“Rayne desperately wants to become a guardian like his father. I’ve seen him training, and I believe he has as much talent, if not more, than Rinan. He would make an excellent representative for our district in the Mortentaun, but he could use your help.”
Nash smacked Kelvin hard on the back, nearly knocking him out of the chair. “Absolutely! We have a few young men here in town who have been getting together to train. I’ve been overseeing their work, and we’d love to have Rayne join us.”
“Thank you, Nash,” Kelvin said. “One last favor, if I may?”
“Anything.”
Kelvin looked straight into the governor’s eyes, making him see how serious he was. “Rinan didn’t exactly leave the castle under the best of circumstances. That’s why I’ve not mentioned this before. I’d rather not go into details, but I fear there may be those at the Mortentaun who will judge less than favorably if they knew that Rayne was Rinan’s son. Could we simply tell people that Rayne’s father has passed on and he is now in my care?”
Nash looked searchingly at Kelvin for a moment before he responded. “You are one of the most honorable people I’ve ever met. I trust you on this and will respect your wishes—on one condition.”
“What would that be?”
A big grin split Nash’s face. “If I recall, your wife made the best tarts I’ve ever had. Next time you come, you must bring some.”
***
Priest Sherwyn took in a deep breath, held it for a moment, and then exhaled slowly. In the sixty-five years he’d been alive, he’d discovered that this was one of his favorite times of the year. He often took walks to stretch his legs, and on his way out of the castle today, he had bumped into Anemone and invited her to come along.
They walked to a slightly sloping hill that was a fair distance from the castle. The hill had one large tree standing majestically at the summit. Sherwyn looked closely at the tips of the tree when they arrived. Buds were definitely starting to form.
“Do you see them? The buds on the trees?” he asked Anemone.
The nursemaid used her cane for support as she leaned forward and squinted. “Yes, I believe I do.”
He took another deep breath. “You can even smell a difference in the air. It gives me hope.”
“Hope? Hope for what?”
Sherwyn smiled. “Every year, the snow comes and makes the world a cold and inhospitable place. But no matter how hard it snows or how cold it gets in any given winter, new life always comes again in the spring. There is always hope, no matter how bad things get.”
“And you hope this year will make things better, correct?” Anemone asked, tightening her gray, hooded cloak around her.
“This year holds definite promise,” Sherwyn said. “Twenty-one years have finally passed, and a new king and queen will be chosen in the summer. Daimh’s reign as king, or probably more accurately, Abrecan’s reign, has been difficult.”
Anemone nodded in agreement. “Do you ever wonder if we did the right thing with Rinan and Eliana?”
“I wonder that all the time,” Sherwyn said. “And I’ve come to the conclusion that we made a mistake. Doing something wrong, even for a perceived greater good, can only lead to bigger problems. I can’t say for sure, but had Eliana stepped down as queen, she’d probably still be alive. I’ve not heard from Rinan since he left. I can only hope he has lived a happy life.”
Anemone looked at Sherwyn with tears forming in her eyes. “Yes, I’ve come to the same conclusion. Is there anything we can do to atone for our actions?”
The priest reached out and gently touched one of the branches. “You never know what opportunities will be presented. In the meantime, we should just try to do what is right, and for the right reasons.”
***
Lady Linden came up to her husband, who was standing with his arms folded, surveying the scene in front of him. She had been attracted to Nash when they first met, not long after he retired from being a guardian. He was a jolly man who always seemed to find the brighter side of things. She rarely saw him as serious as he was at the moment, and that was enough to bring her concern.
“What is it, Nash?” she asked, rubbing his back.
The large man looked at her and gave her a familiar smile. “Just lost in thought, my dear. Nothing’s wrong—just the opposite.” He nodded his head toward the open field, where four young men were sparring with large, wooden broadswords. A thin, blond-haired man was in the center, with the other three surrounding him. He was moving quickly, effectively fending off each attack from the other three.
“Is that Rayne?” she asked, peering closely.
Nash chuckled. “Aye, it is. He’s something special. I have no doubt he has the skill to become a guardian. But it’s more than just his skills with a blade.”
Resting her head on her husband’s shoulder, Linden said, “Yes. He’s a sharp boy. Very polite, and he has a good head on his shoulders. He’d make a nice change of pace from the guardians we’ve been getting recently. This will reflect well on the district, and you.”
“You know I’ve never worried about trying to impress the castle—at least, not since Daimh became king.” Nash stroked his beard. “But I do hope Rayne will have a positive impact on his fellow guardians.”
“Aren’t we getting ahead of ourselves?” Linden asked. “After all, he needs to do well at the Mortentaun to become a guardian.”
“Bah!” Nash said. “Unless someone sabotages the Mortentaun, Rayne is a shoo-in.”
CHAPTER 16
A light spring breeze washed over Rayne, and he closed his eyes, drew in a deep breath, and then exhaled slowly. Tilting his head up and then opening his eyes, he saw high, white fluffy clouds floating in a clear blue sky. The sight was calming, while the noise around him had the opposite effect. Standing in a line surrounded by thousands of people was something Rayne had not experienced before, and it was unsettling. Even when he had gone into town with his father, there weren’t crowds like there were today, the first day of the Mortentaun.
His grandfather stood beside him as they waited to register. The training over the last few months with Governor Nash had gone well, with the former guardian picking up where his father had left off. Rayne felt as physically ready as he could be, but his emotions were running a bit stronger than he would like.
“Next!” called a button-nosed man sitting behind a table with a quill in one hand.
Rayne and Kelvin stepped forward to the edge of the table. Not looking up from the parchment in front of him, the man asked, “Name?”
“Rayne, spelled R-A-Y-N-E.”
The man looked as though he was stifling a chuckle. “If you say so. What district?”
Rayne looked at his grandfather, and Kelvin nodded.
“Lebu,” Rayne said.
After writing down the information, Button Nose asked, “Father’s name?”
Kelvin spoke up before Rayne could say anything. “His father is no longer with us. Rayne is my responsibility now. You can put down Kelvin as his sponsor.”
“Fine, fine.” The man noted it on the parchment. “Go to the staging area marked for your district and wait for your name to be called.”
“Thank you very much,” Rayne said. “By the way, can you tell us where the contestants from Lewyol are gathering?”
Bringing his head up for the first time, the man looked at Rayne and Kelvin and said, “Not my job.” Then he looked past them and shouted, “Next!”
***
“You could use a good kissing.” Sunshine smiled roguishly.
Bertram blinked a few times and nearly choked on his words. “Wh—what did you say?”
“It’s something my dad said to me once when I got too involved in my books,” she explained, still smiling. “It was his way of saying, ‘Don’t forget there are other things in life aside from reading.’ I’ve never seen you leave the castle, and you hardly leave your chambers. It’s the first day of the Mortentaun, for heaven’s sake! Come with me and
Alana. My family will be here, and I’d love to introduce you.”
Sunshine’s warm smile almost melted Bertram’s defenses. Over the last few months, he and Sunshine had developed a mentor-student relationship. He had no illusions about anything romantic, but they definitely had a close friendship. Under Priest Sherwyn’s advisement, Bertram kept a low profile and stayed away from others as much as possible. But with Sunshine, he found a kindred soul—someone else who thirsted after knowledge.
He had no desire or reason to leave the castle; he felt safer inside its walls. He had never explained this to Sunshine because he didn’t want her to develop the same fears.
Bertram slowly shook his head. “I’ve far too much work to do. But please, go, have a good time. Perhaps you can invite your family to the castle. I’d be interested in meeting your father—he seems to be quite an interesting person, from what you’ve told me.”
“Bertram, please?”
He gulped. “Perhaps another day. I have much yet to finish.”
“All right then,” Sunshine said in an overdramatic tone. She turned to leave, but then stopped. “Oh, by the way, I was sitting on one of the rolled-up tapestries last night reading an interesting book about the weather patterns in Bariwon. It was late and I was getting tired. I accidentally dropped the book when I started to doze off. When I went to pick it up, I happened to glance at the bottom shelf behind the tapestry. There were several books down there, and it appeared that one may be an older version of the Tome of Laws, but with the dim lighting, I couldn’t tell for sure. I tried to get it out, but was unable to because the tapestry was blocking the way, and it was too heavy for me to move by myself. Perhaps if you gave me a hand later, we could move it together.”
Bertram’s eyebrows shot up. “Could you tell how old the books were?”
Sunshine shrugged. “Not for sure, but they did look older than most of the books I’ve come across.”
“Yes, by all means, come see me when you return,” Bertram said, excited about the idea. “It may be just like the other copies we’ve come across, but you never know.”
***
Bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, Rayne anxiously awaited the officiator’s command. Glancing to his left and his right, he sized up his competition. The group included everyone from his district, as well as those from the district of Donigi. In all, about forty young men stood on a line, awaiting the word to start the race.
The sprint was the first event of the day—a quick run of about two hundred paces. Rayne noted that there were several young men who looked built for speed, while some of the others would definitely do better in the events designed around strength.
Flexing his fingers in an effort to relax, Rayne tuned out everything around him, aside from the officiator and the goal line.
“Go!”
Pushing off with his right foot, Rayne started to run toward the goal. Within the first fifty paces, the runners started to separate. By the halfway mark, Rayne found there were more people behind him than in front. A thin, wiry man who wore a purple armband with the number 6 written on the side had started to leave the pack behind. Knowing he couldn’t catch the faster man, Rayne focused instead on running as fast as he could.
Crossing the finish line, he ran on a bit further, and then turned back to see that the majority of the group was behind him. Taking in deep gulps of air and walking around, he worked his way back to the staging area for his district. His grandfather was waiting for him with a big smile on his face.
“Well done, Rayne!” Kelvin patted his grandson on the back. “We’ll await the official announcement, but from what I saw, you were near the front.”
Rayne noted the officiators conferring at the judging table. While he waited, he stood on his tiptoes and tried to look over the crowd. He had spotted the large, yellow banner of Lewyol indicating where their participants were gathered, but they were on the far side of the field. He’d not been able to go over and see if he could find Sunshine yet, but as he understood it, there would be a chance during the middle of the day, when participants could leave to get something to eat.
“Attention, please! Attention!” shouted an officiator who had stepped onto a small platform. The crowd quieted, and he continued. “In the first running of the sprint, number 6 from Donigi is awarded five points for winning the race. The following are awarded three points each for finishing in the first five.”
Rayne knew he had done well and hoped he was one of the first five. He was a fairly fast runner, and he needed these points to help him advance to the next day’s events. When the officiator called out number 17 from Lebu, he double-checked to be sure that was his number and breathed out a sigh of relief.
“Atta boy, Rayne!” Kelvin said, embracing him. “Three points. Great start to the Mortentaun!”
***
Sunshine saw the yellow banner of Lewyol blowing in the breeze. “This way, Alana,” she said, heading toward the spot where her family was to meet her.
“I’m sure you’re looking forward to seeing your family, but try not to run over anyone on the way.” Alana lifted the hem of her skirt and walked quickly to keep up with the young savant.
Slowing down, Sunshine said, “Sorry. I didn’t think I would miss them as much as I have.”
“It’s quite all right.” Alana smiled. “They aren’t going anywhere. We’ll find them.”
Winding through the crowd, Sunshine searched for her family, and her heart leaped when she spotted her mother and younger brother sitting in the wooden stands. Within moments, they saw her too and made room for her and Alana to join them.
“Mom, Snapdragon!” Sunshine’s voice quivered as she gave them each a quick hug. “It’s so good to see you. Did I miss anything?”
Iolanthe shook her head. “Not really. There have been a few races already, but Oakleaf’s group is still to come.”
Sunshine looked down at the field and craned her neck, trying to spot her brother in the sea of young men. “I don’t see him.”
“Try looking with your eyes open, Shiny.” Snapdragon pointed. “He’s there, by Dad. He’s been assigned the number 12.”
Iolanthe pinched Snapdragon’s arm. “You haven’t seen your sister in months, and already you start with the teasing? Be nice!”
Looking rebuked, Snapdragon said, “Sorry, Shiny. I’ll be nice. I missed you.”
She smiled lopsidedly. “Well then, maybe you should improve your aim.”
***
Rayne pointed to the young man with spiky blond hair near the front of the race. “See, Grandfather! I’m pretty sure that’s Oakleaf. He’s the brother of Sunshine, the girl from Lewyol I told you about.”
“Ah. And if Oakleaf is here, Sunshine should be here as well.”
Rayne responded with a quick nod of his head.
“Well, just don’t let the thought of that young woman distract you,” Kelvin said. “There’s a lot of the Mortentaun yet to go, and you need to stay focused.”
The race ended, and soon the officiator declared the results. “Five points to number 21 from Grenoa, the winner of the race. Three points each to the following: 5 from Grenoa, 3 from Grenoa, 19 from Grenoa, 12 from Lewyol, and 2 from Lewyol, for finishing in the first five. One point goes to everyone else, except for the last five men to finish the race, who get no points.”
Cheers and groans from the crowd followed the announcement.
The officiator held up both hands, then said, “We will now prepare for the second event. This is a longer distance race, starting here, going around the castle, and ending up back here. We will stagger the starting times. Will the participants from Lebu and Donigi please come to the line?”
“Pace yourself, Rayne,” his grandfather said. “Don’t try to keep up with the fastest runner at the beginning—let him tire himself out.”
***
When the participants from Tevoil were called for the long distance race, Sunshine was suddenly flooded with emotions. Rayne was f
rom Tevoil, and if he was still alive, surely he’d be one of the men walking to the starting line. The thought of his death also reminded her that Zubin and the Thomas twins were still out there somewhere. A chill ran down her back at the realization that they may have been found and could possibly be here at the Mortentaun.
“What’s wrong, dear?” her mother asked.
Sunshine realized her shoulders were slumped and she was staring at the ground. She sat up straighter and put on a smile. “Nothing. I was just reminded of something unpleasant.”
“Anything you want to talk about?”
“No, not now. Perhaps later—let’s watch the race.” Sunshine turned her attention back to the field.
“All right. Let’s think of happier things,” Iolanthe said. “Do you see Rayne down there among the participants from Tevoil? I looked during their first race and didn’t see him.”
“Rayne? Who is that?” Alana asked.
Before Sunshine could say anything, Snapdragon blurted, “Oh, he’s just a farmer Shiny’s in love with, that’s all.”
Alana’s eyes grew wider. “You mean, that farmer from Tevoil?”
Sunshine didn’t say anything; she just gave Alana a hard stare, shook her head, and then motioned subtly toward her mother.
Iolanthe smiled. “Oh, yes. I’m sure Sunshine has told you about him, Alana. He is a really nice boy.”
Alana paused and then said cautiously, “Yes, we’ve talked about him. I just didn’t recall hearing his name before.”
“We’ll talk about that another time,” Sunshine said, trying to change the subject. “I think Oakleaf’s group is about to be called.”
***
Grandfather was right, thought Rayne as he spotted the finish line in the distance. Pacing myself was the best way to approach this.
Not long after the race started, the man who won the sprint took off at full speed. By halfway around the castle, he had slowed considerably, as did all the others who had tried to keep up with the early leader. After clearing the castle and heading back to the finish line, Rayne, who had been keeping a steady pace, was near the front of the pack. He was side by side with two other men as they approached the end of the race. Rayne felt he had a burst of speed left in him, but didn’t want to use it too early.
The Hidden Sun (Bariwon Chronicles Book 1) Page 17