Victor eventually accepted that there were some things his mentor would not tell him or his friends, but seeing as he had spent a great deal of his life preparing for this moment, he figured it was in his best interest to trust Rodrick and Silver. Thus, on the seventh of November, when Victor was told to prepare for a journey unlike any he had ever experience before, he more or less went with it. He was not alone, after all, and Hansel and Sam, as well as Astrid, were ready with him when he set out, following Rodrick on the westward road.
They travelled lightly, carrying nothing but their packs, and the first leg of the journey was undisturbed (unlike their travels to West Harbour). The road was steady and lined with trees on either side. The trickle of a stream to be heard to their right, and as they gained higher ground the sea could be seen through the trees, far off to the south. The mood was lighter than ever. Sam and Hansel were talkative, though Astrid said little, and she hung back slightly from the rest of the group. Rodrick too seemed to have little to say, though Victor guessed that he was deliberately avoiding talk of their upcoming task.
“So, Rodrick, I know you’re being all secretive and what not, but can you at least tell us where we are heading?” said Victor. “On our departure you said Westmyre to meet up with Gretel, but yesterday Mr. Silver said we were going to the mountains.”
“You are,” Rodrick replied. “We are bound for Draco’s Peak, near the Valley of Farwest, and as far from civilisation as we can get. There you will have a task, as you know, as part of your training. That is all I will say for now.”
“How long will it take?” asked Sam.
“If we follow the road (which I intend to do) we will arrive in about three weeks’ time at a leisurely pace, or twenty-four days to be exact. Some travellers cut through the desert from Westmyre, but the pass there is dangerous and unpleasant; should the ghouls not kill you the sun certainly might.”
Late in the afternoon they came to a grotto near the side of the road and there they set up camp for the night. Sam collected leaves from the vines that grew overhead and stored them in her satchel for later, meanwhile Victor and Hansel examined a nearby pond for fish. Rodrick sat awake for most of the night, comfortably smoking his pipe, and Astrid (still feeling restless) went off further up the path for a walk.
Hansel and Victor returned after an hour with fresh fish, and an argument as to whose trap it was that caught the biggest. Sam became worried that they’d soon be exchanging blows, but Rodrick put a stop to it before long. “I can’t have you wrestling around and disturbing my peace,” he said. “If you’re going to fight, do it properly. Victor, I doubt the next monster you meet will grant you the opportunity to drop another building on it. You need to be faster, stronger, and wiser. Same goes for you Hansel. But for now, let me see what you can do. Victor, I want you to punch Hansel in the nose, if you can. Mind your form. Remember, most monsters are already faster and stronger than you, so you need to be smarter.”
For the following days Rodrick managed to get at least one sparring session in before dark; he would watch Victor and Hansel in combat and correct their faults as he saw them. Astrid proved to be quite a formidable opponent against both boys, and it was soon realised that he was superior to Victor, and yet did not stand a chance when versing Rodrick (no one did). Sam was not a fighter, though Rodrick still took it upon himself to train her personally in self-defence. “You may not wish to be a warrior, but this road is perilous none the less. You must know how to protect yourself.”
Sam would never admit it, but she did not like seeing Victor and Astrid sparring together.
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