A Hero With/Out Time

Chapter 9: My Calm (Part 5)

I yawned. It was the early morning and I was awake out of habit and found nothing to do. The inn took care of the laundry and most of the cooking. The carriage was being repaired by someone else and everyone's equipment had been left at the blacksmiths to be cared for. Even at home in Axel there was always something to do but now I was standing in the centre of the inn's lobby looking around aimlessly.

"Found you," Earnest's voice and hand clasped around my shoulder causing me to jump. "Your body has recovered has it not?"

"Maybe...," I replied stiffly knowing where this was leading.

"Good enough, follow me." Without a choice I was pulled away to be beaten.

Earnest's training gave me something to do and it almost made it worth it. Almost. Despite being bored I could also just go back to sleep, which compared to being chased around the inn's courtyard, forced to attack only to be hit back, knocked over to the ground, stabbed and many other forms of torture, I much preferred sleep for obvious reasons. I seriously thought I would die at points and in reply I actually fought for my life only to have Earnest take that as me being motivated.

"Rain are you dead?" he hovered above me after throwing me to the ground for the umpteenth time. I stayed where I was hoping he would think I was unconscious and leave. "Hmm looks like you're still breathing. Good session. We'll start again tomorrow."

A minute passed before I realised he actually left me. The bastard actually just left me pretending to be unconscious on the ground. He didn't even try to help me up. The jerk! Next time I cooked his portion was going to be smaller. I rose up from the grass with a huff.

"Ah!" Lara screamed in surprise. "W-what are you doing?"

"Sorry didn't see you," I huffed and brushed off my dirtied clothes. It looked like she had come to the courtyard to do her morning practice swings. Why Earnest didn't train with her more was beyond me. My one possible regret the past cycle was catching his eye.

"Were you training with Earnest?" Lara asked me sympathetically.

"What gave you that idea?" I rolled my eyes.

"You know you've been a lot more sarcastic lately," she eyed me curiously.

"My apologies Hero. I'll be sure to fix my attitude immediately," I bowed deeply.

"Okay stop!" she raised her hands at me and looked away distastefully. "I didn't say it was bad." She turned back as I smiled, "Did you need me to call Marley?"

I shook my head, "I'd rather not owe her anything more. I'll head to the apothecary and fix myself up."

"Are you sure? You look like you're in pain...."

"Oh I am," I laughed. "But it's nothing that'll kill me."

She paused in thought as I was about to leave, "Actually I'll come with you."

"No you really don't need to," I said immediately. While we had become somewhat closer she was still the Hero. There was a line that needed to be drawn.

"I'm interested in the apothecary anyway. Back in the palace there was always a healer and now we have Marley but after what happened, I thought it might be a good idea if we had something in reserve."

I knew by the way she was looking at me that 'no' wasn't going to cut it. Instead I nodded and led the way. Greytree was large enough to have multiple apothecaries and some even belonging solely to the army stationed at the fortress. Most towns would have one and would be lucky to have anyone able to cast healing magic like Marley. From what I knew of Lara even she couldn't cast it as she had some of the key mana used inversely talented. Axel barely registered as a town with our population. The only reason we had an apothecary was because it was one of my mothers' hobby.