Chapter 85: Nagging feeling
The bathhouse,
Greenfields.
…
*Splash*
*Sounds of clattering teeth*
Donner gripped his sides, shivering as the cold bath water flowed down his body. His muscles were firm and well defined, his face appeared healthy with a rosy tinge.
'I hate cold water.' He muttered under his breath as he stared at the pail of water at his feet. Normally he would have chosen to avoid bathing if the weather was a bit too frigid for his liking, but his staff sergeant ordered a bath to be part of their morning schedule so he didn't dare disobey.
Pouring another portion of water on his body the sergeant shivered audibly drawing chuckles from his surrounding teammates.
"Sergeant, isn't this too exaggerated?" One of the soldiers asked playfully. "I am starting to wonder how you survived the winter if you are reacting so poorly to a bad draft."
Donner shivered again as the memory of their morning baths during winter crossed his mind. For a brief moment, despair flashed in his mind.
The sergeant glanced at the corporal who just spoke and spat venomously as he splashed water at him.
"Shut up Porvi, or I will have you run an extra lap around the market square."
"Oi, Serg. how is that fair?"
"Fair? You dare me and I will show you what is fair!" Donner threatened as he emptied his pail, washing down the lather that was left on his tanned skin. In the face of his superior's blatant abuse of power, the corporal shut his mouth but his body still shook mildly from restrained laughter.
"Cursed cold," Donner muttered as he marched out of the bathroom nude, grabbing a towel on his way out with his three comrades chuckling mildly as they watched their usually headstrong superior running with his tail between his legs from a pail of water.
Donner walked into the designated changing room to dress up. Picking his brown overalls from a cloth rack by the side he quickly dressed up and waited for his teammates outside the bathhouse.
"What took you so long? Did you forget we have the summons to answer this morning?" Donner grumpily asked as the three soldiers walked out of the building.
"Sorry, sir." The soldiers chorused.
"Nevermind, let's go then," Donner said leading his team away.
A few minutes later they arrived at a group of fieldstone buildings. These were the houses the young master constructed for the people of Redwater.
The buildings had been renovated with the walls receiving a new coat of plaster and wooden supports. Donner heard from one of the serfs involved with the construction that to save time last year the buildings were constructed with very shallow foundations.
During the previous winter, this wasn't a major problem when the soil froze and harden, but now that the ice had melted and the spring rains have arrived the soil have softened and loosened up making the reliability of the buildings doubtful.
But Donner wasn't too worried when he saw some of his few soldiers leaning against the walls as they waited since he was certain that the buildings had already undergone extensive renovations.
"What are we doing here, sir?" The youngest of Donner's group asked. He appeared to be about seventeen to eighteen and his face still held a bit of naivety.
"I am not sure, Anta, but I heard from our staff sergeant that this is meant to be some sort of training or class that the young master arranged for us," Donner replied as he peered into one of the buildings, inside he saw a few more soldiers already seated as they chatted animatedly among themselves.
"Assemble, soldiers!" Donner heard a deep familiar voice call out from behind him. He turned to see sir Carter standing behind them with a few staff sergeants by his side.
Although they didn't know what was going on, the soldiers, Donner included quickly assembled themselves into a formation according to their ranks and team arrangements in front of the older man.
It took about a minute for the men to properly arrange themselves.
The Lieutenant quietly watched until the soldiers were properly assembled before he spoke.
"Good morning, men!"
"Good morning, Sir!" A unified chorus sounded.
"Some of you might be aware why you are here, if not listen up." Sir Carter said as his gaze travelled through the rank of soldiers in front of him.
"As you are all aware, Marquess Levi is a very benevolent person who wishes to see the lives of his people improve, or am I not correct?"
"Yes, sir!" The soldiers chorused, some more enthusiastic than others.
"Good you know!" The Lieutenant remarked before continuing.
"The Marquess benevolence is matched only by his foresight, this is why he went to great lengths to provide this place for your betterment despite the strain on the town's finances."
Lieutenant Carter said gesturing towards the buildings behind the soldiers.
Donner subconsciously glanced towards the buildings behind him as far as his eyes could allow without swivelling his head. It was obvious from his face that the Lieutenant's words confused him.
Noticing the confusion on the faces of the soldiers, Sir Carter smiled faintly before continuing his speech.
"These buildings were initially constructed to help the people of Redwater tide through the terrible winter. Some of you lived here with your families for a period of time and thanks to the Marquess's benevolence managed to survive the winter."
"Thankfully, more suitable houses have been constructed and the good townspeople of Redwater have vacated the buildings. After an extensive renovation, these buildings have been prepared for your use."
"Here," Lieutenant Carter said dramatically gesturing towards the buildings.
"You all will be educated on everything there is to know about being a proper soldier. From reading to complex arithmetics to proper understanding of the laws of this land, everything would be taught to you by knightly scholars screened and selected for this purpose."
Donner's eyes widen as he heard sir Carter's words.
'Reading? Isn't that something only nobles and squires could learn? What is going on here?"
Lieutenant Carter nodded internally as he witnessed the mild commotion that the soldiers experienced from his words. This was the effect he was intending to achieve.
"You should all be grateful and strive to cherish this opportunity." He said in a loud voice that suppressed the soldier's murmurings. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you all to change your fates. Chances like this won't always come so easy."
"Also, the Lord decreed that every one of you stands a chance of being elevated to becoming Staff Sergeants just like these valiant men standing to this side, but only if you perform well in these classes." Lieutenant Carter added.
"Unwilling to let the Marquess's efforts go to waste, the lord decrees that only those who pass the final evaluations from undergoing this training would qualify for such a privilege."
Donner was shocked again.
He was certain that the current group of Staff Sergeants is exclusively made up of knights.
'Doesn't that mean that we can also get to a position that can equate us to these individuals?' The sergeant thought dumbfounded.
His gaze subconsciously drifted towards the former knights, but surprisingly they appeared quite unconcerned by this development.
Still baffled, Donner's gaze darted back to the Lieutenant who was signalled to the men who stood to the side.
"These are your teachers." The lieutenant said gesturing to seven men who stepped forward.
Donner recognized five of them, they were all staff sergeants, one of them was even the staff sergeant in charge of the squad his team was part of.
As for the remaining two, Donner found them unfamiliar but they appeared to be of noble birth. The subconscious pride that radiated from their eyes was proof of this.
"They would be in charge of educating you all on the relevant topics." Lieutenant Carter remarked before proceeding to give a brief introduction of each man.
But just as he was about to say something else a servant boy hurriedly jogged over with an urgent look on his face. The lieutenant paused when he noticed the individual before calling him to the side.
Donner watched curiously as words were whispered, the Lieutenant's expression changing ever so mildly.
Lieutenant Carter nodded a few times before turning back to the soldiers and speaking.
"Carry on, your superiors would handle everything else from this point. Remember, you must cherish this opportunity if you don't want to be left behind by your colleagues!"
"Dismissed!"
"Yes, sir!"
With those words, the Lieutenant walked away in the direction of the town's castle.
Although Donner was curious he kept his opinions to himself. But for some reason, he couldn't shake off the nagging feeling that something major was about to happen.
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