Chapter Three: Talen
”Berit!”
Yup, my best mate, Berit himself, looking very Knightly and Churchy walked right into the Trainee barracks. Grinning, he walked over to me and grabbed my hand firmly.
”How’s training, Talen?” he asked, his deep voice asked me. I rolled my eyes.
”Berit, you know me, right?” I asked him, and he nodded with a confused look on his face. “Then you already know the answer to that.”
Berit smiled at my answer. “I should have thought that you wouldn’t have changed,” he told me. I nodded seriously.
”Yes, you should have. Shame on you, Mr. Knightly,” I answered. “Speaking of that, how’s the business?”
Berit shrugged. “All I’ve been doing was border patrols. Everything’s been real quiet ever since Sparhawk illuminated our only real enemy. Put down a few wildfires among the Stryic villages and the townspeople, but besides that, very boring.” A sudden grin leaped to his face. “I heard you’re duty once you’re knighted,” he said slyly. I shrugged as he had done.
”Yeah, well, you said it yourself. Peace is a boring thing – it’s not like I’ll do much besides listen to Danae’s jabber.” But Berit wasn’t convinced.
”I thought Danae was your friend,” he said. I twisted my lips wryly.
”Well, she is, don’t get me wrong, but she can talk your ears off,” I replied. Berit grinned; he had been doing that a lot lately.
”I seem to remember a young man who could chew your ears off – and mostly with complaints,” he told me, eye brows raised. I scowled at him, and he laughed.
”Come on, Trainee,” he told me, slinging an arm over my shoulder. “Let’s go get something to eat.”
I brightened up at the word “eat.” “Now you’re talking,” I told him, and we walked to the mess halls.