Todays lessons made for a strange experience. Some of the boys had parents that wanted to test her skills and so they had set up private lessons. Some had faced off with her personally while others had sent in bodyguards to do the honors. Either way the day had been full of spars with fairly skilled people, thankfully they'd mostly been human, so she was able to show a skill level that exceeded that which could be gained at home and the parents all seemed content with her as an Instructor, and in some cases wanted to line up more private lessons. At this rate she would be able to put down first and last months rent on something in a week or two. She'd charged what she thought was an outrageous rate for the "lessons" today but considering how fast they'd agreed she was starting to think she'd shorted herself by a mile. Live and learn, the lessons for their sons would make up for it.
The more time she spent at the school the more she appreciated the place. It was sexist, but she'd found out there were similar schools for just females in the city too, so it wasn't as bad as she'd thought at first. There were, she supposed, benefits to segregating the sexes at a time when they were highly distractible by such things. Beka could tell some of the boys lost focus when they were reminded she was female, thankfully once she put her hair up and had her workout outfit on she could pass for a slender boy and that seemed to keep them more worried about getting hit with her weapons rather than the form beneath her clothes.
They were a good bunch of kids too, despite the poor first impression they were thoughtful, intelligent boys all trying to sort life out and their place in the world. The bluster they'd shown the first few days quickly dissolving away and revealing itself as the insecurities of teenaged boys. Devlin, a fourth year student, was approaching her as she was putting away the equipment for the day, he didn't say anything just started assisting. It was curious but Beka opted to just let the boy help in silence, it was a long day and it was a welcomed reprieve from doing everything.
When they were done, he spoke. "What was that you were singing?" Devlin asked, his face turned away from her, his body language closed off. Beka hadn't realized she had been singing so it took her a moment to rewind and review. "Ah, it's a song from my homeland, m"brothers and I would sing it while doing chores. There are like a hundred verses so it fit no matter how much y"have to do." She turned to face him, taking up an easy lean against one of the racks of weaponry.
"So not something you can teach easily." Devlin kept his face turned away as he spoke, his body language was so painfully uncomfortable that Beka started to worry about why he was hanging out here. "No, not easily but no impossible either. I could work some verses into the lessons if you'd like."
"You sounded sad when you were singing." He said, his face tilting just enough to get her in view. His hair was long and dark, it fell across his face hiding most of it from view, it was a strange defense mechanism that she'd seen in several of the boys. She rooted through her brain for some of his specifics, he was the only son of a widowed Count or something. She had an appointment to meet with the man sometime next week, by all accounts he was a very important and busy man. Devlin was eighteen, maybe nineteen and in his last year at the school, he would be expected to go out into the world and do something of great import in the not too distant future. He was a smart kid, like many of the boys, and had an aptitude for the sword, and spear, something that few of the boys seemed to be able to master.
"I miss my home." She saw no reason to lie to him, they were younger than she was but that didn't mean she had to treat them like children. "You going to tell me what you want, Devlin" I'm no good at guessing at such things."
Devlin stiffened slightly and he appeared about to retreat, the sight sent a pang of disappointment through Beka. Back home she had no problem speaking easily with her brothers or the men in her cadre, but these boys all felt on the edge of loneliness, as though they didn't feel like they could open up to anyone without fear of ridicule or the loss of face. He spoke after a minute. "My Father, he asked you to come to the Manor, didn't he?"
"He did, for a private lesson. A few of the parents have done so, their way of making sure you are getting the best education I'd guess." Devlin turned to face him now, a worried expression etched in his young face. "Please, Instructor McKenzie, don't go to the manor. Please." He took a step toward her and the intensity of the plea took her by surprise. "Devlin, I can no just deny him an audience..." Devlin cut her off. "Have you read Bram Stokers Dracula?"
The question was so uniquely bizarre and so outside of the context of the conversation that she stood there a moment before shaking her head. He continued. "It's a story about a man that went to great lengths for immortality so that he could wait for his deceased wife to be reborn again so they could be together."
"Devlin, that seems like an interesting story but I do not see what that —" Devlin cut her off again, moving another step closer, a frantic expression on his face. "My Father believes that you are the reincarnation of my mother. Look." He thrust a photo at her as he got far closer than he had before. The picture was startling to Beka, it was a woman that looked like the woman she would be in a few years, the last of the youthful remnants of her childhood lost shaping the woman that she would become. She shook her head, confused. "Where did you get this done" It's a good likeness but..." He spoke over her again. "Not a good likeness, you look just like her, it doesn't make sense, hasn't made sense since you came to the school." He paced now as she fell silent.
The first few days she'd been at the school Devlin had been withdrawn, hardly looking at her when they practiced, she just thought it was because she was female but now a dreadful sensation was creeping up her spine as the boy looked at her not like an object of affection, but rather like a ghost come to haunt him with memories he'd rather not have to face.
"Devlin, I'm sure it's just some kind of misunderstanding. In this town there are a lot of people that look similar to other people, I'm sure that's it. I will talk to your Father and work it out." "Please..." The single word from Devlin was powerful, but she couldn't accept that his father meant her any harm. "Devlin, are you alright staying in my class" I love having you here but if it makes you uncomfortable..." And the stricken look he gave was more than enough answer for her and she put a hand on his arm. "I'm not trying to get rid of you Devlin. You can stay in my class as long as you'd like.? The boy relaxed, and looking distraught muttered words of goodbye and exited, leaving Beka there alone....alone with a picture that Devlin had dropped on the floor on his way out; it was like seeing a glimpse into her future, she put it aside to return to him later.
The more time she spent at the school the more she appreciated the place. It was sexist, but she'd found out there were similar schools for just females in the city too, so it wasn't as bad as she'd thought at first. There were, she supposed, benefits to segregating the sexes at a time when they were highly distractible by such things. Beka could tell some of the boys lost focus when they were reminded she was female, thankfully once she put her hair up and had her workout outfit on she could pass for a slender boy and that seemed to keep them more worried about getting hit with her weapons rather than the form beneath her clothes.
They were a good bunch of kids too, despite the poor first impression they were thoughtful, intelligent boys all trying to sort life out and their place in the world. The bluster they'd shown the first few days quickly dissolving away and revealing itself as the insecurities of teenaged boys. Devlin, a fourth year student, was approaching her as she was putting away the equipment for the day, he didn't say anything just started assisting. It was curious but Beka opted to just let the boy help in silence, it was a long day and it was a welcomed reprieve from doing everything.
When they were done, he spoke. "What was that you were singing?" Devlin asked, his face turned away from her, his body language closed off. Beka hadn't realized she had been singing so it took her a moment to rewind and review. "Ah, it's a song from my homeland, m"brothers and I would sing it while doing chores. There are like a hundred verses so it fit no matter how much y"have to do." She turned to face him, taking up an easy lean against one of the racks of weaponry.
"So not something you can teach easily." Devlin kept his face turned away as he spoke, his body language was so painfully uncomfortable that Beka started to worry about why he was hanging out here. "No, not easily but no impossible either. I could work some verses into the lessons if you'd like."
"You sounded sad when you were singing." He said, his face tilting just enough to get her in view. His hair was long and dark, it fell across his face hiding most of it from view, it was a strange defense mechanism that she'd seen in several of the boys. She rooted through her brain for some of his specifics, he was the only son of a widowed Count or something. She had an appointment to meet with the man sometime next week, by all accounts he was a very important and busy man. Devlin was eighteen, maybe nineteen and in his last year at the school, he would be expected to go out into the world and do something of great import in the not too distant future. He was a smart kid, like many of the boys, and had an aptitude for the sword, and spear, something that few of the boys seemed to be able to master.
"I miss my home." She saw no reason to lie to him, they were younger than she was but that didn't mean she had to treat them like children. "You going to tell me what you want, Devlin" I'm no good at guessing at such things."
Devlin stiffened slightly and he appeared about to retreat, the sight sent a pang of disappointment through Beka. Back home she had no problem speaking easily with her brothers or the men in her cadre, but these boys all felt on the edge of loneliness, as though they didn't feel like they could open up to anyone without fear of ridicule or the loss of face. He spoke after a minute. "My Father, he asked you to come to the Manor, didn't he?"
"He did, for a private lesson. A few of the parents have done so, their way of making sure you are getting the best education I'd guess." Devlin turned to face him now, a worried expression etched in his young face. "Please, Instructor McKenzie, don't go to the manor. Please." He took a step toward her and the intensity of the plea took her by surprise. "Devlin, I can no just deny him an audience..." Devlin cut her off. "Have you read Bram Stokers Dracula?"
The question was so uniquely bizarre and so outside of the context of the conversation that she stood there a moment before shaking her head. He continued. "It's a story about a man that went to great lengths for immortality so that he could wait for his deceased wife to be reborn again so they could be together."
"Devlin, that seems like an interesting story but I do not see what that —" Devlin cut her off again, moving another step closer, a frantic expression on his face. "My Father believes that you are the reincarnation of my mother. Look." He thrust a photo at her as he got far closer than he had before. The picture was startling to Beka, it was a woman that looked like the woman she would be in a few years, the last of the youthful remnants of her childhood lost shaping the woman that she would become. She shook her head, confused. "Where did you get this done" It's a good likeness but..." He spoke over her again. "Not a good likeness, you look just like her, it doesn't make sense, hasn't made sense since you came to the school." He paced now as she fell silent.
The first few days she'd been at the school Devlin had been withdrawn, hardly looking at her when they practiced, she just thought it was because she was female but now a dreadful sensation was creeping up her spine as the boy looked at her not like an object of affection, but rather like a ghost come to haunt him with memories he'd rather not have to face.
"Devlin, I'm sure it's just some kind of misunderstanding. In this town there are a lot of people that look similar to other people, I'm sure that's it. I will talk to your Father and work it out." "Please..." The single word from Devlin was powerful, but she couldn't accept that his father meant her any harm. "Devlin, are you alright staying in my class" I love having you here but if it makes you uncomfortable..." And the stricken look he gave was more than enough answer for her and she put a hand on his arm. "I'm not trying to get rid of you Devlin. You can stay in my class as long as you'd like.? The boy relaxed, and looking distraught muttered words of goodbye and exited, leaving Beka there alone....alone with a picture that Devlin had dropped on the floor on his way out; it was like seeing a glimpse into her future, she put it aside to return to him later.