Sword Masters Read Online Free Page A
the boy was kind of hard to miss. Like looking for a black cat in a white room.
"That's him," Darian said.
"He's just a boy, and starving at that," Arvon said.
"He is Jabon's son," Darian said.
"Jabon the Breaker?" Arvon asked in hushed reverence upon hearing the name of one of his heroes.
"The same. Boy even has his finger in the hilt of his sword like his father."
"But still . . . He's just a boy!" Arvon balked. He felt like a schoolyard bully being asked to teach some wise ass a lesson.
"Approach him as if he is only a boy, and he will make you look a fool. He took Gudgin out like it was nothing for him, and he wasn't even warmed up yet. He fights like his father—wild and yet calculated. He needs some refinement, and I figure you're the only one who can teach him anything he doesn't already know. Who knows? You might even learn a few new tricks yourself."
* * *
Tarius set the book down on a bench and went to join the others in line waiting for instruction. Darian came over and pulled Tarius out of line.
"Follow me, Tarius," Darian said.
Tarius nodded and followed him across the yard to where a young man, somewhat older than herself, stood holding a practice sword.
"Tarius, I want you to meet Arvon. He will be in charge of your training from now on."
Tarius looked from Arvon to where the others were being paired up to second term students. "No offense, but I don't want to be treated differently than the others." She looked Arvon up and down. It was evident by the scars on his forearms and cheek that he was the veteran of many battles. His hair was blond and slightly longer than the cadets were allowed to wear. He wore a sleeveless white tunic.
"Tarius, quite simply put, I can't afford to constantly be nursing the injuries you would make on second term students . . ."
"My father always said there is something to be learned from even the slowest man," Tarius said.
"If you're afraid you can't handle Arvon . . ."
That was all it took. Tarius was looking for a practice weapon before Darian had a chance to finish his thought.
"Take your sword off, Tarius," Darian instructed.
Tarius reluctantly took the sword from her back. She put it on a bench close by, but then couldn't quite walk away from it.
"No one will touch your sword, Tarius," Darian promised.
Tarius nodded and went into the practice ring with Arvon where he was stretching. He told Tarius to do the same. Tarius went through the stretching exercises, and Arvon laughed.
"Am I doing something wrong?" Tarius asked glaring at him.
Arvon laughed louder and slapped Tarius hard on the back. "Not at all! I just never saw a man with so few bones in his body. So . . . you ready?"
Tarius nodded, and without warning Arvon slung his wooden blade at Tarius's head. Tarius caught the blade and easily slung it off.
"Ah!" Arvon said with a smile, jumping back and taking a more protective stance. "So, you are good."
Tarius smiled back. She liked Arvon instantly. Here was a man who understood the sword; who loved it as much as she did. They were a pretty even match, and as Darian had predicted Arvon was learning as much from Tarius as Tarius was learning from him. When it was time to go to lunch, they both seemed reluctant to stop fighting.
* * *
Arvon sat with them at lunch, and as Tarius and Arvon talked on and on and on, Tragon felt more and more lost and afraid. He hadn't done so well in the arena. In fact, one of the second term boys had said it was sure to be the first time in Swordmaster history that a recruit had impaled themselves on their own practice blade. As if that weren't bad enough, no one had bothered to tell him that the cloth covered wooden practice blades actually hurt . He had knots and bruises everywhere. Tarius had a knot over his right eye, but it didn't seem to bother him at all.
There was no way Tragon could make it in. There were twenty-five of them now, but in two weeks they would cut them down to fifteen. If you didn't
"That's him," Darian said.
"He's just a boy, and starving at that," Arvon said.
"He is Jabon's son," Darian said.
"Jabon the Breaker?" Arvon asked in hushed reverence upon hearing the name of one of his heroes.
"The same. Boy even has his finger in the hilt of his sword like his father."
"But still . . . He's just a boy!" Arvon balked. He felt like a schoolyard bully being asked to teach some wise ass a lesson.
"Approach him as if he is only a boy, and he will make you look a fool. He took Gudgin out like it was nothing for him, and he wasn't even warmed up yet. He fights like his father—wild and yet calculated. He needs some refinement, and I figure you're the only one who can teach him anything he doesn't already know. Who knows? You might even learn a few new tricks yourself."
* * *
Tarius set the book down on a bench and went to join the others in line waiting for instruction. Darian came over and pulled Tarius out of line.
"Follow me, Tarius," Darian said.
Tarius nodded and followed him across the yard to where a young man, somewhat older than herself, stood holding a practice sword.
"Tarius, I want you to meet Arvon. He will be in charge of your training from now on."
Tarius looked from Arvon to where the others were being paired up to second term students. "No offense, but I don't want to be treated differently than the others." She looked Arvon up and down. It was evident by the scars on his forearms and cheek that he was the veteran of many battles. His hair was blond and slightly longer than the cadets were allowed to wear. He wore a sleeveless white tunic.
"Tarius, quite simply put, I can't afford to constantly be nursing the injuries you would make on second term students . . ."
"My father always said there is something to be learned from even the slowest man," Tarius said.
"If you're afraid you can't handle Arvon . . ."
That was all it took. Tarius was looking for a practice weapon before Darian had a chance to finish his thought.
"Take your sword off, Tarius," Darian instructed.
Tarius reluctantly took the sword from her back. She put it on a bench close by, but then couldn't quite walk away from it.
"No one will touch your sword, Tarius," Darian promised.
Tarius nodded and went into the practice ring with Arvon where he was stretching. He told Tarius to do the same. Tarius went through the stretching exercises, and Arvon laughed.
"Am I doing something wrong?" Tarius asked glaring at him.
Arvon laughed louder and slapped Tarius hard on the back. "Not at all! I just never saw a man with so few bones in his body. So . . . you ready?"
Tarius nodded, and without warning Arvon slung his wooden blade at Tarius's head. Tarius caught the blade and easily slung it off.
"Ah!" Arvon said with a smile, jumping back and taking a more protective stance. "So, you are good."
Tarius smiled back. She liked Arvon instantly. Here was a man who understood the sword; who loved it as much as she did. They were a pretty even match, and as Darian had predicted Arvon was learning as much from Tarius as Tarius was learning from him. When it was time to go to lunch, they both seemed reluctant to stop fighting.
* * *
Arvon sat with them at lunch, and as Tarius and Arvon talked on and on and on, Tragon felt more and more lost and afraid. He hadn't done so well in the arena. In fact, one of the second term boys had said it was sure to be the first time in Swordmaster history that a recruit had impaled themselves on their own practice blade. As if that weren't bad enough, no one had bothered to tell him that the cloth covered wooden practice blades actually hurt . He had knots and bruises everywhere. Tarius had a knot over his right eye, but it didn't seem to bother him at all.
There was no way Tragon could make it in. There were twenty-five of them now, but in two weeks they would cut them down to fifteen. If you didn't
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