Lessons from the Master

Unlike the mountains and foothills of Birle, when the wide river reached the plains, it fanned out into countless rivulets as it made its way downhill and into the forests. The earth was wet just below the surface, and gave the trees ample nourishment to grow tall and strong.

This is also why the area was good for farming, and why nearly every substantial clearing had some crop or other growing during the year. These small streams were easy to dam, and some enterprising young criminals had now taken advantage of this fact.

'He won't be too happy he chose this place to ransom,' Silver thought dryly. The group of four made their way through the forest.

"We could have brought horses, you know," Ethyn muttered with a sidelong glance toward Conall.

The mayor shrugged. "As Silver says, there's nothing quiet about horses. Might as well announce your intention from a mile off."

As the four neared the stream, Conall and Aiden bid farewell and prepared to cross. The water was only waist deep, but it was still full of runoff from the melting mountain snow. Ethyn grimaced as he watched the men plunge into the near freezing water. He could almost feel the protest of their muscles against the ice flow.

Silver chuckled, "Why do you think I opted to stay on this side?" He shivered unconsciously.

They walked along in silence for a short while. Ethyn's walk was slow, but seemed to grow more steady as they went. However, he did not want to tire his young friend out.

"Aristos told Conall that the sight is a good distance up river. Are you sure you are up for the walk?"

"I said I'm fine," Ethyn responded not unkindly. He could sense his friend's genuine concern. Silver relaxed a little as he scanned the terrain.

"Alright then, since you are so keen to be here, we might as well use our time wisely. You already know how to move silently and quickly. That natural talent has served you well. I can barely hear you walking even now."

Ethyn cocked his head. He realized that even when he strained his ears, he could not hear Silver's movements at all. If he hadn't been looking at his friend, he would have believed that the man was standing still.

The man's footsteps were gentle and deliberate. Ethyn looked and saw a small twig coming up in Silver's path. Surely it would snap and make a sound. Without looking, Silver nudged the toe of his boot under the branch and continued on noiselessly.

"I'm not as good as you," the boy admitted after a moment.

"I would hope a Guardian of the Realm has a little more skill than a ten-year-old," he responded with a tone of superiority.

Ethyn jutted out his chin. "I'm almost eleven!"

"My apologies! That year makes all the difference…"

The young boy straightened his back. "Really?"

"No," Silver shook his head. 'It's too easy.' The Guardian waved the incoming argument aside. "Nevermind all that. As I said, you can move swiftly and silently. What you need to work on is staying unseen."

Ethyn got excited. His mentor was actually going to teach him something! "How do I do that?" he yelped.

"Well, first of all, don't talk so ridiculously loud. A man can only look in one direction but he can listen in every one." Silver's voice was gentle but firm.

Ethyn hunched his shoulders as if that would help his volume level. "Got it." Ethyn whispered.

"Now look across the stream. What do you see?"

Ethyn stopped and squinted at the trees. They were densely packed in groups and low brambles and vines crept up the bases of their massive trunks. "I don't see anything but trees and brush."

Silver was clearly disappointed. He coaxed the redhead, "Look again, carefully this time."

Ethyn tried again. Nothing to see but trees and—wait what was that? It was small and red and it was only there for a second, but he was sure he had seen it. "Something is over there and it's red." The boy announced confidently.

The cloaked figure nodded his approval, allowing Ethyn a moment of pride. "Good. What is it?"

The boy froze. He hadn't anticipated the question and his mind went blank. How was he supposed to know what a little bit of red was? Perhaps it was a bird or a late falling leaf. But Silver's question had been too direct for it to be so simple. Then he remembered. "Conall's hat has a red patch on it. It was Conall!"

"Indeed it was, Buddy. Good work. I will have to talk about that hat with Conall when we get back. It's fine enough for a mayor's cap, but it's like a flag saying 'I'm here' out in the forest. Wear things that will blend you in with your surroundings and you've won half the battle of remaining unseen. In the forest in springtime, that generally means greens, browns and grays."

"But you are wearing all black," Ethyn pointed out with interest.

He had not seen his friend wear anything but black and that curious leather belt since the day they met. He wondered if it was a fashion statement, an indication of mourning or a general dislike for color, but he was too afraid to ask.

"Good eye. I'm, well, a special case. I suppose you have noticed this cloak is unique. It does a lot of the work of blending in for me. As for the rest of my attire, I stay close to the shadows, so black camouflages me there. And when I want to be seen, a dark figure looming nearby generally gives the desired effect."

"Fair enough," Ethyn conceded. They began walking once more. The boy glanced across the river again and spotted the small red tip of Conall's hat a second time. The man had a taste for simple but fashionable clothing, and Ethyn knew he would not take kindly to Silver addressing his wardrobe.

Ethyn looked back to his friend and stifled a gasp. Silver was gone. "Wha—Silver? Where are you?" he whispered. No response came. Ethyn searched frantically, swiveling his head side to side. The trees were less dense on this side of the stream, but still packed in bunches.

The melting snow had left behind brown patches of dead leaves where the grass had yet to poke through. Ethyn looked up in the trees, remembering how agile the Guardian could be. Green buds were forming in the more delicate branches, but there was no sign of the cloaked figure. Still, Silver wouldn't abandon him. He had to be nearby.

"I'm done playing," the boy announced quietly.

"You may be, but I'm not." The voice came from Ethyn's feet. He looked down, but could only see dead leaves. Ethyn nudged the leaves with his foot and suddenly a great cluster of brown foliage and dirt went flying through the air as Silver jumped from the ground. Ethyn leapt back in surprise.

"How?"

"Second rule: if you want to remain unseen, don't move. If you do have to move, do it slowly. Your eyes register movement, but a still object is nearly invisible, even in plain sight. I mean, I was literally lying at your feet." The Guardian threw a few of the leaves toward the boy, who caught them in his hand.

Ethyn puffed out his cheeks but remained silent. In truth, if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes—which he supposed he technically hadn't—then he would have doubted the Guardian's words. However, perhaps Silver could have gone about the lesson using a less frightening maneuver.

"Ok, time to practice. It'll be a quick lesson though. We need to come up on the brigands before they are able to complete their dam." Like magic, Silver melded into the trees and disappeared. Ethyn could catch a slight movement here and there, but never anything definitive. It could easily have been wind rustling through the trees. "Your turn." Silver said from several horse lengths ahead.

Ethyn took a deep breath. He pressed his body up against a tree. "Ok move low and slow. Listen for the wind and move with it when you can." Ethyn dropped and began a slow crawl through the foliage. If Silver wanted low, he would give him low.

He listened quietly from the safety of the next tree trunk. He could hear a breeze blowing from a little way off and it was heading his way. As soon as the air started to move, he crawled again more quickly, hoping the noise of rustling trees would hide his own sounds. He kept on for a couple of minutes—stopping and starting—until at last he reached Silver's feet and stood.

"How'd I do?" the boy asked anxiously, his eyes craving his mentor's approval.

"Not bad." Silver said with a gentle nod. "It was an admirable attempt."

Ethyn groaned as he stood up, knowing better than to complain of his previous injuries. "So you didn't see me?"

"Oh I saw you alright. That crawl of yours makes your rear end stick up like the broad side of a barn."

Ethyn's hopes were dashed. He imagined what is must look like to see his backside out for all creation as he scooted along. It was humiliating.

"But," the Guardian interrupted the boy's pout. "The mechanics and thinking were there. I think a low crouch would serve you better. Like this." Silver dropped to a squat and moved similarly to an ape, occasionally using his hands for balance.

"I can do that!" Ethyn's spirit lifted.

"Then you better do it. The twosome across the stream are getting ahead of us and I don't want them having all the fun. Now let's go."