A Quest of Heroes (Book #1 in the Sorcerer's Ring)

main training ground, and before him stood dozens more
of the legion, along with dozens of The Silver. They, too, let out a cheer at
the sight of him. They all came forward, and patted him on the back.
    Kolk
stepped forward, and the others quieted. Thor braced himself, since Kolk never
had anything but contempt for Thor. But now, to Thor’s surprise, he looked down
at him with a different sort of expression. While he still couldn’t quite bring
himself to smile, he wasn’t scowling, either. And Thor could have sworn he
detected something like admiration in his eyes.
    Kolk
stepped forward, held up a small pin of a black falcon, and pinned it on Thor’s
chest.
    The
pin of the Legion. Thor had been accepted. Finally, he was one of them.
    “Thorgrin
of the Southern Province of the Western Kingdom,” Kolk said, gravely. “We
welcome you to the Legion.”
    The
boys let out a shout, then all rushed in, draping their arms around Thor and
swaying him this way and that.
    Thor
couldn’t even take it all in. He tried not to. He just wanted to enjoy this
moment. Now, finally, there was somewhere he belonged.
    Kolk
turned and faced the other boys.
    “Okay
boys, calm yourselves,” he commanded. “Today is a special day. No more
pitchforks and polish and horse crap for you. Now it’s time to really train.
It’s weapons day.”
    The
boys returned an excited shout, and followed Kolk as he trotted across the
training field, towards a huge circular building made of oak, with shining
bronze doors. Thor walked with the group as they approached, an excited buzz in
the air. Reece was by his side, and O’Connor came and joined them.
    “Never
thought I’d see you alive again,” O’Connor said, smiling and clapping a hand on
his shoulder. “Next time, let me wake up first, will you?”
    Thor
smiled back.
    “What
is that building?” Thor asked Reece, as they got closer. There were immense
iron rivets all over the door, and the place had an imposing presence.
    “The
weapons house,” Reece answered. “It’s where they store all our arms. Every once
in a while they let us get a peek, even train with some of them. Depends what
lesson they want to impart.”
    Thor’s
stomach tightened as he noticed Elden, coming over to them. Thor braced
himself, expecting a threat—but this time, to Thor’s amazement, Elden wore a
look of appreciation.
    “I
have to thank you,” he said, looking down, humbled. “For saving my life.”
    Thor
was stumped: he had never expected this from him.
    “I
was wrong about you,” Elden added. “Friends?” he asked.
    He
held out a hand.
    Thor
was not one to hold a grudge and gladly reached over and met his hand.
    “Friends,”
Thor said.
    “I
don’t take that word lightly,” Elden said. “I will always have your back. And I
owe you one.”
    With
that, he turned and hurried off, back into the crowd.
    Thor
barely knew what to make of it. He was amazed at how quickly things had changed.
    “I
guess he’s not a complete creep,” O’Connor said. “Maybe he’s okay after all.”
    They
reached the weapons house, the immense doors swung open, and Thor entered in
awe. He walked slowly, neck craned, surveying the place in a broad circle,
taking it all in. There were hundreds of weapons, weapons he didn’t even
recognize, hanging on the walls. The other boys hurried forward in an excited
rush, running up to weapons, picking them up, handling them, examining them.
Thor followed their example, and felt like a kid in a candy store.
    He
hurried over to a large halberd, hoisted the wooden shaft with two hands, and
felt its weight. It was massive, well oiled. The blade was worn and notched,
and he wondered if it had killed any men in battle.
    He
set it down and picked up a spiked flail, a studded metal ball attached to a
short staff by a long chain. He held the studded wooden shaft, and felt the
metal spike dangle on the end of the chain. Beside him, Reece handled a battle
axe and O’Connor tested the weight of a long pike, jabbing into the air at an
imaginary enemy.
    “Listen
up!” Kolk yelled, and they all turned.
    “Today
we will learn about fighting your enemy from a distance. Can anyone here tell
me what weapons can be used? What can kill a man from thirty paces away?”
    “A
bow and arrow,” somebody yelled.
    “Yes,”
Kolk answered. “What else?”
    “A
spear!” someone shouted.
    “What
else? There are more than just these. Let’s hear them.”
    “A
slingshot,” Thor