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Toodsted
The next morning was spend with the tokens, Lendear already picking up on the strategies Thealdi used and jeered with joy when he conquered his first token from the old man. One would never be able to master the depths of this game in a lifetime, Lendear was told and he had no doubts that this was true. Thealdi seemed to have an answer to every attempt the boy made, but the recollection of his first victorious move kept the boy happy.
In the afternoon they arrived at Toodsted, the Red Dragon was directed to the shore and anchored. A group of twelve was set off to scout and secure the vicinity. They returned with bad news as there was but a single villager left to receive the bounty they had taken from the enemy vessel. Devastated, Thealdi took in the message and inquired about the survivor who turned out to be a girl a bit older than Lendear. The men had found her in her parents hut between the corpses, empty of tears, unable to speak and had decided to take her with them. She had miraculously survived the blow of a sword, and only the fact that she had passed out and was falsely considered mortally wounded by the attacker had saved her life; so much Thealdi gathered by the reports. He immediately tended towards the girls wound and instructed Lendear to fetch his backpack. He made the boy lay out all flasks which Lynveeda had provided, pointed to one and ordered the boy to boil some water, mix in the contents of the flask and return to him swiftly. The boy instantly went to work and returned shortly after with the brew. Thealdi took a linen, dipped it into the mug, Lendear held out for him and gently dabbed the girls wound with it. Instantly the girls features relaxed, the administration apparently taking her off the pain and she fell asleep.
Thealdi bandaged the wound, then he picked up the girl with an ease that made Lendear gasp. Once again the performance of the old man betrayed his appearance. On orders of Grimmy Tha, Thealdi carried the girl down to the belly of the Red Dragon into the Captains cabin which held the only real bed aboard. Lendear had followed and took a seat next to the bed.
“This brew never ceases to impress me. I’ve had to use it on many occasions, but it’s effect is still astounding. Not only will the pain leave the body, it will furthermore put the beneficiary to sleep for the best of two days. Now, having said that, my dear friend, there is no need for you to stand guard at her side until tomorrow. We will however come by regularly to check on her and to change the bandages. For now, let’s get back on deck.”
Reluctantly, Lendear followed Thealdi back up. He felt so much pity for the girl and not being able to help in any way filled his heart with frustration.
“She will be all right, Lendear. You don’t need to worry”, Thealdi attempted to reassure the boy having noticed the look on Lendears face. As much as the boy wanted to believe the old man, he wasn’t really convinced and his mind kept wandering to the wounded girl and the reports of the men who had brought her with them from Toodsted. How could any man be so brutal, reckless and ignorant of someone else’s life.
The following practice session with Miglim didn’t help much to calm the boy and his aim was particularly bad. Miglim of course took notice of the boys poor performance and guessing by the latest incidents that the students mind was not on the subject, he took an arrow, handed it over to Lendear and said:
“Trace it slowly from feathers to tip. Follow the woods grain. Concentrate. If your eyes loose the grain you were tracing, start again.”
Lendear followed these instructions and began to trace a fine line. He got about a third of the way when he lost the grain and had to start again. It took him several attempts before he mastered the task. Smiling he returned the arrow, but Miglim declined and made him start again. This went on for the most of an hour and Lendears eyes got tired and watered. He blinked, but no longer was he able to focus on the fine lines. Unnerved he gave up and handed the arrow back. Miglim seemed pleased nevertheless and offered Lendear a cup of water. The boy drank and realized that he felt a lot more balanced. The events as of lately were still present in his mind, but didn’t trouble him as much as they did before he had started the tracing.
“Absolute concentration on a single task frees the mind. Now continue.” With the usual sparse use of words, the archer continued their training on the bow with the boy demonstrating a more pleasing performance.
The session was followed by a few rounds with the tokens, where Lendear was confronted with new strategies, attacks and counter strikes. After all, the game with the tokens was a war game and his first irritation on the purpose of playing the game was soon replaced by the realization that whatever he experienced within the game could be transferred to the real world. Lendear pondered this for a while and then came to perceive that it could also work the other way around. Rather than to attempt to learn from the old mans play and copy his strategies, Lendear began to picture scenes of the real world that had some resemblance to the situation at hand with the tokens. How had he responded then and what was the outcome? Armed with this new angle to the game, Lendear altered his game play and soon was in a situation where he was gaining dominance. Excitement filled Lendear and having victory so close at hand, his focus was entirely on the winning move but neglecting his defences he made a fatal error and lost everything. Loathing, he stared at Thealdi who blinked mildly, but remained silent and instead poked his tongue out on the boy. Lendear couldn’t help but burst out laughing at this unusual gesture, his anger dissolving with every intake of breath he could muster between his giggles. Thealdi tried to remain solemn but soon had to give up, joining in and together the two of them guffawed until their bellies hurt.
When they finally got hold of themselves, they agreed to have a look after the girl. Thealdi changed the bandages and already the healing process could be seen. The tincture was working well, luckily the wound had only damaged the flesh, no internal organs were affected as Thealdi observed. The girl was fast asleep throughout the entire administration and Lendear watched the skilled hands of his master, but could not refrain from studying the girls features, being aware of the inappropriateness, but not able to stop it. Thealdi merely smiled his knowing smile as he looked at the boy who stood open mouthed, obviously deeply touched by the girls beauty.
After their return to the deck and a brief meal shared in silence, they both watched the banks and the scenery, lost in their own thoughts. Lendear again had learned much during the day, even if not a lot was spoken. He made himself comfortable as best as he could, cuddled in his blanket and watched the sunset but before the sun touched the horizon, the boy was fast asleep.

The next morning Lendear woke from the noise produced by the crew. Everyone seemed very busy and alerted the boy got up to see what all the activity was about. He soon learned that they were nearing Brougoth, the capital city of the Gemlats. Before he did anything else, he went straight down to the Captains cabin to look after the girl. Thealdi was already there and finishing the application of new bandages. He looked up at Lendear and said,
“Well, good morning to you, my dear friend. I hope you had a good night.”
“Yeah, thanks, how is she?”, Lendear blurted out, all manners forgotten. Thealdi smiled at this, but left it without comment.
“Oh, she is doing fine. The wound is already completely sealed and she should be waking up soon. Why don’t you stay here while I assist in the preparations for our arrival in Brougoth. You’ve learned already that we are close to the end of our journey, I assume?”
Lendear all but nodded, then realization hit him.
“Oh, I’m very sorry, Master. I too hope you had a good night and I am really looking forward to our stay in Brougoth.” He tried a sympathetic smile on the old man, but wasn’t all that convincing.
“Off you go!” Shaking his head, but grinning, Thealdi had no doubts that the boys mind was not at all with him, his wellbeing during the night or the prospect of seeing the Gemlat’s capital. He got up, clapped the boy on the shoulder and left the cabin.
Lendear was grateful for his masters indulgence on his lack of manners, briefly thought about how he would make up for it and took a seat next to the bed watching the girl. He felt a bit awkward and insecure but was looking forward to the girls awakening all the same. The mix of emotions, the battles between anticipation and incertitude worked hard on the boy. Foreseeing the state of horrors the girl undoubtedly would be in upon awakening, Thealdi had purposely left Lendear alone for he thought it easier on the girl if she was first confronted with another child, rather than an unfamiliar full grown man. Now he was not so sure if the boy could handle the situation, but decided to stick to his decision and just hope for the best. When sleep finally left her, she took in her surroundings and when her eyes fell on Lendear, she merely raised her brows, but remained silent. Lendear had anticipated her going straight into a panic rage and had attempted to prepare for that event. Now he was at a total loss of what to do. He could all but muster a weak smile. After what seemed like an eternity where their eyes were locked, his throat going dry, he found his speech again.
“How are you? You needn’t to worry, you are safe!” He put a reassuring hand on the blanket not daring to touch the girls skin.
The girl seemed to take an inventory of herself. After a few moments she answered in a weak whisper:
“I’m thirsty…” Quickly Lendear fetched a mug, filled it with water and handed it to the girl. She was too weak and Lendear had to help her, guiding her hand to dry lips. After she had taken a few sips she said:
“Who are you and where am I?”
Lendear told her what he knew about the events of Toodsted, how she was found and brought aboard the Red Dragon. How Thealdi had taken care of her wound. He talked a lot about the old man, laid out their first encounter, the journey they had taken, but refrained from mentioning anything about the gems or the Grinhaks. He didn’t want to scare the girl and Thealdi had told him again and again that the gems were a secret and it was absolutely forbidden for Lendear to talk about them, let alone use them without the assent of his Master.
The girl tried to take all that in, but the weakness was taking its toll and she closed her eyes again.
“Oh, yes, have some rest. Sorry for babbling on, but may I ask your name before you go back to sleep?”
Lendear hated himself for shooting the breeze like that, but his excitement was not easily controllable. He made a mental note for a later discussion with Thealdi. The old man would undoubtedly have a cure for that. Eagerly he awaited the answer. He had longed to know the girls name, so he could better address her in his daydreams.
“I’m Lillyveen, but they call me Lyl.” At the thought of the people who would never again call her by that name, tears started to flow. Lendear tried to comfort her, but he was out of words. Instead he gently stroked her hair. The touch shot electricity through his entire body, his mind was spinning, his heart beating fast. Despite the girls suffering he felt aroused and realizing this he was deeply ashamed.