The next morning, Lawk awoke to the sound of sizzling and the enticing aroma of freshly cooked bacon. He promptly washed up and walked down to the kitchen, where John was waiting for him at the breakfast table. The man simply raised an eyebrow inquisitively and waited for Lawk to report about his late night outing. The perceptive boy picked up on the gesture, which was much more pronounced than when his birth father would do it years prior. This sparked a passing thought in the youth, “Everyone seems to be so expressive here.”
Aware that John was still waiting, however, he promptly summarized his evening, describing anything he thought may be of note, including quite a bit of information about hidden, underground tunnels, riddled with traps, connecting several estates. At this point, John held up a hand, signaling for Lawk to wait a moment before continuing. The ranger stood up to retrieve a notebook, a quill, and a bottle of ink, before settling back down to take notes for his liege. The tunnels were new, as far as he was aware, and did not bode well for the future. They and the members of the noble houses, within which they lay, would need to be investigated promptly.
“I need you to describe in detail everything you remember about these tunnels and the estates containing them.”
So, he did, and in the process John soon realized the same thing the Left Hand had discovered the night before. “He’s got perfect recall. This would explain his advanced vocabulary in Anchoran, which isn’t even his primary language. Oh, Stace is going to be in for a surprise teaching this one. At least there is a positive note in the discovery of this political mess-in-the-making.”
***
An hour or so later, as the emerging sun began to remove layers of fog from their surroundings, John and Lawk entered the barn, where they were soon joined by the Lartiso twins and Lana.
“Good morning, Uncle John, Lawk,” the twins and Lana offered in greeting, nodding at the pair of them in turn. Lawk nodded in silent reply and then looked to John inquisitively.
Anticipating the question, the ranger explained, “They call me Uncle, because their father has been my closest friend since long before they were born. So, they are like family to me.”
Lawk nodded his understanding, and John changed the subject, “Alright, today and every day this week will begin with a series of drills. We will start with footwork, balance, agility, and flexibility. This will be followed by lessons in techniques for 3 of the following each day…”
The ranger lifted a finger for each as he listed, “...weaponless striking, short blades, swords, polearms, axes, blunt weapons, take-downs and grappling, and finally, archery and other projectiles.”
John looked to Lariat and Lariatta, “Lariat and Lariatta, you will participate and be the examples for Lawk and Lana to follow, respectively. You will all strive to perform every drill in synchrony.”
Looking over the group as a whole, he added, “The goal is to build a foundation of skills, while increasing strength, flexibility, reflexes, and agility. Once these are developed to a sufficient extent, we will add light sparring to the regimen. Eventually, the majority of the time spent in this barn will be dedicated to sparring. There is no lesson like live combat. Every fourth day will be a rest day, until more exercise can be safely tolerated. Any questions?”
Lana shook her head, the twins shrugged, and Lawk silently stood awaiting instruction.
***
As the sun reached its peak in the sky, the group was exiting the barn to make their way into the cabin, when they saw King Lysander, Queen Sandra, and an immediately recognizable masked figure, clad in his usual mottled black and dark gray attire, approaching on horseback. The queen’s magnificent black stallion and the king’s beautiful white mare were a sight to behold, truly animals one would expect to find with the rulers of a nation that prides itself on its equine culture.
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And, then there was the Left Hand’s mount. It was slightly smaller than the other two, about 14 or 15 hands in height, and more unassuming at first glance. The steed’s coloration was identical to its rider’s attire, resulting in an odd effect at a distance, in which the two appeared to be joined parts of the same oddly shaped creature. But, as it neared, it became evident the horse had impressive qualities. The stallion was sleek and well muscled, but what caught Lawk’s attention was its gait, which was far quieter than the other two. The boy turned to John and asked, “Is the Left Hand’s horse matching the gait of King Lysander’s?”
“Good eye, Lawk. Yes, but that’s not all. If you notice the way it moves. The gait is more fluid, less pronounced, somewhat resembling that of a jungle cat. This contributes to its ability to move so unusually quietly for a horse. It is the perfect breed for someone who wishes to remain unnoticed, a Laramean Stalker, and was originally bred for the Left Hand Guard. A few of the rangers prefer them as well, but they are less popular than one might think. Laramea is proud of its horses, and most of the people prefer a steed that stands out in a crowd and impresses. Stace and I are more into practicality, however. As I am sure you noticed, we only have 3 horses, which is unusual for Larameans of our political station. I normally ride a Laramean Stalker, but the old boy passed away this year. The young colt in the barn is actually his grandson. He’s still a little too young to ride, but in another couple years, he’ll be ready. Until then, I’ll continue partnering up with Taylor, the Laramean Swift that you and I rode into town. I actually found her out in the prairie a few years back, not too far from where we met, back when she was just a foal. Her mother had been hunted down by a panther, so I brought her back and raised her. The breed is incredibly fast, perfect for escaping danger, which is why Stace’s mount is a Swift as well. Hers is named Hero.”
The ranger noticed he was rambling on a bit. Chuckling at himself internally, he realized he was a bit nervous. “Now that’s ironic. I’ll lose my reputation for being stern and composed at all times if this becomes a habit.” Apparently, the prospect of fatherhood was capable of shaking even the sturdiest of bulwarks.
Lawk nodded and continued to watch their guests approach. Just as before, Elliot made his appearance, and King Lysander called out to him. “No need to put them in the stables this time, Elliot. We won’t be here very long. Some water would be much appreciated, though.”
“Right away, Your Highness!” The teenaged caretaker hurried away to retrieve a few pails of water to refill the trough by the hitching post near the cabin’s entrance.
***
Once inside the cabin and seated for lunch, the conversation was light but pointed. “Well, John, how did they do this morning?” King Lysander inquired with a hint of hesitant excitement in his voice.
The ranger’s visage took on a look of contemplation, as he thought of how to best answer the question.
“That badly?” the king asked, surprise on his face.
“No, it’s not that. The report I brought to you this morning. I am certain you noticed the level of detail?”
“Yes, and Left, here, informed me of Lawk’s apparently perfect recall of his instructions from last night as well. Do you mean to say this translates to his physical training as well?” Lysander’s eyes widened at the implications.
John nodded, “It does. We show him an exercise or a technique once, and he performs it remarkably well. We ask him to repeat the technique, and his improvement is clearly noticeable. By the fifth or so repetition, his movements are swift and flawless. And, he did not become fatigued in the slightest all morning. I initially took into account that Lana has had a few extra years of training and would of course be more advanced, but by the end of the first hour, I set the pace to push Lana, because Lawk needed no concessions.”
Lysander grinned widely. “Excellent! Lana, how did you like training with Lawk?”
“Great, Father. It’s very fun!” came the excited reply. “I can’t tell because he is always serious-looking, but I think he enjoys it, too.”
Everyone looked to Lawk, and he simply nodded in affirmation, as if nothing more needed to be said on the matter.
Sandra laughed, “So confident for one so young. Don’t ever let anyone take that away from you, dear.”
Again, Lawk nodded, seemingly outwardly unaffected, but inwardly, he had resolved to take that advice to heart. He was young, but those words rang true in his mind. None would shake his confidence, the boy declared within himself.
***
Once the Lartiso’s and the Left Hand, who had been characteristically silently observant and contemplative throughout, had departed, the table was cleared. And, promptly thereafter, Stace and Lawk sat down and his academic career officially commenced…
…and later that night came family dinner time, followed by training with the Left Hand. The next few years were going to be a very busy time for Lawk, but he was very much looking forward to it.