A few people in the group looked furtive when Defi said he was going to the more central streets where Adan's tavern was. "We'll et you at the docks."
Defi nodded, not comnting at the reluctant look in their eyes. He gave them a few coins. "If you might, hire so scows to take everyone. I can't fit all of us in one boat."
How they dealt with their parents and guardians was not up to him, he decided. But he had to say sothing.
"The training for sword and halberd will take a year for the basics alone. This is not an amount of ti that would be conducive to hiding your activities. I already have the permission of the orphanage. So of you are already adults, but I suggest transparency."
There was a brief contemplative, slightly guilty, slightly annoyed silence.
"Garge hostead, yes?" asked one, after a while.
"Yes."
"We'll be there." Over half the people not associated with the orphanage scattered.
The orphanage kids, now numbering six, and one girl who was of similar age, accompanied Defi to the tavern, chatting rrily.
Defi glanced at the older three who did not scatter. The oldest of them was about his age, seemingly friends with the other male of the three. The girl dressed in sturdy farm clothing, a year or two younger than Defi, accompanied them. He could see that she was not acquainted with the other two.
"You three all want to join the military?"
"Yes, teacher. Both of us do." The oldest of the three answered, his voice deep and calm. "As for the miss, I don't know."
"Just Defi, not teacher. We're about the sa age."
The girl shrugged. "Soldier sounds better than farm laborer. I'll beco an officer, those people better wait." Her last words were slightly strained. She cald herself and continued, "You can all call Josel."
"Boone."
"Vesen." Boone's friend's voice was a soft tenor. He smiled at them brightly, slapped Boone's shoulder. "I'm just following this idiot. But weapons are not a bad thing to learn." He pointed his chin at the girl who was not an orphanage kid, laughing with Muriel. "My younger sister Sedni. I want her to be able to protect herself."
Defi was used to gatherings of a hundred people. Making small talk with new acquaintances was not difficult while he thought over the information they shared. Everyone appeared to have their own reasons for seeking instruction with an untried teacher as young as he was.
Seventeen people was a large class by weapon-training standards.
By the Creator, why did he agree to this?
He consoled himself with the thought that so parents would not agree to his teaching when they got word of his youth. Not to ntion, so of the students would drop out after seeing the flexibility and speed conditioning routine he was going to put them all through.
He smiled inwardly.
These students of his were going to plant his zaziphos orchard for him. That was good enough paynt for so weeks of conditioning and basics.
After that, if he could cut the number of people in half, it would allow him more ti to focus on those who have committed themselves to learning.
"What are you doing in the tavern anyway?" Josel asked, crossing her arms.
"Buying wine. For the workers." He clarified when her brows furrowed. "They did good work this last month."
"You're actually farming the Garge hostead?" Boone looked concerned.
Defi shook his head, already anticipating their reaction. "I rebuilt the warehouse to raise slis."
True enough, they looked disbelieving and even more doubtful of him than before.
Josel's brow quirked. "You're not so crazy rich noble, are you?"
From the group ahead, Renne who was now Elen snickered when she heard that. "If he was rich," she called back, "his house would have stuff in it."
"My house is fine," he responded quickly, then backtracked a bit as he recalled the comnts on his dcor of the central hall. "Maybe slightly less than fine, but I have things."
"Note that he didn't refute the 'crazy'," comnted Markar who was now Arac. The younger group fell into giggles.
He laughed with them.
Being known as slightly eccentric was as good a cover as any for the cultural and social gaffes he was still prone to making.
Maybe he could ask Marmocha if he could source a book or journal on Ascharonian etiquette. Erlaen had attempted to get him to read what she called 'improving' books when she was still in town. He had ignored her at the ti but because of her grandiose speeches, he was certain there were at least a few tos on the subject that were easy to acquire.
It would help at least a little.
He wasn't hopeful that it would fix much however. He knew that Ontrean etiquette books were too generalized that truth was lost. They were only for younger readers, and did not delve into the intricacies of a large part of what people grew up learning at ho. Most of Ontrean etiquette was passed down by words and actions of elder family mbers.
Unspoken rules, ancient laws, historical traditions. Much of them too delicate to be depicted in the indelible and unsubtle black and white that was a book.
Ascharonian etiquette manuals would undoubtedly be the sa. It was an advantage of each strata of society to have secret knowledge and ways of doing things that set people apart from others and brought similar people together. To put such things in a book would throw every hierarchical society into chaos.
A world where people were not demarcated by their mores?
Impossible.
It would not survive.
The street devolved into the corner building that housed Adan and Rocso's tavern. It was a little late for most taverns to be open, but Rocso liked to wait until the dawn market was closed before closing his kitchen. Most of his custors at this hour of the morning were fishers from the boats eating before they went ho for the day or went out again.
In any case, most taverns didn't serve a full nu like this particular one did.
At the front of the tavern, Adan nodded at their group from where he was sweeping the front. He noticed Defi. "Why the frown so early in the morning?"
"I realized I didn't know the na of your tavern."
Adan laughed quietly. "The sign was taken down years ago. Officially, it's Isistra's."
"Most people just call it the Corner Tavern," said Boone.
"Eating?" Adan swirled his stickbrush broom along the cobbles.
Defi was about to say no, when he rembered that it was early. "Have you all eaten?"
"Yes." Was the chorus.
Defi gestured at them, in answer to Adan. "I'm here for wine. Hm, Clossur Madalaine or House Zenet?"
Sarel had insulted both of those nas with grand disdain, but he felt that if he suggested one of her picks, he might be stuck paying for a wine that only the imperial kitchens could afford.
Adan snorted. "The Madalaine's six crescents a bottle. As for the other one, this isn't so noble salon. As my father commonly says, what ya take us for?"
Marmocha, Sarel, why not argue about ordinary wine? It would be more useful than the unpronounceable wines you were fighting over
"Do you have a suggestion?"
Adan paused. "Ah, you know Sarel, I now recall. What else did she suggest?"
"Zan Rakarlo Zobec, Familie Evifervel?"
His brows rose. "What for?"
"The builders at the hostead."
"Work-well wine?" Adan looked greatly amused. He leaned his broom on the wall of the tavern. "Co. I feel I should stop you before you gain a habit of wasting money on drink."
He stepped into the tavern.
Defi shrugged at the others. Adan was more talkative than usual. Was it the early morning?
He and the others followed.
"Young Defi!" Rocso, about to step into the kitchen, spied him and gave his usual smirking welco. "Early delivery or co for food?"
"Good morn, elder. Milk, please." He made a gesture that encompassed all his companions. "Vital milk, if you have it."
"Of course," Rocso put an insulted expression on his face. "This is a place for family. My son, where are your manners, get them to sit down!"
He disappeared into the kitchen.
Vital milk was just vital water mixed with fernted milk from cows or goats.
A cup of cold milk before and after training was sothing so of the instructors in Ontrea swore by. Defi did not precisely know how effective it was, but The Ho-maker's Journal ntioned that fernted milk, called yoghurt, cultured in vats and stirred to creamy liquid after cooling, was a more nourishing drink than ordinary milk. It also kept longer and was cheaper by half compared to fresh milk. The journal recomnded it for growing children.
Adan waved them to one of the larger tables. He ducked into the bar and started collecting bottles.
It was quiet in the tavern. Uncharacteristic from other tis Defi was here.
The place was nearly empty, only three or four people slurping soups inside. The drunks had been collected and tossed snoring into a corner the tavern owners would wake them and kick them out when they closed.
Rocso appeared at the table with an armful of cups and a large ceramic jug. He deftly poured and distributed the cups, sliding them across the table to rest before each person.
"Ah, you don't have to" Vesen waved his arms, indicating the table.
"This is a training thod too," refuted Defi. "It is a known thod of bolstering muscles and bones while training."
"Really?" Elen asked. "You didn't give us milk before though."
"I was looking for a source." Actually he hadn't thought of it. With just four students in the sa age bracket and a similar level of physique, he could afford a more relaxed training schedule. In addition, the children would never have been allowed to leave the orphanage without Aire feeding them.
This was his solution for the fact that when he asked if everyone had eaten, all of the four people who were not connected to the orphanage had lied.
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