Burning Night: A Tale of the Everburning City

Chapter 11, Part 4: Adrian

The sun had half-set before Sergeant Varnell willingly released them from the day's training, and even then the old soldier was bitter and begrudging.

"I feel like some of you are just a few hours away from a breakthrough. I'm pleased that you're all willing to embrace the pain involved in learning to use the sword. Respelli, I'm starting to wonder if I shouldn't have someone from Oversight come in for a few days to offer additional combat training. Your sister seems to be quite the teacher."

"She is, ma'am," Farah replied. "But she wouldn't be allowed to teach in an official capacity. I'm pretty sure she taught me hoping I'd join the bureau."

"Why can't she teach?" Varnell asked.

"She belongs to that unofficial division called the 'nannies', ma'am."

"Aha," Varnell said, nodding as if that made any sense. "I'll leave it at that."

Louder, stopping every nearby conversation and bringing everyone's attention towards her, Varnell spoke. "As I said earlier today, recruits, the sword is now a part of your uniform. You will wear it at all times while you are on duty. You will maintain it for both appearance and functionality. You will also maintain your skills with it, for the same purpose. Raeth, a word. Everyone else dismissed!

Without being prompted, every one of Adrian's companions saluted. Adrian was smiling as he looked at the old soldier, framed in the fading sun. The old woman stood casually, one leg raised as she stepped on the crate full of practice swords, with her hand resting casually on the hilt of her weapon.

"Caitlin?" Adrian asked as they dispersed. "Who was Sergeant Varnell?"

"You don't know?" Caitlin asked him, bewildered.

Farah, who had fallen in step beside him, slugged Caitlin in the shoulder. The same shoulder Adrian was reasonably confident he and Farah had both hit at least once with a practice sword.

"Ow, go slap a Crafter, Farah!"

"Not all of us have two officers for parents and a former Lord Captain as a grandparent. Who was Sergeant Varnell?" Farah asked.

"Okay. Until about a year ago, she was Colonel Varnell. She went from Sergeant to Captain during the Fifth, and her likeness is on one of the Tapestries. She might have been Lord Captain during the last election, but her insistence on strict training regimens wasn't popular with many of the other colonels," Caitlin explained.

"Her demotion was widely seen as a disgraceful move from the current Lord Captain," Caitlin added.

"She demoted herself," Adrian insisted.

"What?" Farah asked.

"I overheard her talking to Colonel Tammerlane. He said he hoped that her decision was worth it. I think she demoted herself," Adrian said.

Caitlin scoffed, but Farah nodded thoughtfully. "It fits," Farah said. "You said it yourself, Caitlin, her training regimens weren't popular. I think she demoted herself to prove a point."

"Okay. If we start learning Valkyries before we graduate, I'll believe you," Caitlin conceded, as she waved her hand and started walking faster. "I'm going to eat, then sleep. Being a practice dummy for budding sword-masters is hard work."

"Sure, good night, dummy," Farah waved. Adrian was surprised when she prodded him in the shoulder and pointed him in a different direction.

Adrian found himself almost following Farah as she walked, seemingly aimless away from the others and into the fields. They walked towards the now dark-red sunset, and Adrian waited, awkwardly, for Farah to break the peculiar silence she maintained.