Legend of 3
Disclaimer: The usual. Nexon owns Mabinogi, I just own the OCs.
Author's Note: Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter! I'm planning on updating twice this time so chapter 3 should be up with this one. Please give reviews to a starving author. How am I going to enjoy my bread without reviews? I'm going to step up the action in this and the next chapter so here goes.
Chapter 2: Fighting is Hard
As the young man turned around, dripping with sweat and breathing hard, Arlanta caught a glimpse of his face and panicked. Oh no. What is HE doing here? Scratch that, what am I going to do? He'll start laughing at me again! Maybe I could just sneak out now before he sees me. After all he is tired and sweaty, how hard can it be to sneak away? Yeah that's what I'll do. She felt immediate relief, and had just started to slide herself to the left where she could slip out unnoticed when a sudden hand came down on her shoulder. Gulping she looked up into the amused face of Valmayrick who was shaking his head no while looking like he was holding in laughter. Caught by the same guy I asked help from. Is NOBODY in this place nice? What is it, Torture Me Day?
Fortunatly Yojimbo seemed to have missed the whole silent exchange and the visitors as well as he leaned over breathing heavily. When he caught his breath again he looked expectantly at Ranald. "Finished…Ranald. Whatddya want me to do now?"
"That's it for today Yojimbo. You don't need to be tired out your first day. Go rest for a bit."
Yojimbo looked intensely disappointed, rather like a lost puppy dog who had his favorite chew toy taken away. "Aw, come on Ranald! I can handle it! Please maybe I could go practice on some foxes. I hear their plaguing the chickens again."
But Ranald wasn't to be swayed. "Oh no young man. You don't know enough to be taking on foxes yet. In a couple days perhaps but until then you keep training. For one thing they are far too quick. For another you can't get past that defense. I won't be responsible for a kid like you getting seriously hurt."
"Kid? I'm not a kid. I'm…I'm…" He floundered as he realized he didn't know his own age. It was then he noticed the two people at Ranald's side. "What about them? You call them kids too?" He pointed and as he did he realized just who the 'kids' were. Valmayrick and Arlanta.
Ranald's eyes suddenly spotted Valmayrick who still had his hand on Arlanta's shoulder and he appeared slightly startled. Then he smiled and clapped Valmayrick hard on the back. It was just hard enough to send the young man, who despite his behavior still had the slender frame of a kid, stumbling. "Valmayrick! Good to see you! Why I havn't seen you in ages!"
"Actually Sir, its only been a day. I got a broadsword yesterday after lessons. I saved up some money and was going to try traveling to Dunbarton but a traveling merchant sold it to me for a good price. He said he didn't really need it anymore since he upgraded his older broadsword."
"Oh. So it has. But a sword of your own! Let me see it." He examined the broadsword that Valmayrick unsheathed and passed to him. "Hmm…yes…nice. Good steel…" Suddenly he lunged at a dummy and sliced with a gentle smooth motion at it. Straw flew everywhere as the casing enclosing the wooden post popped open from the sharpness of the blade. "Seems to be in good shape as well. Cuts okay…I think this is a good sword. Anyway come for your lesson I see?" He handed the sword back to Valmayrick who promptly sheathed it.
"Yeah while I'm here. I've also brought a new student to you; well another one." He said glancing at Yojimbo who was staring at them with something akin to astonishment. "Yojimbo try closing your mouth."
Yojimbo snapped it shut but not before he muttered, "Her? You have GOT to be kidding me. She'll trip and kill herself before she'll make a warrior."
Arlanta marched up to Yojimbo and glared at him. "I can fight just as good as you Mr. No Sense of Direction! You're not some mighty warrior chief so come off your high horse! And just watch me! I'll be more powerful than you someday!"
Yojimbo sneered. "Oh really? Can you do that without tripping over a rock again or shall we make sure the grounds are swept especially clean just for you?"
"You want to make something out of those threats buster?"
"How could I? You've never wielded anything before much less a wooden practice sword. It wouldn't be fair to the princess."
"Princess? Why I oughta…"She glared at him with fury in her indigo eyes and her fists were curled at her side. She saw his dark eyes were narrowed with anger as well and his brown skin seemed to turn several shades darker with anger though not as much as her fair skin did.
"That is ENOUGH!" Ranald suddenly shoved the two of them apart with a scowl on his face and anger in his tall frame. "I will not teach bickering children. If you wish to train that is fine but you shall take your petty arguments to someplace out of my sight and hearing. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"
Scowling, the two of them glared daggers at each other without saying a word.
Valmayrick chose this time to cough in his fist, "Yes Master Ranald. Sorry Master Ranald." Quelling them both with a look.
"Yes Master Ranald. Sorry Master Ranald." Arlanta and Yojimbo chorused together. They then switched their glare from each other to Valmayrick who was standing looking perfectly innocent while examining a cut on his hand in great detail.
"What?" He said looking up and catching the glare on their faces.
Arlanta rolled her eyes while Yojimbo curled his lips but they quickly turned their attention to Ranald who still looked angry.
"Alright since you two can't train at the same time, Yojimbo go rest. Arlanta come here for a practice sword. After this is done you are to get rest as well. Tomorrow however you will be here at 7am on the double do you understand? Tomorrow you will learn how to work together and work well. Valmayrick, would you mind offering Arlanta some pointers before you begin your lesson?" He handed Arlanta a wooden sword and watched as she shrugged off her backpack and bow before going over to the post. "Begin. Just start hitting and I'll see what needs improvement."
Arlanta began whacking the pole with more enthusiasm than skill.
An hour later, near exhausted she finished. Her hair was tangled and messy, her clothes had turned a few shades darker from sweat and she was fairly sure she wouldn't be able to move properly ever again from the sheer stiffness in her muscles-especially from her sword arm. "I don't mean to whine but, am I done?" She looked pleadingly at the impassive Ranald.
"You lack finesse, your guard is wide open and you don't know when to apply pressure to the hit and when to back off. If this was combat, you'd be dead." He folded his arms.
She sagged with disappointment. Some warrior.
"But as a beginner who never wielded anything more harmful than this stick, I'd say you're learning." He took the sword from her and eyed her with some kindness. "Why don't you go rest? You look like you need it. Remember tomorrow at 7am."
She nodded mutely and stumbled to where her things lay on the grass. Picking it all up, she wondered vaguely where to go now. Nobody had exactly offered her a nice soft bed. She walked out of the school, dead tired and it was only the middle of the afternoon. She was walking past the large expanse of water called the reservoir when there was a sudden sound from her left. As tired as she was, she whirled to face the sound and put up her fists. She prayed that it was nothing serious but prepared to face some sort of awful creature with only her fists. Her heart pounded for a few wild moments before a human head emerged from the thick reeds. "Arlanta. Down here."
"Valmayrick?" She walked to the edge, where thick reeds grew around the reservoir including down the sloping bank. On a level patch of ground, just off the path but not too close to the water were his things and a cozy fire.
"Welcome to Hotel Tired. Free bed among the rushes and you get a great view of the water." He joked spreading his hands to indicate the area.
She eyed the ground with considerable nervousness before lowering her tired self to it. "Uggg, I'm exhausted. I know it wasn't that long but it felt like eternity."
"Don't worry, everyone feels that way their first day."
"Really? Did you feel like something ran you over or is that just me?" She closed her eyes and considered taking a nap right then.
"Try taking your equipment off first. And maybe you should eat something. Get some energy back."
She opened one eye, considering before complying. "All I got is bread." She looked at the loaf with a mixture of sadness and hunger.
"Have some cheese as well. Don't worry I got extra. I've been doing some part time jobs when I'm not training."
Arlanta hungrily bit into the food and had gulped it down before Valmayrick even raised his to his mouth. He raised an eyebrow.
"What?I'm hungmmfpy" She said with her mouth full and then swallowed.
He only sighed before eating his meal. He was going to say something more but noticed she had stretched out and was fast asleep.
Yojimbo in the meantime was enjoying himself in his new room. It was a bit small but it would do for now. He smiled to himself thinking back on just how he had gotten it. Stretched out on the bed he thought back…
He had left the school after the klutz had started, and wandered down the path to where he found a mil. The mill was being operated by a little kid, who eyed him with something between curiosity and disdain. "Have fun training Yojimbo?" She asked sweetly.
He started, and stared at her with surprise. "How do you know my name runt?"
She snorted with derision. "It's written in the air above your head, duh. I'm Alissa. I run this mill and my big sister is Lassar at the Magic School. Someday I'll be a great baker just like Caitlin."
Yojimbo started and looked at the air above him for a second before returning his gaze to the apron wearing young girl. "Umm, good for you kid…hope you do just that." He eyed her with some nervousness. "I'll be getting along I think…" He held up his hands in an attempt to ward off any more strange comments.
Alissa smirked. It was SO much fun messing with these adventurers. It never failed, every time they actually looked. What dummies. "If you're looking for some place to crash for the night, cross this bridge and go to the Inn. Piaras runs it but you can talk to Nora if you like."
Yojimbo nodded and suddenly across the bridge, eager to get away from that little girl. Then as he dashed across, he saw her. The young woman with short honey blond hair and pretty blue eyes was watching him with some amount of curiosity and a good deal of warmth. "Oh h-hello." He said shyly.
"Hi! I'm Nora and you are…?"
"Breathless. Umm I mean Yojimbo." Flustered he held out a hand to her which she shook. He thought he might faint. Then he reminded himself there was no way he'd do something that weak.
"Oh you're cute! Nice to meet you. Are you new in town?"
"Yea…just arrived this morning."
"Oh so that means you haven't got a place to stay yet…?"
He shook his head. What was up with this girl? She was so happy and he was acting like a buffoon. Worse, a klutz. "Nah, but I'm cool. I'll just find some field to camp out in."
"Nonsense! The Inn's got plenty of space. Talk to my uncle Piaras."
Yojimbo shrugged. "I should conserve gold…"
"You don't have much? That's ok its not much. This isn't a big town and we don't many visitors anyway." She tipped her head as Yojimbo scuffed his shoe on the ground. "Is something wrong?"
Yojimbo looked faintly embarrassed and muttered something to soft for her to hear.
"I'm sorry?"
"I don't actually have any gold yet. I'm going to earn some tomorrow but it's too late for work…"
Nora nodded suddenly and pulled on his arm to lead him into the Inn. Actually she dragged him inside, startling her uncle who looked up from his book. "Uncle Piaras we got a guest! Put him down for the best room, will you?"
"Nora, please don't drag the guests in like that. We get few enough as is, we don't need to be manhandling them like that. Furthermore let the man pay first." He noticed Nora's pleading look. "Don't tell me…"
"Uncle if it's a problem of gold, just take it out of my next payment. I can pay for his room, really. At least for tonight. It's just its too late in the day to find work. Please Uncle let him stay!"
Piaras sighed. "Nora…"
"Pleaseeeeeee?"
"Oh Alright. But this is the last guest you drag like that. Next time you do that…." He shook his head at his niece's antics before picking up his quill. "Alright young man what's your name so I can put you down in the registry book."
"Yojimbo. I can write it myself." He took the quill and wrote down his name.
"Great! Here's your key, your room is upstairs….here you go!" She grabbed the key from a ring in the back and dragged him upstairs to his new room.
"Thanks Nora."
"No problem!"
That was how he charmed himself into a nice private room. With a contented sigh he drifted off to sleep on his bed.
Author's Note: Shoo! On to the next chapter! Go on, you know you wanna.
