Chapter 7 Continuation

Pauline, sensing a horrible fight in the making quickly diverted everyone's attention from arguing and bickering by continuing on with the rest of the chapter.

"Take a closer look at that 'little knife' before you sound so certain," he invited. Horace held out his hand for the knife. Will quickly reversed it and placed its hilt into Horace's hand.

Will had to agree with Horace. The saxe knife was a large knife. Almost a short sword, in fact.

But compared to a real sword, like Horace's or Gilan's, it seemed woefully inadequate.

"See what did I tell you." Arald exclaimed smugly to Halt who sat there fuming.

"Oh that's not the end there is more so don't think you've won yet." Will said to defend his mentor's bruised ego.

Horace swung the knife experimentally, testing its balance.

"It's heavy," he said finally.

"And hard. Very, very hard," Gilan told him. "Ranger knives are made by craftsmen who've perfected the art of hardening steel to an amazing degree. You'd blunt your sword edge against that, and barely leave a nick on it."

Horace pursed his lips. "Even so, you've been teaching me the idea of movement and leverage all week. There's a lot less leverage in a short blade like this."

"That's true," Gilan agreed. "So we have to find another source of leverage, don't we? And that's the shorter knife. The throwing knife."

"Oh so that's what the throwing knife was for, I always thought it was for an extra weapon to throw." Pauline commented.

"Initially yes but it's also very handy for leverage as well." Will answered.

"Something I taught you." Gilan inputted into the conversation.

"And something I helped you practise." Horace added, not wanting to be forgotten in his vitality in Will's training.

"The way you lot say it seems like I wasn't his mentor at all." Halt grumbled. He was received by smug grins from Gilan and Horace both.

"I don't get it," said Horace, the frown deepening between his eyebrows. Will didn't either, but he was glad the other boy had admitted his ignorance first.

"Will!" Cassandra exclaimed. "How could you?" Secretly she had used this tactic many a times prior when there was a term she was unfamiliar with. She was glad there was someone else other than her who seemed to use the same method. Will, knowing that she was joking grinned in return.

"It wasn't that hard I just had to pretend I knew what I was doing." He replied.

"Which you don't most of the time." Halt added which made Jenny giggle.

"It's called improvisation Halt, we've been through this!" Will said exasperated.

"If you knew what you were doing though Will you wouldn't have to improvise." Gilan added as a clever intake to the situation. He was served by a frosty glare from Will, who though was his junior and relatively knew at being a Ranger was still threatening enough to make Gilan fall silent.

"I think it's good Will improvises, it makes him original." Alyss added, coming to her husbands defence. Will smiled at her warmly in gratitude.

"We all knew he was original I mean look at his hair, have you seen anything messier in your life?" Halt asked. The people in the room shook their heads to Will's horror.

"Oh come on, my hair isn't that bad." He said justifying the tangle of dark brown hair. "Is it?" He added weakly at the end.

"Personally I think it's quite cute, it's got a certain cheekiness that shows a bit of rebel in there." Jenny answered. Will, satisfied by her answer sat back in relaxation. Gilan however was alarmed. What did she mean messy hair was cute? Why have I just been spending the past week combing my hair then? He didn't know what she thought of his hair after seeing Will's he was utterly convinced he needed to ruffle his hair. Why are girls so hard to understand? He thought miserably to himself. Pauline seeing the predicament in Gilan's eyes continued reading to take his mind off hairstyles.

He adopted a knowing look as he waited for Gilan to explain. He should have known better. The Ranger's sharp eyes missed very little.

"Well, perhaps Will could explain it for you?" Gilan said pleasantly.

"Oh isn't this fun? Will is always going to be on the spotlight." Alyss said while Will groaned. She hid a smile. She knew his reluctance at being at the centre of any sort of commotion or attention.

"I wonder what you actually do say Will this should be interesting to find out." Duncan said in pleasure. Will was reminded yet again how foolish he was during his adolescence.

"Well…it's the…ah…um…the two knife defence," he stammered. There was a long pauseas Gilan said nothing, so Will added, just alittle doubtfully: "Isn't it?"

"Well said Will couldn't have explained the concept any better myself " Horace laughed as Will threw a cushion at him.

"Ha ha very funny." Will said sarcastically.

"It is quite funny, that's why I'm laughing." Arald said.

"Of course it is!" Gilan replied. "Now would you care to demonstrate?" He didn't even wait for Will's reply, but went on with barely a pause, "I thought not. So, please, allow me."

It hadn't occurred to Will at the time, but he had learnt an awful lot from Gilan to whom he had never thanked very often. He took the time to do so now.

"Don't worry it was quite fun teaching you actually." Gilan said, his previous light demeanour gone. To that statement Halt had to do his legendary eyebrow raise.

"Just wait until you get an apprentice that was as bad as you were." Halt said.

He took Will's saxe knife and withdrew his own throwing knife from its sheath. Then he gestured to Horace's sword with the smaller knife.

"Right, then," he said, all business. "Pick up your sticker."

Horace did so, doubtfully. Gilan gestured him out to the centre of the practice area, then took a ready stance. Horace did the same, sword point up.

"Now," said Gilan, "try an overhand cut at me."

"But…" Horace gestured unhappily to the two smaller weapons in Gilan's grasp. Gilan rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"You know your reluctance to practise with us was quite insulting." Will said.

"I was only doing it because I was scared of hurting you guys." Horace replied.

"That's why it was insulting." Will shot back.

"I mean the way you treat us Rangers it's as if we haven't had to fight a day in our lives and you're the only one who has." Gilan added picking up on Will's point. Horace who was now in a dangerous situation started backpedalling.

"I never said I did it because I was scared I would hurt you." Horace exclaimed

"You just did a couple of minutes ago." Halt said dryly.

"No I mean I was more scared of hurting myself than you guys." Horace said the first thing that came to his mind. Unlike Will he really wasn't as good at improvisation.

"Horace drop it, you've lost and you three back off my husband he's the future king." Cassandra told off the three green and grey vultures perched on their chairs. All three of them groaned in unison at the prospect of working for Horace. There were years of practical jokes that Horace could now put on them that they wouldn't be able to stop.

"When will you two learn?" he asked. "I do know what I'm doing. Now get on with it!"

He actually shouted the last words at Horace. The big apprentice, galvanized into action, and conditioned to instant obedience to shouted commands by his months spent on the drill field,swung his sword in a murderous overhand cut at Gilan's head.

Oohs simultaneously ran around the room at the image of such a deadly attack, Jenny it was to be noted nearly fell off her seat and it was Gilan himself who was comforting her.

There was a ringing clash of steel and the blade stopped dead in the air. Gilan had crossed the two Ranger knives in front of it, the throwing knife supporting the saxe knife blade, and blocked the cut easily. Horace stepped back, a little surprised.

"I sure as hell would be surprised as well." Arald exclaimed as he shook his head. It seemed he had gravely underestimated Rangers abilities in general and reading this was a reminder as to why they were so crucial to the Kingdom of Araluan.

"See?" said Gilan. "The smaller knife provides the support, or the extra leverage,for the bigger weapon." He addressed these remarks mainly to Will, who looked on with great interest. Then he spoke to Horace again. "Right. Underhand cut, please."

Horace swung underhand. Again, Gilan locked the two blades and blocked the stroke. He glanced at Will, who nodded his understanding.

"Now, side cut," Gilan ordered. Again, Horace swung. Again, the sword was stopped cold.

"Getting the idea?" Gilan asked Will.

"Yes. What about a straight thrust?" heasked. Gilan nodded approvingly.

"He always could go to the heart of any problem couldn't he?" Gilan asked Halt, surprised yet pleased at the time with Will's genuine nature.

"Yes he could." Halt replied ignoring the crimson blush that dominated the colour on Will's face. Everyone in the room of course knew Will was a great Ranger and they also knew he was extremely humble. Will kept quiet. It was a rare occasion when men managed to talk about their feelings, or important feelings at any rate so the idea that they were speaking of him in such a good light made him unable to speak. He simply nodded appreciatively which both men took as a signal for his gratitude.

"Good question. That's a little different." He turned back to Horace. "Incidentally, if you're ever facing a man using two knives, thrusting is your safest and most effective form of attack. Now, thrust, please."

Horace lunged with the point of his sword, his right foot leading the way in a high-stepping stamp to deliver extra momentum to the stroke. This time, Gilan used only the saxe knife to deflect the blade, sending it gliding past his body with a slither of steel.

"We can't stop this one," he instructed Will. "So we simply deflect it. On the positive side, there's less force behind a thrust, so we can use just the saxe knife."

"Wow I didn't know that, it must make you very vulnerable then." Alyss said while Pauline nodded. Gilan replied.

"You're right it does make us more vulnerable to attack but then again most warriors tend to go for an overhead swing or a side cut." He answered from his own experience. Horace nodded in agreement.

"I hate what happened now." Horace said nodding to the open book in Pauline's hands.

"Why? What happens?" Cassandra asked curious.

"You'll find out right now." Horace said gloomily. Will smiled at the memory which only resulted to a cushion in his face. Everyone laughed while Will coughed out bits of fluff and feather while Pauline carried on.

Horace, meeting no real resistance to the thrust, had stumbled forward as the blade was deflected. Instantly, Gilan's left hand was gripping a handful of his shirt and had pulled him closer, until their shoulders were almost touching. It happened so quickly and casually that Horace's eyes widened in surprise.

"I am sorry for doing that by the way. I guess I just got so caught up in the moment in trying to show Will." Gilan's apology to the youngest warrior in the room sounded sincere enough for Horace to shrug it away and smile in return.

"It's alright you were only trying to teach and the fear of your sudden attack only served to make me a better fighter." Horace replied.

"Well now all that's sorted how about the rest of us actually find out what happened shall we?" Halt gestures at his wife to continue, which she certainly did.

"And this is where a short blade comes in very handy indeed," Gilan pointed out. He mimed an underarm thrust with the saxe knife into Horace's exposed side. The boy's eyes widened even further as he realized the full implications of what he had just been shown. His discomfort increased as Gilan continued his demonstration.

"And of course, if you don't want to kill him, or if he's wearing a mail shirt, you can always use the saxe blade to cripple him."

He mimed a short swing to the back of Horace's knee, bringing the heavy, razor -sharp blade to a halt a few inches from his leg. Horace gulped. But the lesson still wasn't over.

"No wonder you were so terrified, I would be too no doubt." Duncan said in sympathy with his son in law. Cassandra however stopped from laughing to give her husband a sweet peck on the cheek which seemed to have a good effect on him.

"Or remember," Gilan added cheerfully, "this left hand, holding his collar, also has a rather nasty, rather sharp stabbing blade attached to it." He waggled the short, broad-bladed throwing knife to bring their attention to it.

"A quick thrust up under the jaw and it's good night swordsman, isn't it?"

Will shook his head in admiration. "That's amazing, Gilan!" he breathed. "I've never seen anything like it."

"It might be amazing to you but I'm pretty sure Horace wasn't having the time of his life." Alyss said in sympathy. Will totally unabashed replied.

"Well it's not as if Gil would have killed him I mean he's an expert swordsman."

"Well how would you feel if you had to have the fear of almost dying?" Horace shot back.

"I already have so I know what it feels like." Will replied quietly.

Gilan released his grip on Horace's shirt and the boy stepped back quickly, before any more demonstrations of his vulnerability might be made.

"We don't make a lot of noise about it," the Ranger admitted."It's preferable to run into a swordsman who doesn't know the dangers involved in the double knife defence." He glanced apologetically at Horace. "Naturally, it's taught in the kingdom's Battle schools," he added. "But it's a second-year subject. Sir Rodney would have shown you next year."

Will stepped forward into the practice ground. "CanI try it?" he asked eagerly, unsheathing his throwing knife.

"Of course," said Gilan. "You two may as well practice together in the evenings from now on. But not with real weapons. Cut some practice sticks to use."

Horace nodded at the wisdom of this. "That's right, Will," he said. "After all, you're just starting to learn this and I wouldn't want to hurt you." He thought about it, then added with a grin, "Well, not too badly, anyway."

"Well my, my you certainly were an overconfident rooster weren't you?" Halt asked disapprovingly. "I hope Will that you managed to beat him at least once?" He asked his former apprentice with a gleam in his eye only to have it vanished.

"Not once." Will said while smiling. He didn't care though; he knew Horace was much better trained than he was. Horace grinned at the older Ranger smugly.

"Let's not get too happy yet Horace remember what happened after?" Gilan asked then hid a smile while Horace's smug appearance faded.

The grin faded as Gilan corrected him. "That's one reason, of course," said the Ranger.

"But we also don't have the time for you tobe re sharpening your sword every night."

He glanced meaningfully down at Horace's blade. The apprentice followed his gaze and let out alow moan. There were two deep nicks in the edge of his blade, obviously from the overhand and underhand cuts that Gilan had blocked. One glance told Horace that he'd spend at least an hour honing and sharpening to get rid of them. He looked questioningly at the saxe knife, hoping to see the same result there. Gilan shook his head cheerfully and brought the heavy blade up for inspection.

"Not a mark," he said, grinning. "Remember, I told you that Ranger knives are specially made."

"I told you our weapons are a lot stronger." Said Halt with glee.

"Yes it was quite fun seeing his face drop after he saw the nicks on his blade." Gilan giggled as Horace moaned.

"What are you moaning for? It's me who should be moaning I'm the one that's pregnant." Cassandra joked while everyone laughed. "I mean this baby is huge it is so heavy I'm pretty sure it's because it got all of Horace's fat." Her husband frowned at her in mock anger and smiled at the atmosphere of friendliness as he was surrounded by the group of people he loved.

Ruefully, Horace rummaged in his pack for his sharpening steel and, sitting down on the hard-packed sand, began to draw it along the edge of his sword.

"Gilan," Will said. "I've been thinking…"

Gilan raised his eyebrows to heaven in mock despair. Again, the expression reminded Will forcefully of Halt. "Always a problem," said the Ranger. "And what, pray tell, have you been thinking?"

"Well," began Will slowly, "this double knife business is all well and good. But wouldn't it be better just to shoot the swordsman before he got to close quarters?"

"No you don't say." Cassandra said sarcastically. Her and Will had a special bond that meant he was never the least bit offended whenever she did make an offensive remark. He laughed.

"I was just trying to figure out why we needed to use knives in the first place I used to hate using them." He added.

"Why?" Halt asked surprised that he never knew this himself.

"Well mainly because it made me too vulnerable and I hate the idea of fighting at close quarters, I still do." Will answered.

"Yes, Will. It certainly would," Gilan agreed patiently. "But what if you were about to do that and your bowstring broke?"

"I could run and hide," he suggested, but Gilan pressed him.

"What if there was nowhere to run? You're trapped against a sheer cliff. Nowhere to go. Your bowstring just broke and an angry swordsman is coming at you. What then?"

Will shook his head. "I suppose then I'd have to fight," he admitted reluctantly.

"Exactly," Gilan agreed. "We avoid close combat wherever possible. But if the time comes when there's no other choice, it's a good idea to be prepared, isn't it?"

"I guess," Will said. Then Horace chimed in with a question.

"What about an axman?" he said. Gilan looked at him, nonplussed for a moment.

"An axman?" he asked.

"Yes," said Horace, warming to his theme. "What about if you're facing an enemy with a battleaxe? Do your knives work then?"

Gilan hesitated. "I wouldn't advise anyone to face a battleaxe with just two knives,"he said carefully.

"So what should I do?" Will joined in. Gilan glared from one boy to the other. He had the feeling he was being set up.

"Shoot him," he said shortly. Will shook his head, grinning.

"Can't," he said. "My bowstring's broken."

"Then run and hide," said Gilan, between gritted teeth.

"But there's a cliff," Horace pointed out. "A sheer drop behind him and an angry axman coming at him."

"What do I do?" prompted Will.

Gilan took a deep breath and looked them both in the eye, one after the other.

"Jump off the cliff. It'll be less messy that way."

Everyone in the room laughed at his final words and the set up between the two teenagers at the time.

"Well I doubt Will's ever going to be in that position anyway." Jenny scoffed at Gilan's over reaction in the book. Will grinned at a memory and felt Alyss jog him in the ribs.

"What?" She asked. He looks at her and bursts out laughing. Everyone else was looking at him then he said.

"That's exactly what happened to me Jenny, I got attacked at the edge of a cliff with an angry axe man coming towards me." Will laughed. Between mixtures of laughter and shock from the rest of the room Jenny asked.

"How did you make it out alive then?" Will looked at her for a moment then answered.

"I jumped off the cliff." He said in a face with absolute deadpan. Everyone else gasped except for two people in the room, Halt and Alyss. Halt because he was there and knew what happened and Alyss because she had seen Will's face her whole life and knew every facial expression of his and the meaning behind them. She knew he was lying. Though the impact of his words didn't make it any less real for the rest of his audience.

Hey guys I'm really sorry for my late updates but I was really busy and I'm trying hard to continue with this book and hopefully I'll be able to so please review and always check for updates because they tend to be a bit random!