Huge Ajax's Arc

Chapter 249 of 619

The next morning Ajax called Aldric out to the yard by the smithery. Aldric came with his ledger under one arm, the way he always did. He had watched Kael and Torren sworn in the day before, but he had only written the names. He had not stood in the circle. Ajax meant to fix that now. "Your turn," Ajax said. Aldric stopped. "My turn for what." "Same as the others. Shirt off. Flex. Each man puts a hand on you. Then you sit with us tonight." Aldric set the ledger on the bench. He looked at the ring of men forming around the smithery. Grayson, Tucker, Marco, Asher, Bran, Rowan, Chalam, and now Kael and Torren too. He was a scholar. He was not built like Bran. He was fit but lean, grey creeping into his hair, beard, and chest hair. "I am not a fighting man," Aldric said. "You read the Verath out of a torn page," Ajax said. "You put iron in its mouth from a book. That's the work. Shirt off." Aldric undid the belt across his tunic and set it on the bench. He pulled the dark green tunic over his head and folded it once, careful with the gold stitching. His chest was bare, paler than the others, with grey through the hair at the center. He stood straight. "Flex," Ajax said. Aldric raised his arm and made the muscle. It was not Kael's arm. It was not Bran's. But it held. Ajax pressed his palm to it and felt the cord under the skin. "Good enough," Ajax said. Tucker came first and grinned and squeezed the bicep. "Reader's got some rope on him." He ran a palm across the chest hair. Aldric held still and did not look away. Bran laid his hand flat and nodded, respectful. Marco touched once and stepped back. Asher, Rowan, Kael, Torren each took a turn. Grayson closed it, brief, firm. Chalam came last. He set his hand on his friend's shoulder and left it there. "Long overdue," Chalam said. "Overdue," Aldric said. Aldric picked up his tunic but did not put it back on. He carried it folded across his arm and walked to the hall beside Chalam. The thirteenth seat was filled. Ajax watched him go and knew the house was closed.