The night passed by uneventfully. When Jack awoke in the morning it was a short while before dawn, meaning his head was still throbbing from the alcohol last night. Now in a walled city, his routine needed to become stable. He hopped onto his feet, almost fell, and then went out to begn a run on the main road before anyone had awoken.

Before he could run a lap a guard appeared in front of him and raised a hand. “Halt,” she said. “What are you doing?”

Jack looked up at her, surprised. “I was training,” he said. He was shocked by her sudden appearance and very quickly straightened up to show her the respect which was due.

“Training?” She tilted her head. “You some kind of soldier?”

“No,” he said. “I am going to apprentice under Smith Terry.”

“Trying to keep your body in shape for smithing then?”

“Yes,” he said, nodding his head.

She smiled. It was good to see a youngster who was so eager to train. She couldn’t nip the bud so soon. “If you want to train, head towards the military district.” She pointed down the road. “Take a left and you’ll find it pretty easily. Politely ask one of the guards and they should let you train. Tell them Jane sent you.”

“Thank you miss Jane,” Jack said, bowing his head.

“Run along little one,” she said, motioning with her hand. “It’s awkward if you run around the main road.”

“Yes. I’m very sorry for the bother.” Jack bowed slightly again before he turned and followed her directions.

Following behind him was Sir Anthony, who just so happened to be training at the same time as him. He was, coincidentally, around to follow the boy around the city. Jane noted the knight, nodding her head at him, and he returned the nod before he followed Jack. Jane noted the fellow following the boy, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. She followed after them to make sure there was no trouble. Anthony noticed, but didn’t say anything.

Jack power walked to the military district, which was a set of stone buildings which went up three high from the centre and then went down to one floor towards the edges. There were a handful of guards all around just talking with one another. He spied a large dirt field where one could train, with a number of wooden weapons and targets for archery practise.

He approached a guard who was currently checking his sword. “Excuse me,” Jack said as politely as he could. “Miss Jane informed me that I should come here and ask permission to use the field. May I?”

The guard looked past Jack’s shoulder, noticing Anthony and Jane, and then back to Jack. “Sure you can, little sir. Are you looking to join the guard or the military?”

“No mister,” Jack replied, shaking his head. “I am going to apprentice under Smith Terry. I was taught by my father that I should train my body daily since you don’t know what could happen.”

“Those are some wise words. Was your father in the military?”

Jack looked up to think for a moment. He wasn’t sure if his father was still his father, but he supposed he should say that Chief Bloodwall was his father to keep things from being confused. His father, technically, wasn’t a part of the military. The Bloodwalls usually worked separately from every other military organisation. “Something like that,” he said. “He defends the wall from the beast hordes.”

“Oh? He works for the Bloodwalls, does he? Then he must be a good man.” The guard smiled, cheering up from the words. “They say that the Chief quite the man. They say he’s stronger than a typical Lord. Not many hold the title of Chief, so I guess he has to represent it well.” The guard chuckled.

“Little Jack,” Anthony said from behind. “What a coincidence seeing you here. I was just about to train for the morning, why don’t we train together?”

“Not anyone can train here,” the guard said, clicking his teeth. How dare this drunkard barge in as though he owned the place. “What qualifications do you have to train here?”

“Oh? I’m not allowed to train here? Don’t you think I’m qualified enough?” Anthony smiled. The guard had become so snappy so quickly so he decided he was going to tease them. “Why do you think I’m not qualified?”

The guard noted the arrogance in the drunkard’s voice. Was there something else to the drunkard he hadn’t seen. “The young man asked politely, so he is allowed to train. I’m afraid I don’t know who you are. State your name and your business.” Jane stepped behind Anthony, cutting off his escape route.

Anthony wondered if he could handle the pair of them. Judging by their ranks, Private, they would be at least Iron First Core. However, they shouldn’t be underestimated since they could easily be High Iron. Since he was High Iron Fifth Core, he wouldn’t need to worry, but there were many others around. At the end of the train of thought he realised that he didn’t need to fight them at all. Instead, he decided he may as well tease them.

“I was just going to train with little Jack here, but it seems that I’m not welcome here.” Anthony pulled back and waved his hand. “I’ll be sure to tell Chief Bloodwall that one of his knights was turned away by the guards in Riverhill.”

The pair of guards quickly straightened up, their ears twitching. A knight of Bloodwall? “Sir,” the male guard said quickly, “it seems there’s been a misunderstanding. I apologise for not realising who you were.” Impersonating a knight was punishable by death, and though the man was a drunkard, he probably wasn’t stupid. “Where is your sigil?”

“Hmph,” Anthrony replied indignantly. “I didn’t want to wear my armour this morning, and I’ve left my signet ring at the inn.”

“I apologise, but I must ask you to provide proof that you’re a knight.”

“I just want to train with little Jack,” Anthony said. “If you’re going to treat me like a criminal, I’ll just head back.”

Jane looked to Anthony, sweat trickling atop her brow. If this man was truly a knight then they’d be in a spot of trouble. Her eyes then darted to the boy, Jack, who was watching the scene nervously. “Excuse me, little Jack.”

“Who said you’re so close to him that you can call him little Jack?” Anthony narrowed his eyes at the woman.

“Excuse me, young Jack. Is this man, Sir Anthony, truly a Sir as he says?”

Jack nodded. “That’s right,” he said. “He’s one of Chief Bloodwall’s knights. He accompanied me to Riverhill with a few guards.”

“He accompanied you?” the male guard asked. There was an odd feeling in his gut, as though he was missing something obvious. “Why would he accompany you?”

Jack looked to Anthony and then back to the guard. “Sir Anthony was assigned to protect me until I arrived here, at Riverhill.”

The male guard exchanged a look with the female guard, then to Anthony, and then back to the boy. “Right…”

Sir Anthony smiled. “Is it so unusual that Chief Bloodwall would send a knight to accompany his son?”

“His son?” The male guard swallowed. “Young Jack, are you the son of Chief Bloodwall?”

“Little Jack is the second son of the Chief,” Anthony said, smiling. “So is it strange that I should accompany him on his journey to protect him?”

The male and female guard quickly stood tall. “It seemed we were rude to you, young sir and Sir Anthony,” the male guard said, bowing his head. The female guard did the same. “We apologise for the inconvenience. The field is free to use for those with such close relations to Chief Bloodwall. I humbly ask that you carry your signet ring with you at all times in order to keep your stay here comfortable.”

Sir Anthony sighed, reaching down to take out his ring and then slotting it onto his finger. “It seems I just remembered that I had this in my pocket the whole time. I will apologise as well.” He smiled innocently.

The two guards realised they had been played by the knight, but they bowed their heads respectfully again. Jack, on the other hand, genuinely believed that the knight had forgotten he had the ring in his pocket. It was Sir Anthony, after all.

“Should we train then, Sir Anthony?” Jack asked.

“Why don’t you warm up,” he replied. “I’ll clear out a few other misunderstandings with the guards.”

Jack nodded. “Very well.” He then went off to run and stretch.

Anthony smiled to the guards. “The young sir is technically no longer a Bloodwall,” he said. “The Chief has decided he should make his own way in the world and so has sent him off to become a smith to gain some renown. Of course, I hope you understand that he is still Chief Bloodwall’s second son.” He placed a hand on both of their shoulders.

“We understand,” the guards replied, nodding their heads.

“Good, good.” Anthony smiled. “Then I’ll leave you two to your own business.” He made his way to train with the young man.

The guards waited until the pair were training before they spoke. “That knight is one hell of a guy, huh?” the male guard said.

“He’s kind of cute,” Jane said. “In the creepy, murdering people in a back alley, kind of way.”

The other guard remained silent. ‘Women,’ he thought.