The rest of the morning was spent meandering around the deck and examining all of the devices and equipment that were unique to a ship. The soldiers no longer saluted every time he passed, but they continued to nod deferentially and maintained a respectful distance. By late morning, Rezkin was becoming restless. He decided to approach the captain about finding a place to practice his Skills.

“Aye, me lord,” said the captain. “Ye ain’t the first soldier who’s asked for that. Ye can use the quarterdeck, there, but mind yer feet. If ye fall off, we won’t be comin’ back fer ye.” Captain Talwater’s accent was not nearly as strong as that of the deckhand, Nate, but it was still noticeable.

Not caring to correct the captain on his assumptions, Rezkin simply thanked him and then went to find Lieutenant Jimson. As long as the lieutenant was being so amicable, he might as well use that to his advantage. He briefly explained to the lieutenant what it was he desired. At no time did he make it sound like a command, but the lieutenant interpreted it in his own way.

“Certainly, sir, but if I might ask, why do you not use your own blades?”

Rezkin did not wish to draw attention to his swords, especially by this lot, so he avoided the question.

“My friend, Tam, over there, wishes to join the army, which is why he is heading to Kaibain. He has no sword of his own and has not learned any techniques. I thought to instruct him on the way since we will have extra time on our hands. Naturally, we will need a couple of blades to practice with that are in the style and weight he should expect,” Rezkin explained.

“I see. That makes sense. We will pull a couple of blades from the stores below. Will you require any armor or other weapons, sir?” asked Lieutenant Jimson.

“No, I think learning the sword will be enough for now, especially on this moving vessel,” said Rezkin.

While the soldier was collecting the weapons, Rezkin retrieved Tam. He was sitting on a barrel talking to Frisha.

“Tam,” he said. “I require your presence on the quarterdeck. It is time to begin your training.”

“Training?” Tam asked in confusion.

Rezkin furrowed his brow. “You do wish to be a soldier, do you not? You need to learn the sword. Ideally, I would start your training with other Skills, but the voyage will be short, and you have little time. Come. We can spend a couple of hours before lunch working on basic techniques.”

“You’re going to train me? Are you any good?” Tam asked. Obviously, he knew Rezkin carried swords, but he had never seen the young warrior actually use them.

Rezkin shrugged. “Compared to what?”

“I want to learn,” Frisha interrupted.

Rezkin was surprised but pleased. He appreciated that the woman wished to learn one of the important Skills that so many outworlders seemed to take for granted. If Frisha learned to protect herself, then it would make his job much easier.