The Trainee

I couldn't stay in my room any longer. However, when I tried to go mingle with my patrons I was met at the doorway by a very stern looking Kari. She blocked my way with her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes gave her lecture before her mouth even started moving.

"Where do you think you're going?"

I stammered for a moment, like a child caught doing something they shouldn't be. "I'm, uh, running a tavern?"

"Not today you're not."

"Kari I've been out for days! I need to do something."

"I agree! You should do something, as long as that something isn't jumping right back into work. I know you get restless from standing still to long so maybe get a workout in or something. Now shoo before I have Lyon drag you back by your ears."

I grumbled at her but didn't argue, it wasn't a fight I would win. Instead I ventured to the basement of my tavern where I had a collection of training equipment. Usually Lyon and I were busy enough that we didn't need to come down here often, we got plenty of hands on training, but we still kept the equipment down for Kari since she didn't exactly get out as much as we did but still wanted to stay in fighting shape. I stalked up to a dummy and gave it a few test strikes and a good kick to see if my wound would be a hindrance. It was healed externally but it was still sore and I didn't know the extent of my external injuries. Once I was satisfied that I could move normally I flew through old training exercises I hadn't done in years. I was so entranced in what I was doing that I almost didn't notice a pair of awestruck grey eyes staring at me from the door.

"Wow," Jayde's jaw was hanging open, "your fighting is so cool to watch!"

I wiped some sweat from my forehead and motioned him closer. "You ever fight before?"

He shook his head enthusiastically and gestured to his body. "Do I look like I'm built for fighting?"

I laughed. "There isn't one specific body type for fighting. You're small, sure, but that just makes you harder to hit. Muscle mass doesn't matter if they can't touch their opponent," I tapped the dummy. "Go ahead and give it a few swings."

He hesitated for a moment, checking my face to see if I was joking with him. When he was satisfied I wasn't he wound his fist back and connected it to the dummy's face. The dummy sprung back and forth but Jayde also held his hand to his body in pain.

"That stings!" He hissed and shook his hand out.

"Hitting someone is a double edged sword Jayde. Of course it hurts them but it also hurts you, especially if you hit bone. You need to get yourself used to that pain and build up tougher skin for hitting," I showed him my hands, which looked normal at a distance, but a closer look revealed the skin around my knuckles was thicker. "Only practice can give you that."

"Why are you teaching me this?"

I huffed and sat, cross-legged, on the floor. "Because I may not always be able to save you Jayde. My job sometimes requires me to travel so I could be weeks away and if something happens I want you to be able to save yourself. Plus, this is a tavern, a fight is bound to break out eventually and you may have to break it up one day."

"Will I be an assassin like you and Lyon?" He asked as he joined me.

"I would rather you not sully your hands with that," I frowned and drew designs in the dust on the floor.

"What if I want to be?"

"Why in the seven hells would you want that?"

He shrugged. "Because you save people, people who can't save themselves, and I want to do that," he rubbed the scars on his arms. "I wasn't strong enough to save my mom and I wasn't strong enough to save myself from that slave seller, but I want to be strong enough to save other people from things like that."

He just wants to help people but could he really kill someome to do it? I stood with a groan and offered him my hand. Only one way to find out I guess. "I still don't think this is a life you should be considering but I know that I can't stop you. I'll teach you the basics for now and we will go from there."

"So you mean?" His eyes lit up.

"If you prove to be a protégé in this then, perhaps, I will consider teaching you how to be an assassin like me, Lyon, and Kari."

He paused on the midst of jumping for joy. "Wait! Kari is an assassin too?"

"She's mostly an info gatherer and our medic but, yes, Lyon and I trained her a few years ago. Not that she needed a lot of it she's had many years of practice before she even met us. I know she acts young but don't let that fool you kid, Kari is over a hundred years old."

He seemed un-bothered by this. "Elves are basically immortal. The one in Alley Market is over three hundred."

"They aren't immortal kid," I ruffled his hair and he swatted my hand away, "they are ageless. They can die from sickness or an injury but they will never die from old age. I once knew an elf that was a thousand years old, claimed to have known their goddess, Auryon, in person before she gained her godly status."

"I'm not sure I'd believe that," he scoffed, "but I bet he does have some really cool stories."

"He did," I laughed and led him out if the basement. "Now go back to work kid. Kari is probably wondering where you are."

A small flash of fear crossed his face. "Crap! She sent me to check on you! I was supposed to be back immediately!"

"Tell her I was the one who kept you and if she has a problem with it then she can take it up with me."

He looked me over analytically. "I think she could take you."

I rolled my eyes. "She wishes. Go on! She's banned me from the bar for the day so I'm stuck on this side of the wall. I'm going to see how Zierra is doing."

I watched him scamper off and jogged my way upstairs and to Zierra's door. Of course he put her room next to mine. Thanks Lyon. I took a deep breath and knocked a playful rhythm on her door.

"Come in."