Fearless (A Mulan Retelling)

Chapter Seven

While Iris knew little to nothing about the army, she could only assume this man was not a recruit.

He looked about the cabin, as if he, like her, were trying to find someone. When he didn't find who he had been looking for, a deep voice came from his chest. "Damn it." The man shook his head, and Iris just stood there awkwardly. The full force of his gaze turned on her. Oh, Iris wanted to vomit so badly. "Are you here for registration?" he asked her.

"Yes, sir," Iris answered after a minute, thankful for the raspy quality of her voice. "I am."

And now, Iris met his eyes and got a good look at his face -finding that he looked far younger than she'd expected him to be. His skin was tight on his face and warmly tanned, still glowing with youthful exuberance. Judging by that alone, he couldn't have been too many years older than she. Even still, his very nature was imposing. He had a strong jaw, and his eyes were dark and as sharp as a hawk's as he surveyed her.

For a moment, she expected him to see right through her. But then? "I'll register you," he said, breaking his gaze as he made his way over to the empty desk. "Guess the captain's out on break." The man sat down and began rifling through some papers. When he settled, he began reading over some of what Iris's assumed were the missing captain's things. She just watched as he glossed over the words and ruffled a hand through his dark hair, slightly disturbing the neatness of his topknot.

He grabbed a quill and looked back to her, dipping it in a small vat of ink. "Name please."

"I am Ingred Gwenneth." She reached over and placed the draft note on the table. "Reporting from the Gwenneth family."

The man took the note and wrote her name on the captain's list. "Well, Ingred Gwenneth," he said as he wrote. "Since our recruiting captain is away, let me be the one to welcome you into the Eldian army. I am General Zayn Rothstead." He stood up now and held out a hand for her to shake.

She took the offered hand in the firmest handshake she could manage, though every single part inside her recoiled at him. He was the General! If anyone ever found out who she really was... this man would be the one to execute her. Part of her wanted to run away now -to get away from the general. However, her better judgment bade she stay.

"Well met, my general." The words were simple, but still Iris prided herself on how well she'd held herself together thus far -even if she did feel heavily uneasy. She didn't lower her eyes to the floor, even if that was her instinct. Her gaze did slip a little, however, lingering on a small pink scar under his left eye.

"Well, Ingred," the general said, "Here in just a moment, you'll need to follow me so I can quickly test your ability -this will help me to place you for your training here. But first, can you tell me your preferred weapon?"

"I fight with a sword, sir," she answered. Oh gods, he was going to test her. Her heart nearly dropped to her stomach.

Her answer made him look closer at her -evaluating her for the better part of a minute. Iris squirmed a bit under his gaze. At that moment, she found it incredibly hard to read what he was thinking. She had a guess, though -a very good guess, she'd wager.

"For preliminary purposes, how experienced would you say you are with your sword?" he asked, now just seemingly reading questions off the missing captain's papers. "Have you ever engaged in actual combat?"

Iris saw no point in lying. "I have had very minimal experience... and no."

He nodded, marking something down on the parchment. His face held no emotion as his hand moved along the document. General Zayn spoke again without looking at her. "Most men that come here have only ever come in contact with a sword, as it is the most common weapon." His eyes refocused on her and he laid down the quill. "Here in the Eldian army, we do our best to let each soldier achieve maximum potential. If you prove more proficient at another weapon, would you consider switching from your sword?

Iris thought about that for a minute and then nodded. "I would consider it," she said in her low, scratchy voice. "What weapon would you have me try?"

He stood from his spot and snatched up the freshly marked parchment, looking one last time for the recruiting officer -of which there was still no sign. "Follow me, quickly," the general order. "We'll decide during your initial test. I do have an idea, however."

He left it at that.

----

General Zayn led his new recruit to a large, circular platform near the middle of the camp. Around the platform, a few weapon racks stood -stocked with all sorts of blades and hammers. A few sets of eyes followed the both of them as they moved through. So much for staying unnoticed, Iris thought bitterly to herself. Zayn quickly climbed up the platform and beckoned her to join him.

"This will be a quick test, I'm afraid, as I have little time," he said. "Draw your sword, and ready yourself to spar me."

She did so, hands already shaking.

Needless to say, it took a very short amount of time for his strength to overpower her. Iris had fully expected that. Her technique had been a little shaky -but it was certainly better than it would have been had she not trained with Kayde. She couldn't help but feel disappointed at how fast she'd lost. Why was this even necessary? -to embarrass new soldiers right from the beginning?

Zayn seemed to read her face. "Very good," he commended. "But this is why this initial test is so important. While you have some skill with your blade thus far, I do not believe it is your calling. You are small of stature indeed; you wouldn't be able to stand up to another swordsman in a fair fight." His words were harsh, but the tone of his voice was not.

"Don't look so offended," he said, noticing the look on her face. "I do not judge a man by the size of his body, but by the size of his fight and the size of his cause. So give me a good reason to respect you, and I will." He paused so the words might take effect. "Now, wait just a moment."

Zayn walked off for a moment and came back with two small blades -daggers. He held them out to Iris while speaking. She took them and looked at them for a long moment.

"By looking at you and by sparring with you, I have good reason to believe that these might be better suited for you than the sword," he told her. "You're no power fighter, but you're certainly quick." General Zayn motioned to the weapons in her hands. "These daggers are lightweight. You won't have to depend so much on size and strength -but rather, your speed. With these, you'll fell the mightiest of men simply because you won't give them time to lift a hand against you."

Iris nodded, almost intrigued by the thought. She'd been so worried about her size ever since she'd made her decision to come -but with these? Maybe size wouldn't matter so much after all. Maybe she would be useful.

"I see you like that idea," he pointed out. "Swing them around for a moment, get a feel for how they work."

Iris did as told, whipping them around, finding that they felt delightful in her hands. After a few moment of wild swinging, General Zayn stopped her. "Very good."

And from there, the general showed her a couple of simple attacks. She noticed that instead of learning defensive talents, he was briefing her more on offense. While some of his footwork was a bit confusing to her, she found the training loads easier than Kayde's. The session was brief, as he'd promised earlier.

After they were done, Zayn sheathed the weapons in their scabbards and held them out to her. "These are yours now. Practice what I showed you as much as possible and consult with others for more technique. Official training starts in a four weeks' time." He then gestured to her armor. "Also, get your measurements in soon and turn them into the armory on the far side of camp. You have between now and official training to suit yourself in armor that fits. I would suggest leather rather than chainmail, as it will allow for more movement -but the choice is all your own."

Iris nodded.

"Go back to the registration cabin and get a map of the area," he said. "Find the barracks entitled to the rogues and find a bed for yourself in one of them. Ask your peers there to help train you further. See you in four weeks, Ingred. Good luck to you."

The general left.