Beginning of a Hero (Legends of Windemere)

by Charles E Yallowitz

  “I will admit that her grades have a lot to be desired,” Fritz says, a hint of disappointment in his voice. He quickly recovers his warm, friendly tone. “That is a nice way of saying that she sleeps through class if she even bothers to show up. Still, that should not be a reason to give up on the class. Learning the history of siege weapons is important because, all too often, today’s warriors find themselves fighting against such technology. It is essential to know which levers and ropes control which function. Do you know what to do when faced with an orcish ballista, Ms. Marley?”

  “You fire an arrow or throw a dagger at the mid-sized gear that is about a foot to the right of the firing lever. Your goal is to spin the gear without breaking or jamming it,” Theresa calmly explains without delay. The stunned expression on Fritz’s face causes her to grin triumphantly. “This should cause the ballista to collapse, causing the machine to be parallel to the ground instead of angled. Any attack being fired at the time will hit the ground along with any allies who are standing about twenty yards in front of the weapon. To increase your chance of pulling this off, one should throw a dagger into the throat of the man closest to the lever. Try to severe the windpipe and, if you’re very good, the spine, so that the man will drop before he knows what hit him. This can give you a few seconds of confusion that you can use to reach the ballista and finish off the rest of the firing team.”

  Nimby nervously looks from Theresa’s grin to Fritz’s look of awe. The halfling nervously mutters, “I don’t like either of those faces.”

  “Personally, I prefer to deal with siege towers,” she casually admits. “They are much easier to dispose of considering they are designed for quick set up instead of durability. All one has to do is scare the horses that are pulling it or set fire to the middle of the structure. You must set the fire just high enough for it to be difficult to put out, but not high enough for it to get blown out by high winds. That happened to me once and it was quite embarrassing.”

  Fritz sits next to Theresa, gently stroking her hand. She quickly pulls it away and smacks Fritz across the face, retracting her claws at the last moment. The hit seems to have no effect as Fritz puts his hands behind his head and leans back with a happy smile. Nimby and Kellia continue to be ignored as they quietly watch the exchange.

  “I am impressed,” Fritz declares with a chuckle. “But you have it all wrong about the siege tower. If one is able to severe the fourth support strap of the panel that is second closest to the top on the left side of the device then the entire structure will collapse. That is the left side if you are facing it from behind the horses. It is a design flaw that we have worked very hard to analyze. Fortunately, there is a new model that has the support straps inside the structure without losing the benefit of a quick set up. Nobody has found a weak point to it yet. Then again, your fire tactic would still be a threat. We must really get together on a moonlit night and discuss our siege weapons.”

  “I should probably let you three handle whatever business you have. Thanks for seeing me, Ms. Marley,” Kellia says. She politely exits the room, leaving Theresa to deal with Fritz and Nimby.

  “Let’s go to the point, gentlemen. What do you two want with me? Do not try to lie to me. I was told of your reputations before I entered the academy,” Theresa warns them in a voice that reminds Nimby of a hungry mountain lion. With her tail moving hypnotically behind her, she levels her predatory gaze at Fritz. “You are Fritz Warrenberg from the Guldrack Mountains. Your fame includes being a master of alchemy, engineering, inventing, and the winner of last year’s Sulfurite Award for his invention of the sodium globe launcher. A nasty weapon that fires glass orbs containing raw sodium. This creates a small explosion on contact, which you claimed could be used against Weapon Dragons when magic was unavailable. The weapon has been banned on all continents after being adopted by several criminal organizations. The sodium globe launcher earned you your fourth Sulfurite Award, but the controversy around your invention led to you demanding that you be banned from all future nominations. A very noble request considering what else I know about you. You are a terrible womanizer and partake of the taverns as often as you can. A lesser known interest of yours is that you are a scholar of monster lore and have vast knowledge of uncivilized creatures. You have studied the anatomy and behavior of several beasts including griffins, giltris, unicorns, satyrs, and all undead. Aside from your social behavior, you are unquestionably one of the premiere geniuses of our time.”

  “And you are Nimby,” she continues, turning from the blushing gnome to the bored halfling. “No last name or aliases. No records of your homeland and family. You’re a complete mystery even among thieves who pride themselves on knowing the unknown. I could list your many accomplishments, but I believe there is one incident that you keep secret more than others. You are responsible for stealing the jewels of Queen Nosh of Fornyle and planting them on one of her sons who was then executed. This led to the implosion of the royal family who had been ruling through brutality and secret executions since their matriarch assumed power at the age of ten. Your prank caused the other sons of Queen Nosh to turn on their mother and reveal all of her evil actions to the public. The land is now a blossoming kingdom of Cerascent and very few know who was responsible for inciting the civil war. You disappeared from the public eye for years until you showed up in the Rodillen thieves’ guild about five years ago. There was an incident between you and some other thieves, so you left to become a woodworking teacher in an ex-mercenary’s academy.”

  Nimby and Fritz stare at each other, speechless, for few minutes. Theresa gets herself a glass of water and pours two more for her stunned guests. They silently take the offered drinks with a nod and delicately sip at the water. Theresa watches them over the rim of her glass, contently lapping at the water with her bright pink tongue. Nimby eventually pulls out his yo-yo and begins playing with it.

  “Well, it looks like you know a lot about us,” Fritz says once he finishes his water. “I’m rather flattered that you took the time to investigate me. I guess this means that I don’t have to talk about myself and we can skip to talking about important things like you, the wedding, and what our kids should be named.”

  Nimby skims Fritz’s nose with his yo-yo to get everyone’s attention. “Fritz is correct in a warped kind of way. We were hoping to learn more about you, Ms. Marley. I mean, everyone knows about Daniel Skyblade and his adventures. I guess you could say that there is nothing interesting about him once you hear the tales. In contrast, we have never heard any stories or rumors about you. Selenia tends to hire people with impressive backgrounds, but you aren’t even mentioned in bardic footnotes. Just like me, you barely exist in stories, reputation, or anything like that.”

  “I’m flattered that you find me so interesting. I am willing to talk as long as I think you have a right to know the answers. I feel it is about time people started hearing more about the female warriors of today,” she says with a proud smirk before she can stop herself. She coughs and wipes the smirk off her face. “Forgive me, but I have a feeling that there is more to your curiosity than you let on. I’ve noticed that both of you have been up to something lately. That and you are close to the Callindor boy, so for all I know he wants this information and is making you do his dirty work. I could tell that he was tempted to challenge me, but he backed down because he knew nothing about me. A true coward dressed as a hero.”

  “Luke isn’t a coward! You take that back!” Nimby defiantly shouts.

  “I guess he can’t be all bad if a thief is willing to defend him so quickly,” Theresa slyly comments, locking eyes with Nimby. “There's nothing suspicious about that at all.”

  “Luke and I might have just met, but he is my friend,” Nimby declares while getting to his feet. “He’s the only person at this academy who actually listens to all of my stories instead of pretending to listen. I’m happy to call him my friend and nobody insults my friends without getting some of my lip. What is your problem with him any
way?”

  Theresa arches her back with a full-body stretch, ignoring Fritz’s lecherous grin. “He has been given everything due to his name. You can tell by the look on his face and the near-pristine condition of his gear. I assume you have looked through his belongings just like I have. His gear is proof that his reputation has not been earned through action. I despise those who are born into bard tales without lifting a finger. It is always the men too. A woman will get that type of attention only if she is a member of the noble class, but not if she is a warrior. If Luke ever reaches the level of skill that Skyblade and Selenia are at then I can assure you he will get cockier. That sickens me even more because people like your friend always let their reputation go to their heads with nobody willing to tell them when they are behaving like jerks.” Theresa stops ranting to catch her breath and calm down. “So, I guess what I mean to say is that I hate him for what he will undoubtedly become.”

  “So, you’re a bitter kitten with a chip on her shoulder,” Nimby states, taking his seat again.

  “You little imp! You know nothing about me and-” she starts.

  “And you know nothing about Luke, so you shouldn’t talk like that about him,” Nimby sharply interrupts. “Now, we still have some questions that you said we could ask. Luke and your personal feelings toward him have nothing to do with our visit unless you feel the need to make it an issue. I warn you that if you continue to insult my friend, it will become an issue that will be made very public and very messy. You want to add anything, Fritz.”

  “I think you were perfectly clear for both of us. Now, for our important questions. What is your favorite drink and . . . oof,” Fritz says before Nimby’s empty cup bounces off his forehead. “Hey! There’s no need for that, halfling!”

  “This isn’t the time for that, gnome. Besides, I don’t think she’s your type,” Nimby retorts, his demeanor becoming surprisingly calm and friendly again. The halfling turns his attention back to Theresa who is cautiously eyeing him. “I want to know what you did before coming to the academy. You act like an experienced adventurer, but that doesn’t narrow down your experience. Were you in an army, a guild, or just a freelancer?”

  Theresa is about to answer when Fritz puts his hand on her leg. She stands up and punches him in the nose, causing the flimsy couch to fall over with Fritz still seated on it. Nimby ignores Fritz as he crawls into a nearby rocking chair and pulls out a handkerchief to wipe the blood off his upper lip.

  “Does he always act like this?” she asks. She adjusts her pants, so that her tail is back in the comfortable dip along the waistline.

  “I’m afraid so,” Nimby answers with an exaggerated sigh. “He was rejected for an entire week in the Gaian taverns, so he’s attention-starved. Unless you talk to him about anything intellectual or creative, Fritz tends to act on his libido. Not like me. I’m a model of self-control and restraint. You won’t catch me hitting on girls or making sexual comments. Not my type of entertainment.”

  “I see,” Theresa mutters, letting her eyes scan the tables and shelves that are in reach of Nimby.

  A few seconds of silence pass while Theresa notices that some of the items near Nimby have been moved. The change is nothing more than a subtle shift that only Theresa would pick up on since she memorized the placement of each item in the room. She hides her amazement since the only times she ignored Nimby entirely were when Fritz forced her to hit him. Both times the halfling was off her mind for no more than ten seconds and he still managed to look through everything around him. She expected Nimby to be good at his trade, but this was at the level of a master thief, which made him a true oddity at the academy. The only explanation she can think of is that the halfling is hiding from some powerful enemies. It would explain why he sticks so close to someone like Luke Callindor. Many people would think twice about moving on Nimby if they thought he was protected by a skilled warrior. Even if Luke was not seen as a threat, the reputation of his grandfather would scare off most bounty hunters and mercenaries. Theresa rubs her arms as if she is cold in order to hide the shiver of realizing that Nimby is a lot smarter, and possibly more dangerous, than she had previously thought. The anxiety creeping into her skin is a signal that the conversation has to end soon. She finishes her drink as she carefully decides what to tell them.

  “You want to know about me?” she asks in a challenging voice. “Very well. I am from Rodillen where I was trained as a thief in the use of daggers, stealth, and other survival necessities. I never joined the guild and only stole enough to survive until I was able to leave the city. I spent five years jumping from adventuring party to adventuring party in order to travel across Windemere. My travels are where I learned that men get all the credit while women are only looked at to cast spells, heal allies, or be saved. Those of us who use weapons, aside from the stereotypical weapons of my gender, are ignored in the stories of bards. I have fought Weapon Dragons, trolls, old-world vampires, new-world vampires, lycanthropes, and demons to become me what I am today.”

  When she stops to take a breath, Fritz politely interjects, “It sounds like you’ve had a rough life with many bad experiences. I suggest that you not let these experiences harm the potential friendships that you can make here.”

  “Recently, I have spent the last six years in Gaia as a special agent of the Grand Counselors,” she continues, ignoring Fritz’s sympathy and suggestion. “My duties have included covert operations and cleaning out thieves in an effort to prevent the development of a guild. Since I was a woman, many of my targets didn’t take me seriously. I had to handle my missions in the shadows, beyond the law’s reach. Somehow my reputation focused on my assassination missions, which became my specialty. So, I was used as a last resort by my employers and came to be called Death’s Shadow.”

  Nimby’s face immediately goes white and he grabs Fritz by the ankle. He starts dragging the struggling gnome out of the room without looking away from Theresa, whose cold smile puts him on edge. Again, Nimby is reminded of a mountain lion, which sends a shiver down his spine. When he gets to the door, he finally gathers the courage to speak.

  “We’re sorry to have bothered you. Did I mention that I’ve retired and only steal from other thieves? It must have slipped my mind,” the halfling rambles, his words spewing from his mouth at an amazing speed. “Take care and try to keep the body count low while you’re here, especially if you set your sights on the halfling population at this academy. There aren’t many of us in the first place, so Selenia would quickly notice if we began disappearing. Also, she really hates having to clean up messes.” Without any hesitation, Nimby dashes out the door, dragging Fritz behind him.

  Theresa can hear the rapid thudding of Fritz’s head going down the stairs as the spooked halfling hurries away from the room. She can’t help but laugh as she closes and locks the door. Her chuckles are slowly stifled as she picks up a notebook from her desk and pulls out one of her daggers. Theresa puts a thin line through two of the five names on the first page and tosses the notebook onto the overturned couch.

  “Fritz Warrenberg and Nimby,” Theresa whispers with an amused laugh. “Nothing to worry about from those two, but the others might be trouble. I noticed that Aedyn Karwyn doesn’t seem to care about what his friends are up to. Sometimes I wonder if he is even aware of what they are doing or if he is out of the loop. That doesn’t mean he won’t be a problem for us. Still, it is best that we not worry about the priest while there are bigger obstacles. We have to concentrate on getting the Callindor off our trail and out of the area before he ruins our plan. It might take a few days to set up the right situation. What do you think?”

  She flicks the dagger at a corner of the room where it slices through the rope holding one of the window curtains open. The curtain glides into place and a person suddenly materializes in a shadowy corner.

  “Glad to see that Nimby and Fritz aren’t good enough to see through illusions,” Kellia says with a deep breath. “If they saw that I didn’t really leave
then we would have been in trouble.” Her body begins to relax from the strain of having to stand still for so long. She takes small steps out of the shadows, feeling her legs to tingle and itch.

  “They are that good,” Theresa points out, stretching her arms over her head. “They never thought that an illusion would be in the room of a warrior, so they never looked around. We got lucky, but it’s best not to be caught together in private again.”

  “You’re right,” the girl agrees before she takes her glass of cold tea and swallows it in one gulp. “I hate to admit that you are right about that little group. They shouldn’t pose a problem for us. Luke is the only one who worries me. Trouble and meddling are written all over his face. I’ll leave him to you, Ms. Marley. I hope you can settle all this without making a scene.”

  “As you wish, milady,” Theresa states, opening the door for Kellia. The girl gives her a friendly punch on the arm as she enters the hallway and disappears into the shadows.

  9

  The wooden blade smacking his knee wakes Luke up from his trance. It is the middle of the advanced sword fighting class and he has been in a mental haze ever since his encounter with Kira. Nothing registers in his mind except for the distant creaking of swaying trees and the unseasonal wisps of icy wind on his face. He can feel that something is wrong in Visindor Forest. The feeling is so strong that it is difficult to get his mind to focus. That is until the pain of a bruised knee gets his attention and he finds himself hopping across the ground in a comical attempt to regain his balance. He avoids falling backwards by planting his training sabers into the ground and using them to push himself back to his feet.

  “Halt! Get your head back on your neck, Callindor!” Selenia shouts from where she is talking with Theresa Marley. “If this was a real fight, Matias would have taken your lower leg off!”

  “Sorry, Matias, I’ll pay more attention,” Luke whispers, spinning his training sabers.