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“Any ed Those found drunk ie home should know that dismissed men will have to walk out of the Martishe on their oo feet with no weapons” Makril paused a moment to let the ih the Martishe with no means of defence was likely to find himself lashed to a tree and disembowelled in short order
“Understand this you rowled “Lord Al Hestian has given the Sixth Order leave to train you as we see fit You belong to us now”
“Didn’t sign up for this,” a sallow faced man in the front row ’s serv-”
Makril’s fist s hi over the prostate soldier “Ten lashes for thistrainees “Anyone else want to discuss their terms of service?”
Caenis and Dentos slipped into the forest the next day with instructions to find the Cumbraelins’ caing and death proved an excellent stimulus to both discipline and exertion Their trainees scrah the snow, enduring bruising lessons in swords in respectful silence as Makril atte they seemed too respectful, too cowed by fear, and Vaelin knew fearful soldiers made bad soldiers
“Don’t fret it,” Makril told hi as they’re more scared of us than they are of the scue of the sword lessons whilst Barkus h and tumble approach to unarmed combat Nortah quickly abandoned attempts to teach the men the bow, none of them had the muscle or the skill for it, and concentrated instead on the crossboeapon even the clumsiest oaf could master in a few days By the end of the first week their small company could run fiveoutside the stockade, and most could hit a mark at twenty paces with a crossbow Their sword skills and basic fighting ability were still lacking but Vaelin felt they had at least learned enough to survive an initial encounter with Black Arrow’s end had preceded hiarded him with a e a word or tith Nortah and Barkus but id silence in Vaelin’s presence, as if one wrong word could earn a swift death Their fear was deepened by Vaelin’s blackout painful slaps with the wooden stave he used for sword practice At ti like Master Sollis It did nothing to lighten hiswith the their bruises in practice He proved a skilled swords to at least compete with Barkus in unarging slackers to their feet and pulling theress with the sword Vaelin noticed their growing regard for the young noble, where before he had been “that snot nosed lackwit” behind his back noas simply “his lordship” The mood of the men was still sullen, they had no affection for Vaelin and his brothers, but Al Hestian had beco him as he sparred with some of the men Vaelin felt his depression deepen yet further Murderer
The voice had begun to plague hiawful truths Assassin You’re no better than the scu has made you his creature…
“What do you think, brother?” Al Hestian was striding towards hiht with optimism “Will they do?”
“At least another ten days, my lord,” Vaelin replied “They still have reatly wouldn’t you say? At least noe can call them soldiers”
Fodder more like A mask for your deceit, bait for your trap “Indeed, my lord”
“Pity Brother Yallin didn’t live to see this, eh?” Brother Yallin had been the Fourth Order’s addition to their expedition Noress to Aspect Tendris, he had spent the first weeks in the forest clai he couldn’t venture outside the stockade because his attempts to teach the men the Catechism of Devotion were of primary importance Sadly he soon succumbed to a virulent bout of dysentery and died shortly after It was fair to say he hadn’t been greatly missed
“It seems odd that Aspect Tendris didn’t send a replaceged “Perhaps he thought the journey too perilous”
“Perhaps Or he could be in coht alular reports in Brother Yallin’s na would be unthinkable, brother,” Al Hestian laughed and went off to shout encourage nearby Why couldn’t you have been hateful? Vaelin wondered Why couldn’t you have made my task easy? The voice’s response was immediate, implacable: Should murder ever be easy?
Chapter 2