Joe nodded, “Remember the forms I have taught you?”

Garnedell grew very worried, “But I’ve never used them in combat.”

Joe smiled, “Think about the forms. Which ones would you use to defend?”

Garnedell paused at that before responding, “I think, the third, fifth and sixth would be good for…”

Joe interrupted him, “Show me the third.”

Garnedell looked at him and immediately brought his staff around in a sweep to block an imaginary strike. Joe saw it and smiled, nodding.

“Good! Now what do you…”

Joe interrupted his comment and their stroll to attack Garnedell with a pretty well telegraphed strike and Garnedell immediately swept the strike aside in the same manner, Joe’s arm pushed aside firmly. Garnedell froze when he saw Joe’s arm pushed aside and he looked up at Joe. Joe smiled back, staring at him.

“And when the goblins thrust at you?” Joe asked, leading Garnedell to his memories.

Garnedell’s thoughts stuttered and when Joe continued staring at him with a smile, Garnedell’s own smile grew greater still.

“I’ve been…” Garnedell looked over at his fellow apprentices who also were looking at him with dawning realizations.

“We’ve been using it all along!”

Joe smiled, “Yes… pretty badly… really badly sometimes, but yes… you’ve been using all of them. All of you.”

Garnedell’s confidence quickly returned to him and the two began walking again, Joe leading them to a nice grassy field outside the courtyard. They walked in silence for a bit before Joe offered one last piece of advice.

“The only thing I can think of is to be careful with any skills. I’m … I don’t understand sk… hmm… my people’s skills are different than the skills here.”

Garnedell nodded before looking up at him excitedly, “Yeah, I can see that. I think I like your skills better?”

Joe chuckled, “I think my peop… some of my people would like your skills, especially with the numbers that define everything, but… anyway, just… be careful because the skills here are … they can have decent range and speed. I think, the best bet would be to jump back and to the side. If the skill is a thrust, jumping to the side is necessary. If the skill is a three sixty strike or a strike surrounding him, jumping back would be the best option. So, I guess, if you see a skill activating, jumping back and to the side would probably be your best bet.”

Garnedell listened carefully and began nodding about half way through, “I see the wisdom of your advice, Master. Block when I must. Block to retreat to range. Strike him to submission. And finally, retreat to the side if he uses a skill?”

Joe looked at Garnedell, his eyebrow rising along with a soft smile on his lips, “Yup. That sounds like a good summary.” OK. So… yeah, he’s… Joe kept his smile hidden even as his pride for the kid erupted, spilling outward across his interaction with Garnedell. He made sure Garnedell was aware of his pride.

“You’re going to do great and even if he wins, I’m still going to be impressed!”

Garnedell smiled up Joe, “I will not fail you, Master.”

Joe smiled, “You can’t fail me. All I ask is for effort, and you are giving more than enough effort.”

Garnedell bowed, “Of course, Master. That is the duty of an apprentice.”

Joe cocked his head in thought before nodding his head, “I guess there is truth in that.”

The two parted after that, Garnedell stepping into a circle that formed by the arriving guests wishing to watch the fight. While the two had been walking to the dueling area Joe had chosen, the others had kept their space, offering him privacy. When Garnedell left him, Kilniara skipped up to his side, pulling Gwenvair with her, both settling on either side of him even as Gwenvair’s mother glided into place beside Gwenvair. Zilnek also came to join their group, sliding to Kilniara’s side. Kilniara was the first to speak.

“Will he do well?”

Joe shrugged, “Not sure.”

Kilniara looked at Joe, startled, “Really? He might… lose?”

Joe chuckled, “Yeah? Everyone can lose.”

Gwenvair’s question was much more calculating, “You are unconcerned with your image?”

Joe’s smile dropped as he turned to Gwenvair, his response serious, “My image means nothing to me. I care only to be honest and integrous. If I care for my image, then it might be that I hope my image shows my honesty and integrity. But, truly, my image means little to me.”

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Gwenvair’s face turned sour as she shook her head, “You must always be careful to maintain a proper image.”

Joe nodded, “Image is not unimportant, but it cannot be the primary purpose of a person’s efforts. If it is, then everyone around them will immediately see you care little for anything but yourself. Then why should any care for you when it is so obvious that you care nothing for others?”

“Caring for your own image is not mutually exclusive with caring for others.”

Joe agreed easily, “Yup. You are correct, but in a priority, what is more important, one’s image or a person.”

Gwenvair paused at that, “A person.”

Joe nodded, “It may be possible, and it should be, to maintain one’s image without sacrificing others, but often most do not do so. And even if this is taken in consideration, caring for one’s own image can often mean that concern for an image takes precedence over concern for another as you aren’t careful to help the other because you worry about sacrificing their or your own image. If image is important, it must be one of the least important in the list of appropriate behaviors and help for self, family, and others.”

Joe grew exasperated, “I mean, come on! Look at this right now. That clan kid wanted to chop off Garnedell’s arm because of words. It’s happening literally right now, so no… I do not find image very important. And usually, I often see people more concerned for image than they are for others and sometimes, in the extreme, even for themselves. Sacrificing self for your image usually leads to hypocrisy. Sacrificing your family and children for your image or your family’s image almost always leads to hatred between family members and rebellious youth, and in the extreme, sacrificing family. Sacrificing other’s for your own or your family image leads to arrogance, pride, evil, and hatred which will, in the extreme, lead to lifelong vendettas.

“In the end, image must always be subservient to the person. If not, then you have valued a thing as greater than a person. Such a choice, in the end, is the very definition of evil. If it is possible to place self, family and children, and others first, and then be concerned with the image of all these people last, then, I believe, it may be possible to lead a virtuous life while still being concerned with image.

“I just do not think there is any need to be truly concerned with image. It is a pointless waste of time and effort. Do not worry about your image. Dedicate your life to being a virtuous, good, kind, righteous, and integrous person. If you do, almost always your image will match. Often, your image will exceed who you truly are.”

Gwenvair had been resistant throughout Joe’s long argument but was soon nodding pensively at the end, “I can see how you could argue so.”

Joe smiled and shrugged, “Who do you have the best image of? Those who have a good image but somehow their actions do not quite match the image? Not even that they are doing evil, or countering their image, but that they are at best neutral in their actions and behavior? Or the person who focuses on doing the right thing and is unconcerned with their image? Which one are you most respectful of? Who has the greatest honor in your eyes?”

Gwenvair paused at that and her mother and her shared a meaningful look, neither responding immediately until the Matriarch spoke, “You are… quite wise, eccentric.”

Joe shrugged, “No. This is just something that my people have studied and learned after centuries of study and learning.”

“Then your people are quite wise.”

Joe laughed, “In some ways, but for others, we lack in many ways and are quite foolish. So, in some ways we are wiser, but in others, there are many who are wiser than us.”

“Another nugget of wisdom so easily dispensed.”

Joe fell silent at that, finding the constant mentions of his ‘wisdom’ a bit annoying and worrisome as he was pretty certain that he had to keep his ego in check. The two clan women accepted his silence and turned to the impromptu field. Garnedell had been performing his stretches in the middle of the field. Joe hadn’t noticed while speaking with the others, but quickly noticed that many were avidly staring at Garnedell’s movements.

Joe began glancing around, eyeing how everyone stared at Garnedell’s stretches. Huh… people were really interested last time, too. Need to start teaching people how to stretch? Maybe?

Across from Garnedell, the clan boy stood, silent and waiting but did nothing, already poised and ready for battle but waiting patiently for Garnedell. Garnedell ignored him and the others until he completed the proper stretching routine. Once done, he nodded to the other boy, who nodded back, then turned to Joe.

“I am ready.”

“As am I,” the ulvan boy nodded a bit nervously.

The Matriarch nodded, accepted the statement, “Then, please, let us begin. Eccentric, would you do the honors?”

Joe blinked, “Ah…” Gwenvair beside him brushed a hand across the back of his, hiding her touch from the crowd. Joe recognized the message and quickly accepted, “Of course. I would be honored.”

Gwenvair spoke up at this point, “Please offer your status to the Eccentric.”

“Yes, First in Line for Matriarch,” the clan boy replied rapidly before pulling up his status and passing it to Joe. Joe kept his face passive, but watched with surprise as the status page floated in front of him and held its place before him. With that bit of extra time, Garnedell seemed to understand what to do and replied quickly.

“Yes, First in Line for Matriarch,” Garnedell replied in an excellent mimicry of the clan boy’s and opened up his status but paused, uncertain how to send the status to Joe. Joe noticed and quickly offered an option. Man… hope this works!

“Try willing it to me.” Maybe have them practice that a bit, too?

Garnedell smiled in relief and nodded. His status stubbornly refused to move for a bit before it began to stutter a bit then slide, reluctantly, to hover in front of him next to the ulvan boy’s status… Huh… Tougallandar… that’s a really interesting name! With the two statuses before him, Joe noticed several people staring at him. Why are they… oh… uh…

“Begin,” Joe’s statement barely held from becoming a question, but everyone seemed to accept the statement and both boys immediately prepared themselves, although the ulvan boy simply stood there in a relaxed stance that was more akin to standing on the street than preparing for a fight.

Garnedell took his staff and set himself in a proper stance, facing the ulvan clansman. His stance drew some exclamations of concern from the surrounding watchers and Joe understood why as the ulvan’s relaxed posture was without any concern for center of gravity, distance, or stance. This… is the epitome of combat capability here? Joe was a bit shocked to see this and found himself watching with a bit more interest. While he wasn’t certain of Garnedell’s victory, his confidence did go up a bit.

The ulvan boy seemed to become quite a bit more nervous, watching the way Garnedell stood. The boy stood there, staring at Garnedell uncertainly. The ulvan drew his blade, one that looked like a short sword, and advanced on Garnedell, rather inexpertly. Garnedell refused to move. Tougallandar came forward, then stepped back, dancing into and away from Garnedell without closing. Garnedell held his position almost perfectly. There were a couple of moments that Joe easily saw where he could have taken a free hit against the clan boy. But… he’s young. Still learning… and man, I never thought … he’s doing really well holding himself back.