They have no hold over me anymore, Khollo thought to himself. I’m done with trying to please Wilkes and become a good soldier. There are more important things that I can actually do something about. Khollo ducked into the barracks and made for his bunk.
Chapter 5
It took all of ten minutes for Khollo to pack his few belongings. They all fit in his battered pack, once he had dumped Wilkes’ boulder out of it. Then, Khollo made for the main gates. Before he went to ground, there was something he wanted to check.
When Khollo reached the main gate, he found the oaken portal closed, the guards sitting in a patch of weak sunlight along the wall. Khollo recognized one of them as the man who had congratulated Khollo on helping Hern. As he approached, both men looked up warily.
“Can we help you?” the guard Khollo did not recognize asked carefully.
Khollo shrugged. “Maybe. Why are the gates closed?”
“Lord Kurkan’s orders,” the other guard explained, getting to his feet slowly. “Before he and Ondus went off on their mission or whatever, he left orders for the gate to be sealed at all times except when the cadets leave for physical training.”
“Did he say why?”
The two guards looked at each other, then shook their heads in unison.
“Any new messages from Ja – Lord Kurkan?” Khollo asked.
“Who are you?” the guard who was still sitting demanded.
Khollo sighed. “I’m Khollo, Lord Kurkan’s squire. He left me a special assignment while he was gone and told me he may send messages back to the fortress from time to time depending on how things go.”
“Well, Khollo,” the guard on the ground growled. “He hasn’t sent anything. Shouldn’t you be in training or something?” he added belligerently.
The other guard rested a hand on his companion’s shoulder. “Linn, take it easy, I know this one.” He turned back to Khollo. “You’re the one who assisted Cadet Hern.”
Khollo nodded. “Yes.”
Linn stood quickly, brushing wet grass from his backside. “Damn, I – Sorry about that,” he amended, addressing Khollo. “Guard duty gets dead boring after about thirty seconds.”
“I understand,” Khollo replied with a small smile.
The other guard extended his hand. “Rowert Brint, at your service. And you’ve met Linn Keswal.”
Khollo nodded and shook hands with both guards. “Sorry to bother you,” he said, “But the assignment Lord Kurkan left me is an important one.”
“What is it?” Linn asked eagerly.
Khollo hesitated, then shook his head. “I can’t say,” he replied. “Early stages yet, and Janis didn’t want me to tell anyone.”
“Ah well, if those are your orders, those are your orders,” Rowert replied, leaning against the wall. He frowned, looking across the courtyard. “Drill is still going isn’t it?”
Khollo looked down and shuffled his feet. “Not for me. Wilkes threw me out this morning.”
Both guards winced. “Not much you can do about that, then,” Linn muttered. “Wilkes don’t forgive and he don’t forget.”
“And he doesn’t change his mind or admit he might have been wrong either,” Rowert agreed. “Tough luck, kid.”
Khollo shrugged. “I’m not really cut out for it anyway. The bigger problem is I’ve been kicked out of the barracks too.”
“I was wondering why you were luggin’ that pack with you,” Linn muttered.
Rowert looked around the fortress thoughtfully. “So you’re in need of a place to stay?”
Khollo nodded. “I’m open to suggestions.” Anything that will help me avoid Wilkes and keep warm until Janis returns and sorts this mess out.
“Well, it’s not much, but the stables and smithies are always looking for help,” Rowert said, looking down at Khollo sympathetically. “Hard working lad like yourself could do a lot of good there.”
Khollo thought about this. The smithies were always warm, sometimes too much so, and the other cadets and Wilkes had no reason to go there. He didn’t know the blacksmiths, but maybe they would help out their lord’s squire. “It’s worth a shot I suppose,” Khollo decided.
“Great!” Rowert replied, clapping Khollo on the shoulder. “I’ll introduce you to one of the smiths, Tarrik. We’re on friendly terms. Linn, stand guard will you?” Rowert added as he struck out for the smithies.
Linn snorted. “Stand guard against what? Anybody trying to leave? I wouldn’t blame them personally. Nothing to do out in this wasteland.”
Khollo grinned in reply, then hitched up his pack and followed Rowert.
The smithies were built into the outer wall of the West Bank, like nearly every other building. But the smithy protruded from the wall a good bit as well, owing to the need for chimneys and such over the furnaces that burned night and day. As Khollo approached, the din of hammers on metal carried clearly, as well as the roar of several large fires and the hideous scrape of metal on stone. The front of the building was open to the courtyard to provide ventilation, and Khollo could see a trio of men in heavy, fireproof smocks working on various projects. A guardsman was leaning against the right-hand wall, watching the nearest smith sharpen a sword blade on a large, rotating whetstone.
Khollo and Rowert stopped just outside the smithy, waiting. Even here, the temperature of the air was noticeably warmer. Khollo was already finding that he quite liked the idea of working here for the time being.
“Here you are,” a deep voice boomed, startling Khollo from his thoughts. “All ready to go, Gellen.”
The guardsman stepped forward and took his sword, eying it appreciatively. “Thanks, Tarrik. That’s a keen edge if I’ve ever seen one.”
Tarrik chuckled. “You may never need it around here though. Only thing to fight here is the cold and boredom,
