When I woke up the next day, I found Leyna sleeping on the floor in our living room. My mother was already up, making breakfast in the kitchen. She looked out from there when she heard my footsteps.
“Good morning, Kanda. Don’t worry about Lady Aleyna. She might be a night owl, but once she wakes up, she will be full of energy, and you can go training right away. Hurry up, eat your breakfast, and get ready. Your father also left for work not long ago.” It looked as if nothing had changed after yesterday. But I could see her shoulders hanging lower ever so slightly, as though some invisible weights had been placed on them. She might have been one of the strongest women my father knew, but in that moment, she looked like the most fragile thing in the world to me.
It didn’t take long for Leyna to wake up, and as my mother predicted, she was ready to go in five minutes. I didn’t know if it was because she was an elf, or it’s just how she was.
“Boro told me that you always practiced in the forest. Let’s do the same. You use that clearing near the river, right?”
“Y- Yes, how did you know?” I asked her while walking.
“The trees said it all.”
“You can speak with the trees?” She looked at me with a dumbfounded expression when I said that.
“No way, how could anyone be able to talk with plants? What are you, five?”
“I thought you are able to do that with magic,” I stated defensively. “I heard tales of people who could command a horde of animals, or trap others by controlling lianas.”
“Yes, with the proper spell or innate talent one can do that. But it doesn’t mean that they can speak with the animals or plants they are controlling. Magic is all about control, after all. What you need to understand isn’t the target’s thoughts but their composition. Same with the elements. You didn’t learn about it?”
“No, it’s the first time I learn about magic. I saw a fire juggler when we went to see the circus in Dirham once though, so I had seen it before.”
Her expression became a bit softer. “I see, I see. Well, it’s not like I can blame you or your parents. Boro was never fit to be a mage, and Lute wasn’t in the position to learn magic either. But a lot changed in the last two decades, so it might be best if you learn some magic yourself. Nowadays, it’s rare to see an adventurer swordsman who can’t use the most basic elemental or support spells. Similarly, mages started to learn melee combat too. Your father’s group really left an impact on the kingdom. Not that I’m complaining. It’s great to see I won’t be the only one who remembers them.” After saying that much, she fell silent.
“Leyna?” I turned back to see if she was okay. We also arrived at the clearing.
“As I said, the trees said it all,” said Leyna with a bright smile on her face. “Look at the scars on them. All the broken branches. There are marks on the ground, too. If one pays attention, then it’s easy to take notice of them,” she pointed all over the place as she explained. “But enough of the chit-chat. Show me what Boro taught you over the years.”
Leyna held her wooden sword with one hand and took a starting stance. Her smile stayed the same, but I could see fighting spirit in her eyes. Even if her stance seemed lousy at first sight, I could tell that she could respond to any of my attacks.
Which meant she didn’t intend on attacking me. She wanted me to go on the offensive, and I accepted her proposal.
Holding my practice sword with two hands, I rushed in to attack her with a lower slash. I planned on using her block to keep part of my momentum and change the direction of my attack.
She responded in kind and dodged my attack, getting away from me.
I attacked again, using other directions and techniques. Then again. And again.
But none of my attacks could reach her, she flawlessly blocked and dodged all of them. As expected from the person my father call ‘master’.
There was only one trick I could use on her.
I attacked her relentlessly, not giving her any moment to jump away from me. It didn’t take long to move her in the direction of the river. Once we got close enough, I gripped the blade of my wooden sword and tried to push her into the river. I thought that once she loses her balance, I might have a chance.
Unfortunately, she predicted my intention, and jumped away in the last moment, so I was the one who fell into the river instead.
“It was not half bad, I must say,” smiled Leyna at me, as she gave her hand to help me stand up. “Leading your opponent to the place you want them to be is a good idea, and Boro also took advantage of it all the time. If I wasn’t as experienced, it might have even worked. Now let’s take a little break, okay? Also, let me dry your clothes,” said Leyna and started to move her hand in the air. Water drops started to form in front of me as she made my clothes dry again.
“Was this water magic?” I asked curiously.
“Yep. It’s an easy spell once you learn the trick of it. Oh, but I don’t recommend using it with poor magic control. Water and fire require the greatest control out of all the basic elements. If you are not cautious enough, you might bleed someone out. It’s really nasty, so don’t try it, okay? Wind and earth are more user-friendly, so to say. I think they would also suit you. Or maybe some other magic type. You can learn all you want about them once you come to the capital.”
“You mean if I go to the capital. It’s not even sure I can go.”
“Oh, I’m pretty sure you can, don’t worry. I haven’t been a sword instructor for eighty years for nothing. I have good eyes for talent, and you would be a good match for any apprentice swordsman on the academy.” Leyna then stood up. “Okay, it’s my turn now. If you can last two minutes with my wind augments activated, then you might be better than your father’s seventeen years old self. Good luck and hang in there, okay?” she said with a playful smile and took an offensive stance by raising her sword.
My father also used this stance a lot. It was a taunting stance, holding the sword above one’s head. It wasn’t practical, didn’t help with defense at all, and responding to the opponent’s attacks also became more difficult. But it had one, no, two advantages. Firstly, this stance ridiculed the opponent. Hurt pride can cost a lot in a duel, if someone gets lost in it. Secondly, it might not be practical for real fights, but it can solve a duel fast if the user was able to pull off a thrust with it. My father was able to, so I could easily predict that his master could also do it. I took a deep breath. I knew which stance to take to defend against it.
Or so I thought. I didn’t account for the difference in speed between him and Leyna. My father had a greater build than me, which meant I had the advantage in speed during our practice. But now it was the other way around.
I didn’t hear any footsteps as Leyna approached me. I could block Leyna’s first attack by instinct, but my fingers went numb after our swords clashed. I could still follow her movements with my eyes, which meant I needed to adjust my reaction time to her speed, and I should be able to block most of her attacks and dodge the rest. At least I hoped so.
I also needed to stay vigilant and not let her find any openings. I already noticed it when I was on the offensive, but her moves were nearly flawless. She perfectly protected her vital points, and precisely aimed for mine.
As expected from my father’s master.
I didn’t know how much time passed since she started to attack me, nor did I care. My mind was fully focused on blocking, parrying, dodging, and maneuvering on the clearing. The muddy ground didn’t slow her down. Neither did quick evasion, she stayed en route, right in my direction.
“Let’s see how you will defend against this!” Leyna said and thrusted her sword towards me. She was already too close, so I couldn’t get a good angle to fully parry her attack, nor could I jump away in time. I gave it my full strength to change the direction of her sword, but at that moment something cracked.
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It was my wooden sword. It broke into two parts, and my parry’s momentum made me fell to the ground as I lost balance.
Leyna stood above me, with a smile of recognition on her face.
“Well, well, well, it was a while since this happened,” she said. “I didn’t think we would need enchanted swords for practice, but I guess that last attack was too much for a plain wooden sword. Anyhow, congrats, Konda! You had beaten the seventeen years old Boro’s record by... three seconds. With this feat you can even get a decent placement during the annual tournament – at least in your age bracket. And now I know what I need to teach you in the next few days. I’m looking forward to it!” Leyna said with a bright smile. I sheepishly nodded.
The next few days were spent with Leyna correcting my stances and moves, training my endurance and speed, and teaching me new techniques or strategies I could use in duels. Still, it didn’t matter how much I trained, I still couldn’t beat her, not even once.
“It’s not something you should worry about,” she said after one of our dinners. “Boro was nineteen with years of experience behind him when he first beat me. And he could only beat me four times in total.”
“You mean seven times,” interrupted my father. He wasn’t on night watch, so he could talk with us. My mother was tired and already went to sleep. “I didn’t think that your memory would ever fail you, Master.”
“Those don’t count!” pouted Leyna. “I wasn’t in a good shape so they shouldn’t be counted! And one of them was intentional to begin with!”
“Intentional or not, a loss is a loss,” said my father, then he sipped from his tea.
“Oh? Then should I mention how many times you lost against me?” asked Leyna with a smug smile on her face. “If I remember correctly, then not counting the academy practices we had 3942 duels in total. You lost 2437 times against me, and we had 1498 draws from which 1482 was due to interruption. So, what are you saying Boro?”
“You are as petty as ever Master,” sighed my father. “But I think one win for every three hundred losses is a better rate than I remembered.”
“You really fought a lot,” I commented. Those were numbers I couldn’t easily grasp. How many years did they spend together? And how come my father never talked about those things? “What caused the interruptions?” I asked. I thought it might help getting a better picture of my father’s younger days.
“Mainly the others,” said Leyna. “Bennett loved to prank us with his spells for practice reasons, or so he said. Sometimes Prim also made us stop when she thought that it would be dangerous for us to continue.”
“And every time we fought until lunch we ended it in a draw, so we can go and eat with the others,” added my father. “Maybe we loved to fight, but we loved the lunches we spent together more. Oh, and sometimes we were interrupted by work.”
“Work?”
“Bandits,” answered Leyna. “Whenever we went on an adventure, we found time to fight at least once every day. And sometimes our mission targets took notice of us.”
“I still remember the face of that poor count who couldn’t keep up with our custom,” laughed my father. “Poor guy, we certainly shortened his life with the anxiety we caused him.”
“Oh, not at all,” replied Leyna. “He recalled these days with a smile when I last visited him. And his son, the new count established a training ground at their manor, saying he got inspired by us.”
“Little Bruno? It’s good to hear. His heart was always in the right place. Tell him I send my regards when you next meet him.”
“Maybe it would be even better if Konda told him, wouldn’t it?”
“My name is Kanda,” I corrected her yet again. “Why can’t you say it properly, Leyna?”
“Oh, I can. Konda is an Elven word which–“ Her sentence was interrupted by someone knocking on the door. No, rather than knocking, it sounded more like battering. My father and Leyna looked at each other.
“I will check it,” said my father, then stood up.
Not long after we could hear armored footsteps barging in the hallway, then we saw people in heavy armor standing at the kitchen’s door. They resembled the patrolling knights but their armor looked more sturdy and their eyes way colder.
“Lady Aleyna, we came to escort you back to the castle,” said one of the knights.
“What if I don’t wanna go back?” asked Leyna with her usual nonchalant attitude.
“I’m afraid it’s not an option,” said somebody in the back. The knights gave way to the speaker, who was a man in his thirties, with golden blonde hair. There were deep circles under his eyes.
“Ashton! What are you doing here?” asked Leyna with surprise and a little worry in her voice.
“I think you know very well what I am doing here,” replied the man named Ashton with a sigh. “We need you in the castle. Things are turning more chaotic by the day, and as this country’s sage you are the only one who can help us out.”
“You mean help you. Rufus is listening to your every word, and you had everything in control when I left. What happened in the last two weeks which made you to come after me personally?”
After a little pause, Ashton replied. “My father fell ill, and Winston became the regent until he gets better. I love my brother, but even though I’m an advisor, he doesn’t intend to listen to me, and the nobles in his faction are gaining too much power. The kingdom’s peace is at stake. Please, come back to the castle with me, you are the only one he listens to.”
In the meantime, my father also came back to the kitchen through the backdoor after the knights didn’t let him pass.
“Those petty politics again... Alright,” nodded Leyna seriously, “I will go back to the capital. But not with you lot. I’m faster by flying than your carriages on the ground. It will be my first thing to do tomorrow. Now, let me reminisce the past with my old friends. The kingdom had been standing for centuries, it won’t be destroyed in a night. Now hush.” I could see that Ashton wanted to say something, but he kept silent in the end.
“As you wish, Lady Aleyna. We will await your arrival in the castle.” Then he turned to my father. “The kingdom owes you after you saved the capital years ago, hero Boro. I know you rejected it before, but if you need any kind of help, then feel free to tell us. We would gladly be of assistance to you.”
My father looked at him and shook his head. “Living peacefully with my family is everything I can ask for, Prince Ashton… But now that you mention it, I would ask for a favor. My son might decide to visit the capital in the future. If that time comes, please keep his identity a secret. I want him to gain fame through his own efforts, and I wouldn’t want people to put expectations on him just because he is my son.”
I felt a bit embarrassed now that I became the topic of their conversation, so I bowed my head. But even that way, I could still feel the gaze of Prince Ashton and the knights on myself.
“If it’s your wish, then shall be it. We would also gladly assist him, if he deems it necessary,” as he finished his sentence, he turned towards the door to leave, but stopped to greet my mother, who woke up to the commotion. “It’s a pleasure to see you again, Lutezia. The castle isn’t as bright ever since you left. May we meet again.” He bowed toward her and us, then left with his knights.
“Was- Was that really Prince Ashton? What did he want?” asked my mother with surprised eyes, wearing her nightgown. “For the gods’ sake, I didn’t even ask him to stay for tea! Is it okay to offer tea during night visits?” It seemed like her concerns were quite different from ours.
“He asked Master to return to the capital,” said my father. “The king fell ill, which means that we might be facing the chaos of succession soon.”
“I don’t think so,” replied Leyna. “Rufus might be old now, but he was as fit as a fiddle when I left the capital. I doubt a small illness would kill him with the kingdom’s greatest healers around. Rest assured! I’m sure by the time I return to the capital he will be the same old geezer as when I left. Winston is also not foolish enough to pull something through without asking for the council’s permission. Things changed a lot in recent years Boro, so...” She didn’t finish her sentence. Instead, she looked at me. “I apologize that our practice has been cut short, but there is nothing I can do. We can continue it in the capital if you wanna. We will be there in no time.”
I startled. “Are you telling me to go with you? What about my fight with Father?”
“You can do that tomorrow morning if it’s alright with Boro.” My father nodded in agreement. “But I’m not forcing you. You can also go by yourself or join up with the others on the way. I will visit them to check if they could complete the assignments I had given to them, then present them the same choices. Bennett’s daughter should be able to fly, knowing her trickster father. It would be a pain if I needed to hold each of you while flying, you know? And you can also choose to stay here. I wouldn’t blame you after Ashton tried to gain yours and Boro’s support.”
“This is the reason why I left the capital,” sighed my father. “I’m not fit for these things.”
“I’m also amazed that he called you a hero, Father. I didn’t know you were one.”
“And it would have been better if you never learnt that. Only a handful of people should still remember that, so it’s not that big of a deal. The problem is that those people are in power, and would gladly use my support and strength to further their goals. Listen Kanda, if you ever meet powerful people who would give you anything, then plainly refuse them. Tell Master if anyone tries something like this on you. Living a peaceful life is worth more than being used by them.” I nodded, deep in thought. I could feel the sleepiness creeping into me.
“You should go to sleep Kanda,” said my father in the end. “I don’t want to hear any excuses after I beat you tomorrow.”
“As Boro says, sleep well to be refreshed tomorrow, Konda!”
“My name is Kanda! And you still didn’t explain why do you call me that.”
Leyna’s smile turned warmer. “It means ‘brave’. Kanda is brave or ‘Kandala konda nim’, as we would say in Elven. I wonder if your parents knew about it when they gave you this name.” My mother and father looked at each other with an embarrassed expression. It seemed like they didn’t know about it neither. I could feel my sleepiness getting the better of me, so I wished them good night and went to my room, not asking further questions.
In bed I thought back on what happened during the week. I learnt so many things about my parents and the people they met in the past. I wondered if I could meet them. If I wanted to meet them. If I wanted to go to the capital with Leyna. And in the middle of this storm of thoughts I drifted asleep…