The First Day of Training for Alan
*RING*
"Bloody hell!" Alan roared as he stumbled out of bed. The first breakfast bell had rang signaling the pages to get up. "I have 2 more bells...I can get some extra sleep," Alan muttered as he fell back on the bed.
"ALAN!" Gary shouted through the door. "Breakfast! Hurry!"
"By Mithros, why am I here?" Alan said to the ceiling.
Alan combed his short hair back and dipped his face in the bowl of cold water near his bed. "GODS!" Roared Alan as he came back up. "I'm awake now!" Alan said as he put on his uniform.
"Good to here, Page Alan." Said Owen from the doorway as he came in and began cleaning. "Remember, I only clean the floors, windows, and clothing. You have to do everything else."
"All right, Owen. Wish me luck today." Alan called as he rushed out the door with Gary.
"You'll need it, Page Alan." Owen muttered to himself.
Alan sat down near Gregory, and Gary sat across from him with his friends.
"Alan, this is Jason of Redwood," Gary said, motioning to the tall boy with cropped red hair. "This is Kevin of Damsbar, and Alexander of King's Reach." Gary said smiling to the short Alexander, and the slim, blonde-haired Kevin.
"Nice to meet you." Alan and Greg said.
They filled up their plates with baked ham, bacon, breakfast potatoes, fruits, toast, and other breakfast items. Alan, on the on the other hand, took an apple. They all stared at him.
"What?" Alan demanded.
"Alan, you have GOT to eat more than that for breakfast! You need your strength!" Gary said as he piled loads of food onto Alan's plate. "Now eat up!"
"I hate breakfast!" Alan complained as he nibbled on some of the toast. Soon the bell rang, and Alan's first day in training began.
"We have classes first, Al, so follow us." Kevin said to him as they entered the RRR class.
"What's the RRR class?" Alan asked.
They all stared at him. "Don't you know?"
"Why else would I be asking!"
"RRR, it stands for Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic!" Alex said in surprise.
"But only reading starts with an R!" Complained Alan.
"Al, don't break a long-standing class' name!" Gary said as he rolled his eyes.
"Fine, I just think it's stupid." Alan spat as he sat down in his seat.
"Some temper you have, huh Trebond?" Jason said.
"Maybe." Huffed Alan as the teacher came in.
The Mithran priest explained the basics to all those who didn't know anything about the RRR's, and then assigned work to all the rest.
*RING*
"That class was short." Alan said as he gathered up his homework.
"Sure, but wait till you get the really boring priests, and more homework." Jason replied.
"Sounds just great." Greg said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I know, doesn't it?" Alan said seriously and ran ahead to History.
"Is he serious?" Kevin asked Gary.
"I don't know..."
All the students sat down in History, for once eager. Especially Alan, who was eager in every class today.
"Good morning class!" A cheerful knight said as he entered. He had dancing eyes and short, shaggy hair. He was rather short, but to Alan he looked familiar. "I am your history teacher, as many of you already know. My name is Sir Myles of Olau, and I've decided to teach instead of going off and doing brave deeds! Of course, trying to get you to behave is also a brave deed!" He chuckled.
The students giggled along too. They all seemed to love him. But Alan seemed to not, as Gary noticed that day. Alan's eyes grew cold whenever Myles talked. Alan raised his hand.
"Are you related to the page master?" Alan asked.
"Yes, Page Alan. He's my older brother." Myles replied kindly.
"Oh." Was his cold reply.
Myles paid no attention to this and continued teaching.
Why did Alan like Sir Myles' brother so much, and yet feel a hate for him?
*RING*
*RING*
*RING*
3 classes later, and 2 hours worth of homework later, the physical training came.
A young, muscular man walked out.
"Hello class. As you older pages know, the first class is hand-to-hand combat..with me; I'm the Shang Hawk."
Gregory and Alan, the only 2 new pages gasped. A real live shang, teaching THEM!
"So, who would like to begin? No volunteers? I figured as much." The Shang scoffed. "You! New page." He said pointing to Alan. "You come here."
'Oh gods' Alan thought as he walked over, 'I can't fight! I can't even cut a piece of steak without help!'
The Shang grabbed him by his wrist, yanked his arm back, and then threw him softly onto some padding nearby. The other pages burst into laughter.
"Mithros, boy! You need practice!" The Shang said sternly. "Have you ever done anything very physical in your life?"
"Truthfully, sir, no." Alan blushed.
At this the pages burst into more laughter, especially Gary.
"Well...?"
"My name is Alan, sir."
"Well, Alan. Visit me for 1 hour after supper for 3 weeks and we'll get you some muscles!" The Shang Hawk said.
For the next half-hour, the pages were taught how to slap the ground as they fell.
*RING*
The next class was riding. 'Ok' gasped Alan as he rubbed his soar wrists. 'There's something 'physical' I can do.'
The riding instructor came and told them what to do. Alan mounted Chester and the pages mounted either their own horse, or the palace page ponies. Their mounts were to be at a canter, and go through the obstacle course slowly, symbolizing a battle scene where one had to go quietly. After about an hour of that th-
*RING*
Like I was saying, the bell rang.
"Hello students!" The chubby fencing and defense master said. "I'm Sir Vernon of Cheswick, and I'm your new fencing and defense teacher!"
Alan and Gregory both felt relieved. Someone new they all could face together! And he probably would be easy on them..look how round he was!
"Students, for my first exercise, I would like you to strip off all your clothes, run through that mud puddle over there, and then try and pull each other's hair while wearing a blind fold!" He said seriously.
"WHAT?" All the pages gasped.
"Ha! Just kidding! Just kidding!" He said bemusedly as he looked at a window in the courtyard intently. "Do the basics today. Older pages, teach the new pages what to do. I'll..uh..be working inside."
Sir Vernon rushed away quickly. The pages did as they were told, but they talked the whole time.
"Is this for real?"
"This man must be a joke!"
"I didn't know there was a fief Cheswick.."
"I've heard of it! There all loons!"
"You're a loon!"
"Shutup, David!"
"No, You!"
At this, there was a fight until the bell rang for supper. Alan, unlike the other boys, finished his homework and ate the apple he had wanted for breakfast. He ran to the training yards where the Shang Hawk was waiting for him. So, for another hour, Alan had to practice "falling down."
"This was quite a day." Alan said to himself as he climbed in bed when the night bell rang, signaling the end of the day for the pages. He had made new friends, already hated someone, gotten embarrassed, was one of the first pages in years to finish his homework in one day, and he thought he could see his biceps getting bigger!
"Maybe being a knight won't be so bad." Alan said out loud as he shut his eyes.
It might not be so bad being a knight, but the road there would be.
*RING*
"Bloody hell!" Alan roared as he stumbled out of bed. The first breakfast bell had rang signaling the pages to get up. "I have 2 more bells...I can get some extra sleep," Alan muttered as he fell back on the bed.
"ALAN!" Gary shouted through the door. "Breakfast! Hurry!"
"By Mithros, why am I here?" Alan said to the ceiling.
Alan combed his short hair back and dipped his face in the bowl of cold water near his bed. "GODS!" Roared Alan as he came back up. "I'm awake now!" Alan said as he put on his uniform.
"Good to here, Page Alan." Said Owen from the doorway as he came in and began cleaning. "Remember, I only clean the floors, windows, and clothing. You have to do everything else."
"All right, Owen. Wish me luck today." Alan called as he rushed out the door with Gary.
"You'll need it, Page Alan." Owen muttered to himself.
Alan sat down near Gregory, and Gary sat across from him with his friends.
"Alan, this is Jason of Redwood," Gary said, motioning to the tall boy with cropped red hair. "This is Kevin of Damsbar, and Alexander of King's Reach." Gary said smiling to the short Alexander, and the slim, blonde-haired Kevin.
"Nice to meet you." Alan and Greg said.
They filled up their plates with baked ham, bacon, breakfast potatoes, fruits, toast, and other breakfast items. Alan, on the on the other hand, took an apple. They all stared at him.
"What?" Alan demanded.
"Alan, you have GOT to eat more than that for breakfast! You need your strength!" Gary said as he piled loads of food onto Alan's plate. "Now eat up!"
"I hate breakfast!" Alan complained as he nibbled on some of the toast. Soon the bell rang, and Alan's first day in training began.
"We have classes first, Al, so follow us." Kevin said to him as they entered the RRR class.
"What's the RRR class?" Alan asked.
They all stared at him. "Don't you know?"
"Why else would I be asking!"
"RRR, it stands for Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic!" Alex said in surprise.
"But only reading starts with an R!" Complained Alan.
"Al, don't break a long-standing class' name!" Gary said as he rolled his eyes.
"Fine, I just think it's stupid." Alan spat as he sat down in his seat.
"Some temper you have, huh Trebond?" Jason said.
"Maybe." Huffed Alan as the teacher came in.
The Mithran priest explained the basics to all those who didn't know anything about the RRR's, and then assigned work to all the rest.
*RING*
"That class was short." Alan said as he gathered up his homework.
"Sure, but wait till you get the really boring priests, and more homework." Jason replied.
"Sounds just great." Greg said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I know, doesn't it?" Alan said seriously and ran ahead to History.
"Is he serious?" Kevin asked Gary.
"I don't know..."
All the students sat down in History, for once eager. Especially Alan, who was eager in every class today.
"Good morning class!" A cheerful knight said as he entered. He had dancing eyes and short, shaggy hair. He was rather short, but to Alan he looked familiar. "I am your history teacher, as many of you already know. My name is Sir Myles of Olau, and I've decided to teach instead of going off and doing brave deeds! Of course, trying to get you to behave is also a brave deed!" He chuckled.
The students giggled along too. They all seemed to love him. But Alan seemed to not, as Gary noticed that day. Alan's eyes grew cold whenever Myles talked. Alan raised his hand.
"Are you related to the page master?" Alan asked.
"Yes, Page Alan. He's my older brother." Myles replied kindly.
"Oh." Was his cold reply.
Myles paid no attention to this and continued teaching.
Why did Alan like Sir Myles' brother so much, and yet feel a hate for him?
*RING*
*RING*
*RING*
3 classes later, and 2 hours worth of homework later, the physical training came.
A young, muscular man walked out.
"Hello class. As you older pages know, the first class is hand-to-hand combat..with me; I'm the Shang Hawk."
Gregory and Alan, the only 2 new pages gasped. A real live shang, teaching THEM!
"So, who would like to begin? No volunteers? I figured as much." The Shang scoffed. "You! New page." He said pointing to Alan. "You come here."
'Oh gods' Alan thought as he walked over, 'I can't fight! I can't even cut a piece of steak without help!'
The Shang grabbed him by his wrist, yanked his arm back, and then threw him softly onto some padding nearby. The other pages burst into laughter.
"Mithros, boy! You need practice!" The Shang said sternly. "Have you ever done anything very physical in your life?"
"Truthfully, sir, no." Alan blushed.
At this the pages burst into more laughter, especially Gary.
"Well...?"
"My name is Alan, sir."
"Well, Alan. Visit me for 1 hour after supper for 3 weeks and we'll get you some muscles!" The Shang Hawk said.
For the next half-hour, the pages were taught how to slap the ground as they fell.
*RING*
The next class was riding. 'Ok' gasped Alan as he rubbed his soar wrists. 'There's something 'physical' I can do.'
The riding instructor came and told them what to do. Alan mounted Chester and the pages mounted either their own horse, or the palace page ponies. Their mounts were to be at a canter, and go through the obstacle course slowly, symbolizing a battle scene where one had to go quietly. After about an hour of that th-
*RING*
Like I was saying, the bell rang.
"Hello students!" The chubby fencing and defense master said. "I'm Sir Vernon of Cheswick, and I'm your new fencing and defense teacher!"
Alan and Gregory both felt relieved. Someone new they all could face together! And he probably would be easy on them..look how round he was!
"Students, for my first exercise, I would like you to strip off all your clothes, run through that mud puddle over there, and then try and pull each other's hair while wearing a blind fold!" He said seriously.
"WHAT?" All the pages gasped.
"Ha! Just kidding! Just kidding!" He said bemusedly as he looked at a window in the courtyard intently. "Do the basics today. Older pages, teach the new pages what to do. I'll..uh..be working inside."
Sir Vernon rushed away quickly. The pages did as they were told, but they talked the whole time.
"Is this for real?"
"This man must be a joke!"
"I didn't know there was a fief Cheswick.."
"I've heard of it! There all loons!"
"You're a loon!"
"Shutup, David!"
"No, You!"
At this, there was a fight until the bell rang for supper. Alan, unlike the other boys, finished his homework and ate the apple he had wanted for breakfast. He ran to the training yards where the Shang Hawk was waiting for him. So, for another hour, Alan had to practice "falling down."
"This was quite a day." Alan said to himself as he climbed in bed when the night bell rang, signaling the end of the day for the pages. He had made new friends, already hated someone, gotten embarrassed, was one of the first pages in years to finish his homework in one day, and he thought he could see his biceps getting bigger!
"Maybe being a knight won't be so bad." Alan said out loud as he shut his eyes.
It might not be so bad being a knight, but the road there would be.