[ 𝙞 ] 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙮 𝙊𝙛 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚

Chapter Ten

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punishment

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The plans were explained in detail to the soldiers, and they were required to repeat them out loud upon being given their orders. The next week would be spent preparing weapons and fine-tuning combat.

The soldiers were given each a suit of light armor made up of a breastplate, pauldrons, cuisse, and greave, with chainmail connecting them.

The soldiers were told to wear their armor for every training session after that, to get to used to moving around in it and carrying the weight of the metal.

"The helmet is far too tight," Grian told the officer upon the first full-armor training session.

"It's all you've got, so make it work." He spat in reply.

"I can't even fit it over my head." She insisted.

"Either you wear it or you get your head cut off!" He barked.

"Are you deaf? I can't bloody fit the thing over my skull!"

The officer lost his patience, taking a handful of her hair and yanking her head back. "You wear it or we'll make short work of you." He said in a low seething voice.

"Hey!" Alexander suddenly shouted. "You're going to regret that." He told the officer, taking a firm hold of his wrist and squeezing until he let go of Grian's hair.

The officer wheezed in pain as Alexander released his arm, then recoiled and drew a knife from his belt.

Alexander grabbed his wrist and squeezed again until the officer dropped the knife under the pressure. Then he punched him solid in the nose, letting his limp body fall to the ground.

Grian stood breathless, her scalp still burning from the yank of her hair.

"I could have handled him." She told Alexander with a glare.

"I know, I was doing him a favor," Alexander said with a smile.

The lieutenant and several other officers pushed through the small crowd of onlookers, two of the officers taking hold of Alexander's arms and wrenching them behind him. Another officer yanked Grian's arms back and clamped a pair of manacles over her wrists.

"You will pay dearly for that," The lieutenant said to Alexander.

Without any words, Alexander looked up at him with such hate and disgust that the lieutenant seemed to lose his nerve for a second, reverting his eyes and nearly shivering.

"Deal with him," Javal told the officers. "She's his witness. See to it that his pride can no longer cause such trouble."

Grian was dragged along with Alexander by the officers, to one of the obscure tents near the walls of the camp.