Janus was up before her again as she came down for breakfast.

"I swear, Janus, you never seem to sleep!"

He laughed and went on eating breakfast. Serali served herself out of the pot on the table. Breakfast was, as usual, porridge. Serali actually liked the stuff, so she ladled out a generous portion and sat down to eat.

"So, are you going to tell me more about this new teacher of yours?" Serali asked.

"Certainly. His name is Cervus. He's the arms master for Lord Mortigen."

"Arms master? Why would he be my new teacher?"

"Because, Serali, a mage is terribly vulnerable to physical attacks. Or at least most are. While casting spells it is easy to get hurt or even killed by an opponent who can just stab you with a sword instead of having to take five minutes to cast a war spell. Most mages spend all of their time studying magic and ignore everything else. I didn't, and it's saved my life on a number of occasions. I intend for you to learn something about fighting. That way you won't be killed by the first half-competent sword-swinger that comes along."

Serali grinned. "I can see how that would be rather inconvenient."

Janus lost his serious expression and grinned back. "Yes, it is very very inconvenient."

"Actually, it's not all that inconvenient for you, you're dead so you don't care, but imagine what your family and friends would have to go through. I mean funeral arrangements and all that can be so annoying."

Janus laughed. "And the trouble you put all those undertakers and priests and such through too!"

"Oh no, the undertakers don't mind at all. More profit for them, you see. And the priests don't either. Their gods will have you then, and that's their profit."

They both laughed at that, Serali having a hard time stopping her fit of giggles. Just then there was a knock form the front door. Janus caught his breath and managed to stop laughing Serali tried, but giggles kept escaping.

"That's probably your new teacher now," said Janus. Opening the door from the kitchen, he went down the short hall to the entrance room. Serali, her giggles finally subsiding, followed a dozen paces behind. Janus opened the door and narrowly avoided being hit by the man standing on the other side who had raised his hand to knock again.

"Sorry Janus!"

"It's all right. Come in."

Janus ushered the man into the reception room. "Serali, I'd like to introduce you to Cervus. Cervus, this is my apprentice Serali."

Cervus nodded at Serali, and she returned the gesture.

"Cervus will be giving you whatever arms training he thinks you need. I'm sure the two of you can work things out, so I'm going to go and get some work done." Janus turned and walked out of the room, leaving Serali and Cervus regarding each other. Serali felt a bit uncertain. She had no idea what to expect.

Cervus spoke first. "You look to be fairly fit. The best way to start is usually to start. I believe that there's room to do some work out in the courtyard, let's go." And with that he turned and went back out the door.

Serali followed with some trepidation, a feeling which the next hours more than justified. By the time they quit for lunch, she was dripping with sweat. Cervus had started her with stretches and then moved to calisthenics. After he had pronounced her "warmed up" he began to show her a series of simple motions. Eventually, he told her, these motions would form the basis for a deadly type of weaponless fighting. Serali could see how some of them would, but she had a hard time believing that this dancing around was the best way for her to learn how to defend herself.

"Why not start with weapons?" she asked.

"Because right now you have no control. Oh you could learn to use a weapon well enough to kill someone with, but not well enough to not kill, if you see what I mean. Also, you would most likely do yourself or me some harm in the learning. But if first you learn to fight with your body, then you will have the control to become truly great with any weapon."

"I'm going to be a mage, not a fighter. I don't need to be truly great."

"No. That takes a lifetime if dedication. But you can be very good, and by learning things in their proper order you will be just that much better."

Serali sighed. "If you say so."

"I do, so let's get back to work."

Serali was starving at lunch, and after a brief rest she was ready to work on her spells, but by the time she crawled into bed that night after an evening walk with Galen she was exhausted. It was actually a rather pleasant feeling. Finishing her nightly ritual of washing and reading, she fell asleep immediately.