Chapter Two

     Time passed slowly, as did the road beneath
him.  Farmhouse after farmhouse to either side.
He wasn't traveling along any large trade routs
so he didn't have to worry about other traffic,
or worse, bandits.  Still, he always had the
dagger his father had given him on his side, just
in case.
     Johdi watched the farmers work their fields,
herd their animals, and basically do all the
regular work that running a farm entails.
Watching the father's and sons working the land
together reminded him of the times he helped his
father in the fields.  The Warm summer sun
shining down on their backs, it was a harsh
contrast to the dreary fall clouds covering the
sky now.
     The fields were all in desperate need of
harvesting.  The farmers, their wives, children,
and anyone else they could scrounge up where out
working, trying to get as much of it in before
they where lost to insects, or the first frost.
He wished he was back home, where he'd be able to
help his family.  They had enough people already,
but it never hurt to get the crops in just that
much sooner.  He wished his father would have let
him stay until the end of the harvest season,
maybe until Sovven festival.  He'd always enjoyed
those.  That was one of the few times when he
didn't have to be cruel to the children.  The
children could eat sweets and run around in their
masks and the wives would watch them and laugh,
or feign terror when one would surprise them.  It
was certainly more fun than burning the children
as the Karsites did.  Then once the merriment was
over, THEN he could have left.  The crops would
be in from the fields and the animals warm in the
stables.  Maybe then, his father would have had
the free time to take him to the school himself.
Then he would have had someone to talk to on this
bloody long ride.  He loved listening to his
fathers stories of when he was a boy.  The
battles with the raiders, the pranks he and his
friends would play.  Even when he told Johdi
about someone getting killed, it was never sad.
They had done everything they could. That was why
he was being sent off now.  His father was giving
him all that he could to ensure the continuation
of the holding.  For when it becomes Johdi's
land, it will be his job to defend it, and his
father wants him to be able to defend it to the
best of his ability, to keep his wives and family
safe.  This was Johdi's purpose.  The holding
comes first, for without the group, the
individual can't survive.  He kept that in mind
as he approached the large building in front of
him, the school of his future master.

"Woe there!  You must be the new student.  I'll
take your horse to the stables.  The master will
want to see you as soon as possible in the sallè,
that's that big building over there.  Also, a bit
of advice, don't go easy one him.  He may look
old, but he's still stronger than he looks.  He
can whoop a little like you, and he will.  He
won't go easy on you, so try your hardest if you
want to be keeping from getting a lot of
bruises."
     Johdi was about to object to being called a
little, but the boy, almost a head and a half
taller than him, was already rushing off to the
stables, and to him, he probably did look like a
little.  However, if the muscles on the boy who
took his horse are any indication, he wouldn't be
mistaken for a little much longer.
     Johdi walked up to the building, and it
seemed to keep growing as he got near it.
Finally, standing in the doorway, he was
speechless.  This was the largest open space he'd
ever seen indoors, and it was filled with boys of
varying ages and sizes, all practicing something,
though he wasn't sure what.  They would slap at
each other for a while then one of them would fly
to the ground.  He hadn't seen anything like it
before.  An old man was talking to one of the
pairs and was showing them something.  As the boy
who took his horse had said, he was older than
Johdi expected.  Is hair was streaked with grey
and his face looked hard and leathery.  He
carefully picked his way through the piles of
tumbling bodies, trying not to interfere with
their sparing if that's what it was.  They seemed
to take little notice of him, or if they did,
their opponent quickly made use of the
distraction.

     As soon as he saw the boy walk into his
salle he knew he'd have his work cut out for him.
The look of wonder and confusion in his eye's, so
common among the Holderkin boys that where sent
to him, didn't reassure him of his new pupil's
knowledge.  Few of the boys had ever seen real
combat or the real world.  None had traveled more
than a few furlongs from their father's holding.
On their father's holding they where gods, then
they where sent to him, and it was HIS job to
make them men.
     This one, like so many before him, when
asked to show him what he knew, took a sword much
too heavy for his underdeveloped muscles.
Straining to swing the heavy practice weapon as
fast as he could, he quickly tired himself out.
As well as giving him plenty of time to see, and
block the swing.  This one was sadder to watch
than most.  He'd not even chosen the largest
sword on the wall and he was still struggling to
even keep the tip off the ground.  A few harsh
looks had silenced the laughter before it had
really started.
     This one's father had said his son was in
pathetic shape, but he was doing well enough with
what little he had, and he certainly had spunk.
Even after complexly exhausting himself, the boy
kept coming at him.  He feared that if he didn't
stop this soon, the child would run himself until
he passed out.  The fact that his blows had no
effect hadn't discouraged him in the slightest.
And the blows that the boy took scarcely phased
him.  He just kept going with a single-mindedness
that was both impressive, and pathetic.
     "Hold!  I've seen enough.  Come to my
office.  We must discus what you'll be learning
under my tutelage."

Figures.  Letters.  Maps.  This was supposed to
be to help him defend his family, but when he's
not reading from some book, he was just learning
how to get thrown to the ground.  For weeks now,
it's been the same thing.  He was getting
impatient.  Letting the older students throw him
around like a sack of grain.  His master would
watch him and say things like, "good job,” and
"you’re doing very well" but then he'd tell Johdi
go back and do it again, while all the other
students got to work with the weapons.
     The books he had to read where basically the
same things the heralds tested them on, so he
knew most of it and didn't pay attention.  After
all, this was not what he was being sent here to
do.
     His master must have sensed this.  For one
day, wile everyone else was practicing that odd
slapping and tumbling thing he'd seen but had yet
to figure out, his master took him to an isolated
corner of the salle.  Johdi was excited figuring
that finally he'd be able to start doing the
things the other students where doing.
     "Johdi, why did you come here?"
     It seemed like a trick question, it was too
simple not to be, but unable to find the trap he
simply answered, "My father decided that I would
need better training if I was to ever be able to
defend a holding of my own, Sir"
     "And have you ever thought about what kind
of people you'll have to defend them from?"
     "Raiders, I suppose.  Sir"
     "What about merchants?"
     "How could merchants be a threat, Sir?"
Maybe their guards, but still, he couldn't
remember ever hearing of a trade caravan
attacking Shensholding.
     "Those merchants are after your money just
as greedily as the raiders who attack and murder
your families.  If they see that your knowledge
of figures isn't as sharp as theirs, they will
use that to get as much from you as they can.
It’s the same way with maps.  And with writing.
All that I'm teaching you is for your own
protection.  If you don't set your mind to
learning all the things I teach you, and to my
satisfaction, and not just what you think you
should be learning, well, you might as well leave
now.  Because you'll never be more than the
little boy you are now.”
     "I'm not a little boy, sir, and I promise.
If you'll take me back, I'll apply myself to your
lessons, and all your lessons, to the best of my
ability.  Sir."
     "I have your word on that?"
     "Yes, sir."
     "Good, then I can finally start you on
something new. I was getting tired of watching
you fall over.  Step over here.  See that target
on the wall over there.  I want to put this
knife, as close to the center of it as you can,
while standing behind this line."  He said as he
dug his heel in the soft dirt covering the floor
of the salle, creating said line.  "Here, just
like this" and he threw one of the knifes,
hitting, and sticking into the little red circle
in the middle on the target.  "Now you try"
     He threw the knife, and it clinked off the
wall.  It hadn't even hit the outer most circle
of the target.  The sword master gave him a few
tips and by the end of the lesson, Johdi could
reliably get the knife to stick into the wall,
though not necessarily in the target.  Over the
next few weeks, however, he would increase both
his accuracy and his distance.

     Johdi was excited, after spending a week in
extra practices, he'd proven to his master that
he had learned enough to be included in the
regular sessions with the other students.  So,
there he was with the other student's all putting
on their `light' practice armor, light only
meaning that it was made of thick leather and not
metal plates.  The armor fit about as well as
could be expected, though to him it still felt
thick and bulky though   it didn't hinder his
movements as much as he had thought it would.
The first time he put it on he thought he was
going to fall over, not being used to the added
weight, but after a week of training in it, the
weight didn't bother him as much.
     "Fall in!"  The sword master celled to them.
The students responded by arranging themselves
into lines or ten each.  Johdi was happy, finally
being taught right along side the other students.
     "Ok, we'll be doing single blade practice
today, one handed only.  Choose whichever ones
you want from the wall, but if I see anyone with
one larger than they can handle, I'll want you to
show me you can handle it.  You know the rules.
You, Derek, I want you to fill Johdi in on
things, this being his first time and all.  OK,
the rest of you, partner up, and get to work."
     "Hi, I'm Derek" The sandy haired boy next to
him said as everyone split off and began to warm
up.  Derek was the same height as Johdi, and
maybe a little older too, though he wasn't any
more developed.  He couldn't recall ever having
talked with him before.  He didn't sit with
Johdi's friends during meals.  Johdi always
figured him for more of the brainy type and
wondered what he was doing at a school like this.
     "I'm Johdi.  You don't look holder kin,"
Johdi said bluntly.
     "No, I'm not.  Over here, I usually like to
spare over here, that way we don't have the
bigger students laughing at us, at the very
least, we can't hear them."  Johdi gave a little
laugh, and Derek smiled, "Here, this one looks
about right for you.  It's the same as the one I
usually I use," and handed him a short practice
weapon.  Short, but it might have been an inch
longer than he'd been practicing with.  Johdi
didn't say anything though and just started doing
a quick warm up, as Derek started his own.
     Johdi attempted striking up a conversation,
"So, where are you from then?  If you're not
holderkin that is?"
     "A little place west of here, you wouldn't
have heard of it.  Well, I'm ready when you are."
     "Sure let’s go.  What's it like where you're
from?"  Johdi asked as he set himself in the
opening stance he'd been taught.
     Derek started off with a few slow swings
which Johdi easily blocked, in turn Johdi
returned with a few of his own.  Meanwhile, Derek
was telling him about the place he was from, the
land, the people, and the weather.  Johdi was
having problems following it though, having to
concentrate too hard on blocking to really hear
what was being said.
     "So what's it like where you're from?"
Johdi heard him ask as the string of blows
stopped coming at him.
     "Same thing pretty much, I'm sure you've
heard more about tat place from the other
students than you would have cared to hear in
your whole life."
     "Not really, the other student's don't talk
about it much.  And definitely not to me.  Guess
I'm a bit of an outsider.  So really, what's it
like there?"
     "Umm, can you answer me something first?
Are you going easy on me?"
     "Ya, of course.  This is your first day."
     "I've been doing this for a long time."  :A
week counts as a long time, right?:  "I think I
can handle any thing you've got."
     A little stunned by Johdi's request, he
nonetheless nodded, "you sure?"  Johdi nodded,
"ok then, ready."  Johdi nodded again.
     The first blow Johdi saw in time, and
blocked.  Too bad, it was only a feint.  The
second he never saw coming, the quick horizontal
blow caught him at the base of his padded helm.

     Johdi woke up with a huge headache.  He
blinked a few times.  His vision was a little
blurred.  It cleared quickly but the pain stayed.
Leaving him confused.  How did he get that sword
around that quickly?  Derek hadn't looked any
stronger than himself, maybe a probably even less
so.
     "Oh good, you're awake.  I was afraid I'd
hit you a too hard.  Try to follow my fingers
with your eyes.  No, don't try to move.  I'm so
sorry about that.  But, you seemed so confident."
It was Derek, of course.
     "Everything ok over here?"  Now it was the
sword master.  Just great, his first day and he
gets laid out,
     "I'm fine, sir, just forgot to duck.  I'll
bee fine," Johdi said as he pushed himself
vertical"
     "That's good, take a min to- "the world spun
around Johdi, and he stumbled a bit and fell back
on his butt.  "Oh, that's enough, you're done for
today."  He felt his master's arms sweep him up
and the world spun around again.  He clenched his
eyes shut tightly to try to stop it.  "You've
probably got a concussion.  Hopefully it's
nothing serious, but either way I want to you in
bed.  I'll have one of the student's bring
something for you to eat at meals.
     With that, the last of his self-respect was
gone.  All the student's would laugh at him.
Being carried out of the salle like some teary
eyed little, for he was crying.  With his self-
respect gone, there was nothing left for him but
duty.  He was here for a job.  If he couldn't
prove himself to his friends, the students, he'd
prove himself to his father.
     The student's reaction when he returned to
practice only confirmed what he knew.  They
laughed.  Joked at him, patronized him.  Whatever
camaraderie he thought he had with them was lost.
H told himself that he didn't need them.  He
stopped talking with them.  He withdrew.  For his
snubbing them, their feelings for him got worse,
and so Johdi withdrew deeper.  Even after the
teasing died down, his life reduced itself to
nothing more than books and sparing.

     Several moons after Johdi arrived at the
sword master's school, he had proven himself a
most capable student.  He had caught up to the
others of his age in skill though not in
strength.  The master praised him often for his
eagerness to do even the most mundane, trivial,
or difficult of task.  Often the other students
would often be told something and go back and do
the same thing they had just done and mess up the
next several attempts.  This was Johdi's
advantage.  And one of his only ones. But it
brought him to the head of most of his classes.
     There was much competition among the more
advanced students and everyone wanted to fight
for the place of being the best in the class.
After only a couple moons, Johdi found himself in
this spot with his knife throwing.  That day what
little safty in anymninity he'd gainded was lost.
The advanced student's turned on him.  He was no
longer the weak little runt who had only just got
there.  The next day during sword practice, he
noticed everyone he sparred against was swinging
much harder.  This made the swings easier for him
to see coming and easier to get a hit in after.
And after easily scoring a kill on several
sparing partners in a row, the sword master put
against the student who was by far, the best in
the class at fighting with single sword.  He knew
he didn't have a chance.  The look he got from
the student assured him that he knew that too.
At the sword master's command to "lay on" he
immediately rushed at Johdi with an over head
swing that threatened to flatten his head.
Training took over as he stepped towards him and
to the side a moment before the sword would have
dented the little practice helmet covering his
skull.  Johdi's wooden sword connected with his
opponent's padded jerkin smoothly just below the
ribs.  His opponent's sword went wild as he tried
to turn his smashing blow to Johdi's new
position.  But he had put too much strength into
it and couldn't stop it and it whiffed through
the air harmlessly.  Johdi's second swing to his
back was a little unnecessary but it was a part
of the training.  The master had taught them
never to assume any of our blows are enough to
disable your opponent.  To that end students
where supposed to keep swinging until the
opponent taps out or the opponent is obviously no
longer to defend himself.  Johdi's second swing
accomplished this by knocking his opponent's
already off balance stance to the ground.  He
landed with a loud rattle but then there was
silence everywhere else.  They had all stopped
sparring to watch me get pummeled and where no in
awe.  The new kid had seemingly overnight turned
from pathetic nothing, to the best student in the
school.  It seemed impossible.  But that was just
luck, Johdi thought to himself.  His opponent had
been stupid.  But that's why you spar.  So you
can make the mistakes now, when they don't
matter, in hopes that you won't make them when
the raiders come after your wives.  Johdi was
looking around so he almost didn't notice the
sword master calling "lay on" for the second
time.  The second bought was a little longer than
the first.  There was a simple exchange which
resulted in nothing but tapping swords.  Then
without warning, he let out a hard horizontal
swing.  Now, when facing an opponent who can pick
you up with one arm, blocking has very little
effect.  So Johdi took a step back and the swing
missed him.  Johdi's response was simply a
forehand swing to the head.  And the bought was
VERY over.  His opponent was lying on the floor
looking kind of dazed as hits to a helmet tend to
do.  The sword master's voice broke the silence,
"All of you, get back to practice.  Johdi, come
with me."
     Johdi was scared.  Had he unknowingly done
something wrong?  Did he injure a student?  His
mind was full of fear and questions as the sword
master led him from the salle.  Once outside the
heavy doors the cold wind hit them.  But he
shrugged it off and the sword master spoke again,
"Johdi,  you've been with us here for just three
moons and you've already raised to the front of
two classes.  It won't be too long until you're
also leading in archery and your other classes.
In fact, you have learned more in three months
than most students learn in a year.  You have
little to none in the way of natural talent.  But
you've been learning faster than anyone else in
your class has.  You're here like most of the
holderkin I take in, here to learn how to fight
off raiders and defend their families.  And to
teach their sons how to do the same some day.  I
could have you at that level in just a few
months, but I'd have to take you on as a special
student.  Of I'm afraid none of these students
will be able to keep up with you.  They are all
too full of pig headed self-assurance that they
know the best ways already.  But you have been,
while certainly not my most talented student, my
most eager student.  You have also learned at a
rate I would have thought impossible for someone
your age.  And once your frame fills out, I have
no doubt you'll be more than competent.  So, what
say you, shall you become my personal student?
It would mean attending several hours of practice
in addition the regular classes with the other
students."
     Johdi was ecstatic.  He was certain he would
be getting kicked out for disgracing the master's
prize student.  And now he was becoming that
himself.  Without any delay, he practically
yelled.  "Eye sir, I would like that VERY much!"
     "Great.  I shall write your father of this
immediately.  I'm sure he'll be happy to learn
you'll be returning home so soon.  unless...
Son, have you ever thought of joining the guard?
You might not have the build for heavy cavalry,
but you could make a great skirmisher, or
possibly light cavalry.  Your skill in the
equestrian classes has been more than adequate."
     "Honestly, I've never thought about it.
Joining the guard, that is.  I've just always
assumed I'd be going back to take over my
father's farm and raise my own family.  I mean.
Who's going to take care of all his wives if
something happens to him?  No...  I think I'll be
going back to him as soon as I've learned all my
lessons to your satisfaction.  Sir."
     "That's right honorable, son.  The guard
will be a loss for your absence.  You'd have
probably been made officer before your third
year.  All the same, the first of your private
lessons shall be tonight.  Be in the salle an
hour after evening meal."
     Johdi nodded and the sword master put a hand
on his shoulder and led him back inside.