“I am so excited!” Clarina said. “The four of you are going to have so much fun tonight – I can hardly wait!”
Rylek shook his head. “I can’t imagine it getting much better than this. Thank you both so much.”
The other three likewise offered their thanks, and there were embraces all around. After Faltir had left, the four prepared to go out themselves for a leisurely walk. Rylek was about to go out the front door when he looked back at his mother. She was sitting by a window watching something he could not see. The sun shone on her flowing red hair, giving it a soft luminous glow. Her hands were crossed in her lap, and her posture, as always, was perfect. There was a look of pride on her face – not of the selfish arrogant kind, but of assurance. He wondered at that. But the pride could not overpower the warm kindness in her eyes. Suddenly he was struck that his mother looked very regal, like a queen in her own way, despite the humble clothes she wore.
“Are you coming?” Tresten suddenly called to him.
He was snapped out of his thoughts. “Yeah,” he answered. Then turning back to Clarina he said, “Thanks again, mother.”
She turned to him and smiled, and then Rylek understood her pride. He could see in her eyes that she was proud of him. Before he got a chance to think anymore on it, Tresten pulled him out the door.
***
The rest of their morning was spent walking together through Calm and around the lake. Their conversations were light and cheery, and everyone they came across stopped to wish them a happy birthday. It should have been the perfect day, but for some reason Rylek could not quite shake off a thin cloak of melancholy that seemed to wrap itself around his heart. As the girls were giggling together and Tresten was lightly whistling to himself, Rylek searched for any reason why he should feel sad. Finally the only thing he could put his finger on was the strange sensation lingering in his mind that there was a note of finality about these last few days – as though something were about to happen that would change his life forever. He counted it as merely anxiety and excitement for The Finding, and leaving for the University.
After spending some time up on The Balcony, they made their way to Penephoni’s house for lunch. It was now after noon, and some clouds had started to make their way over the western mountains. The meal was uneventful, save that Kelni was there, and she kept the table lively with her comical story-telling and gossip. She was certainly of the opinion that Celek had left to go find his long-lost love. Her showmanship allowed Rylek the luxury of partly retreating into himself. He did not feel like wasting the day with idle talk and empty banter. Luckily for him no one seemed to notice he was not taking much part in the merry-making.
With it being his birthday, he realized he could not afford to remain in this state of mind for long, so after lunch was over he excused himself and found his way back to The Balcony. There he sat looking over the entire valley, a sight he had known well his whole life. Not much at all had changed during his lifetime; mostly it was only that some trees had grown larger. As he examined every detail of the valley again, like he had done hundreds of times before, a sudden fear rose in his heart: the fear that this idyllic place would not last forever. He had allowed himself to imagine that Calm could remain untouched by The Outside, but what if that were not the case? What if events from The Outside radically changed the village? Would this be the last time he would see Calm from The Balcony?
Suddenly he stopped. Why was he giving himself over to unfounded fears? He knew he would protect his home at all costs. The Silent Knight would prevail, and Faldrahil would aid him.
A sudden weariness rushed upon his body. Knowing a nap would help reset his mind and emotions, he decided to lie down in the grass. His eyes closed on their own accord as though they were intentionally blocking out any more dark thoughts entering his head.
***
He awoke some time later. The sun had shifted, and was now behind some clouds that appeared to be moving in quickly. Rylek judged it was sometime around three. Sitting up and deeply inhaling the air, he realized the nap did its trick; he no longer felt fearful.
Down below, he noticed some activity in the cemetery. It looked like there were three figures gathered around a tombstone. Rylek guessed what was going on and decided to go down to observe them. Several minutes later he was approaching the group from behind, and found he was correct; the three people were Penephoni, Selenor, and Tresten. He stopped some distance away and watched as they laid flowers on the little plot where Retessa had been laid to rest. Penephoni had made it a point to take the children to her grave every year. When they had been old enough to understand the concept of death, Penephoni would spend the time telling them all she knew of Retessa, which she acknowledged was not very much. They would ask her questions and she would answer them as best she could. There had been much conversation in those early years. But the last few times they had visited were spent in total silence, as the weight of knowledge brought the children to a point of respectful sobriety. Selenor now stood directly in front of Retessa’s grave, with Penephoni on her left. Tresten was several feet behind and to the right of Selenor. No one showed any evidence that they were aware Rylek was watching. The sky had now become overcast, and a chill wind picked up. Penephoni wrapped her arm around Selenor, and she in turn laid her head on her adoptive mother’s shoulder. Rylek longed to stand next to Selenor, but decided he would be intruding and it was best for them to be alone. Fighting against all his heart told him to do, he turned around and silently walked back into the village.
***
There was not much time remaining before the second night of festivities was to begin. Not long after he had gone home, Rylek joined Lana on a walk to the lakefront. They were both proudly wearing the gifts their parents had given them – Faldrahil rested strapped upon Rylek’s back, and the Dawnstone graced Lana’s neck. The lakefront was buzzing with activity: tables were being set and food was being arranged. A large tent had been set up by the Old Sentinel. Not far from the water was a firepit that was now being tended to; the air had grown chill and the sun refused to come out from behind the clouds.
After wandering around for a couple of minutes, politely talking to various people, Caenar walked up to them. “Good afternoon, my dear friends,” he said. “If you will follow me, I will have you join the Evening Children.”
They followed him to the tent, where one long table had been prepared. Eight chairs were all along one side, facing out towards the rest of the tables on the lakefront. Rylek correctly guessed this was the “Table of Honor.” Tresten and Selenor were already seated there, and Rylek saw Selenor’s lyre on the table in front of her. He smiled and nodded at it. “I guess they twisted your arm again?” he asked.
“You know they don’t have to twist very hard,” she said, laughing.
Caenar nodded. “It is always a blessing from The One to hear such a fine voice share its wondrous gift,” he said, as he led them to their chairs. He had Rylek sit on Tresten’s right side – with a chair between them. Lana sat on Rylek’s right, and Selenor was on Tresten’s left. “This chair between the two of you will be for me,” Caenar said, “if you will allow this old babbler the opportunity to sit with you.”
“As though we have a choice,” Rylek heard Tresten say under his breath.
“Now,” Caenar continued, “I will ask each of you at a certain point during the evening to explain to the village your plans of going to the University in Maeon. No one is expecting to hear long-winded, grandiose speeches, so do not worry about going into much detail if you do not care to do so.”
“You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” Tresten mumbled again. Rylek stifled a laugh.
Caenar had apparently not overheard. “However,” he continued, “the people of Calm have invested much in you and care greatly for your wellbeing, and therefore deserve this small trifling thing from you. Please be so kind as to oblige them.
“But for the present, I invite the four of you to relax here
in your chairs, and I believe someone will be along presently to bring you refreshment.” He then walked off and left the children to themselves.
“I already feel refreshed,” Tresten said. “The old frass is gone.”
Rylek laughed. Selenor rolled her eyes. Lana shook her head. “Don’t be crude,” she said. “And you know he means well. I know it’s hard for you to believe, but some people actually enjoy talking to others.”
“That’s taukish,” Tresten said. “Sometimes I think he just likes the sound of his own voice. And there’s nothing like laying a guilt trip on us: ‘The people of Calm have invested much in you.’ What if I refuse because I’m terrified of speaking in front of people?”
“Since when have you been terrified of opening your mouth? Are you afraid your foot will automatically be drawn inside that gaping hole?” Lana asked.
“Ha ha. You know I don’t like speaking in front of crowds. Besides, it was a rhetorical question,” Tresten said.
“I don’t understand how you can be so grumpy on your own birthday,” Lana said, shaking her head.
***
Not long afterwards, Kelni brought them steaming mugs of peppernut tea. By now the entire village was again on the lakefront, and most had found places to sit. Penephoni sat down on Selenor’s left, Clarina was on Lana’s right side, and Faltir sat next to his wife. Caenar was standing in front of his chair, and after a moment raised his arms. “My dear friends,” he said, “if I may ask us all to find our seats, we shall begin in just a moment.”
There was some last minute shuffling as people were quieting and settling in their seats. Finally Caenar spoke again.
“As I am sure we all know, we are gathered here this evening to celebrate four of our very own; four of the brightest souls to grace our streets: the Morning Children, and the Evening Children. Yes, today Lana, Rylek, Tresten, and Selenor have each turned fifteen years of age. We celebrate their leaving of childhood and their entering into adulthood. Therefore, perhaps we should now refer to them as the Morning Adults and the Evening Adults.”
The villagers laughed; Tresten groaned. “His attempts at humor are even worse than his speeches,” he muttered to himself.
Caenar continued. “I propose a toast to them, and I ask that you all will join me in this.” Everyone there stood up from their chairs with a glass or mug in a hand. The Four were the only ones still sitting.
“May The One guide you on steps ever-sure
And lead you on to lands everlasting.
May your eyes be toward your fellow man
And your hearts dwell in love overcasting.
“To the approaching dawn, and may we not fear it,” he whispered very softly to himself, and drank from his glass. The rest of the village joined him.
Rylek however overheard what he had said, and wondered at what he had meant.
***
The meal was exceptional, as was expected. Caenar actually did not eat much since he spent most of the time conversing at each table. So the Four were left with their parents for the majority of the evening, with a gaping space separating the two families at the table. Rylek was too engrossed with eating to engage in much talk, and Tresten seemed to be quiet also. The girls were busy chatting with their mothers.
After a time, Caenar returned to the tent, taking his place at the table. However, he still did not sit down; instead he raised his arms and called out to the assembly. “Friends, I trust we have all thoroughly enjoyed this spectacular feast that we have so diligently and cheerfully prepared for this evening.”
A round of applause and some vocal affirmations were the villagers’ response.
“Yes, yes,” Caenar continued. “And now, if I may, I will ask us all to remain seated as our persons of honor will now share with us what their plans are for the coming summer.” He looked over to Selenor. “Selenor, will you grace us with informing us of what you intend to do at the University?”
Rylek’s heart began to race. She had been very noncommittal when discussing her plans with them up to this point, saying she would “figure it out later.” Now he wondered if she had settled on a plan and he would learn of it at the same time as the rest of the village.
She stood up and smoothed her hair. “I’m not really used to speaking like this to a crowd,” she started. “Put an instrument in my hand or have me sing, and it’s a different story. But this is an altogether different thing.” She laughed softly, and the people lightly laughed along with her. “Well, as I’m sure everyone here knows, I have a deep love for music and the arts. So my plans for now are to study the arts at the University, and maybe move to Calinaer for awhile to immerse myself in the culture. Then eventually I might go somewhere where I can start a special school to teach music to children. I guess I will just have to see where the winds of inspiration carry me off to.”
Everyone was smiling and nodding to each other, affirming what they had already guessed. However, Rylek felt a stone sink in his gut. A moment later he felt Lana squeeze his right leg in an effort of comfort.
“Those are my plans for now, anyway,” Selenor continued. “I know we all make plans and then Life actually happens, so I guess we’ll see in a few years what I actually do. You know I love you all, and I will especially treasure these last few weeks with you.”
She sat down to applause. Caenar stood up again. “Lana,” he called as he looked at her, “would you now tell us what your plans are?”
Rylek felt he was in a fog. So his fears had proven true: Selenor was not returning to Calm after she finished the University. Deep down inside he believed that once she went to Calinaer, she would never leave. Calinaer was filled with people like her, gifted in so many creative things. His eyes were glued to the empty plate in front of him. He vaguely heard his sister standing right beside him saying she was not exactly sure yet what the focus of her studies would be. Terms like “social care,” “culinary arts,” and “medical field” flitted in and out of his hearing. There was more applause. Caenar introduced Tresten, and Rylek was hypnotized by the lights’ reflections on his plate. Before he knew it his sister was elbowing him; looking up, he saw all the villagers’ eyes were upon him. Caenar was sitting down and beaming as he was also looking at him. He slowly stood and coughed.
“Well, um,” he said, and stopped for a moment. He was having a hard time processing his thoughts. “Big surprise here but I’m copying the others by going to the University, too,” he stammered. There were a couple of short laughs from a few people. “And like Tresten I’m enrolling in the Academy. But after I’ve served my time…” He paused for a moment. “Wow, I just likened the military to prison,” he said. “Not sure my dad would like that.” He glanced at Faltir, who slowly shook his head as he smiled at him. The villagers laughed.
“Anyway, I’m planning on coming back here,” he continued, gathering his thoughts. “Maybe working with my father. I’m not entirely sure yet, but the one thing I do know is this place is my home and where I belong. There’s nothing on The Outside that can compel me to leave you all for good. You are all my family, and I know it’s my duty to contribute all I can to the well-being of this community.”
He sat down hurriedly and flushed. His eyes were instantly stuck on his plate again. Through the sound of blood rushing in his ears he heard the muffled applause of the village. Everything seemed incredibly bright. Out of the corner of his eye he was dimly aware of Caenar standing and saying something. Rylek was reminded of Tresten sarcastically joking that Caenar did not know how to give long-winded speeches, and found himself wishing Caenar would cut it short and sit back in his chair.
After what felt like hours he realized he heard music, and recognized Selenor’s lyre. The strings softly throbbed in his head, and her voice sweetly pierced his soul. He could not dare to look up from his plate. Some time later the torturous rapture was over, and a band struck up some jolly dance music. There was much shuffling as people were rising from their seats to join in the group dance. Rylek saw h
is chance to get lost in the chaotic proceedings and left the tent. He ventured off into the night, escaping the celebratory sounds of music and laughter, fleeing to quiet and solitude. As though walking in steps that were guided for him, he eventually found himself standing again on The Balcony, looking down at the lights of the village below him. The music could still be heard, but it seemed like a fragment of a faraway dream. He slipped Faldrahil and its scabbard over his head and gently set them on the ground. The grass was soft and welcoming as he lay on it. Nevarra peeked out from behind some clouds in the middle of the night sky. Her light was cold and welcoming, soothing on his weary burning eyes, balm for the red ache that plagued him. Slowly he relaxed, and as he drifted off to sleep he had the impression Selenor was sitting there with him, placing his head in her lap, running her fingers through his hair, and singing softly for him alone.
Chapter Six:
Tales at The Bell And Candle
“Rylek?”
The voice awoke Rylek from a dreamy sleep. He opened his eyes and judged that a couple of hours must have passed, based upon the movement of the night sky. A silhouetted figure was squatting down next to him.
“Rylek?” the voice asked again. “Hey, are you alright?”
He sat up and shook the sleepiness from his head. Now he could dimly see Tresten’s features in the dark. “Yeah, sorry,” he said. “I guess I fell asleep.”
Tresten shook his head. “What are you doing up here? I’ve been looking all over for you.”
“I…” Rylek started. “I guess I just needed some time to myself. Feeling a little sentimental and wanted to get away from everyone. Just a little solitude and quiet.”
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