Moving to the Guardian Hall

Iskrin stood watching the last of his belongings being moved into the Royal Barracks - or the ‘Guardian Hall’, as most people called it. The Lord Commander of the Guardians had his own luxurious home on one of the city’s upper tiers, so he had agreed that Iskrin could use the room usually set aside for the commander of the barracks.

It was a pleasant room beneath the roof with a wonderful view of the Palace of the Falls and the harbour. Iskrin had thought about not bringing over his belongings and simply barracking with the soldiers, but there was an important chain of command in the city, and the King’s right hand should be treated deferentially. So he had hired people to carry everything across from the Sky Tower - including his bed and sofa - and had had it all installed.

He sat now at his new desk - the only new item, necessary because of the low ceilings - in his new room going over the day’s papers. Ezran was out of the House of Healing and, like as not, back in the Undercity or the docks looking for coin. The traitor, Lorien, remained under double guard in the cells beneath the cliff, the King was regaining more of his strength each day, and the Lady Ysorrowen remained under discreet but close watch. Aside from the usual whispers and intrigues, everything seemed quiet.

“Good,” he said to Rheyol, the small dragon clinging to his bicep. “Then I have time to devote to this new project.”

He got up from the floor cushion he’d been sitting on and walked over to his wardrobe. There he drew on a thick tunic and high leather boots. Satisfied they would be sufficiently protective, he stepped out of the room and walked down the spiral staircase to the training yard. He’d heard the soldiers training on dummies all morning: the rhythmic ‘Thrust, Parry, Counter,” calls coming from the Sergeant-at-Arms were audible throughout the barracks.

As the First Estril stepped into the yard, all activity stopped. The soldiers must have been aware of his furniture being moved in all morning, and so curiosity now got the better of them. The Sergeant did not look too pleased at Iskrin’s presence.

“My lord,” he said through slightly gritted teeth. “A pleasure to have you here.”

Iskrin nodded, looking around at the men and women assembled. “In this yard,” he said, gesturing to the small open space they were standing in between the cliff, the barracks and the city wall, “you will treat me like a new recruit.” He paused to look around at the faces: confusion, worry, excitement - and from the sergeant something he read as anger. “I mean it,” he said, stepping up to Tensa. “Hit me.”

Tensa looked at him, then glanced at the sergeant, who nodded. A smile crossed her face and then she smacked Iskrin full force with the pommel of her wooden sword in his chest. He reeled from the blow but kept his footing. He stepped up to her again. “That it, Tensa?” he asked. This time she swung her arm back and brought the flat side of the sword round hard on his shoulder. There was a huge crack and the wooden sword splintered in two. Iskrin smiled. “I’m tough,” he said, picking up the end of the sword from the floor and handing it back to Tensa. “You won’t break me. But I’m hoping you will teach me. I am not a soldier, I am a spy and a diplomat. I need you to make me a soldier.”

There was a murmur among the crowd until Iskrin raised his hand for quiet. “Starting tomorrow, I will be training with you every morning from now until the sergeant tells me I am ready,” he said, making eye contact with the sergeant. “In this yard I will do what he says and only what he says. He is in charge in this yard. He will decide if I pass or fail. He will decide if I am good enough to be called a Guardian.”

Without waiting for a response, Iskrin turned and walked towards the yard’s open end in the direction of the palace. “See you tomorrow,” he called over his shoulder. “Tensa, with me.”

Tensa looked at the sergeant who shrugged with a sour look on his face. She placed both halves of the wooden sword in the waste bucket and jogged after the AmranKai.