J.T. cracked his neck and rubbed his eyes as he walked from the warmth of the main tent toward Matt\u2019s forge up the hill.\u00a0 For the first time in weeks, he wore his claymore strapped across his back.\u00a0 In his right hand, he carried a pair of kendo sticks.\u00a0 His breath steamed in the chill of the bright morning, the third in a stretch since the others had dragged Phelan home.\u00a0 Maybe it was an omen.\u00a0 He didn\u2019t think so.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo he\u2019ll live to do something idiotic on another day.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
J.T. snorted at the sound of \u00c9riu\u2019s ghostly voice.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t seen or heard from her since the day she\u2019d left to find Phelan more than a week ago.\u00a0 \u201cApparently so.\u00a0 Seems that he\u2019s made a promise not to pull any more stunts like that one, though, and the girls seem to believe it.\u201d\u00a0 He shrugged slightly.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll believe it when it happens.\u00a0 Or doesn\u2019t happen, as the case may be.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAs will I.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0 She hovered above the crust of snow, her ghostly steps leaving no trace of her passage.\u00a0 \u201cThe only reason I can forgive him is because no harm came to anyone here in his\u2014or my\u2014absence.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
He gave the ghost a wry smile as he climbed the hill.\u00a0 \u201cWe did try not to stir up trouble while you were out.\u00a0 It was surprisingly easy, considering we were all too worried to stir up much of a ruckus.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou tease me.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cOf course,\u201d he said.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s the only way I stay sane.\u201d<\/p>\n
He ducked into the forge to find Matt working on melting down some scrap into ingots.\u00a0 The younger man glanced up at the sudden brightness that flooded the dark space, raising a brow.<\/p>\n
\u201cMorning, Jay.\u00a0 What brought you up here?\u201d\u00a0 He eyed the claymore and the kendo sticks.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not sure those would handle the heat very well.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThey don\u2019t always handle the cold very well, either.\u201d\u00a0 J.T. shook his head.\u00a0 \u201cI know that Thordin\u2019s been working with you to learn how to swing a battleaxe and that\u2019s fine.\u00a0 But before he showed up, you asked me to help you learn swords and I said I\u2019d teach you.\u00a0 Time for a lesson.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNow?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now.\u00a0 Can what you\u2019re working on stand a break?\u201d<\/p>\n
Matt glared at the crucible and the scrap piled in it.\u00a0 \u201cYeah,\u201d he said, his voice flat. \u00a0\u201cAmbient temperature outside is making it harder to melt shit down right now.\u00a0 Maybe if I wait for afternoon it\u2019ll get a little easier.\u00a0 Even a few degrees might make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCould be.\u201d\u00a0 J.T. flipped one of the kendo sticks toward Matt and nodded when the younger man caught the bamboo stave.\u00a0 \u201cCome on.\u00a0 I\u2019ll put you through your paces and let off some steam myself.\u00a0 It\u2019ll probably be good for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStressed?\u201d<\/p>\n
J.T. shrugged as he turned and shouldered open the door into the cold sunshine.\u00a0 \u201cA little.\u00a0 I\u2019ve been holding other people\u2019s lives in my hands too much and it makes me ornery.\u00a0 Come on.\u00a0 Out into the sunshine.\u00a0 I\u2019ll try not to hit you too hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Matt smiled, following him out the chill, his tone wry.\u00a0 \u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n
His companion shot him a lopsided grin.\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re welcome.\u00a0 If we\u2019re lucky, Thom will show up and kick both of our asses\u2014well.\u00a0 He\u2019ll try to kick mine, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe did say he\u2019d be up here later.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d\u00a0 J.T. gave Matt an evil smile.\u00a0 \u201cLet\u2019s get warmed up, then.\u00a0 Once he shows up, we\u2019ll show you what a real sparring match looks like.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJacqueline\u2019s going to need to slather a bunch of salve on your bruises by the time you\u2019re done, isn\u2019t she?\u201d<\/p>\n
J.T. laughed.\u00a0 \u201cQuite possibly.\u00a0 Probably.\u201d<\/p>\n
It felt good to laugh and not give a damn about what would be happening in the next few minutes, hours, days.\u00a0 At least for a little while, he could have that.<\/p>\n
He was going to take every advantage of the downtime that he could\u2014starting right now with ignoring the baleful look that \u00c9riu\u2019s ghost shot him.<\/p>\n
It was high time he had a little fun.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
J.T. cracked his neck and rubbed his eyes as he walked from the warmth of the main tent toward Matt\u2019s forge up the hill.\u00a0 For the first time in weeks, he wore his claymore strapped across his back.\u00a0 In his … Continue reading