The next morning, I went to the blacksmith's workshop to start my work. I was required to create three ingots a day, and that was it. I could easily make three ingots, in a few hours. Of course, I wouldn't work that fast, as I had no reason to do so. Grond was already inside the workshop when I entered. He was in the process of making an ingot, and judging by its state, he began not too long ago. He also noticed me, and said "You can start your work whenever you like, but remember to create three ingots a day. You can use all the tools in the workshop, so help yourself. Our lunch will be delivered here at about 11 o'clock. As for your dinner, that you can get from the tavern, or it can be delivered to you like always". I nodded my head and grabbed a hammer, as well as some other tools from the rack. The workshop possessed a few different types of Ore. We had Iron, Coal, Purified Coal which was in a form of small black rocks, and Purified Iron, which was silvery and also in a form of small rocks. There was also the Tin and Copper Ore, but those were used mostly for stuff like bolts, nails or tools. I needed the two iron Ores as well as two Coals. The process of making an ingot, was really plain to me at that stage. I went straight to work. In the past, Grond was sometimes in the Workshop making weapons. I learned how to properly sharpen weapons, which would come in useful. I also saw how he polished the swords and axes he made before. Although he didn't teach me anything really, from looking at his actions a few times, I got the general idea how everything worked. I finished my first ingot, in about an hour. This could be classed as "normal". After all, I was still fresh. I took a rest, because I was in no rush. Time passed, and I created the second ingot before having my lunch, and then the third ingot, after the lunch. I was done at around 1o'clock. Where as Grond managed to create only two ingots in the same time. It wasn't because I was a lot stronger than him, this was due to him being more lazy. His breaks were long, and he didn't work hard at all. I said farewell to him, after I was done with my third ingot. He asked surprised "Already?". I pointed at the three ingots laying on the table "Yea, already. See you tomorrow". I left the workshop, and headed back to my house. I could tell someone at the tavern to send the food to my house, but I was against that. I didn't need random people visiting me. I could always go to tavern and have my food there. I managed to get some leftovers too. I obviously used more Ore, in order to produce those Ingots. Although I didn't have enough to make a dagger yet, I would soon. Back at my house, I asked myself. 'How am I supposed to avoid the light, and combine everything I know into the Art of Stealth?'. I thought about it in order. My first training was about balance and movement. My second training was about instincts and senses. The last training was about the behaviour. I tried combining them, but I didn't know how. 'Hmmm, what if I simplify it a bit?' I asked myself. Balance and movement could be attributed to Agility. In that case, my first exercise was about agility. Next was the training of my senses and instincts. That could be attributed to sensitivity of the environment. In other words Domain. The last exercise was about behaviour. 'This is a bit hard to categorize. I'd say, it might be attributed to Vigilance' I thought. With such way of thinking, I received three main attributes I learned about the Art of Stealth. Agility, Domain and Vigilance. 'But how can I combine these three?'. I thought about it for awhile, yet no idea came to my mind. Combining Agility and Vigilance for example, would make me slower. The Domain and Agility, also contradicted each other. If the terrain was not suitable, I would have to slow down. The Domain and Vigilance could be categorised as one. Therefore in theory, this could be taken as one category which would be Stealth. 'It's weird. The Domain and Vigilance categories, make it a stealth skill already. Then what is the use of agility? How can you be hidden, and move fast?… Wait! That is why the first training is with the poles! I get it now' I thought. People usually associated agility with speed, but the agility I learned was not about pure speed. It was about the use my surroundings to my advantage. Balance and control of my body, that was what I trained. It all made sense now. 'The agility I learned, is not about being fast. It's about balance and control. This is part of agility too, a different branch of it' I thought. My thoughts continued. 'If that is the case, then my agility is different to the general concept. That means, it can be incorporated to the other two of Vigilance and Domain. This in fact wouldn't be just some stealth, but the Art of Stealth?'. Yet I felt something missing. 'Yea, I can theoretically combine those three, but what about the avoid the light part?' I asked myself. In a sense, I learned the basics of the Art of Stealth, but it wasn't complete yet. The "avoid the light" part was still a mystery to me. Yet I felt it was a crucial requirement for my Art to be completed. I decided to test out my theory. Although I knew I wouldn't be able to just do it right away, I still wanted to try. I walked outside my house, and looked for the group of brats that used to chase me around. Although I could break their bones now, I needed them to test my theory, for now at least. I knew where to search. They usually hung around specific spots. One such spot, was an oak tree inside the village. It had a rop hang from one of its branches, which was used for climbing. Without fail, they were there. One of them noticed me, and asked "What do you want slave?". I smiled while replying, "You know? Your mother was so crazy last night... Boy, I wish you saw this. When I was on top of her, she begged me to make her my slave". The guy was angry to be sure, but others stopped him. 'Hmm, I need to push them a bit more. After all, they are away I'm no longer a slave, and that I killed someone already' I thought. I thought about it, and said "You know what is more crazy? Your father was there too! He watched and even cheered me on. Please, pass my regards to both of your parents. They were great last night". The guy couldn't hold it in anymore. He struggled his way out of other hold, and ran at me while shouting. "I will kill you! Fucking slave!". His friends quickly followed the guy. 'At least they held together' I thought, and ran the opposite way. They soon lost track of me, and searched around the area. I walked next to them many times, and they never spotted me. I utilised all my knowledge and experience from my past training, and it seemed to have worked. I followed them around for a while, yet they couldn't find me. The others managed to calm the guy down a bit. Just as they were leaving, he shouted "I will get you next time slave!". I chuckled, and thought 'There won't be next time'. I was satisfied with this, even though those were some brats with no real skills to show for. 'I have to watch out for people like Rand though. I'm not sure how good I'm with skilled and strong people' I thought. I was excited nevertheless. 'I will visit the river, and train there a bit more. That place is usually quiet, so no one will disturb me. I also need to figure out that avoid the light part. Nick said, it took him more than five years to figure that out. This can't be easy then' I thought. I practiced my combined exercises at the river, for a few hours. When I took a break, I decided to go fishing. 'It's been a while since I actually did it' I thought. then decided to go fishing. I had to create a new net, the other one was probably gone already. I cast my net, and sat at the river bank watching the water. I observed the fishes in the water, and their behaviour. It became a second nature to my already. I always tried to analyse what would happen next. The fishes in the water, were rather simple creatures. But they could act unpredictably. Sometimes they would suddenly turn around, or stop. With some practice though, I was able to tell what those fishes would do. I wasn't in a rush either, I could catch some fishes much sooner, but I wanted to relax as well. I was about to take out my new, with a few fishes above it, when I saw something... weird. The sun shone onto the water, and illuminated some of the fishes scales. The weird thing was that, when I saw a bigger predatorial fish swimming over, some of the smaller fishes would suddenly turn more dull and dimmer. Not because the sun didn't shine anymore. It was something else. As if those particular fishes were able to sense a predator, and make themselves less visible. All of that, while the sun still shone on them. I immediately recalled the "avoid the light" part of the Art. 'Hmmm... Maybe Humans were not the first creatures to create such Arts. What if Humans actually copied these Arts from other animals? Copied and adapted so that Humans could use them?' I thought. This realisation was stunning in itself. That would mean, other animals could teach me something new. 'If it's true, then I may be able to learn a thing or two from such animals. Those primitive methods... Although they may be primitive, but should be original too' I thought. With that thought in my mind, I focused more on the fishes. I wanted to learn, or at least figure out how that fish was able to do that.