A World Apart (20 page)

"Yes; he is also your responsibility."  Dominic said, looking at the horse with an appraising eye.  "You will have to make sure he is fed, watered and brushed.  That will have to happen after your training."  He turned back to Armartas.  "Thank you, Armartas.  He is a fine animal.  I knew I could trust your judgment."

"It is my pleasure, Dominic."  Armartas replied.  "I need to get back.  I will leave you to your purpose."  He turned to Jake, giving him a pat on the shoulder.  "Jake, it was nice meeting you.  We will have plenty of time to get to know one another."  With that, he headed back down the hallway.

Dominic allowed Jake another few moments to stroke Dontas' face, then said.  "We have things to do, boy.  You will get to spend more time with your horse later.  Let's go."  Dominic strode towards the open door.  Jake gave Dontas a final pat, then followed Dominic.

Dominic went to the rear of the building, where several corrals were located.  Off to the side of the corrals was a small stone building with a tile roof.  It had a single wooden door and a window on either side of the door.  Dominic went to the building, taking a key from a pouch and unlocking the door.  He went inside and Jake followed.  The building consisted of a single room with a cot against the wall, a small desk and chair, a wardrobe and a small metal stove in the corner.  Dominic unbuckled his sword and dagger and hung the belt from a peg on the wall.  He undid the bindings on his breastplate and removed it, setting it against the wall under his sword. He sat on the cot to remove his vambraces and greaves.

Jake looked over at Dominic.  "Is this your place?"

"When I am in the city."  Dominic replied, finishing removing his armor and stacking it next to his breastplate.  "Armartas is gracious enough to let me keep my things here.  He seems to feel he owes me something."

Dominic looked over at Jake.  "Did you notice his limp?"  Jake nodded.  "He got that wound during a battle we fought out west.  He took an arrow in the knee and went down.  I pulled him out, but we did not have a cleric with us.  The medic patched him up, but he could not stand.  So I put him up on a horse, which is where he should be.  By the time the battle was over, the damage was done and even after healing, he had that limp.  After we got back, I recommended that he work at the stable.  With him teaching riding to the young soldiers, the kingdom is better off because of it."  Dominic smiled briefly.  "Don't be fooled by that limp. On a horse, Armartas is as deadly as anyone I know."

Dominic directed Jake out of his room.  Dominic locked the door and headed back towards the stables.  "Stay here, boy."  He told Jake at the back entrance.  Dominic disappeared into the stables, returning in a couple of minutes with Shadow.  Jake followed as Dominic led Shadow past the corrals to an open stone-paved area with several tie-off posts next to large tubs of water, wooden barrels and coarse-hair brushes.  As Dominic tied Shadow to the nearest post, Jake saw a metal pail stacked on the tub of water.  Dominic stripped off his shirt, indicating that Jake should do the same.  As Jake went to remove his shirt, Dominic grabbed the pail, filled it with water, and dumped it over Shadow's back.  "Grab a brush and get some soap out of the barrel."  He told Jake.

Jake picked up a brush and opened the barrel, finding a fine pinkish white powder with a faint floral scent inside.  He grabbed a handful of the powder and turned back to Shadow.  "Just toss it on the wet areas and gently brush it in.  Once you have worked a section, take the bucket of water and rinse it off."  Dominic told him as he took the other brush and some soap and went to the other side of Shadow.

It took them a good thirty minutes to wash Shadow.  With the sun beating down from a cloudless sky, Jake was sweating profusely by the time they were done.  Dominic left for a moment, returning with a waterskin and several towels.  He tossed the waterskin to Jake and began rubbing down Shadow with a towel.  Jake took a long drink, then handed the waterskin to Dominic and grabbed a towel.

Once they finished, Dominic handed Jake a fresh towel.  Jake dried himself off and put his shirt back on.  Dominic untied Shadow and led him back towards the stable, telling Jake to gather the used towels and put them in a nearby bin.  Dominic explained that the military trainees were responsible for cleaning the towels.

Once they got to Shadow's stable, Dominic tied the horse to a rail outside the stall and handed Jake a shovel.  He had him clean out the stall, then get some fresh straw and spread it around, while he went to get some hay and grain.  Once Dominic was satisfied with the stall's condition and the food and water, he led Shadow in and removed the rein.  He closed and locked the stall door.

"This is something you will need to do for Dontas."  Dominic said as they left the stable.  "You are responsible to make sure your horse is properly cared for.  A properly cared-for horse may be all that stands between you and death.  Remember that."

Dominic went back to his room to retrieve his armor and sword, Jake waiting outside.  When Dominic was finished, he came out with a small pouch, which he handed to Jake.  When Jake took the pouch, he could feel and hear the sound of coins shifting around.  He looked questioning at Dominic.

"You may need some coin from time to time."  Dominic explained.  He pointed at the pouch.  "It does not make you rich, but it should be enough for most things.  I would recommend that you take that girl cleric with you, if you decide you need something.  She should be able to keep you from getting fleeced by the merchants."

"Thank you, Dominic."  Jake said, genuinely surprised.  He pushed the pouch into his pants pocket.  "I really appreciate everything you, Jonas and Norlan are doing for me."

"No thanks are needed, boy."  Dominic replied, waving off the gratitude.  He suddenly smiled.  "We will see how truly appreciative you are shortly.  You will earn all of that in sweat."  He headed towards the other buildings.  "Let's get something to eat and then we will outfit you with armor and a sword."

They reached the middle building, passing through a group of soldiers waiting in line.  They went around the back of the building and entered a kitchen.  Dominic had Jake sit at a small table in the back and went over to talk with the head cook.  After a few minutes, a pair of apprentice cooks came over with two plates of food and a pitcher of water.  Jake found the food, consisting of a slab of meat, some beans and carrots and a piece of bread, filling, though a bit bland.

After they finished, Dominic led Jake over to the far building.  They came up to a thick wooden door, bound in heavy iron.  Dominic knocked on the door, waited a second, and then pushed it open, stepping inside with Jake following.  Inside, Jake stopped, looking around, and saw that the room was filled with armor and weapons.  When he finished gazing at all of the different weapons, he saw that Dominic was standing near a wooden counter, speaking with short stout man, clothed in leather and chainmail and armed with a mace.  The man was older, with more gray hairs than brown on his head and in his short beard.

Dominic waved Jake over.  "This is Sergeant Mordun, the chief armorer.  He will outfit you."

"Come over here, lad."  Mordun said, tone short and businesslike.  He retrieved a measuring rope and writing materials, taking several measurements from Jake and heading into the storage room.  He returned with two sets of leather pants and padded vests.  He put these on the counter and went over to grab a plain breastplate, which was then stacked next to the clothing.

"Which is your dominant hand?"  He asked Jake.

"My right."  Jake replied.  Mordun went over to the weapons area, returning with a wide brown leather belt with a brass buckle and a sheathed sword and dagger hanging from it.  The sword hung on the left side and the dagger on the right.  Mordun placed this next to the other equipment and looked over at Dominic, who nodded.

"Lad, go put on the pants and vest."  Mordun said, directing Jake to a small room set off the main room.  Jake went in and quickly changed his clothes, wrapping up his phone and pouch in his cloth pants.  The leather pants were a snug fit, but soft and supple; the vest seemed to fit well.  He re-laced his boots and went back out to Mordun.

He handed Jake the breastplate, showing him how to put it on and buckle the straps.  The breastplate felt heavy, digging into his shoulders some, the padded vest absorbing most of the weight.

"Let's see you move around a bit."  Mordun said.  Jake walked around, swinging his arms and twisting his body. After a few moments, Mordun seemed satisfied and called Jake back over.  He handed Jake the sword belt and instructed him on how to properly wear it.  Jake cinched it down against the breastplate, securing the belt with the buckle.

"Draw your sword, boy."  Dominic said.  Jake reached over and drew out the sword, the double-edged blade long and bright.  The sword had a straight bar as a hand guard just above the brown leather grip on the hilt.  The grip was slightly tacky, allowing Jake to maintain a solid hold.

"Always respect your sword.  In combat, it is the tool that will keep you alive."  Dominic said, his hard eyes locking onto Jake's.  "I will teach you to use it properly, but you must keep it sharp and ready at all times."  He made a little gesture with his hand.  "You can put it away for now."

Mordun handed Jake a small pouch.  "This is your honing stone and oil…"  He began.

"Pardon my interruption, but there is no need to take up any more of your time, Sergeant Mordun."  Dominic said.  "The boy is living with Mastersmith Norlan.  Norlan will explain the proper way to maintain his weapons and armor.  My thanks for all of your help."

"The pleasure is mine, Dominic."  Mordun replied.  He looked at Jake.  "You are lucky to have such a teacher, lad."  He shook hands with Dominic and went back to his office.  Jake grabbed the other pants and vest, as well as his rolled up pants and followed as Dominic headed out the door.

"I will make sure that Dontas is fed and watered tonight.  You can take on that responsibility tomorrow."  Dominic said as he halted a few steps away from the building.  He faced Jake, face set and eyes firm.  "From this moment on, you are in training.  That means that you will wear your armor and weapons from the moment you wake until the time you go to sleep.  The only exceptions will be when you are working at the smithy, heading to the baths or if I give you permission.  Understood?"  Jake nodded.  "Remember: an hour after the mid-day meal, no excuses.  Do you think you can find your way back to Norlan's?"

"I can find it."  Jake said, feeling pretty confident about his sense of direction.

"Fine, I will see you tomorrow.  Get plenty of rest; you are going to need it."  Dominic turned and headed back towards the stables.

Jake fished out his phone and money pouch from his rolled-up pants, securing them in the pockets of the leather pants.  He tucked the rest of the clothes under his left arm and started walking back towards Norlan's.  He felt a bit odd at first, never having worn a breastplate, but having armor and a sword increased his confidence, making his feel more secure and in control.

He passed by soldiers and their officers as he left the training area, getting some curious looks, but no one said anything to him.  He went back down the street he came in on and headed out across the courtyard.  There were more people traveling through the courtyard than when he went to the training grounds.  He made his way through the late afternoon hustle and bustle, taking in the sights and sounds.

In the twenty minutes it took to reach Norlan's house, the novelty of the breastplate had worn off.  Jake found himself sweating heavily in the late afternoon sun, the breastplate digging uncomfortably into his shoulders.  He could also feel several blisters developing on his feet were the boots pressed in.  He sighed gratefully when he saw the wall to Norlan's house.

He went to the side gate and entered into the yard.  He saw Madalin kneeling next to the plants on the side of the house, pulling weeds.  She turned when she heard him enter, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of him in armor, her face taking on a disapproving look.

"What is this?"  She said, sounding irritated.

"I'm supposed to train with Dominic in the afternoons."  Jake replied.  "I'll work with Norlan in the morning at the smithy, then meet Dominic at the training grounds."  He told her about all of the events of the day, including Dominic's training requirements.

"I will have to talk to Norlan about that."  She muttered, shaking her head.  Her face relaxed and a smile appeared.  "Why don't you go place your equipment in your room?  It will be another hour or so before the evening meal."

"Actually, I wouldn't mind going to the baths."  He replied, thinking of Dominic's conditions.  "I got a little sweatier than expected.  Could you draw me a map so I can get there?"

"We didn't have a chance to talk about it last night, but we have a little bathing area behind the storage building."  She replied pointing back towards Jake's room.  "I placed a couple of towels and some soap in your room.  You can't lie about in a pool of water, but it will save you additional walking."

"Oh, I didn't realize that."  Jake said, seeing a good excuse to take the armor off gone.  He thought about it.  "I guess I'll wait until after dinner since I'm supposed to wear my armor and sword until I go to bed."

"You can take that off now, Jake."  Madalin said, irritation returning to her voice.  "I will have Norlan talk to Dominic.  You do not need to wear that while you are here at home.  In fact, I will make sure that..."  She stopped when she saw Norlan coming up the street towards the gate.

Norlan walked into the yard, greeting Jake and his wife.  Madalin immediately brought up Jake's training plan and his armor and weapons.  While Jake stood there uncomfortably, she demanded that Norlan speak with Dominic to change his conditions.

Norlan raised his hands in a placating manner.  "My love, you have to realize that Jake is now Dominic's apprentice."  His face hardened slightly.  "I would not tolerate anyone demanding that I change the way I train my apprentices, so I will not demand it of another master."  Seeing the unhappy look on his wife's face, he added.  "We will abide with his conditions, but I will ask if he is willing to modify the terms regarding home."