Mercenary Little Death Bringer

by Banks, Catherine

  We arrived at the arena to find Kato and Father sparring. I watched the two best friends with awe as I leaned against the fence. They moved almost too fast for me to keep track of. Their match went on and on and seemed as if it would never end, but then Kato stepped back and dropped his sword. “I submit. I will die of dehydration if I do not stop this match.”

  Father sighed. “You are such a wimp about the sun. How did I ever end up with you as a guard?”

  Kato picked his sword back up and sheathed it. “You picked me, remember?”

  Father smiled. “Yes, one of my few mistakes.”

  Kato laughed and then Father laughed with him. Theirs was a five hundred year old friendship, something I could only dream of. I turned to Favian and he put his arm around my shoulders and squeezed. “See, friends have spats, but you must always stay together. I bet if you asked Father he could tell you of many times where he and Kato argued or didn’t see eye to eye.”

  “Alright, you made your point. I will not try to separate us again.”

  He released me and hopped over the fence. “You called for me, Father?”

  Father nodded his head. “Yes. I’d like you to take Jovan and some of the others out to check on the Pegasus herd. They haven’t come up here in a week, which is not like them.”

  My cheeriness plummeted and I began to walk away from the arena. Only elves were allowed to venture out into the Pegasus’ area of the kingdom. They were a race of flying horses created by Father and he had made the rule when he created them that only elves could go to their fields. I would be forced to stay at the castle and be bored.

  Kato walked beside me and said, “Do not look so sullen. He made that rule one hundred years before they adopted you.”

  “I know, Kato, but it still sucks.”

  “You have met the Pegasus before, right?” I nodded my head. “And you’ve ridden one?” I nodded my head again. “So then why are you upset? It’s one of only two things you are not allowed to do here. You should be happy. You are the only human in existence to have ridden a Pegasus.”

  I groaned. “Alright, Kato I get it. I’m being silly, but I do wish I could go, especially if there is going to be trouble.”

  “Prince Favian can handle whatever it is,” Kato assured me.

  I rolled my eyes. “Duh.”

  Kato laughed and put his arm around me. “How about you and I go raid the kitchen and steal a piece of berry cake?”

  “You raid the kitchen?” I asked in shock. “You never do anything bad.”

  He laughed. “I am known as the berry cake bandit. Now, if you promise to be good I will show you the best way to sneak into the kitchen and the best escape route.”

  Somehow he always knew what to say or do to ease my distress and make me smile. I followed him around to the side of the castle and then let him lead me through a secret opening even I had not found yet. Ten minutes later we had snuck into the kitchen, grabbed a piece of cake and were almost out completely free, when the chef came in and spotted us.

  “Cake thieves!” He yelled. “Kato I will get you for this!”

  “Run!” Kato said and then booked it to the left, out another door I had never noticed. It led into the ballroom, which would have been great if Mother hadn’t been sitting there waiting for me to begin our next lessons.

  “Kato!” She said in a chastising tone, “I told you that when you steal cake you must steal an extra piece for me.”

  Kato pulled a hidden piece out and set it on the table in front of her. “I always do as my Queen asks.”

  Mother clapped her hands together with a bright smile on her face like a child receiving a present and then took a bite from the cake. “Thank you!”

  I stared at the two adult elves, each over five hundred years old, stealing cake like adolescents and could not believe I had witnessed it. Favian would never believe me.

  “Sit, let’s eat our cake,” Mother said as she took another bite.

  Kato and I took seats at the table and we ate our cake and they shared stories of other cake heists over the years. I laughed until I cried. They were starting to share stories about my first discretions when I was only four years old and had just arrived at the kingdom when Father walked in and eyed the crumbs on the table accusingly. “What is going on here?”

  “We were just discussing Marin’s first attempts to steal candy from the kitchen when she was only four years old and had first come here,” Mother said with a smile. Kato tried to discreetly wipe the crumbs off of the table without Father noticing. Apparently Father was not part of the cake heists.

  Father sat down and laughed. “Yes, those were very entertaining, except when the chef caught you the one time and spanked you. You, being the girl that you are, refused to cry when he spanked you because you were too happy that you had managed to get a piece of candy and had eaten it before he had caught you.”

  I laughed and shook my head. “I hadn’t realized I was so naughty when I was younger.”

  “Oh yes, your naughtiness started as soon as you arrived,” Mother teased.

  “Hello,” Favian said as he entered. “What’s going on?”

  “Just reminiscing,” Father said, “How fare the Pegasus?”

  “They are fine, just being lazy in these Fall months,” Favian said as he sat down beside me at the table.

  “I think I’m going to head to bed,” I said as I stood up. “Tomorrow is my last day to enjoy the delights of home and I want to be up early to enjoy them.”

  “I think I shall do the same. That sparring match with father has tired me out,” Favian said as he yawned. “Good night, Mother. Good night, Father. Kato.”

  “Good night children,” Mother said.

  “Good night everyone,” I said with a wave as I followed Favian out of the ballroom where we had been.

  “So why are you really heading out so early?” Favian asked accusingly as soon as the ballroom doors closed behind us.

  “I really am exhausted,” I told him. “I’ve been awake since before the sun rose this morning.”

  “So you aren’t going to sneak off somewhere?” he asked unbelievingly.

  “No,” I said seriously. “I really am going to bed.”

  Shock and disbelief were written on his face, but he knew I wouldn’t lie to him about my plans for sneaking off. “Well in that case I will see you tomorrow morning bright and early. Want to go for a ride through the fields tomorrow?”

  I shook my head. “No, we will be doing a lot of riding the next day.”

  “I meant on a Pegasus,” he said with a smirk.

  “Really?!” I asked excitedly.

  He nodded his head. “One of them is coming to the castle tomorrow and he agreed to take you and me for a ride.”

  I beamed happily and hugged him. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!”

  He laughed and patted my back. “Now get to bed.”

  I did as he said and went to bed and despite my excitement, I fell asleep dreaming of flying on a Pegasus across the fields of the Elven Kingdom.

  ~~~~

  CHAPTER TWO

  I knew it was late and getting later by the second, especially since I still had to get changed, but I couldn’t say anything to Mother since it would only upset her. She was my foster mother after all and I strived to please her and do my best since I wasn’t her born daughter and they had given me so much over the years.

  Despite my knowledge of how late it was, I sat at one of the many tables in the ballroom preparing tea in a tea pot and then pouring it into cups like a lady would when serving guests. Personally I believed people could serve themselves just as well as I could, but I did as Mother asked and practiced serving.

  “Marin!” Favian yelled as he rushed into the ballroom.

  I set the teapot down, stood slowly and adjusted the dress appropriately as I moved away from the table. I was still in Mother’s training and had to follow her rules even though all I wanted to do was run to Favian and then out of the room. I
curtsied to Favian and asked, “How may I assist you Prince Favian?”

  He glanced at Mother who was giving him the evil stare and sighed in exasperation. He had been trained since he was born to be a proper prince so this was nothing new to him. He just hated practicing when it wasn’t necessary. He bowed to me and then picked my hand up and kissed the back of it softly. The kiss sent tingles up my arm to my spine, but I kept perfectly still so that he wouldn’t notice. “It is a pleasure to see you Miss Marin. I have come seeking your company as it is time to leave the Elven Kingdom and travel. We are late. It is the afternoon of Sunday and we shall not make it on time to the Academy as it is.”

  “That is not a proper way to speak to a lady,” Mother said with a weary sigh. “Alright, be on your way children.”

  I picked the sides of the dress up to keep from tripping on it and ran to her, kissing her cheek before darting out of the ballroom and down the hallway. Favian was on my heels as we ran and followed me up the staircase made of exquisitely carved white elm and into my room, which was the first door on the left at the top of the stairs. “Why must you always be in these inconveniently difficult to remove dresses when it’s time to go?” he complained as I kicked off my heels.

  My room oozed with femininity from the pink lace curtains to the frilly and fluffy down comforter which despite its ugliness was incredibly warm. I had tried to incorporate my own tastes into the room, but every time I left for the Academy Mother raided my room and removed anything masculine.

  “Just start unbuttoning the dress quickly or we will be even later to school,” I said as I pulled off the white satin gloves and began removing the various jewelry items she forced me to wear and put them away inside the jewelry box on the vanity. They were all items I didn’t have interest in, but valued since they were gifts from Mother and I knew she enjoyed seeing me wear them and keep them in the jewelry box which Kato had carved for me.

  Favian worked expertly, unbuttoning the fifty little buttons extremely quickly. I bit my tongue to keep from asking how he had gained such experience in unbuttoning the dress so quickly. “Now hurry and change. I’ll go get the horses ready,” he said irritably.

  I nodded my head in understanding and stepped out of the dress, tossing it onto the large fluffy and incredibly comfortable bed and then grabbed my pants and long sleeved shirt that were mandatory wear at school. It was my sixth and last year at the school and I was determined to be the first girl to have ever attended or finished the Academy.

  Favian and I both attended Macon Academy, a school for those gifted in fighting. The school was created to teach boys to become men and to train them to be able to get jobs as mercenaries, guards, or to become part of the human King’s Army. My goal was to become a Protector, which was the highest level a mercenary could achieve. Protectors went around the countryside aiding towns, villages or people who needed it, or on missions from the various Kings of the world. It was a highly respected job and I craved to become one more than anything in the world. It was my life’s goal.

  I was the first girl allowed to join the school and I worked hard everyday to prove that I had just as much right to be there as the males of the various species that also attended the school.

  After tying my leather boots on, I grabbed my bag of clothes from the floor and double checked that I had everything necessary for the trip to and the last three months of school.

  “Ready?” Father asked from behind me.

  I turned with a smile for the King of the Elves and bowed. “I am.”

  He was tall and thin, but looks were very deceiving when it came to elves. Though he looked weak, I’d seen Father pick a fifty foot tree up and throw it over two hundred yards. Their weak appearance and hidden strength was one of the defenses which had kept the elves and their land safe the past one thousand years. He had fair skin like Mother, but was one of the few elves with black hair. He had found me on the side of the road when I was four years old and taken me in, raising me as if I were his own child. I had never felt like a step child or felt like I was a burden to them, which had made growing up much easier than it might have been if another human had found me.

  I secured my belt which held my sword and sheath and two throwing knives, tied my cloak on and then picked up my bag.

  He held out his hand for my bag and I obediently gave it to him. One did not disobey the king. “Kato and I will be at your graduation ceremony in three months. Train hard and beat the hell out of the boys.”

  I smiled at him. “I shall try my hardest.”

  “I expect nothing less,” he said in his fake serious tone. He gave me the same speeches he gave Favian, but we both knew that he wouldn’t have cared if I dropped out of the school and decided to stay and be a lady at the castle. He would have simply kissed my cheek and told me to do what I loved and that made me love him even more than I would have to begin with.

  We walked from my room, down the winding white wood staircase and down the hallways which were lined with various murals of the previous rulers of the kingdom. I stopped next to the last mural and smiled at the small painting of a little human girl directly below the mural of Mother, Father, and Favian. I’d painted it when I was ten years old, wanting to be part of the family mural since I was adopted into the family. Father had ordered the painting to be kept, which had made me happier than the pony he’d bought me that year for my birthday.

  “Marin?” he asked softly, “Are you alright?”

  I turned and smiled at him. “Yes, just recalling the time I painted this.”

  He smiled back at me. “Lorimer was very upset that you’d done it.”

  Lorimer was the one in charge of keeping the castle in pristine condition. I had been a thorn in his side since I had arrived. “He had chased me around the castle with a willow branch, trying to corner me so that he could spank me. Even for an old elf, he was quick on his feet. He almost got me and then you stopped him.”

  “Yes I remember that day very well,” he said with a smile. “Come, we must get you off to school.”

  I followed him as we walked into the main entryway and then out through the main doors, which were solid gold and incredibly heavy. Of course when Father pushed them opened they appeared to weigh no more than a leaf. Favian stood in the courtyard holding our two horses, Fire and Ice. Fire and Ice were twins born to Mother’s mare and of Father’s stallion, the greatest horses in all of the lands. Fire had a red or sorrel coat while Ice had a bluish-white coat, which were the indicators of their names. We had been only ten years old when the horses had been born and they were the best names that we could come up with at the time. The horses dozed in boredom beside Favian as he talked to Amile, a pretty female elf only one year my junior. A strange anger filled me and the idea of throwing a rock at Amile’s head seemed like a stunningly good idea. I shook my head to clear the ridiculousness and walked to Fire who swiveled her ears in my direction when she noticed me.

  These new feelings had started coming over me only this past year whenever I saw females with Favian. I didn’t understand it and I didn’t like it, not one bit.

  Father tied my bag to Fire’s saddle and then hugged me tightly. “Be safe, Daughter.”

  I hugged him back and then kissed his cheek. “Rule kindly, Father.”

  It was the same goodbye we’d said a hundred times as I’d left from vacation to return to school, yet today it felt different for some reason. I mounted Fire and pet her neck. “Hello beautiful mare. Are you ready for a run?”

  Fire nickered and pranced to show me her enthusiasm.

  I looked over at Amile and Favian, still talking next to Ice and noticed the new necklace on Favian’s neck. I had given him a twine and shell necklace two years ago on his birthday that had taken me six days to make. Most girls could have made the necklace in one day, but my lack of womanly skills had made the task almost impossible. He had told me he truly liked it and hadn’t taken it off since then, but apparently he had found a necklace he liked better now
.

  “Farewell Prince Favian,” Amile said with a flirtatious smile.

  My anger skyrocketed and I nudged Fire, making her turn her rump into Amile’s side, which made Amile stumble. “My apologies!” I yelled as I turned Fire and tightened the reins, acting as though I were correcting her. “She is full of energy today.”

  Amile smoothed down her dress and smiled at me. “She seems to take after her owner in so many regards.”

  “Let’s go,” Favian said seriously, giving me his angry stare and telling me silently to leave Amile alone.

  I waved to Father and Kato who had come outside to see us off and then squeezed my legs around Fire’s sides. She launched forward and cantered quickly to the front gate which was being held open by the guards. I waved to them as I went through the gates and then we passed through the magical barrier that surrounded the kingdom to protect it from unwanted guests. The barrier felt like a blanket pressed around you that you had to break through when entering, but when exiting it simply felt like a warm breeze.

  The Elven Kingdom was surrounded by forests, which had every type of animal known to this part of the world. Since the elves were herbivores the animals didn’t need to fear coming near them and we were always blessed with a few of the animals in their habitats, eating, playing and existing. It was refreshing since the last mission Favian and I had gone on had sent us to an area overpopulated by humans who ate meat and ended up almost killing off the entire animal population in their area. I ate meat as well, but I knew there were ways to control the animal populations without killing them off.

  The trees around us were tall and glorious, some as old as the Elven Kingdom itself. I loved running through the forest and listening to the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves. Some of the elves believed that the plants could speak to you and would come talk to the trees. I had never heard the plants or trees talk, but I did enjoy being around them.