The Dragons of Sara Sara by Robert Chalmers Page B

master’s sword and had I been from another sept, or the Forests of Gloom perhaps, you might now be dead where you stand.” The Asha Altan looked Rees up and down. Not a glimmer of expression told Rees what he could be thinking. What should he do. "Should I turn and leave?” thought Rees, swallowing under the scrutiny.
    "So,” said the warrior. “We had better make sure that you can protect your family as well as work for them. I will train you myself.” The Asha Altan took a step closer. “Learn to control your mouth. It’s hanging open again boy.”
    This time Rees was certain he caught a flicker of a smile on the man’s mouth. He was enjoying Rees’s discomfit he was sure.
    So began Rees’s training. The old warrior, Jardine of the Asha Altan, of the Stone Lion sept, oldest of the Asha Altan, holder of the Seat, met Rees every day beneath the Song Wood tree and trained him until he fell in exhaustion at the old warriors feet.
    “You have much to learn boy. Be here at the same time tomorrow.” So saying he would walk away down the dry creek bed. Rees came every day. Jardine had told him early in his training that if he missed one day, he would not see the old warrior again. Commitment was the first duty of a warrior.
    Rees learned quickly. Jardine trained him in all the weapons including the short killing spear, but Rees excelled with the sword and the axe. Try as he might though, he could not make Jardine even raise a sweat. It was frustrating, and not a little frightening. Rees knew he was good now. Jardine even admitted it. How good he had to be to get Jardine on the defensive though he could not even guess at. The man just didn't appear to be even exerting himself. Rees did notice though that Jardine had stopped calling him “boy”.
    One day Rees turned up at the Song Wood tree and waited. Jardine never came and Rees never saw him again. He wanted to thank the man and had sought out Riadia. When Rees told Riadia what had been happening she plainly did not believe him. Until he calmly took down a short hafted spear from the guest room wall and pinned the flapping apron of a passing servant to the timber post by her side.
    “Jardine taught me.” He declared flatly. “I would thank him.” Rees ignored the Mare Altan now on their toes, some with arrows nocked in short bows.
    “That was a very foolish thing to do boy.” Said Riadia.
    “Jardine stopped calling me boy three months gone.” Quietly replied Rees.
    Riadia walked to the door post, signalling to the others to relax.
    “Then you are truly a man it seems, and a warrior.” She said with a slight grin to the other women in the room. Some whispered to each other, laughter evident in their eyes. All except their serving girl, still struggling to get the spear out of the post and unpin her apron.
    “He will know of your thanks Rees. I apologise for doubting your word. I should have known better. I have a debt to you. I will not forget.”
    She pulled the spear loose from the door and the serving girl fled. Riadia walked out leaving Rees facing the now speculative looks – raised eyebrows – of the gathered Mare Altan. He had seen that look on girls before, and fled the room as fast as dignity would allow him.
    Now he rode out on his own to one side of this friend Antonin, lost in his own thoughts. The entire party was making good time in their journey away from the village. Slowly swinging North East if Antonin knew his senses to be correct. He brought his focus back to the present. This was no time for day dreaming. Questions of what was, what could be and what might be would be answered as surely as the Great Wheel now turned. What his part in all this was he gave up trying to fathom.
    Unconsciously he counted off those around him. Mei'An and Luan in the lead. Edina and Elsa with Catharina slightly back from them. A little further out to the right was… Who was that. Gaul was on his left, Rees on his right, none behind as he swivelled in his