Read Online Brethren: An Epic Adventure of the Knights Templar by Robyn Young - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Robyn Young
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unconcerned. However much Jacques disliked him, he had never been punished after any session. Jacques walked down their line, studying each of them in turn. Will met the knight’s gaze, but Garin lowered his head.
Jacques passed them both, then stopped. “De Lyons. You will run today.”
Garin’s head jerked up, his face a mask of disbelief. The other sergeants wore similar expressions. Brocart, whose performance had been pitiful, looked especially bewildered.
“Sir?” Garin fought to keep his voice steady. Like Will, he had never received the punishment before.
“You heard me,” said Jacques gruffly. “Twenty circuits.”
“Yes, sir,” murmured Garin. “Thank you.”
As Garin stepped out of the line and the knight turned away, Will touched his friend’s arm. “This isn’t fair,” he whispered. “Jacques is wrong.”
“Campbell!”
Will dropped his hand to his side as the knight rounded on him.
“What did you say?” demanded Jacques.
“Say, sir?”
Jacques’ eye narrowed to a slit. “Do not play with me, boy. What did you say to de Lyons?”
Will glanced at Garin, who gave a tiny shake of his head. “Nothing, sir. I just…” He paused, looking to the other sergeants for support. They all avoided his gaze. Will huffed and turned back to Jacques. “I just wondered why you picked Garin to run, sir.” He tried to keep his tone light, forming the words as a question. “I didn’t think he was the worst?”
There was a long pause. “I see,” said Jacques, his voice all the more disquieting for its softness. “Then who, would you say, deserves the punishment?”
Will glanced down the line at his fellows, then back at Jacques.
“Come now, Campbell,” insisted the knight. “If you do not think de Lyons was the worst, then you must have an idea of who was.” As Will went to speak, Jacques held up his hand. He moved back, gesturing to his place. “Step forth, Sir Instructor!”
Will did as he was told. His eyes darted briefly to Brocart and Jay. Brocart was staring straight ahead, but Jay caught his look and scowled, knowing what he was thinking.
“Well?” demanded Jacques.
Will remained quiet for a long moment. Finally, he shook his head. “I don’t know, sir.”
“Speak up!” barked Jacques, his voice lashing out like a whip.
“I don’t know who was the worst, sir.”
“Of course,” said Jacques, a humorless smile raising the corners of his mouth. He turned to the other sergeants and pointed to Will. “For how could a boy with no experience of battle, graced with a lineage that stretches back a mere generation and afforded only the acclaim he gives himself know anything of such matters?”
Will noticed that Jay was smirking. Garin was staring fixedly at the ground.
“In future, Campbell,” said Jacques, stepping closer to Will, “keep your opinions to yourself. It will be less embarrassing.” He bent forward until his face was level with Will’s. “Don’t ever question my judgment again,” he murmured, a fleck of his spittle striking Will’s cheek. Jacques straightened. “De Lyons!” he said, not taking his eyes off Will. “Campbell has just granted you an extra ten circuits.”
Will stared at the knight, aghast. Hearing a small, hoarse voice thank the knight for the punishment, he turned to Garin, trying to communicate an apology with his eyes and beg forgiveness at the same time. But the boy didn’t meet Will’s gaze, or anyone else’s as he stepped out of the line and set off at a run. Will, his face burning, watched Jacques stride toward the preceptory buildings. His hands were trembling, wanting to curl into fists and slam that smug smile from Cyclops’s face. Around him, the other sergeants collected their weapons in silence and began to file from the field. Will caught a few sympathetic glances from some and accusatory glares from others. Ignoring them all, he watched Garin loping away across the muddy field, which now
Jacques passed them both, then stopped. “De Lyons. You will run today.”
Garin’s head jerked up, his face a mask of disbelief. The other sergeants wore similar expressions. Brocart, whose performance had been pitiful, looked especially bewildered.
“Sir?” Garin fought to keep his voice steady. Like Will, he had never received the punishment before.
“You heard me,” said Jacques gruffly. “Twenty circuits.”
“Yes, sir,” murmured Garin. “Thank you.”
As Garin stepped out of the line and the knight turned away, Will touched his friend’s arm. “This isn’t fair,” he whispered. “Jacques is wrong.”
“Campbell!”
Will dropped his hand to his side as the knight rounded on him.
“What did you say?” demanded Jacques.
“Say, sir?”
Jacques’ eye narrowed to a slit. “Do not play with me, boy. What did you say to de Lyons?”
Will glanced at Garin, who gave a tiny shake of his head. “Nothing, sir. I just…” He paused, looking to the other sergeants for support. They all avoided his gaze. Will huffed and turned back to Jacques. “I just wondered why you picked Garin to run, sir.” He tried to keep his tone light, forming the words as a question. “I didn’t think he was the worst?”
There was a long pause. “I see,” said Jacques, his voice all the more disquieting for its softness. “Then who, would you say, deserves the punishment?”
Will glanced down the line at his fellows, then back at Jacques.
“Come now, Campbell,” insisted the knight. “If you do not think de Lyons was the worst, then you must have an idea of who was.” As Will went to speak, Jacques held up his hand. He moved back, gesturing to his place. “Step forth, Sir Instructor!”
Will did as he was told. His eyes darted briefly to Brocart and Jay. Brocart was staring straight ahead, but Jay caught his look and scowled, knowing what he was thinking.
“Well?” demanded Jacques.
Will remained quiet for a long moment. Finally, he shook his head. “I don’t know, sir.”
“Speak up!” barked Jacques, his voice lashing out like a whip.
“I don’t know who was the worst, sir.”
“Of course,” said Jacques, a humorless smile raising the corners of his mouth. He turned to the other sergeants and pointed to Will. “For how could a boy with no experience of battle, graced with a lineage that stretches back a mere generation and afforded only the acclaim he gives himself know anything of such matters?”
Will noticed that Jay was smirking. Garin was staring fixedly at the ground.
“In future, Campbell,” said Jacques, stepping closer to Will, “keep your opinions to yourself. It will be less embarrassing.” He bent forward until his face was level with Will’s. “Don’t ever question my judgment again,” he murmured, a fleck of his spittle striking Will’s cheek. Jacques straightened. “De Lyons!” he said, not taking his eyes off Will. “Campbell has just granted you an extra ten circuits.”
Will stared at the knight, aghast. Hearing a small, hoarse voice thank the knight for the punishment, he turned to Garin, trying to communicate an apology with his eyes and beg forgiveness at the same time. But the boy didn’t meet Will’s gaze, or anyone else’s as he stepped out of the line and set off at a run. Will, his face burning, watched Jacques stride toward the preceptory buildings. His hands were trembling, wanting to curl into fists and slam that smug smile from Cyclops’s face. Around him, the other sergeants collected their weapons in silence and began to file from the field. Will caught a few sympathetic glances from some and accusatory glares from others. Ignoring them all, he watched Garin loping away across the muddy field, which now
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