El and Bandlor continue to take care of the Cattle. They fill some holes that were being made by gophers. Sadly one cow already fell victim to such a hole. With a broken leg, El is forced to put the cow down and report it to Arkin. The cow doesn’t go to waste. The corpse is hauled to the butchers where Arkin will use the meat to feed as many people in the village tonight as he can.

Earn Capital

Result = Silver Earned

20% chance random event

Profession: Farming

10(D20)+9(Skill)+ 5(Prosperity) =24

30%= No event

El and Bandlor go into town so El can purchase another case of crossbow bolts. They walk through the muddy streets and Bandlor grumbles under his breath.

"What's got you upset?" El keeps walking forward, but the God of War seems disturbed to be sussed out so easily.

"It didn't die a warriors death. Such a large thing and its just slaughtered as soon as it suffers a minor injury."

"Try lifting 1200 pounds on a broken leg." El stops. "This isn't a battlefield. If the towns doc doesn't check over the cow with the butcher we could potentially expose the whole town to illness. Downer cows are a problem, always. Wether they die in agony trapped on the ground, or end up sick and poison everything else."

"Wouldn't it be easier to heal her? These are the same cows that are mostly all pregnant." The God grumbles.

"There's no healers in this town. Just a doting mother who knows a thing or two about diagnosing injuries and diseases."

"How do you survive any injury?"

"We don't. We avoid injury at all costs. Some people live in fear of everything bad outside this village. It's why we are all stuck farming." El walks into the general store.

He buys crossbowbolts for himself before leaving. Bandlor purchases some wood and nails before he heads back to the barn with El. The two repair the hole in the barn's roof before Bandlore challenges El to a fight. To teach him balance and proper fighting stances he steps away from El getting between him and the ladder. The boy carefully steps between planks of wood that are shoulder-width apart.

The two exchange a few blows as Bandlor shows him how to knock an opponent off balance. The trainer shows the trainee techniques in maintaining balance and composure, using the extreme environment to exemplify how important proper form is in a fight.

Retraining

Class Levels

Takes 5 Days

Fighter

⅖ Days Trained

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Costs 50 Gold

Bandlor catches El off guard and the boy slips. He feels air rush past him before his arm is almost yanked out of its socket. Bandlor pulls him back up onto the rafters and nervously grins.

"I didn't think you would fall..."

"Well, I'm not a God."

"But you live up here!" Bandlor remarks with a cheeky smile.

"Shut up." El rolls his eyes.

Bandlor and El head to the tavern, covered in sweat and bruises, for a drink. As they enter, a few people call out to Bandlor, happy to see him again. El sits down at the bar and the bartender turns to serve them.

“On your tab, Ban?” asks Renald Drigs, the local brewer.

“Yeah, the boy too.” Bandlor smiles and turns to El. As soon as his face turns away from Drigs he looks El dead in the eyes like he forgot to mention something incredibly important.

“I’ll get something tame for him. Arkin would be up my ass otherwise.” Drigs turns away from the two to get the drinks.

As Drigs disappears to get drinks, a red-headed woman comes out of the back to serve some food to another customer. El recognizes her as Erin Dardes, a girl that's only two years older than him and has always been gifted in the culinary arts. She heads around the bar and leans over to talk to Bandlor.

“You said you were training a fighter. You didn’t say you were training the local mystery boy.” Erin smiles towards El.

“Mystery? Please, he says everything he’s thinking.” Bandlor grumbles with his eyes fixed on the door Drigs should be coming from.

“It’s called honesty, Ban.” El side-eyes the God of War.

“Is Ban your first name?” Erin looks to Bandlor.

“My only name.” The God replies as Drigs comes back in with the drinks.

“I’ve got the Rye Whiskey you like.” Drigs places a bottle in front of Bandlor whose eyes light up with joy. “And I’ve got something watered down for El. Just enough kick to kill any cholera.”

“Thanks.” El takes the drink uneasily.

“If Arkin asks, it was milk.” Drigs squints his eyes at El. “Alright?” El nods and the man walks off.

“Well, you may be as much a mystery as El here. He was kicked out of a royal carriage passing through town when he was twelve.” Erin grins. “He could be royalty.”

“Well, I’m not.” El pushes his drink to Bandlor before he sits up from the bar.

“Kid, sit back down.” Bandlor nods to the stool.

“I'm taking the bath for the next half hour." El smiles to Erin and place six copper coins on the bar.

Half a dozen eyes watch him as he walks around the bar. A stranger rolls into town and chooses El to train in fighting. Villagers' feelings are a mix of intrigue and worry. No one wants the town’s peaceful life to be disturbed.

He enters a backroom with a wooden tub, a few candles, and some soaps. He walks to the side of the room and works a pump connected to the bar's well outback. He only fills the bath halfway before he removes his clothes and climbs in. The sweat and grime of labor wash away, blood still on his palms from this morning washes off, and his muscles ache in the cold water. His shoulder especially feels injured.

He grabs a bar of soap and begins to wash himself clean of the sweat and stench. The door to the bathroom opens. El feels his hands instinctely go to cover his private area as he turns to see whose entered.

The fiery red hair gives Erin away instantly. She closes the door and turns back towards El with a wicked smile plastered on her freckled face. She holds a large pot of hot water.

"You paid for the hot bath, right?" Erin walks over, making eye contact with El, before looking down his body.

"Yeah, I did." El swallows his trepidation and steels his nerves.

"Most men aren't as modest as you. Of course I havent seen you take a bath here since Arkin first brought you in when you were what? Twelve?" Erin slowly pours the hot water into the bath as steam rises.

"Well I did bathe. I just did it at the farm." El wipes sweat from his brow. "You're only two years older than me. Don't act like I'm so much younger."

"Well I can definitely tell you've grown." Erin nods downwards before leaving the room.

El purses his lips, confused for a second, resting a hand on his chin. He looks down and realizes he had forgotten to keep himself covered. Heat rises up to his face, feeling as if his eyes are going to pop out from the pressure, before he dunks his head under the water.

After cleaning himself thoroughly and waiting long enough to calm down El gets dressed again. He exits the bar, skulking, as he looks over to see only Drigs is working the front. The boy quickly flees from the tavern and returns to his barn to rest.