Rezkin made his way to the market and procured a new shirt and pants to replace the bloodstained set he had worn the night of the battle. Next, he resupplied his medical kit since he had used many of the bandages, ointments, and herbs to treat the wounded soldiers. Finally, he found a decent, serviceable, two-handed longsword to fit Tam. The weapon was not an expert blade by any means, but it far surpassed the quality of the general issue swords the soldiers had been carrying. Most importantly, the blade was perfectly balanced and held a razor sharp edge. The young man was built well enough to handle a two-handed weapon, but Rezkin had another reason for his choice. In the army, only the front lines of infantry were afforded shields, and if Tam enlisted with his own two-handed sword, it was less likely he would be placed on the front lines.

While he was examining the blade, Rezkin got an idea. He did not feel comfortable with Frisha confronting her assailants in close combat. The woman was slight and lacked the aggression and confidence necessary for a decent swordsman, or woman, as it were. It would also be considered unseemly in polite society for a woman to carry a sword. Rezkin did not care for such pretentiousness, but for all her talk and efforts to learn the sword, Frisha had refused to actually carry one. Rezkin inquired with the blacksmith and obtained a set of well-balanced, lightweight throwing knives. The knives were small and could easily fit in the young woman’s petite hands.

Upon returning to the inn, he found his friends enjoying cool ale and relaxing among the few patrons who were trickling in before the dinner rush. He placed his clothing package to the side and laid the sword on the table in front of Tam.

“This is for you,” he stated unceremoniously.

Tam’s eyes widened, “What? Are you serious?”

“Of course,” Rezkin replied. “You are in need of a weapon other than that dagger you carry. This one is the right size and weight for you and is better quality than what you will receive in the army. We can continue your training on the way to Kaibain.”

Tam was speechless. He did not know what to say. He could probably have worked an entire year as an apprentice and not been able to afford this sword. The hilt was wrapped in green silk cord, and the scabbard was covered in soft brown leather. He pulled the blade partially from the sheath, since it would be considered rude to fully draw the weapon in the inn, and examined the blade. He did not know much about determining the quality of a sword, but he trusted in Rezkin’s expertise.