Chapter 4

I don't want to have to kill him in broad daylight… As he leveled his crossbow aiming directly for the man's heart, he knotted his bolt. Usually used to fight beasts in the woods, the silver tipped bolt was crafted with an extra long tip. The three inch long hollow point usually contained a certain type of poison. This poison usually contained silver shards. The one loaded was empty, but a steady shot to the heart or head of a man would certainly kill him.

Remember now… steady breathes and aim slightly higher than your target. Get a good judge of distance… His conscious mind turned off and he entered an altered state of mind. In this state, his training took control of him, and he was reminded of Joel. Joel was the only man who was willing to take him in after his mother's death. He had been a trainer for thirty six years before he passed. It had been his twenty-sixth year when he came across Jack…

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Jack aimlessly wandered down the road searching for a place to stay as the sun set slowly in the evening sky. His path led him to Aire, a large town where the men who murdered his mother were sure to be found. As he staggered to keep his balance, his stomach groaned for food. Anything would be nice right about now.

Without warning, the sound of hoofs pounding slowly made its way into his head. When he turned, he was startled at how close the men were. The riders, mostly dressed in black, were obviously running from something in a hurry. Before he could move off the road, he was sure he'd be trampled by the men.

One of the men, a taller looking sort with gold eyes glowing beneath his hood, slowed down as he passed the boy. He almost completely stopped as he stared at the boy. The last thing Jack could remember was being so worried and hungry that he had passed out.

Upon waking the next day, it was apparent he was no longer on the road he had been on. He woke in the comfort of a few rags thrown over his body while lying on a light stack of hay. As his eyes adjusted, he saw that there was water and food readily available next to his bed. His stomach thought before his mind, and he sank his teeth into some of the fruit left in a bowl.

Before he knew it, his bowl of fruit had been emptied, and his pitcher of water almost completely dry. So caught up in filling his mouth, he didn't notice a young man entering the room. Startled, Jack was taken a back for a moment, and then continued eating. The boy laughed to himself, and went to what appeared to be his bed. After a few moments, the boy finished rifling through his pack and pulled out two wooden stakes.

"What are you going to use those for?" Jack asked curiously.

"Training, of course," the young boy replied. "You're obviously new here, aren't you? That's okay. I'm Tyler. Most people for call me Ty for short. You are?"

"Uh… I'm Jack" he replied hesitantly.

The young boy seemed slightly confused by Jack's hesitation. He shrugged, and continued on out the door from which he came. Jack slowly climbed out of his makeshift bed. As he looked around the room, he realized there weren't many children living in these quarters. It seemed most of the equipment belonged to more "experienced" warriors.

Jack found himself curiously looking at much of the equipment of one particular bed. There was everything from swords to throwing stars. It was hard to believe that anyone would carry that many weapons and maintain maneuverability. At that same moment, a tall man entered the room.

"Stealing from someone is not exactly welcome in this guild," the man said. "I would suggest speaking to me if you wish to test out any of my equipment."

Jack whirled around and found the same man whom he had seen riding the horses. He opened his mouth to explain, but before he could the man held up his hand to his mouth. The man leaned over his equipment, searched for a moment, and produced a short dagger from the bag. He withdrew it from the sheath, studied it carefully, and returned it promptly. He handed the handle end to Jack and motioned for him to withdraw it. Jack reached his hand around the blade and pulled…

"Oh man… we're going to have to make you much stronger than that if you can't even take the blade from my hand without failing," the man laughed.

Jack, angered by the obvious insult, tried again much stronger this time to pull on the blade. This time, it budged, but the sheath didn't fully release its hold. Determined, he gave one last hard pull on the handle. This time, the blade shot out into his hand, nearly toppling over himself as he took a few steps back to gain his balance.

"There we go… that's better. I'm Joel. I will be your trainer, should you wish it. And believe me, you're in luck." The man's eyes seemed awfully cold for the tone he had just taken. "My schedule just cleared for the week. My other apprentice was killed in our last raid. Shame… he was catching on so well. I suppose you'll have to do as a replacement. And your name would be?"

"Jack," he blurted out excitedly. It was apparent to Joel that Jack was very interested in his newly acquired weapon. It seemed as though his eyes never left the blade, except to look at Joel when he spoke. He knew it was a fine choice for the young lad, and had a strong feeling it wouldn't be long before he was training his with much larger swords.

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As he released his thumb guarded safety, Jack knew his shot would not miss. He gently exhaled, making sure not to adjust his weapon too much as his chest lowered. His finger gently tightened around the trigger and he squeezed…

…Before the string was released from the housing chamber, he heard an almost deafening sound. The church doors had swung open, and men and women were filing into the streets. Many of the women and children were screaming protests as the church's non-militant guards carried someone by the shoulders out the door. Whoever it was, they had placed a burlap satchel over their head.

The watch keep had turned to view the commotion. With his back turned, Jack seized the opportunity. He slid his crossbow back across his back, and grabbed the roped he had set down. Pulling the rope taught, he gauged his angle and took a leap. As he flew through the air, he prepared himself for the sideways landing on the building. When he hit, he quickly adjusted himself to climb up the rope. Within seconds, he was halfway up the side of the building, out of sight, and nearing his objective.