A New Path - Part 6

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Ever had a report card that wasn't an actual report card? That is what it felt like when I received my daily schedule from the camp director's office. Some assignments I was expecting. I knew from Keri that everybody has study sessions for Greek History and the old Greek language. I also knew I would have to do a rotation in the strawberry fields to help earn my keep. But crafting basics, beginning archery, and beginning close combat? Must have flunked those areas hard in the past few days.

I head over to the forge after breakfast for my first crafting lesson. Since the class officially started a few weeks back, I am assigned to one of the advanced students to give me a run down on the basics of materials available, so I can catch up a bit. "The key to making a good selection is trying to see what an object wants to become and help it get there. Don't try to make it become something it is not." I feel lost already. It must show, because my student teacher pick up a small block of silver and puts it in my hand. "What do you see? Any curves? And lines that stand out to you?" I stare at it for a moment and move it around in the light. "I don't know...a couple of these lines could be birds maybe..." He just nods, "Good! Good! Now try to complete the picture. Here take this." He hands me some fine metal etching tools.

At first I just feel odd. I am basically just doodling on a small block of metal instead of a notebook, but I try my best to do what he said and just flow with the lines I already see there. I feel my mind wandering like it usually does in classes where i am just not into the subject, but somehow my hands keep going. I am a little shocked to look down and see I actually have a halfway decent image coming out. Maybe it is the influence of my cabin or even my mom watching over me from somewhere, but I seem to have a fairly pretty picture going wiht a heart in the middle of two doves. My mind snaps into focus and I am able to add a bit more detail to it. Feeling rather proud of it, I take it over to my guide to show him. He seems pleased and then helps me drill a hole sideways through the block. We add a black leather cord and it ends up being a fairly nice necklace. Nothing you would find in a fancy department store, of course. But it does have a simple beauty to it. I slip it around my neck as class ends and head off to my next lesson.

I arrive at the archery range and am pleasantly surprised to find that I will not be set apart from the main class here. It only takes a few minutes to find a bow and go over basic shooting form and then it is right on the firing line with the other students to see what my aim is like and make corrections as we go. I let fly with a few arrows, placing my aim on some of the closer targets. I manage to land a couple shots on the outer edge of the target and the rest fly wide of the target. I raise my bow again and take aim, but suddenly feel a pair of soft hands on my arm pushing it it into a lightly different position.

I look over my shoulder and see the dark haired archer girl who saved me during the capture the flag game on my first day at camp. I guess I should have realized she is good enough to qualify as a student-instructor. I smile at her, but just like last time she blushes and quickly looks away from my eyes. I try to watch her as she moves around me, making a knee bend adjustment here and a shoulder alignment there. She nods in satisfaction and I let my shot fly. Not perfectly in the center, but only one ring away from it. She smiles at the shot and then looks at me, seemingly waiting for me to try another. So I draw another arrow and manage to place it just inside of my last shot. I look over at her, "Thanks! That helped a lot." She blushes again and looks away. Her amber eyes come back to mine after a moment and she gives a quick smile before hurrying off further down the firing line. I have really got to remember to find out her name.

I won't go into Greek language or lunch on this day since they were pretty straight forward events. Right after lunch though, things got interesting. While my earlier classes all differentiated between skill levels, close combat is run by an instructor who mixes and matches levels pretty randomly. Suppossed to get us ready for anything we might face on a real battlefield. So with Sword, shield, and armor all set, I wait for my turn. The instructor finally glances my way. "Ok, sport. Let's see what you got. Nos! Get up here!"

"What?!? Why me? I want Collins! Not some pansy newb!" A girl of medium height with brown hair and eyes steps forward, grumbling into the ring. She is dressed in traditional greek battle armor except for her head, which has a backwards baseball cap showing a menacing pair of eyes on it. Her forearms are covered in black gauntlets with some wicked looking spikes on them. She glares at the instructor, then at me. "Fine! Let's get this over with..."

I am not sure what happened next. I think I see her step to the side and just sort of fade into a column's shadow and then suddenly somethig hits me solidly in the back and knocks me to the ground. I roll just enough to make the first impacts graze off my armor, but her aim quickly shifts to the gaps between the pieces. My leg burns with pain as the spikes punch through a soft spot. A second later, the inside of my arm is hit by a piercing blow as well. "Enough!" The rain of blows stops, but the pain and the bleeding don't. "Nos, back in line. Someone take him to the medics." I hear the girl reply, "Can I have a real fight now?" right before I am picked up and the shock of pain makes me black out.

I hear voices nearby. I can't make out what they are saying, but I somehow sense they are talking about me. I feel a burning sensation coming from my leg and arm for a moment before the pain starts to dull. I feel something on my tongue...it tastes like mint chocolate chip ice cream. All of a sudden, I am awake! I try to sit up, but the weight on my injured arm shoots a white hot flash of pain straight to my brain and I collapse backwards onto the pillow. I try sitting up a bit slower until I feel someone pressing me back down. A soft voice nearby says, "You shouldn't try to move so much...."

I swallow down the rest of what was in my mouth and ask,"Where am I?" The soft voice answers, "The infirmary." My eyes start to come into focus and I recognize the white curtains and healer's tools as I look around, my gaze finally finding the source of the voice. It's the dark haired girl. Thinking about how many times she has come to my aid already, I fall back onto the pillow. "Oh...uh...I guess I am making a wonderful first impressions, huh...?" She doesn't say anything, but smiles at the comment, so maybe I am not making such a fool of myself after all.

I watch her as she wraps fresh bandages around each of my wounds. "You have come to my aid several times already and I don't even know your name." She keeps working, but quietly says, "Angelia." "Angelia...that is pretty. I like it, I am Sean, by the way, in case you want to know who you keep saving." She blushes and smiles again, "I know...."

Suddenly there is a loud bang as something hits the window nearby. Angelia jumps and I turn my head to see what it might of been. A dark haired boy is jumping around and gesturing outside the window. He looks pretty upset. I turn to Angelia, "Jealous boyfrined...?" She shakes her head and motions for him to go away. "No, that's my twin brother, Michael." "Oh!" I exclaim and settle my head back down on the pillow.

Rather than go away though, he apparently moves closer to the window since I can now hear him though the glass. "Stupid son of Aphrodite! Stay AWAY from my sister!" I raise an eyebrow, "He does realize I am rather immobile right now, doesn't he?" She comes back over to the bed. "I better go take care of this. The bandaging is done, so you just rest here for a bit until you feel well enough to move." She gives me one last smile before heading out the door. Sweet girl. I hope the next time we meet doesn't involve so much bleeding on my part.

Once again I marvel at how well healing works here at camp. I am back up on my feet in time for dinner and the evening campfire. I tried to spot Angelia, but I only managed a few angry stares from her brother instead. After cleaning up with a nice warm shower, I sink into my cushy bed and reflect back on the day. Certainly some good and some not so good. But I learned a lot, and that is the point, right? I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

To be continued...