The very next morning found Richard, Landon, Mark, and Jake all standing and waiting in line at the Camelot training grounds,with the rest of the squires, for their mentors to arrive and start off the day's training lesson.
"Well, I must admit I am little surprised. I would've thought after an embarrassing training session like the one you had yesterday would've simply given you all some sense to just give up and go back to being pages." Branton sneered at Landon and the others.
"You're one to talk, Branton. If you remember, you were knocked off the wooden horse too." Mark pointed out as he glared at Branton. He didn't know why Branton had to act like such a jerk all the time.
Branton was only a year older than the rest of them, which made him the same age as Jake, and hadn't been a squire much longer than the rest of them and yet he still believed he was far more superior then them.
Branton glared as his cheeks began to flush a little with embarrassment but before he could manage to comment back with a spiteful retort he was forced to drop the argument at the moment as their mentors made their way over to them in a straight line.
Each knight marched in a cohesive straight line saying nothing as they each stopped in front of their assigned apprentice.
"Since yesterday's training did not go well, we have all decided to try a different method for today. We are all going to train you separately, one on one, which will focus on one of the many different aspects that you will need to know in order to become a knight of Camelot." Leon addressed all of the squires though he only kept eye contact with his apprentice, Landon, the entire time.
"Each of us has taken the time to discuss our training plans for each of you today to ensure that each of you will all have different lessons and that no one will not run into another private training session." Percival added as he too only focused his eye contact with his apprentice, Jake.
"But I thought we were all supposed to learn to work together as a team?" Richard commented. Though he liked the idea of getting away from everyone else and learn some skills on his own he didn't understand how this was going to help them learn to work as a team.
"Don't worry Richard, this is only for today. Tomorrow you all will go back to training as a group." Lancelot reassured him.
Then one by one each mentor and squire team all proceeded to take off in opposite directions for the day's private training session until just Lancelot and Richard were left.
"Come along, Richard." Lancelot told him as he led the way away from the Camelot training ground field.
"Where are we going?" Richard asked Lancelot as he walked briskly to match his mentor's longer stride.
"The woods." Lancelot replied simply over his shoulder with a small smile.
"But what does a lesson in the woods have to do with being a knight of Camelot?" Richard asked frowning. He had been hoping they would be doing something much more meaningful like more lancing practice or combat training.
Lancelot chuckled a little as he stopped and turned around to face Richard. "I know you were probably hoping for something more exciting but being a knight is much more than learning to fight, defend, and tournament games."
"It is?" Richard asked seeming unconvinced.
"Do you remember that night I found you hiding in the woods?" Lancelot asked him as he continued to walk slowing his pace a little so that Richard could easily walk alongside him.
Richard nodded. He had never forgotten it. It was that night that had changed his life forever. Meeting Lancelot that night had given him the greatest thing he could ever ask for: a future. A better chance at life.
If he never met Lancelot he would've never met Arthur or even come to Camelot. He would've never met Merlin or Gwen or Lil or Landon. He wouldn't have met any of them and wouldn't have the family and life he had now. He was forever grateful for Lancelot finding him that night because that fateful night had given him everything when he had nothing.
"And do you know how I found you?" Lancelot continued to ask him as they made their way out of the city gates towards the woods located outside the city.
"You followed my footprints." Richard answered.
"That's correct. I tracked you. So today I am going to teach you some basic tracking skills." Lancelot told him.
"But I still don't understand how tracking comes in handy with being a knight." Richard argued.
"Knights spend a lot of time travelling from place to place whether it's through valleys, rivers, fields, or even woods. Tracking can help us locate one another should we become separated, it can help us track our enemies during time of war, it can help us find food and water, and it even helps us to know exactly where we are going." Lancelot explained.
Lancelot then stopped him in front of a large pine tree and pointed to some green moss located on the side of it. "See this? It's moss. Moss always grows on the north side of the tree."
"So it points towards home then." Richard concluded.
Lancelot nodded. "That's right. So if you were lost and trying to find your way back to the city all you would need to do is locate some moss and it'll point you back towards home."
Richard nodded. He supposed that made sense and it was good to know though he doubted he would ever really get lost.
As they continued on with more of the lesson Lancelot taught him about all kinds of different animal tracks, how to know which ones were which, and how to tell how fresh they were.
He also taught him about several different types of berries, leaves, and bushes. He taught him which were edible and which ones were poisoness.
The more time Richard spent with Lancelot in the woods the more he began to realize how comfortable he felt in them. It seemed odd but he was starting to feel at home when he was in the woods almost as if he belonged in them.
It even didn't take very long for Richard to catch on to all of the lessons Lancelot taught him and memorize them.
Lancelot seemed to be quite impressed by how fast Richard caught on to the lesson.
Watching Richard in the woods was almost like watching an animal in it's natural element though it didn't surprise Lancelot too much because it was in the woods where he had first found Richard years ago while on a recon mission with Arthur and the other knights.
By sundown, to make sure Richard had paid attention and completely grasped the information provided for him in the lesson, Lancelot had Richard lead the way home pointing out every set of animal tracks they came across checking how fresh along with the edible and unedible plants.
When they finally reached the castle Richard then caught up with Landon, Mark, and Jake to hear about the lessons they had been taught and tell them about the day he had had with his mentor.
As he listened to their stories, Richard found that he couldn't wait until tomorrow for his next training session.