Life had changed a bit since he began training to be a soldier, but it wasn't all bad. He only needed to spend the morning in the castle yard training with others. As it turned out, he wasn't the only one called upon for drill, five other youths, all roughly his age, had also been summoned.
They were provided food at midday, it wasn't great, but it was enough to fill their bellies. Afterward, their time was their own, so Adrian was still able to continue his woodworking and finished Willy's commissioned chair on time.
On the 21st day of the 7th month, more than a week after his training began, he headed up to the castle yard as usual. The yard wasn't large, but it was sufficient for a dozen or so soldiers to spar simultaneously.
Adrian easily dodged Colby's spear thrust and kicked the shaft, but the old soldier was prepared. He simply spun the weapon, and Adrian took the chance to try and ram him. Colby seemed to predict this, he immediately sidestepped and swiped the spear back. Adrian deflected it with his round shield and thrust his mace, chasing the man. Colby twisted his body and tried to kick him back, but Adrian made a bold move and simply jumped at him. He felt the kick hit his stomach, but his weight and momentum crashed him into the old man, and they tangled together on the ground.
Adrian's knees pinned the hand holding the spear, and he raised his mace with a triumphant smile. "Hah! I got you, old man!"
Colby simply sneered. "Is that so?"
Adrian shifted slightly and felt a sharp pain in his groin. He saw that, at some point, the old man had pulled a dagger and pressed it against his crotch.
"Fuck…" he cursed, prying himself off the old man as he scrambled back to his feet. "But I surprised you with that one, eh? If you didn't have a dagger, I would have won…" He smirked.
Colby merely scoffed. "There is no 'if' on the battlefield. Never rely on it. It was a stupid move, one that would only work in rare instances."
Adrian shrugged and swung his mace in a practiced motion. His right arm was now fully healed, but he still wore cloth bandages for show. "You've been in actual combat to the death… do you think I have what it takes?" he asked as he practiced against an invisible foe, sweat beading on his body.
Colby took a moment to respond. "You do, if the opponent is less trained… or a fool. But all that training is useless if you panic on the battlefield." Then, as if remembering something, he added, "But I'd say you'll do well enough. Keep it up and you won't have to worry about being unable to defend yourself."
Adrian stopped and wiped the sweat from his face. "Well, that's reassuring, even if only a little."
It was then that Osway, the castle steward, appeared. He called a group over and pointed at Adrian.
"Me?" Adrian mumbled before approaching the steward with the others.
Seeing them gathered, Osway, a middle-aged man with a sharp mustache, cleared his throat. "As you know, tomorrow is the fifth day of the week. Trade boats will set off for Whitesand Town and will need guards. You will be the ones to escort these boats until the trade is over and they return."
Whitesand was a town under another baron. Compared to the Baron of Harrowfield, the Baron of Whitesand was wealthier and had more people, not to mention access to the ocean. Adrian had never been there, and the prospect of visiting delighted him.
He looked at his fellow guards. All of them were older than him, but he had sparred with each of them over the week, creating a sense of camaraderie.
"Steward Osway, we understand. We'll be ready," said Dexton, a man five years Adrian's senior who had nearly been conscripted into the war years ago.
"See that you do," the steward replied. Adrian felt Osway's gaze linger on him for a moment longer before the man turned away.
Adrian wasn't a fool, or at least he liked to think he wasn't.
The guards, though they were fellow villagers, treated him differently than the rest. It hadn't been obvious back in the village when he was a simple woodworker, but ever since he was tasked to train, people had become more respectful toward him, if only slightly. It was highly likely related to his last name.
One that hadn't been really relevant until he caught the attention of the baron.
Adrian merely shrugged it off. He didn't want to think about it too much, he was only worried that stepping forward would only lead to more responsibilities. That simply sounded like more work.
Adrian joined the group as they began discussing their preparations for the following day.
--
The next day arrived quickly. Because he was going into town, several villagers close to him asked for favors or items to buy, and Adrian had to list them all down. Trade between their village and the town was the only time coins were truly well used.
It was lucky that he knew how to read and write, something his father had insisted he learn, and he'd had no qualms about trying.
"You can read?" Dexton asked in surprise as they stopped at the small docks, hauling goods.
Adrian, who was making sure he hadn't forgotten anything and that the amount in his pouch was correct, turned to him. "More or less…"
He tucked away the list and looked at the three boats by the docks being loaded with trade goods. "Have you done this before?" he asked Dexton.
"Maybe once a month?" Dexton crossed his arms, standing beside him. "It's mostly peaceful, there should be no bandits now that things are settling down."
Adrian knew that during the height of conscription, men and supplies were taken from several villages, causing some people to turn to banditry to survive. For a while, traveling far from the village had been dangerous. Now, there should be no hiccups.
"Have you ever fought and killed a bandit?"
"I fought a few, taken the lives of one. Don't worry, we likely won't encounter any here... or would you prefer to face one?" Dexton looked at him with a raised brow.
"I would prefer no arrows shooting at me, no." Adrian replied.
Dexton chuckled, then shook his head, commenting on the river's flow. "The flow is good today. If the weather doesn't change, we'll be back by tomorrow."
"What's it like? The town?" Adrian was genuinely curious.
"Bigger than this village of ours... and more people. You'll see soon enough. I don't have enough words to properly describe it."
The steward arrived to make one last check of the goods before Adrian stepped into one of the boats. Another guard stood beside him as they set off. The boats sailed along the river, moving at a decent pace. They had left early and would likely reach the town well before sunset.
Throughout the journey, Adrian spent his time admiring the view. He had never been this far from home before. At the same time, he remained alert, he didn't want to die suddenly from a random arrow.
Apparently, his fellow guard, Garly, didn't share his concern. Garly was busy shoving his tongue down the throat of his lover, who was part of the trade group and he planned to marry her once he'd saved more money. Seeing them pressed against each other, their tongues intertwined, Adrian couldn't help but feel appalled.
At the same time, he chuckled at the thought that while he had already been intimate with a woman, he hadn't engaged in that type of kissing. It felt as though he had skipped a few steps, which, in truth, he had.
"Don't be jealous, there are a few others in town already eyeing you, you know," Garly said, pulling back from his lover to give him a wink.
Tawnie smiled at him. "I personally know one who is eager to get to know you. She's quite shy, though. What do you say?"
"I'll pass," Adrian waved his hands.
He could handle physical intimacy, but he wasn't ready for the emotional kind yet. Besides, he was still young, he had a couple of years before he needed to decide on a woman to pursue.
"Suit yourself, but they won't be waiting forever."
"It's alright." The hours passed companionably after that, with Garly sharing stories of the town and bits of gossip he'd heard.
In the middle of the journey, another boat from a village under the Baron of Whitesand joined them. Compared to the Baron of Harrowfield, the Baron of Whitesand had more villages under his rule, five in total, not including the town. Garly told him that while Baron Gareth of Harrowfield previously had three villages, two had merged in hopes of becoming a town, but the war had cut that dream short.
By late afternoon, Adrian stood up in the boat. The first thing he saw was the large docks, where more than a dozen boats were already moored. People were busy moving and hauling goods. Then he saw the buildings, they didn't look much different from those in the villages, mostly wood, some stone, but there were also large buildings made entirely of stone. The most noticeable thing, however, was their sheer number and the crowds of people coming and going.
Garly told him that Whitesand had a population of over 2,000. He had never seen so many people in one place.
"So, this is the town, huh…"