An Aimless War (Greatest Thief 2)

Bonus - The Reasons to Enlist - Ambition

During Chapter Twenty-Five

On their second day in hiding, Acen pulled Joen aside.

"I need to know your intentions."

Joen hesitated before replying. Despite the time he'd already spent with the knights, he was a little uncomfortable. He knew exactly how important Lord West Draulin and his men were. He had grown up listening to stories about Telt lords and their friends tormenting Native Zians for no reason. But these men didn't seem anything like the kind he had always heard about. Three of the knights weren't even Telts, and then there was Finn.

Joen cleared his throat, and tried to not let Acen's demeanour intimidate him too much. The knight was both younger and shorter than Joen, but he carried himself with such authority that those other points went forgotten. Before the night Lord West Draulin appeared at his front door, Joen had never interacted with men of such high standing.

He tried for the right answer. "If Lord West Draulin allows it, I'd like to stay."

"It isn't up to him."

Joen was taken aback, by the words and the way Acen had said them. "I'm sorry, my lord. I don't think I understand."

"My job is to keep him alive, not to mindlessly obey him," Acen said. "If I thought his judgement was clouded I would challenge him. I've done it before. So when it comes to you staying or not, I'm going to make the final decision." He paused, and ran a hand across his face. Joen could tell the man was exhausted. They all were.

"So," Acen continued after a moment. "Finn likes you, and I trust his judgement. You can stay, but we're going to need your help. And if you make a single move towards Tannix—"

"Sir, I owe him everything," Joen interrupted eagerly. "Without Lord West Draulin my wife and daughters would be stuck in East Draulin. Without Finn I would have starved on the prison ship. And finally, without all of you, I would have died in prison. I need you if I hope to get back to my family, but I intend to pay off my debt first. Just tell me what to do."

Acen said nothing, and Joen was afraid he hadn't been convincing enough. He tried to think—how could he possibly assure the protective knight that he wasn't a threat? Before he could open his mouth, Acen nodded.

"We'll have to teach you how to fight."

Jeon nodded. All at once, his childhood dream of becoming a knight came back to him. It had always seemed so impossible. The easiest thing to do was apprentice with his father and take over the forge. He had given up his dreams of knighthood long before he had even married Catia. But now, maybe he could get a taste of it.

Eagerly, he said, "I think the war hammers suited me well, sir. They felt good in my hands."

"You were good with them," Acen agreed. He stepped back and eyed Joen in a new, thoughtful way. "They're unconventional in Teltish armies, but that doesn't bother me. Mandell and Evrik will be good to spar against. They're heavy weapons men. Their fighting styles will probably match yours best."

"Styles?" Joen echoed. He had no idea there was so much involved in fighting.

"Everybody has a unique style," Acen explained. "Based on cultural techniques, different types of weapons, personal preference, your size and speed, among other things. I'll have you watch the men. You'll notice slight differences. Kor and Ender are very quick on their feet, but they tend to be less aggressive. They would rather put distance between themselves and their enemies, and shoot. Jalor, Tannix and I tend to be more stationary but more aggressive. We grew up learning to fight, but even between us there are differences. Jalor prefers longer, two handed swords. I like swords I can use with my right hand, so I can hold a dagger in my left. Tannix prefers a shorter sword as well. Then Mandell and Evrik have the heavier weapons. Mandell is slow but unstoppable. Evrik varies, he likes having a shield but it does slow him down somewhat."