The following days blended together into one long bout of exercise as Mennick drilled his three recruits hard. Edwin learned how to properly strike a target, how to protect himself with his shield and how to do both at the same time. The old instructor was unrelenting, and since Edwin needed almost no rest, he learned quickly. He enjoyed it too, the physical exertion under a warm sun a welcome change from Walter’s past as a bookworm. During that time, they barely saw any of the other adventurers. A few times someone peeked their head out into the yard, exchanging a few words with Mennick, but on most days it was just them. The instructor explained that all the parties were still swamped with work, only rarely coming back to the city to receive a new round of assignments before immediately heading out again. He tried to hide it, but Edwin heard the worry in his voice.

A few weeks later, they were joined by a fourth recruit. Kollig was a reserved man in his mid to late twenties, and even Bordan’s companionable attitude couldn’t get him to talk. They quickly stopped trying, giving the man his space.

One night after training, Edwin, Bordan and Leodin went drinking, and the young marksman finally opened up a little more. Edwin was careful not to pry, as it was considered extremely impolite for an adventurer to ask about another’s past, but ale is known for loosening tongues all on its own. Apparently, the young man was from a small village southeast of Pel Darni, that mostly survived through logging and hunting the forest around it. Leodin’s family had been hunters for generations, and he practically grew up with a crossbow in hand. He didn’t say so, but from what he told them, Edwin surmised that he must have had some form of disagreement or issue with his family or friends that caused him to leave his home and join the Guild.

Bordan apparently had a wife. Her family had been from Pel Darni originally, which is why the two had moved back north after living near the southern border during his time in the army. That was unusual, as they must have left behind their friends and the life that they built there for themselves, but again Edwin didn’t ask. When he was expected to share, he offered up his prepared story: He was from a small village in the southwest of the duchy, he had come to Pel Darni to become an adventurer, and he didn’t want to talk about his past. The others would assume that trouble with his family, a lover’s quarrel or one of the other typical reasons why people became adventurers drove him here, and that was exactly what he wanted. The Adventurer’s Guild had always been the place to go if you wanted to start fresh, and it was generally agreed that it didn’t matter who you had been before once you joined the Guild and devoted your life to protecting the citizens of Harvand – unless you were a wanted criminal, of course, but nobody was looking for Edwin. He hadn’t existed until a month ago.

--- ----- ---

Edwin was standing in the Adventurer Guild’s training yard, narrowed eyes peering over the rim of his shield. In front of him was Larry, his least favorite being in the world. Larry had a ball-shaped head, a barrel-like body, two arms that ended in a shield and a ball at the end of chain and was made almost entirely from wood. Edwin’s task was to hit the shield arms with his practice mace, which would make the top of the hellish contraption spin. The Morningstar would swing around at Edwin, and he had to block or evade it or it would cause painful, albeit short-lived, bruises. To keep him from relaxing, Mennick stood behind Larry with a long pole. Every now and then he would either change the speed at which Larry’s arms spun, causing Edwin to mistime his blocks and strikes, or he would stab at Edwin’s legs and arms, forcing him to concentrate on both foes. Edwin wasn’t particularly good at that, and without his body’s enhanced healing he would already have been completely covered in welts.

The training dummy’s arms accelerated suddenly, Mennick’s doing again, and Edwin reflexively raised his shield. The Morningstar impacted it with a dull thud not a moment later. Edwin recognized the trap in the same moment that the instructor’s stick painfully whipped the outside of his thigh, and Edwin jumped backwards with a hiss.

“I told ye not to take yer eyes off me! We’re both in front of ye, don’t just look at one of us!” the instructor barked for what felt like the hundredth time.

“Yes instructor.” Edwin answered, knowing better than to let his annoyance and resignation bleed into his words. Bordan liked to boast about how difficult and harsh the army’s training was compared to the Guild’s, but there were some things that Mennick wouldn’t let slide either. Edwin rolled his shoulders, grabbing his mace tightly and stepping forward again, when a tall, broad-shouldered man in fine clothes and with a sword belted around his waist stepped into the yard.

“Mennick.” he called. “Do you have a minute?”

The old man turned around in surprise. “Of course, Master!” he answered, dropping his stick and walking to the entrance.

The newcomer lightly shook his head at him. “I need to borrow you for a moment.”

“Got it.” Mennick answered, stopping to turn towards the recruits again. “Alright ye lot, I’ll be right back. Each of ye grab a sword and shield and start running laps. Edwin, ye do twice as many. I’ll know.” Then he followed the other man into the building.

The recruits groaned, and Edwin threw a questioning glance at Bordan. “Who was that?”

The old soldier looked up from where he collected his shield. “That was the Pel Darni Chaptermaster, our highest superior in the city. I’ve never seen him come out here, he’s usually busy with administration and politics and such.”

That explained it. The Chaptermasters of the provincial capitals were the second highest Guild officials in the duchy, only subordinate to the Guildmaster who had his office in the capital.

“Wait, how do you know him?” Edwin asked, puzzled. The others had gathered their weapons and were starting towards the back of the archery range, Edwin falling in next to Bordan.

“I met him when I joined up. Fiona told me he likes to meet promising recruits, and my experience in the army apparently made me stand out.”

“I wonder what he needs Mennick for…” Edwin pondered out loud.

“No idea. But I’d get a move on if I were you. He’ll know if you don’t!” Bordan laughed, waving him on. Edwin sighed and pumped his legs faster, drawing ahead of the others.

A few minutes later, Edwin was just rounding the corner by the entrance into the guild house when Mennick returned. The instructor wore a strange expression on his face, and when he spotted Edwin, he waved him over.

“Grab a practice dummy and set it up on the range.” Following Edwin’s eyes, he snapped “Not Larry, ye dolt! Get one from storage, the oldest one ye find.”

Confused, Edwin did as ordered. In the back of the practice armory were a few old dummies that had seen better days, and he grabbed one and carried it outside. The rest of the recruits had arrived and were being ushered to the side by Mennick.

“Put it over there.” he directed Edwin. “No, not in front of the wood. To the side, against the wall.”

Edwin tried to set up the dummy, but the range didn’t have prepared holes to set the wooden pole into. It was tapered at the bottom, but not really pointy, so he wasn’t sure how to get it to stand upright. After a few unsuccessful tries, Edwin grunted in annoyance and shifted his grip. Holding the dummy at its shoulders, he set his feet, flexed his muscles and slammed the pole down with force. It didn’t go in very deeply, but it held. Satisfied, he walked back to the other recruits, just as several people exited the building.

Edwin recognized two of them: In the lead was the Chaptermaster who looked very officious. Last was Fiona, barely contained excitement obvious on her face. Between them, hidden at first by the head adventurer’s powerful build, was a girl. Or maybe a young woman, neither Edwin nor Walter had ever been good at guessing ages. She was petite, especially next to the Chaptermaster, with a cute face and long, dark hair. What drew Edwin’s eyes though was her choice of attire. She wore a red robe of a style Walter had only ever seen at Mage College functions. It wasn’t a College robe, the kind that most mages wore that displayed their rank, level and specialization and that acted as something of a uniform. This type of robe was meant for unofficial or relaxed gatherings, where status was supposed to play less of a role. All of that went through Edwin’s mind, but only one thing really mattered: Only mages wore robes.

What is a mage doing here?

A flash of fear shot through him, and for a moment Edwin thought he had already been found out. Did they suspect him, and had sent for somebody to examine him? But why wouldn’t they wear their College robes? He took a steadying breath, calming himself. First of all, even if a mage studied him, they wouldn’t find anything. Secondly, this girl was obviously neither a healer nor an inquisitor. There was something else going on, so the best he could do was to stay calm and observe.