Tyke looked at her guardian warily. She'd learned, over the last month, that any time he called a halt to their progress and then called her over to him, something bad was about to happen. It was even worse when he also asked his former squire to join them. Now that he'd asked not only Julius, but also Coban to join him, she had the very strong sense that the headsman's axe was about to fall on her neck.
Rowland smiled reassuringly at her, which didn't help in the least. She wasn't going to like what came next. "Tyke, since you've become a squire, I think it's time for you to learn to use a knight's weapons."
Tyke grimaced. "But Rowland, I like my knife."
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Julius sneering. "Commoner," he hissed. Coban glared at him pointedly.
"You said yourself I wasn't big enough to use a sword," Tyke continued.
Rowland actually laughed. "You actually remember me saying that? You were, gods girl, you were seven. You've grown a touch since then. And it's a dirk, not a knife," he added, almost as an afterthought, looking pointedly at Julius. "The weapon of a noble in the western lands." Julius did not seem pleased by this.
"Beg pardon, sir, but why can't the mite use the dirk, then?" Coban wanted to know.
"Because it's half the length of my sword. It's a good weapon, but difficult to wield against a broadsword. And I expect my squire to be able to defeat any knight."
He handed her a long wooden cudgel. "You'll practice with this. Coban, would you train with Julius for a time? We'll switch partners later."
It wouldn't do any good to complain further, and besides, it wasn't in Tykes nature. Grimly, she raised her cudgel to defend herself against her guardian, knowing she never, ever wanted to actually use a sword.
Coban found her later that knight, sitting up in a tree. "What's on yer mind, lassie?"
"I don't like swords," Tyke answered.
Coban laughed and swung up into the tree next to her. "Course ye don't, especially when ye can't hardly lift it." He mussed her short hair, then grew serious again. "What'll ye do?"
"I'll practice with Rowland, I suppose." She looked at her big friend in the dark. "Would you help me practice? With my dirk, I mean. I don't care what Rowland says, I'll beat anyone with my dirk, or my bow. Me using a broadsword… that's just plain silly."
Coban chuckled kindly. "Aye, I'll help ye, but if ye beat me too many times, I might change my mind."
Tyke laughed. "You're a knight, Coban."
He caught her chin gently. "And ye're a warrior, lass." He pulled his hand away suddenly, and looked away. Then he jumped down from the tree. "I'm off to find some supper. Ye coming?"
"Of course." She jumped from the tree and Coban caught her, just as he had when she was eight. She didn't stop to think about Coban's slightly odd behavior until much later, when she was alone in the night on guard duty.