In any event, the five remaining cadets all moved on to the next round. This time, Tar Agath called them out separately. Relam went first, again, and was surprised when the sword master motioned for him to draw his real blade.
“Now I want to see what you remember from my training,” he explained. “Run through each of the patterns, one through ten, at whatever speed you are comfortable with.”
Relam nodded and raised his sword confidently. He’d been drilled in these patterns every day for the last five years. There would be no problem repeating them now.
“Begin,” Master Agath said, stepping back.
Relam started off slowly with the first pattern, warming up and getting used to the feel of the real sword. By the end of the second pattern, he had developed a good rhythm and increased the tempo of his strokes. By the time he reached the ninth pattern, his sword was a blur in his hands and sweat poured from his limbs. He finished the tenth with a flourish and returned to the ready stance, breathing deeply and evenly.
“Impressive,” the sword master said, nodding to himself. “Before you return to the assembly hall and fetch Cevet, I would like you to attack me the same way you beat Garenes earlier.” Agath drew his sword and stood waiting, watching Relam closely.
Relam shrugged mentally. Why not? If he lost, there was nothing wrong with that. Agath was a master, renowned for his technical skill with a blade. Relam was a cadet. No one would, or could, expect him to win, and he might learn something along the way.
The prince rushed forward, lunging and thrusting with his sword. Agath evaded easily, and Relam spun around, striking from the opposite side. As Agath parried, Relam swung his leg around to hook the sword master behind the ankle.
Halfway through the motion, Agath disengaged with a violent twist of his blade. Relam, mostly standing on one leg, was thrown off balance. He wobbled unsteadily, and Agath reached out to steady him with his free hand.
“I thought so. You’ve been training with your father, your highness?”
“Yes,” Relam replied, wiping sweat from his brow. “A couple days ago. How did you know?”
“I was a cadet the same time as your father,” Agath explained. “I know all of his tricks, and how to combat them if you recognize them quickly enough. When you spin and hook like that, there’s a brief time where you are vulnerable to being knocked off balance. Work on speeding that move up a little and it will be harder for an opponent to take advantage.”
“Thank you, master,” Relam said, humbled by Agath’s display of knowledge and experience.
“Of course, your highness,” Master Agath said, bowing. “I am impressed by your ability to perform such feats. You are a fast learner.”
“It was either learn fast or be defeated repeatedly,” Relam replied ruefully.
Master Agath laughed. “Motivation is a powerful aid to learning. Keep up the good work, your highness.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Now, fetch Cevet for me.”
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.”
Relam bowed and marched back to the assembly hall. As he entered, the other four cadets looked up.
“Cevet, you’re up,” Relam announced.
The small cadet stood, taking a deep breath. “Any tips?”
Relam shook his head. “You’ll be just fine,” he promised. “Just remember what Agath taught us.”
Cevet nodded and stepped out of the hall. Relam took a seat on a bench once more to wait.
The other cadets came and went. Cevet returned, grinning confidently, and sent Knet out to replace him. When Knet returned, he could not find his voice, merely pointing to Delan. Delan left and returned, jerking a thumb at Jatt to indicate it was his turn. Jatt lumbered off and returned, taking a little longer than the others had. When he returned, Relam looked up expectantly.
“Well?” he asked.
“Huh?” Jatt replied, startled.
“Who does Master Agath want now?” Cevet elaborated.
“Oh. He said to wait here,” Jatt explained.
“Again?”
“Yes.”
“Did he say why?”
Jatt glared at Delan, frustrated. “I don’t-” He broke off as the door of the assembly hall opened.
The cadets immediately snapped to attention as Master Agath entered. He surveyed them gravely. “Form up,” he barked in his best parade ground voice.
The cadets obeyed instantly, forming a line and standing at attention, staring straight ahead.
“Today, you have faced the trials,” Agath said, pacing in front of them. “You know by now that one of your number failed and was sent home.”
He paused and looked them over briefly. Relam’s heart fluttered anxiously as he met the sword master’s gaze. “But you, you five, have passed.”
For a moment, there was not a sound. Then, the cadets looked around at each other, hardly believing their ears. “That’s it?” Relam asked, stunned.
Tar Agath grinned widely, letting out a booming laugh. “You should have seen your faces! ‘That’s it?” he parroted, looking at Relam. “Yes, you have completed your training under me. The trials were merely a final review of what you had learned. I had to be sure you really knew what you were doing and could perform under pressure.”
“And Sebast failed?” Delan demanded. “He was the best fighter in our class! How could you possibly fail him?”
Silence fell quickly and completely. The other four cadets, Relam included, watched Agath uneasily. The sword master’s expression hardened and a twitch started along his jawline.
“You can ask young Garenes when you see him, Delan. I will say, though, that I was
