The Elephant Gate

The path was much easier; without the need for stealth the path was broad and smooth. Tree branches hid most of the valley from their eyes until they reached the ground floor.

By then a crowd had gathered at the base of the trail. Thadchai called out greetings to several before they reached them. Individuals held the reins while they both dismounted. The crowd quieted when Kevin walked to where his father was talking to another well-remembered figure.

"Khun Preem!" He greeted him. They clasped hands, and Kevin winced a bit at the strength in the older man's hands.

"Still soft, Noy Kevin. We will need to do something about that. I hope you are ready to sweat a little!"

Kevin laughed and looked around. "Are Khun Tae and Khun Wit here too?" The sudden sadness on their faces told him the answer was not positive.

"Khun Tae was killed in the fighting. Khun Wit disappeared the day the elephant pavilion was bombed. The buildings were too destroyed to search for bodies."

Thad chimed in. "Let's take care of the horses, and see what Noy Kevin has in him." The three of them led the horses through the whispering men to one of the barns. There, they handed off their mounts to handlers, before continuing to a fenced field.

There were straw targets against the stone wall of the caldera, and a table with various bows resting on it.

"I haven't touched a bow in fifteen years." Kevin muttered as he look over the offerings. Preem reached past him and plucked a smaller bow. Expertly he stringed it before handing it to the young man.

"This is one of our lighter bows. We have been experimenting with composite wood, and this is one of the best so far." Kevin tied on the wrist guard before giving the bow an experimental pull. His c.h.e.s.t muscles protested a bit when he pulled back. He picked up an arrow and notched the flight against the string. Taking careful aim, he released the projectile.

The arrow flew towards the target, but fell some meters from the straw bale. Preem tutted. Kevin tried several times before his shoulder hurt too much to pull again. The closest was only a arrow's length from the target, but still never struck it.

"I'm going to have to practice with this." Kevin said ruefully.

The instructor nodded. "It seems your body remembers the stance and direction, it just needs to be stronger. Of course that's what always takes the longest to develop. Let's try the quarterstaff."

This was always one of Kevin's favorite weapons as a child. It seemed fun to use a simple stick to sweep people off their feet. This time, though, with the instructor as his sparring partner, he was sure he was the one ending up on the ground.

Sure enough, it didn't take long before he was flat on his back, Khun Preem's staff aimed at his throat. By the time they were done, Kevin was breathing raggedly, spent and covered with dust.

Finally, he had the wind knocked out of him too many times, and just laid there, wheezing. The instructor used a friendly arm to pull him upright, although he was still bent over, trying to catch his breath.

"For someone who is an entertainer in the other world, you aren't bad, Noy Kevin," the instructor said conversationally, "But for a warrior, you skills are far, far below where they should be."

Kevin couldn't agree more, but he was determined to live up to his father's expectations. "I…I…I…just…need…more…conditioning." He said between breaths. Both the instructor and the captain laughed.

"That's what you used to say, too, when you first came to the training facility. And you made substantial progress in those two years. Determination is a key factor to reaching that potential. What's say we take a break, and have some food before we continue?"

The meal consisted of a trencher of various steamed vegetables and rice, with a shared plate of meat. Kevin ate his fill, ravenous after the morning's efforts.

"Don't eat too much, Noy Kevin. We still have additional work to do." Khun Preem jovially said as Kevin g.r.o.a.n.e.d, still sore from the morning's exertions. "How are you with the horses? Can you still…um…?"

"Talk to them? It is actually stronger than it was when I was a boy. Just a couple of days ago, I had a conversation with an elephant…"

His voice trailed off when he realized how much he missed that whisper in his head. He shook it off; it was no time to get maudlin. "Yes, I still have my abilities."

The instructor slapped the table, making the dishes jump. "Good. I don't want a demonstration now, but I wanted to know whether that survived to a.d.u.l.thood." He took a final huge draught of water.

"Are we ready to try some hand-to-hand fighting?"

"'We' aren't, but I guess I'll have to be." Kevin smiled tiredly and pushed away from the table.