The Unseen World

Chapter 12: Jared

Chapter 12- Jared

"Keep your knees bent, Jared." Brendan growled, tapping the back of my knees with his toes. I glared at him and did as told. I already mastered the broadsword, longsword and the saber. Brendan had been here for longer than me now since I'd missed a couple months of training, so he was teaching me to fight with shortswords and daggers (which are pretty close to the same, though daggers are slightly smaller than shortswords). "You're right handed, so keep your right foot back and your left foot forward, slighly bent at the waist with your left sword forward and your right one back."

I rolled my eyes. I knew how to stand. I wasn't completely incompetent.

"It's the same as the long sword, only these are lighter and faster," another squire, whose name I had heard was Jonathan, explained. I nodded. Jonathan grabbed a broadsword off the wall and faced me, holding it with both hands and bending his knees slightly to keep on his toes. "Charge."

I zoomed forward as fast as my legs could carry me. I went for a straightforward attack and as he moved to block me, I ducked to the side and landed a blow on his calf with the flat of the tiny sword. I slipped behind him and hit him lightly on the base of his skull with the butt of my dagger. "You're done."

"This thing is too heavy for me," Jonathan grunted, heaving it back onto the wall. He grabbed a longsword and held it in one hand, swinging it around with ease. "Much better," He smirked at me and took up his position. "You won't get so lucky this time."

"Whatever," I grinned, walking back to my original spot and taking up my position. "Just go."

This time, Jonathan charged me. He held his sword with both hands as he ran at me. He jumped up and started to slam down his sword on my head, but I ducked and blocked with my swords just long enough to slip out of reach. I swiftly dodged to the side and caught him on the calf with my short sword, just a scratch so it barely even scratched through his pants.

"Hey!" Jonathan grumbled and swung his sword around using his right hand, so it whipped just in front of my nose before I dropped to my knees and slid under it. It hummed as it passed my nose, and I quickly jumped to my feet and spun around, kicking the sword from his hand. I charged and put both knives up to his neck in a cross, and he pulled his head back, his neck straining not to get cut even though he knew I would never harm him on purpose.

"I win again," I said, stepping back and dropping my hands to my sides. "It's been almost all day and the girls have already left. Can I go now, Brendan?" I asked looking at the brown-haired boy, wishing he had been the one I'd been sparring with so I could have "accidentally," cut him.

"Fine," Brendan grunted, waving his hand as if he didn't care. "But if Etan is disappointed with you tomorrow when he assesses you, then don't come crying to me."

'Why would I ever come crawling to you, you deranged nutcase.' I thought to myself. I sighed as I put my shortswords away and left the training room.

I walked out to the stables, nodding as knights and gaurds passed by. When I got there, I walked briskly past the horses and their brethren(yes, I do mean unicorns, pegasus and mixed breeds.) and hurried on to the dragon section.

The dragons were all in their own roof-free stalls, but they had little necklace-like bands around their necks just under their jawbone that kept them from flying off. We did not keep them prisoner, but when they wanted to go out they needed to have a knight or stableman present to monitor them until they were fully grown and trained. Without the bands, they had a hard time asking permission.

"Mattias!" I called when I got to the stall where I remembered him being when I left. I peered inside through the cracks and saw a black mass in the shadows that was breathing steadily. I grinned and unlocked the human part of the stall door and walked through, not bothering to shut it after me.