BYRON: TRUE POWER

Byron ignored the cold chill of the Korvosan morning as he undertook his early dawn ritual of punching, kicking and blocking on an un-protesting well worn weighty punch bag. Showing signs of use and age the five foot high thick leather sack which was stitched, patched and filled with sand and heavy cloth was suspended from a set of chains hanging from a sturdy beam set into a wall of an out-house  behind Ruby's Rest and was presently the sole focus of the barbarian's aggression.

Punch, slap, back hand, rake and chop were delivered with increasing power, each strike progressing fluently from one attack to another. The powerful series of attacks were finished with a punishing thrust kick that left the bag swinging from its beam but had failed to exorcise the nagging doubts that clouded Byron's mind.

"Again," he quietly said to himself and once more attacked this time with more vigour at the heavy hanging bag. Duck, weave, slip the bag, elbow strike, jab, right cross and an open palm, then move and repeat again and again, and all delivered with such power that the chains holding the bag aloft were loudly protesting the treatment the bag was soaking up.

But the quiet calm that would normally accompany his daily training ritual was this morning elusive.

“Who are these new people involved in my life?” kick, move and guard.

"I'm just a ring fighter," weave, slip, roll and cover. Strike!

"Busy trying to look after my own, not the city," round house kick, spinning hook kick and low guard followed by a back hammer. .. strike!

"Everything a few weeks go was so easy now everything's changed," right handed wrist strike to the left side of the bag fluidly moving to a left handed wrist strike to the right side of the bag.

'But Gaedrenn is dead!" Straight right punch centre mass, "my family is safe,"  straight left punch , "and they got me there". A Round house punch left the bag swinging, chains protesting, "And that must mean something?"

"Hey Rone, what's that innocent bag done to you," Gina called, her voice breaking the flow of the barbarians thoughts.

"Ah nothing Gina, you here to spar," Byron asked?

"Of course, let me grab a vest."

The muscular woman reached into an small opened brick building that housed a number of items that both he and Gina used for training purposes. Gina was in previous times a warrior but had chosen to take up a position at Ruby's, like Byron a firm hand when Devlin's girls and boys were working, a friendly pretty face to the guests on arrival to reassure them they were in safe hands, or a stern talking too if someone started to get out of line, or indeed a severe take down to any who crossed that line. She was also known to accompany Madame Devlin whenever her benefactor had an appointment in Korvosa.

"Ah where's the padded vest?" he could hear her mutter, "I think the twins have been in here."

"Indeed they were," replied Byron,"they were booked for some party or other and needed some training and practise space."

"I'll have a word about cleaning up when I see them,"

Gina emerged strapping her 5ft 10" frame into a heavy padded leather sleeveless vest buckles to both left and right of the jacket being cinched. Heavily muscled herself, she tied her red hair back and looked Byron straight in the face.

"Do I need a vest?" joked the bigger man.

"No Rone I'll go easy on you," and with an easy ready smile Gina launched herself at the taller heavier barbarian with graceful yet alarming speed, an open palm strike to the chin, reverse palm to his chest, round house kick to the torso sent Byron to the floor.

"Glad your going easy on me," Byron coughed and got back his feet and the two began to spar in the back yard of Ruby's rest, settling into the morning rhythm of attack and defense, with a grace and speed of movement from both belying their size as they deftly sought to out manoeuvre each other and strike at any unguarded weak point. For numerous chiming's of the Korvosan church bells they pushed each other, neither wishing to give ground or relent.

With a flurry of quick movements, feinted strikes Gina swept Byron's knee just as Byron landed a solid blow to Gina's mid-section - both landing heavily on the cobbled surface.

"Right Rone, I think we're done here" and Gina started to strip off the padded vest as she stood, "you joining us for breakfast? "

Byron could hear the sounds of 'Ruby's' coming to life as the inhabitants of the large ramshackle building started to begin there day. Indeed Madame Devlin liked to have everyone sit down together for breakfast and other meals.

"I've got an appointment at the weasel."

"Devlin won't be happy you know that?"

"Can't be helped. Seeing Trevor."

" The Half Orc, I like him. " Byron gave her an appraising eye.

"Is that so?"

" Indeed I hear he's turned round the Weasel, people want to go there now!"

"That's true,"replied Byron, "Trevor is solid gold but his...twin, him you wouldn't like!"

" He has a twin? "

"Gina it's complicated and I'm not sure I understand Trevor,” changing the subject quickly Byron enquired, "You here tonight?"

"Indeed. Devlin likes at least one of us here at all times?"

"I know...I know but these new associates, I keep getting pulled away"

"I hear they are calling you The Flowers of Korvosa!" the smile in Gina's eyes all too evident.

"Not my idea! "

"You love it!"

"Still not my idea."

"Gina, Rone there you are," the happy giggling voice of the child could be heard as she came racing across to the two warriors, "been looking for you two all over."

"Weren't looking too hard we're you Greta, we're here," and with that Gina swept the giggling young half Orc girl into her arms. Greta was about 7 years old, with bright green eyes, long red hair which was tied back with a colourful ribbon and with such a large smile that her teeth tusks were just showing.

"Granny Lin is looking for you both," Greta responded holding her hands out to Byron.

"You want the smelly Bear to carry you? " joked Gina as she tickled the young girl enjoying the childs laughter as they were walking towards the house.

"I'm not sure the smelly Bear wants to carry you Greta?" teased the warrior-ess.

"Oh the smelly Bear does," Byron growled holding his hands out to the young half Orc girl and taking her and placing her on his shoulders.

"Granny Lin says I've got to see Miss Cooper," Greta chimed.

"Thats a good idea Greta," opined Gina to the dismay of the child.

"But I want to be with Rone and you Gina," the young girl asserted.

"You need to master your letters and numbers," Gina immediately came back.

"I could learn to fight like you two,"  whined Greta  "it's better than letters! "Gina gave such a stern look that the young child turned her powers of persuasion on Byron.

"Byron do I have too?" The young child using the warriors full name to full effect to win him over.

Gina have him an arched look.

"Greta you know my new friends."

"Yes Rone."

" Who do you think is the most powerful? " asked Byron bringing the sullen child down off his shoulders so he could look her in the eye.

"Trick question," answered Greta as quick as flash, " it's you obviously. " And the half Orcs big beaming smile brought a similar grin to the warriors face.

"Well I think Trevor might have something to say about that," retorted Gina a jest never far from her lips.

"No Greta. I didn't ask who was the strongest...but the most powerful? "

Greta's brow creased in concentration and looking straight into Byron's eyes trying to elicit the correct answer and win her argument. Even Gina was looking a little non-plussed.

"Well, if it's not you it can't be Trevor," reasoned the young half orc," and the Dragon boy is really funny but he seems so small so I don't think it's him."

"Don't let appearances fool you, Taylon is powerful and strong, " continued Byron and Greta just looked at the big man realising the lesson had started. "Some bad men shot Taylon with a crossbow bolt and scared and injured as he was he used his magic to protect Calli who had been badly hit! "

"So it is Taylon then," said Greta, " did you know Alice likes him, says he's her hero."

"It's not Taylon not yet, maybe one day when he grows into his power but not yet," came Byron's patient reply.

"So it must be the scary man in black with the sword." Gretas's eyes wide with a little fear. "He's a bit scary!"

"Don't you fear Nightingale, he would never harm you though truth to tell he scares me a little bit too," and the girl giggled to herself at the comic notion of the big bear being scared of a bird!

"Let me tell you little one, the most powerful person in our group is Calli." Gina looked on puzzled and Greta looked far from convinced.

"What the pretty lady in pink is more powerful than you?" Greta's disbelief evident in her tone, "you're fun-ing me?"

"No my little cub I'm serious, Calli is the one who opens doors for us. That gets us into places that not I or Trevor, Taylon or Gale could ever go. She can inspire many to great feats and acts and she can talk people round and change their minds and their actions. That's real power."

"Really!" Greta was now truly under Byron s spell, "how does she do it, what makes her so powerful?"

" She's the words, she's got her letters!"

"Letters!"

"When my strength let's me down, when the magic all gone Calli has still got her words. That's power!"

" So I have to see Miss Cooper?"

"Yes you do petty one," Gina confirmed, giving Byron a small nod of approval.

"But maybe after breakfast, "Byron mused," otherwise Granny Lin will be really upset...and that's when I get really scared!" 

Greta giggled at the thought of Byron being scared of Little Granny Lin as well as a songbird and so the three of them made their way into Ruby’s, at night a brothel, but in the early morning light a place they called home.