Training the People

Artimus woke the next morning - the day after he made the speech about training the people to fight. He blinked awake, realising his arm was pinned under someone and smiled. He loved his wife. He turned his face to look at her and gaped his mouth.
It wasn't her.
Oh Artimus... He carefully removed his arm, rolled off the bed and dressed silently, taking care not to wake her. He collected his belongings (and the pendant) and carefully left the room.

He walked down to Jade's room, tapping on the door lightly. No reply. She must still be asleep. Well at least she hadn't found out. Yet. He went to send her a mindlink and realised he couldn't feel her prescence. He bent down and picked the lock to her door, fearful that she had been murdered while she slept.
But the room was empty. The bed didn't appear to have been slept in ((If I remember rightly, she slept on the floor where Tiberious had slept)). Damn that girl. Where was she?

He went down to talk to the innkeeper.
He had no idea where she was. Great.
He knew he wasn't as good a detective as Tiberious was, but he knew where to start. Eliminate the improbable first.

He left the tavern and headed for the stables. No, Azure wasn't there.
He smiled to himself. He had a slight idea where she had gone. Damn stupid girl. Chasing after a bloke when she was needed here.

He started back towards the tavern, then it hit him.
She had too much of him in her. Was he really one to complain?

He went back to the tavern, ordered something light to eat and sat with the pendand in his hands.

~she misted into the chair across from him she looked at him a sadness in her eyes. She had been so mad at him but being apart from him all night was just to much she didn't want to do that again. she put her elbows on the table an gave a am sorry look.~

He was feeling guilty, knowing Willow must have drugged him and tricked him again. He put his hand on her arm.

I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I...

He what? He had his reasons for not telling her he was running away to be another woman, but he couldn't bring himself to say that.

~she shifted her eyes to green and looked at him~

"Why didn't you tell me..."

He looked into those eyes.

How could I tell you that I loved somebody else? That although my heart belonged to you, my mind was drawn to somebody else?

He shook his head.

I can't explain it. I loved you with all my heart, but when she came to me and asked me to go with her... There was something about the way she said it. I just had to go.

He looked down, almost looking ashamed.

~she reached over and touched the side of his face.~

"I just wished you would have left me a note or something. But you just up and left. It went from being the happiest day in my life to the worse. And I will have some words with Tib too. But its in the past I need to stop going back there or It will destroy something wonderful that I have now."

~she looked him over and noticed a well rested look to him~

"You must have slept well last night." ~she made sure she kept her eyes green. she wanted the truth and this was the only way she was going to get it.~

He relaxed slightly inside as she said she didn't want to discuss it any more.

I did. I had a nice warm body too keep me company. He spoke in a light tone, as if talking about going to the shops.

~she raised an eyebrow. keeping her eyes his green.~

"Oh well am glad you had nice warm body to snuggle with on these cold nights I would probably freeze you to death." ~she knew willow had been in town and must have her.~

~she stirred in her sleep blinking awake as she looked around the room. Then slowly sat up. She yawned and slid out from under the covers. She looked around..no clothes for art he must have woke early. She washed up and got dressed. Gathering her things she walked downstairs to the bar and saw art sitting there and nodded to him and just walked out the door towards her cart at the castle.~

He kept her gaze, glad he was sitting down because he felt his knees had given out.

No, not frozen. Just different.

He smiled at her, then broke the gaze as a movement caught his eye. Willow was coming out of their room. He watched her leave silently, then looked back to Indis.

Jade's vanished.

Once again his tone was light. After all, he was certain she wasn't in any danger.

~she moved cross the table and sat on his lap wrapping her arm around him and leaned her head against his neck.~

"You don't seem concerned."

He nodded, smiling.

Azure has vanished as well. So, unless she has a new kidnapper who has also a horse rustler, I think it's safe to assume she has gone somewhere.

He paused.

Which leads us the question of, Where would she go somewhere in the middle of the night? Which in return leads us to examine the evidence. Mainly that Tiberious is in Grorr...I think we can solve this one. She must have left early because her bad hasn't been slept in.

He flashed his lopsided grin.

Let's just hope Tiberious wasn't doing something Jade wouldn't approve of.

He left the accusation in the air. Of course he had no idea what had been happening, but he knew Tiberious well. Or at least he thought he did.

~she looked at him~

"Like that cheap lady that was hitting on him when I showed up. I scared her away. since he was talking to himself." ~she chuckled~

"He just went to the barracks after I finished with him... talking.."

He raised an eyebrow.

SHE was hitting on him? Maybe he IS a changed man.

He kept her gaze.

We should go, start training the people who want to be taught.

~she smiled and then stood up letting him get up. she took his hand and led him around a corner where no one could see and kisses him passionately. you could tell she hated when they faught and being away from him as her cool hands roamed on his sides and back .~

Artimus kissed her back, then broke off the kiss,smiling.

I was being serious. I do need to train people. We should carry on with this later.

~she grinned~

" I know hon i just had to sneak a kiss tho. Lets get to work." ~she headed towards the door.~

He gave her a smile, then lead her to the area he was planning on using to teach.

There were a few people there already; some of them he recognised from showing an interest yesterday in the tavern, and a few others who must have heard what he was doing and wanted to join in.

Artimus didn't have any training weapons at the moment, but he started to show them a few moves. Sure it may have looked odd to anyone passing by, but he knew what he was doing.

~she walked the streets to her cart. She had heard completely what art was up too. She then thought about a few of her crates. she decided to ask a few people were this training was going to start. She took her horse and cart down to the area where they were gathering and she watched from a distance for a moment. Then pulled up behind art. Jumping out of the cart she moved to the back of it and pulled off two good size crates you would have thought would have been to big for her to handle. She placed them at arts feet.~

" One crate has bows of different sizes and arrows. The other...variety of Swords and staffs." ~she was all business now.~


"Use what you can. I have more back home. And my second shipment should be in next week. That might have some light armor something like hard leathers. I can let you have for your...group here."

~she walked over and grabbed her staff and joined the group she could use the practice. She watched for a moment and picked up what he was doing with them.~

Artimus swallowed as he noticed Willow approaching, telling the recruits to keep doing the movements he had taught as he went over to speak to her. He knew Indis was with him, but couldn't be sure if Willow would be able to see her.

He listened as she spoke, smiling as she donated the weapons. He watched as she joined the others, then turned to Indis, giving her a "See, nothing is happening" look.
Then he went and opened the crates. He asked the recruits to come and pick a sword or staff, and a bow each, then once that was done he picked up a sword and walked back to the front and began more serious training, teaching those with swords a few movements, and another one to those with staffs.

He began with one attack and one defensive move, then told them to split into pairs and use each movement, alternating between the pairs.

Slowly he patrolled the area, stopping people to show them if they were doing it wrong, guiding, teaching, watching the band of citizens slowly learn how to defend themselves.

He noted Willow didn't need any help. In fact, she was helping those around her with the staffs.

~she glanced over from talking with the people and smiled at art and glanced to his side very faintly seeing indis then went back to a serious face. She was sparring with one guy who was messing around about how woman should be kept at home and leaving this fighting to the men. with a flip of her wrist in quick motion where the Y shape of her staff was blades came out. She spun around sweeping her staff around his legs taking his feet from under him and as she continued her smooth and quick movement she had wrapped her polearm behind her and had the blade end at the mans throat.~

"Never underestimate your opponent. Female or Male. Sometimes the meekness person can be your worse nightmare with the right weapons." ~she stood back and then flipped her wrist and the blades disappeared. then she placed it on her back in a sheath.~

Indis and art always seemed to move together and she would shift with him in his movements like an invisible guardian. She saw willow and nodded knowing that she would sense her around. Indis chuckled a little seeing the weapons. She had so much in common with willow. It was almost like seeing herself. with a few missing things. Seems willow did some blacksmithing. She was alot stronger then she seemed. She almost had the grace of an elf. Remembering then how old willow really was and saying she had been a battle mage. She had the scars to prove it the one on her upper arm was the largest that indy could see and she wondered how she got it. Then the disruption from the man that she taught a good lesson to. she watched willows reaction.. There... that look.. where she had decided to not hurt the man. But she thought about it. Indis leaned over to art.~

"Be careful..I think someone has a dark side she is fighting with." ~she whispered softly. Of course Willow had a darkside she showed it to Art in the bedroom the other night. when she attacked him after he left her. Art had told indy about what happened. Of course Indy had her darkside and art never saw it. That side had come out more after he had left. but at least willow seem to make the right choice or she was just trying to impress art.~

His eyes turned over towards the commotion, as did several others. But he nodded as she didn't kill the man. He hadn't heard what that was all about, but he didn't want things turning ugly.

Yes, she does. was all he said to Indis.

He got the others people back to their training, and then continued around, keeping his distance from Willow for the moment.

~she looked around at the people she floated between them looking for strengths and weaknesses. There was a few that wanted to fight but not such close range. She moved back over to art and as he stood watching indis wrap her arms around him and whispered into his ear and kiss his cheek. she pointed out the ones that might best serve as archers.~

Artimus had been too preoccupied with the pairings to notice the ones who could be archers. He nodded to Indis, but didn't reply, then split some of the pairs up, pulling the ones she motioned as archers over to one side and resetting sparring pairs.

Then he began the archers on a few simple target practises.

After a short while, with him still patrolling and offering advice, he let some of the other swords people have a go with target practise. He also swapped those with staffs, to let everyone have a go with all the weapons.

It was only mid afternoon, but he already had a good idea what everyone's strong points were.
Once he had run a few days with other people, he could start properly training those who were best suited for each style.

He called it a day a while later, taking the weapons back from everyone and reminding them that he was not teaching them to beat up people who wronged them.

He noted Willow was hanging back. He had been pretty much ignoring her most of the day, but knew he had to face her now. He walked over.

Thank you for the weapons. They were a great help. Do you want them back?