Nightwatcher

Part 2

Calen made the practice sword dance in his hands while his instructor Nadia tried her best to take his head off. She had been happy to learn of his complete inexperience with the blade when Henlan had first pushed them together, she'd explained that it was much easier teaching the fighting style of a Nighwatcher, hidden defenders of Ilya, to someone with no preconceptions, whereas trained soldiers couldn't help but think of the ice blades as just another sword.

He managed to duck another swing of the massive sword Nadia used, a rough replica of the favoured weapon of the Patient Men. It was a weapon of abrupt force and little subtlety, a club of sorts that stood almost as tall ash she. Nadia's was made of the lightest wood it could be to try and replicate the speed of their enemies but she had warned that they were faster than she could be and wielded metal versions that could strike with deadly force.

He waited for the perfect moment as she'd trained him and when she overextended with the weapon he unsheathed the practice weapon and plunged it towards her chest, stopping just short. She acknowledged the touch but then her hands released the club and snaked out to catch his throat before he could react. She did not apply pressure but her furrowed brow indicated disappointment.

"Dead. Half of what I'm teaching you is movement Calen. Don't count on a single strike to finish a Patient Man. You had no plan to retreat once landing that low, did you?"

Calen hung his head a little and shook it to indicate no. She was his mentor and he hated disappointing her. She seemed to recognise this and let out a huff of frustration. She reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder and he could hear her attempts at being gentle.

"You are getting better. But better is not enough for you to survive"

Calen nodded and re-sheathed his sword before taking the stance she'd taught him.

"No, if we continue now you will be despondent and I will be irritable and nothing productive will come of this. Sun should have set by now, let's go for a run"

Calen rushed to put his practice sword away and stood by the secret entrance to the sparring room by the time Nadia was ready. She raised an eyebrow at him but otherwise didn't comment on his eagerness. For his part he knew how important his training was but he loved their runs through the city. It reminded him of his time among his clan and their daring escapes across the rooftops after making a score.

"Come on then. And don't think I won't be testing you along the way"

He nodded, hiding his grin, and Nadia placed a hand against the door. Under her breath he knew she was invoking the name of Old Tom, the guardian spirit of the hidden parts of the palace. She tended to do this because Old Tom didn't much like Calen and when the situation wasn't serious would often be stubborn. They slipped through the section of wall that hinged outwards and started making their way through the palace.

"Best route out of here?" asked Nadia, holding back to let him take the lead.

He oriented himself for a moment and then started leading the way towards the kitchens. There would be people working even at this late hour but the kitchens themselves would be empty and the guards who watched the servants entrance tended to be half-asleep at this time of night. Nadia did not seem to object to this route and followed. It still amazed him that Nadia had been a Nightwatcher for over twenty years. She claimed she was still fit for the job but her grey hair and love of naps in the afternoon belied that claim. Still, she had no issue keeping up as they slipped through the twists and turns.

The kitchen was quiet and cold as they entered and Calen relied on his sense of touch more than his eyes as they creeped across the darkened room. They stalked towards the servant entrance and sure enough the guards were there but engaged in lazy conversation rather than the upright attentiveness of the guards at the main gate. Even the greatest thief couldn't slip by them unnoticed despite their sleepy attitude, but Calen had tricks most thieves did not.