CHAPTER 14

Classes for the military aspect of our training were almost unnaturally boring and tedious. They wanted us to memorize the rank structures of both the enlisted personnel and the officer side, claiming it would be useful to us to know that in the coming years.

“Second year students attain the first ranks of each of their prospective structures.” The elder gray elf in the stool at the bottom of the lecture hall droned, my head throbbing with the need to be anywhere else running rampant though my mind and almost drowning him out. “As such, they are to be shown respect as privates and second seeds. These are both marked how?”

He stared out into the sea of bored faces and chose one random student to pick on, “You there, how does one signify their rank as a private and second seed?”

The student stood up, his brown hair shifting as he did, drool still on his chin and shouted, “Sir, a private has no rank insignia and a second seed has a gold seed with no sprout on their collar, sir!”

“Very good, go run outside for a lap around the lecture hall and return.” When the student didn't move fast enough, the instructor lashed out with a switch that grew and slapped the student in the face. “If you have the energy to sleep in my class, you’ll have the energy to sprint!”

The student gave a wordless cry in answer and sprinted off out of the class room and into the courtyard around the lecture hall. “Ah, where was I?”

“Second years have ascended to the first ranks of the military, sir.” I offered and he nodded appreciatively.

“Yes!” He chuckled happily to himself and then turned to the slate behind him and began to draw and write quickly. “For the enlisted structure we have as follows from lowest to most senior.”

On the boarded he wrote private, private first class, stem corporal, corporal, sergeant, staff sergeant, sword sergeant, master sergeant, master sword sergeant and finally the leaf sergeant major.

“Now, as for the way to attain these ranks and ascend to the next is by merit within your unit and when the recommendation of someone of higher rank by at least two ranks.” He opened a book on his desk and read from it to us. “While the military reserves the right to award and strip a person of rank for their actions, and lack thereof, the Sidhe Academy is also allowed this ability and as such may give rank that it sees fit. Demerits are also taken into account and the award of special titles and ranks is not out of their purview, nor power.”

“Sir?” One of the other students stood and the instructor looked up at them, motioning for them to speak. “What special ranks would those be?”

“Early, but an apt question all the same, be seated cadet.” The instructor smiled and flipped the page in his book. “There are five warrant ranks known as circles. These are basically special officer ranks given to the enlisted personnel who are the foremost experts in their respective and various fields who typically teach and train others in their fields of expertise. Weapons master Aldren, for instance, is a warrant officer fifth circle and as such is the highest ranking warrant officer in the academy at this time.”

Another student stood and was about to speak when the instructor fixed her with a glare, “There is one more special rank that I am certain all of you would like to hear about. Who would like to tell the class what it is?”

Hands all around me shot up and it was a miracle that I didn’t get called on for being the only student who didn’t seem to know. “You in the back, third seat in with the red hair, what is it?”

The others stopped vying for his attention and lowered there arms as a young woman spoke, “That would be the Iron Thorn, correct sir?”

“Absolutely and what is it that the Iron Thorn does?”

That same student answered, “Hunts down enemies of the balance and kills them.”

“That is correct.” The instructor smiled and motioned for her to be seated. “The rank and title of the Iron Thorn is only ever given to those who best acquit themselves to the gray elves who oversee the academy. Though it is the most difficult rank to be awarded and hasn’t been given to anyone in the last three or four centuries. It is something to aspire to, as they are the ones who have ultimate freedom in what their mission is and their maintenance of the balance.”

After hearing that, I couldn’t focus on anything else in the class to the point of detriment.

That was my way out of this service and back home—I had to become the Iron Thorn.

**

“Again!” The student instructor snarled at us as she watched the forty students she oversaw for basic movements in Close Combat class. She stalked through the rows of us as we threw punch after punch in the same manners that the demonstrator had just shown us on the stage in the center of the training grounds that we occupied.

The cloud over over the academy gave us a good breeze to keep us cool as we worked up a sweat. It felt Ike this was the thousandth punch that I had thrown in this iteration of training but the quest giver had been explicit in their orders. If I did as they said and wished, I would get more experience for my effort.

So I put my all into every single punch as I focused on the concepts of the Flow. As she came my way, the student instructor took a stance near me and crossed her arms before grunting, “Good work. Keep that up.”

“Yes ma’am.” I growled and she smiled as she moved away, taking a moment to correct someone else’s form with extreme prejudice.

We continued to throw the same punches and kicks for about five minutes each in mixed batches so as not to grow complacent, then they called us all into large circle that left thirty feet in the center like a ring.

Our instructor, called us to attention, “Your student instructors will be showing you the basic stances for fighting and how to ‘exchange blows’ in a controlled manner for this first lesson. Pay close attention for now, and then we can have more fun later.”

“Yes Sir!” The students roared as one.

“Student instructors!” The demonstrator called out and they younger people stood at attention before he bellowed, “You got ‘em.”

The instructors herded us to the various corners around the grounds and the ones in charge of the eleven students including myself, began to explain as they squared off. “For this exercise, you will practice the three basic punches that we taught you before. High, mid and low, then pair it with a front kick; do you understand that?” When no one answered her, the female student instructor Calra roared, “Scream!”

“Yes ma’am!” We yelled back.

“Good.” She turned her attention back to her partner, who had called himself Zoen, but he didn't speak much. “The object of the defender is to either block or move aside, but not too far.”

After that she snapped three punches at her partner rapid fire and he blocked all of them, then moved aside as she tried to kick him in the chest. “Like so. Vary your attacks and make sure you only go about half strength to begin with. Break up into groups of two and begin.”

All the students moved to stand with people they were familiar with and that left me alone, the odd student out.

Zoen grunted and cleared his throat to get Calra’s attention, then nodded to me. She sighed, “You, small one—come here.”

I complied and she took her fighting stance in front of my as if it were the most natural thing in the world and she could stay there all day. She opened her hand and waved me forward, “Bring it on, kid.”

It dawned on me that she thought I would just let her call me that, but I was fast, right? So even if I wasn’t going to actually hit her, I could still attack as fast as I could manage.

I took two steps forward and launched myself forward to punch at her midsection. She slapped the attack away, but a look of surprise filtered onto her face as I kicked at her chest next. Her elbow connected with the inside of my boot and she took a step to the side as I landed past her and threw a sloppy fist at her groin.

She shifted her hip and took the blow on the bone of her waist, “Control!”

“Yes ma’am!” I countered and regained my balance, then attacked with another right straight punch to her face. She leaned backward to avoid it and chuckled as she popped her wrist into the back of my elbow and relocated the point of contact for my fist a good foot from her face.

“Good work.” She grinned at me and tilted her head, “Now block and dodge my attacks.”

She moved faster than I could see and walloped me in the chest hard enough that it sent me backward onto my rump where I gasped for air.

She walked over to me calmly where I struggled and knelt down, “Well, you sure came at me pretty quick. Maybe get your bearings before you try and pick on someone you know nothing about.” She held out a hand and said, “Get up, and this time with control.”

I grimaced and sat up painfully, then forced myself to my feet holding my ribs. Someone grabbed my ribs from behind and I gasped and relief flooded through me. I could breath normally again. Zoen grunted, “Seriously don’t try that again. She might kill you if you’re too cocky.”

A thrill of fear surged down my spine and this time I moved attacked with reservation and control, each strike from me earning a softly spoken pointer here and there about foot placement and over reaching. How to make a better fist and which knuckles to strike with.

After an hour of back and forth like this, she began to attack while I was attacking and encouraged me to do the same. This progression, Zoen warned, was how they would ease us into things like sparring and fighting, though he used less words. He didn’t seem the talkative type still even if he was supposed to be explaining things to all of us.

I blocked a particularly nasty jab from Calra with my left forearm and used the momentum of it to shift to my left, raising my foot, kicking for her knee. To my surprise, my foot connected and buckled her’s inward.

The minor pain she showed was swiftly overshadowed by something much more primal and suddenly her attacks were much less the firm presses they had been and became snapping punches and kicks the stung more and more.

Zoen was suddenly there as her foot flew toward my head and I wasn’t going to be able to lift my hands in time to block it since my arms were battered and wouldn’t move.

The man leered at his partner, “Control yourself, Calra.” He turned and touched both of my arms and the feeling came back. “He got lucky and you got cocky. They’re about to be dismissed. Ease off.”

Sure enough as soon as he finished speaking, the demonstrator called out over the din of the students’ working and fighting, “Shut up!”

He looked at all of us and pointed to all of us with one hand, moving from one side of the training grounds to the other. “All of you will be sparring next week. Duels will come soon—prepare now.”

He watched us all again quietly before he snarled, “Dismissed!”

In the mild exodus from the training grounds, Zoen found me and muttered, “You did well. Next time, don’t hesitate so much and learn to think on your feet.” He patted me on the shoulder and winked at me, which was almost as strange as him talking to me in the first place.

I left the area and went back to my room, then decided that I wasn’t finished training for the day. Having collected my shuna, long knife and hand axe from my desk, I made my way to the pit, as it was open to everyone for training.

The halls were pretty empty closer to this section of the academy today, though I had only been here the once, I wasn’t necessarily sure why. I found my way to the pit and the din within. It seemed like more than fifty Unseelie first years had come here to practice as well.

Do I stay here and watch them? I wondered to myself, uncertain as to whether it was even allowed.

“What are you doing here, you little spy?” A voice growled from behind me. I turned to find an older student wearing yellow leering at me with open contempt on his face.

I blinked at him, “I just wanted somewhere to train.”

“Then where better to train than with us.” Another, familiar voice raised behind me. Standing along the railing that led to a set of steps to the pit floor grinned Lolth.

“You going to beat him up, Lolth?” The other student sounded excited. “I can get the others here soon and we can have a show.”

Lolth just rolled her eyes, “It’s like you don’t have any room in your head for brains with all that muscle, Neira. He’s in one of my classes, and is under my protection. Leave us.”

“But, Lolth…” he actually looked like he was stricken that she had ruined his fun.

Her eyes began to glow with that same eerie violet energy, “What did I say, Neira?” The student growled and made his way past me with a shoulder broad enough to fit two of me into slamming into mine. I stumbled a little, but fighting Calra had given me a whole new perspective on how to keep my balance.

Once he was far enough away, Lolth shook her head then fixed me with a smile, “Sorry. Nori’s brother can be a little bit of a handful at times.”

“That’s her brother?” I whispered as I watched him leaving. Knowing it now, there were similarities in features but the builds were entirely different.

She grinned and nodded, “She’s going to be so mad at him.” Her gaze stayed on me, “So, did you really come here to get some training in?”

“Yes.” She smiled wider and I had to ask, “Would you really mind if I joined you?”

“I would be insulted if you didn’t.” She returned and hopped over the rail to join me. “Nori isn’t here, otherwise her brother wouldn’t have been able to speak to you like that. Coventry and Bruth are here though. Come along.”

I joined her in walking down the stairs, then frowned to myself and glanced over at her, “Why did you protect me?”

She chuckled and shrugged, “Why not?”

“You’re Unseelie and I’ve been conscripted by the Seelie?” I spoke as if that were the only reason, but I could have just have easily stated that I was small and weak and she wasn’t. That was the law of the Fae in a lot of courts and from the books I’d read, some of the Unseelie took it to be the purest way to live. "The courts hate each other."

"The more pompous nobles do, sure." She shrugged, adding, "Most Unseelie pity their Seelie counterparts for being weak. The fact that the king hates the Seelie for moving on land he believes is his is good enough to lash out for some like Neira. Cooler heads prevail among us ladies though."

"But still..." I was confused and she just chuckled, drawing my attention. "What's wrong?"

“I was adopted by the Unseelie as a babe, so my ties are learned as much as your’s were forced on you by the Seelie.” She smiled at me again and winked. “Besides, we share a class together and you’re cute. Who wouldn’t step in to save you and earn your gratitude?”

I blushed, making her throw her head back and laugh before she touched my shoulder. “Don’t worry about it too much, alright? We’re friends now.”

Friends? I blinked at her, then saw Bruth and Coventry working through a similar set of motions with their own swords that had them moving fluidly. Do I have the option not to be?

Staring at them moving with the confidence and competence that I wished I’d had, I wondered if I even wanted the option. With friends like these, I could get stronger faster.

“Look what the mirror cat dragged in!” Lolth called to the other two girls, their steps faltering as they turned to see me. “Found Nira’s brother harassing him for wanting to come and train a little more. Think we can help him out?”

Coventry laughed, “Because you think he’s cute?” I blushed again and she laughed, “Yeah, I can work with that. Bruth?”

“I don’t know.” Her expression was torn as she looked around. “He’s with the Seelie, and we aren’t supposed to mix.”

“Where does it say that in their precious rules?” Lolth crossed her arms as she waited for the other girl to speak. “I know that it says we can’t fight outside of a duel, but the book says nothing about mixing and having fun together.”

“You would have that on the brain, Lolth.” Bruth blushed and rolled her eyes. “Are all drow this way?”

“Yes.” Lolth said with no hesitation, there was even a hint of pride there. “We find the men we like and we pursue them and keep them. It doesn’t matter if the Unseelie adopted me, I am still drow.”

“So he’s someone you like then?” Coventry asked as she stepped closer, bending a little so that she could look me directly in the eyes. “He is cute, I’ll give you that, and there’s potential to him that even I can see.”

Lolth’s hand came to rest on my shoulder, “Yes. So I am going to help him. He’s your classmate, you should want to as well.”

“Don’t need to convince me, plus it will annoy the Seelie so I’m in.” Coventry grinned and stood up, turning to stare at Bruth, “Oh come on, stop being such a worry wart. He’s just a kid—we’re helping him stay alive for now.”

Bruth fidgeted and bit her lip before finally letting a sigh loose and muttering, “Fine. When you put it like that, it’s not so bad.”

I smiled, still confused about everything that Lolth had been talking about, “Thank you all so much!”

Lolth tilted her head and stared at me for a second before her face split nearly in two from the smile that spread across her face. If it hadn’t been for the girls’ giggles, I would have been terrified of her.

“So, what is it you meant to train in?” They looked me over, noting the weapons I had on me. The wooden axe and knife had been added to my belt with leather thongs so that they wouldn’t clutter my hands.

“I need to get better with my weapons and hand to hand fighting.” My simple reply made all three of them grin at each other.

“Bruth may not do too well with a sword, but she knows her way around a fist fight.” Lolth winked at the larger girl who just grimaced and stuck her tongue out. “She has several older brothers who wanted to ensure she was well cared for and instructed. And Coventry is a blade expert already.”

“I prefer enthusiast, but my family drilled bladed weapons into me since I was old enough to teethe and now I can’t go anywhere without one.” She touched her cheek in mock distress, “Not having a blade on me at all times would be like roaming the halls nude. I just couldn’t do it!”

Bruth guffawed and the two girls joined Lolth in laughing. Coventry stopped first, wiping her eyes as she asked Lolth, “And what do you plan to teach him?”

She turned her gaze on me and said with a slow smirk, “Many things.”

The girls screeched together and after that, I was victim to their tender mercies.