Bren was finding it hard to stand let alone think.
“Next we eat and then we shall sleep,” the man said, pulling a large piece of bread from his pack. “It has been a long night and many more of those shall follow. We must be sure that you are in control. It only takes one time, and then you will find yourself nothing but a tool for the elements and your own emotions. That is not the way of a true warrior.”
The meal was simple but filling, and more important than anything was the sleep. Bren didn’t care that there was no soft bed to sleep upon, nor did he care that the ground was littered with rocks that poked and prodded him. All that he cared about was that he was being allowed to sleep. At that moment, nothing seemed important other than closing his eyes and letting the darkness take him away.
Chapter 5
For more than seven days, Bren was forced to do the most odd and dangerous things, and each time, he found himself battling for control. It was getting easier with each confrontation, yet he still found times when he just wanted to let go.
“I believe I have taught you all that I can,” his teacher said, giving him a slight bow, which Bren returned bowing even lower. “The rest you must master on your own; otherwise, it will hold no true meaning.”
Bren gave the first real smile since he had left the Brotherhood’s camp. “I don’t know how to thank you enough,” Bren said happily.
“You can thank me by taking good care of my student,” the man replied with a saddened smile. “Hayao was not the best of my pupils and showed very little skill in learning to master his chi, so he was sent, like many others, to guard a local lord, yet he was still one of mine. His shame is mine, and his honor is mine, and I wish him the best.”
The look on the man’s face told far more than his words. “He will become a part of my family. I promise he will lack for nothing for as long as he lives.”
The man gave one final bow then disappeared into the woods. Bren could have followed him, but it was obvious their time together was over. The only thing Bern wished was that he had learned the man’s name. It felt odd to be trained by someone who would remain nameless for the rest of his life.
When Bren returned to the house, the sun had just touched the far horizon, and everyone was gathered around for the evening meal. “Bren,” Faye shouted as she hurdled from her seat and wrapped him in a tight hug. “They told us you were training, but we were all starting to get a bit worried when you didn’t return the first night. If not for Hayao, I think Cass would have marched into the elder’s building and demanded to be taken to you.”
“Then it is a good thing that Hayao was around, isn’t it,” Bren said laughing.
“I haven’t had a good meal in days, so why don’t we all talk after we eat. I for one could use it,” Bren said as he deeply inhaled the aroma of the food that had been brought out for them.
The food was good, though after what he had been fed for the past few days, anything would have been welcomed. After the meal, Bren and the others headed for the baths then back to their room.
As soon as he entered the room, Bren found himself bombarded with questions about where he had been and what he had been doing. For the most part, Bren kept his answers very vague as he didn’t want the others to know how empty he had felt before. He still didn’t feel the same as he had before the incident with the Brotherhood, but he once again felt things other than emptiness.
When Faye approached him for the first time, Bren felt a warmth spread through his body as she lightly placed a kiss on his lips. It was an odd sensation, and Bren found himself suddenly embarrassed as he noticed that Cass was watching him intently. Bren cleared his throat and looked around the room. “I think it’s time we focus on the reason we came here.”
Bren pulled the large map from his pack and unrolled it for everyone to see. “This map shows the location of the doorway to the veil. Once