Chapter XIII

A Wolf in Love

It was about mid-morning by the time that Jack walks into the training yard, where he sees that Idar was already waiting for him leaning against the nearby wall of the armoury, seeming not at all pleased that he had been forced to wait.

“I see you've finally decided to turn up.” Idar said, the captain seemingly less than impressed on the lad’s tardiness.

“Well, I'm here now.” Jack said, he had in truth overslept and would almost certainly be paying for that fact during the course of the day, especially because the captain had given up his free time to do this.

“Hmm.” Idar said and tossed an axe to Jack who catches it, although it had been a close thing, a few seconds early or late, and he would have been catching it on the blade, rather than the hilt. “Let's do this then. Just take a few swings at me so I can see your form.” Idar said bracing himself and nodding. At which Jack swings a few times as Idar moves effortlessly out of the way, in truth he was too far away, but due to the problem with his eyesight, he had had no idea about this. He kept moving forward however, until Idar decides meets Jack's low strike. “Never strike from bellow. Always come from above as it's harder to defend against.” Idar said and Jack only nods panting slightly.

“How do you keep up your energy?” Jack asked as he raised th axe above his head, he was by no means unfit, but even this was sapping his strength.

“That's the next lesson I want you to learn. Only go on the attack if your one hundred percent sure that you'll kill your enemy. As it's going to take a lot of energy to do that.” Idar said looking Jack up and down, getting a measure of the teen. “Your skinny, not too bad in a situation, less of a target to hit. But you’ll find keeping up an attack hard without muscle. Until the point that you are ready to make the kill, always be on the move. Let your enemy waste his energy trying to come at you” Idar said, finishing his examination.

“Okay.” Jack said nodding, they continued on for another hour until Idar once again stopped the lesson.

“Now swap your hands.” Idar said, resting the axe on his shoulder, he too sounded out of breath, but continued to push on with his lesson.

“What?” Jack asked, compared to Idar, he was even worse state of breathlessness, and this recent instruction only compounded the issue.

“Hold the weapon in your other hand.” Idar said exasperatedly, he however kept his own axe in his right hand. Knowing that he had no other choice Jack takes the axe into his left hand.

“This is weird.” Jack said, that was certainly the understatement of the year, whilst he thought the axe had been heavy before, now it felt like he was holding a boulder in his left hand. Idar only smiled and nodded.

“You need to be prepared for anything. Including the sudden loss of your dominant hand. Plus, it will be an advantage to be able to use your weaker hand. Makes it harder on your opponent if you come at them using your left. As they will have to counter with theirs.” Idar said, raising his weapon into a defensive stance.

“Okay.” Jack said as he raised the weapon up above his head and Idar nods, there was even the shadow of a smile on his face as the teen did this.

“Now. Again.” Idar said. at which Jack charges into the attack again, driving the axe down hard.

Two months had passed since they had first arrived in the town, and it was fair to say, that it was starting to feel more and more like home, and whilst they were starting to finally get comfortable, there were still some in the group who wanted to press on to an uncertain future. Although the group were still a few months away from making that decision, as the north-men reported that this winter was lasting unusually long. Or that was at least what was talked about in the inn, where Jack and Nick sat at a table near the back, drinking and talking in the darkened inn, about their remaining time in this place.

“How long do you think we'll be here for?” Nick asked, looking at his oldest brother, of all the group, Jack seemed to have taken to the ways and customs of north-men the most, his face paint was still showing, although slightly faded than before, as well as that he was starting to wear more northern clothes. Something that the likes of Bruce and Codsworth said they would not be scene dead in, even though it was similar to southern cloths, just with more fur. All four of the Wolfrick sibling’s hair was also now longer and wilder, although whilst Martin seemed to have won that competition, Nick thought that they had all done a good effort on that job.

“Until the snows clear I guess, then we'll be on the...” Jack starts but trails off and stops for a minute as Erika walks by their table and his eye follow her across the room. Nick also takes notice for a moment, turning around to see his older brother gaze at the red head, before returning his gaze to his brother.

“I see you watching her every opportunity you get brother. I have to admit you have good taste.” Nick said shrugging as he took another gulp of ale.

“Yeah.” Jack said, he was only half listening, seeing this obvious lack of attention Nick smirks for a moment, before turning around in his chair and signalling for Erika to come over, she nods and finishes up with her current table. At this however, Jack looked horrified. “What are you doing?” Jack asked, looking at his younger brother with some concern at his brother’s eagerness.

“Tonight, is the night you do more than watch, dear brother.” Nick said smirking, turning back around in his seat to face Jack. The look of horror on Jack’s face then turns to alarm. He leans in closure so only Nick can hear him.

“I've never, done it before though.” Jack said quietly, and Nick laughs. Jack hoped that he would be quiet before the whole inn heard him as his younger brother was able to gain control himself.

“Well then, no time like the present dear brother. Plus, the sooner you do it, the sooner you'll stop making a fool out of yourself, hopefully.” Nick said equally as quietly as Erika begins to walk over to their table.

“No time like the present?” Jack asked, wondering what on earth his brother was talking about, but he had no time to ask as Erika begins to walk over to the table and looked down at the two brothers.

“Look just tell her how good looking she is and get her a drink. It’s not that difficult.” Nick said in an exasperated tone. As Erika arrives, he gets up and looks at the pair. “Well, I'll leave you two together then, don't want to be a third wheel.” Nick said, smirking at his older brother before leaving the inn, not before however, taking a bottle and a few extra mugs from the counter whilst the owner of the inn, Karl Mo, a kind elderly man, although he would have strung Nick up if he saw him committing theft, however, he was looking the other way. As Nick left the inn, putting the stolen booze into his bag, Jack found himself alone with Erika.

“What can I get for you?” Erika asked looking down at Jack. Who immediately started sputtering, Erika however waited patiently for the sixteen-year-old to make his order.

“Er... Nothing.” Jack finally managed to say. At this Erika does laugh, although more in an amused way, rather than being cruel.

“Nothing, then why did the kid just call me over.” Erika said, and turns around to leave, which is when Jack really begins to panic, and just blurted out what his younger brother had told him to say.

“You're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. Can I get you a drink? Whatever you want.” Jack said, the words tumbling out of his mouth. On the whole, it hadn’t been that bad, a couple of the neighbouring tables had turned around at the sound, and a few had returned to their cups snickering. But Erika smiles and takes Nick's now empty chair, before looking up at Jack.

“Winter ale then.” Erika said.

As Nick walks through the doors, having returned from the inn, after a successful night’s work, if he didn’t say so himself. He sits down on the bench that was attached to the back wall and began to lean back against it. As he does so however, Dave walks in, with an equal look of triumph in his green eyes.

“Well, where's our idiot brother now?” Dave asked as he took a seat at the table as Nick gets up and joins him.

“If he hasn't mucked things up, getting on with that girl.” Nick said as he took of his bag and placed it on the wooden table, he heard a clinking sound from inside and hoped that nothing had broken.

“Do you think he will mess it up?” Dave asked, normally it wouldn’t be a problem, they had in effect set their older brother up with an open goal. But that still required Jack to be able to take advantage of that fact. Which was ultimately where the problem lay.

“Hard to see how he could, but we'll know soon enough, if he's back in the next few minutes he's fucked it up, if not, well.” Nick said, he shrugged the thought off however and proceeded to pull out two mugs and a bottle of ale from his bag, he had stolen both from the counter at the inn whilst the elderly owner was distracted. Nick pours the liquid into both mugs and hands one of them to Dave. “To a successful night’s work, I'd say.” Nick said smiling at his older brother, whilst also keeping an eye out for Vernon, as the old butler would most likely go ballistic if he found either of the boys drinking.

“Indeed.” Dave said as the two clank there mugs together and drink to the nights work. They were distracted from their drink when saw Martin walking up to them, the seven-year-old, looked from one guilty face to the other, his hair which had always been long, was now practically wild, reaching well past his shoulders, much to Vernon’s annoyance.

“Can I have some?” Martin said looking at his older brothers. Dave groaned at this, both he and Nick had had this stuff before, and thus, could hide the effects of it more easily, martin on the other hand hadn’t, and thus would likely alert Vernon to their little booze smuggling system they had set up for themselves.

“Sure?” Dave said exasperatedly, this was not how he had planned for the evening, but he saw no other alternative.

“Are you mad.” Nick said, under his breath, as Martin walked up to the table where the two brothers had been about to start drinking. “What if Vernon finds out.” Nick finished.

“All right let’s play it out.” Dave said looking up. “We say no, you know who Martin is going to go to first.” The thirteen-year-old continued as he took a gulp of the booze. “This way, we’ve got a whole night to think up an excuse.” Dave continued as he turned to his youngest brother. “Now Martin. It’s vital that you don’t tell anyone about this. Understand.” Dave finished and their little brother nodded as he was passed a spare mug.

As the inn closes for the night in the small hours of the morning and all the patrons begin to leave. Jack instinctively gets up Erika forces him back down onto his seat, smiling at him.

“Stay.” Erika told him softly. As Jack looks around at everyone leaving the building as the double door finally close, he looks Erika in a confused way.

“Shouldn't we get going.” Jack said looking back at the doors, as the inn’s elderly owner finishes cleaning up the bar and steps out from behind it. Erika only smiles at the sixteen-year-old’s naivety.

“Why, I've got a room in the back of the inn. If you want to join me?” Erika asked getting up out of her seat and looking down at him. Jack can only smile back at her, as he too, gets up.

“Sure. Yeah.” Jack said, not sure as to what to say. As he does Karl, the inn's owner calls out from the front doors.

“Are you staying here a little longer, Eri?” Karl said smiling at the pair remaining in his inn.

“Yes Karl, don't worry I'll lock up.” Erika said looking up at her boss, who nods back and walks out the door leaving Erika and Jack alone. Jack follows Erika as they walk to a door at the back of the inn, before Erika turns around.

“Is there a problem?” Jack asked, wondering if somehow, he had managed to screw things up, when he was so close.

“No, but... I want to see it... Your face I mean.” Erika said, she was just as nervous as he was about the whole thing that was happening, Jack thought.

“You can see it, though.” Jack said looking at her.

“I mean without the eye patch.” Erika said, touching the bandage that was wrapped around Jack’s head, covering the hole that some bastard mercenary had put there a few years prior.

“Erm... Sure.” Jack said, he was confused but complied with the request, as he begins to slowly unwrap the bandage around his head, after a few moments he was done, with long brown hair fell over the whole in his head. But Erika takes her hand and pushes the long strands back behind his ear to get a better look. Fully revealing the gaping black hole where his right eye used to be. She simply stares at the hole for a moment, taking it in. “You're the first person not to flinch at the sight of it.” Jack said looking down at the ground in embarrassment, before he begins to put the bandage back on. But Erika stops him.

“Don't.” Erika said putting her hand on his, he looks up at this, once again completely confused.

“Why?” Jack said, still looking at the ground, Erika puts a hand under his chin and lifts his face back up.

“I like you, even without the bandage.” Erika said as she turns around and opens the door to a small room with a bed and a few cabinets inside. The pair enter the room and close the door behind them.