been around warhorses all his life and was certainly a
much better judge of horseflesh.
“A little,” Krothair said.
“Ah,” Ti'Shed said. “That's our first
lesson, then. If you think someone's wrong, tell them you think
they are wrong. Your horse looks fine.” He stepped into the
house.
Krothair followed him, his face hot.
-6-
“N ot much light left today,” Ti'Shed said, gazing out a window.
The old man walked over to a wood-burning stove and retrieved a
kettle off the top. “I've heard much about you,” he continued. “The
wandering swordsman, yes? The orphan savant?”
“Something like that,” Krothair said.
“Germon told me to give you this. Has his seal on it.” Krothair
started to dig in his pocket but Ti'Shed stopped him with a
gesture.
“No need. Germon always was a little too
caught up in formalities for my taste, even in his training. I
believe you are who you say you are, and I believe you have come
here for the reasons Germon said. You wish to train with me.”
“More than anything."
Ti'Shed chuckled lightly,
but he still had a hard look on his face. Even when he was being
jovial he looked that way. It's just part
of who he is.
“More than anything,” the old man echoed.
“More than you'd like to don the crest of the Kingsguard?”
Krothair was silent.
“Another lesson. Exaggeration is a dangerous
thing. It is entirely too close to lying for my tastes.”
“I would like to train with you,” Krothair
said quietly.
Ti'Shed set the kettle down on the table. “I
hate tea,” the old man said, “and that is no exaggeration.”
“Then why drink it?” said Krothair.
“Drink it?” said Ti'Shed, looking amused. In
a split second he had the kettle back in his hand and in one smooth
motion flung it towards Krothair's head.
The boy's hand was on his hilt in the blink
of an eye. The dull training sword screamed out of its sheath and
caught the kettle in the side, deflecting it with a loud ping. It
clattered to the ground spilling not a single thing.
Because it had been empty.
Ti'Shed nodded as Krothair stood
incredulous.
“You used your sword when dodging might have
been easier, but your reflexes are as fast as any I have seen on
one your age, save for those who would become master thieves. I
like to encourage goodness. You may train with me starting
tomorrow." Ti'Shed smiled just a tiny bit. “Now, you look hungry.
Do you want something to eat?”
-7-
T he house had four rooms and Krothair's bedroom was one of
them. He had a bed that was almost too small for him, a table, and
a trunk. He had hung his sword on a peg and put his clothes in a
trunk. Moving in had been an easy task.
Supper had consisted of sourdough bread,
crab meat, and coconut milk. He had never had any of these things
before and had felt like a king dining there with Ti'Shed. The old
sword master had turned out to be something Krothair never would
have expected. He was wise and solemn, but trickery danced just
behind his eyes. It was hard to see it through the scowl that
seemed to have frozen itself in place, but Krothair still noticed
the jester within his master.
Now, under the thin sheets
of his bed, Krothair shuddered, excited for his training and
excited that he had passed the tea kettle test. But he was on
guard. Are there going to be tests in the
middle of the night? He shifted under the
blankets and they made a soft swishing noise. He could hear the
faint noises of the city outside. Its never-ending bustle would
take some getting used to.
A knock at the front door.
Krothair froze for a moment and then got
lightly out of bed, but before had taken two barefooted steps
towards his bedroom door, he heard Ti'Shed open the front door. Had
the old man even been asleep or was he just that fast?
Krothair sneaked over to his door and opened
it silently. He could see out into the larger room where the tea
kettle still lay on the floor. Ti'Shed held a candle, and the light
it threw gave the
much better judge of horseflesh.
“A little,” Krothair said.
“Ah,” Ti'Shed said. “That's our first
lesson, then. If you think someone's wrong, tell them you think
they are wrong. Your horse looks fine.” He stepped into the
house.
Krothair followed him, his face hot.
-6-
“N ot much light left today,” Ti'Shed said, gazing out a window.
The old man walked over to a wood-burning stove and retrieved a
kettle off the top. “I've heard much about you,” he continued. “The
wandering swordsman, yes? The orphan savant?”
“Something like that,” Krothair said.
“Germon told me to give you this. Has his seal on it.” Krothair
started to dig in his pocket but Ti'Shed stopped him with a
gesture.
“No need. Germon always was a little too
caught up in formalities for my taste, even in his training. I
believe you are who you say you are, and I believe you have come
here for the reasons Germon said. You wish to train with me.”
“More than anything."
Ti'Shed chuckled lightly,
but he still had a hard look on his face. Even when he was being
jovial he looked that way. It's just part
of who he is.
“More than anything,” the old man echoed.
“More than you'd like to don the crest of the Kingsguard?”
Krothair was silent.
“Another lesson. Exaggeration is a dangerous
thing. It is entirely too close to lying for my tastes.”
“I would like to train with you,” Krothair
said quietly.
Ti'Shed set the kettle down on the table. “I
hate tea,” the old man said, “and that is no exaggeration.”
“Then why drink it?” said Krothair.
“Drink it?” said Ti'Shed, looking amused. In
a split second he had the kettle back in his hand and in one smooth
motion flung it towards Krothair's head.
The boy's hand was on his hilt in the blink
of an eye. The dull training sword screamed out of its sheath and
caught the kettle in the side, deflecting it with a loud ping. It
clattered to the ground spilling not a single thing.
Because it had been empty.
Ti'Shed nodded as Krothair stood
incredulous.
“You used your sword when dodging might have
been easier, but your reflexes are as fast as any I have seen on
one your age, save for those who would become master thieves. I
like to encourage goodness. You may train with me starting
tomorrow." Ti'Shed smiled just a tiny bit. “Now, you look hungry.
Do you want something to eat?”
-7-
T he house had four rooms and Krothair's bedroom was one of
them. He had a bed that was almost too small for him, a table, and
a trunk. He had hung his sword on a peg and put his clothes in a
trunk. Moving in had been an easy task.
Supper had consisted of sourdough bread,
crab meat, and coconut milk. He had never had any of these things
before and had felt like a king dining there with Ti'Shed. The old
sword master had turned out to be something Krothair never would
have expected. He was wise and solemn, but trickery danced just
behind his eyes. It was hard to see it through the scowl that
seemed to have frozen itself in place, but Krothair still noticed
the jester within his master.
Now, under the thin sheets
of his bed, Krothair shuddered, excited for his training and
excited that he had passed the tea kettle test. But he was on
guard. Are there going to be tests in the
middle of the night? He shifted under the
blankets and they made a soft swishing noise. He could hear the
faint noises of the city outside. Its never-ending bustle would
take some getting used to.
A knock at the front door.
Krothair froze for a moment and then got
lightly out of bed, but before had taken two barefooted steps
towards his bedroom door, he heard Ti'Shed open the front door. Had
the old man even been asleep or was he just that fast?
Krothair sneaked over to his door and opened
it silently. He could see out into the larger room where the tea
kettle still lay on the floor. Ti'Shed held a candle, and the light
it threw gave the
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