In the middle of the flagstone path leading out of the stables, stood the beer bellied head of this training fort. The stocky head trainer was nerviously playing with the pommel of his sword on one side. And on the other side of the head was the second priest.

There was a smirk on the face of the head as he held a documentation scroll clenched in his hand. He had beaten us with something that not even a bishop could overcome. Now I was sure that the life left for us between now and our squire's training would be hellish.

It frustrated me that I had been so close to being able to follow Aggard's will, now I had to wait. Hopefully, I would not have to suffer another trial. But I would need to be careful not to fall foul of any traps they set for me.

Not only that I would also have to help Alis protect herself from whatever might befall her.

Beyond that wide open gate which lay beyond the fragile, yet invoilable, barrier of those tree lay the open road. The open road which led to freedom. The open road which led to a path they had now cut off from me and Alis.

We were to be kept here until the squire exams in a season's time and I was sure despite being outstanding trainees they would find a way to fail us, stop us taking the exam, or hold us back.

'Oh, you think you're so smart hiding behind that parchment, don't you.' Hallvard chuckled sounding like the rumble of stones as they tumbled down a moutain side ready to bury anything in their path.

'You think that I am a dumb bishop far from the centre of our faith. You think that even though I've not been to a Bishop's Concave during your life that I'm isolated and alone...

'Oh, how naive you are.'

He handed me the reigns of his horse. Those large ruddy hands dwarfing mine. As he stalked towards the three of them the stocky head trainer drew his sword with trembling hands. The point of the sword shook so much I was surprised that he hadn't cut the head standing next to him.

'You see I would not be allowed to ignore the summons of the Bishop's Concave if it were not for the fact that I was under war orders.'

The smirk which had graced the face of the head faded.

'Yet do you not remember the vote three years past where they tried to terminate my war order standing? Being such a high member of the reform movement I am sure you heard what happened.'

The head could barely shake his head.

'This ring is given to bishops under war orders, do you not see the crossed swords beneath the diamond of Aggard.'

'I see them,' the head managed to say between gritted teeth.

Suddenly the hope of the bright future which lay beyond those doors seemed possible once again.

'Well as I am under war orders then I am not confined to the rules on that parchment. War orders dictate that I am allowed to take any reasonable action and material for the successful implentation of a authorised plan of action.' With that the mountain of a man, Havrell turned to look at the stocky figure of the head trainer. A man who looked small in comparison. As small as I looked in comparison to the head trainer. 'Being a man who has served under my bishopric you are aware of the depths of the allowances being on war orders entails.

'Is that not so.'

'Y-yes,' the head trainer stuttered. 'I- t-tried to inform him s-so.'

'Good, so the lessons I pounded into your thick skull have not gone to waste.'

'Shall I get your family to disinherit you, you traitor?' The head snapped at the head trainer. Despite being different sizes and powers I could see the power inbalance the two shared.

'You would be welcome with me anytime, you are a good solider, and I hope you trained these two well.'

'Alis, she has a beautiful, graceful sword style--'

'Stop. Do not tell him anything.' The head said, his face growing red with anger.

'Sorry, but I must do this. For he saved my life more times than I can count. And it was him whom put me forward for this role after I had damaged my leg. Dismiss me if you will, disinherit me if you will. I care not. For he has given me far greater trust than you ever have.

'Alis is maybe the single best swordsmaster I have ever taught. I leave it up to you to teach her the dirty side of fighting, she seems to have wanted to avoid that.'

He stopped praising Alis and looked at me. His whole attitude had changed from what he was normally like. There had been a couple of times when he had appeared like this to me, to give me small tricks and techniques, ones which I was sure he did not normally give.

'Klarrac, he is the most stubbon swordsmaster-in-training I have ever seen. Though he works harder than anyone else, Alis included, his skills are still somewhat lacking. One thing is that he is able to see, and use, combat moves. However, he is an axemaster of the highest order. Training him has improved my skills remarkably. There was little else I could train him there.

‘Much like Alis he is untempered. His skills are master rate, but I have no idea how he would deal with a true situation that you would find in the Isles. And much like his sword skills, he has implemented various combat moves into his fighting style.’

Realising he still had his sword in his hand, he sheathed it.

'The impact of these two means that this batch of trainees have far better sword skills than any other batch I have ever had the privallage of training.'

It was a shock to hear both Alis and myself be praised like that. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop when it did.

'But Alis and Klarric know this,' the stocky head trainer said to us, 'combat skills do not matter as much as raw recurits seem to think they do. There is more to staying alive, let along thriving, upon the Isles than raw skills.

'Even one such as myself was lucky to escape the Isles with my life. I have burried, or abandoned, more brothers and sisters than I can easily count due to the Isles. And that is the place where you two are going.

'May Aggard send her blessings down upon you, for you'll need them if you wish to come back alive.'