A/N: thanks goes to Raider1472 for been the only reviewer on my last chapter. Raider, you're my new favourite. Virtual mars bar to you. Anything recognisable is the property of John Flagon. I DON'T OWN! (Although I wish I did)
"All right
! All right! Settle down and pay attention!" The speaker, well technically the shouter, was Sigurd, the ex-skirl who was in charge of brotherband training.
"Everybody here? Sing out if you're not here."
A nervous laugh ran through the group. An unseen observer smiled to himself. Apparently this is a group of suck-ups. The observer came to decision.
"All right, let's..."
He got no further.
"Sorry I'm late!"
Sigurd looked up in surprise. He had been sure that all the boys were present. Hal Mikkelson looked at the interloper with interest as Sigurd spoke.
"And who might you be?"
"Zac."
Sigurd frowned.
"Zac who?"
"Just Zac sir. I got no Dad, you see."
Sigurd motioned the boy forward. Zac pushed back the deep cowl that covered his face. He was slightly shorter that the other boys that surrounded him, and not as well built. He had shaggy, dirty-blond hair and striking blue eyes. Hal shivered as he looked at those eyes. Those terrible, haunted eyes that had seen Gorlog only knows what kind of horrors. Despite the boy's slight stature, his ready stance showed that he was an experienced fighter. He jumped slightly as Sigurd broke the silence. Hal turned his attention back to Sigurd, wondering what could have happened to this mysterious boy that made him react like that.
"Well then Zac. Where are you from?"
The boy thought for a moment. Sigurd frowned slightly. Didn't he know where he was from?
"I'm from the north west. Near Sonderland. Just got here a few days ago and decided I might like to join the brotherbands."
Sigurd nodded. That wasn't entirely unreasonable. It was the only way to become a warrior and there wasn't much else for a man to do in Skandia, even scrawny boys like him. Coming to a decision, he spoke.
"Well Zac no-name, Welcome to the brotherband program."
Zac smiled. He had been watching Sigurd all day and liked him. Underneath his rough exterior was a man who took pride in his recruits and took care of them as well. You were right Dad. It pays to observe before jumping headlong into things. Zac had spent the better part of two weeks trying to find a brotherband program that had a fair leader. Looks like I've found one. He noticed that Sigurd was waiting for a response.
"Thank you sir."
Sigurd turned a baleful eye on him.
"Don't thank me yet. You don't know what you're in for."