Dragon Mage II: Chapter 18 - Decision to Train

As Serene and Eric sat in Tevyn's office, he looked impassive, but not impressed.  He looked at Serene.  “Ms. Winters, you want me to train Mr. Townley?  To what end?”

Serene was pleasant.  “I believe that his knowledge of handling a sword would be to his benefit, and frankly, to the benefit of others.”

Tevyn touched his fingertips together as he looked at Eric.  His blue sleeves were visible under his gray robe as he rested his elbows on his desk.  “I cannot say that I am eager to do so, Ms. Winters.”

“You must admit,” she countered, “it is a useful skill.  I believe Eric could use the advantage and benefit.”

“Even with his skills?”  Tevyn looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

Serene looked back at him, insistently.  “Especially,” she emphasized, “with his powers.”

Tevyn rested his arms, and turned his attention to Eric, wearing a curious expression.  “Eric, what are your thoughts on the matter?”

Eric hadn't thought about Serene's suggestion.  Unfortunately, when he answered, he didn't say it.  “It does sound like a good idea,” he replied with a bit of uncertainty.

Tevyn closed his eye.  “Mr. Townley, Ms. Winters has already said as much.  But what do you think?”

Eric opened his mouth, then closed it.  He realized he didn't know.  “I'm sorry, I haven't had a chance to think about it.”

Tevyn nodded and smiled thinly.  “Well, I can work with that answer.”  He turned to Serene.  “Ms Winters, I refuse to train him if he is not willing.  Let him think about it.”  He turned again to Eric.  “You may let me know at any time, once you have had a chance to think and if you decide that you are willing.  There are some Council members, and workers, exercising today in the rear courtyard, if you would like to see.”

Eric nodded.  “Thank you.”

Eric and Serene left the office, and had not walked ten feet before Jasper approached them.  “Ms. Winters, Mr. Townley!”

“Yes, Jasper?”  Serene greeted him.

Jasper fell into step beside them.  “I have something for Mr. Townley.”  He held an envelope.

Eric took it, and looked inquisitively at Jasper.  “I thought Council members aren't normally sent after workers?”

“They are not sent searching, Mr. Townley.”  Jasper smiled.  “If Council members did not contact workers, nothing would ever get done.”

Serene chuckled.  “Tell me about it.”

Eric opened the envelope while Serene and Jasper spoke.

“What brings you here today, Ms. Winters?”

As they continued walking, Serene answered.  “I was asking Tevyn to train Eric.”

“Oh?”  Jasper looked at Eric.  “Do not turn him down.  He is very skilled.”

Eric nodded.

Jasper kept pace, and turned back to Serene.  “What is the word on the Razor Ridge incident?”

Serene frowned slightly.  “Nothing yet.  We're still trying to decide who should get involved.”

“If anyone,” Jasper seemed eager to add.  “That the man survived, is a wonder.  I think we should let it be.  The place is much too hostile.”

Serene nodded.  “Indeed.”

Eric had been reviewing the paper handed to him.  “It's a complaint on a keep.”

Jasper looked at Eric.  “You sound a bit worried.”

Eric was worried.  “I've only done one inspection, and it was a standard review.  I'm already being asked to look at complaints.”

Jasper waved his hand aside.  “You have no need to worry.  You are qualified.”

Serene looked at Eric.  “When can you do it?”

Eric looked at the paper.  “General conditions?  I'm going now.  Somehow, something doesn't seem right.  The sooner we find it, the better.”

As Eric continued to the shared office with Rebecca, he considered the implications of a general conditions complaint.  Occasionally, it was triggered because an owner fell behind; these keeps very rarely closed themselves.  Instead, if there was an issue that required a second visit, it was usually corrected before the second review.  Most of the general condition complaints were made because the owner was hiding something worse, or because someone had a grief with the owner of the keep and wanted to cause problems.  Rebecca agreed.

As they arrived at the keep, Rebecca reminded him of some procedures.  “Remember, while the complaint gives us authority to review more thoroughly, we have to use judgment.  There are some complaints that I don't look twice, because I knew they came in from someone who felt like being a pest.”

Eric was curious.  “What do you expect here?”

Rebecca shrugged slightly.  “He gives us a hard time, but I don't think it's anything personal, and I don't think he's hiding anything.  I think he'd rather not have to deal with us, at all.”

Eric stifled a snicker, and half-smiled.  He completely understood the keeper's feeling.

The doors of the keep opened, and the owner eyeballed Eric and Rebecca with disgust.  “Seems you can't be away from this place long enough, can you?  Who are you?”  He looked at Eric.

“Eric Townley, Council Representative.”  He extended his hand, looking at the owner of the keep in the eye, and smiling pleasantly.

The keep owner took Eric's hand, and shook it, looking at him with a bit of confusion.  “Rob Henries.”

“Thank you, Mr. Henries.  I'm sure you'd rather we not, but I'd like it if you let us quickly look around and see that you're caring for these dragons properly.”  Eric was slightly deferential.  “I don't expect we'll find anything.”

Rob looked at Eric, somewhat puzzled.  “I guess...”

“Thank you so much!”  Eric smiled broadly and began walking around the keep before Rob could change his mind.  Rebecca followed him.  Both of them looked around the property, and couldn't find anything.  Rebecca took some notes on the bookkeeping.

As they left, Eric spoke with Rob again.  “Mr. Henries, thank you so much.  The only thing I noticed was a pile of dragon waste that is becoming a little bigger than anyone really cares to handle.  It's not so much that we'll make a fuss, but you should tend to it.”

Rob nodded.

After they exited and the gate closed behind them, Rebecca looked at Eric.  “How did you do that?”

Eric shrugged.  “I suppose telling him that we wanted to see he was doing things right, caught him off guard.  What concerns me is the fact we didn't find anything.  I looked.  I used my enhanced senses.  Nothing amiss, other than that pile of dung.  The dragons were genuinely happy.”

“What about that pile of dung?”  Rebecca wondered.  “Do you think he's hiding anything there?”

“I doubt it,” Eric answered.  “But if we get another complaint and its still there, I'm getting a shovel and a fork.”  He sounded slightly determined, and was slightly joking.

“Eric!”  Rebecca sounded surprised, and laughed a bit at the same time.

Eric smirked.  “You have to admit, now that it's been mentioned, it does become a bit suspicious if he doesn't take care of it, right?”

Rebecca shook her head, smiling.  “I had thought the same.”

Eric was curious.  “If he was so difficult with you, why was he so cooperative this time?”

Rebecca thought, then smirked.  “I think we are finally seeing an advantage to you being a Dragon Mage, Eric.  I don't think anyone wants to get on your bad side.”

Eric returned to the Council building in time to see the exercises in the rear courtyard.  He hadn't imagined it would be full; it was actually necessary to separate the people into small groups.  They were arranged by their skill with the sword.

Serene was already seated on a bench at the side, watching closely.  Eric approached her.  She did not take her attention away from the groups training, as she addressed Eric.  She motioned to the spot beside her.  “Please, sit.”

Eric sat.

Still looking ahead, Serene asked, “What is your take on the Henries keep?”

Eric thought for a moment, looking at Serene.  “The dragons are happy.  I couldn't find anything outstanding.”

“So,” she continued, “if you found that in a keep based on reviewing a complaint, what does that tell you?”

Eric looked at her.  “Either I lack experience, or someone is trying to be a nuisance to the keep.”

Serene nodded.  “That's fair.  What if I told you that we consistently find the same lack of issue, even when sending more experienced people?”

He nodded.  “Then I would understand that he'd be aggravated whenever we're there.”

They paused as they watched the training.  Tevyn passed between the sparring pairs, observing each.

“I understand you seem to have a way with people, Eric.”  Serene had spoken, but was still looking at the training.

Eric was surprised.  “What?”

Serene explained.  “Apparently, Mr. Henries let you do what was necessary, and stayed out of the way.”

Eric turned to Serene.  “How did you know?”

Serene faced Eric.  “Rebecca was quite impressed, Eric.  He's usually hovering around her, having something to say about whatever she's doing.  He followed you instead, at a distance, and let you both do your work.  She told me about it as soon as she could.”

Eric nodded.  After a few moments, he started observing the training.  He was intrigued.  Much of the movement seemed to be non-combative in its nature, as the individuals in each pair sought more to practice moves that they would use in actual combat, than to actually strike each other.

Tevyn moved through the pairs, took two pairs, and instructed one from each of them to go off to one side of the others.  He asked everyone to stop, and asked the people he separated to face off.  He said something to the rest, then signaled the two he had selected.  They saluted each other, then at Tevyn's signal, sparred in earnest.

Eric noted that for the two that Tevyn had taken to spar, there was more of an intent behind it.  The two were not practicing movements, but actually sparring.  There was an intensity that Eric saw with the individuals, that was expressed in their motions.  Each of them earnestly sought the upper hand.  The intent was obviously not to injure or kill, but to decisively win.  Their swords flashed through the air as they blocked, struck, and weaved.

Finally, one of them scored a touch on the other.  They immediately stopped sparring, and saluted, while there was polite applause from the others who were training.

Serene looked at Eric.  “What do you think, Eric?  I know you're capable, but would you like to?”

Eric hesitated for a moment, thinking.  It would be a handy skill.  He already knew some things from Justin, and he'd had fun learning.  After a few moments thought, he nodded his head.  “I think I would, actually.”

“I thought you would say that,” Tevyn's voice came from behind Eric, surprising him.

Eric turned quickly, startled, but saw Tevyn with a calm and pleased expression.

Tevyn continued.  “I refuse to train anyone who does not absolutely want to do this.  It requires commitment, and to make the commitment and dedicate yourself to do well, you have to want to do it.  I thought you might want to learn, but I felt it best to let you realize it yourself.”

“Thank you, Tevyn,” Serene looked at him.  “That was rather judicious.”

Tevyn nodded.  “Thank you, Ms. Winters.”  Turning to Eric, he said, “Mr. Townley, see me here on Monday.  I would like to start you out without the whole class.”