Kedemar fell asleep that night with the phantom feel of Natalya in his arms. His dreams rang with the sound of her laughter and of his own. With the sight of her bright smile and her hair and skirt flying out behind her as they danced to a lively fiddle.

He woke in the morning with a smile on his face.

That smile quickly died when he made his way downstairs for breakfast and saw Dath and Haeil waiting for him in the feasting hall, training swords in their hands.

They were smiling.

He soon was not.

After a hasty and small meal-- Dath's orders-- the bounty hunter led the young men up to a courtyard at the back of the house. The space was enclosed with a high stone wall upon which climbed vines and ivy.

"Right." Dath said, tossing a wooden sword to Kedemar. "It's time to start your training, lad."

"My training?" Spluttered Kedemar. What training? Dath had been training him for years! What was there to start now? The captain almost barked a laugh, but held it back as he saw the seriousness in Dath's face.

"Yes, your training." Dath replied. "We are going to war and we will be fighting elite assassins. So you are going to train like one until you can beat one."

Seeing no way out-- and feeling a thrill at learning something new, despite himself-- Kedemar hefted the sword in his hands, set his face grimly. Stepped into a sparring ring chalked on the flagstones of the courtyard.

Across from him, Haeil smiled and twirled his blade in his hand. At Dath's "Begin!" they clashed.

The air filled with the grunts and cries of the fighting men as they strove to best each other. The sounds of their conflict drew people from all over the Obsidian's lair to watch them. Even Natalya.

Kedemar caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye as she took a seat on a stone bench along the wall of the house. The distraction cost him.

Haeil pivoted around the captain's sword thrust and rammed the hilt of his own wooden weapon into Kedemar's solar plexus. Kedemar grunted as all his air left his lungs in an explosive gasp. He doubled over, dropping his sword. Haeil grabbed the back of Kedemar's tunic, hooked his foot behind the captain's ankle, and yanked it out from under him. Kedemar was thrown violently to the flagstones.

He found himself nearly flat on his back, pain filling his body, an arm clenched up in Haeil's grasp, and the assassin's wooden blade at his throat. He tried to twist away, sure that he could break Haeil's hold.

But the young assassin merely adjusted and tightened his grip.

Blinding pain flashed up into Kedemar's shoulder, neck, and back. He cried out, slapping at the ground with his free hand.

"Enough!" Dath's voice cut through his pain. Haeil released him and stepped back.

Panting, Kedemar dragged himself to his hands and knees, then stood. He massaged his sore shoulder, but the pain was already fading fast. He fixed Haeil with an angry gaze.

"What was that?" The captain demanded, determined that that would not happen to him again.

Dath stepped forward.

"That was you getting cocky, lad." The bounty hunter said. Kedemar paled angrily. "The hold that Haeil put on you is common among the assassins and is considered a beginner's move. It is simple, but effective, as you discovered."

Kedemar nodded. Dath continued,

"There are only two known ways to break that hold, one of which involves a blade." He gestured to Haeil, and the young assassin stepped forward.

With blinding speed Dath moved, and suddenly Haeil was on the ground, in the same constraining hold he'd put on Kedemar. The assassin kept himself very still, his jaw tight. Breathed through his nose. Dath was obviously putting some pressure into his hold.

"One of the ways to get out of this is to stab your dagger, your sword, or whatever sharp object you happen to have at the time, into your assailant's leg as you roll towards them. Then, as they release you and collapse, withdraw your blade and drive it into their chest or throat." The bounty hunter explained.

Haeil demonstrated, albeit without the actual stabbing and ensuing blood.

That would have been bad.

"The second way, the bladeless way," Dath continued his instruction, throwing Haeil to the ground a second time, "is to roll towards your attacker, grab the front of their clothing or their beard with your free hand, and drag them down, rolling the other way as you do so, and thus executing a reverse throw as they end up beneath you."

Again, Haeil demonstrated. As he had explained, Dath ended up flat on his back, Haeil's knee in his chest and a wooden sword at his throat.

"Very good, lad." Dath praised. The assassin nodded, grateful, and let Dath up. Helped him to his feet.

"Now," Dath gestured to an attentive Kedemar. "Your turn."

Kedemar turned toward Haeil. Haeil grinned.

Kedemar swallowed and readied himself for pain.

He lost track of how many times he executed the throw on Haeil, of how many times he rolled Haeil onto his back in the reverse throw. Of how much dirt, bruises, and even blood, he accumulated on his skin.

Pain and exhaustion plagued his body.

The only thing worse than the grueling training was that Natalya was watching his every failure.

***

They took a break and Kedemar stumbled toward the shade by the wall of the house and the benches there. A detached part of his mind was grateful that Dath had allowed him only a small meal this morning. He surely would have vomited up a larger meal by now.

Natalya approached him, a wooden cup of water held in her hands. She extended it to him and he took it gratefully. Gulped it down. Its icy coolness slid down his parched throat like sweet nectar.

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Nat took the empty cup and refilled it from a well in a corner of the courtyard. Kedemar drained it again. She filled it a third time, and this time he drank only half of it.

Natalya took the cup back and a handkerchief from her bodice. Dipped the cloth in the water and proceeded to gently dab the blood and dust from the young captain's face. Kedemar, too tired to protest, leaned back against the wall of the house and submitted to her ministrations.

He sighed heavily, closing his eyes, his body sinking into a light doze. He'd never worked to hard in his life, and it wasn't even noon.

His whole body ached from the grueling workout, and Kedemar swore that Haeil was enjoying every bruise he gave Kedemar. The former assassin definitely wasn't holding back.

Every muscle protested at the new forms of training, the new ways his limbs were worked, his strength tested.

Even his brain hurt. Dath was making sure everything was done correctly, and that included learning all the mind games and nuances of every little form of combat.

Kedemar was swiftly learning that assassins fought hard and fought dirty. When those blades or limbs clashed, all honor flew out the window.

He seemed to be powerless against Haeil, and he hated it. Kedemar was used to carving through opponent after opponent with his sword, meeting no opposition that could best him on the battlefield.

But this was something more.

Something harder.

Something that would make or break him.

He vowed it wouldn't be the latter.

He woke and rose, determination filling his weary limbs with strength. Stepped back to the middle of the courtyard. Picked up the wooden sword.

"Ready!" He called to Dath and Haeil. Then steeled himself for the educational beating that followed.

He would show Natalya that he could do this.

***

Kedemar was quite a fit young man, and after two weeks of Dath's and Haeil's intense training regimen, his muscles were toned like they had never been before.

And Haeil started to be on the other end of the educational beatings. The end that hurt.

Soon, Kedemar was besting Haeil forty-nine times out of fifty.

But, like Dath said, it's the fiftieth time that'll kill you.

So Kedemar trained hard, and found he liked it. He ate well, slept even better. Natalya watched his training and called encouragements to him when he sparred in the courtyard, and this gave his limbs strength and his heart fire.

He found he fought better when he fought, in his mind, for Natalya. He may not have lands or gold, but he would show her that he could protect her. He would show her that he was worthy of her.

So Kedemar learned it all: swordplay, hand-to-hand combat, staff- and spear-work, blade-throwing, archery, all of it. Every weapon that Dath and Haeil could think of, Kedemar was taught how to use, and use well.

The day came when Dath took Haeil's place in the sparring ring.

Kedemar began to take beatings again.

At first, no matter how hard he tried, the young captain could not out-perform Dath. The former assassin was too devious, too wily, and too strong to be bested easily.

But, slowly but surely, Kedemar blocked more hits, wriggled out of more holds, and scored more strikes against the bounty hunter than he had at the start.

And he continued to improve.

One day-- a month after they'd joined the Obsidian-- during a mid-morning bout against the young captain, who was not even breathing hard as he gripped his staff in his hands and circled the bounty hunter, Dath raised his weapon to counter Kedemar as he lunged forward. Found his staff yanked out of his hands, himself flat on his back on the ground, and Kedemar's staff pressing gently against his windpipe.

Dath grinned.

Then he laughed.

***

The evening was warm in the mild spring of the sea-side city when Kedemar, sitting with his friends at a table in the underground feasting hall, drained the last of the cider in his cup, then held his hand out to Natalya.

"Would you consent to walk with me?" He asked a bit shyly. She gazed at him a moment, then softly took his hand. They stood. Haeil jumped up.

"I'm going with you." He said. They turned to look at him, their faces carefully blank.

He blushed.

"Just as a watcher. I'll hang far enough back to... I don't want to hear your... Look, this place is dangerous, even with the cloaking. I'm your protector and I'm not letting you go alone." He stammered.

Kedemar smiled, chuckled. "Fine."

So Natalya and the captain strolled in the tiny gardens behind the house, Haeil trailing them like a shadow.

"So," said Kedemar, feeling awkward, very aware of the girl beside him, of her hand tucked in the crook of his elbow. "I've never done anything like this. I haven't fallen in love before. As an orphan, and a bastard child, I never felt like I had anything to bring to a marriage. I found purpose in soldiering, and I was good at it. So that's all I did. So," He took a deep breath, looking up at the moon. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm very unpracticed at this sort of thing, and I hope you'll forgive me any blunder I make." Kedemar finished, then dared to look at Natalya.

She was gazing at him with calm amusement.

"You're doing fine." She reassured him. He gave a relieved smile.

"What about you?" He then asked. "Have you ever fallen in love before?"

He regretted his words instantly as pain clouded Natalya's eyes. She looked away at the shrubs and hedges surrounding them.

"Once." She replied quietly.

"What... happened to him?" Kedemar asked, fearing he was digging himself deeper into a hole he'd delved out with his words.

Nat spoke hesitantly.

"His name was Jonin. He--"

"Wait." Kedemar interrupted. "Jonin? As in the Jonin we've been hunting?" A thought occurred to him. "You're a mage. Have you had a trace on him all this time, and haven't used it? Does Dath know?"

Kedemar's head abruptly snapped to the side, his face stinging from Natalya's open hand.

"How dare you," She hissed, her eyes filling with tears as he turned to look at her, "accuse me of betraying you all!"

Natalya slapped Kedemar across his other cheek. His face paled with anger, but for the twin red imprints on his cheeks the exact size and shape of Natalya's hand.

"And how dare you," she continued, "accuse me of hindering justice! Jonin betrayed my love by staining his hands with innocent blood, and now I am hunting a man I once very much cared for! Do not make this any more painful for me!"

Kedemar took her hands gently, his anger draining away as he saw the pain written in every line of her body. A tear escaped the young lass's eye and trickled down her cheek. She quickly, angrily, scrubbed it away on her shoulder, but another followed it. The tear traced a glittering sheen on her face in the moonlight.

Kedemar gently cupped her face in his hand. Wiped her tear away with his thumb.

"I'm sorry." He said softly.

"Me too." Natalya replied, calming under his apology and gentle touch. Reached up to gently touch his stinging face.

"Maybe I shouldn't have done that." she said apologetically.

Kedemar smiled.

"And I shouldn't have said what I did. I kind of deserved it. Forgive me, Nat. Shall we start over?"

She nodded.

"Forgive me as well." She replied. Kedemar lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"Already done." He said. Both smiled shakily and resumed their walk.

In the shadows behind them, Haeil, who'd heard every word, whistled long and low.

This, he thought, would take some getting used to. The quarrel, yes. But also their making up. The young assassin wasn't sure he wanted to be around every time that happened. Though, he supposed, he'd put up with it if it meant his friends stayed safe under his watch.

He just hoped they didn't fight all the time.

***

Kedemar rolled out of bed the next morning nearly instantly into a council of war. Juggling a hot biscuit and a steaming cup of coffee-- sweetened with honey-- the captain followed Dath, Haeil, Natalya, Adalyyn, and Jashur-- who was the leader of the Obsidian-- into a big room in the upstairs of the house.

A council room, by the look of it. There were various books and maps here, a big table, and many windows through which shone the warm morning sunlight.

They wasted no time in getting down to business. Dath's messenger had returned from Ajalon the night before, Dath was feeling ready to go after Ulrek, and news was in plenty.

"The Obsidian are at your service." Jashur told them. Dath bowed his head to the huge man.

"I am most grateful." He replied. "I have a feeling we'll have need of your folk before the end. Now," he said, "as for the tiding your rider brought...."

Kedemar lounged at the table, rolling the spy's trace token across his knuckles, listening to Dath relay the Council's return message.

Dath was to apprehend Jonin, Ulrek, and any assassins or spies involved. The Council was mustering its army. Pieces were in play for Gibethon's defense. Kedemar was to stay with Dath.

Dath looked to Natalya, needing her expertise in his assigned tasks.

"The hunt is your game better than it is mine, lass." He said. "And you know this area well. Would you take the lead on this one?"

"I'd be honored." She replied with a grave smile. "As long as my orders are obeyed with respect."

Dath returned her smile. "And they will be." He assured her. "I will see to that."