A court of Unshed tears

chapter #18

hey guys. first of all I just wanted to say how sorry I am for not posting for so long. shit happened and I was unable to write. but I am making Tuesday, Tamlin and Luna day. so even if I don't post every Tuesday, I promise to write so you will hopefully get a new chapter every one or two weeks. also I made this chapter super long to make up for my disappearance. the first half is Tamlin's POV and the second half is Luna's POV. again I'm so sorry. thanks soooo much for reading! I hope you enjoy! 

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Tamlin had taken down the newly trained soldier once again and was growing bored.

It was a beautiful morning: Grayish sky at this early hour and a calming breeze.

Tamlin felt three taps on his upper arm and released the male from the chokehold.

"Hell, how much have you been training in that manor?" the soldier backed away, heaving for breath.

Tamlin didn't smile. "That is all I do in the manor."

It was.

Tamlin's father had trained him from a young age to be a killing machine. destroying, decimating. That's what he was good at. Trained from birth to aid his brothers. to be a spy or assassin or warrior.

Though Tamlin didn't understand how he was supposed to do any of that locked inside a manor.

The soldier narrowed his eyes and got back in a defensive stance. "Again."
Tamlin rolled his eyes.

"Tamlin," Nial called from behind him. "you've done enough sparring this morning, go train the others on arrows."

Tamlin might have thanked the old warlord for sparing him from another boring fight. He nodded and left heading for the east side of the camp.

It was strange being back. Tamlin thought the camp looked different. Or maybe it felt different. Like everyone was waiting for something.

He had never seen war before. He didn't want to assume all the change meant war was coming.

He didn't want to be naive.

He was trying to work on that. It was one of his biggest faults according to his father.

Tamlin had spent the rest of the morning teaching the newcomers about arrows.

"When firing an arrow your reaction time must be quicker than theirs. Arrows are fired at long distances so one wrong move can be fatal."
Tamlin had always preferred close combat to arrows, but he knew they were equally important.

"If they string one before you, you're dead. If you are too focused on the arrow you are stringing up, you are dead. Remember that if you are an archer one of the most important things is staying hidden. If they can't see you coming you will be one hundred times more deadly. They cannot kill what they cannot see. Stealth and agility are fundamental..."
Tamlin went on just as he had been trained. He taught the newcomers the best he could.

He did like it though.

Training the men. It felt right. He could never see himself in his fathers shoes at court and in ballrooms and doing the Tithe, but this... this felt right.

After three hours spent shooting at targets, and doing drills running and hiding with the bows strapped to their backs, even Tamlin had broken a sweat.

He was putting back his weapons when Nial came up to him. "You are good with them."

Tamlin nodded, and light sparked in his chest at the compliment.