Dagger of Souls

*** Chapter 13 ***

Sir Dural took a step forward to close within striking distance as he brought his weapon in a downward slash toward the opponent in front of him. His adversary began to dodge the weapon, but the paladin shifted his hips mid swing and rotated his strike diagonally smashing his axe down hard on the opponent's shoulder blade. Klenn was knocked back a few steps, tripped over a sack of feed and sprawled to the cold, muddy floor.

The stout farm boy got back up and threw down his wooden training axe with a frustrated look on his face as he wiped the mud off his large pants.

The holy warrior shook his head, "I keep trying to tell you, but you're not listening. Don't dodge a blow until the attacker is fully committed to a strike. That's the same mistake you made with the orc, anticipating the attack too early. That may work against novice opponents or animals, but not against well trained combatants. They will recognize that you are dodging early and fake their attack to catch you off guard as I did. You have to wait until they are at least halfway through their swing arc before moving or blocking. If they try to pull back a strike beyond that point, the momentum will throw them off balance."

Klenn sighed and nodded his head as he rubbed his sore shoulder. He was beginning to wonder if the paladin healed him just so he could send him back to Hadenna's himself. "I'll try to remember that. Can I at least clear the stuff from the floor so I don't trip over them?"

The knight narrowed his eyebrows and gave the young man a stern look. "No. Do you think your attackers will wait for you to clean up before they engage you in combat? There are almost always obstacles in a battlefield. You have to be aware of them as you position yourself. Even in open plains there are clumps of weeds, holes, uneven ground, loose rocks, and other things that can trip you. You have to be wary of your surroundings at all times to be effective in close combat. You also need to keep your back straight when dodging and keep your legs at least shoulder width apart like the stance I taught you. That will help you maintain balance. Falling in melee will put you at a severe disadvantage. It could cause you to lose grip of your weapon or even injure yourself on your weapon. When you fall you could hit your head, injure your wrist or leg, any number of things. There are numerous bad scenarios and very few good ones that will result. The point is that maintaining balance and awareness of your surroundings are crucial in surviving close combat."

The teenage villager nodded his head as he picked up the wooden axe. The excitement of training to be a warrior had worn off as he realized how much work and difficulty went into it the skills needed to become proficient. He wondered if he was making a mistake to think he could be a real warrior. But he banished those thoughts as he remembered how frightened he was of the orcs and didn't want have that helpless feeling anymore. He refused to be a victim any longer, begging for rescue and sitting by and watching as loved ones are dragged off to a terrible fate without being able to do anything to stop them. He steadied his resolve, clenched his jaw and moved back into a defensive stance. "Thank you for the pointers, Sir Dural. I promise to do better this time."

The knight flashed the farm boy a smile as he checked his wooden training axe, making sure the leather covering was tied down securely so that it would soften the blow and keep from causing any real damage to his new apprentice. "Good. Doing better in battle means living a longer life. Now prepare yourself."

Klenn looked around the barn where they were sparring and took a mental note of the obstacles as Dural moved in for the attack. The muscular farm boy did a better job of dodging and blocking his mentor's strikes, but he still was a bit awkward in his positioning and the knight continuously corrected him. "Keep your balance. Shift your hips."

The boy made another awkward move and the paladin stepped in and rammed him with his shoulder sending him crashing to the wet ground again. Before he could recover, Dural was on him and swung his training axe swiftly and knocked the boy's weapon out of his hand and it landed in the stall of a large brown horse six paces away. The animal snorted and whinnied loudly complaining about the rude intrusion into his territory.

The knight stood over the panting young man with his arms folded across his chest. "Had you kept your balance I would not have been able to knock you over so easily. This is why I keep saying telling you to practice your stance. It doesn't matter if you are dodging or delivering a blow you must keep your balance. A good warrior will take advantage of it and end the combat as I just did. Only against an orc opponent it will be your head he knocks away not your weapon." He held out a gloved hand and lifted the young villager up. He noticed the dejected look on the young man's face. "Even though you lost that battle, you did much better this time. You are making good progress. Do not feel too badly in defeat, those soldiers of mine have trained for years and could not best me either. I have to go check on the others and their preparations. Keep practicing the strikes I showed you and pay very close attention to your stance as you do them. Move side to side and don't just practice attacking in a straight line. Combat moves in every direction, so train that way as well."

Klenn brushed the mud from his pants. He was a bit discouraged, but at the words of praise from the man who carried the divine power of Tyr gave him fuel to keep at the training. "I will keep practicing," he pronounced as he went to retrieve his wooden weapon.

"Wait a minute, Klenn. Don't practice with that wooden thing. When you are not facing a sparring partner, you should train with a real weapon."

"I left my axe inside the house. I'll go in get it."

"No need to bother with that one." The paladin moved over to a stack of bundle hay near the back door of the barn. He grabbed something large wrapped in sturdy brown blanket, which he unfolded.

The farm boy's eyes went wide with recognition and a bit of fear. "That… That's the orc's weapon."

Dural grinned at the boy's surprised expression. "You are correct. It is the weapon of the orc you killed a few days ago. One of the village elders had collected it after the raid. It is yours by right. I want you to use it and practice with it. It's a much better weapon than the axe you've been using for chopping firewood. You still need the smaller axes for throwing, but practice your melee with this heavier weapon." He walked over and offered him the large weapon.

Klenn looked at it with trepidation. It was the same weapon that nearly killed him.

"Go on and take it. It's not going to hurt you now."

The boy finally took a hold of it and tested the weight. He swung it through the air, causing it to make a low humming sound. "The weight carries it through almost on its own."

"Very good, Klenn. Yes, its weight is balanced for attacking. This weapon is designed to kill more than just trees. There aren't a lot of humans strong enough to wield it properly, but I believe you can. Practice with it and remember your balance. I will return later to see how you are faring."

The farm boy looked it over. "But Sir Dural, this weapon reminds me of the orc attacks on my village. I'm not sure if I should be using it."

The knight stopped at the barn entrance and glanced back at him. "Actually, it is a good reason to use the weapon. Let it bring the thoughts of the attacks, the anger will bring you strength. Anger can be a great ally as long as you don't allow it to consume you. Harness it and use it to deliver a crushing blow to your opponent when you see an opening."

Klenn grabbed the weapon and got into his stance as he was taught. He began to imagine orcs moving in on him with similar weapons and he began to swing and dodge with the might of his anger at his illusionary opponents.

The holy warrior watched his new student for several moments. He was learning very quickly and was impressed at his resolve. He was hard on the young man, but it was good for training and better for testing to see if he has the toughness needed to be a true warrior. He walked out of the barn satisfied and headed down the main street of town.

The village had been buzzing with activity the last couple of days as everyone helped in preparations for defending their homes and land. Einlan gathered several farmers and had them collect wood to use for making bows. The elf taught the local carpenter Mandrin and his family how to cut wood to make bows and arrow shafts. He showed the husky blacksmith Arglos how to forge arrowheads from iron. They melted down extra horseshoes and farming implements for the material needed. Once they were taught how to make the weapons, the elf began to instruct the villagers on how to properly use the bow. They practiced in a large barn and out of sight so that any scouts would be unaware of their preparations.

The off duty soldiers taught the townsmen how to fight with farming tools, such as pitchforks, hammers, and axes. The sergeant figured the soldiers having been through training recently would remember combat basics well enough. It would be good for them to use that knowledge and give them confidence at teaching others, while allowing them to review their own training. He had told the town leader and the elders that they would be taught to fight, but asked them to keep out of the way if an attack comes. The townsmen could use bows from the safety of windows or roof tops, but to avoid coming into close combat range of the orcs. Keltar devised several traps and set them up around the perimeter of the village, but had to make them safe so that the farmers or their children wouldn't set them off by accident.

The sergeant walked to Hadenna's house to check on the priestess of the Moonmaiden and the town healer. Hadenna answered the door wearing a cooking apron and gave him a curt smile as she spoke. "Welcome back, Sir Dural. Is everything going well?"

"Oh, yes. The villagers have done a great job at making weapons and learning to defend themselves. I've directed them to stay out of harm's way, and use the bows at a distance from a safe position. If all goes well they shouldn't need to use our close combat training, Tyr willing. I just wanted to stop by and see how you and Cera were doing."

"Of course, it is good to see you. Come in, please." The healer led the knight into her living room, where he noticed Cera sitting with Hadenna's two girls and telling them a story. They watched the priestess with rapt attention as she spoke about the mythical fey creatures of the Moonwood forest, not even noticing the knight's entrance into their home. All of the wounded were gone from the living room and it looked like a serene, relaxing place once again. The warm pastel colors helped to push away the dark mood of the cold weather and looming threat that gripped the town. The sweet smell of roasted meat being cooked in the other room made him realize he hadn't eaten since a few hard biscuits for breakfast in the morning.

Hadenna spoke in a low voice to avoid interrupting the priestess' story. "We are doing well. The girls have taken to Cera like family. She has healed the worst of the wounds from all of the injured and they have been sent home with a few herb remedies to continue in their recovery. All of them are doing very well. Cera has been a great blessing and she is a caring and generous person."

Dural nodded and spoke softly. "I regret that I've had little time to spend with her since I was asked to lead the soldiers in this mission. I can tell that she is a good person, and we are blessed to have her with us. From what Keltar tells me she is pretty skilled in battle as well. She has quite a rare combination of many pleasant attributes as do you."

"Well, well. Are all knights as skilled in flattery?" She asked him with a sly smile.

Dural stood up straight as he replied, "No, but we are trained to make good observations."

The woman broadened her smile, the rigid paladin seemed to think she was testing his honor instead of realizing she was just teasing him. "Observant but not quite as perceptive when it comes to women. Would you like to have some tea? Lunch is almost ready and I would be honored to have you join us."

The knight sat down in a chair and scratched his chin while squinting his eyes as he tried to figure out what she meant by that comment. "Tea would be great. I really should be checking on the progress of the others though."

The healer put her hands on her hips and gave him a scornful look. "Oh, nonsense. You can't go about your business on an empty stomach. A full belly will do you some good. Even the best warriors cannot survive without food. There are two whole roasted chickens on the spit in the kitchen hearth and some spiced, scalloped potatoes in a pot. It should be ready in just a few minutes.

"If it wouldn't put you out too much, then I guess I can spare a minute for a quick bite to eat." The paladin was hungry and the aroma of the food cooking was enough to deter him from arguing further.

Hadenna gave him a satisfied smile and went back into the kitchen to check the food. The sergeant turned his attention to watching the silver moon shaped hairpiece in Cera's long auburn hair sparkle in the warm glow of the fire as she continued her story.

Suddenly the front door burst open and one of the soldiers ran into the room panting heavily. "Forgive my intrusion sir. We've got trouble!"