A Mentor's Struggle

Chapter 15

After Rowain claimed he was finished, the first thing I did was race to the mirror in my room. I was prepared to gaze upon lose thread dangling from my chin and several small cuts all the way up my neck and to be bleeding furiously.

What I did not expect, was tight, firm stitches with no gaps and only one tiny hole where he missed me. I heard Lief whistle in surprise as he walked up behind me.

"Well, what do you know? The boy is useful for something." I grumbled.

Lief chuckled and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Give 'em some credit, Ben!"

I shot Lief an exasperated glance before climbing swiftly back down the ladder to my room with Lief following me.

"Pack your things, we leave at dawn."

I caught Lief's surprised expression.

"Where are you going? I had hoped you could accompany me to the treaty signing with the kingdom of Belgaria.

"No can do, as serious as that sounds I'm afraid me and my bodyguard here will be journeying to collect some helenium. I happen to be fresh out of stock."

"Can't it wait another week? No offense, but Rowain here is no protection."

I heard Rowain let out a small indiginant chirp, as if he was wounded by the statement. I tried to keep the grin off my face but failed miserably and struggled to hide my face by turning to look at the door.

"Please, Ben! A couple more days!"

I knew good and well he wouldn't give me an order for the life of him, so I became gifted at using that to my advantage.

"No, Lief, it's final. I would ask you to come, but you have that oh so significant treaty to sign."

"Sometimes I wonder how you and your cheekiness have survived this long." He scowled before storming out of the door. Rowain shot me a look of awe.

"You have to teach me that!" He pleaded.

"Teach you what, exactly?"

"You have him wrapped around your finger! I want to be able to do that!"

"Honestly, it's a gift, Rowain. I'm afraid very few are born with it."

He glared at me and I sniggered before walking towards the door.

"Wait! Where are you going!" He called.

"Um, training? I'm not just a physician, you know."

"Can I come?"

"Do you know how to stay out of trouble and keep to yourself?"

"I will have you know, I'm excellent at behaving!" He claimed.

"I'm excellent at behaving, sir." I corrected. "If you want to come, you will call me by my title. None of my knights can show me disrespect, and neither will you."

"But you let me call you by your name here."

"Did I not just tell you I have two jobs? That means living two lives, so you need to learn to treat me correctly in each position. Here, you may call me by my name but you are expected to listen and learn each thing I teach you. On the training grounds, you call me by my title and anything I say goes without the question. I didn't work as second in command to have a boy of fourteen summers challenge my authority."

He nodded in understanding eagerly, but I had a feeling nonetheless that he would provide a gruesome challenge.

As usual, my assumption was unerring as ever. Rowain was expected to behave as a servant or squire, and remain inaudible.

Rowain, being the egotistical adolescent that he was, thought it a stellar objective to challenge every knight we came across. I couldn't determine whether he felt the need to assert his superioress or the fact that he enjoyed a good beating, but he requested each knight at training to banter with him.

I, obviously, immensely enjoyed observing his sorry buttocks get kicked to the dust repeatedly. My knights, won patently because they had of course, been trained by the best of the best.

It was amusing to spectate each of the soldiers honorably accepting his challenges. The always delightful Sir Kemlik thought it a stupendous idea to teach Rowain what it meant to throw a gauntlet at a knight's feet.

Rowain was insantly obsessed, and was exuberant to set the terms of each duel, which I assured each knight he challenged it was simply for entertainment. The last thing I needed was my apprentice getting killed in a literal fight to the death.

After I concluded Rowain had enough fun, I decided to drag him away to our chambers. The knights had other ideas.

"Oi! Where ya taken the lad, Sir? We thought we'd have a little fun." Sir Kemlik hollered.

Sirs Kemlik, Awaine, and Henry had become rather attached to the boy and I had half a mind to let them keep him after wasting a day of practice.

"Can I stay?" Rowain pleaded pitifully.

I gave him an eye roll, which was equivalent to my consent in his vision so he raced to grab a sword awaiting him in Sir Kemlik's hand.

"Now, do you mind showing me that heel spin swing?" Henry spoke.

"Not at all! Though I have to say, you have the balance of a three legged bear! Try lightening up your weight on the left leg a little- there you have it!" Rowain cheered brightly.

Awaine shot me a cheerful look, as if he was enjoying the entertainment. I prepared to spin around and make a bee line to my chambers, when I heard a guttural groan escape from behind me.

I noticed slightly in my peripheral vision Rowain digging his heel to the ground, twisting his small frame to meet Henry's jaw. Henry parried his swing, and Rowain's blade went crashing into his temple. The boy moaned before shooting a small grimace in my direction as he collapsed shakily to the ground.

Awaine caught him first, lifting his limp form over his shoulder. I noticed that although it wasn't a comforting position, the large knight held him lightly so as not to disturb him further and I had to mentally admit, I'd never seen any of the men so anxious.

"Bring him to my chambers!" I sighed, knowing it was nothing serious.

If anything the idiot could have blocked his own sword from hitting him in the head. The sky was darkening as they rushed Rowain behind me, and every second that passed only increased my concern for the young boy.

As soon as we reached his room and they lay him on his cot, he began to retch. I swiftly snatched the empty bucket typically used for scrubbing the floors and he heaved his insides into it, amazing us all to see how much had come out, considering he was such a scrawny thing.

"Why's the room spinning?" he slurred.

Henry shot me a frantic look as he placed a cold rag against the bruise.

"Rowain, how many fingers am I holding up?" I quizzed.

"Three." He responded without hesitation.

I nodded in satisfaction and he allowed himself a grin. The adrenaline must be numbing the pain.

"Good. And what's my name?"

"Benny!" He cried excitedly.

"Close enough." I muttered and removed the rag from his temple.

It had turned to a hideous sickly green and I immediately applied a salve I had stored for idiodic occurrences not unlike this. I took note that all three knights hovered over him, each had pulled up a stool to monitor him.

"You mother hens!" I chastised lightly. "I have this under control."

Kemlik and Awaine nodded respectfully and traveled to the door. I looked up to see Henry's eyes fixated on me with a stubborn gleam of defiance.

"Henry..."

"Apologies, but no can do sir. I did this to the lad, I feel honorbound to seek his recovery."

I sighed in exasperation but made no further comment. I brushed my fingers through Rowain's hair gently.

"Rest up, we have a hard road to cover at dawn."