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Drom a hard, harsh look. "Anyone can kill a man," he
said seriously. "Killing is easy. As easy as it is to kill a man
though, few people could ever hope to become an assassin. Most people
could never handle killing like that, which is probably for the best.
Unlike most men in my trade, I can pick and choose the contracts that
I take. I only kill those men that deserve their deaths, like that
trog certainly did.
    “ Even
for someone like me it's far from being an easy life. I live outside
of the law, and that means that at any time I could be set upon by
guards, should they learn that I'm in their city. Also I've had
assassins sent after me on more than one occasion. I could die at any
time. I live for the excitement, and a few other reasons of my own,
but few others could do what I do. I wouldn't suggest this life for
anyone who had the opportunity to do otherwise."
    "I
could do it," Drom declared defiantly. "I already don't fit
in anywhere I go. I can't live as a sorvinian, and I don't look human
enough to live as one of them either. I'm already living on the
outside. I have to admit though, I can't fight the way you can. If
you can teach me to fight, I will do whatever you tell me to. Just
give me the chance to prove myself."
    Raine
walked over to Drom, looking him over closely. "He looks fit,"
she declared. "With a bit of training he could potentially
become a competent swordsman at least."
    "She
thinks I can do it," Drom said hopefully. "All I need is a
good teacher."
    "A
man who’s nothing more than a competent fighter is a dead one!"
Garan yelled, pulling his blade from its sheath in one smooth motion.
Too fast for Drom to see, nothing more than a blur, Garan attacked.
Even if he had a sword to defend himself with, Drom wouldn't have
stood a chance. He raised his hands over his face in fear and closed
his eyes against the inevitable blow.
    Several
seconds had gone by before he was willing to open them again. The
first thing he saw was Garan standing over him, his blade inches from
Drom's throat. Raine was chuckling under her breath.
    "First
rule of combat, whether you're an assassin, a soldier, or a guard. No
matter what happens, you never show fear to an opponent. I could have
killed you right then without you even making an attempt to defend
yourself. If you're going to die, and that's always a possibility, at
least have the decency to die with a little dignity. Look your enemy
straight in the eyes, and do whatever you can to stay alive. Never
forget that."
    The
fierce look in Garan's eyes frightened Drom so much that he, for
several seconds, didn't realize that Garan had just given him his
first lesson in combat. It wasn't until Garan pulled back and
sheathed his sword that what had just happened hit him. Garan took
several steps back and waited for Drom to speak.
    "I
didn't even have a weapon!" Drom said at last. "Even if I
had already been trained in combat, how could I possibly have
defended myself against you?"
    "You
didn’t see me use a weapon when I fought in the bar, did you?"
Garan reminded him. "Here." He pulled his sword back out of
its sheath and held it out, pommel first, to Drom. "Let's try
things the other way. Go ahead and attack me. Show me what you can
do."
    Drom
had seen Garan in the bar fight back in the Staghorn, and didn't fear
that he might harm the wiry assassin. Still, he felt a certain
hesitation in attacking an unarmed man. The assassin saw that
momentary pause and moved in at once, almost disappearing from Drom's
sight, reappearing behind him with a single finger placed lightly on
Drom's neck.
    "Never
attack a man without the intent to kill," Garan informed him
sagely. "And if you intend to kill someone, never hesitate. A
moment of hesitation will kill you." He stepped back to where he
had been standing before. "Try again."
    Drom
took the assassin's advice and charged quickly, putting all of his
weight behind his attack. As he expected, the striking sword fell on
nothing. As before, the