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...

Tarn was up bright and early the next morning. Rad had already started on the guild work for the day and had the smithy going full blast to keep up with his efforts. The smithy pump and the stove pump were both working to pull the smoke and sulfur out to the streets above their home. Miria had left to do some shopping and Rad had already done all the small tasks in the smithy, so Tarn wondered off to explore the rest of the guild. The internal houses were built along a gradually declining hall way that led to a big chamber full of sandy pits, pins, cages, and a slew of racks full of training weapons. A few men were fighting in the sand and a pair was wrestling in the big center pit, but for the most part the chamber was empty. Tarn had no experience in using weapons, but he had a good arm and soon found a heavy practice sword to his liking. "You ever learned to use a sword boy?" A deep man's voice asked from behind Tarn.

"No sir, I've never had the opportunity" Tarn replied and turned to face the biggest man he'd ever seen in his life.

Tarn was a good sized lad. He'd trained under Rad's and his father's stern ideals of hard labor and little pleasures for most of his life. Even his mother had been a hardy worker who broke the frozen ground every year to grow her beloved herbs, flowers, and vegetables. Tarn was a good four years younger than Rad and he had always strived to be like his bigger brother. This man seemed to remind Tarn of his older brother in many ways. The man's face was covered by a barely controlled beard, and it didn't seem to stop on his face. He was overly muscular and carried himself with a grace that Rad seemed to posses as well. Something about this man reminded Tarn of a cat he'd seen playing a mouse to death back in Froigarda. "Would you like to learn son?" the man asked.

"Yes Master, if you'd teach me"

"I am Froin Norgura, Master Norgura to my pupils. I hear your brother is a decent blacksmith. I'd only ask for priority in his lists for my commissions as payment for your training"

"I'm sure he would be happy to oblige, he's still looking to fill out his lists of customers and would appreciate your business"

"Then I'll send a commission to him shortly after we begin your training"

Tarn was exhausted after being drilled by Master Norgura for a couple of hours. He was used to hard work, but the strain on his arms was greater than any smithing Rad had ever let him do. Master Norgura had begun Tarn on single handed swords, but Tarn had shown an aptitude for double handed blades that impressed his master pleasantly. "You have a strong pair of arms on you boy; you'll make an extraordinary swordsman if you keep at it"

"I am honored to receive your praise on this my first day under your training master" Tarn said and bowed.

"I will work out the times you will train under me with your brother. Tomorrow you will learn to fight with another student who will start his training. You will not be permitted to discuss your backgrounds while training. All students are equal in my eyes"

"Yes Master Norgura" Tarn said and put his blade back on the rack.

"Tarn, you will take this blade and wear it until I remove it from your back or you are able to defeat me in battle with it" Master Norgura said and took a huge sword from the six he had strapped on his back. He handed it to Tarn, but Tarn almost dropped it due to its tremendous weight. After helping Tarn strap the huge sword onto his back Master Norgura pulled a sheathed practice sword from the rack and handed this to Tarn as well. "This will be your first practice sword. If we are unable to meet you will drill yourself, if you are otherwise unoccupied you will practice the drills, if you miss a lesson you will practice the drills to make up for it. I do not train lazy vagabonds or worthless soldiers, so I expect you to be neither"

"Master, can I truly have these blades as my own?" Tarn asked as he adjusted the straps on his two swords.

"I am the Guild master son. I own all these weapons. And yes; you can keep that blade. It is called Gerano, green sword of the earth"

"M...Master, I am not worthy to wield such a blade! How can I defend this honor were somebody to take the blade from me?"

"Ahahaha" Master Norgura laughed deeply. "Son, mystic blades choose their owners. The sword will not allow itself to be wielded by a mortal it does not deem its owner"

"Then Master, how is it that you have five blades?"

"I wield only one blade; Turnal Norgura, blade of chaos. I simply carry the other four until they choose their owners"

Master Norgura refused to tell Tarn anything beyond his parting words as he walked Tarn to his home. After a few quick privet words with Radich Tarn was told to meet Master Norgura at the practice ring at sunrise the next morning. Tarn ate a huge dinner of Torrent claw bread and slices of Kaylak meat. Afterward he went to bed early. He had been amazed that he'd spent an entire day practicing with Master Norgura. It was a huge shock.

...

Miria had noticed something different about Roy when he had come by to eat dinner. He seemed to be a little tired. When she pressed him on the details of his day he explained a series of drills the guard captain had been forcing him and a few others to do. They sounded impossible, but Roy said he'd been the only one to finish them. "I was as tired as the dirt I was laying in, but when I thought about the food I would be missing out on if I didn't hurry up; I found my second wind", he had said.

Tarn had seemed tired too, so nobody had much to say. She had sullenly retired to her room for a long night when she heard a knock at her door. "Come in" she said, still not used to having her own room to manage.

"Miria, may I come in?"

"Yes brother Radich"

"Have you ever wondered what you plan to do with your life?" Rad asked as he opened the door to his sister's tiny room and sat beside her on the bed.

"Huh?"

"Miria, I have spoken to a priestess of the silver sisters. They have offered to instruct you in the ways of the priestesses if you will go to them each day and learn of the path of Luna's grace"

"Oh! Rad! How I would love to one day wear one of the great silver robes that the priestesses wear! I will go every day!" Miria hugged her brother as he stood and walked out the door, closing it behind him. Miria truly had meant what she said. When she had gone out to shop her first day in Lucavan she had witnessed a procession of beautiful women in great flowing robes that looked to be made of silver moonlight. Miria had never seen such finery, yet, in a secret place deep inside, she yarned for it to be her own. Miria wanted so desperately to be someone, to make herself something her late mother would be proud of. Rad must have known these things, for he often made her pretty things and would use his coppers to buy Miria a cotton scarf each winter. Only Rad had ever seemed to pay Miria any real attention. Aside from her younger brother Finid, Rad was the only person Miria could talk to freely. Deciding that she'd best get some rest Miria blew out the candle that lit her room and promptly fell into peaceful slumber.

...

Rad walked into the tiny room that held the few personal belongings he owned. He had instructed Ambra to wait outside Miria's Room and guard the girl on her way to the church in the morning. Rad dropped his trousers breathing a sigh of relief as he did so. His tail, having been between his legs the whole day, relaxed and hung limp behind him. It had been a long day and Rad hadn't had the time to unwind. When he was sure he could hear the even breathing of his siblings he shed his shirt and stole naked through the house to the stone bath room. He carefully pulled the lever that pumped hot water into the bowl in the solid stone floor. After it was filled with steaming water Rad slipped in and sighed for the second time that night. The sound of a second person stepping into the pool startled him. Rad snapped his head around to face the intruder. "I thought you'd gone to sleep"

"You have much to learn about werewolves Hadrach. You should soon be able to hear the difference between sleep and a body awake. For example, listen to your sickly brother's labored breath, his gasping efforts to breath, and the fluttering sound of his dying heart"

"Stop it! You do not know what it is like to watch your brother die!"

"You can stop it Hadrach, you are an alpha, and you can turn him into one of your pack!"

"Would it save him?" Rad whispered in shock. "Could a simple bite do such a thing?"

"Yes and no. He will never be you, but he could be a strong and healthy cub if he was bitten soon. If not he will surely die"

"But the spring, it will come!"

"Listen to your wolf side; you know no spring is coming. Only the strong humans will survive; but a werewolf, even a weak one, needs no help from his fellows. Your brother will make a loyal pack mate. Do him the only favor you can, save him!"

Rad smiled an evil smile. "Since when have you cared about my siblings? You, the feral she-mistress who only needs the hunt and the blood of her prey to sustain her, care about a weak human boy?"

"You dirty mutt! I care not for him, I only want you to transform again!"

"Why? What do you gain from it?"

"You are Alpha! You are wasting your gift! We should be feeding on theses weak human meat bags while we can!"

"And you? Would you waste my "gift" if you had it?"

"No! I...I...I can't stand you and your insolence! I will do as you say Alpha, but don't... don't expect me to care about your weak little pets!"

Rad watched as his visitor rose from the pool. Her long red hair was wet with the steaming spring water, her body seeming a thing of vapor and mist. Rad watched her slowing movement as his anger, and a bit of arousal as well, stirred his bestial side. In the space of a stride, faster than her feeble mind could comprehend, he intersected her at the door and abruptly grabbed her wrist. She attempted to pull away, but his strength was more than triple what it had been a few days ago. He towered over her and pulled her close to his chest. Her human eyes could only see the two golden orbs in the pitch black room. Rad said nothing, but growled softly, as he smelt a whiff of fear from her. He was Alpha, and she would do what he said or be subject to his barely checked wrath. As suddenly as Rad had changed in manner he pushed her away and looked away. She should have been the one to back down, but his human side was back in control now. "Go, leave me" Rad said and stepped away from the door "I'm sorry" he said as she walked through.

"I'm not"