Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 01 Ch. 35

Not my only request. After she did that the next one, she called out the fact that she loved me to the entire camp. Most of the training officers with Tranosa included. Our starting charter had eleven names, two of them humans we recently picked up. Tiger and Trick-shot. Nine of those ten knew then. Shortly thereafter but before we met our two humans I met Annette, who is not on that charter, and had to do the same thing to both ladies. Then after the wedding, all of them knew, though many already suspected."

The ladies laughed. "It still took Annette a while to warm up to me but my understanding of magic and her talent for psionics had some overlap so I taught what I could think of. I did not know psionics that well. Sex, while connected with empathy, turned on so you feel everything the other is feeling was mind-blowing."

Annette nodded, "It took me some time to realize. I saw what Charlemagne saw in him, no divinity, champion, or knight. This was before it all."

He shook his head, "No divinity that we know of."

She sighed and Charlemagne groaned. The ladies came over and gave her a hand up while He got dressed and looked at everyone, "The date with the Queen is set."

Annette smiled. He headed downstairs. "My two little casters need to meet me downstairs, Dressed!"

Astria and Staria show up, "Here is my entire library of cleared spellbooks. There are 82 books. I have some spells in a special cryptic spellbook. They are extremely rare and guarded spells. I will share a couple of them with you but others I have sworn never to reveal. I needed the spells and they were reluctant to give it to me but the situation called for the spells.

I have 2 more cryptic ciphers on each one of those. Then there are another dozen or so spellbooks I have yet to find time to review. I put these before you because Goldeagle told you your spellbooks need additional spells. He gave you a list of them. You do not find them in there then find me. Here are two blank spellbooks, quills, and ink. So I want to add two spells to your list.

One is this version of mirror image. The other teleportation circle, and while you are at, the spell for silencing an area called private sanctum. Also useful for blocking teleport and divination. I believe there is a spell in there that lets you listen to long-distance locations. Staria needs that one. You are going to create them so we can monitor children's rooms when we have our room silenced. Enchanting project!

The same goes for the silence of the room, enchanting project. As soon as you can Staria I want you casting teleportation circle from this village to house Silvertree. Every day for a year and it is permanent. Enchanting Project!"

They laughed at him, "Seriously I want you to succeed at what you want to do. Victria will want to get with you about closing out of your house after the wedding.

Any debt or business assets we will square it all away. We got even more coin coming in over the next couple of months. Most of our big expenses have already happened. Annette, I want you to go to town. You have a bedroom to add a bed too, you need to find out where in the hell the furniture is at. I want you to go after another 500 laborers to get more of these homes started.

Charlemagne, you got troops to check on. Captain Walder, Get with Commander Tranosa, and get introduced to your two dwarven lieutenants. One is a sapper unit which should hopefully be back with some information from the front on how to blow up a valley. Captain Walder, Dorothy you need to meet me out front and get your horse ready to ride. We got some work to do today with the protection forces."

He got out front and got on T'suras. He rode down to his apprentices and Moon Ray was just leaving the house, "Apprentice is your room ready?"

She turned and nodded. He pointed a hand back to the house. He went to her room and he heard moans coming from the room.

He knocked on the door, "Captain, there will be people, Annette for sure, who will need a trip into the city with horses. Keep at it Tiger, You got 45 minutes and I got rooms to inspect."

He walked in and everything looked to be in order. He even looked under the bed. He nodded to her, "Take your horse and get to swimming. She nodded and headed out of the house and while she saddled the horse, He walked up to her, "I noticed you turning red at the conversation this morning." She turned red again.

"I wanted you to know that I noticed it. Not that it is bad. Strong Oak will figure these things out in his own time. I told you that you would mature faster than him. I have had some visions dealing with you. I do not know his name or when he will enter your life, but your future husband is a moon-elf Gray Blade. After you leave my training the two of you will leave together for another adventure.

They may not even be a part of the unit yet. This war is not your destiny. That lies somewhere else and I will help you and your husband find it. You are destined to have four children, three who will carry the Moon-ray name because once you take on the sword it is up to you not to let it die. Which means keeping your name and your children keeping your name. Your third pregnancy will be another male for your husband to claim into his house. I just wanted you to know this."

She looked at him and nodded. He smiled, "No fear, just respect the blade, I know it is worrying you. But you will do fine."

She hugged him without a word. He hugged her back. "I have work to do as do you. When you get to the Silent Falls acrobatic flip off the horse at full speed."

He left her to her horse and Dorothy was coming toward him, "What happened to waiting?"

He smiled, "You were not close to getting her to climax when I left. I went to check on my Apprentice."

He heard Moon Ray giggle behind him. He walked over and knocked on the door and the Elder answered this morning. "Good morning what brings you by?"

Eldar looked at him, "Two updates we killed two and captured 4 poachers. Based on some journals they have been declared enemies of the Crown and Kingdom. They will not be returned to us. They will likely never see sunlight again except when they are taken out to be executed.

Second, we recovered a ton of skins and that means more material for the leather-smith. Also, one request, I want one full squad of your militia including the lieutenant of that squad to be at the wedding ceremony. Leaving from here of course. I want them cleaned up and inspection ready. We are entertaining a Goddess."

He nodded, "Thank you for the information. I will get you that squad. You pulling one from the other village?"

Eldar nodded. "I want a squad of Archers from them, the same deal. I am pulling four squads in from the Gray Blades. Another Squad from the Centaurs."

Eldar walked over to the Leathersmith. "T'suras Unta."

Dorothy called out, "G'suna Unta"

She smiled as her horse followed her. He looked at her, "Golden Hair?"

She nodded, "Closest thing they had to Blondie. It does sound prettier in Elven."

He walked up to the master leather-smith who extends a hand, "You had them drop off a lot of skins last night. I got apprentices going crazy getting them on racks, I take it they will serve a purpose."

Eldar nodded, "Centaur leather armor, elven leather armor, half-elf and human leather armor, saddles, packs, sheaths, and anything the troops need. Expect the Captain of the Centaurs to be by. Annette now has authority to pay for the work with the discretionary accounts so she will pull gold to pay for the labor but we brought you most of the material needed."

He smiled, "Understood. If anything, it will keep my guys hopping for a couple of weeks or months. Here are the four sheaths, I went ahead and added the other symbols to the short sword sheath she wanted."

He took the sheaths and stored them for now. They mounted up and got to the falls.

He called out, "Apprentice Strong Oak, your room ready?"

He nodded. "How was Apprentice Moon Rays dismount?"

He looked at her, "She landed on her feet and stumbled forward a bit but did not fall, Grand Master."

He nodded, "Where is your horse?"

He looked, "In the village, Grand Master."

Eldar looked at him, "You leave the village, you better take your horse with you. Unless I tell you to leave him behind. Your horse is your responsibility. Now run to the village and get him saddled and be ready for room inspection. Apprentice Moon Ray three more laps dry off and meet us in the village. I want you to do another acrobatic dismount."

She nodded and went back to swimming. He looked at Dorothy, "Have to keep them busy and training. I was left to my own a lot working on my craft by myself. I am pushing a lot of other training into that window. I want to keep them alive."

He rode toward the village at full speed and got onto his saddle. He did a double spinning somersault and land next to his apprentice with his blade in his left hand. "T'suras Unta Biatus Evanill Aisiaon."

T'suras came running in my direction at a blinding speed. Eldar extended his right hand caught his saddle horn.

Then he got his left foot in the stirrup followed by the right and grabbed the reins and went back toward his Apprentice. He leaped into the air with his sword in hand. He flew over him spinning like a top. He shoved his blade into the ground an inch in front of him and tumbled away.

Eldar, "Karti'Ros left hand."

He took the blade and sheathed it. He looked at his apprentice. "The first move is my standard dismount if I am in a crowded field and I just need to get my feet on the ground. The second is the attack maneuver I pulled on the Ogre Magi. You just saw it from his vantage point but he was running and I ran him through the heart by way of the collarbone. The maneuver I used to get back on my horse. I had to call T'suras to do it.

On the field, he will automatically come back for me or help to defend me. That gets me back in the saddle. That was the maneuver I pulled after killing the Ogre Magi to get back to the main fight. They are advanced maneuvers you will build up to. Moon Ray rode in and did a single somersault move and landed square. Eldar looked at her and nodded.

"Every day when you go from one training location to another you will be riding. I want you to work on two different dismounts. Wait here, Captain, you have a full squad of archers to request for the marriage ceremony. Cleaned up and ready for inspection. We have a goddess to be respectful to. Let him know it has already been made of the Blades, the Centaurs, and the other village. Apprentice Strong Oak show me your room."

Dorothy smiled and walked over to do her work. They walked into his Grandmother's home. She smiled and asked, "Here to inspect his room?"

He smiled and nodded. He led me to his room and everything looked to be in order. He looked at him and nodded, "Now give me a different dismount than the one Moon Ray just used." He rushed downstairs.

He smiled at his Grandmother, "Looks like it has a woman's touch."

He smiled at her and she smiled back. He got outside and saw Strong Oak ride in and he did a double flip up and over landing on his feet drawing his sword in the process.

He looked at him. "Points for the landing. Not so much for the room because you had help. You cannot rely on others to do your work."

T'suras unta. He climbed back on board and looked at them, "Mount up swords out. When you ride out here, not the city, you will have your swords out. After an hour you will switch hands. I am working on building muscle strength in their arms and because I am teaching to fight with both hands, they will be able to balance that fatigue."

She nodded, "Did you always use two hands?"

He shook his head, "Like them, I was right-handed but I told you I had a lot of time to train on my own. I started to teach myself to fight with either hand. First time Grand Master Yetto saw me do it I tossed my sword. I did a roll pass him and started fighting him with my other hand. After that, he started training me to do it with either hand. I was in my third year. In the case of these two, one had not as outstanding sword skills but she watched her competitors as I did.

She looked for weaknesses. The other has at least 6 intermixed fighter styles. He was doing a real hatchet job on the training dummy. To break him of the habit I started training them both left-handed. Put them behind the curve.

But then they had to move back to right-handed and do the same maneuvers. In the end, they will still be better right-handed but in many cases, they have the advantage of fighting left-handed. They will have fought against right and left-handed foes."

He looked back at his apprentices. "Ride fast toward the intersection side-by-side, I want to see you both leap off at the same time and draw your swords so put them away. Moon Ray, you count it out three, two, one. Jump on one. RIDE!"

They took off down the road, "Now let me see if they listened about having 2 dismounts." They got to the end of the road and they each tried a different dismount. She did a double spin on her somersault and lands it with a slight misstep but she did have her sword drawn. Strong Oak did the single somersault. Eldar rode up to them fast. He did a forward dive off the left side drawing his sword and tumbled at the end and was facing toward the road. He looked at them, "Why is that dismount important?"

Strong Oak answered, "Because it shows you how to tumble to keep from getting hurt?"

Moon Ray was more analytical, "You assumed in that situation that your enemy was on the right side. You dismounted on the left to have your horse block for you until you got on your feet."

Eldar sheathed his sword, "Sheath the swords. Moon Ray mount up. Ride at full steam all the way back to the falls and do the flip I just did, no sword, but land in the water. Your answer was the one I was looking for. Strong Oak is also correct in it helps you to learn to protect yourself with tumbling."

He waited until she was a few lengths away. "Mount up and chase her. Same maneuver but you have to dodge her."

He jumped on his horse and took off. Eldar mounted up, "Catch up. T'suras Biatus Evanill Aisiaon" They rode forward and shot past both of them before they got to the water. He did a jump to the right dismount with his sword so T'suras was on the other side of the pool.

He watched them come in and Moon Ray landed feet first and then face down into the water and Strong Oak jumped earlier. Eldar sheathed his sword and tossed his bag and cloak.

Strong Oak was at the edge of the water just as he hit the water on his shoulder and tumbled forward.

Eldar dove over him to Moon Ray and made sure she was alright. He pulled her up from the water and she was sputtering and her nose was bleeding. He smiled at her, "That is why I had you practice this on the water. How does your face feel?"

She choked out, "Felt like I slammed it into a rock instead of water."

He nodded, "You hit on your feet instead of the right shoulder blade."

He looked at them, "Never practice this maneuver alone. In case you land on your face. You both are trying and pushing boundaries. Tactical question time, you are riding from the dwarven Kingdom back across that expanse of the border. What side should your weapon be set to draw from and why? Strong Oak first."

He thought, "I would say left side so your weapon would be facing the charging enemy."

He looked to Moon Ray. She sighed, "I would say right side because the maneuver you showed us would allow us to put the horse between me and the enemy."

He looked at them and grabbed them both and dunked them. "Out of the water. The answer was 'Whichever side Grand Master Silvertree tells us to set it to.' Both of you had the sword reversed for the maneuver you were doing. You do not want your sword facing the battle you want to face the battle, spells, and a sword. Fighter yes you are correct. Blade Singers, Not so much. You just jumped into the Lake Strong Oak, what shoulder did you land on?"

He looked at Eldar, My right one." Eldar looked at him, "If you hit a rock or something on the ground which shoulder is likely to get injured. You would want your sword in your uninjured side. Greater chance of the ground impact knocking the sword from your hand." They nodded. "One of the first things I told you to do is set your weapon for a left-handed draw. For the next week, you will switch it to right-handed draw. Then switch at the beginning of each week.

You will do the switch. It is up to you to remember. Now..." He pushed them both back in the water. "That was forgetting to Say Grand Master at the end of each response. It shows respect and it lets me know you have finished your answer. Understood?"

They said together "Yes, Grand Master."

He looked at them, "Out of the water switch your scabbard dry off then mid-day meal.

Then acrobatics training. Here from horseback. That last maneuver six times each one at a time with the other standing out of the way so you can observe and count how many times the other gets it right. This first part is getting the flip and rolling along the right shoulder. After that I want you to go see a cleric and take care of any wounds. Then onto your normal schedule. You are released."

They were finished drying off and switching the scabbard around. Eldar looked at them, "Pick a house but eat together. Talk about your day. I am heading back to see if Cook has any bear stew for mid-meal."

He looked at Dorothy and he mounted up, "Let us head for home." He dried himself as he rode. She looked at him, "The answer would normally be right side as most fighters are right-handed."

He nodded, "If you can fight left-handed how many of your right-handed opponents have practiced against left-handed opponents? Now if your opponent is left-handed and you are stronger with your right then fight with your right or your left. Strength in one hand versus an opponent's lack of knowledge. I would go with what I know. Fight right-handed because I know my strength. I do not know who he has fought.

With my sword's ability, I can switch often. I hope the ability my charges pick up on to summon the blade. I was and will always be better with my right hand. When I fought in the tournaments I always fought left-handed, except for my last match. I put the sword in my right. I frustrated my opponent with that move. Her parents spent a small fortune on having her train against left-handed fighters.

Made her better for that reason alone. She never knew I could fight with my right hand until that match. I stretched it out 30 minutes to frustrate her even more. She never had a match go longer than 2 minutes. I practiced with each arm for an hour switching arms. Then did it again. 8 hours a day."

Dorothy shook her head, "Why?"

He looked at her, "Spend your life being called an impure bastard and it will put a fight into you. To prove you are more than that label. That came from adults and children."

She nodded as they got to the house and dismounted. They walked inside and Cook smiled at him, "Bear stew?"

He smiled, "Called it. I remember what you did with that bear we killed that crushed me. That is what gave me the scars on my face."

Dorothy looked at me, "I wonder why your amulet did not fix those?"

He smiled, "If I cut the scares out the amulet would fix it to look normal. They are a reminder to me and everyone. I can be hurt. In that case, I put myself on the line for people I had known for a few days. I would do it again and again."

Cook looked at Eldar, "You have done it again and again. Does not like to back down either even when being crushed."

He laughed, "The bear's cave is where they found the holy symbol I have in my chest."