Nyke looks at Andle with a strange look in his eye, "And just how are we going to do that?" He stops walking in the hall and looks at Andle. "What do you have in mind?"

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Andle turned back to Nyke with a fire in his eyes ten times the intensity he had ever had before. "Let's step it up a notch." Andle swung a spinning blow down at the back of the mans legs with all the speed he possessed and his wrist locked ready to meet the pillars of stone.

That was all it took. The next two hours are full of bruises and yelps as the two exchange blows. Andle gets in a couple of good ones during this time which seems to impress Nyke.

"Enough..... enough." Nyke says breathing heavily. "Lets get some food. Then it is off to the Mistress for you." He ends with a smile as if he knows the next class will be even harder than the last.

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Andle stood stern and nodded. If this is what it would take then that's what he would do. He felt so determined to do whatever it took to fulfill his objective. From here on out, those who thought they knew him would see someone else in his place. Even he might forget who he was.

That is the pattern for the next week. Practice, Practice, Read, Sleep, Same thing the next day. All the while the lesson get harder and more intense. It turns out the hard of the two is learning how to follow proper etiquette. Being proper never seemed so hard but looking back being a moderately rich person in the country is nothing here in the bigger cities of Esotvia. Things that were proper at home are considered back woods here. That is the hardest thing. Stopping old habits to begin new ones. The Lady seemed to get bigger and meaner every day as she beat the lessons into Andle.

While this was going on so was something else. Andle had seen movements of large amounts of boxes and some of the rooms of the manor where being closed up as if they were leaving on a long trip. Still nothing of that was mentioned by his trainers and if he brought it up the lessons intensified to get his mind of his train of thought. Something was brewing.

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Andle kept up with his lessons. His body ached in every inch of his being. Sometimes it even seemed that his brain would hurt after the old womans lesson. He noticed his muscles had slowly begun to form showing more defined curves on his body than he could remember seeing. Though he could only remember up to waking here and the man on the wall sometimes flashed through his mind, he had been having a vague memory lately. So vague in fact, it almost stopped existing if he tried to pay attention to it. Something about the smell of sweat with the mixture of lead weighted arms. He just couldn't figure it out.

Andle wished he knew what was going on. Apparently he was not trusted with such information as the moving of the castle. He watched it slowly being emptied and wondered if they were leaving was he leaving too? Did Andle get to go with the knights on this confidential move? He didn't know, but he subdued his frustration with the treatment, the treatment of being as a child. Yes, he was young, but how many his age were training for knighthood? How many his age had snuck up on an asassin trying to kill a lord, but it didn't matter. He would do whatever they told him. He would form his body into a machine of sword worthy steel. He would make his mind into the most maticulate and intracate labrynth. He would be the knight of knights no matter how hard he had to work.

This drive came from within him, some place deep where he could not see. Another portion of the puzzle he could not figure out. Andle realized, his mind was already a labrynth to himself, and what good is a maze to confuse others if you have not yet fully mapped it out yourself. He must remember, he must.

It is another week before Nyke and Andle find themselves before the Lord of the Manor once again. He has greeted them and the small banter of how his training has gone well has passed. He sits there pondering something as if it is important before he fires at Andle a two headed question.

"Have you started to remember your past yet and who is your Lord?" he leans forward in his chair his eyes seeming to burn a hole in Andle's head as he is judging the boys reaction as well as his answer.

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Andle stares back at the man unflinchingly and with no signs of affect outwardly. Though inside his stomache seemed to have butterflies. He had been focusing what time he could, outside of studies and lessons, on trying to remember his past. It was like trying to fit pieces of a puzzle together while the pieces tried to constantly crawl away in every direction. He had remembered a few things. A house in the woods. A woman calling him to come inside. Her voice seemed to comfort him, and two little girls screaming playfully as they chased each other around the front porch.

That was all, the memory went blank after that. Andle looked up to the knoble man before him and without a hint or doubt, Andle spoke.
"My Lord, the memories of my past are spread over a map of time to spaced to be assembled in remembrance of the past. Though a few things float here and there. I have doubt that tells me they will never reassemble to provide the truth of my coming. In what memories I have seen, my rule is under no one. As far as we can now tell, I will now be your ever faithful servant. I will do your will to the best of my honor and die for your cause if necessary. May you command me as you see fit, my Lord." Andle leaned foward slightly bowing his head in honor and respect. As he bowed he said "Yours and no other." As if rehearsed.

He leans back and holds out his hand with the palm up. "I do not want you alliegance, that is for the King." He stands and steps toward Andle. "I do like the heart you put into your words though." He reaches down and pulls Andle up.

"What I do want is your freindship and respect. I am a Knight of the Scroll not Royalty. I can see in you the makings of a Knights of Esotvia." He reaches out and shakes Andles hand now.

"I will help you to become one but for now I do want you respect. I will be the leader on the mission we are about to go on. I will be the highest ranking officer on it. There will be others beneath me who will hold a level of command but," he pauses and heads over to the wall of weapons. Reaching up he takes a fine longsword down and turns to Andle.

"We will be putting our lifes in each others hands. Hands of trust and respect. If one of us fails then all could. I am willing to put my life in your hands my fellow soldiers will do the same, are you willing to do the same?"

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Andle looks at the man still with no emotion. "I will stand by your side in battle and trust also all those who follow you m'lord. As for my respect and friendship. You already have it." Andle quickly bows his head in respect.

'What are we going into that he talks so. Why can he not tell me. I feel as if I am the only one wandering through the dark and even though all around me hold torches, the flames give me no light.' he thought to himself.

"Good then." he says, "We leave for the Moor in the morning then. I must ask that a will of sorts be written and signed by each person going in case they do not return."

"Finish that up and see to some weapons and armor before we leave. Remember we are going into the Moor so choose wisely" With that he heads for the back door and a waiting group of three men who turn and head out the door with him. "Be ready" is all he says as he leaves.

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Andle follows quietly. 'The Moor.' he thought to himself. He really might not come back from this. As for the armor and weaponry. He wondered what he would have a choice from.

Andle continued on, saying nothing.

As the door closes and Lord of the Manor leaves the door behind him opens and Nyke enters. "Well then to the armory is it?" he is smiling and then motions for Andle to follow him before turning to leave. Andle has to jog a little to catch up to the man as he hurridly moves through the halls to a locked door. Pulling out a key he opens it and says, "Pick wisely we are going to a swamp."

With that he moves and lets Andle into a room that has every weapon and piece of armor imaginable lining the walls and in shelves throughout the large room. There is enough weaponry here to arm a small army.

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Andle walks around the room admiring the astounding mass of weaponry in this hidden room. His fingers running across smooth wood and cold steel while his pulse quickens. He decides that he has looked long enough and should probably make a selection.

Andle walks to a table with a variety of daggers and takes one with a gold hilt and finger gaurds only on one side. The blade was slightly curved which would be useful for throwing.

He then walked over to a round table with swords pointing toward the middle all the way around its circle. He picks up a broadsword that was simple with a silver hilt and a double edged blade. The grip was made of tightly bound black leather and so was the sheath that was made for strapping across the wearers back.

He then proceeded to pic up an ash wood long bow in a leather tube that could also be strapped shoulder to hip across his back. He pulled it out and could almost not string and unstring the bow. He then picked up a quiver of thirty arrows also made of ash with black feathers that looked as if they had just been made.

Andle equipped his gear and threw his black cloak on over it. He felt ready, but would he truly be ready when the time came. Yes, he would be. He would no longer doubt what he could do. He could do whatever was put before him. He was on his way to becoming a knight.

Armed to the tooth Andle walks outside to find Nyke still waiting for him. Soon the two are at the mess hall and eating before heading towards their rooms for a nights rest.

The next morning finds Andle's clothes gone and replaced with a light set of greyish leather armor, knee high leather boots, and a leather harness with the crest of the house on the front and back of it. Donning the armor and grabbing his weapons Andle gets one more meal before finding himself in the back of a wagon heading out the gate. Several other of the men including the Lord of the manor, his wife, and Nyke are riding around the wagon. Two other wagons follow closely behind but after a quick count there are thirty troops heading out to the swamp.

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"Now that we are on the road m'lord, may I ask to what we are heading towards, or would you prefer not to speak right now." Andle stared in anticipation for an answer.

He looks this young warrior up and down before answering. "For the last three weeks we have been getting reports of a large force of undead heading this way in the Moor. It is large enough that it is visible from the edge of the Moorland. The knights are mustering an army to meet them but they are taking too long since half thier force has been called south for some reason."

He looks toward the Moor, "I think it has fallen on our shoulders to slow them down from any villages on the edge."

The Lord Knight looks at Andle and suddenly asks, "Would you give your live for me..... For Nyke...... For that farmer over there? Hold your answer. We shall soon see the true answer of your heart. Until then think on that."

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test

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"You see what around the corner?!?!?!"