5
"When the Hall Master enters the room you will all rise to your feet and bow your heads in respect. This is the traditional greeting for all Ansei senior in rank to you. Remember you are here to learn a new skill I am confident none of you know. Leave your pride upstairs with the rest of the world."
The Instructor speaking to the room of sixteen Initiates was an unimposing Breton male just a foot shorter than Roe. Stitched into the shoulder of his white robes were three red lines denoting his rank as a 3rd Level Ansei. Two other instructors, a Dunmer and a Redguard woman stood by the doorway of the Meditation Room. Roe and the other Initiates were all kneeling facing an empty wall.
What the hell am I doing here? I didn't mean to give up my life at the Priory to be berated like a child by some priests on a power trip!
Roe was jarred away from daydreaming when a procession of three more white-robed Ansei entered through the door. The Ansei took very small steps, kept their hands together in their laps and bowed their heads just as he had seen them do outside the Temple. The students rose to their feet and bowed as instructed. Roe peeked up for a moment and recognized the face of the elderly Redguard Zair.
"Welcome Initiates, take your seats please."
The students obeyed.
"I am Hall Master Zair. Welcome to the Rihad Halls of the Virtues of War. You have all been invited to our Temple because of your curiosity of the art of Shehai Shen She Ru. What does that mean exactly?"
Roe could tell that Zair had likely given this same speech several times to rooms full of young warriors just like him.
"For many generations have the greatest of Tamriel's warriors served these Halls. Many of these heroes you do not know by name, but their deeds are numerous and their power unquestioned. You all have been shown a glimpse of what an Ansei is capable of, however it is one thing to know and another to understand."
He rubbed his chest which was still bruised from the Librarian's sneak attack the week before. I think I understand too well.
"Patience, duty, inner tranquility, harmony, and skill. With time you will learn to apply and more importantly exemplify these characteristics. Becoming an Ansei is a lifelong endeavour during which time you will train with experienced warriors from all across Tamriel. Be humble, learn from them and always show respect. Do this, and I can guarantee you will also have a lot of fun."
The group of Initiates couldn't help but smile. The atmosphere of the room hummed with anticipation.
"Now allow me to introduce some of your instructors who will be helping you on your way to becoming Ansei Sword-Singers."
Four Ansei stepped forward in a shoulder to shoulder line. In unison they removed their hoods and face coverings and gave their introductions.
"Master Ansei Ferul."
"Master Ansei Lencolia."
"I am 3rd Ansei Johan."
"3rd Ansei Akeira."
"You will come to learn that the skill an individual Singer possesses pales in comparison to the combined efforts of many." Zair continued. "You may find yourself working alone as you conduct your Walk Abouts, journeys you will make out into the world to test your skills, or you may work with a kibut, a team of Ansei. During your time spent here in the Halls and in the years beyond you will come to know and love your fellow brothers and sisters in arms. For training purposes we divide Initiates into kibutnim, training teams, to better facilitate our extensive curriculum. Each kibutnim is then assigned a senior Ansei to oversee them. I hope you are all well rested because today you begin your journey to becoming Sword Singers. Good luck to you all."
Zair bowed and the room of Initiates came to their feet and returned the gesture of respect. The Hall Master exited with the same two Ansei he entered with leaving the four senior Ansei in the room.
The Ansei pointed to the Initiates, instructing them to move to a specific side of the small room. Roe was moved to his left along with a female Khajiit, a Breton and Cyrod man, a lady Redguard and a Dunmer. The Initiates were almost all Redguards with the exception of the Khajiit, Cyrod and Dunmer in his group, plus two other Dark Elves and a Bosmer in another.
The Breton who had introduced himself as Johan approached Roe's group.
"Good morning Initiates. Again, I am Ansei Johan please address me as such. I will be overseeing you for the initial portion of your training. Your first lesson will be in the Library. Don't worry, it's almost impossible to get lost down here; the caves underneath the Temple are pretty linear. We are in the Meditation Room in the middle of the complex. Left is where we learn, right is where we live, up is where we fight. Got it?"
The six initiates answered "Yes Ansei Johan" in unison.
"Remember that you all will be together for a very long time. Your class does not start for another fifteen minutes so I suggest you take the time to acquaint yourselves with one another."
It turned out that the Halls' Library was the lowest level of the same library Roe had spent three days working in. The elderly Librarian's specific instructions not to leave the third floor all of a sudden made sense. Roe's kibutnim spent their time before class introducing themselves, sharing some stories and of course sizing each other up. Who would be the leader, the strongest and the smartest? Who would form a spirit sword first?
"So were you the one that had to organize the library?" Khochi, the female Redguard, asked.
Roe nodded.
"You had to organize the whole library?" Ayisha, the Khajiit asked in astonishment.
"Just the third floor." He answered.
"Yeah, then the Librarian clocked him the chest with a sprit attack." Zidvyda, or Zid as he insisted on being called, laughed.
"What about you Otto?" Jiles, the Cyrod man, asked the Breton.
Otto did not answer. Roe caught the young Breton staring at him as if he were an escaped criminal.
"Otto, what did you have to do for your test?" Jiles repeated.
"I was told to come here by a friend. Not sure if I'm going to stay." Otto answered, his gaze still fixated on Roe.
"What? You're not sure if you're staying?"
"I was told this was an immaculate order of warriors. I didn't know they let beastfolk in."
"Hey, who the fuck are you calling beastfolk, Breton?" Ayisha growled.
"He wasn't talking about you Ayisha." Roe interjected. "What's wrong Otto, do my ears freak you out?" Roe wanted to provoke a fight.
"That monster blood in your veins does, fucking back woods witch man." The Breton mumbled the last part under his breath.
Roe knew that as a new initiate of the Halls he was expected to exert patience and understanding in this sanctimonious environment. A good team had total trust and love in one another and even a single rift in the cohesion of a combat unit could cost lives. Taking a deep breath, Roe decided he would handle the problem in a professional and mature manner.
He charged across the room and grabbed the Breton by the throat shoving him against a wall. With one hand around his neck and the other on his shoulder, Roe spun Otto around and forced him to the ground with a leg sweep then shoved his knee into Otto's neck just as he had seen Jayred do with the Orc spy in Argonia.
"Do you know what we do to Bretons who wander into the Western Reach uninvited?" Roe asked in a cordial tone.
Otto was silent. Roe slapped him across the face. His teammates watched in silent horror unsure whether to intervene and save Otto's life or allow the Breton to receive his just punishment.
No one moved.
"We eat them." Roe smiled.
He pressed his face up against Otto's and sniffed the Breton up and down like a wild beast investigating a foreign scent.
"Breton meat is a delicacy among my people on account that we rarely have the pleasure of welcoming your kind into our homes. There was one occasion when a lonely Alessian missionary wandered into my village intent on bringing the infinite wisdom of the Divines to us godless heathens. He was a quite a portly fellow if I remember correctly."
Roe licked his lips. Tears streamed from Otto's face. His muffled cries were soaked with fear, and his pants were soaked with piss.
"You look like an educated man Otto. Skilled in mathematics perhaps? I want you to calculate what the odds of me ever seeing you again are."
"None! Zero!" Otto cried out.
"Zero, that's right." He released his tight grip on the Breton's neck. "Go."
Otto stood and dashed out from the Library basement.
Now all eyes were on Roe who wiped away the drool from his face as if he had just finished a meal. The three remaining Initiates stood uneasy, wary if they would be the next to incur the beast's wrath.
"Please allow me to introduce myself. I am called Roe and I am a Reachman."