The sun shined brightly in through the window in Dustin's room. From outside came the sound of clashing steel. The training had begun. Dustin got up from the small bed in the centre of the room and walked over to the window. He couldn't see the training going on as the window faced the stable behind the inn.
Galen was already up and in the middle of the village. As a messenger training was part of his job. If he didn't train his chances of surviving a random encounter were slim at best. Back in his home town he would be training with the small army of Colodia.
Dustin walked out of the inn and he stopped on the porch. There was a total of twenty men with a combination of steel and wooden swords practicing parries in the centre of the road way. Galen was watching over the exercise with the careful eye of a teacher. Draven was sitting down on the small bench on the inn's porch.
"Glad to see your awake" Draven said getting up. "Come with me, I have much to tell. The news from Pespid was interesting and you will need to know the new developments."
Draven walked down the two stairs that led up to the inn. Dustin followed, "So I finally get to hear the news that has changed this peaceful town."
"Yes but first a history lesson." Draven said walking towards the gates to the north end of Norfolk. "You've already heard of Pespid, Colodia and a few other villages scattered here and there. But there is a whole circle of large towns closer to an inner circle of cities. Norfolk has grown in recent years because there have been people moving from the outer circle, there is great unrest in the inner circle."
"Just how many cities are in the outer circle?" Dustin asked. "For that matter how many cities are in the inner circle?"
"I only know of a few," Draven replied. "But the actual number is known only to those in the inner circle as well as the kingdom that lies in the centre of the inner circle."
"Wait a second," Dustin interrupted. "There is a kingdom that lies within the inner circle? Does the kingdom have a name?"
"Dustin, I know you are just full of questions right now. It is a lot of information to process if you let me finish I will tell you all I know about the outer circle, the inner circle as well as the kingdom encircled by the cities on the interior."
"Ok, I'm listening" Dustin stated.
"Alright, well I only know of about three cities in the outer circle and one on the inner circle. Colodia is one of the outer circle of cities. I have only been there twice, each time I was escorted to the inn. This is a custom you will need to get used to as Pespid practices this custom. Pespid is much larger than Norfolk and has a larger force for protection.
"I can only tell you what I know from my experiences, but there is a lot to learn and the need for an armed force in every village and town is becoming a reality. The times of peace are short and there are rumours of war on the horizon. People are becoming restless and idle hands tend to breed violence during times of unrest."
To be continued...
Next instalment: February 16, 2008.
