Ch:4 : A Sparring partner

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It was two days after the outburst that I was greeted by a small figure standing in my typical area of the training field. Garbed in simple trousers and a rough looking shirt was Gowen. He seemed to be shifting and looking around at anybody that passed by as he stood there with a wooden blade and barrel lid similar to the ones I practiced with. They seemed large for his frame, with him being smaller than even I, even if I knew he was almost exactly half a year older than I.

I half walked half ran over to him, making him tense up when he first saw something moving towards him quickly, then saw him smile brightly and release the tension as he recognized who it was rushing over towards him. Before I could quite reach him and say anything, he preempted me and started saying, "Markas! Me pa came home yesterday saying that I could practice the sword with you if I wanted! Pa and ma got into a fight about it but finally da won and ma decided to let me train with you. I don't know what they said because they sent me outside with Arrald while they argued. Odd that, I rarely see them argue, normally me pa just agrees with whatever ma says. I've only ever seen him yell once when he had gotten too far into the ale after coming back from the field during the war. Ma had said something about him sleeping where weren't supposed to and he got angry. Since then though they've been calm. Anyways! Me pa's boss, the Man'O'Arms brought me over here, had me grab these here weapons then told me to stay here until someone showed up and told me what to do."

I grinned at his word vomit, corrected his mistake and said that Manfred was the 'Master at arms' and could only shake my head at him as I went and got my own training instruments. I hadn't known Gowen for long but his loquaciousness had quickly grown on me. As somebody who was less inclined to conversation but enjoyed the company it was a good match. I only hoped it didn't get him in trouble with Manfred. He seemed to be similar to me but also seemed to dislike people messing with his training time.

"Well, If I know Manfred at all, he's gonna want me to teach you the very basics because he's too busy teaching others which part of the sword to hold, so I think he meant wait for me." Gowen only nodded at that setting a determined look on his face as he said, "I don't know exactly how long you've been doing this Markas, but just know i'm gonna be bestin' ya soon and then I'll go on to be an amazing knight, the likes of Ser Barristan the Bold or, or maybe even as amazing as the Dragon Knight! Wouldn't that be something?"
I could only keep smirking at him as I said, "Don't expect me to go easy on you after such words. Besides, for now let's make sure you stay Gowen the living. I'd hate to lose my favorite friend while he rides off into battle looking to become the next member of the King's Guard." With that we began with the most basic of sword swings. I demonstrated just as Manfred had to me, making most of the same corrections he had towards me. I wondered if everyone made the same mistakes when first learning the sword. The stern Master at Arms himself only showed twice that first day. The first time I saw him nod almost imperceptibly as I told Gowen to keep his shield up as he swung, but not to blind himself with it, then later only saw his back as he turned when Gowen and myself took a break from the "Battle Stance" as I had taken to calling the defensive form that Manfred had taught us.

After that days training my brother joined us, us being his wife and me, at the supper table. It was a slight surprise but nothing too unbelievable. He joined us ever third or fourth day, normally taking his meals wherever he was working that day. What truly caught me off guard was just before I finished my food he spoke up and said, "Markas, did your training go well? I hope the soldier's son did not detract from your training." Lady Selyse seemed to barely smile, making me feel like she had been in on the decision making process somehow, her smile only growing following my reply of, "It was wonderful! Gowen seems to be very determined to prove himself. I almost felt sorry for him when I watched him walk away. Any time there was a wall nearby he used it to hold himself up. I completely forgot how tough the first few days of hard training were. I'm really looking forward to having someone my size to spar against!"

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It had been 2 months since Gowen first started training with me, and roughly 3 months since I had started my life in this world, and from the looks of respect from a few simple soldiers that also occupied the training yard our spar was adequate if not respectable. Two five year olds didn't make the most impressive of displays but the fact we were not simply flailing around and slapping one another was probably enough of an example of Manfred's teaching techniques and our determination.

I had grown another half inch taller already, and was a touch broader, while Gowen remained roughly the same size he was when we had met. Having seen his father Hugh, the quartermaster, a few times now since he occasionally came to grab Gowen when training was over, I was sure Gowen would grow to a reasonable enough height. His father hadn't been overly tall, probably just above average height for the men of westeros. I didn't have a great measure of normal heights yet but assumed he was scratching the surface of six feet tall if not quite there. He had been a lean man that would have fit in with the group of rock climbers I knew from an adjacent office in my old life's workplace. Muscles more born of constant use and lean without seeming to bulk the man up. He seemed to always be smiling and looked more comely than handsome. Everything on him seemed made for his constant smiles, from his brown eyes to his thick mustache which went just past the edge of his mouth but never seemed to droop, always staying upturned and defying gravity like it too was smiling. He seemed to be near thirty or in his young thirties as I saw no wrinkles or gray hairs but he seemed more mature than most of the soldiers and guards I had seen around.

Our spar ended when I took Gowen's sword slash against my shield and immediately adjusted my shield so It would bounce his arm to the outside. I quickly followed this with a quick step off of my back foot creating enough power to then pommel strike Gowen's shield opening up his chest for a swift kick. With my superior stature he fell onto his rear and I readied a mock kill blow with my sword where I said, "Dead". He groaned, at either the loss or the kick, I couldn't tell, then rolled to the side and got up.

"You're always doing that! How about you actually use your sword to defeat every now and then! You always hit me with your shield, kick me, or punch me, or that one time you even used your head to hit mine! Real knights fight with honor!" He said all this while we walked over to the water barrel, with only a hint of the anger or complaint he probably truly felt. We were friends but we both took our training with some seriousness and the only true complaining we did was after training if Manfred the Monster had taken over the majority of the session.

I laughed and replied, "If you were a real knight then I would have slain you without any honor then. Dead's still dead and if my opponent dies, then I win. Sounds honorable enough to me. Besides, I use my sword plenty, and you have the bruises to prove it."

I knew these tricks wouldn't work on everyone, but muscle memory was everything and I was gonna have my only real friend live if he got into any kind of confrontation, and if he had to fight dirty then so be it. Additionally, I needed to be prepared for similar tactics and was hoping Gowen would start using some of my own tricks against me. Just as Gowen was about to fake complain at me a pair of guards that were already at the water barrels seemed to have heard us as the taller and older of the pair gave a small chuckle. The guards had grown used to us two being in the area and had even given us small pointers, only things they were quite sure were correct because they knew Manfred would seek them out if they messed up our training. The older man said, "The young lord is in the right boy! Out there in a real fight you should care less about honor and more about coming home to your family. Seen plenty of honorable men die and too many dishonorable louts walk away due to some dirty trick.I was in a few battles throughout the rebellion and was sent to fight off some bandits before that, and let me tell you, the men most dangerous to me were not the ones fighting fairly. Nah, in a pitched clash of swords everyone is trying to win with whatever they have. Best get used to it and learn some things yourself." Having said this, he clapped his younger guardsman on the shoulder and led him away, back to the area where Manfred had been running a group through drills for setting up pikes for a cavalry charge that seemed to all be coming back from their breaks at other barrels, these two probably opting for the show our spar had provided during their water break.

Thinking about the cavalry made me a tad upset. Stannis had said when I turned six he'd let me ride by my own, saying he preferred a brother who was worse at tilts over one who walked at a tilt due to some injury. That was nearly six months away unfortunately. Today was Gowen's name day and I had gotten him a small steel pendant in the shape of a shield attached to a small rolled piece of leather with a clasp at the end for securing it around the neck. It wasn't fancy but Lady Selyse had allowed me to request something from the smith and I figured this would be neither difficult nor expensive. The smith had grumbled about making a necklace pendant for a boy when there were spear heads or swords to be made but had probably just tossed off my order to some apprentice or another.

It was at the end of training, after we put away our training instruments and before Gowen left to spend the day with his family that I gave him the piece. He looked shocked as I handed it to him, looking back and forth between me and the trinket. "Happy name day! I know it's not super impressive, but we're friends and I wanted something soldier-like for you. I couldn't think of anything else besides the fun we have at training… Anyways, I hope it's a good present." I said this and felt a tad embarrassed. I should be acting like a grown man but for some reason was nearly blushing at this. What was wrong with me?

He stuttered before speaking, "This is for me?" at my nod he continued, "It's so nice, are you sure I can have this?" He looked at me with a hint of fear in his eyes, probably that I would realize it's value. It wasn't made of some special metal, probably just whatever scrap of steel they had in the smithy, but the crafter had done well with the design. It was a kite shield design with small nail indents along the edge and a small 7 sided star on the shield's face. The whole thing was probably about 3 inches long and 2 inches wide. I just grinned at him and said, "Of course you can have it! You're to be the best knight in the realm! Can't have you going into battle without a shield!" This got him smiling too as he hugged me tightly and said thankyou. The hug was something I wasn't expecting. I returned the gesture with a tad less enthusiasm, partly because it felt odd, but also because we were both sweaty and dusty. Then he thanked me again before running off to show his dad. His dad's smile got a tad brighter as he waved from the edge of the yard and inclined his head towards me.

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I was standing in the study of Maester Cressen, sitting at a chair turned away from the desk it was matched with as Acolyte Flowers was packing the materials he had kept here.

"Must you go, Meryn? You know your lessons are more entertaining than Maester Cressen's! Would you really leave your young lord to die of boredom? Besides, what is at the citadel that's so important?" I complained, and I say complained because a grown man does not whine, to the man.

Acolyte Flowers shook his head but continued his packing, putting away a scroll he had found in a drawer he had put away who knows when ago. "Young Lord Markas, you and I both know you seem to have learned all I have to teach over the last two and some years." The acolyte had arrived at Dragonstone just shortly before Stannis and I had gone to visit King's Landing for Robert's wedding then my incident upon return. "Should you desire to learn at the citadel yourself I dare to imagine you would become an Arch-Maester at the age of 30 if not 25. Few soak up knowledge the way you do. Why, Maester Cressen has recommended such a path to your brother already. However Lord Stannis deemed it unfit for someone of the Baratheon line to become a scholar over a warrior or the Lord of a holding." Finishing his searching for his own belongings of the study he grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. "Now, would you be kind enough to escort me to the stables so I can ride to the docks young Lord? I would like to hear your thoughts on the idea of taking a more learned approach to life over that of the soldier's." So we descended from the keep towards the stable, while I told him about how I thought a maester's path was noble but too focused on research and time doing little but reading for me. Truthfully, I thought maester's were probably some of the better men in westeros. Of course there were negatives, such is the way of humans, and their desire to hoard information could be seen as negative, but it was also understandable. Knowledge truly is power, and when your entire organization's structure is formed around teaching people, you're bound to be a tad stringent.

As Acolyte Meryn Flowers mounted his horse and prepared to set off with a similarly mounted household guard towards the dock, he turned to me and said, "I believe that you're bound for greatness my Young Lord. Insisting your friend Gowen learn alongside you was a truly kind gesture, even if he was only taught the basics due to your brother's worry of him creating an obstacle for your education. Know that not many lords would be so kind to a commoner, or even a bastard like myself. My lord father sponsored me out of spite as much as it was out of kindness. Keep a kind soul my Lord, and know that should you need me I will be at the citadel for some years yet. I've got only my ravenry link, my economics link, and my history link. It will be expected of me to know medicine at the very least before I become a full maester to serve a lord. I'll probably gain more as having only five links links tends to get you appointed to the worst of positions. Just know that while Maester Cressen has aided me in my studies while I was here, It is not a field I excel at. So feel free to write to me. I don't know why you would need to, but know that I believe you to be a colleague of the mind, if not a friend despite our difference in age. I'll be expecting news of the greatness you achieve later in life even if you don't write to me" Without waiting for my response he turned and trotted off out from the outer walls and their accompanying gate.

I sighed as I headed up towards Maester Cressen who would be ready to regale me the history of some ancient battle, the tactics used in the regions, and how they were now updated. I knew the information on warcraft would be useful, but just wished he was more animated while speaking.

It was later, as I was being battered by Gowen's sword strikes, that it truly hit me how long I had been here as Markas. A deal over two years now. The mind tended to wander as you were repeatedly stuck while simply holding your own as best as you could without retaliating. A method Manfred had said taught, "Patience in your sword and trust in your shield." It was after the thirtieth strike that Gowen stopped, breathing quite heavily after his assault that I took up my turn. Doing the same to him as he had done to me, just with a tad more oomph. We were not allowed to do any strikes that we would not do in a real battle, so super long wind up times would only get us in trouble with Manfred, who once had use run around the training yard carrying our tools for what seemed like an hour when he caught he trying out best to break either our weapons or the other's shield once.

It had been over two years of training myself to survive the danger that was life in this world. It had become apparent to most that I would be the second coming of Robert in terms of size and physique. I was told I was the spitting image of my father and my oldest brother at my age. My shoulder's had widened already to a good degree, and muscles had begun forming over my body. I was edging towards 8 years of age. Still too young for muscles to truly be forming in my mind but my body seemed to be disagreeing with me. Similarly, I was tall for my age, nearly over a half foot taller than Gowen already. Many predicted I would be the Six and a half feet that Robert was if not taller at my full height. For now I was creeping my way towards 5 feet, being almost as tall as the shortest of full grown women. Gowen would grumble and grown about our training as my physique made it difficult for him to match me in the yard. Manfred only shook his head at such protests and said, "You don't get to pick your opponents in battle." Which seemed like it wasn't always true but I was still afraid of the man. His competency with the blade and the speed of his footwork belied his belly's size.

Following a bath, Lady Selyse led me to the sept where eventually Stannis came. Following the weekly prayers we went to supper where I was met with news I had been expecting but not quite yet. The announcement of the King and Queen's first birth and the news that in 6 months we would be going to King's Landing for the Prince's royal showing.

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A/N

Hello all! Hope the time skip didn't feel disjointed. It's the first of 3 major ones I have planned. Markas is still young, having skipped about 2 years. next chapter I'll be mentioning his training in Horse riding which I said would happen following his sixth birthday. I find it plausible that Stannis would be worried for his younger brother considering the injury that Willas Tyrell met due to a jousting incident. He was well older than 6 but Stannis has a sense of duty and taking appropriate levels of risk seems fitting for his character.

Next chapter there will be a 6 month skip included for the arrival at King's Landing and i'm excited to see how you all react to it.

Once again, in defense of Markas' more childlike moments: He is constantly being treated as a child by servants, His good-sister, his brother, and anybody else. He doesn't try to correct them because he knows he is in the body of one. This has led to a small case of faking it til' you make it. Markas is self-aware enough to try to fight it but sometimes you act some way before you realize. Hope it came across as coherent for the story and hope the chapter went well. Expect the next chapter between Thursday through Saturday next week.