Chapter 26: A Role Model
Aster hit the ground with a thud, his breath being stolen away from him once again that day by the impact. What breathing he was managing was labored, and a coarse coat of sweat and dirt slicked his skin, making it gleam in the setting sun. His muscles were sore, making the boy miss Javis’s healing touch even more now that his training progressed on without it.
This had pretty well been his every day life now for the passed three weeks. He woke up, ate breakfast, and met the she-wolf in the courtyard to get the shit beat out of him for eight hours straight all in the name of ’training.’
He knew it was going to be exhausting, and Stahl never quite hit him with her full force, but he hadn’t realized how much smoother his caretaker’s gifts had made the process in his youth.
Aster could only lay still with his arms stretched out to his sides, body aching in the dirt, right where the she-wolf’s last assault had placed him. Stahl sashayed over with the same cocky smile she usually wore, and gazed down at the human on the ground as she spoke.
"Well, guess we should call it a day. Food should be about ready, feeling hungry yet?" Aster just cocked his own smile despite his fatigue.
"Always." The she-wolf reached a hand down to the boy, and Aster took it, pulling himself up with the beast’s assistance. Stahl caught a heavy whiff of the sweaty human, and suggested a rinse off first, jokingly holding her nose despite how much the scent actually made her mouth water. They cleaned up, and met back up in the hall afterwards.
The two made their way to the dining area where the servants were just finishing up with preparing supper. Aster found he really liked the cooking in the Aschefell estate, and all of the staff was friendly towards him, so he always found himself looking forward to just existing around them at times like this. Like he finally could.
As the two warriors discussed the human’s progress so far, Aster noticed a small humanoid fox maybe twelve or fourteen years of age peeking at him meekly from another table beside Stahl’s own brother, Amboss.