wildermen, and the king knows that.

Still not without its risk, Thomas said.

Naturally, Sir Golan nodded. Then he grew silent. When the silence stretched, Lucan realized that the knight was staring at him. Youre oddly quiet today.

Lucan shrugged.

What are you thinking then?

Lucan sighed. It was a worthless thought butI was wondering why Master Saltner chose me. Were not the only landed knights in the realm. Were not the richest or the most powerful. Why was he all too happy to tie himself to us when I havent even been knighted yet?

His father and Thomas looked at him as if he was the village idiot and then his father guffawed. Lucan looked askance at him, but the knight kept chuckling and nodded at Thomas.

The steward went on to explain. Youre not just the son of a landed knight, Lucan. Youre the son of a landed knight from a family already ennobled. Theyre not only marrying into this estate, theyre marrying into House Zesh. If nothing else, it comes with its own prestige. There are other considerations to keep in mind too. To raise a knight to lordship is an affair worthy of the realms attention. Its of less note and difficulty when said knight is of prominent noble lineage. Master Saltner knows what he is doing, I can assure you.

Lucans father nodded along with said words.

I see, Lucan said. So its nothing of note about me.

You have not done anything of note yet, Son, his father said. But perhaps soon. Very soon.