Steel And Flame (Book 1) (78 page)

Gods damn it!  I haven’t let anyone walk over me like
this since Chatham instructed me!

When he caught his breath, he noticed Colbey remained
as impassive as before.

“You see what comes of this?” he asked.

What sense did that make?  “Comes of what?” Marik
snarled.

The scout squatted to crouch on his ankles.  “These
mercenaries take the strongest they find, according to them.  They put them in
this town with a sword in their hand and say ‘Now get better.  But we won’t
teach you how.’  And these men spend an entire winter hacking at straw,
learning nothing.”

“What are you talking about?”  The comment attacked
Marik’s pride after all the effort he had put forth.

Colbey glared at him.  “No one learns how to wield a
sword simply by holding it.  You may get stronger, yet strength and skill are
not the same.”

“The Kings don’t take anyone who doesn’t know how to
use a sword already!”

“Learning the basics does not make you advanced.  Look
at you.  After years in this band, you still don’t know anything beyond what
you did when you joined, I’m certain.”

Furious heat rose to Marik’s face.  “I’ve improved
tenfold since I joined!”

“Oh?  How so?”

“I’m stronger!  Faster!  My endurance is higher!  My precision
better!”

Colbey nodded.  “The basics, in other words.  You may
have improved your body, yet you have not improved your knowledge.  This town
of sheep suffers from the illusion of power.”

“We’re the best in the kingdom!”

“A kingdom full of sheep breeds only strong sheep. 
Unsupervised training will never allow you to be more than that.”

Marik surged to his feet, his knuckles white around
the hilt.  Colbey stopped him with a strange smile.

“I think you
might
be capable of more than
that.”  He raised his sword to a guard position.  “You say you want to be a
swordsman rather than a mage?  Then come at me.  We will practice everyday
until I leave.”

That brought Marik up short.  “Leave?  Are you
quitting the band?”

“I have a secret mission abroad from the commander,
but do not concern yourself with other matters!” Colbey barked.  “Concentrate
on the present!  If you want to become capable, then we start now!”  And with
that, Colbey descended on him.