97 Bloodfis (1/2)
In the morning, Old Thane cooked up a hefty portion of porridge, serving up an almost bucketful to Azhar at the dinner table.
Azhar had slept in the cottage's guest room – the one that was meant to be for Old Thane and Aine's children – and he sat at the table with an excited energy. Li could see that the hinterlander was fully healed, his physical wounds taken care of by Li and his mental energy restored with a good night's sleep.
All for that energy to get beaten down again.
Though, Li did not actually know how Old Thane was going to train Azhar.
When Li had brought up the topic of training Azhar in close combat with Old Thane, the old man had rather gravely asked whether the ranger was truly driven and committed to improving his skills, that were he not fully willing to lay down his life, then the only training the old man knew would not work.
Li had said that Azhar was willing, and since then Old Thane had spent the day quiet and ruminating to himself in between weeding sessions in the fields, probably drawing up a way to build Azhar from the ground up as a formidable fighter.
”Lad!” said Old Thane to Azhar, slapping the hinterlander's back. ”Eat your fill, and when you feel your stomach about to burst, eat even more. Grain is precious like gold for energy, and you will need much of it today for your training.”
”You don't gotta tell me that.” Azhar took in a spoonful of porridge. ”I ain't gonna pass up food, old man.”
Old Thane nodded in approval as he took a seat. His brows knit together in concern. ”Good. Now, tell me lad, do you truly wish for my training? Would not a skilled ranger help you more?”
”He's got all that and even magic covered,” said Azhar as he jutted his chin towards Li, speaking between chews. ”Ya talk all the time bout' you brawled with giants in the north and punched demons in the face, but I ain't never seen ya really go at it. Kinda excited to see what the Bloodfist has to teach me.”
”The Bloodfist, eh?” Old Thane smiled, his cloudy eyes flitting up as he recalled a sea of memories most likely drenched in violence. He shook his head once before speaking to Azhar. ”They say a Djinn's wishes are best left unheeded. Are you willing to die for this, lad?”
It was a question of serious gravity entirely unfitting for the dinner table, but Azhar was unfazed. ”Hells yeah. If I ain't getting' stronger, I'm gonna drop dead anyway. Don't matter whether that's now or by a monster's claw in the future cause' I'm too weak.”
”Fitting words for you, young lad,” Old Thane smiled, flashing a few chipped teeth. ”Among you three little rascals, you were the one most like me. Willing to throw away your life, to treat it like a resource. Thus, I can tell you are suited for my training, for it will be the very same I went through.”
”They had martial arts up in the Northwastes? Am I gonna learn some kinda secret northman winter fist?”
Old Thane laughed. ”Not at all, lad. It is, how shall I put it, more a philosophy? Hah, my words fail me, for they were never my domain. Come, lad, eat up. We have work to do.”
It ended up being that work was farming.
”You want me to what?” said Azhar as Old Thane led him to the fields. By now, the new batch of wheat had grown almost to maturation, their stalks tall and green, not yet golden.
”To weed the fields.” Old Thane cocked his head. ”My training is not free, lad, and this will be a good way to work up a sweat before we begin.”
Azhar looked to Li, and Li shrugged, saying, ”Old man's rules are his rules. You want his training, you follow them. Besides, it's just weeding. Simple enough that anyone, even you, can do it.”
In a little over an hour, Azhar and Old Thane finished weeding. Old Thane generally guided Azhar through the fields, telling him which weeds to pluck out and what plants were to be left alone. All throughout this process, Zagan followed close behind, observing happenings on the field today instead of sleeping with his usual disinterested air.
Azhar jumped up and down beside the fields, warming his muscles up as he looked expectantly to Old Thane.
”How bout it', old man. Now that the farmin's done, we can get started now, yeah?”
Old Thane cracked his dirt-laced knuckles. ”Patience, young lad. First, we cannot train here where prying eyes are much abound. Even now, I sense the errant farmer eyeing our golden crop.”
Li knew that around the time the supernatural wheat grew, a few farmers on the outskirts of Riviera, real farmers, not like the ones that just owned land, checked out Li and Old Thane's farm in wonder.
”Should I drive them off?” said Li.
Old Thane shook his head. ”No need, lad. Azhar, head first to the woods, right where the main road leads into it. I must prepare a few things.”
”Got a stretch them creakin' bones?” Azhar nodded with a smile. ”Aight, old man, I'll be waitin.”
Old Thane watched as Azhar went out of sight, and the moment the ranger disappeared, the old man talked to Li.
”Lad, will that ant take care of this farm in our absence?”
Li nodded. ”You bet it will.”
”Wonderful, for else the farm would be left unattended,” said Old Thane. ”Demon!” he called out to Zagan.
Zagan trotted over to them, reddened eyes flashing.
”You're taking him with us?” said Li.
”Aye, lad. He has graciously agreed to offer his aid in this training, if it can be called that.”
”I see.” Li did not pry much further. He trusted the old man to do whatever he wanted.
”It may be selfishness of mine, but I have another request, lad.”
”What is it?”
”The demon will grant me some strength such that I may fight. Should Azhar question me, will you take the burden upon yourself to explain? That it was your spell or elixir that restored my strength, albeit in a temporary manner?”
”Just that? Then of course. Not even sure Azhar would even question you. There are legitimately some elixirs that can probably buff your stats enough to compete with him.”
”Aye, lad, but just to be safe.” Old Thane smiled as he tread forwards to the Winterwoods. His smile seemed uncharacteristically youthful and wreathed with excitement, almost mischievous, and Li had the sneaking suspicion that the old man was not telling him the full story.
”You know, how exactly are you planning on training him?” said Li.
Old Thane told him, and Li now understood what to do.
”Let's go,” said Li to the wyrm idling by his legs. ”You seem to like watching fights, and this will be a long one.”
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