Even apprentices need a little disipline

[Angelofhumor16]

Michael nodded at his words and looked down somewhat sadly,"I'm not as good or skilled as all the others but I'm willing to learn sir." He replied as he followed after him to where thr training dummies were. He stood back to watch him,"Okay I'm watching." He replied.

Had Brutus known the boy had no family he would immediately take him in. Despite being big and pretty scary looking he was actually a pretty caring and loving guy. Basically a entle giant. Not only that, he had always wanted a child of his own. He smiled when the boy obeyed and went off,"Good boy!" He praised as he fetched it.

[LyonGirl]

"Good, now then. This is a simply technique I want you to learn." He said as he began to move and strike the dummy with his sword. "It's simple. One, two three, strike!" He said then looked at Michael. "Now them, come here and repeat what I've done."


Cain moved as fast as he could, holding the large sheet of metal and setting it up on the floor. "Here you are sir....your metal." He panted a bit, the metal had been heavy, but he made his effort. "Sir, will I be making swords as well or will I only be helping?" He asked, a bit curious on just exactly what he would be doing as an apprentice.

[Angelofhumor16]

Michael watched carefully as Richard showed him what to do. He took a deep breath before doing exactly as he saw the other do. Doing a pretty good job and only messing up one time,"Was that okay sir?" He asked looking up at the man who seemed to tower over him.

"Thank you boy." Brutus said and lifted the metal with ease on to his table before starting to hammer it down as well,"Hmm?" He said to the question and then thought for a moment,"Oh you will be making swords and other weapons for the knights and new squires, but you will also be helping out around the shop." He said and then smiled,"Come here then, and I can show you how to properly hammer the blade and handle." He guided him over and onto a small stool so he could reach.

[LyonGirl]

Richard watched intently as Michael strike the dummy. "Very good for your first time, but remember your footing, you have to be careful. Any enemy can see that and quickly make due with you." He reminded him as he walked over and fixed his stance. "There ya are, if anyone tried to attack you, you can stay firmly in place." He praised. "Now then, I want you to practice what I just showed and I don't want you to stop until you believe you have got it right, understand?"


Cain smiled a bit and nodded. He wondered how many knughts and squires he'd soon meet working for the blacksmith. True, he and his friends had seen many knights and squires in town, but none would ever give them the time of day, but now they would have no choice but to talk to him and he would have the honor of making swords that they would use in combat. He walked over to Brutus and stood on the stool to watch Brutus as he hammered down on the sheet of metal. He was so strong. Cain would obviously have to work on his build if he wanted to be a blacksmith.

[Angelofhumor16]

Michael made an Oh expression when he was reminded of his stance and was shown the correct stance again,"Okay I understand sir." He said when told he could stay firmly in place and was praised. Though he did frown a bit when told he was not going to stop until he was sure he got it right,"Umm y-yes sir I understand." He said and started to practice. An hour and thirty minutes passed and he was tired already. Though he was still not sure if he got it right,"Can't I rest now sir?" He panted.

Brutus glanced over at the boy as he watched him hammer away with ease. He knew what it was like as a boy to have nobody give him a chance. Perhaps that was why he took him in. He saw himself in the child and that he could potential,"Do you have any questions boy?" He asked calmly looking over to him.

[LyonGirl]

Richard stood there, watching Michael throughout the hour and a half as he practiced. He was glad to see the boy had determination in him, many young boys didn't have that nowadays and he did seem a bit tired. "I suppose a small break won't hurt. You go on and get some water and come back. Then we'll work on your hand to hand combat. I'm sure you've wrestled now and again as a child, yes?"

"...How did you become so strong?" He asked as he watched him hammer down with ease. There had been a rumor amongst the children that Brutus had simply been born strong and Cain almost believed that to be true.

[Angelofhumor16]

Michael smiled with gratitude when told he could go get some water,"Thank you sir!" He said politely before scampering off,"And I did wrestle a few times!" He called to Richard to answer his question before heading toward the inside of the palace gates where the water for squires and knights were kept. He took a long refreshing drink if cold water before starting to head back. That is until he came across a apple bin. He smiled the apples from the kings palace were always so good and fresh from the tree. So without a second thought he sat down and started to eat some. Not paying any mind to the fact that those particular apples were suppose to be for the knights horses later and weren't suppose to be touched by the squires.

Brutus hummed as he worked and looked down at the boy,"Hmm? Oh practice I suppose." He said with a thoughtful smile,"I'm sure you may think I was born strong, but its not true. I was a weakling when I came an apprentice to the kingdoms last blacksmith but then I got stronger as I was worked and now I can lift this hammer with ease."

[LyonGirl]

Richard waited for his squire, removing his armor to prepare himself. He would need to see just how good his apprentice was when he it came to fighting. He was wondering what was taking Michael so long, he was only sent to get water and come back.

As Michael was eating the apple, he was grabbed and picked up by his arm. "What do we have here, a squire touching something he shouldn't. These apples are for the horses only, not little boys." The man who had grabbed Michael was another knight, Jared. He and Richard had been long time rivals starting even before becoming squires. "Who does this boy belong to?!" He called out, getting the attention of everyone on the fighting ground. Richard looked over and sighed softly. He walked over to the two and eyed Michael for a moment before looking at Jared. "He belongs to me Jared.." He said, looking him dead in his eyes.
"Well perhaps you should keep a better eye on him. He was indulging himself in the apples for the horses."

"Thank you Jared, I'll deal with him accordingly." Richard said as he took hold of his apprentice. Jared scoffed and walked off.
Richard watched him go before looking at Michael. "Michael...what did I send you off to do?"

Cain smiled softly, chuckling a bit. At least now he knew the rumors were exactly that, rumors. "Well I hope to be strong as well too sir. I will be the best blacksmith there ever was. " He assured him as he stepped off the stool and looked around the room. He would soon be working here and it would be smart for him to look around and get use to where everything was. He took note of different steel and different weapons that laid in display for those who came to order. Soon he would have his own shop or if he were especially lucky, inherit this one. He headed behind the counter and took note of a stash of gold. He stared at it for a moment, looking back over towards his mentor.

[Angelofhumor16]

Michael let out a sqeak of pain and surprise st suddenly being picked by his arm by a really mean and scary looking knight,"Let me go!" He yelled and thrashed around,"Your hurting my arm you pig!" There was just something about the man and how Richard reacted to him when he walked up that made him not like Jared right away. He was relieved when Richard took him away from the man and he stuck his tongue out at the older man as he turned away. Though his relief turned to nervousness when Richard asked in a stern voice what he had asked what he had sent him off to do,"T-to go get water sir." He replied quietly and looked down,"But I saw the apples and I was hungry so I started eating them." He squirmed uncomfortably as he was still held in a firm grip. He wondered what he planned to do with him. Knights were allowed to punish thier squires however they saw fit. The only rules being for them to be for good reason and that another knight could not punish a squire that was not his.


Brutus smiled at that. He liked the boys determination and enthusiasm since it reminded him of himself when he was a boy,"Heh I am sure you will my boy." He said kindly. Helping the boy off the stool as he stepped down. His stash if gold he had collected from the knights was nearby but he didn't think the boy would take it. His back was turned away so he could not see what the boy was doing and the sound of his hammering drowning out any sound.

[LyonGirl]

"But that was not what you were sent to do." He said as he kept his grip on his arm. "I told you to go get water and come back. Squires are not to touch the apples for the horses unless told to do so. As a squire and soon to be knight, there will be days where you will be hungry and there will be times where you'd just have to sit there and deal with it. Now you've made me look as incompetent as ever in front of the others. For that,you will be punished." He said as he began to lead him away from the campground, there was no need to embarrass the boy in front of the others.

Cain looked over his shoulder at Brutus, he wasn't paying attention and it was very loud for the time being. He stood there for just a moment more before grabbing three gold pieces and put them in his pocket. He would never take the whole bag, there would be no way to hide it not to mention Brutus could easily figure out who took it. He supposed just a couple missing wouldn't make a difference and his mentor would not notice.