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In the garden, Julien, Iyrinder, and Captain Merrick were already stretching. Farrendel joined them. They glanced at him but did not ask why he was late.
After stretching, they launched into their normal jog around the forested parkland. Farrendel could now keep up with Julien and Captain Merrick without having to walk to catch his breath. Iyrinder stayed with them, though Farrendel knew the elf warrior could have outpaced them if he wished.
Their jog ended near the pond that was set at the edge of Winstead Palace’s gardens, mostly surrounded by the fringe of the forest.
Farrendel’s pace slowed as he studied the pond. Yesterday, the only thing sticking into the pond was the dock. Now, a beam spanned the pond from the dock to the far side. A few feet beside the beam, a rope was strung about four feet in the air and also spanned the pond.
Julien dropped back to run next to him. “What do you think? I was trying to think of a way for you to safely practice without running through the treetops. You can start with the beam, then move on to the rope when you’re ready.”
Had Julien realized just how much having his hair cut would affect Farrendel’s balance when flipping or spinning the way he used to? It seemed like he must have guessed some of it, at least.
Farrendel’s long hair had helped him sense what was around him. It helped him know exactly where the branch was when he did a flip, as well as sensing when an enemy was taking a swing at his back. While he retained enough of his balance that it did not affect running or fighting on the ground, he would struggle trying to race around the treetops like he used to.
“I know the water will be a little cold at this time of year. Incentive not to fall, I guess.” Julien shrugged as they halted next to the pond. “And try not to bash your head open on the beam when you fall. I looked into adding some kind of padding, but it wasn’t feasible.”
Farrendel waved at the trees in the direction of Buckmore Cottage. “I have an experienced elf healer staying at the cottage.”
“Good point. In that case, don’t bash your head in so severely that your healer can’t fix it.” Julien held out a hand. “I’ll watch your swords if you want to test it out.”
With Captain Merrick, Julien, and Iyrinder standing guard, not to mention all of Captain Merrick’s squad fanning out into the forest, Farrendel felt safe enough to unbuckle his swords and hand them to Julien. “Do not watch. It will be embarrassing enough without all of you gawking.”
Julien just smirked, which was not reassuring.
Farrendel sighed and headed for the dock. If he wanted to regain his strength and his skills, he had to practice. Even if he could convince Julien to leave, Captain Merrick and Iyrinder were under instructions to watch him like he was a mouse and they were starving hawks.
Farrendel took a few practice runs across the beam. It was four inches wide, something that would have seemed like more than enough before. On his fifth time across the beam, he threw himself into a front flip.
He mistimed the landing, coming down with only part of his foot on the beam. He slipped before he had even so much as a chance to catch himself. All he could do was attempt to launch himself away from the beam to make sure he landed safely in the water instead of smashing into the wood.
The cold water closed around him, icy and piercing straight through to his bones. He flailed until he righted himself and found the surface. Spitting out water, he flopped over the beam and pulled himself onto it. He shivered and glared over at Julien. “That water is more than cold.”
Julien just shrugged and smirked. “Like I said, incentive not to fall in.”
Farrendel sat up and swiped his hair from his face. Gritting his teeth, he pushed back to his feet. He would never regain his strength and figure out how to balance with his short hair if he did not practice.
He practiced for an hour and landed in the pond several more times. The beam only got more slippery the more he fell in and dripped water on it. But he managed two successful flips, so that was something.
By the time he squelched back to Buckmore Cottage, he was shivering and he could no longer feel his toes. When he stepped into the kitchen, both Miss Merrick and Essie glanced up at him.
Essie’s eyes widened, and she bolted to her feet. “What happened?”
“Training.” Farrendel relaxed in the warmth of the kitchen, even if he was still dripping water onto the tiled floor.
“I really question my brother’s training methods.” Essie stepped closer to him, though she stayed at arm’s length.
Even though he was dripping wet and shivering, he felt...happy. Thanks to the exercise, the counseling sessions, and the medicine, the weight was banished to the farthest corner of his mind, making it easier to smile and step closer to Essie. He pulled her in for a hug, ignoring her squawk of surprise, and kissed her forehead. “It has been a good morning.”
“Eww. You got me all wet.” Essie’s nose wrinkled as she glared at him, though she was not truly annoyed with him. The lightness to the heart bond and the way Essie was struggling to keep her mouth pressed into a frown instead of the grin gave away her true emotions. She wiggled out of his grip and patted his chest. “Now stop dripping on the floor and go wash and change.”
He gave Essie one more kiss, this time a peck to her cheek. Miss Merrick was standing right there, after all, even if the housekeeper was edging to the door as if she was trying to make a graceful exit.
He had his magic back. He was getting his strength and agility back. Soon, he would have his mind fully his once again. Perhaps recovery was possible after all.
