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Soft chatter filled the air of the library, while the trainees took a break from their sorting tasks. Konrad, pleased at all the work done this morning, was letting the brake lengthen. It had been his idea to tame the wild beat of a library and thus he had become the de-facto leader in how to go about this massive task. Implementing things like a return table and the request board were some of Konrad’s ideas.
While some of the adult witchers would lend a hand now and then, they let the trainees have the run of the library restoration project. It was seen as a good charter building along with a way to help the youths create bonds.
“I found a scroll stuffed in alchemy on goat husbandry,” Zenon smirked, leaning back in one of the plush reading chairs.
“Bet it’s got Eskel’s scent on it.” Jozef chipped in from the pile of cushions on the floor.
“Eeeww no bet there wolf’o.” Konrad elbowed at the wolf cub he was lounging beside.
Laughter rose from the trainees at the well-known joke, about Eskel and his love for goats.
“Found a book with walking cocks, little legs on the fuckers, and a woman’s cunt being carried on a shield. I think it was in Elder or something old like that. The damn thing is covered in crazy drawings, see.” Rafal pulled out the leather-bound book, parchment pages indeed covered in beautiful coloured oddities, like dick trees and weapon-carrying animals.
All present scrambled around the crane trainee and stood at one of the larger tables they had been using to sort on. Clustered together to discover how outlandish some of the depictions were.
“It’s said that back in the mists of time bears carried shields. Huge big things a man could stand behind and not be seen.” Shy Ardal spoke softly.
“Could ask Barmin, he’s old as dirt.” Jozef chipped in trying to be helpful after his earlier off-colour comment.
Both bear trainee’s ears pricked up, interested, later on, they would both go and see the ancient wolf witcher. Begging the grizzled man, if he had further knowledge on the subject of the fabled shields used.
****
“Tower shields you say? Well cubs, I don’t rightly know about those.” Barmin scratched at his beard thinking. “I vaguely recall some bugger losing an arm once. Happened to be a big lad too, I’m thinking he might have had something like a shield. Things like losing a limb can fuck a man up, could kill a witcher’s desire to follow tradition.”
Seeing the disappointed faces before him, Barmin swiftly carried on. “But then it could have just been a natural shift in armour to your more heavy plates used today. A school’s gotta shift with the enemy, change its style if there's any hope for the future.” A yawn split his face and Barmin made himself more comfortable in the chair by the library fire.
“Be gone cubs.”
Dismissing the pair of trainees he proceeded to nap once more.
****
A few nights later Mathe lit another candle from the stub of his currently lit one. He would stop reading after this chapter he promised himself, sleep dragged at his tired eyes, but he found himself unable to stop turning pages.
He’d come to his bunk in the shared room after the white wolf's bard had played some good dancing music at dinner. Mathe was dog-tired and fully intending to get a good night's rest. Only to find a book he did not recognize on his bed, it looked old and smelled like Zenon’s worn stinky socks. Mathe had given it a quick flick thinking it was one of the other’s books.
The wonders he found within the plain hide-bound covers captivated him.
Beautiful armor designed for large burly bear witchers, weapons he had never seen before. What had his tired eyes lighting up, mind dreaming in desire, was a chapter on shields and combat use. Shown were large imposing ones, being held one-handed while fighting with an arming sword or casting signs.
Mathe resolved to one day have his stunning heart's desire. He would need to do extra training to build up muscle mass in his arm. Find a sparring partner or trainer to teach him what the book was showing. Also, they would need to work out how it was made. These were problems he’d tackle another time.
****
Unseen in the trainee wings rafters, she observed how her very first introductory gift was being received.
The small spark of hope that had been blooming in her chest when she found the old weapons book deep in the heart of Haern Caduch’s cold abandoned library, now swiftly withered.
It had been distressing to find her sister strangely absent and the place long left to the element's cruel wrath. Yes, the school of the bear was not the closest of siblings, however, there were always a few adults training with the cubs. Though she preferred to stay away from the mages’ labs, on inspection she found nothing. Just an icy tomb haunted by bad memories.
The boy had given no words of thanks for her effort.
She had to first warm the frost-entombed book he was currently reading to release it from the shelf, nor did he seem to understand what was happening by her gift.
He just looked misty-eyed as he flicked through the pages in the dwindling candlelight.
Disheartened, she decided a trip to the Kaer Seren would cheer her up. They had such beautiful wall hangings amid what had been quite a large collection of magic books. Her sister would insist on giving a scolding, for such a long absence, even if it was forced on her by Kaer Morhen’s mages.