Inside the walls there is a wide bare area unused for any purpose. It is there so that missiles lobbed over the walls don't hit anything. It was here that we practiced. I'd brought Kerral with me to field questions from the sentinels and keep people off our case. Other than that he was to watch and do nothing more. I wanted his opinion on my skill and Sapphire's. I'd ask him later.
Sapphire set up four burning brands in a square, grabbed one of the dull edged swords and turned to face me. “Put the armor on,” he said, relaxing the point of the blade to the ground.
“What about you?”
“I won't need armor.”
“That's a bit arrogant isn't it?” Even a dulled blade can break a bone, crack a skull, and kill. So can a club. Go figure.
“I won't need it.”
To hell with you, then. I put the armor on and we went to it.
After an hour I was spent and Sapphire was as fresh as a daisy. I hadn't touched him and he had bruised me all over, apart from my head and face and neck. I was breathing deeply and covered in sweat. My arms hurt. I'd used a shield and he had not. I decided I hated him.
It was he who stepped back and lowered his sword, assessing my condition.. “Enough for tonight. More tomorrow. I want a token so I can pass the ward freely.”
I stood there, breathing like a bellows and hurting for a second or two as I thought about it. Then I glanced at Kerral and he nodded back.
“I'll see to it you have access to the one we have. You know the wagon we guard?”
Sapphire agreed that he did and left, just like that. Not another word out of him.