Gavin slipped off his horse and helped Kalista off of her mount. They fell into step behind the commandant as he led them from the courtyard and into the buildings. As they entered, they were passed by the soldier who had lasted the longest of the four against the large general.
“Commandant,” Gavin said, “That soldier is a blademaster, is he not?”
“You have a good eye, Commander,” the commandant replied with a smile. “He is one of the best swordsmen I have ever seen. But so were the other three that General Blaize defeated.”
Kalista’s eyes widened slightly as the full meaning of what the commandant said donned on her. The large general was not just a blademaster. He was a master of masters!
26
Traven listened with dread as the footsteps continued up the stairs. Out of the stairwell popped one of his fellow classmates. He sighed with relief. His classmate looked from Rudy to Traven and then from Traven to Rudy. He then broke out with a large smile. As he continued past Traven, he congratulated him with a pat on his back. Traven watched as the young man continued on down the hall. Traven then bent over to retrieve Thad’s package.
“Traven!” a voice boomed from the top of the stairwell. “What have you done?”
Traven arose with horror to face the oncoming Headmaster Brock. The headmaster brushed past him and bent over Rudy. After checking to make sure that he would be all right, he snapped at the other student who had reached the end of the hall to go and bring a physician.
“This is the last time! I tried to be lenient before and help you out even though you did not deserve it. This time you will receive no mercy. You have one hour to be out of my academy. If I see you here again after that, I will turn you over to the City Watch!”
Traven stared back at the headmaster stunned. Headmaster Brock turned and knelt down over Rudy. The headmaster did not even care about how it had happened.
“Headmaster,” Traven began, “Rudy was-”
“Enough!” Headmaster Brock stated, cutting Traven off. “You heard what I said. I want you out of here!”
Traven thought about trying to explain again but knew it would get him nowhere. He picked up Thad’s package and walked numbly the rest of the way to his friend’s room to leave it there. He left the key, the package, and a short note explaining what had happened. He then left Thad’s room and went to his own. As he shut the door, he could hear the other student returning with a physician.
Standing alone in his room, the full import of what had just happened finally sunk in. He had less than an hour to be out of the academy. He had been kicked out of the academy! Traven could not believe he had destroyed his chance at becoming a merchant and had wasted so much of his Grandparent’s savings. He insensibly walked to his closet and began to pack his belongings. In a few short moments, all of his possessions were packed in his saddlebag. He was reminded once again of how few belongings he actually had.
Looking once more around the room, he saw himself in the mirror. His sad visage stared back at him. He decided to change out of his nice black clothes and put on his traveling clothes. After changing and re-packing his saddlebag, Traven sadly looked around the small room that had been his home for the last several months. The room looked as it had when he first arrived. How many hours had he spent in it pouring over books and studying for exams? How many hours had he laid in bed imagining the future? What was he going to do now?
Traven stepped from the room sadly. He shut his door and walked down the now empty hall. His footsteps rang loudly in his ears. He descended the stairs and made his way to the stables. He found Pennon and saddled him slowly. After securing his saddlebag, Traven opened the stall door and led Pennon out. He then clicked the stall door shut and mounted his steed. The stablehand opened the doors, and Traven headed out into the cold winter air.
Pennon trotted down the street and stopped as Traven pulled up at the grand square. He could feel Pennon’s restlessness beneath him. He had not taken him for a ride in a while, and the horse was anxious. Traven held Pennon at bay, however, for he didn’t know where to go. When the headmaster had denounced him, he had focused on leaving as soon as he possibly could.
Traven now realized that he had nowhere to go. The thought of heading back home as a failure was unbearable. He couldn’t face his grandparents like this after all they had done for him. He sat silently atop Pennon and considered what other options he had, if any. He knew how to work with lumber, but there was no work for a lumberman in Calyn. He did know how to use his sword now and maybe could sign on as a guard for a merchant caravan. The problem with that was it was winter and almost no caravans would be leaving Calyn until closer to spring. What could he possibly do until then? Maybe he could sell one of his stones for enough money to live off of for a while. Philosopher Studell had said that they were very valuable. However, the thought of selling either stone made Traven uncomfortable, and he dismissed the idea.
He slumped down in his saddle despairingly. Everything had been so good, and he had just ruined it. If he could only have controlled himself he would not be without a home or occupation. What was he going to do now? Blaize had taught him that self-control was essential. Why had he forgotten that? Why? Blaize had . . .
That was it! Blaize! Blaize had gone to enlist in the royal army. Traven had heard many times that the army was enlisting new soldiers in preparation for the possibility of a clash with the rogue army that had been raised in Balthus. He hadn’t heard anything about the enlistment for over a month but decided he could still give it a shot. He couldn’t think of any other possibility. Once he was enlisted, he would have the chance to practice his sword skills all of the time and would be able to see Blaize again.
He kicked Pennon with his heel lightly, and the horse leaped forward. Traven steered him across the square and to the road that led to the barracks. He had never been there before but knew where they were. In fact, he had never really been on this side of the city before. The streets were much quieter with less people. He noticed that this part of the city had no stores or markets. It appeared to contain the homes of the majority of the inhabitants of the city. As he crossed side streets, he could see many houses that were palaces themselves. They weren’t nearly as large as the Royal Palace but were quite large nonetheless. This must have been where many of his ex-classmates came from. He wondered if Thad lived nearby. Shaking those thoughts from his head, Traven focused on what was ahead of him.
The houses lining the street suddenly stopped at the edge of a huge field. In the cold, white field there were many soldiers running through drills. At the far end of the field and against the pristine walls of Calyn lay a large grey building that he assumed was the barracks. Traven continued down the field towards it hoping he would be allowed to enlist. If not, he had no idea what he would do.
As he rode through the large field, several of the soldiers near the road glanced over at him, but the majority were so focused on their exercises that they didn’t even notice him. Traven watched as the men practiced sword fighting, archery, and different maneuvers. Maybe this really wouldn’t be bad after all. He thought it would definitely be better than sitting in a classroom all day. He slowed Pennon as he arrived at the front of the barracks. Through the front arch, he could see a large courtyard. A guard broke away from the arch and stopped Traven with a raise of his hand.
“What do you want, kid?” the guard asked bluntly.
“Excuse me, sir. I was wondering if you could direct me to where I might go to enlist.”
“Kid, I am afraid that we stopped recruiting a month ago. The barracks are full and no more recruits are being accepted,” the guard answered. And with that the guard turned to walk back to his post.
“Wait, please,” Traven implored. “Is there any way that an exception can be made? It is really important to me.” The guard just stared back at him. “I have come all the way from the other side of Kalia and . . .”
“All right, all right,” the guard said in exaspera
tion. “If you want you can enter through that door over there and plead your case at the clerk’s desk. It’s the first thing you’ll see when you walk in.”
“Thank you,” Traven said as Pennon walked under the arch and into the courtyard.
He could hear the guard behind him mumbling about crazy village kids looking for adventure and that they would all learn that the army was not as fun as they imagined. Traven smiled as he pulled up next to the small wooden door that the guard had indicated. He hoped the clerk would be as easy to convince as the guard had been.
Traven dismounted and tied Pennon’s reins. He then took a deep breath and pulled open the door. He quickly shut the door behind him, blocking out the cold winter air. He had expected to find a small waiting room or something like it, but instead he found himself in a narrow hall leading back into the barracks. The hall was lit by the torches that lined the walls. Several feet down the hall, an older man with a weathered face and a patch over his left eye sat behind a desk. He had looked up when Traven walked in but was now back to scribbling away on the sheet of parchment in front of him.
Traven approached him and opened his mouth to talk, but the clerk stopped him with a raise of his finger. He waited quietly and listened to the flickering torches and the scratching of the clerk’s quill against the rough paper. The clerk finally finished whatever he was doing and set down his pen and pushed the paper aside.
“How may I help you?” he inquired in a deep voice that did not seem to match his scrawny frame.
“I would like to enlist in the army,” Traven replied.
“Didn’t the guard tell you that we are not accepting new recruits anymore?”
“Yes he did, but I came from very far, and I was wondering . . .”
“What is your name?”
“Traven.”
“And where are you from Traven?”
“Oak Tree.”
“Oak tree, that is quite far. And I would almost believe that you were from a small lumber community because of your clothes, but I am afraid that your sword gives you away, son.”
Traven looked down at the hilt of his sword and back at the clerk. The man thought he was lying!
“I really am from Oak Tree,” Traven said before being cut off.
“Look, son, I do not want to argue with you. The fact of the matter is that we are at capacity. Even if you were really a poor kid all the way from Oak Tree, I don’t know if we could let you in.”
Traven stared back at the clerk. What could he say? He had to convince the man to let him in. If not, he would not have lodgings or an occupation. He quickly decided that maybe if he could convince the man he really had come all the way from Oak Tree, he would have a chance at convincing him to let him enlist.
“I can prove that I’m from Oak Tree. I know a soldier in the army, and I’m sure that he will vouch for me. His name is Blaize.”
“General Blaize? You are a friend of his?” the clerk asked skeptically.
“Well I don’t know if it’s the same one, but he is taller than me, with long dark hair, and he has a gold hoop earring in both ears.”
“He’s the same,” the clerk said while nodding but with a skeptical look on his face. “All right, son. I will go and send for him, but if what you say is not true, we are going to have some problems. You wait here.”
Traven watched as the man walked down the hall and disappeared around a corner. He could hardly believe that Blaize was a general! Things would work out better than he had hoped for. He was now guaranteed to be enlisted. Traven watched eagerly as the clerk returned.
“I sent him the message. Now we’ll wait to see what he says.”
They didn’t have to wait very long. Soon Traven could hear footsteps, and then Blaize rounded the corner. Traven’s face broke into a large smile at the sight of his friend but slowly faded away as he saw the scowl on Blaize’s face.
“Here’s the boy, General. He says he’s from Oak Tree and that he knows you.”
“I have never seen him before,” Blaize said gruffly. “Get him out of here.”
Traven’s eyes nearly popped out of his head as Blaize turned to leave after having denounced him. He couldn’t believe it! Blaize then turned back around with a grin on his face and started laughing.
“I’m just kidding,” Blaize said between laughs. “I know him. He’s a good friend of mine. Enlist him. I’ll show him around and get him what he needs.”
“Yes, sir,” the clerk replied as he picked up another paper and quickly asked Traven several questions. When he was done, Blaize led him down the hall.
“You had me scared there for a second, Blaize,” Traven said, trying to sound completely at ease.
“It’s too bad you couldn’t see your face. I thought you were going to cry!” Blaize added a few more chuckles before growing serious. “I’m glad to see you, but what are you doing here? You should be back at the academy.”
Traven briefly related everything that had led up to his expulsion from the academy. Blaize listened quietly and nodded when he finished by explaining that after leaving the academy he had thought of Blaize and had decided to try and enlist in the army.
“Well, sometimes life doesn’t turn out as we expect it to. That’s definitely for sure. It is a shame that you were kicked out of the academy. You had a bright future in front of you. You could have been wealthy, but I know money isn’t everything. We can find happiness in whatever, if we choose to. Many find the life of a soldier hard while others love it. Since the merchant academy was not right for you, maybe the life of a soldier will be. And here at least you can beat people up and get away with it!”
Traven joined Blaize in his laughter as the large man slapped him on the back. He was feeling much better already. Maybe it was not such a bad thing that he had been kicked out of the academy, though he still felt guilty about it. A new door had been opened in his life and maybe this one would lead to more satisfaction for him.
Turning a corner, Traven slammed to a halt. He found himself face to face with the young woman who he had walked in on at the palace. He stepped back quickly. The woman was as beautiful as he remembered. Her soft face was framed by her golden curls, and her mesmerizing eyes once again held him speechless. Traven was pulled out of her spell as Blaize nudged him in the ribs. He realized that Blaize was bowing slightly and followed his example. He then followed as Blaize stepped to the side to let the small party of people continue down the hall.
Traven watched as they walked away. The young woman had her arm linked through the arm of a dashing man, and they were followed by several royal guards. A man walking at their side was pointing out things as they continued. Traven figured they must be on some type of tour of the facilities. His eyes wandered back to the beautiful young woman, and he watched her as the party disappeared down the hall.
“You should not be staring at the Princess like that, Traven, especially when she is on the arm of her future husband. What if someone besides me saw you?” Traven jerked his eyes away from the Princess and turned a brighter shade of red.
“She’s the Princess!” he managed to yelp.
“Yes, that is Princess Kalista, and the man she is with is Commander General Gavin. He is the son of the Baron of Candus and will be leading us when we march to Candus in the spring. Rumor also has it that the two of them will be getting married, but no official engagement has been announced yet. You better forget about her, Traven.”
“I wasn’t thinking about her,” Traven began as Blaize gave him a knowing look and started to laugh. “Okay, maybe I was, but that’s just because she’s so beautiful. I had no idea she was the Princess. The Commander General is a lucky man!”
“He might not be as lucky as you think. The Princess Kalista is definitely beautiful, but she is also royalty and the only heir to the throne. That means she is most likely always used to having her way. Women like that can make a man’s life horrible.”
“My grandfather used to tell me all women are like tha
t,” Traven replied.
“He’s probably right,” Blaize admitted as he started laughing once again. “Stay away from them, Traven. They only make life complicated.”
Traven smiled as Blaize once again began to lead him around the barracks. Traven was sure that women made life more complicated, but for some reason he could not quit thinking of the Princess’ eyes as Blaize began to explain the daily routine of a soldier in the Royal Kalian Army.
27
“I am glad that your son finally got the nerve to ask my daughter for her hand in marriage,” the High King said to Baron Mikel. “When Gavin finally came to me asking for my permission and blessing, I almost leaped for joy.”
“I am glad that your daughter was as pleased as you were and accepted,” the baron replied.
“I told you a long time ago she would accept. I have known that for years.” The High King then raised his fist in the air. “When you are the king, you have to be able to recognize these kinds of things!”
Baron Mikel joined in laughing with High King Raldon. The High King was feeling better than he had felt in a long time. Things were not perfect, of course, but it gave him joy to see his daughter happy. It also relieved the burden of worrying about what would happen to his kingdom when he died. Gavin had the qualities necessary to become a great king. It was relieving to have those two matters taken care of. He had enough other problems to worry about.
The city murders had stopped suddenly about a week ago, but the murderer had never been caught. The High King did not know why the killings had stopped. Perhaps the murderer had died. Perhaps he had moved on to another city. Perhaps he was merely waiting to strike again. The last thought weighed heavily on his mind.
His other great worry was that of the army in Balthus. At first he had thought it would not be a problem for Kalia, but with the recent reports, he worried that it would come to war. He was glad he had taken the safe path and recruited new troops at first reports of the rising army. He did not fear for the safety of his country. The troops he had at his command were sufficient to stop the army from invading Kalia, but he did fear for the casualties that war always brought. Many troops would end up giving their lives to defend their country.
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