Theft Of Swords: The Riyria Revelations (65 page)

“How can you teach that poor fellow anything without swords?”

They both turned to see Mauvin Pickering walking toward them in his simple blue tunic. Gone was the dapper lord of Galilin; instead, he looked much like the boy Hadrian had first seen at Drondil Fields. In his hands, he carried two swords, and slung over his back were two small round shields.

“I saw you from the walls and thought you might like to borrow these,” he said, handing a sword and shield to Theron, who accepted them awkwardly. “They are my and Fanen’s spares.”

Theron eyed the young man suspiciously, then looked to Hadrian.

“Go ahead,” Hadrian told him, wiping the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. “He’s right. You should know the feel of the real thing.”

When Theron appeared confused by how to hold the shield, Mauvin began instructing him, showing the farmer where his arm slipped through the leather straps.

“See, Hadrian? It helps to actually teach your pupil how to put on a real shield; unless, of course, you expect he’ll be spending all of his time warring against maple trees. Where are your weapons, anyway?”

Hadrian looked sheepish. “I lost them.”

“Don’t you carry enough for five people?”

“I’ve had a bad week.”

“And who might you be?” Mauvin asked, looking at the dwarf.

Hadrian started to answer, then stopped himself. Alric had likely told Mauvin all about the dwarf who had murdered his father. “Him? He’s … nobody.”

“Okay …” Mauvin laughed, raising his hand and waving. “Pleased to meet you, Mr. Nobody.” He then went and sat on the edge of the well, where he folded his arms across his chest. “Go on. Show me what he’s taught you.”

Hadrian and Theron returned to fighting, but slower now, as the sharp swords made Theron nervous. He soon became frustrated and turned to Mauvin, scowling.

“You any good with these things?”

The young man raised an eyebrow in surprise. “My dear sir, weren’t we already introduced? My name is Mauvin Pickering.” He grinned.

Theron narrowed his eyes in confusion, glanced at Hadrian, who said nothing, then faced the boy once more. “I asked if you knew how to use a sword, son, not your name.”

“But—I—oh, never mind. Yes, I have been trained in the use of a sword.”

“Well, I spent all my life on farms, or in villages not much bigger than this one, and I’ve never had much chance to see fellas beating each other with blades. It might help if’n I was to see what I’m s’posed to be doing. You know, all proper like.”

“You want a demonstration?”

Theron nodded. “I have no way of knowing if Hadrian here even knows what he’s doing.”

“All right,” Mauvin said, flexing his fingers and shaking his
hands as he walked forward. He had a bright smile on his face, as if Theron had just invited him to play his favorite game.

The two paired off. Magnus and Theron took seats in the dirt and watched as Mauvin and Hadrian first walked through the basic moves and then demonstrated each at actual combat speed. Hadrian would explain each maneuver and comment on the action afterward.

“See there? Mauvin thought I was going to slice inward toward his thigh and dropped his guard briefly. He did that because I told him to by suggesting with a dip of my shoulder that this was my intention, so before I even started my stroke, I knew what Mauvin was going to do, because I was the one dictating it. In essence I knew what he would do before he did and in a battle that’s very handy.”

“Enough of the lessons,” Mauvin said, clearly irritated at being the illustration of a fencing mistake. “Let’s show him a real demonstration.”

“Looking for a rematch?” Hadrian asked.

“Curious if it was luck.”

Hadrian smiled and muttered, “Pickerings.”

He took off his shirt and, wiping his face and hands, threw it on the grass and raised his sword to ready position. Mauvin lunged and immediately the two began to fight. The swords sang as they cut the air so fast their movements blurred. Hadrian and Mauvin danced around on the balls of their feet, shuffling in the dirt so briskly that a small cloud rose to knee height.

“By Mar!” the old farmer exclaimed.

Then abruptly they stopped, both panting from the exertion.

Mauvin glared at Hadrian with a look that was both amazed and irritated. “You’re playing with me.”

“I thought that was the point. You don’t really want me to kill you?”

“Well no, but—well, like he said—by Mar! I’ve never seen anyone fight like you do; you’re amazing.”

“I thought you both were pretty amazing,” Theron remarked. “I’ve never seen anything like that.”

“I have to agree,” Magnus chimed in. The dwarf was on his feet, nodding his head.

Hadrian walked over to the well and poured half a bucket over himself, then shook the water from his hair.

“Seriously, Hadrian,” Mauvin asked, “where did you learn it?”

“From a man named Danbury Blackwater.”

“Blackwater? Isn’t that your name?”

Hadrian nodded and a melancholy look stole over his face. “He was my father.”

“Was?”

“He died.”

“Was he a warrior? A general?”

“Blacksmith.”

“Blacksmith?” Mauvin asked in disbelief.

“In a village not much bigger than this. You know, the guy who makes horseshoes, rakes, pots.”

“Are you telling me a village blacksmith knew the secret disciplines of the Teshlors? I recognized the Tek’chin moves, the ones my father taught me. The rest I can only assume were from the other lost disciplines of the Teshlors.”

Mauvin drew blank stares from everyone.

“The Teshlors?” He looked around—more stares. He rolled his eyes and sighed. “Heathens, I’m surrounded by ignorant heathens. The Teshlors were the greatest knights ever to have lived. They were the personal bodyguards of the emperor. It’s said they were taught the Five Disciplines of Combat from Novron himself. Only one of which is the
Tek’chin, and the knowledge of the Tek’chin alone is what has made a legend out of the Pickering dynasty. Your father clearly knew the Tek’chin, and apparently other Teshlor disciplines that I thought had been lost for nearly a thousand years, and you’re telling me he was a blacksmith? He was probably the greatest warrior of his time. And you don’t know what your father did before you were born?”

“I assume the same thing he did afterward.”

“Then how did he know how to fight?”

Hadrian considered this. “I just assumed he picked it up serving in the local army. Several of the men in the village served His Lordship as men-at-arms. I assumed he saw combat. He used to talk like he had.”

“Did you ever ask him?”

The thunder of hooves interrupted them as three men on horseback entered the village from the direction of the margrave’s castle. The riders were all in black and red with the symbol of a broken crown on their chests. At their head rode a tall thin man with long black hair and a short trimmed beard.

“Excellent swordsmanship,” the lead man said. He rode right up to Hadrian and reined in his animal roughly. The black stallion was draped in a scarlet and black caparison complete with braided tassels, a scarlet headpiece with a foot-tall black plume spouting from his head. The horse snorted and stomped. “I was wondering why the son of Count Pickering wasn’t partaking in the combat today, but I see now you found a worthier partner to spar against. Who would this delightful warrior be and why haven’t I seen you at the castle?”

“I’m not here to compete for the crown,” Hadrian said simply, slipping on his shirt.

“No? Pity, you certainly appear to be worthy of a chance. What’s your name?”

“Hadrian.”

“Ah, good to meet you, Sir Hadrian.”

“Just Hadrian.”

“I see. Do you live here,
just
Hadrian?”

“No.”

The horseman seemed less than pleased with the curt answer and nudged his horse closer in a menacing manner. The animal puffed out a hot moist breath into Hadrian’s face. “Then what are you doing here?”

“Just passing through,” Hadrian replied in his usual amiable manner. He even managed a friendly little smile.

“Really? Just passing through Dahlgren? To where in the world, might I ask, is Dahlgren on the way?”

“Just about everywhere, depending on your perspective, don’t you think? I mean, all roads lead somewhere, don’t they?” He was tired of being on the defensive and took a verbal swing. “Is there a reason you’re so interested?”

“I’m Sentinel Luis Guy and I’m in charge of managing the contest. I need to know if everyone participating is listed.”

“I already told you I wasn’t here for the contest.”

“So you did,” Guy said, and slowly looked around at the others, taking particular notice of Magnus. “You are just passing through, you said, but perhaps those traveling with you wish to be listed on the roll.”

A feint, perhaps? Hadrian decided to parry anyway. “No one I’m with will want to be on that list.”

“No one you’re with?”

Hadrian gritted his teeth. It
was
a feint. Hadrian mentally scolded himself.

“So you’re not alone?” the sentinel observed. “Where are the others?”

“I couldn’t tell you.”

“No?”

Hadrian shook his head—fewer words, smaller chance of mistakes.

“Really? You mean they could be washing over the falls right now and you couldn’t care less?”

“I didn’t say that,” Hadrian replied, irritated.

“But you see no need to know where they are?”

“They’re grown men.”

The sentinel smiled. “And who are
these men
? Please tell me so that I might inquire of them later perhaps.”

Hadrian’s eyes narrowed as he realized too late his mistake. The man before him was clever—too clever.

“Did you forget their names too?” Luis Guy inquired, leaning forward in his saddle.

“No.” Hadrian tried to hold him off while he struggled to think.

“Then what are they?”

“Well,” he began, wishing he had his own swords rather than a borrowed one. “Like I said, I don’t know where
both
of them are. Mauvin is here, of course, but I have no idea where Fanen has gotten to.”

“Surely you are mistaken. The Pickerings traveled with me and the rest of the entourage,” Guy pointed out.

“Yes, they
were
, but they are planning on returning home with me.”

Guy’s eyes narrowed. “So you are saying that you traveled all the way out here
alone—
passing through, as you put it—and just happened to join up with the Pickerings?”

Hadrian smiled at the sentinel. It was weak, clumsy, and the fencing equivalent of dropping his sword and tackling his opponent to the ground, but it was all he could do.

“Is this true, Pickering?”

“Absolutely,” Mauvin replied without hesitation.

Guy looked back at Hadrian. “How convenient for you,” he said, disappointed. “Well, then don’t let me keep you from your practice. Good day, gentlemen.”

They all watched as the three men rode off toward the river trail.

“That was creepy,” Mauvin remarked, staring off in their direction. “It can never be good when any sentinel takes an interest in you, much less Luis Guy.”

“What’s his story?” Hadrian asked.

“I really only know rumors. He’s a zealot for the church, but I know many even in the church who are scared of him. He’s the kind of person that can make kings disappear. He’s also rumored to be obsessed with finding the Heir of Novron.”

“Aren’t all seret?”

“According to church doctrine, sure. But he really is, which explains why he’s here.”

“And the two with him?”

“Seret, the Knights of Nyphron, they are the sentinel’s personal shadow army. They’re answerable to no king or nation, just to sentinels and the Patriarch.”

Mauvin looked at Hadrian. “You might want to keep that sword. It looks like a bad time to be without your weapons.”

Although he had put his lantern out long before the creature’s return, Royce could see just fine. Light permeated the walls of Avempartha, seeping through the stone as if it were smoky glass. It was daylight outside, of that he was certain, as the color of light had changed from dim blue to soft white.