Page 34 of Steel & Thunder
I consider his offer in silence. Given what we’ve been doing, especially last night, it’s not hard to figure out the kind of training he’s really talking about. The kind of training I was just thinking about and risking my dick escaping its thigh prison. So it’s not like I don’t know I can do it. But...it’s getting harder to keep convincing him I don’t like this. Which I don’t!
Right?
“Will I be able to talk to them?” Staring at them across the room isn’t gonna do much.
“I cannot promise that.” He frowns a little. “If it is possible, I will do my best.” Better than nothing, I suppose.
“Do you... Do you think they already know about what happened to me?” Like that I lost the match, but I’m not dead. Or that I belong to Ironstorm now and what exactly that entails.
“They are likely aware of your loss and also that you still live.” He offers an apologetic look, probably knowing what I’m thinking about. “I cannot say what they may know beyond that.”
I take a moment to think, but it’s not a hard decision. I want to see my friends. “Okay,” I answer after taking a deep breath. “I’ll do it.”
The smile reaches his eyes, and he feeds me another piece of bacon. “We will begin after breakfast.”
I chew in quiet contemplation, the coffee passed back to me twice more before it and the bacon are finished. Ironstorm brings the dishes to the kitchen while I am sent off to the bathroom to clean up. After brushing the last of the bacon grease from my teeth, I rejoin the captain in the living room. He turns to me as I enter after laying something on the couch.
“What’s that?” It’s a...well, it’s not a riding crop, but it’s not not a riding crop.
“A tool that will help us later.” Really don’t like the sound of that. “Are you ready to begin?”
“I guess?” He cocks his eyebrow. “Okay, yes. Sorry.”
“Am I mistaken in thinking you have had some form of military training?” He questions me as he looks me over.
“Kind of.” The knight academy isn’t exactly the military, but there are similarities. “The school I went to was sort of pre-military and trained a lot like one.”
“I was not certain. I think I have heard the word ‘Sir’ from you a total of three times since you arrived.” He crosses his arms, unimpressed. “So we will begin there. I expect that word to become a regular part of your vocabulary going forward.”
“Okay.” Eyebrow. “I mean yes, Sir.”
“Better. This first exercise will hopefully feel familiar: posing and stances.” Uuuggghhh, I hate position drills. The orc maneuvers me to stand in front of the couch facing away, about halfway between it and the fireplace.
“The first is simple: ‘Attention.’” Probably different, but we used that one at the academy. “Heels together, toes pointed out. Back and head straight, eyes forward. Arms straight down, fingers curled into fists. Good.”
Not too dissimilar. We’d get that word barked at us constantly so falling in line became second nature.
“Very good. Next is ‘Rest.’ Keep your back straight; move your feet slightly apart.” I keep my posture straight while allowing my legs to take a more relaxed stance. “Good. Now move your hands to the small of your back, and grab your right wrist with your left hand.”
I do as asked, turning to him for further instruction.
“Head straight, eyes forward.” I correct myself, biting back a sigh. “This is the position you would take if we were stopped in public, and you were otherwise unoccupied, such as when I saw my friend in the market yesterday. Though I understand the urge your eyes have to roam can be strong.” Was he watching me yesterday?
“Wait, like, any time we’re in public?” Things weren’t near that strict at the academy. “This is something everyone in the city expects?”
“No, most orcs in the city do not.” He walks around me, looking over my posture. “But I am not most orcs. I am Captain Khazak Ironstorm of the Rangers of V’rok’sh Tah’lj. There are over two-hundred men under my command, so my expectations are higher than most, as are the expectations others have of me.” He comes to a stop in front of me, finishing his explanation.
Wow. We’re really not fucking around here. He’s not going to make me run laps or drop and do a bunch of push-ups, is he? No, I suppose he’d prefer to just tan my ass. I swallow thickly even with nothing in my mouth. What the hell have I gotten into? Maybe sensing my feelings, Ironstorm walks over to me.
“I will not expect you to follow these protocols all of the time.” He brushes some of my hair behind an ear. “But because of my position, there will be many times where it will be required of you. I have faith you will not disappoint me.” No pressure there.
“Next is ‘Inspection.’ Your feet should be the same as when at Attention.” I bring my feet back together. “Now move your arms up and clasp your hands behind your neck. Keep your elbows out, still standing with your back straight.”
The name of the pose combined with the way Iron—Sir’s eyes my body as he walks around makes a warm feeling start to pool in my stomach. I feel the occasional tap of his hand as he corrects my posture to his liking. I jump when his palm ghosts over my ass, earning me a spank for breaking form. He comes to another stop in front of me.
“Good boy.” The praise makes me shiver as his eyes rake down my body. “You will take this position when I want to look over your body or inspect your clothing. Or if I decided to allow someone else to.” A vision of last night in Brull’s shop flashes in my head and more heat pools in my core. “Now we will move on to kneeling.”
I want to say the academy never taught us any kneeling positions, but I bite my tongue. Besides, maybe when I’m kneeling, the “problem” growing in the front of my underwear will be less visible. After his expectant look, I wordlessly sink to my knees on the floor.
