Sam gave the cubs the last of the food he had brought them. Rida had advised against allowing them to become too dependent on him for food, so Sam had slowly reduced the amount of snacks to the small strips of bacon that he smuggled from the cabin once every other day. The cubs were beginning to forage for food on their own and Sam was pleased with their progress.
The cubs greedily took the morsels and scampered off in a playful tumble of fur and scrub brush. Sam watched until the two had vanished into their natural surroundings then he collected the dead limbs he had gathered for the fire and the small sack of fruit he had picked near sunset. He slung the sack over one shoulder and the wood he bundled under the other arm. In his hand he held his weighted staff. He held it at a slight angle to help hold the wood.
Loaded and ready, he started back home. He sensed the scent of Ultrecht's mule on the wind. Excitedly he hurried back toward the cabin.
Sam's first meeting with Tyson was amiable. He was introduced by Armegon as a 'friend of the family' who had been thought dead. Sam accepted Tyson readily enough, but he could sense that the stranger was nervous about something.
As for Tyson; he had been warned earlier by Armegon that Sam was a little naive, and that if he caught Tyson attempting to take advantage of the boy it would not go well. Tyson agreed to play along--did he have a choice?
Tyson spent the rest of the night listening to his old allies discussing the goings on of their new home. It was apparent that they were carefully outlining a plan by which they could achieve the same degree of greatness that they had enjoyed in their other life. He considered whether he should help them to reap the rewards he knew them capable of, or should he report on them to Serpent. Right now there was nothing the demigod could do, but after his ascension he could very well overpower the two of them.
On the other hand, there was Sam. Oh, yes, he was being watched over by a pair of archmages, but he could be the key to Armegon's and Ultrecht's undoing. But how to control him? His magic was monitorable until he could learn the disguising technique from Ultrecht.
As Tyson half-heartedly listened to Ultrecht describe the military city called High Branch, his gazed silently at the object of his thoughts. Sam sat on a rug on the floor. His small feet were propped up next to the glowing coals near the dying fire. The downy fuzz that covered his whole body glimmered in the firelight and gave off a golden hued color. The boy was dozing slightly and a very soft rumble issued from his throat.
Ultrecht was distracted by the noise. "What is that?"
Armegon stood and walked over to Sam. He lifted the boy in elven arms effortlessly reminding Tyson that this particular archmage maintained an excellent physique and was a very accomplished fighter. Armegon carried the boy to his cot and tucked him in to bed. Then he returned. "That boy is growing up too fast," he commented. "About a week ago he started purring in his sleep."
"Purring?"
"It isn't very loud and once he gets down to some seriously deep sleeping, it’ll stop." Armegon chuckled. "It’s a damned sight better than Seymore's snoring."
Ultrecht gazed through the open door to the boy's room. "Has it started?"
Armegon shook his head. "Not yet, but I’m afraid it won't be much longer."
"What are you two talking about?" Tyson asked.
"Puberty," Ultrecht answered. "We have absolutely no idea how fast or hard it’s going to hit him. There may even be some very unusual effects."
"We’re kind of playing this thing by ear," Armegon offered.
"You're making it up as you go along," Tyson concluded, "as usual."
In reality it was several days before they departed. Tyson took advantage of the delay to get to know Sam better. Though constantly observed by the boy's mentors, he still managed to gain the youth's confidence. Tyson was amazed at the strength and flexibility of the child. He wished that he had some contacts in the new world's monasteries. He had to convince Armegon that the kid should be trained as a monk. Such skills of agility and quickness absolutely could not be wasted.
It was with genuine sincerity that he made his suggestion to the paired guardians that night after Sam had retired for the night. "It’s a tempting thought," Armegon admitted. "It hadn't occurred to me but his skills and feline abilities would be best used in that manner."
Ultrecht frowned. Armegon was lying. They had discussed this before. "But would any monasteries accept him as an acolyte?"
"I doubt it," Tyson said. "They are notoriously biased about the purity of the human species. Sorry Armegon," he added.
"Ignorance on the part of others is no insult to me," Armegon dismissed the apology. "I hate to see potential wasted."
Ultrecht smiled as he caught on to Armegon's scheme. "Yes, we’d need a monk who’s willing to train him." They both made obvious eyes at Tyson who immediately picked up on it.
"Oh, all right I'll do it."
Armegon winked at Ultrecht. By giving Tyson a task of this type, they assured themselves of at least temporary loyalty. For if Tyson had any priorities at all, the brotherhood was his highest. Until he had trained Sam to at least the first ranking of the Brotherhood of the Dragon, he would not run off.
The next morning, Tyson and Sam began the schooling of the Disciplines of the Dragon. Tyson spoke at length of philosophy and then the training began. Sam was a quick study in the physical disciplines, but had trouble grasping the philosophy and mental disciplines. He quickly committed to instinct the basic defensive blocks and counters, but he had some trouble with pressure points and nerve pinches. He seemed to always want to go for the throat in an attack.
Tyson was an excellent master. He commended Sam on the realization that the throat was one of the most vulnerable spots, but he also pointed out that it was also one of the most easily defended spots. Almost every species of humanoid instinctively raised their arms to their face and throat when in danger.
Tyson instructed Sam as to how to change the path of an attack to appear to go for the head then at the last moment shatter a collar bone. "It’s one of the easiest bones in the body to break, and every broken bone weakens the enemy."
By the morning of the day before they were to leave, Sam was successfully dodging blunted arrows that Tyson was shooting at him. Armegon started at first when he saw the exercise, but he relaxed when he saw that Tyson was not firing the arrows from a fully drawn bow.
"Do you regret conning Tyson into instructing him?" Ultrecht asked as he helped load the wagon.
"No," Armegon answered at last. "But I admit I’d rather he had learned this from Norwind. The Order of the Stars has a more agreeable philosophy than the Brotherhood of the Dragon."
Ultrecht considered it for a moment. "I suppose you’re right," he said, "'Knowledge is power' sounds more peaceful than 'Survival of the fittest'." Ultrecht paused and watched Sam do a back flip, grab a piece of firewood, and swipe four arrows from the air. "But he does seem to be learning fast."
"We’ll undoubtedly encounter some rouges on the trail to Tycho," Armegon said. "We’ll let him try himself out then. Try not to let him know that we’re holding back just so that he can fight. He needs confidence in himself."
"You're going to let him mix it up?" Ultrecht sounded surprised. "What card have you stuffed up your sleeve that you will allow him to risk getting hurt or even killed?"
"A very special card: the ace of spades. I put a contingency spell on that staff of his. It will erect an impenetrable shield around him on command."
Ultrecht was interested. "A voice activated shield? What’s the command word?"
Armegon smiled. "Marlena," he said. "I’ve also drilled into his subconscious the idea that his mother will come to his aid if he calls her name."
"So in a tight spot, he’ll activate the shield out of panic," Ultrecht surmised with approval.
"Or one of us can do so from a distance if we perceive a danger he does not," Armegon added.
Ultrecht climbed into the back of the wagon. He chuckled as he secured a locker of foodstuffs. "So we throw him into a controlled battle so that he gains a little experience even though he’s in no real danger."
Armegon lifted a large cask of water to the wagon's side railing where it fitted into mounts. "Right, so long as the adversaries are common rabble he’ll be fine. Besides I think Tyson has managed to teach him enough tricks that he’ll be able to avoid getting hit for the most part."
"That’s all fine and dandy," Ultrecht said as he tightened the straps securing the cask. "A good defense will keep you alive, but if you can't attack, it just prolongs the inevitable. So the gold coin question is can he fight?"
"Well I’ve been working with him on that. He’s built up his arms with that ax on the woodpile and he’s been using that staff on stumps every chance he gets. I’m not sure if I’m ready to give him a blade yet, though."
"You may not have to," Ultrecht said. "Tyson always was fond of the quarter staff. He may have Sam using that club of his fairly well by the end of the week."
In reality it was well by the end of the day when Tyson proudly announced that Sam was not only a quick study with a staff, but could very well become a grandmaster monk if he pursued the study. This brought a favorable reaction from Armegon and Ultrecht.
Tyson's training had only been going on for a few days and as the final provisions were loaded on the wagon the next morning Tyson and the boy had to be literally torn apart from their wrestling where Tyson had been showing Sam some effective grappling techniques.
Sam, excited as always, took a running start and vaulted onto the dreamy eyed mules unsuspecting back. With the exception of a slight start at the new weight, the animal made very little indication that it was aware of the boy's presence.
Tyson and Armegon erected the wagon's cover to keep out the daily rains while Ultrecht climbed into the driver's seat. After a few moments of preparation, Armegon latched the door with a minor spell. "That’ll only allow the caretaker entrance, otherwise the door will appear jammed."
It was about three hours after sunrise when Sam departed the home he had known all his life for what could very well be for the rest of it. He viewed the whole affair as one big adventure.
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