Chapter 25
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After couple of minutes, Nick finally returned to the reality and said "You will not understand what it means, even if I explain it to you". I didn't really care, I was more interested about other stuff he can teach me. I asked "So what else will you teach me?" to which nick said "There is one last thing I'm going to teach you and that is the art of stealth". I thought a bit and said "You mentioned it last, is it least important or most important skill of yours?"
He said "All of them are important, you small bastard. Don't pick and choose". He then continued "You think the skills that the late roommate of yours told you about are even comparable? They are just petty tricks, no wonder she got caught in the first place!". I kind of expected that answer. I nodded my head and Nick continued "What I'm going to teach you is the art of stealth. I'm not as experienced in it as with other two. Therefore I can only teach you that much". He then melded into shadow of the room and I couldn't see him at all. I was astonished, he just disappeared. I was sure if I went to the shadow I wouldn't find him there. Nick then appeared out of nowhere, standing in the same place he used to stand.
Only one word escaped my mouth "Wow!". Nick smiled and said "So you finally see the greatness of my skills!" he then continued "These are the 3 arts I'm going to teach you. From now on I will refer to them by their names". I asked Nick "So when will I get better?" to which he answered "You will need constant supply of food and rest couple of days. I'd say after 4 days of doing nothing and eating, you should be back to your condition from before. Therefore, we will start your training in 4 days"
He then said "You will do your tasks still, so only when your tasks are done will I teach you. Don't worry though, it will not be here. I will teach you at your house. It would be suspicious if you stayed here after doing your task". I knew what he was talking about. I also figured that no one else besides us knew about our relationship. I also had no problem with him coming over to my house because when he melded into the shadow, I doubted that anyone in this village could actually find him.
He continued "Ok, it seems that you can walk now. You don't have to come tomorrow, In 4 days time I will come to you myself. Also I will bring food to you personally. Now you are able to walk I assume, so get back to your house and get your strength back". I nodded my head and left his house. I was feeling much better than before, that was all because I ate a lot at Nick's place. He gave me some food once in a while, when we were conversing.
I returned to my house and took the quilt with me outside. I had to wash this blood somehow from my quilt. I didn't want to sleep in blood all the time. I went to the well and draw some water, then I put the quilt into the bucket. Using my hands, I did the laundry but it couldn't be called like that as I had no soap or nothing to wash the quilt with. The only solution was to scrub for a long time. The stain was still there in the end but at least the collected dirt and smell was gone. I squeezed the quilt as hard as my strength allowed to drain as much water from it as I could. Then I took it back to my house and hanged it inside. I didn't want to hang it outside because it was autumn already, so rain was not unusual and someone might just play a "prank" and steal it. It wouldn't even be a prank, someone would do this to make my life more difficult.
I then went to sleep without my quilt. The nights weren't that chilly yet so sleeping without a quilt was acceptable. Next morning, I woke up and felt hunger. When I looked around, I noticed some food laying on my table. It was meat and some bread as well as the usual porridge. The quantity was much better than what I used to get and so I devoured the food in a matter of minutes.
I didn't go out anywhere that day. I stayed at my house to rest properly and restore my strength. Nick occasionally popped in to give me more food. There was always some meat in the food I received. This went on for 4 days. My strength returned to normal and even better, I felt a lot stronger. Because I did nothing for couple of days and received a lot more food at the same time, my body recovered very well. I was still very skinny but my skin looked healthy now and there were no wrinkles anymore. I would even go as far as to say that I looked younger than previously. My wounds that Nick inflected healed very well. I could now run, swing my arms and so on, just like any other healthy person.
After couple of days of rest, it was time for me to return to my tasks. I got up from my bed, ate the breakfast provided by Nick and went out to do my job. When I started water carrying task I felt that the bucket was as light as a feather, it was no comparison to days when I was very weak. I felt like I could throw it 50 metres into the air. With this light warm up, I went to the woodcutter's lodge to start my wood cutting task.
I was surprised at how easy it was for me to split the wood. It felt like I was splitting butter. I still took usual breaks and faked being tired. I didn't want anyone, especially the one that monitored me, to find out my true strength or abilities.
After this task I went back to my house. This time when I arrived back at my house, I noticed that the breakfast was there. I guessed 'They will provide me with food now that I started to work again. Good, I can gain my strength back sooner'. After the breakfast which was as usual the porridge and bread, I went to the blacksmith's workshop.
I was surprised again to see the blacksmith Grond waiting for me. I wondered 'What type of task will he change it to now?'. I soon got my answer "Kid, today I will show you how to refine the steel even further. This will be your task from now on". I nodded my head and watched in silence.
Grond as usual took two lumps of iron ore and threw that together with the other ore. When that melted, he poured that into a bar mould and worked on it. He did 3 repetitions of the same process, he then completely melted the bar and added one lump of iron ore and another lump of other ore to the mix. When that melted, he again poured that into a bar mould and worked on it. He then did 5 repetitions of flattening one end, then curving it on top of the other and pounding till flat.
It took him well over an hour to just make that one ingot. I still had over an hour of time left so I got to work. I knew I could do the same ingot no problem. With my body recovering more strength, I would do it even faster. In the end I managed to create one such ingot. The blacksmith's eyes shone like rays of sunlight when he saw the bar, I faked being seriously tired not to arouse suspicion. He said that I can go now and so I left.
After my lunch break which was provided by Nick, I went to see him for my next task. Inside his house, I was treated as usual, as if nothing changed. I wasn't stupid and immediately knew that this was a cover up, so I played along. I treated the patients and only when someone with severe injury came over (or was carried in), I would call Nick over to tend to the injured person.
The day soon finished and I returned to my house. I noticed some food on my table. 'This should be my dinner that I receive from the village'. I ate my dinner in peace and awaited Nick's arrival. After a while I heard a voice "You seem to be better now".
I was startled. It was Nick's voice but nevertheless he didn't use the door because I would notice. The window was closed and so dirty that no one could see what is inside the house. I never did any real cleaning hence the dirt. I asked in amazement "How did you enter?" to which Nick showed himself and said "That you will learn soon".
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After couple of minutes, Nick finally returned to the reality and said "You will not understand what it means, even if I explain it to you". I didn't really care, I was more interested about other stuff he can teach me. I asked "So what else will you teach me?" to which nick said "There is one last thing I'm going to teach you and that is the art of stealth". I thought a bit and said "You mentioned it last, is it least important or most important skill of yours?"
He said "All of them are important, you small bastard. Don't pick and choose". He then continued "You think the skills that the late roommate of yours told you about are even comparable? They are just petty tricks, no wonder she got caught in the first place!". I kind of expected that answer. I nodded my head and Nick continued "What I'm going to teach you is the art of stealth. I'm not as experienced in it as with other two. Therefore I can only teach you that much". He then melded into shadow of the room and I couldn't see him at all. I was astonished, he just disappeared. I was sure if I went to the shadow I wouldn't find him there. Nick then appeared out of nowhere, standing in the same place he used to stand.
Only one word escaped my mouth "Wow!". Nick smiled and said "So you finally see the greatness of my skills!" he then continued "These are the 3 arts I'm going to teach you. From now on I will refer to them by their names". I asked Nick "So when will I get better?" to which he answered "You will need constant supply of food and rest couple of days. I'd say after 4 days of doing nothing and eating, you should be back to your condition from before. Therefore, we will start your training in 4 days"
He then said "You will do your tasks still, so only when your tasks are done will I teach you. Don't worry though, it will not be here. I will teach you at your house. It would be suspicious if you stayed here after doing your task". I knew what he was talking about. I also figured that no one else besides us knew about our relationship. I also had no problem with him coming over to my house because when he melded into the shadow, I doubted that anyone in this village could actually find him.
He continued "Ok, it seems that you can walk now. You don't have to come tomorrow, In 4 days time I will come to you myself. Also I will bring food to you personally. Now you are able to walk I assume, so get back to your house and get your strength back". I nodded my head and left his house. I was feeling much better than before, that was all because I ate a lot at Nick's place. He gave me some food once in a while, when we were conversing.
I returned to my house and took the quilt with me outside. I had to wash this blood somehow from my quilt. I didn't want to sleep in blood all the time. I went to the well and draw some water, then I put the quilt into the bucket. Using my hands, I did the laundry but it couldn't be called like that as I had no soap or nothing to wash the quilt with. The only solution was to scrub for a long time. The stain was still there in the end but at least the collected dirt and smell was gone. I squeezed the quilt as hard as my strength allowed to drain as much water from it as I could. Then I took it back to my house and hanged it inside. I didn't want to hang it outside because it was autumn already, so rain was not unusual and someone might just play a "prank" and steal it. It wouldn't even be a prank, someone would do this to make my life more difficult.
I then went to sleep without my quilt. The nights weren't that chilly yet so sleeping without a quilt was acceptable. Next morning, I woke up and felt hunger. When I looked around, I noticed some food laying on my table. It was meat and some bread as well as the usual porridge. The quantity was much better than what I used to get and so I devoured the food in a matter of minutes.
I didn't go out anywhere that day. I stayed at my house to rest properly and restore my strength. Nick occasionally popped in to give me more food. There was always some meat in the food I received. This went on for 4 days. My strength returned to normal and even better, I felt a lot stronger. Because I did nothing for couple of days and received a lot more food at the same time, my body recovered very well. I was still very skinny but my skin looked healthy now and there were no wrinkles anymore. I would even go as far as to say that I looked younger than previously. My wounds that Nick inflected healed very well. I could now run, swing my arms and so on, just like any other healthy person.
After couple of days of rest, it was time for me to return to my tasks. I got up from my bed, ate the breakfast provided by Nick and went out to do my job. When I started water carrying task I felt that the bucket was as light as a feather, it was no comparison to days when I was very weak. I felt like I could throw it 50 metres into the air. With this light warm up, I went to the woodcutter's lodge to start my wood cutting task.
I was surprised at how easy it was for me to split the wood. It felt like I was splitting butter. I still took usual breaks and faked being tired. I didn't want anyone, especially the one that monitored me, to find out my true strength or abilities.
After this task I went back to my house. This time when I arrived back at my house, I noticed that the breakfast was there. I guessed 'They will provide me with food now that I started to work again. Good, I can gain my strength back sooner'. After the breakfast which was as usual the porridge and bread, I went to the blacksmith's workshop.
I was surprised again to see the blacksmith Grond waiting for me. I wondered 'What type of task will he change it to now?'. I soon got my answer "Kid, today I will show you how to refine the steel even further. This will be your task from now on". I nodded my head and watched in silence.
Grond as usual took two lumps of iron ore and threw that together with the other ore. When that melted, he poured that into a bar mould and worked on it. He did 3 repetitions of the same process, he then completely melted the bar and added one lump of iron ore and another lump of other ore to the mix. When that melted, he again poured that into a bar mould and worked on it. He then did 5 repetitions of flattening one end, then curving it on top of the other and pounding till flat.
It took him well over an hour to just make that one ingot. I still had over an hour of time left so I got to work. I knew I could do the same ingot no problem. With my body recovering more strength, I would do it even faster. In the end I managed to create one such ingot. The blacksmith's eyes shone like rays of sunlight when he saw the bar, I faked being seriously tired not to arouse suspicion. He said that I can go now and so I left.
After my lunch break which was provided by Nick, I went to see him for my next task. Inside his house, I was treated as usual, as if nothing changed. I wasn't stupid and immediately knew that this was a cover up, so I played along. I treated the patients and only when someone with severe injury came over (or was carried in), I would call Nick over to tend to the injured person.
The day soon finished and I returned to my house. I noticed some food on my table. 'This should be my dinner that I receive from the village'. I ate my dinner in peace and awaited Nick's arrival. After a while I heard a voice "You seem to be better now".
I was startled. It was Nick's voice but nevertheless he didn't use the door because I would notice. The window was closed and so dirty that no one could see what is inside the house. I never did any real cleaning hence the dirt. I asked in amazement "How did you enter?" to which Nick showed himself and said "That you will learn soon".
After couple of minutes, Nick finally returned to the reality and said "You will not understand what it means, even if I explain it to you". I didn't really care, I was more interested about other stuff he can teach me. I asked "So what else will you teach me?" to which nick said "There is one last thing I'm going to teach you and that is the art of stealth". I thought a bit and said "You mentioned it last, is it least important or most important skill of yours?"He said "All of them are important, you small bastard. Don't pick and choose". He then continued "You think the skills that the late roommate of yours told you about are even comparable? They are just petty tricks, no wonder she got caught in the first place!". I kind of expected that answer. I nodded my head and Nick continued "What I'm going to teach you is the art of stealth. I'm not as experienced in it as with other two. Therefore I can only teach you that much". He then melded into shadow of the room and I couldn't see him at all. I was astonished, he just disappeared. I was sure if I went to the shadow I wouldn't find him there. Nick then appeared out of nowhere, standing in the same place he used to stand.Only one word escaped my mouth "Wow!". Nick smiled and said "So you finally see the greatness of my skills!" he then continued "These are the 3 arts I'm going to teach you. From now on I will refer to them by their names". I asked Nick "So when will I get better?" to which he answered "You will need constant supply of food and rest couple of days. I'd say after 4 days of doing nothing and eating, you should be back to your condition from before. Therefore, we will start your training in 4 days"He then said "You will do your tasks still, so only when your tasks are done will I teach you. Don't worry though, it will not be here. I will teach you at your house. It would be suspicious if you stayed here after doing your task". I knew what he was talking about. I also figured that no one else besides us knew about our relationship. I also had no problem with him coming over to my house because when he melded into the shadow, I doubted that anyone in this village could actually find him.He continued "Ok, it seems that you can walk now. You don't have to come tomorrow, In 4 days time I will come to you myself. Also I will bring food to you personally. Now you are able to walk I assume, so get back to your house and get your strength back". I nodded my head and left his house. I was feeling much better than before, that was all because I ate a lot at Nick's place. He gave me some food once in a while, when we were conversing.I returned to my house and took the quilt with me outside. I had to wash this blood somehow from my quilt. I didn't want to sleep in blood all the time. I went to the well and draw some water, then I put the quilt into the bucket. Using my hands, I did the laundry but it couldn't be called like that as I had no soap or nothing to wash the quilt with. The only solution was to scrub for a long time. The stain was still there in the end but at least the collected dirt and smell was gone. I squeezed the quilt as hard as my strength allowed to drain as much water from it as I could. Then I took it back to my house and hanged it inside. I didn't want to hang it outside because it was autumn already, so rain was not unusual and someone might just play a "prank" and steal it. It wouldn't even be a prank, someone would do this to make my life more difficult.I then went to sleep without my quilt. The nights weren't that chilly yet so sleeping without a quilt was acceptable. Next morning, I woke up and felt hunger. When I looked around, I noticed some food laying on my table. It was meat and some bread as well as the usual porridge. The quantity was much better than what I used to get and so I devoured the food in a matter of minutes.I didn't go out anywhere that day. I stayed at my house to rest properly and restore my strength. Nick occasionally popped in to give me more food. There was always some meat in the food I received. This went on for 4 days. My strength returned to normal and even better, I felt a lot stronger. Because I did nothing for couple of days and received a lot more food at the same time, my body recovered very well. I was still very skinny but my skin looked healthy now and there were no wrinkles anymore. I would even go as far as to say that I looked younger than previously. My wounds that Nick inflected healed very well. I could now run, swing my arms and so on, just like any other healthy person.After couple of days of rest, it was time for me to return to my tasks. I got up from my bed, ate the breakfast provided by Nick and went out to do my job. When I started water carrying task I felt that the bucket was as light as a feather, it was no comparison to days when I was very weak. I felt like I could throw it 50 metres into the air. With this light warm up, I went to the woodcutter's lodge to start my wood cutting task.I was surprised at how easy it was for me to split the wood. It felt like I was splitting butter. I still took usual breaks and faked being tired. I didn't want anyone, especially the one that monitored me, to find out my true strength or abilities.After this task I went back to my house. This time when I arrived back at my house, I noticed that the breakfast was there. I guessed 'They will provide me with food now that I started to work again. Good, I can gain my strength back sooner'. After the breakfast which was as usual the porridge and bread, I went to the blacksmith's workshop.I was surprised again to see the blacksmith Grond waiting for me. I wondered 'What type of task will he change it to now?'. I soon got my answer "Kid, today I will show you how to refine the steel even further. This will be your task from now on". I nodded my head and watched in silence.Grond as usual took two lumps of iron ore and threw that together with the other ore. When that melted, he poured that into a bar mould and worked on it. He did 3 repetitions of the same process, he then completely melted the bar and added one lump of iron ore and another lump of other ore to the mix. When that melted, he again poured that into a bar mould and worked on it. He then did 5 repetitions of flattening one end, then curving it on top of the other and pounding till flat.It took him well over an hour to just make that one ingot. I still had over an hour of time left so I got to work. I knew I could do the same ingot no problem. With my body recovering more strength, I would do it even faster. In the end I managed to create one such ingot. The blacksmith's eyes shone like rays of sunlight when he saw the bar, I faked being seriously tired not to arouse suspicion. He said that I can go now and so I left.After my lunch break which was provided by Nick, I went to see him for my next task. Inside his house, I was treated as usual, as if nothing changed. I wasn't stupid and immediately knew that this was a cover up, so I played along. I treated the patients and only when someone with severe injury came over or was carried in, I would call Nick over to tend to the injured person.The day soon finished and I returned to my house. I noticed some food on my table. 'This should be my dinner that I receive from the village'. I ate my dinner in peace and awaited Nick's arrival. After a while I heard a voice "You seem to be better now".I was startled. It was Nick's voice but nevertheless he didn't use the door because I would notice. The window was closed and so dirty that no one could see what is inside the house. I never did any real cleaning hence the dirt. I asked in amazement "How did you enter?" to which Nick showed himself and said "That you will learn soon".
