The Reformation Wars: Conflicts Rekindled

Chapter 20

Manfred spent his first five days of knighthood performing humble tasks such as cleaning the horse stables, grooming the equestrians, and generally being a set of strong arms as Tom Holt had the knight's hall rearranged to accommodate his new plans. While the younger men assigned to perform those same tasks alongside him proved full of complaining and bitterness, he remained content.

When Manfred's sixth day arrived, Tom assigned him a teacher from among the more experienced knights who practiced the Torlenian style. For the next few days, his mornings were filled with instruction and refining of his skills, with afternoons occupied in sparring with fellow swordsmen of all disciplines and skill levels. Nearly every lunchtime, he enjoyed an outdoor chat with Princess Kate, who seemed to grow more playful and cheery each day. Why that was, Manfred had no clue.

Then when the morning of day twelve arrived, Tom called the knights together to announce that he was making an addition to training protocol. While primary focus would be given to swordsmanship, he ordered that one special session a week be dedicated to learning various common battlefield weapons such as polearms and spears. Though archery wouldn't be made mandatory, he gave a strong recommendation that it be worked into training sessions as well.

Since very few of the senior knights had previous familiarity with weapons beside the sword, and those that did had little confidence in their ability to teach them, Tom made a quick run to the military barracks just outside the capital and brought back some officers to give instruction.

So before long, Manfred found himself being escorted by Tom to one of the sparring rooms to meet the soldier who would be his instructor for the day. When they entered the chamber, Manfred raised an eyebrow at the other pairs of sparring men, wielding a variety of heavy weapons of such length that the only physical contact possible would be blade or hammer head against flesh. Unless someone rushed into grappling range, of course, which one young knight did, only to be flipped onto the floor by his instructor and shown that he could have been beheaded right there were it a real fight. Manfred shuddered in sync with the fallen knight.

When Manfred returned his attention to the path ahead, he realized Tom was slowing near the corner of the room, where a Monteraynian soldier stood with a pole-axe in his hands, girded in sophisticated plate armor evidently exported from Alconte. The soldier's helmet lay at his feet, allowing Manfred to view his olive-skinned face. He sported a stubbly beard of no great length, but just enough to give his jawline greater definition. Overall, his features were well-proportioned, and the skin around his eyes bore various wrinkles, which Manfred could only assume were from expressions like squinting and frowning, as the soldier only appeared a few years older than himself.

Tom cleared his throat beside Manfred. "Allow me to introduce you to Captain Sloan Troy, Overseer of the capital's garrison. He'll be your instructor for today."

Manfred's lips tightened into an awkward smile as he extended his arm for a handshake. "Nice to meet you...sir. I'm Manfred Rickland."

The plates of metal covering Sloan's arm chattered against one another when he shifted his weapon into one hand and then reached out. He grasped Manfred's hand firmly, almost painfully. "I'm equally pleased to meet you, Rickland. We'll do a lot of heavy lifting today."

Manfred eyed the pole-axe apprehensively. It looked beastly, with its gleaming axe blade balanced out on the other side by a studded hammer head and finally tipped by a slender stabbing point. "Very heavy lifting."

"It's not too bad." Sloan remarked with a chuckle, "Just takes some getting used to. Alright, Sir Holt, you can hurry along and find someone else to boss around."