He kicked a clump of dirt and considered throwing his shield in with it. What would she know about his form any way? How come she got to have extra instruction with the Knight Commander? Eryhn was older than him, and yes she was better than him as well, but surely if she was better she shouldn't need extra instruction?

And if she did get extra instruction, why couldn't he do it with her?

Instead he had to go back to meal time with the other orphan boys while soon to be Ser Eryhn spent an extra hour learning how to beat him on the field even more quickly than she already did. It wasn't fair.

He sheathed his practice sword on his back and hooked his shield behind it, suddenly ravenous. At least he'd get to eat with the rest of the boys today. Most of the time he had to eat with the initiates, and given only one or two of them would even exchange words with him meal times were never pleasant. Yuri and Ewan and the other boys would speak to him, though. He could even complain about the Knight Commander - they loved hearing stories about the initiates.

It was just turning towards autumn and there was a slight nip in the wind that blew from the lake. Alistair savoured the walk through the Chantry grounds towards the promise of food and company, breathing in the air and using the time to get his temper under control.

He may as well not have made the effort for that, however, because his temper shot right back up to boiling as soon as he reached the dining hall.

He saw Marcus first. The boy had continued to shoot up like a beansprout the last few months and he stood head and shoulders over all the boys. He was facing the door, and Alistair, but his focus was downward, on a small figure, surrounded by about ten other boys. They were chanting - it took a moment for Alistair to make out the words - eat it, eat it, eat it.

Yuri was standing, impassively as always, in the middle of the circle of boys. On the stone floor bread, vegetables and meat were scattered. It looked like it had been stomped on by boyish feet. As he watched, Alistair saw another boy spit on the food and laugh.

"Come on, Chasind pig. Don't your kind always eat off the ground? I thought it would make you feel at home!" That was Marcus' voice. The tone sent white hot fury to the pit of Alistair's stomach and he found his hand automatically on the hilt of his sword. He took a breath, however, remembering the Revered Mother's words the last time he had let his temper take control, and instead looked up at the brothers supposedly supervising the meal for help.

To his horror and disgust, they were smiling and laughing at the display. Brother Kristof and Brother.. Bertrand. Of course. Something snapped in him. He found he was focusing his willpower without thinking, gathering his stamina and preparing to.... what exactly?

Just in time he stopped himself from performing his first Holy Smite. If he let that loose there was a good chance he'd hurt Yuri and the other boys as well as Marcus and Bannik, and that would just make things worse. No, he would have to use something else.

He let loose a shout instead and waded into the circle, drawing his practice sword and using his arms and its pummel to push the smaller boys aside. Yuri took the opportunity to run and hide under one of the long tables. Soon enough he was faced with just Marcus and Bannik, both of whom sneered down at him.

"Well if it isn't the little bastard, come to defend his Chasind girlfriend," Marcus said.

Bannik laughed. "Ha, girlfriend!"

Alistair raised an eyebrow at the bigger boy. "You know, Bannik, I think that's the first word I've ever heard out of you. How refreshing to realise that you are capable of speech!" Bannik frowned and didn't reply. "Obviously it's a talent that only expresses itself under extreme stress, however." Alistair finished, as he unhooked the shield from his back and settled it on his other arm.

"What are you going to do, Alistair?" Marcus said. "Stab us with your wooden sword? I'm sooooo terrified!"

"No, I'm not going to stab you with it," Alistair replied calmly, as he shifted the sword in his grip so that the flat was facing outwards. "I'm going to hit you with it. Hard."

Marcus' smile morphed into a sneer. "You mean you're going to try," he said, suddenly grim, and nodded to Bannik.

Alistair didn't give Bannik time to flank him. Instead he lashed out with his shield, catching the big boy a stunning blow to the side of the head, felling him.

Marcus watched his friend fall, seemingly unconcerned. "You're so full of honour, little bastard," Marcus said. "So convinced of what's right but you're still going to attack me - in front of all your little friends - when I'm unarmed?"

"Where was your sense of honour, Marcus?" Alistair said evenly. "When you decided to attack a boy less than half your size?"

"I've never pretended to be honourable. I've never pretended to be better than everyone else, like you have."

"I don't have to pretend to be better than you," Alistair said. "You're a pig, Marcus. And you need to learn your place." Alistair lashed out with his sword and caught the older boy on the arm. Marcus yelled and turned, presenting a much more enticing target. Alistair swung again and caught Marcus on the backside, once, twice, before sweeping the sword at his feet and knocking him over. Bannik was trying to get to his feet and Alistair took the opportunity to wallop him the same way.

"All right, Alistair," Bertrand's voice came from behind him. "That's enough."

Alistair spun around, suddenly more angry with the brothers than he'd been with either of the bullies. "Enough?" he shouted. "What were you doing when they were tormenting Yuri? Aren't you supposed to be looking after us?"

"Come now, Alistair," Brother Kristof said, from where he still sat at the head table. "We would have stopped them before they'd hurt the boy."

"They'd already hurt him!" Alistair cried. "You don't think being forced to eat of the floor hurts? You're no better than these two." He motioned to the groaning boys on the ground. "I ought to take this sword to both of you and harder - for letting this go on."

Kristof snorted, but Bertrand turned a bright shade of red. "You just went too far, young man," Bertrand said, getting to his feet. "Let's take you to the Revered Mother and see what she says."

Alistair sighed and all but threw the sword and shield on the ground. "Fine," he said, starting towards the door. "I'll go and tell her myself what's going on. Catch up with me if you can."

He stormed out of the room. He knew the way to the Revered Mother's office better than most. He fully expected to be in penitences for the rest of the season, but he was too angry to care. Men like Bertrand and Kristof deserved everything they got. He made a vow to himself that he would take the practice sword to them, even if he had to wait until after he'd been made a full Templar, even if he had to be in penitences for the rest of his life.

"Alistair!" A new voice came from behind him. He didn't stop, even though it was one voice he would usually do anything for. "Alistair wait!"

He slowed a little. Sister Adela caught up with him and matched his stride. He looked across at her as he walked. "What's going on?" she said. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to the Revered Mother," he said. "I need to speak to her."

"Alistair, are you crazy? She's not expecting you."

"She will be in a moment."

"You come back here, young man!" Brother Bertrand's voice came from behind them. "How dare you!"

"What did you do?" Adela asked softly.

"I beat up a couple of bullies," he said. "They were tormenting Yuri."

"The little Chasind boy?"

Alistair's breath exploded outwards. "Why does it matter if he's a.. if he's Chasind?" he almost wailed - the cry coming from somewhere deep inside him he didn't realise was still hurting. "He's a little boy!"

Adela put her hand on his arm. "It doesn't matter, Alistair," she said. "It's just a way.... Oh never mind. What were they doing?"

The footsteps behind him were getting closer and Alistair didn't have time to explain. "Does that matter? I'm going to be punished anyway. I may as well get there first and tell her why."

She exerted pressure on his arm until he would have had to drag her along with him as he marched if he kept going. He stopped. "Alistair wait," she said. "Tell me what happened." He opened his mouth to tell her, suddenly shocked that he didn't have to look up at her to do so. He was as tall as she was - when did that happen?

Behind her, before he could answer, Bertrand and Kristof came into sight in the corridor. Bannik and Marcus were stumbling along behind them. Alistair sighed in frustration, wishing suddenly he hadn't dropped the practice sword. "Right you little bas...." Kristof started, then realised there was a Sister present and stopped. "I'm sorry Sister," he said. "I didn't see you there."

"It's all right, Brother," Adela said, coldly. "Alistair was just telling me what happened in the dining hall."

"The little bas... twerp threatened to beat us up," Bertrand said. "We were about to take him to the Revered Mother for punishment, but he ran off."

Adela's eyebrow shot up. "Really?" she said. "Alistair was just telling me that he was going to the Revered Mother to tell her what happened."

Bertrand and Kristof looked at each other. "Well, why don't we all go together?" Adela said sweetly. "Oh, except that the boys are in the dining hall on their own, aren't they? Maybe you should go ahead and I'll check on them."

"That..... would be most kind, Sister," Kristof said.

"Indeed, we can't leave them on their own," she said. "We would be lax in our duties if we did." She squeezed Alistair's arm once before she swept off down the corridor.

Alistair watched her go, trying not to feel like he'd just lost his only ally. She was right - with no supervision the boys would probably do worse things to each other than Bannik and Marcus could think up - and there was the food to consider. But he still wished she could come with him. A lot of his resolve seemed to walk away with her and all he could think of was the long months of penitence that stretched out ahead of him.

But he'd made his own bed and it was time to sleep in it. Bertrand and Kristof were smirking at him. He quelled the urge to kick at them and turned back towards the Revered Mother's offices.

"Enter," her voice came once he'd knocked on the door. Bertrand and Kristof stood behind him, each of them supporting one of the two bullies he'd beaten. He felt a small surge of satisfaction that they both required support to stand.

He opened the door and strode into her office.

The Revered Mother was standing at the window and turned as he entered. Her face fell when she saw who it was. "Alistair," she said. "What is it?"

Bertrand and Kristof hustled the other two boys into the room. The Revered Mother took in the two other boys and gave a deep sigh.

"Perhaps you can explain better, Brothers?" she said, motioning for them to sit. Alistair stayed standing. So did Bannik and Marcus - through necessity rather than choice Alistair was pleased to note.

"I'm going to assume it has something to do with the rather unfortunate state of these two gentlemen," the Revered Mother said.

"Indeed it does, your holiness," Bertrand said, almost gleefully. He then launched into a description of Alistair's attack, conveniently, Alistair noted, leaving out the reason for it.

The Revered Mother leaned against her desk, listening intently. "I see," she said. "And there was no provocation for this attack at all?" Alistair wondered if they would answer her. They would be stupid to say there was nothing going on - there were some boys who would tell the truth, even if it meant getting on the bad side of Kristof and Bertrand. But if they were careful they would get out of being the ones truly responsible for the way things had gone.

Bertrand and Kristof looked at each other. "Well, your holiness," Kristof said. "I think Marcus may have been... teasing one of the other boys...."

"Teasing." The Revered Mother said, fixing the two boys with a knowing glare. "Really."

"Yes, your holiness. One of the newer boys... er.. the little dark one...." he looked up as the door opened and Sister Adela walked in, leading two other boys. Yuri and Ewan.

"Adela!" the Revered Mother said. "Can't you see I'm in the middle of something here?"

Adela nodded. "I'm sorry, your holiness," she said. "But I thought you might benefit from hearing exactly what the other boys saw."

All of the eyes on in the room focused on Adela. She had gone back to the hall to get witnesses? The Revered Mother's eyebrow shot up and Kristof and Bertrand shifted uncomfortably. Alistair eyed Marcus, who was staring at Adela with undisguised hatred. He felt a small surge of fear, suddenly, remembering with too much clarity Marcus' night time musings.

"Well, Sister," the Revered Mother said. "I suppose I should listen to all the sides of the story. Why don't we all sit down."

An hour later the three boys were walking back to the dormitory together. Alistair could hardly believe it. Not only had the Revered Mother let him go without saying anything - no punishments, no recriminations - the way she had turned those cold dark eyes on Bertrand and Kristof made him think they would be lucky to get away with just penitences. And Marcus and Bannik were both still in there as well.

"Did you see the look on her face?" Ewan was practically bouncing up and down in excitement. "Those two are sooooo going to get in trouble. What happens when you're a brother and you get in trouble? Do you get bigger penitences? Maybe they'll be flogged."

"I doubt it, Ewan," Alistair said.

Ewan's enthusiasm for thinking up punishments for Bertrand and Kristof didn't wane and he came up with a few good ones before they got back to the dormitory. At the door, however, Alistair felt a tug at his arm. He looked down to see Yuri's dark eyes again fixed on his.

"Thank you," he said softly.

Alistair smiled at the boy. "That's all right, Yuri. They had it coming."

The tiny boy flashed a smile - the first time he'd seen any expression cross that face. "Yes," he said forcefully. "They did."