Prophecy of Axain

Chatper 3

With the sun creeping through his bedroom window, Seth threw on a soiled brown shirt and wool pants. Today was different. Yesterday, he wanted to be a fisherman, with no desire to follow his adoptive parents. Now he wasn't so sure. How many boys find out their father was a knight—and a hero at that? Could it be that Brock was exaggerating? Sure, but why would he? Telling him anything at all was more than he had ever been told before. While tempted to bring it up at dinner last night, Seth didn't. He walked through his bedroom door.

Sally was making oatmeal, again! Seth could smell the rancid, if not diabolical, meal cooking over the fire. "Morning."

"Morning. I'm making extra oatmeal this morning. Your father asked me to bring by some oatmeal when I had a chance this morning," Sally said.

Seth slid into his seat at the table. "Why did he leave so early?"

"Something about fitting a rich man's bodyguards with new armor. The job should really help us out." She grinned. "Maybe we can have something else besides this nasty oatmeal for breakfast."

Seth blinked. "You don't like it either?"

Sally grimaced. "No, who does? But, it's all we can afford right now. We have to get your sword and armor paid for and that's very expensive."

Seth's chest tightened. Why? All because of a promise they had made before he was born? Or just after he was born? "Can't that wait? So we can get better food? At least no more oatmeal?"

Sally stirred the pot. "Well, I—" She shook her head. "No, we have to do this. It's for your own protection."

Seth frowned. "The sword, sure, but the armor? I'm not going into battle or anything. Why must we suffer for something that won't happen for a really long time?" If ever, he thought.

She stopped stirring the pot in mid-stroke. "What did your father tell you?"

"Didn't he tell you? We talked after I said that I was caught stealing apples from Mrs. Williams."

Sally's face reddened. "You did what?" She closed her eyes as if trying to restrain herself. "What did your father say?"

Seth frowned. This wasn't going well. No, not at all. "Father already punished me. But, he did tell me about my parents, my real parents."

Sally bit her lip. "I see. Oatmeal is done." She scooped out a heaping helping into two small bowls, placing both of them on the table. Pulling a chair next to Seth, Sally sat next to her adopted son. "What did he tell you about them?"

Seth shrugged. "My dad was a knight and you worked for my mom and that they were honorable people."

She nodded. "Yes, that's all true."

He cocked his head. "He told me they died in some battle before Kade the Usurper took the throne. My mother, too. Can you tell me about her?"

Her hands shook. "I need to talk to your father first." Sally's face soured as she took a bite of oatmeal. "This is nasty."

Seth giggled. "I've been telling you that." He straightened up. "The last thing Dad said was that I had to right some wrongs."

Sally swallowed.

His shoulders relaxed. "What wrongs? What was he talking about? He wouldn't tell me."

She turned away. "There's a real reason why we haven't told you. I'm . . . surprised he told you that much."

"What reason? Mom, if I'm in danger, I need to know everything. Please," Seth said.

Sally grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and scooped some oatmeal from the pot. "Come with me to drop his breakfast off and I'll talk to him about it, okay?"