Jedediah POV

Chapter 13: The first training

I'm sure I imagined it, but it really looked like Octavius' smiled to me. Maybe it was only for a few seconds, but I'm almost curtain I saw him smiling. And I had no idea what to do.

"Well, should we start with the training?" I asked after a while.

"Actually I have a question for you first," Octavius answered me. His face was entirely serious again and I couldn't believe anymore that the same guy just smiled at me a minute ago. It had to be my imagination.

"Then ask," I said, while I could know what the question was about.

"Why did you surrender on the battlefield?" Octavius asked me. And that was the question I had feared.

"Has it something to do with you, then?" I asked as ordinary as I could.

"Yes," Octavius answered calm. "Because of what you did I have won the battle, so of course it has something to do with me."

"Well, I don't think so," I said clear. Octavius looked annoyed and with distrust at me. It looked like he tried to read my mind.

"Was it because of the alliance? You didn't want to attack me so bad that you rather surrendered," Octavius said, while it still was a question.

"That wasn't the main reason," I said honestly.

"Was it because you were so amazed, because I offered you to train you with the sword?"

"No."

"Were you scared for Agrippa?"

"No! Please Octavius, quit it," I said angry. "It's not of your business!"

"And you should really learn to stop shouting for once," Octavius said back with an angry voice. "Why do you always start to yell when you're angry?"

"And why don't you ever stop asking annoying questions," I said still angry, but with a lower voice.

"All right, all right. Whatever you want," Octavius said not so angry anymore. "I won't ask any question anymore. Do you want to start with the training then?" I looked at him reproachfully. Octavius recognized his own mistake, I could see it on his face.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't really thinking for a second," Octavius admitted honestly. I didn't even try to hide my amusement and started laughing, while I shook my head.

"Octavius, you really are an idiot," I said still laughing. "But I forgive you your mistake."

"You still do then," Octavius said serious as ever. I nodded a few times and got also serious again.

"Now let's start with the first training," I said after a while. Octavius only nodded one time and gave me a sword.

~Jedie & Ockie~

Of course I was scared that there was something behind it at first. I fear that he will teach me wrong, so he can easily defeat me when we will fight for real. But still I followed his instructions and listened to every tip he gave me. How can I believe him on his word so easily when I don't trust him? Maybe because something changed between Octavius and me. We are working together and have a secret alliance for a time now and I notice I start to know him. But I still can't trust him, because he is and always will be my enemy.

~Jedie & Ockie~

We had trained for some time, but after a few hours I said it was enough for this night. I was terrible thirsty and I was hot and sweaty of the training. I walked towards the fountain and started to drink from it.

"What do you think you're doing?" Octavius asked suddenly behind me.

"I'm thirsty, so I drink some water," I answered and continued drinking.

"You're drinking from my fountain," Octavius said before I could take another swig. "And I cannot allow that. And by the way, we're miniatures. We don't need to drink."

"I know, but sometimes it's quite enjoyable to drink something," I said irritated. But I still got up and turned to Octavius. Like always Octavius looked calm and patient at me, but this time it annoyed me.

"Jedediah, does it ever bother you that you can't look in the eyes of your men?" Octavius asked out of the blue.

"What kind of question is that?" I asked more to myself than to him.

"I can't look straight in your eyes, because the edge of your hat lays before your eyes again."

"Maybe I shove my hat before my eyes on purpose, so I don't have to look at your arrogant face." For a moment it was quiet.

"Very nice of you," Octavius said after a while. "Maybe it's indeed better if you keep your hat like this."

On that moment I started to feel ashamed. Octavius allowed me to come to his Empire, he tried to teach me to fight with a sword and hadn't insulted me yet. But now I had to insult him. Octavius called me a barbarian for so many times, but I still told myself he just tried to insult me. But maybe I really am a barbarian and definitely through his eyes.

I looked up and saw he stood with his back towards me, inspecting his sword. I was too proud and stubborn to apologies, so I just shove my hat backwards so people could look me in the eyes again and walked towards Octavius. When Octavius turned his head towards me he still looked calm.

"You can look at my arrogant face again?" Octavius asked like I hadn't even insulted him.

"Octavius, don't take it so serious, okay," I said as reply. "I didn't really mean it that way." Slowly there appeared a weird glistering in Octavius' eyes.

"Apology accepted," Octavius said with a slyly smile.

"What? Hold on," I said shocked. "That wasn't an apology." "That was definitely an apology." "That was NOT an apology." "It was and stop shouting."

Silence.

"That was not an apology," I said before I turned around and took the sword I had trained with and gave it back to Octavius. "But still thank you for the lesson," I said calm again.

After that there was an uneasy silence. I wanted to ask if I could come back for another lesson, but I didn't. I still don't know why, but I didn't dare to ask.

"Would you…," Octavius started and broke the silence. "Should we train again sometime?"

It is very weird, but on that moment I didn't think about how wrong it was. On that moment I didn't saw an enemy before me. I just nodded one time and I almost even smiled to him.

Yeah, and the 13the chapter it complete. And it was an apology! ^^

Thank you for reading my story so far. Please, leave a review and tell me what you think of it. It's always appreciated! ^^