Vrill stepped down from the high branch of the apple tree and handed Christill and Friedrich two of the spotted fruits. "How much longer must we endure this torment?"
Christill took a large bite of the juicy apple and through a mouthful of food replied, "It's hardly a bad place to be locked up."
"It is the principle, Christill," said Vrill, lying down next to Friedrich on the grassy slope. "We are not welcome here. The Karmanians still look at us as though we are an ill omen. Harbingers of doom."
"They could be right. Oft I have thought of you as a herald of forthcoming disaster," commented Friedrich, causing Christill to chuckle.
Vrill's next bite into his apple was hard.
"Relax, Vrill. Think of this as a retreat, where you can sleep away your worries," Christill stretched out on the earthen carpet and let out a long yawn. "Free from the strife of the outside world."
"The whole of this blasted world is filled with strife," replied Vrill, his tone sour. "You cannot escape it."
"Ever since we arrived here you have done nothing but whine," complained Friedrich. "For once just enjoy the calmness of this place."
"Calm!" exclaimed Vrill. "You're losing your wits."
Christill laughed once more, finding the constant banter between his friends a comforting distraction from what was awaiting him tonight. How quickly his life had changed since leaving Andron. He had left that busy city an immature and untamed youth. Now he was becoming a man. For once he had direction. He had friends by his side, despite Vrill's constant complaints, and he had a future to look forward to. Or so he hoped.
Lingering on his trial tonight, his contentment shifted to a cold anxiety. This could well be his last day as a free man. Dievu had drilled him on the commitments that a disciple took on. And he had been warned several times of the penalty of failure. That did not matter now. He had made a promise to himself and had no intention of breaking it.
Dawn of the Valiant (The Valerious Chronicles: Book One) Page 126