Chapter 56

I barely duck under Derriv’s side swing and when it looks like he’s open for an attack, I go for it. That was the real mistake today. The moment I stepped in for my attack, he backhands my face with his free hand and brings his wooden sword down on my lead thigh before planting his foot on my chest, sending me flying backwards, crashing into the dirt ground. His kick squeezed the air out of me and I’m coughing and gasping on the ground, inhaling the dirt and dust that my landing kicked up. He’s not willing to stop yet as he shouts, “Again!”

When I’m back on my feet, I attempt another attack on Derriv, focusing more on my own range this time as I search for an opening again. His swordplay is completely different from Bertrand’s as he puts more emphasis on being agile and forcing me to adjust to his pace while Bertrand’s style leans more towards controlling the fight. Before the wooden sword in my hand can even make its way to him, he hits my wrist away from him and nearly makes me drop my sword.

When I try to step back, he’s already jabbing the tip of his sword into my gut and the blow makes my knees buckle. As I’m stumbling backwards, trying my best to stay on my feet, he follows up and swings his sword at my left knee, knocking me on my ass. It looks like he’s finally forgiven me when he holds out his hand with a bright smile on his face. Grabbing it, he pulls me to my feet and rubs my head while laughing, “Bertrand was right. You’re pretty good with a sword but you’ll need more than that if you want to live in this city.”

How was that any good? I couldn’t land a single blow on him the whole time and he thrashed me in every direction. I thought I was pretty good with a sword when I was training with Bertrand and the war with Midriver’s Finest made me think I was pretty skilled but Derriv just taught me I’m nothing to him. It’s a sobering thought. Bertrand was trying to teach me the whole time and when I knocked him down during our training, he let me do it to show me how normal opponents would react while this was a real spar. But if I’m going to get discouraged by this, I’m unworthy of being trained by these two.

Derriv brought me to the backyard to teach me a lesson about using his daughter against him. He’s generally a very lighthearted and easygoing person from what I’ve seen since meeting him and he doesn’t hold it against me about wanting to take care of Mary but turning Ilya into a weapon against him ticked him off and this was him punishing me. Worth.

Derriv and I used the wooden swords scattered on the ground here for our spar and it turns out that Bertrand’s the odd one out since he insisted on using our real weapons for training. Apparently it’s an old habit of his from during his time in the military and he’s a stubborn old bastard stuck in his ways. Derriv’s words, not mine.

It turns out Derriv and Bertrand were in the Nasaaran army together before they both deserted a few years ago and came to Midriver to hide out. Derriv isn’t even his real name but he only smiles at me when I ask him what it really is. Bertrand didn’t care enough to change his name and welcomed anyone from the Nasaaran army who wanted to come after him for his desertion. I was surprised to hear about all this because Wraine and I pretty much have the same backstory as them. What a small world. Or maybe desertion is more common than I thought.

When I told them about my history with the Nasaaran army, they both burst out laughing. Both of them think Wraine and I overreacted and the likelihood of Aldore and his men looking for us is miniscule at most. Levies aren’t even considered soldiers until they go through boot camp and that’s when military discipline is taught and when punishments are meted out. Anything prior to that isn’t important and we’d only be deserters if Aldore held a grudge against us specifically.

Even the threats from Sir Serra aren’t credible and he most likely made them to stop us from leaving before we reached boot camp. Well, that’s a weight off my mind, I guess. Although this information came a few months too late and Wraine and I have already done things we can’t come back from since then. It’s unfortunate and I can’t help but wonder where I’d be right now if we stayed in Mountain’s Toil. Probably losing our lives in Vansgrieri but who knows.

By the time we finish training for the day, it’s already dark and everyone gathers in the mess hall a few buildings down from the pantry to hold a welcoming party for Wraine and I. The mess hall is reminiscent of Ingwulf’s inn back in Mountain’s Toil with its two long tables that stretch from one end of the room to the other. I actually prefer this type of hall and these types of tables because it feels more festive and communal than individual round tables. Maybe I’m biased because my first night in Mountain’s Toil was amazing with how warm the people were. Chester and the other drunks took great care of us for solely being born in the same kingdom and I haven’t felt that warmth since arriving in Midriver. That is, until tonight.

There’s over 30 people in the mess hall eating, drinking, talking, laughing, singing, and enjoying themselves to the fullest extent. Derriv and Bertrand are having a drinking contest with a few others, including Angelene and Torban, in the middle of one of the tables. Wraine’s enjoying his food while he’s talking with Quinn and Bafal about something and judging by his red face, it isn’t anything too complicated. Riane’s enjoying a glass of wine as she has a conversation with some of the other Candle members. Uriah’s busy in the kitchen cooking and serving up food with both Ilya and Mary helping him by delivering the dishes over to the tables. Ilya looks happy just by being helpful in the mess hall while Mary’s face and her entire demeanor look much brighter than before.

I think being told she could live here instead of having to go back to the orphanage did wonders for her mood. Although she won’t have a chance at being taken in by a loving family, she at least has a place where she can feel safe and a friend in Ilya who will always be there for her. Hmm. Actually, taking a look around, with how loud everyone is and with how much fun everyone looks like they’re having, maybe this is the best place for her. Who am I to say this isn’t the loving family she needs? Huh. I think I understand another part of the reason why Derriv’s particular about who he lets into Candle and why he set such strict parameters for potential prospects. This, this right here, every one of these people is a part of a family he’s cultivated and I suppose I’m a part of it now as well.

We spend the rest of the night eating, drinking, and partying. Uriah served a huge variety of dishes and there were multiple kinds of meat which I made sure to thoroughly savor at my leisure. I ended up sitting next to Wraine because I wasn’t familiar with the rest of the people here but apparently they all know me as every one of them called me golden boy as I passed by them. This nickname is actually going to stick and I absolutely hate it.

When Ilya and Mary were done with their chores, they sat next to our group because Derriv was getting incredibly drunk as he engaged in pitched battle with Bertrand for drinking supremacy. Seeing the girls wolf down their food considering they had to go to sleep hungry last night is a welcome sight.

I don’t know if it’s because I told myself I wanted to take care of Mary but I ended up being their caretaker for the rest of the night. I did it all: making sure their food was cut into small enough pieces, making sure they had enough water in their mugs, wiping their mouths when they got too dirty, and making sure they had a balanced meal including both meat and vegetables since if I left them to themselves, their forks tended to stray away from any of the vegetables. I don’t even know how I know how to do all this. It’s probably from my time back at the farm, but I can’t really remember any of it after such a long time.

Once they were finished eating, I brought them back to their room with Wraine’s help and tucked them in for the night. It’s been a stressful few days for them and once they filled their stomachs, they were ready to nod off immediately. Mary protested and asked me to read her a story but by the time we got to their room, they were fast asleep.

When Wraine and I got back to the mess hall, it ramped up in intensity since we left. The drinking contest that was originally limited to seven or eight people expanded until the entire room was taking part now. Seeing Wraine and I walk in still sober, Derriv and Bertrand strong-armed us into the center of the room, between the two tables and forced us to start drinking. Wraine didn’t have any reservations and let loose, quickly downing a whole mug in one fluid motion amid cheers from everyone surrounding us. Well, if you can’t beat them…

…

I have no idea how many, much alcohol I’ve drinkin’ in the last two three hours. I can’t even ssstand up straight no more, anymore, and we’re not done here yet. Quinn, or Bertrand, I can’t tell, hands me another full mug and it, and it looks a lot, it looks like a lot. Half the room’s gone and not much, not many people here anymore but I’ll do, I’ll do it. One more.

Down goes the hatch and we’re done! We win! I claim my victore, victory, “I-” vomit all over someone’s legs and they don’t look happy too, too happy. I can see Bafal holdin’ on his da- father, and stumbling back their, back to their house but I can’t by myself. Urih, Uriah, keeps talkin’ at me but I don’t know he’s saying, know what he’s saying. Yap, yap, yap, yap, is all he do, does. Stop it. I pinch his lips close and he stops. But he starts laughing. I can’t do this anymore, any longer and I walk, stumble back to my- our room. Wraine’s mad at me but I don’t know why and he smells bad. When I get in bed, I remember I need to take my boots off but my eyes are already closed, it’s too late.

…

I didn’t dream tonight which is a good thing. I feel as though the less I dream, the less pain I’ll feel. Maybe getting plastered every night isn’t such a bad thing considering my circumstances.

…

When I open my eyes, the bright rays of sunshine burn them and I have to close them again. I have to use my hand to shield my eyes otherwise I can’t keep them open. My head’s pounding and there’s a feeling of nausea rising up within me that I can’t get rid of. I try to stand up but it feels like the room’s moving around and if I even attempt to stand up, I’ll fall over instantly. I can’t do this today. I’ll take the day off and use it to recover.

As I’m lying back down, getting ready to fall back to sleep, someone bursts into the room shouting, “Rise and shine boys! Need to get our compound and its defenses up and running again.” Bertrand’s booming voice destroys my head and it takes me a second to recover from the pain. When I open my eyes slightly while shielding them with my hand, I can see his smiling face and can only groan at him before covering my head with the covers. I’m never drinking again.