Sword Masters Read Online Free Page B

make the cut you could always try again, but very few were ever accepted if they didn't make it the first time around. His father would never let him live it down.
    He had to make it in. But how? He wasn't worried about the academics. Book learning came easy to him. But he'd never pass the sword part unless by some miracle he stopped tripping over his own feet.
    Arvon excused himself and left, and Tragon moved closer to Tarius. "So, how'd you do?" he asked, even though he knew.
    "I did all right." Suddenly Tarius looked sullen. "Not that it matters."
    "Why do you say that?" Tragon asked in disbelief.
    Tarius picked up the handbook then put it down slowly. "I can't read or write. Not even my own language," Tarius whispered. "I surely can't read this ! I'll be out as soon as I flunk the test."
    Tragon smiled. All was not yet lost. "I've got an idea."
    * * *
    They sat in the courtyard after the evening meal. It was the middle of spring, and the days were getting longer and warmer. It was turning out to be almost as hard to teach Tragon to handle a sword as it was to teach Tarius to read and write. Tarius had tied Tragon's feet together with a string in order to try and improve his stance.
    Tragon shook his head and dropped his sword. "That's it. I'm done in." He looked at Tarius eagerly. "Am I getting any better at all?"
    "Most assuredly," Tarius said, although she wasn't at all sure that he was improving fast enough to make the cut.
    "He looks better to me," Harris said, nodding appreciatively. Tarius was his hero, his champion. Tarius protected him from all the pompous little asses who wanted to kick Harris around. In return, he was devoted to helping Tarius do anything he wanted done.
    It was Friday night, and they had the weekend off. A bunch of the other students walked towards them on their way into town.
    "Tragon!" Derek yelled. "We're going to the pub. Want to go with us?"
    Tragon looked at Tarius. "Want to go?"
    "No, I have too much to do," Tarius said. She knew the invitation didn't extend to her. She watched him walk away.
    "They're all jerks anyway," Harris said, patting Tarius on the shoulder. "I'll help you with your reading."
    "That would be good." Tarius and Harris sat down on a bench under a tree. Harris was actually a better teacher than Tragon was. He was more patient and explained things better. Tarius liked Tragon, but realized that he was mostly self-serving. It was fine as long as she was helping him, but when he was supposed to be helping her he was always in a big hurry.
    After about an hour she put down the book. "So in all fairness I should now teach you the sword. After all, that was my deal with Tragon, who ran off to leave you to do his work. So what do you say?"
    Harris automatically looked at his foot. "I can't fight. I'm a cripple."
    "What utter crap!" Tarius arched backwards and jumped to her feet in one fluid motion without using her hands. A feat that always delighted the boy as was evident by the smile which leapt to his face. She reached down and helped Harris to his feet. "If a clumsy oaf like Tragon can learn to fight, anyone can."
    "I can never be a Swordmaster," Harris said.
    "No offense, but your country's rules on who can and can not fight are idiotic. You can allow someone to fight, but if they aren't a fighter in their heart, what good is it? Then you tell someone else they can't fight. Yet if that person is a warrior at heart, then you're an idiot. Come now; I'll teach you. I can tell you have a fighter's heart."
    Tarius pressed a practice sword into Harris's hand and walked around behind him to show him how to hold it. With her hand on his she started to move the blade through the air, carefully whispering in his ear all the little tricks and movements as they went. It wasn't the way she was teaching Tragon; he wouldn't have stood for it. It was, however, how her father had taught her.
    She put the front of her legs on the back of his. "Now, move your feet with mine."
    He nodded,