Ulric rode steadily toward the south quarter through the streets, dressed warmly in his winter clothes. His horse was steady as she walked along the cobbles, and he kept the warm blanket that would be put on her when they arrived at the docks, rolled up behind the military saddle. He was relaxed as he rode, looking around calmly for potential trouble, though he expected none. He had, after all, delivered the message that he would not be bullied or intimidated into his choice. Now it was up to them how they would react.

He continued riding at a modest past through the streets, seeing the streets narrow slightly as he crossed the bridge into the Southern Quarter. He checked the saddlebag that carried a bottle of wine and some beef and chicken sandwiches made up by the cook, and wondered idly where they would or could enjoy a quiet meal.

Now that Beth was his chosen, he fully expected a chaperone to accompany them to ensure that nothing untoward would happen to either of them. After all, the Elven House Merout was noted for taking a very long view indeed of plans and of the world in general. To them, this would probably feel like a very rushed decision and courtship. But in any case, Ulric was prepared to ensure that he upheld his end by staying true to Beth until his dying day.

He rode toward the docks and dismounted smoothly, pulling the blanket over the horse, even though she was still saddled - he decided he would personally ensure she was given a good brushing down in reward for her service. He walked the horse along the docks until they arrived at the Silver Seal, and he tied his horse up at the hitching post. He removed the sack with the wine and food, then walked to the gangplank where one of the sailors nodded to him.

“Afternoon, Sir Ulric,” the sailor said formally. “Come to see Beth have you?” Ulric chuckled.

“One letter to her and already I am that obvious am I?” he said. “Yes, I am here to see Lady Beth, if she is free and available, thank you.” The sailor nodded and moved to one side, allowing Ulric to walk to the gangplank. Ulric looked up at the ship and cleared his throat. “Ulric Treny requests permission to come aboard?” he called clearly. Beth’s head appeared over the rail at the stern of the ship and she grinned widely.

“Permission Granted,” she called. “Come aboard Ulric!” Ulric smiled and walked easily up the gangplank, not even slightly worried about his footing. He stepped aboard the Silver Seal and looked around at the quiet activity that was going about the ship. Beth smiled at Ulric’s inspection.

“She’s not as powerful as the Atianna or Kraken, and not as large as some of our others, but she’s fast and she’s home.” Beth looked around at the ship then back to Ulric who smiled warmly.

“Beth, I am no sailor, but the crew look efficient, the deck is immaculate and everything seems to me extremely well ordered,” Ulric said genuinely. Beth’s smile widened and she looked pleased as punch.

“That means a lot coming from you, Ulric,” she replied, then pointed to the sack. “So…. what’s in the bag?” Ulric grinned and removed the linen wrapped sandwiches and the bottle of wine.

“A light lunch, if you are interested? I figured we could eat here so that your chaperone did not have to track you down.” Beth rolled her eyes at that statement.

“Ugh, don’t remind me. Brethren is like a shadow at present. He needs to get better at subtlety. Or sneaking. Or shadowing. But yeah, lunch would be wonderful. Wait here, I’ll see if we can use the mate’s cabin to eat as long as we respect it.” Ulric nodded and Beth strode to the Captains cabin, coming back a couple of minutes later with a smile.

“He has given permission for privacy,” she said, "as long as we keep the door open.” Taking Ulric by the arm, she led him to the door leading to the captain's cabin and turned to one of the doors on the side and opened it. Inside was a small cabin with a table and three chairs. Beth took one of the chairs and sat down as Ulric set the sandwiches and wine on the table, along with two steel goblets.

“Ulric, I’m going to have to get you used to rum one of these days,” Beth said with a grin. “Wine is well and good, but I’m a sailor at heart. Rum for the ship, wine for the land.” Ulric nodded with a laugh.

“Very well, challenge accepted,” he said. He let Beth choose whether she wanted the chicken or beef, and when she made her choice, he selected the other and poured her a goblet of wine, before pouring his own. The two settled down to eat, Beth sighing contentedly over the roast beef sandwich.

“You really know a way to a sailing girl's heart, Ulric,” she said. “Good meat is so hard to come by when at sea.” Ulric nodded with a smile and the two continued to eat, drinking their wine as they ate. Finally their meal was done and Ulric looked at Beth with a concerned expression.

“I need to let you know, Beth, that our courting is already under threat by denizens from the Maze,” he said. Beth raised an eyebrow, holding her goblet in one hand. Ulric continued. “There is apparently a group of elven refugees who have taken insult to me looking to potentially court you. They may attack me, they may attack you. I felt that you should be forewarned.” Beth nodded in understanding.

“Thanks for the heads up Ulric,” she said. “I’ll be careful, you have my promise. And I’ll make sure that Brethren is armed as well in case I need backup.” Ulric nodded and stood, clearing the linen and recorking the now empty wine bottle. Beth finished her wine and handed Ulric her goblet.

“Well then, I had best head back to the estate,” he said. “I have left word that should you wish, you are to be welcomed as you have been chosen as the lady I will court.” Beth grinned widely.

“I’m not going to tire of hearing that for a long time,” she said cheerfully. Ulric smiled.

“I expect that your family will prefer a long courtship?” he asked seriously. Beth rolled her eyes again and nodded.

“For a non-elf, you’ve a good read on the house frame of mind when it comes to time,” she replied. Ulric laughed warmly.

“No, I just studied the houses that were vying for me lightly then in more detail…” he said with a grin. Beth reached up and stroked his cheek gently.

“You’ll have to take that in lieu of a kiss,” she said with regret. Ulric touched her hand, then pulled his gloves back on and headed back out to the deck, and back to the dock. He removed the blanket from his horse and rolled it up, storing it behind the saddle. He unhitched his hose, mounted and looked back to the Silver Seal. Beth was there, waving over the railing and he waved back, before riding back toward the East Quarter.

His days had become routine once more, and the knowledge of what was going to happen in each day was like a comforting balm to Ulric. Patrolling, paperwork, training with Alin Bardye, more patrolling of the house, then time to head to the Lion or the Silver Seal depending on the day of the week. Lala might consider it dull and boring, but the man had a wild streak that was only barely tamed. Ulric did not think it ever would or could be.

He walked out of his small office, paperwork finished for the time being, , pulling on his fencing gloves, and made his way with an even stride to the training hall where he knew Alin Bardye would be waiting in a few minutes. Her regime was more chaotic, less regimented, always designed to keep him on his toes, and he was able to counter with his own prior training more and more, to help keep things on a semi even ground. Her skill was still far greater than his, but he was learning slowly and steadily, with regular improvement.

And so, when he arrived at the training hall, he was a little surprised to see Beth there squaring off against Alin Bardye, with Brethren watching in the background as always. Ulric watched his fiancée cross blades with his trainer time and time again, only for Alin Bardye to barry, block and riposte with graceful ease. Beth on the other hand, was clearly enjoying herself, pushing her own respectable skills to the limit, as he knew Alin Bardye to be the far superior of the two. Alin Bardye stepped back from their exchange and smiled at Ulric.

“You’re late,” she said with a grin, despite this being almost exactly the time he would arrive anyway. “I had to amuse myself with the woman who said she is to be engaged to you. What do you have to say for your tardiness?” Ulric grinned.

“Nice try Alin Bardye, you know this is the time I am scheduled for training,” he replied, ”if anything I’m early.”

“Well look alive,” she countered. “Battles never go to a schedule and plans rarely survive contact with the enemy. Your elven lady knows more about that than you do, it seems. Now, I want to see how well you fare against her. She’s quite good, better than I expected.” Ulric nodded and drew his rapier as Beth grinned and squared off against him. Ulric slipped the safety ball on the tip and readied himself. Their blades flicked back and forth as each sought to open an opening in the defence of the other. Ulric immediately could see that Beth, while not as accurate as he was, was more skilled at locating vital spots with her blade. It was something he knew he would have to see to, if he was to truly master his weapon. Finally Beth lightly tagged him, only for Ulric to tag her a moment later and Alin Bardye clapped her hands for their attention.

“Alright you two,” she said with amusement “I’ll break up this little bout for now, just to make sure that you don’t get too hot and bothered. Save that for when you really need it.” Beth and Ulric parted and saluted each other, then Beth removed the safety ball from the tip of her own rapier and sheathed it. Ulric then turned to face Alin BArdye who had already drawn her rapier and was coming at Ulric with a lightning quick lunge. Ulric parried it swiftly, but before he could counter attack, Alin was attacking yet again and again. Ulric was kept on the defensive for a few minutes, then finally found his breath to counter attack only for Alin to parry his blow and riposte, a riposte Ulric was able to block himself. Alin Bardye smiled and nodded, a high compliment in the middle of combat.

Finally, the Great Clock in the town square could be heard chiming the hour and Alin Bardye broke off her attack, stepping back and saluting Ulric with her blade. She had scored several little blows on Ulric, not enough to puncture skin, but enough to leave a few bruises. Ulric, for his part, had managed to tag Alin Bardye a few times as well, and her impressed demeanour showed.

“Well done Ulric,” she said sheathing her blade. “You’re improving steadily but I wouldn’t become too confident yet. You’ve still a ways to go yet.” Ulric nodded as he removed the safety ball from the tip of his rapier and sheathed the blade. “Now, go and talk to your elven lady and see what she thought of you.” Alin Bardye grinned and walked out into the cold weather. Ulrioc for his part walked over to Beth who had been watching with a wide grin.

“So?” Ulric asked as he walked up to Beth and faced her. “What did you think?” Beth touched her finger to her chin and smiled.

“I think you’re amazing to watch when you’re really cutting loose,” she replied, “and you’ll be amazing when you complete your training under Alin Bardye. Even now, you’re pretty amazing.”

“Which tells me it is time for another spar with Lala,” Ulric says with a smile. “If I start thinking I’m too good, I need to be brought down a few pegs, and he is the best man to do it.” Beth looked a little puzzled.

“Why'd you want to do that?” she asked. “I thought he was your friend…”

“He is,” Ulric replied. “And because he’s my friend, I know he will push me only as far as needed and not gloat over any victory.” Beth nodded slowly.

“I don’t quite understand, but I trust you, Ulric, to do the right thing,” she said, before placing her hand on his cheek. Ulric rested his hand against her cheek in reply and the two touched forehead to forehead for a few moments, breaking only when Brethren walked over and cleared his throat.

“Alright, that’s enough. Bethany, time to return to the ship,” Brethren said briskly. Beth rolled her eyes but nodded. She smiled to Ulric.

“See you soon, Ulric,” she said softly, before walking out, followed by Brethren. Ulric watched them leave with a smile.

Not soon enough for me he thought, before walking to start his afternoon patrol.

The words bounced around in Ulric’s head as he walked slowly toward the South Quarter. Learn the ropes. He smiled slightly as he walked, knowing that Beth would be surprised indeed that he had taken the time to learn the basics of her own craft. It was by no means a sure thing that he would become a sailor overnight, but the least he could do was put something back into what his fiancée was preparing for him. He continued to walk steadily, unaware of the figure shadowing him, with a blade at the ready.

Like a striking snake, the figure leapt out of the shadows, catching Ulric completely off guard, and stabbed him in the side, before turning to try and run off. Ulric’s rapier was in his hand in an instant and he was after the assailant in a flash, one hand pressed against the searing pain in his side. The assailant tried to lose Ulric by jumping over fences and running down alleys, but the noble duelist remained on their heels. Finally, they made what seemed to be a wrong turn and they came to a dead end alleyway, looking at Ulric with a smirk, keeping their blade out.

“No place to run now, Noble Boy,” the assailant, an Elf Ulric saw, “we warned you to stay away from the elf… now you’re gonna pay the price. In Blood.” Ulric looked quickly behind him to see four other assailants approaching him, all masked, all with short swords. Ulric exhaled and lunged at the one that had been taunting him, shifting his fighting to a more defensive posture. The blows struck true and the elf desperately tried slashing at Ulric, only for the blade to be parried. The other three advanced confidently, but when they attacked, their blows were countered either by Ulric’s armor or his blade - they were unable to find purchase through the steel and mithral of the nobleman.

One, then another fell, whimpering in pain until there were just two left. Ulric’s blade continued it’s dance of steel slowly giving himself more and more breathing room. Finally there was only one left, the other three groaning from the puncture wounds from his rapier. Ulric paused and looked at the last one, his eyes cold.

“I told you not to bother me,” Ulric said calmly. “And yet you and your fellows chose this path. Go and get them healing... and remember that next time, I might not be so merciful.” The last rogue turned and ran and Ulric walked out of the alleyway, calmly retracing his steps heading east now. The wound was painful, and was matted against his clothes so it was no longer bleeding, but it would still need healing. And walking wounded was an invitation to others that might take him for an easy mark. He cleaned his rapier with a cloth as he walked then sheathed it once more and made his way back to the Trey estate. It seemed that his sailing lessons would have to wait for the present.

It was late afternoon as Ulric walked calmly toward the docks of the Southern Quarter, his pace steady and even. His new Dark Blue boots, boots of the winterland - a gift from Beth, kept him warm and kept his feet from slipping on the occasional patch of ice. It was a caution that he still carried, not able to fully overcome it. It was, however, a pleasure to not have to wear the bulky winter wear and be able to move that little more freely as a result.

He made his way along the docks, his pace slower now than before, and he checked the names of the ships as he passed them. Finally, he came to the Merry Mermaid. And he nodded to the sailor on guard at the base of the gangplank. The sailor eyed him evenly.

“Whaddya want?” he asked abruptly. Ulric nodded to the ship.

“I’m Ul…” Ulric started but the sailor cut him off abruptly.

“I know who the hell you are, Treny,” he snapped. “I asked what you wanted.” Inwardly, Ulric sighed. It was going to be one of those days it seemed.

“I am here to speak with Captain Evelyn Atianna,” He replied calmly, not letting the sailor get under his skin.

“On what business?”

“That is between the Captain and myself.”

“It’s my damned business if I let you on the ship, fancy pants. So I’ll ask you one more damned time. What’s your business with the captain?” Ulric smiled slightly at the implied threat and blatant insult.

“Then I will let you explain to the good Captain how, when coming to speak to her on a private matter, I was turned away and had to discuss the matter with House Kraken instead.” Ulric’s smile grew as the sailor’s eyes darkened.

“You’re bluffing,” he said suspiciously. Ulric shrugged and turned, starting to walk away.

“If you really do know me, then you should know I only bluff as a feint, and my rapier is not drawn,” he called over his shoulder clearly. “I also do not threaten, I promise.”

“Yeah yeah yeah…” the sailor said, then Ulric heard his voice falter as he saw Ulric was heading straight for the Salty Parrot. “Wait! Sir Treny! I’ll see if the captain will see you!” Ulric sighed with relief inwardly and walked back toward the Merry Mermaid. He had not wanted to antagonise the Atianna, but he knew that it would be more diplomatic learning from them than the Kraken and he was not about to have learning interrupted by a sailor with delusions of importance. He waited calmly at the base of the gangplank to find out whether Ginger would see him. He did not have to wait long.

“SPIRITS AWAKE! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU I WAS NOT TO BE DISTURBED!” Ginger’s angry voice carried easily from the window from the captain’s cabin. “WHO? WHAT? HE SAID WHAT?” Ulric smirked slightly. Her temper had not changed. He continued waiting, then he heard booted feet on the deck before Ginger walked down the gangplank. Ulric watched as she walked up to him and she folded her arms, looking up at him.

“You’ve quite the nerve coming here Ulric,” she said, “especially after you turned down the marriage proposal. Still, at least you didn’t go for Darla Kraken so it seems you have some sense in your head after all… but anyway. What was it that you had to talk to me so importantly about?”

“Sailing,” Ulric replied calmly.

“Are you wanting to hire a ship?” Ginger sounded a little incredulous.

“No,” Ulric replied. “I need to learn the basics of sailing.”

“So why aren’t you bothering the Merout house for something so damned trivial?” The fire flashed in her eyes and her lips tightened.

“A few reasons. One, They would not take me on unless I committed to training for a good ten years at least. Two, I want it to be a surprise for Beth. Three, sailing is no trivial detail but a skill that I will need sooner or later being attached to House Merout. Four, I would ask someone I trusted and would rather build diplomatic ties with.”

“So the Kraken wisecrack?”

“If I could not learn from you and your crew, then it would have been less appealing but it was no wisecrack.” Ulric’s tone was calm, steady and even. Ginger met eyes with Ulric, her green eyes burning with an inner flame as Ulric’s grey eyes returned the stare with steely silence. Finally she nodded and exhaled.

“Damn, but you would have been a powerful asset to the house had you become an Atianna. Alright. Here’s the deal. We’ll teach you the ropes, and in return, you’ll drill some of my men in the art of swordplay. They need to be kept on their toes and the arena don’t cut it as when you’re on the waves, you need to know when to duck. Do we have a deal?” Ulric nodded and extended his hand, and Ginger shook it.

“Very well, Captain Evelyn, we have a deal.”

Lunch had just passed and Ulric made his way to the training hall where he knew Alin Bardye would be waiting, possibly impatiently. He had tried arriving earlier a couple of times, only to find her waiting each and every time. And so, he kept his own routine, knowing that she would give him a little grief for being ‘late’ each and every time.

Today was no different.

“Raya-Thu’s blades Ulric! You’ve kept me waiting a good half hour!” she said with a smirk. “Any longer and I’d have had to train one of the others just to keep myself up to speed!” Her blade was drawn and capped in a twinkling and Ulric matched her, move for move. He smiled slightly at the reprimand, knowing that she would have sought any way to get him to react. That he did not was simply a hallmark of the training she was putting him through.

Their blades crossed again and again, and though Alin Bardye scored a few hits now and then, Ulric managed to feint more than once and catch her off guard to the point where a hit was landed in return. Alin Bardye nodded in satisfaction each time Ulric managed to open her defences and she stepped up her work, pushing him harder with her blade. Finally, she stopped after only a half hour had elapsed and removed the cap from the tip of her blade.

“Good, you’ve come quite a long way Ulric,” she said. “You’re even starting to make me work a little harder.”

“I have a good teacher,” he replied as the two saluted each other. Ulric sheathed his blade and then Alin Bardye crossed her arms and studied him intently.

“So what’s this I hear about you taking on student’s of your own?” she asked with an accusatory tone. Ulric smiled as he adjusted his silk scarf.

“I do not have students, rather I am drilling sailors in the art of the blade,” he replies. “It is payment for them teaching me the art of sailing.”

“Which you know squat about,” Alin Bardye said with a grin. Ulric nodded in reply, a grin on his own face. “Well then, you’d best head to the docks right sharpish so you can carry on with those lessons.” Ulric nodded and walked out of the training hall and started on his way toward the docks.

“Come on ya noble landlubber! Put yer back into it! And mind what yer doing!”

The shout from the second mate of the Merry Mermaid spurred Ulric into a heightened level of focus, the same kind that he had when he was training under Alin Bardye. He had been coming here for the last week, seeking to have a better understanding of how a sailor’s life worked and the basics of sailing. And the abrupt attitude of the second mate, whom Ulric privately thought was getting a kick of bossing a noble around, was an interesting contrast to the tutelage of the weaponmaster, and even Alin Bardye’s training. He gripped the rope he was securing for the sail and worked to tie it as he had been shown.

“By the Spirits! NO! It goes around THEN under!” The exasperation in the voice of the second mate was easy to hear, but no-one on deck dared laugh. As promised, Ulric had been drilling the men on their swordwork, and he had shown he was not to be trifled with when armed. Even with his blade sheathed, there was always a look of warning in his grey eyes that the sailors took heed of, not to push him too far. A joke was well and good, but everyone had limits, and no-one was eager to find Ulric’s.

Ulric quickly and deftly corrected the rope tying as he had been instructed and the mate came over and had a look at the work that had been done and nodded with a grunt. The second mate walked over to Ulric and extended his hand. Ulric took it and shook the second mate's hand and for a second, the two sized each other up, though not for the first time.

“Yer getting better and showing signs of improvement, Treny,” the second mate said with a grin, releasing Ulric’s hand. “Who knows, we might even make a half decent sailor out of you yet.”

“That would be a sight indeed,” Ulric chuckled. “A Treny without magic, riding the waves.” The second mate laughed.

“Now don’t be getting ahead of yourself boyo… the sea is treacherous even for those who know her well,” he said as he clapped the taller man’s shoulder good naturedly. Ulric grinned in reply and pulled his black gloves on once more from where they had been tucked into his belt. That Ulric had been willing to ‘get his hands dirty’ without resorting to hand protection had earned him respect from the other sailors who hadn’t known that Ulric's swordtraining training had toughened his hands beforehand. With a wave to the sailors and the second mate, Ulric headed down the gangplank and back to his horse, mounting up and setting off for the Treny Estate.

Ulric looked over the figures for the fifth time and nodded satisfied. The reports he had received were accurate as far as he could tell and were clear and concise. Just how he had requested them to be. Even the Weaponmaster was listening to his suggestions more and more these days, a sure sign that his skill with Alin Bardye’s training was growing and making him a more and more respectable force. But at the same time, he knew there were always those who would happily take him down a peg or two.

Now he had to turn his attention to the Silver Shadows. Something that he was not keen on doing but would need to focus on. He wished, not for the first time, that he had access to the intellect of Aldric Thornfield, or even the more scholarly disposition of some of the more researching types of his own house. But he was all he had and so he set to managing with resources he had to try and garner what he could.

After several hours, he was no closer to his goal and had used several sheets of parchment going over the possibilities. He sat back in his chair and sighed in quiet exasperation. There was a quiet chuckle from the door. He looked over his shoulder and smiled seeing Beth standing there.

“Not everyday I see you frustrated with something,” she said, walking over to him and resting a hand against his cheek gently. “What’s wrong?”

“It is this gang, or organisation might be a better term… called the Silver Shadows,” Ulric replied. “They’re a mix of rogues, mages, and spies as I understand it…” Beth shook her head firmly.

“Ulric, I’ve heard of them. Don’t involve yourself in them. They’re bad news.”

“Too late. They have already tried to kill me once. I might not be able to dismantle their organisation, but I can at least deal with the one that was trying to kill me.”

“Look, I’m starting to more than just like you, and I’d hate to lose you this early in our courtship.” Beth’s tone was firm. Ulric stands and walks over to her, resting his hands lightly on her shoulders.

“You are not going to be rid of me that easily, Beth,” he said reassuringly, “but I’ll pair back my hunt for the Silver Shadows. I am no investigator anyway, more a defender of those who need it.”. Beth Nodded.

“I know, and that’s one of the things I really like about you Ulric, but for the Love of the Spirits, Just... Be careful, alright?” Ulric nodded and held her close, feeling her hug him in return.

Ulric squared up against Alin Bardye for their regular training session and their blades crossed swiftly. For once, there was no chatter between the two, just focus and thrust, parry and riposte. Ulric was moving smoothly through his motions, seeing occasionally to feint against Alin Bardye’s counters, and as before, he was occasionally able to catch her off guard and land a more accurate strike.

Time passed quickly and the pair continued to spar, moving around the training hall, always seeking the advantage over the other, and as before, while Alin Bardye managed to maintain the upper hand, Ulric was able to push her that little bit harder than he had before.

Finally, Alin Bardye stepped back and nodded to Ulric. It was rare that there was no critique given, no advice for improvement, but the silence was in its own way a strong compliment. Alin Sheathed her blade and turned, walking out of the training hall and left Ulric to his thoughts for the time being. He knew that it was almost time for his patrols, but he had a few minutes left to himself.

He squared up against one of the training dummies and started focusing his strikes on the red critical areas of the training dummy, scoring more and more critical strikes than he had with previous practice trials. He continued the drills, feeling more confident with what he did now than before, yet knowing he still had a way to go.

He knew that his time for his patrol had arrived after what seemed like only a few moments, when in reality several minutes had passed, so intent on his training he was, but the internal clock he had kept him to schedule. He sheathed his rapier and headed out of the training hall and out to the guard point to taker his watch with the other men and women, responsible for the defense of the Treny Estate.

Ulric walked slowly behind the ten men and women who were crossing swords, sabers, and cutlasses with each other in a formal line of five versus five - they were one on one for now, but that would change soon enough. He watched them as they pushed each other with their training, knowing that there were no second chances on the battlefield, regardless of where it was. Ne watched as they acknowledged the ‘hits’ they received, displaying enough control to be able to lightly tap each other with their live blades without cutting cloth.

“Alright everyone,” Ulric called. “Break it up. You are going into groups of three now and the deal is simple. You are going to be in a swirling melee - you allies are the two people with you. When you are ‘out’, you go to the mast. When there are three of you, you come back ‘in’. This is going to simulate a continual stream of enemies. If at any point, only one group remains, that group gets a bottle of wine to share.”

“An’ what about the one that’s got no-one?” One of the others asked, a little puffed from the exertion.

“They get to catch their breath at the mast,” Ulric said with a smile, “and they get to see how you act, how you work together.” He pointed at three of the sailors, then three others, then three others.. “You three are one group, you three are a second group, and you three are the third.” The sailors noted immediately he had not selected them already standing near each other and quickly moved to try and stand next to their ‘allies’.

“Begin.”

The three groups were a lot more wary of each other this time, as it was not one on one, but three on three. Ulric watched critically as they moved around each other, looking for the openings that would allow them to move in. They had learned much in the days that he had been training them - previously he had made sure they were equipped with training swords and the bruises they had suffered from their zeal had shown him it was a wise idea. Now that the blades were sharp, their attention to detail was better. As was their control.

There was a brief rush, and two of the groups converged on the third, seeking to try and thin them; the tactic worked and the brief alliance splintered as the two other groups squared off, seeking to thin the others down and claim the prize of the wine. While they managed to get one knocked out, a new group had formed and was making their way quickly across the deck to engage and claim the prize. Ulric watched the groups form and reform over a good ten minutes without anyone getting an upper hand. Their control remained however - no-one wanted to be ‘that’ sailor who tried to score an easy win at the expense of having to work with the one they wounded.

“Halt, everyone,” Ulric said crisply. The Combatants were two groups of three, two at the mast, catching their breath, and two being pressed. “Well done, all of you. “It seems that you know control well enough to manage to keep your friends alive and when to press the enemy. It would seem I am going to be out four bottles of wine. Dismissed.” His words elicited a weary cheer from the sailors who sheathed their blades and went to check the bruises that they had earned from the latest training.

“Spirits alive,” Ginger said as she walked up behind him, “but I thought you were crazy when you had them training with their live blades.”

“You want them drilled well, they need to make sure they have control over their weapons at all times,” Ulric replied. “If I left them with simply training weapons, when it came time to use the real thing they would be crippled and or handicapped. The weight and balance is different.” Ginger nodded at Ulric's words.

“I get your point, still, had something gone wrong, it would have been your hide.”

“Which is why nothing went wrong.” Ulric laughed. “Now, if you will excuse me, I need to deliver a well deserved reward to those ten.” Ginger nodded and headed back to the captain’s cabin as Ulric headed down to the waiting horse, pleased he had had the forethought to bring four bottles, just in case.