It was with no little trepidation that the five travellers boarded the lopsided ferry the next morning. Though the day was bright and clear and there wasn’t a cloud to be seen or evil fog lurking, the water of the channel held disturbing memories for all of them.

Before they left, Sir Egrette made a little presentation.

“You could have asked for up to half a kingdom. I couldn’t have given it to you but you could have asked,” he said with a pleasant smile, holding his hand out behind him and one of his soldiers placed a bow and quiver full of arrows into his hand, “for your archer in accordance with your wishes.”

“For me?” Verne stammered and Giordi gave him a push forwards in order to take it. “This…this is what you asked for?”

“Actually I think I just asked for arrows but that bow…” Judd whistled.

“A bow of Fort Callain…” Verne held it reverently. “This is a dream…”

“And plenty of arrows.” Verne looped the quiver strap over his head, too astounded to say anything else. “When a knight, albeit a young man well on his way to being one, says his archer needs supplies…I take notice.” Egrette chuckled. “Now, as for the shoes and lute,” Giordi brightened, “I can do nothing about.” Giordi’s shoulders sagged. “I have a small pouch of Astaril coins which should cover all your footwear requirements and the purchase of a lute…although I confess, I have no idea how much they cost.”

Judd accepted the small bag of money. “Thank you, Sir Egrette. This is very generous of you. It wasn’t even your fort.”

“Sir Bobellion would have done as much, if not more but alas…my pockets are now empty, so go forth, Judd LaMogre,” Egrette clasped his hand, “I thought Sir Rylan had crossed that thin line between brilliance and insanity when he told us of his proposal for middle class first born sons to become knights…but it seems his faith in you was justified.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“If you make it through this knighthood quest and return to Astaril, do look my son up. He could use an example like yourself to live up to.”

Judd nodded then waded through the water to the ferry and climbed onboard. Several of the soldiers helped push it out a little further and then Judd turned the wheel, the beach of the isle becoming smaller and fainter as the mainland came closer. On such a clear day, it was possible to see one shore from the other although it was reduced in detail to a little yellow line.

“Anyone else terrified?” Giordi asked as the ferry wobbled along.

“I’ve been holding my breath.” Verne admitted.

“I hate ferries.” Caste muttered.

“I have belts and rope ready.” Aalis reassured them although she wasn’t sure if it made them feel at all better.

Judd gazed at her as he turned the ferry wheel.

“Aalis,” he said softly, “about last night…what Egrette said…”

“Pig.” Verne said with heat, catching Judd’s words.

“He was paying Aalis a compliment, albeit a tacky one.” Giordi tried to excuse.

“Did you feel complimented, Aalis?” Verne asked.

Aalis licked her lips. “I know it is the custom of men to make merry with women, especially amongst knights and soldiers…and I do not think he was serious at all…but that only meant he was poking fun at me for the sake of a few laughs.”

“He cheapened your existence to a punchline,” Judd nodded, “and all that business about your being a woman and women are there to serve men…”

“Are you taking that out of context?” Caste asked.

Judd shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“You might just be being a little protective of Aalis,” Giordi said then saw Judd’s slightly alarmed glance, “I mean, because…you know…she might have been labelled a witch.”

“Oh…that yes, well…” Judd paused. “I could be.” He wondered for a moment then cleared his throat. “Moving on, while you can’t escape,” he looked at them all, “it seems to me that there are only two of us who can wield a weapon with any proficiency and no,” he eyed Giordi who was about to protect, “your lute does not count. In a battle situation there is myself and Verne…and after the fight with the orthros and the spider it was made abundantly clear that even though you may not have any interest in learning a weapon skill, you two,” he looked directly at Giordi and Caste, “need to become better equipped at defending yourselves.”

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“I protest!” Caste exclaimed as Giordi scoffed. “I am a cleric, not a fighter, warrior, soldier or combatant.”

“I think of myself as a warrior with words…” Giordi excused.

“Not good enough.” Judd said flatly and their jaws dropped. “Look, I don’t expect you to jump into the fray and I don’t want you to kill anything for my sake. This is my knighthood quest and I have to do the hard kills…but you’re travelling with me and as much as I want to be able to protect you in a general sense, when we’re trapped in a village with a two headed dog chasing us down, I need to have the freedom to know you can look after yourselves to some degree so I can concentrate on fighting.”

“We got out of the way!” Giordi exclaimed.

“You fell through a roof!” Verne retorted. “If Judd hadn’t performed a feat of acrobatics by launching himself off the well, those two heads would have torn both your throats out…at the same time!”

“Exactly.” Judd nodded. “And that orthros was on the lower end of scary scale. It’s only going to get more dangerous from here on in. So, here are my terms. If you’re going to stay in this group, you have to learn to defend yourself with a weapon of your choosing and no,” he eyed Giordi, “your lute does not, again, count.”

The minstrel groused for a moment while Caste looked indignant. “You pretend you’re giving us a choice but the fact is I have to stay with you so now, according to you, I have to wield a weapon.”

“I don’t care if all you pick up is a small blade and learn how to use it.” Judd chuckled.

Caste’s jaw was tight. “What about all my knowledge? What about my training? Surely that counts for something.”

“Unless you’re going to throw books at the monsters and give them nasty papercuts…”

Caste grumbled quietly, conceding but only in the grumpiest of tones. Judd looked at Giordi who sighed. “Well…I don’t know. I don’t have any particular preference…I’m also not a fan of pain…”

“You carry your lute for long periods of time,” Judd suggested, “I think you could be equipped with a shield and be strong enough to use it.”

“Let me get a shield for you to practice with…oh no wait…” Caste clicked his fingers and sighed in derision.

“Fine, we’ll put it on the shopping list.” Judd paused. “What about archery?”

“You’ve got Verne.”

“Can’t hurt to learn and we have a second bow now.” Judd looked at Verne who was now not looking impressed. “Could you teach Giordi some basics?”

“I suppose…”

“What about me?” Aalis asked when Judd appeared to have finished speaking. “I could learn a weapon skill.”

“Nope.” Judd shook his head.

“Why?” Verne sneered. “Because she’s a woman,” he said in the same way that Egrette had, “Aalis isn’t capable of learning a weapon skill? Women are only good for cooking and bed warming?”

Judd was quite surprised at Verne’s ire but he reasoned that it was because he and Aalis seemed to be becoming quite close of late and thought Verne might be taking the insinuation personally.

“No, that’s not it at all. Aalis is great,” he squeaked out ‘great’ and cleared his throat, “great,” he said firmly, “in battle.”

“When?” She exclaimed.

“You defended children against the ogre, you climbed a tree in order to detoxify a river while a score of goblins gathered below, you are able to treat and heal wounds and let’s not forget that your mistletoe brew was not only brilliant but bravely dealt in a battle situation.” Judd continued turning the wheel while he talked. “Aalis, you are remarkable and you pull more than your own weight in this party.”

“Here, here!” Verne nodded and Aalis blushed, this time with pleasure.

“Well…I would still like to learn how to defend myself. Perhaps Caste and I could be armed with small blades?” Aalis looked at Caste. “You have books about anatomy, do you not?” He nodded. “I would love to study them. If I only have one chance to defend myself, I think it would help to know where vital organs are or major arteries…”

Caste seemed taken aback by the interest. “Well…we can do that,” he blinked, “but you would need to know how to read. Every commoner can understand signs and basic forms…but my books are detailed and meant to be read by educated…people.”

Aalis looked at him. “You were going to say men, were you not?”

Caste sighed. “It is not illegal to educate women of the lower classes…but it is frowned upon.”

“Who’s frowning?” Judd demanded softly.

Caste looked tight lipped.

“Do these books have illustrations?” Aalis asked.

“Yes.”

“Then I will study those. Does that put your mind at ease?”

Caste nodded.

“Hold on, we’re nearly at the mainland.”

One by one they all leapt off the ferry and carried their packs aloft to keep them from becoming wet. Judd sat on the sand and put his boots on then picked up his pack.

“Thank you.” He squinted into the sunlight at Aalis who smiled at him.

Judd chuckled then leaned close. “You know how to read…don’t you?”

Aalis leaned in as well. “More than I think Caste would like to believe…”

“I suspected as much.”

“What?” Caste asked and Judd thought frantically.

“Just…wondering…how far to Quarre? We’ve been gone for more than a week and the Borre brothers said they would take Quell and Zeke to Quarre and stable them there for us.”

Caste opened his map and held it up. “We are here and Quarre is on the western side of ‘The Hump’ but south of the pinnacle…so that’s…”

“One, two…two and a half finger widths.” Giordi chuckled. “We’ll be there by dusk.”

Caste’s gaze was withering as he rolled his map up. “You are such a cretin. It’ll take the better part of three days to get to Quarre and if I am not mistaken, and I never am, we’ll be risking these open lands during a full moon if we’re delayed at all.”

“Monsters do tend to love a full moon.” Judd muttered.

“And it is unclear whether they like a full, full moon or they become more horrific in the lead up to a full moon.” Caste’s warnings were becoming more severe.

“We’ll make it there by the third night.” Judd promised.

“I hope our shoes last.” Verne sighed.

“You’ve got a new bow. Don’t complain.” Judd looked at Caste. “Lead on.”