by Callie Kanno
You are a fool, farmer, was her only reply.
“What is it?” Aherin asked.
Idris shook his head in frustration. “Iona keeps fighting for control.”
Aherin’s brow furrowed. “Maybe you should talk to Captain Cowan about that. If there is something wrong with your weapon you should not be forced to use it.”
“Without a weapon I could not train to be a member of the Royal Guard,” argued Idris. He stared down at the glittering partisan. “She cooperates some of the time. I think I just need to be stronger to deal with her.”
Aherin shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “If that is what you want. But that struggle does not seem normal to me. I do not have such trouble with Liuz.”
Idris looked at Aherin’s phoenix bow, feeling a touch of envy. “You and your weapon seem to get along really well.”
Aherin smiled. “Yes, we have become good friends.”
Their conversation was brought to a sudden end when they saw Hildar approaching. Her very presence brought a feeling of repression for Idris. She looked at the two of them with her usual haughty gaze and adjusted her fur-lined cloak as she spoke.
“It is bad enough that I am forced to work with people like you without also having to deliver messages for your kind.”
Idris knew she was talking about him. She had never forgiven him for embarrassing her at the king’s ball, and she also blamed him for holding the group back in their training.
Aherin looked as though he wanted to say something in Idris’s defense, but Idris waved his hand and said, “You have a message?”
He found that it was easiest to not engage Hildar when she was feeling sorry for herself. It only made her lash out more viciously.
Hildar tossed her hair and spoke over her shoulder as she walked away. “There are some beggars at the palace gate asking for you.”
Idris frowned, not certain what beggars she could possibly mean. During his time in Marath he had made a handful of friendly acquaintances, but most of them were the owners of businesses that he favored. He wasn’t sure he even knew any of the beggars that lived in the city.
Aherin locked Iona back into Idris’s holder, and Idris did the same for Aherin’s bow. Then they returned the key to Demas, who was doing training of his own a short distance away.
“Did anyone see you?” Demas asked.
“Hildar,” they answered.
Demas pursed his lips together. “I suppose I should expect a lecture from Farah later today for not supervising your training personally.” He shrugged, apparently not bothered by the idea, and went back to what he was doing.
Idris and Aherin continued on their way to the palace gate, keeping to the narrow path where the snow had been cleared. As they walked, Idris saw two figures heading toward them in the opposite direction. He stifled a groan when he recognized Piton and the same palace guard that had been with him on their last encounter.
Idris had been doing everything in his power to avoid further contact with his former instructor, and he felt the sudden urge to plow through the untouched snow to get on a different path.
“Idris,” Piton said with an oily smile as he passed.
Idris nodded in acknowledgement, but hurried on. Aherin saw the exchange and frowned.
“You are on speaking terms with Piton now?” he questioned.
Idris shook his head and mumbled, “I would rather not talk about it.”
Aherin laughed. “Why?”
He shrugged uncomfortably. “Piton offered to be my friend and introduce me to other soldiers.”
“That does not seem underhanded,” Aherin ventured.
“I know,” Idris said, “but it was weird. I do not know how to explain.”
He was glad that he was spared further explanation as they drew near the palace gate. Idris spotted the huddled figures waiting there, and he gave a glad cry of welcome.
“Mother, Father! You came after all.”
Idris ran to the waiting arms of his family. Not only were his parents there, but all of his siblings as well. There was such a tangle of arms that Idris wasn’t sure who he was hugging, but he didn’t care. He was thrilled to see them all again.
Prydwen cradled Idris’s head against her chest and stroked his hair. “Oh, my sweet boy. How I have missed you.”
Tears welled up in Idris’s eyes, but he found himself grinning as well. Cadell clapped him heartily on the shoulder, showing none of his usual reserve.
“We have all missed you, lad. You have grown since leaving home.”
Osian nodded in agreement. “You are taller.”
“And your shoulders are wider,” added Elain.
Adwen poked his midsection. “I think you are getting fat, Idris.”
They all laughed at that.
He was certainly not as lean as he had been when he had been doing the work of a farmer, but he was still in excellent shape.
“Who is that?” asked Dafina in voice that seemed a little too interested.
Idris turned and realized he had completely forgotten about Aherin. His friend was standing back, looking uncertain and also a bit wistful.
Idris waved him forward. “Everyone, this is my friend, Aherin. He is training to be a member of the Royal Guard, too. Aherin, this is my family.”
Adwen tugged on Idris’s arm and said in a pleading voice, “No more talking, Idris. Come show us the city!”
They all chuckled, but Cadell looked at his oldest with raised eyebrows. “Can you take the afternoon off from your training?”
“Of course he can,” Aherin replied. “I will tell Demas, and he can fix it for you.”
Idris turned to Aherin and gave him a grateful smile. “Thank you. I will see you later, then.”
Idris heard his brothers cry out in surprise, and someone took hold of him to keep him in place. It took Idris a moment to realize why—his brothers had gotten a good look at the partisan on his back.
Their excited voices garbled over one another.
“This is your magic weapon?”
“Look how big it is!”
“Is that gold? Are those jewels real?”
“Can I hold it?”
“Is it sharp?”
“Of course it is sharp, Rolant. It is a weapon.”
“But if it is magic, then it should not matter if it is sharp!”
Idris felt the excited hands let go, and he turned around to see Cadell holding onto the shoulders of Osian and Deri. “Calm down, you lot. Idris will answer your questions better if you take the time to listen.”
So Idris began by telling them about Iona and how his training had been going. He found himself glossing over the struggles he had been having, and he could sense Iona’s smug satisfaction at his omissions. He hated feeling that he was being less than honest, but he wasn’t sure his family would understand.
Idris told them about each of the Royal Guards and about the other trainees in the king’s army. He told them about Jui and Princess Zorina, and about his living quarters and day-to-day tasks.
“I am even learning to read,” Idris said proudly. “Palti is teaching me.”
Prydwen’s eyes glowed as she looked at her son. “I am so happy for you, darling. You are doing wonderful things with your life.”
Idris led them down to the harbor, where all of the ships were docked. Only Cadell had ever seen the ocean before, so everyone in the family was chattering with the excitement of seeing the water and the huge vessels bobbing on the rippling waves.
“Where is the other side?” asked Rolant.
“Zoma is the kingdom on the other side of the ocean,” explained Idris, “and the king of the nation is our queen’s father. It is very far away, though. You would have to sail in a ship before you could see it.”
“What is the queen like?” asked Dafina breathlessly.
“She is very kind, and she is very beautiful,” he answered. “Her hair is yellow, and her skin is very fair. She has blue eyes and is quite tall.”
Adwen scowled thoughtfully. “Why does she look like that? No one looks like that. Are you teasing us, Idris?”
He grinned at her. “People in Zoma look like that. I am told that most people there have yellow or red hair.”
“I wish I had yellow hair,” sighed Dafina, tugging on her dark braids.
Next Idris took them up to the market in the center of the city. There were markets all over, but the center market was the biggest.
Prydwen began to look rather anxious and urged her children to stay together. However, her request was openly ignored. Each of Idris’s siblings saw something that caught their fancy, and they all scattered. Prydwen grabbed Adwen before she could get away, but the other children managed to make their escapes.
Prydwen seemed to be deciding which child to chase after first, but Idris placed a calming hand on his mother’s arm. “If we stay here, they will know how to come back to us.”
She nodded, but still didn’t appear to be at ease.
“Mama,” whined Adwen, “I want to go over there.”
“Not right now, darling,” their mother said distractedly.
Cadell cleared his throat. It was clear that he was fighting back a smile. “Prydwen, I will stay here and look out for our wandering lambs. You go with Adwen and Idris to see the market.”
“Do you really think that is a good idea?” Prydwen fretted. “We will be easier to find if we stay together.”
Idris gently took her arm. “Come along, Mother. We can look for the others as we go.”
It didn’t take long for them to find the first of Idris’s siblings. Dafina was in the first booth they came across, looking at beaded jewelry. When she looked up and saw them, she immediately began asking questions.
“Is this where you bought our necklaces for the king’s anniversary, Idris? I am wearing mine, see? It is so beautiful, and it was so nice of you to send it. Mother said that you should not spend your wages on such things, but I am glad that you did. Are girls in the city still wearing this style? I do not see any like it here.”
Idris and his mother exchanged amused glances.
“No, I did not buy the necklaces here. That style was special made for the king’s anniversary, so you will not see any being sold, but they are still being worn by girls in the city.”
He looked at his two youngest sisters and then over to his mother. “May I get each of you something to take home with you?”
Adwen and Dafina clasped their hands together and laughed with excitement, but Prydwen frowned softly.
“You should not spend your money on frivolous things, my son. Your gifts during the autumn were more than enough. Now you must think of yourself and your future.”
“All of my needs are taken care of,” he reassured her. “I would like to do something nice for you.”
Dafina and Adwen didn’t wait for their mother to object any further. The former picked out a beaded comb she could wear in her hair, and the latter picked out a pearl ring. Idris took the two pieces of jewelry to the owner of the booth, who wrapped them in soft cloth and handed them over with a smile.
“Thank you,” Idris said simply, and walked back to his family.
Prydwen was in the middle of a whispered lecture to her two youngest daughters when Idris rejoined them.
“…be sure to thank your brother for being so generous, and do not ask for anything else. I will not have my sweet girls becoming vain and selfish.”
Idris cleared his throat to get their attention, then he handed over the gifts.
“Thank you, Idris,” his sisters chorused sincerely.
“Now you two go back to your father and wait for us to find Elain and your brothers,” instructed Prydwen.
Adwen and Dafina skipped away, looking light-hearted and happy.
Prydwen couldn’t help but smile. “You should not have bought them those trinkets, darling, but I am glad to see you are so giving.”
Idris shrugged. “It is their first visit to Marath, and they will probably not come back again before they visit the Treasury. They should have something to remember the trip.”
His mother snorted softly. “They will have their memories to remember the trip. They do not need their brother spending all of his money on them.”
They walked through the market, arm-in-arm. They talked quietly to each other, and Idris enjoyed looking at the market through his mother’s eyes. If there was something that interested Prydwen, they would take a closer look, but Idris could not persuade her to choose a gift that she would like to bring home to Rest Stone Valley.
They found Rolant at a booth staring at stacks of sweets, and Osian looking over some sturdy work knives. Both were sent back to their father with the objects of their desire in their hands.
Deri was looking at some sheep that were for sale. Idris was tempted to go ahead and buy him a lamb, but Prydwen drew the line there.
“You will not buy livestock for your brother, Idris. If you must get him a gift, be reasonable.”
“Idris is buying us gifts?” Deri asked, finally giving them his attention.
Their mother held up a hand. “No sheep. I mean it.”
Deri shrugged. He had not expected anything like that, and so he was not disappointed. He picked up a shepherd’s flute and his eyes lit up. “May I have this, Idris?”
“Of course,” Idris replied.
He got the attention of the woman attending the stall and asked her to wrap it up for him. She gave him an appraising glance.
“How do you plan to pay for it, young man? I do not see a coin pouch on you.”
It was the first time Idris had encountered anyone unfamiliar with the practice of sending bills to the palace. He explained it to her, but she remained skeptical.
“The king will cover the cost, you say? I may be new to the city, but I think I can spot a trick when I see one.”
“You can ask any merchant here in Marath,” Idris assured her.
“What if they are in on it?” she asked, pointing a finger at him.
“They cannot all be,” he reasoned.
“Cannot you just give me the coppers for it?” the woman complained.
Idris refrained from rolling his eyes, but only just. “Just a moment,” he said.
He walked over to another booth and explained the situation to the owner. The man chuckled and handed Idris the amount for the flute out of his change bag.
“Thank you,” Idris said sincerely. “When you send the bill, double the amount. I appreciate your help.”
The merchant touched his forehead in respectful salute. “Thank you, sir.”
Idris went back to the woman by the sheep pen and handed her the coins. She had watched the whole transaction incredulously.
“He just gave you the coin,” she stated in disbelief.
“May I have the flute now?” Idris asked, starting to feel impatient.
The woman gave it to him and he brought it to Deri, who took it with a grin. Prydwen gave Deri the same instructions as she had give the others and then she and Idris moved on to find Elain.
“Was there trouble?” Prydwen asked her son.
Idris shook his head. “The woman was just unfamiliar with how the Royal Guard pay for things.”
Elain wasn’t far from the sheep pen. She was deep in conversation with a woman selling wool.
“I should have known,” Prydwen said with a smile. “Elain has decided that she wants to get gold from the Treasury to buy a loom. She wants to make cloth to sell for a living.”
Idris looked at the earnest expression on his sister’s face as she talked with the merchant about types and quality of wool. He was proud of her for making that decision on her own, and he found that he envied the life that such a future would bring.
He walked up to Elain and put his arm around her shoulder. She looked up in surprise, but grinned when she saw him.
“Do you have any hand carders?” he asked the merchant.
The woman nodded. “Of course. Are yo
u looking for anything specific?”
“Your very best,” said Idris.
Elain hugged him around the waist. “You do not have to, you know.”
“I know,” he replied, “but I want to. Mother told me your plans, and I want to be the first to contribute to your business.”
The merchant handed him a pair of beautifully constructed hand carders, and she included a small bundle of wool.
“I would like to contribute as well, miss. In a couple of years I will start coming by Rest Stone Valley, and I am counting on your business.”
Elain’s face glowed with happiness. “Thank you both.”
The merchant woman shrugged. “It is not often that I have the chance to do business with the family members of a Royal Guard.”
Idris and Elain turned to rejoin their mother, but stopped when the peal of bells filled the air. It started in the direction of the palace, but then the signal was picked up and carried by public buildings on every street.
At first an unnatural hush fell over the people in the marketplace, but then the spell was broken and chaos reigned. Merchants rushed to close up their shops or secure their carts, children scrambled to find their parents, voices shouted the names of family or friends in growing panic.
“What is it?” Elain asked in wonder, shouting over the sound of the bells.
Idris felt as though his heart had dropped into his stomach. “The bells are a warning for all citizens to get indoors. Marath is under attack.”
Chapter Twenty-One: Treachery
Idris held tightly to Elain and Prydwen as they ran through the panicked crowd to join Cadell. His shoulders bumped against strangers as they all rushed to safety, and there were a couple of times that his grip on his sister and mother almost slipped. Idris looked back at them with wide eyes as he secured his hold, seeing his fear reflected back on their faces.
His younger siblings were all huddled around their father, watching the chaos around them with fear in their eyes. Adwen was crying and clinging to Cadell’s arm, and Deri had his arms protectively around his twin sister. Cadell’s face was taut, and his stance was that of a man ready to fight for his family.
“What is happening?” demanded Idris’s father fiercely.