Confrontation.

Rath and Lissa were impressed, and slightly shocked I think, when I put on a display of what I had learned, jumping through one of Hungerford's tortuous assault courses. 

"I'm glad I wasn't here when you were learning this," Lissa said, hugging me afterwards. "I'm not sure I would have allowed such rough training. Are you hurt sweetie? Do you need healing?"

"I'm fine mother," I replied.

"He's a tough lad, I wouldn't have damaged him too much," Hungerford said. 

"It's good work," Rath agreed, nodding. "I assume you've not really done much in the way of actual swordplay yet?"

"Just the very basics." 

"He can join the classes at the academy then, when he's old enough." Rath patted my head. "We may make you into a warrior yet little one."

I beamed at the praise, although I was more interested in becoming a mage than a fighter. Still, having both skills would be useful.

We soon fell back into our routine, with Rath joining in my training here and there. I was happy when she praised my skills, although, as my mother, I suppose she would do that.

As happy as I was with my improvements, when I watched her and Freia in a full on sparring match, using very real, very sharp swords, I suddenly felt a hopeless beginner again. The strikes both made were so fast you could barely see them. Plus they moved as quickly as I did, but without any magic to help them.

"Don't look so down lad," Hungerford said, startling me by resting a hand gently on my head. I hadn't even realised he was standing next to me. "You don't realise how fast you look when you're tumbling like you do. Plus, both of them have been practicing for longer than you've been alive. You will soon be just as impressive."

"Thank you master," I said. His words did cheer me up a little, leaving me to appreciate the skill of both my mother and the younger girl. 

As good as Freia was for her age, she wasn't good enough to beat Rath. I had seen Rath get hit a couple of times, but nothing serious at all, and I could tell Freia sometimes walked away from these matches boiling with frustration. 

I could sympathise.

One morning I walked into breakfast to find Lissa putting a lid on a bowl.

"Good morning," she said, giving me a kiss on the top of my head. "Hungerford, your mother, and I are going to a gathering in the village today, so Freia will look after your training. This is something to eat for later." She patted the covered bowl.

"Can't I come too?" I asked.

"No sweetie, this is for adults. Now, go and do your training. And…"

"And?"

"And after your training, you are to stay in the house until we return please."

"What? When will you be back?"

"I'm not sure, but don't worry, it will be fine." She patted me on the head again, and then shooed me out of the back door.

Now, I don't know about you, but when someone tells me not to worry, unprompted, I tend to worry.

"Come on, you're late!" Freia swung her sword. She seemed in a bad mood. "Fifteen laps warmup first, go!" she said, before I could even say anything.

Sighing, I didn't want to be smacked, I started running around the track we had established, which was down the side of the orchard until about half way, then through the trees, back and round again. When I had first come here, I would have collapsed after a single lap. Now I finished fifteen with barely a sweat.

"A hundred pushups."

"Squats."

"Jumps."

"Now your sequences," she said, throwing me my small wooden sword.

"Which ones?" I asked, catching it deftly.

"All of them."

"All of them?"

"Come on." Freia swung her own practice sword, a larger version of mine, and smacked me on the rump with the flat of it. "Move it shrimp!"

Maybe she had seen me spying on her in the bath after all, I thought, as I started my routines. Although why wait until now to take it out on me?

My practice felt like back when I had started, with Freia prodding and jabbing at me every thirty seconds to correct a so called mistake, although I was fairly sure I was doing the moves right.

Still, another full hour later, sweating and sore, I managed to finish the last sequence.

"Very good. Now, let's have a practice," my moody teenage instructor said. She took on the basic Spy style stance.

"What, you mean to spar with me?"

"Yes, you can use all your magic skills. Let's see how good you have become."

I made a face, but took a deep breath and assumed a Saint style posture that I thought was a good response to hers. She nodded slightly. 

"When you're ready."

I didn't think that would be for a good ten years, but even so, I had to try.

My first move was an all-out attack. I blasted myself forward with my jet magic, sword held out in front of me, and basically became an arrow. 

I like to think it surprised her, but even if it did, she was far too skilled to go down that way, and easily dodged to one side, which I had expected. However, at the same time she somehow avoided the blast of wind I sent at her in an attempt to make her overbalance, and so when I did my follow up attack, which involved knocking myself at a ninety degree angle after her, she was ready, and I suffered a sharp hit to my side, which sent me tumbling off onto the ground.

"Ow," I moaned, lying there, stunned.

"Theo! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to hit you so hard!" She ran over to me and knelt down, her face etched with concern. 

She really was very pretty, I thought.

"Are you all right? Did you break anything?"

"I will live," I said, struggling to sit up. "What's with you today Freia?"

"What do you mean?"

"Are you angry with me for some reason?"

She was going to deny it, I saw, but then something gave, and she slumped back. "I'm sorry Theo," she said, in a weary tone. "It's just, well, everyone is out monster hunting, and I was told to stay back and look after you. I'm missing the action."

"What? Monster hunting?"

"Yes, there have been goblins sighted in the woods to the north. People think they are behind the recent raids, maybe the two men, so your mothers, along with a few nuns from the temple and some of the local guards, are off this morning attacking their base, somewhere in the forest."

"What?" I shouted, scrambling to my feet. "They're attacking the village?"

"Yes, we can't…"

"The goblins didn't do anything! It was the kobolds!"

"What are you talking about?" 

I was suddenly frantic. The village! With Rath and Hungerford leading an attack, and with my mother and the temple backing them up, along with the guards, the goblins were in serious danger. Gisel was in serious danger!

"I have to get there before it's too late!" I cried.

"What? No! You need to… Theo! Get back here! What the fu…"