Ghosts of the Five Realms: The Rabbit and the Dryke

Chapter 10

A Peasants Promise

Neera read quietly in the shade of the courtyard. She was disinterested in the text and distractedly paused every now and then to look up and feel the gentle breeze and sunlight sweep across her lightly freckled face. Her pale bare feet rubbed against each other as her toes curled in the grass. The lightly flowing, yellow dress she wore slightly exposed the line-less skin of her slender shoulders. She gently fingered the sapphire she wore on the silver chain around her neck. Her attention was pulled to what she deemed southwest. There was a mild tug in her belly and the front of her mind. Neera let the feeling embrace her for a moment, then as if allowing a bird to fly willingly from her hand, she let the feeling go. She brought herself back into the moment and watched Leomir as he darted past her in the courtyard.

"My Prince, are you getting hungry? it's about time for lunch."

"No. I want to play more." said the boy, swinging his wooden sword at the branches of a nearby rose bush. He vented pent up energy after a morning in class with Atholos.

"Very well. What are you playing?" asked the sorceress folding her hand over the book on her lap.

"I'm battling a horde of goblins. They've managed to get past the castle's defenses. Now they're trying to make their way into the throne room."

"Oh, no, my Prince!" said the girl, getting to her knees. "You must stop them! Think of all the innocent people inside!"

The boy hacked and slashed the bush mimicking the sounds of battle with his mouth.

"Leomir, behind you!" yelled the girl.

He rolled, turned and struck an imaginary target, then another. The prince pretended to lock swords with a goblin. He grunted and kicked, then slashed triumphantly. He turned and motioned his hand as if he were casting a fire spell, mimicking the sound.

"Oh no. They have magic too!" said the sorceress, twirling her finger. A pillar of dust whipped and whirled in front of the prince. The boy instinctively leaped forward and cut through the mini cyclone, bringing it to a halt.

"You did it!" exclaimed the girl. "You've saved us!" she clapped. "Now, why don't you come out of the sun for a while, so you don't burn your skin."

The boy wandered over to the blanket where the young sorceress sat. He quickly caught his breath, plopped down next to her and took the cup of water she handed him.

"You've been practicing quite a bit. Are you excited for the Knight's Trial?" she asked, picking bits of rose from his tunic and neatly dusting him off.

"Very excited!" replied the boy. "I'm ready. They told me I will train with Sir Fendrel Baily of Drendham. Owl... Master Kel told me a story about Fendrel. He said he killed three vrixsys at once and he was stationed on the Eastern front of Drendham during the Nine Day Siege. Have you ever met Fendrel?" pried the child.

"I know Sir Fendrel well. I have a friend who was his apprentice. If he is evidence of Sir Fendrel's teaching ability, there is no better knight to train you. You stay close to him, watch everything he does and listen to everything he says. He will keep you safe and help make you a better king. I promise."

"Who is your friend?" inquired the boy innocently. "The one who apprenticed with Sir Fendrel."

The young sorceress bit her lip and fingered her hair behind her ear. "Oh, it's no one." she stammered.

"Is he a ranger like Fendrel?"

"Mh-hm." she affirmed without eye contact. "His name is Aeris. Aeris of Braedon." She said proudly. I haven't seen him in quite some time. His duties keep him far from the capital."