Chapter 5

Roland was having sword practice and instructions. Now that spring had arrived, and the snow was but a memory, it was too nice a day to practice indoors. They were in the practice yard, and Roland was being hammered by his swordmaster.

"Again! You're letting your point sag too low. If you keep giving me openings, or worse, give an enemy these openings, you're going to wind up dead!" the swordmaster said quietly.

"I know. It's just my arm is tired. Can we halt for the day?" Roland asked a bit breathlessly.

"Of course. Roland, you need to work on your strength and stamina. Sword work is very serious business. If you're serious about becoming at least competent with the sword, you're going to have to make a choice.

"I can train you only so far, if you do not work to overcome your weaknesses. Your right hand is weaker than it should be, you become tired too easily, and you keep forgetting that you can move around. If you wish to over come these problems, you need to train your strength and right arm," Swordmaster Ellers finished.

Roland escorted master Ellers to the gate, where his horse was waiting to take him back to Frontek.

"One more thing, Roland. I hear you are going to be ennobled at the conclave of lords during mid-summer. I also hear that there might be a challenge to your elevation to the peerage. While it has not happened in over a hundred years, there is something called the right of challenge, and it usually ends in a fight to the death. Most nobles have had sword training since childhood. You have come to it, late.

"While you are improving, you still lack the coordination and strength that comes with having had years to practice. You have come a long way in the year since I started training you, Roland. You can hold your own against the average swordsman... for a time. Do yourself and me a favor. Train your strength, and practice with a guard. Most guards will be able to give you a good workout," Ellers said, then with a nod he was out the gate, cantering down the long hill to the Frontek Road.

Roland sighed. He'd had every intention of practicing his sword work more; but when duke Taft and his lady arrived, his schedule had been thrown off. The duke had personally started training Roland in magic for the short time he had visited the castle. Even after that storm had ended, they had waited another two days before the duke and his lady had left. That gave Roland time for some important lessons in elemental magic.

He had been shocked to see he was sadly lacking in that particular magic. He started intensively practicing his new magic, as well as what he had learned from before. Which, of course, meant his sword practice slipped. Now he wished he had kept up with it!

Mid-summer was only a little over two and a half months away! He would work hard to strengthen his arm, he promised himself grimly. He did not care for the thought of being challenged and coming up short.

In the meantime, he was going to go to the Kings Inn. He had finally gotten a chance to go back to the Inn, and he had missed not being able to go during the time he was cooped up in the castle.

During his first visit, Tam and the others brought him up to date on what they had been doing, and he had told them his news. He had been bursting to tell someone, and who better than his three friends?

They had been thrilled and wide eyed when he told them that Duke Taft was sponsoring Roland to the rank of baron. Tam had gotten up from their table, and thrown her arms around Roland in a hug. The others hand pounded him on the back or shook his hand after she let him go.

Roland watched as she blushed a bit. She had hugged him! He still got a thrill every time he remembered that, and he recalled it frequently! He still had a couple candle marks before his friends got out of classes for the day. He sighed.

Roland was sitting at his normal table at the Kings Inn mooning over Tam. He was not usually so oblivious, but ever since she hugged him, he could not get her out of his thoughts.

"Roland!" Cally exclaimed.

Roland snapped back from his watching Tam. "What?" he asked confused.

Laughter followed. "I said, when do you go to that valley that your family owns, next?" Cally asked with exasperation.

"Oh, we go in two weeks. We want to give the spring rains a chance to blow over before we go," Roland answered with a slight flush.

A discussion followed of the crops, lands and the winter storm that had taken so many unprepared. Even in the city of Frontek, the death toll had been surprisingly high. Every winter the old or inform died due to the harshness of the weather. It was a fact of life.

This winter had been particularly harsh, and almost three times the usual deaths had occurred. What was really sad, were the very young that were numbered in with the elderly and infirm. This winter had taken six times the normal death rate, for the little ones.

Roland and his father had decided to do something in their valley, to protect their tenants. It was a huge valley and a lot of it was still not cleared for farming. Roland and Berandal had decided on a keep and storage sheds and granaries. The sheds would be within the walls of the keep. They did not want their people lacking for food or shelter, if this harsh of a winter should happen again.

They listened as Roland outlined what had already been accomplished on this particular project, which was not much, as they were just starting out. A couple sites had been checked out by the previous owners; and once the king had looked around for possible fortification positions. So, armed with this information, and the trip they were going to make, they would make a decision as to a location that would best serve the people of the valley.

Soon the conversation moved on, and Roland could relax and take in Tam's beauty. A young girl of 18, she had red hair, and eyes that changed from blue to green depending on her mood. She was just a bit over 5 foot tall, but was very energetic and ready to argue her point to the death! She was also a good student of magic, if what was said by his friends was even half true.

As it was getting late, and people were filtering in for the evening meal sold by the Kings Inn, Cally and Luka rose and left. Tam, on the other hand, was staying.

"Father and mother are coming to pick me up, but they will stay for evening meal. If you're here when they come, I would be glad to introduce you," Tam told Roland, lowering her eyes a bit bashfully.