“Jaiardun, enough.” The soft but firm voice came from somewhere behind Rezkin.

He jerked his head around in surprise only to feel a sharp pain shoot through his body from his leg. He should have heard Master Peider approach. He should have known exactly where the old man was. Rezkin began to worry about his mind. How could he be failing so much?

Master Peider scrutinized Rezkin with a critical eye. Seeing the apparent panic on little Rezkin’s face he stated, “It is the pain, Rezkin. It addles the mind. It makes a man unable to think clearly, and he can easily lose track of his surroundings, sometimes even forgetting who he is or his purpose. The injury is damaging. The pain can be deadly.”

Master Peider turned to Master Jaiardun with calm surety. “I will take him. Without proper treatment by a skilled healer that injury could negate all of our teaching. He would be a cripple, useless.”

Unsatisfied, Master Jaiardun countered. “He must learn to treat such an injury. If he never fails so miserably in the future, this will be the only injury of the sort, and he needs the experience. Plus, it will teach him not to be so careless.”

Master Peider frowned. “I am sure he is already regretting his carelessness. I will not sedate him during treatment. He will watch how it is done so that he knows what to do in the future. Still, I will have to use a bit of power to stimulate and speed the healing unless you want him unable to train for the next six months. Obviously, that is something he will not be able to do for himself.”

“Fine,” Master Jaiardun huffed. “Just make sure he learns from this. It would be a waste for him to sleep through the treatment and gain nothing.” He turned his brooding glare back on Rezkin. “You will face me again when you are healed. You will not enjoy it.”

Enjoy? What did that mean? Rezkin frowned as his eyebrows pulled together on his tiny face. He was not sure what this enjoy was, but perhaps it was a big-man thing. He would have to ask Master Peider about it later. He knew he had much to learn of big-man things. The masters had explained to him how men came into this world very small and knowing nothing. In order to become a big-man, he had to learn the Rules and Skills. Ignorance, (that meant not knowing the Rules and Skills), was no excuse for failing. Small-men were always punished for infractions (that meant breaking the Rules or failing the Skills), and as the men grew bigger, they were punished less because they learned the Rules and Skills.