The Apprentice (36 page)

Chapter 33
                     
 

The yearly Revel ended with Rowan
observing the rest of the events from the stands. He watched many of the boys
he had trained with compete and do well in their own events. Heath, the young
boy who seemed to admire him, did quite well in two of the running events and
held his own in the archery competition, though he did not place. The archery
contest was won by Soran.

Rowan
was not alone on the sidelines. Erik was a constant presence throughout the
games, his injury preventing him from further competition. Rowan was grateful
for his friend’s companionship. It made the Revel much more enjoyable. They
were occasionally joined by Andrew as well, whose presence led to some very interesting
conversations.

Rowan
found Andrew to be very knowledgeable. The boy was introverted and tended
towards silence and solitude, but when he opened up and spoke he always offered
good observations and opinions. He was surprisingly well spoken, given his
birth.

He was
even able to keep company with Baird several times during the feasting, his
nightly routine no longer as appealing.

The
Revel ended with a feast greater than any that had preceded it. All of the boys
were honored that night for their efforts and participation in the tournament.

In the
ensuing months, many of the tensions that had previously divided the barracks
began to dissipate. Byron strictly avoided Rowan, only occasionally sneaking
sideways glances at him.

Rowan
continued to spar with Erik, helping his friend to grow and develop as he
taught him what he knew of swordsmanship. Their friendship flourished as Erik
chose to return the favor by teaching Rowan how to wrestle and coaching him in
hand-to-hand combat.

The
group of boys who had taken to practicing swordsmanship with them grew as they
were joined by Andrew, among others. He only showed up occasionally at first,
but eventually became a constant presence. He did not always practice, often
preferring only to watch, but Rowan was grateful whenever the boy decided to
join them. Erik was a strong opponent, but Rowan enjoyed a new challenge.
Practicing with Andrew forced him to adapt to a new style and helped him to
grow.

Though
time passed, Rowan could not forget the kindness that Eliza had shown him that
night during the Revel. She had helped him when he needed it most, and since no
one had questioned Rowan about the incident, he knew that she had honored his
request and kept her silence. He wanted to do something for the princess,
something special to thank her for her kindness and her assistance. He wanted
it to be something unique, a thing no one else could give her. Though this
would not be easy, because as a princess and an only child, Eliza was spoiled.

He
thought of questioning Baird about her, but he knew that his master would get
the wrong idea and that was the last thing he needed. He could imagine the
humiliation that would entail. Asking around the barracks would yield similar
problems, so instead he pondered the question in his bunk at night. Eventually
he came up with an idea.

Chapter 34
                     
 

Eliza walked through the lower
gardens, inhaling the scent of dozens of flowers and plants. This was one of
her favorite areas of the castle grounds. The gardens were lovely and they were
always well kept. She could walk up and down the rows every day and still
discover plants that were new to her. Her mother had often taken her on walks
through the garden when she was younger. That was before she had grown ill and
passed away.

The sun
shone brightly overhead. It caught her eye as she walked, causing her to
stumble as she blindly tripped over a stone.

“Is
everything alright, princess?” Gizelle’s voice sounded from where she sat
nearby. She had been asleep moments before, but Eliza’s cry of surprise must
have wakened her.

“I’m
fine. The sun almost made me trip, but I caught myself.”

“You’re
not hurt?”

Eliza
smiled. “There is no need to worry. You can go back to sleep.”

“I was
only resting my eyes. It wouldn’t do to sleep while I am supposed to be
watching over you. Gods only know what mischief you would do.” Even as she
spoke, the elder woman’s voice grew soft.

Eliza
retraced her steps so that she could check on Gizelle. She found her resting on
a bench in the shade of a tree, bundled in shawls and fast asleep. Eliza looked
on with affection. The elderly woman often rested during their outings. No one
knew about these lapses, but if they found out, if Baird found out, someone
else would be assigned to watch over her. If that happened then she would not
be able to sneak off and be on her own, which is why she was content to allow
Gizelle to take her afternoon naps in peace.

As she
continued to make her way through the rows of plants, Eliza was again blinded
by the sun. Movement to her right caught her attention, but when she looked she
saw nothing. Then a light danced through the shadows, bobbing up and down as
though trying to grab her attention. This was no natural reflection, and Eliza
wondered what it could be. She turned towards the source of the light in time
to be blinded as it shone directly at her. Angry, she hurried towards the edge
of the gardens to find whoever or whatever was responsible.

The
grounds appeared to be empty. She looked around for a moment before she spotted
Rowan standing a short distance beyond the tree line of the kingswood, holding
something reflective in one hand. He beckoned for her to join him.

Eliza
glanced back warily towards the spot where her caretaker slumbered. Old Gizelle
was one of the few people that Eliza felt guilty sneaking away from. The woman
was old and frail and overly trusting. Eliza whispered a silent apology before
leaving her caretaker alone in the gardens. She walked to the tree line and
wordlessly followed as Rowan led her into the woods.

They
walked quietly for a while, Rowan leading and Eliza following. Before long they
emerged in a small clearing. Eliza did not recognize the area; she had never
before been to this part of the woods. She found this odd, as she had explored
the kingswood often over the years.

“What
did you bring me here for?” Eliza stared at Rowan expectantly, but instead of
answering her, he turned and walked to the far edge of the clearing where he
pulled something out of the brush.

“I
thought I would offer you something in thanks for helping me.” He didn’t need
to say anything more, Eliza knew what he was thinking. She knew that she should
respond but her mind couldn’t find the right words and her attention was
focused on the item in his hands.

Behind
his back, but not entirely concealed, was an elongated object wrapped in a
cloth that was tattered and stained. Rowan pulled the cloth away, revealing a
wooden practice sword. He held it out to her.

Eliza
accepted the gift, holding it carefully as though it might shatter and break,
leaving her with nothing. The wood was smooth and cool to the touch. It was
beautiful.

“You can
keep it hidden here in the woods.” Rowan said. “It is made well enough that you
should not have to worry much about damage from water or dampness, though I
would keep it off the ground in case heavy rains flood the area.

“And if
you want,” he continued hesitantly, “I could…teach you how to use it.”

He would
teach her! Eliza struggled to maintain her composure and not betray her joy.
She had always longed to learn as the boys did, as even some of the maids and
serving girls who had brothers did. Yet her father had forbidden such things.
Even Baird would not help her, something she always held against him. She had,
when she was younger, hoped that Baird would teach her anyways. He had never
been one for rules. But if Rowan was willing to teach her…he was Baird’s
apprentice and had proven himself by winning the Revel. He was obviously a
skilled swordsman. If she were to be taught, he would not be so bad. He was not
his master, but she would not complain.

“Shall I
take your expression to mean yes?”

“You
shall,” Eliza said, refocusing her attention on him. “But how did you come up
with such an offer?”

He
chuckled, and that made Eliza quite angry. She did not enjoy being laughed at.
She stamped her foot impatiently and ordered him to answer. He laughed harder.

Embarrassed,
Eliza crossed her arms and glared at him. She thought about giving him a whack
with the sword in her hand but thought better of it. He had yet to teach her
how to use it and she did not want to lose this opportunity. Not many were
willing to defy her father for something so small, something that gained them
nothing. So she steeled herself and waited while Rowan composed himself.

“You are
not a very subtle person, Princess. It’s no secret that you want to learn to
wield a man’s weapon. As I remember it, the last time you visited the training
fields with Baird before the Revel you stormed off in a fury because you were
not allowed to watch us spar. The mystery is why you want to learn such a
thing.”

Eliza
thought back, remembering the event. She had been in a fury for the rest of the
day and had acted coldly towards Baird for quite a while afterwards. “You
remember that?”

“Yes.
You have a way about you. You always make quite an impression. And back then I
was still intimidated by you.”

Now it
was Eliza’s turn to laugh, making Rowan blush a deep shade of scarlet.

“You
found me intimidating. I am a princess. You are a knight’s apprentice.”

“Baird
would agree with me. ‘She is as feisty and vicious as a Fury. A princess she
may be, but she’s got some bite and if you anger her she will—,’” Rowan paused.
“Actually, I had best not finish that thought.”

“He
would not say something so cruel.”

“You do
have a certain...” Rowan searched for the right word. “
Fire
about you.”

“I am a
lady—a princess—and I shall not abide such slanderous words.” Even as she
spoke, Eliza made a mental note to make an effort to appear more civil in the
near future. It would not do for her emotions to control her, and this would
not be the first time that she had ignored a personality flaw, though in this
case she found herself taking no small amount of pride in the way that others
perceived her. Intimidation was a powerful ally. But she did not like the way
that Rowan spoke of her.

“I must
return to the barracks before I am missed, but we can meet again so that you
may learn how to use your gift. Before I go, there is another thing that I want
you to have.” Rowan pulled out a small parcel and handed to her. “You may take
it with you, but open it after I am gone, when you are alone.”

With
that, he started to walk away.

“When
will we meet?” Eliza called after him.

“When
there is time and you are free, I will find you. If you are impatient, then
just return here and wait for me, but do not leave notes or ask after me.”

With
that Rowan was gone, leaving Eliza alone in the woods in a place she had never
explored before. But as much as she yearned to look around and become familiar
with this foreign part of her home, she had to return to Gizelle. If she wished
to continue to sneak away and meet Rowan, then it would not do for the old
caretaker to awaken and find the princess missing.

Clutching
the wrapped parcel that Rowan had given her, Eliza found the leather case for
her wooden sword and put it away, wrapping the case and the blade in the
material that Rowan had abandoned and hiding the bundle in the hollow of a
large tree. Confident that no one would find her treasure, she hurried back to
the gardens.

Eliza
returned to find Gizelle still asleep on the bench, exactly where she had been
left. That was good. No one had missed her while she was gone.

While
she had the chance, Eliza opened Rowan’s parcel to discover that it was a
dirtied old scroll. She unrolled it to find that it was covered with writing
and illustrations of figures in varying positions. It was written and drawn by
hand, and sloppily so compared to many of the tomes and scrolls that filled the
castle library. She glanced at some of Rowan’s drawings. All of the figures
were holding a blade. It was an instructional guide, she realized,
understanding that the figures were meant to show different forms and stances
and motions. She smiled with glee. Perhaps she would enjoy reading a book for
once.

*           *           *

Rowan took the long route back to
the barracks, circling around so that he approached from the direction of the
castle in case anyone had noticed his absence. He had been gone for longer than
he had intended and in coming back late, he did not know if he would be missed.
He had done nothing wrong, but it would not do to have people questioning where
he was. That would only lead the trainers, particularly Darius, to observe him
more closely. It would make it significantly harder for him to meet with the
young princess in the future.

Rowan
quickened his pace and soon he was walking through the familiar buildings that
all the boys occupied and used. He met with no one, which he took to mean that
people were still practicing. Rowan decided that he did not need to join them lest
they notice his absence. Instead, since supper time was drawing near, Rowan
would wait until then to join the others. He walked to the barracks and pulled
out Tenro to inspect it. As his most valuable and prized possession, he made
sure to constantly check on it since he was not allowed to wear the weapon
freely. Finding the sword as he had left it, Rowan lay down on his bunk and
rested.

When it
came time to sup with the rest of the boys, Rowan left the bunk house and
walked the familiar path to the dining hall, waiting just long enough so that
most would be inside already but not so long that he would be the last to
enter.

He could
tell by the smells hanging in the air that the cooks were cooking well that
night. There was freshly cooked meat, an unusual delicacy for the young
soldiers, and there would also be some leftover breads and cheeses from the
castle kitchens, as there always was. Some of the food the boys were given was
prepared for them, but much more of it came from the castle, the leftovers from
the royal kitchen. It was the food which went unwanted and uneaten, but the
boys could not complain. They ate often and they ate well.

When he
entered the mess hall, Rowan quickly grabbed a plate which he filled with food
before joining his friends at a table near the warmth of the fire. He was
greeted enthusiastically.

"Where
were you today, Rowan?”

“Was the
great Rowan slacking and avoiding work?"

Rowan
tensed and for a moment, he gave no reply. His absence had been noticed. He
worried that he might have even been followed. If that was the case, then his
gifts and his plan for Eliza would be ruined. But all of the boys laughed at
his silence, taking it as a confession of guilt. Relieved that he had not been
found out, Rowan tried to laugh along with the others. He endured several such
taunts as they ate, but for them that was all that they were: taunts. Not
truths.

As Rowan
ate his dinner, he noticed that Erik did not seem to be joining in the general
mirth. He stared at Rowan from his seat down the table, a look that made Rowan
uneasy.

After
dinner, Erik approached Rowan alone outside of the barracks.

“Ho,
Erik,” Rowan said in greeting.

“Where
were you today, Rowan?”

“I was
here for the most part,” Rowan said. It wasn’t entirely a lie, for he had been present
at the training fields in the morning. Suddenly it occurred to Rowan that he
had skipped his usual sparring session with Erik. “I must have missed you when
I left. I was feeling off today and I chose to avoid our free practice time.”

“I
noticed. But you did not answer my question: where were you? I know you well by
now, Rowan, you are as close as any brother could have been. You are not one to
simply skip training without a reason.”

Rowan
tried to speak, to give some sort of explanation, but Erik silenced him.

“Unless
you plan to tell me the truth, don’t speak. I don’t know where you went and I
doubt I could find out unless you wanted me to. Whatever your reasons, they are
your own and they are important to you, but for your sake I hope that you were
not doing anything that will get you, or anyone else, into trouble.”