Training has finally come to an end.

I’m definitely in much better shape and I’ve learned a lot. I still don’t know much about this place I’ve found myself in for the past several weeks but one thing has become clear… It’s not a dream and there’s not going to be an easy way home. Assuming I’ll ever see home again.

Yesterday seemed like it would be no different than any other day. We went through our regular routine of running, sparring, and perfecting our techniques, but at the end of class, we were told that our training was over and we would be receiving our orders individually. No fanfare, no congratulations, no ceremony or certificates, just a handshake and a “Report to Deputy Willem first thing in the morning.” Before Jorik sent us on our way he did mention that further training would be available as our skills progress but that we would have to pay for it from here on out. I also learned that this definitely was not going to be a typical military assignment. I didn’t know what I was going to be doing exactly but I knew it wasn’t going to be marching into combat and holding formations. It would be a series of special assignments which I would be able to take and complete at my own discretion. Kind of sounds to me like a potentially poor use of training time but, it seemed to work for them. I certainly know that I’ll do my best to complete any missions that come my way, not only out of a sense of obligation but, at this point, it’s the only work I know how do to here. I’ll be paid by the assignment and I’ll get to see the world and, hopefully, find a way home. Plus I need to do something to keep myself fed and out of the rain.

Today was the start of a new career and I reported to Deputy Willem as ordered, first thing this morning. Since he was in uniform I assume he’s part of the regular military and not on a per mission basis like I am. He seemed nice enough but I’m not sure why I was to report to him first as he sent me right on to his superior, Marshal McBride.

I found the marshal inside the Northshire Abbey. He looked like he’d seen a few battles and had that confident tone of a consummate soldier. He mentioned that, with so many forces abroad that it was becoming more difficult to defend from corruption within the kingdom which is why volunteers like myself were needed. Something Deputy Willem also mentioned when I briefly spoke with him. He then told me that a clan of kobolds had infested the woods to the north and that he needed me to “Reduce their numbers so that we may one day drive them from Northshire.” In another words, kill as many of them as I could find.

I didn’t know what a kobold was so I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect when I headed North through the woods but it wasn’t long until I found what he was talking about. They were ugly creatures to be sure but they also seemed to be an, at least relatively, intelligent species. I’d done a bit of hunting as a kid back home but never actually killed anything that could talk back. They also didn’t seem very aggressive but I could see how, if their numbers continued to grow, that they could become a threat. So, without further hesitation I set about completing my first assignment and I was able to easily dispatch my first intelligent opponent. Upon searching it’s pack I found one copper piece and some flimsy looking chain-mail pants. I knew they’d be too heavy for me to wear and still be able to fight and, considering how ugly they were, it’s just as well.

It was not difficult at all to find the creatures as they were lurking throughout the woods. I was a little thrown off the first time one of them yelled “You no take candle!” at me, but not enough to still easily defeat it. Like I would even want it’s useless candle! I lost count of how many I killed before getting too tired to continue the hunt but it must have been at least 15 or 20. Not only did I find more copper but I also found some equipment that, while clearly well used, was still an improvement from the training uniform I was still wearing. Even if one of those pieces of equipment was an old frayed robe that looked a little silly but, while the kobolds weren’t very good fighters, it still hurt when they did get a hit in so any extra protection was worth it.

Something odd happened during my kobold hunt. I was attacked by a wolf that was wearing leather pants. Well, it wasn’t so much wearing them as dragging them but where it found them and how it managed to get tangled in them is beyond me… I’m still scratching my head over it. At least the pants were still in pretty good shape.

When I returned to Marshal McBride I was covered kobold blood. His response? A “Well done, citizen” and 25 copper pieces. I guess that’s not too bad for a days work. After cleaning myself up I found a man named Dermot who was able to what little damage their was to my equipment and was also willing to buy those pieces I’d found that I had no use for. By the time all was said and done I had quite the coin collection going on.

I then went and found Jorik to see if there was anything new he could teach me that I could afford. Tomorrow he’s going to begin teaching me how to move without being heard or seen and how to use that stealth to pick pockets and to attack enemies from behind. I can’t wait!