by Logan Petty
Lady Tirinele waved him off and stopped his protest, “I read the report, guardsman. I don’t need a reminder. Personally, I don’t believe in the gods of men, but apparently the Triumvirate do. How ridiculous… Regardless, their word is law, and I am sworn to uphold the law. I don’t like it, but my hands are tied. Welcome to Rowan Circle, Sawain of Anvilheim. You’re in room 37. Dinner’s in half an hour, breakfast is at 6. You will be given your team assignment in the morning.”
She pulled a brass key attached to a leather string from a drawer and slid it across the surface of her desk. Sawain staggered forward to catch it before it fell to the floor. She studied him in amusement while he snagged the moving target. He straightened up and stared for a moment at the brass key with a long leather string tied around it. The key itself had a pair of strange runes he did not recognize etched into it. He hung it around his neck after he finished looking it over.
Sawain stood there for a moment until she gave him the That’s all, now get out glare. He bowed quickly and turned to leave. She spoke one last time as he reached for the door.
“A word of caution, Thrallborn: Don’t go flashing around your family lineage in these parts. You may not like the results.”
Sawain hesitated for a moment and stared at the knob, “Why not?”
Lady Tirinele sighed before answering, “You don’t know about who your mother is, do you?”
Sawain pivoted around, staring at her warily, “What do you know about my mother?”
Lady Tirinele’s brow furrowed deeper than it already was, “It’s not really my place to tell you, but there’s a lot of bad blood between her and the rest of Alfhaven.”
Sawain’s heart sank. He had to know more, and if this Lady Tirinele had answers, he wanted them.
“What do you mean, bad blood? Please, I need to know. I need to know my history, her history.”
Lady Tirinele rubbed her temples irritably, “Look, child, I’m not your family’s historian! You want to learn about your family, go ask your instructor about it. He’ll have all the answers you could ever want.”
Sawain could tell her patience with him was wearing thin. He did not want to push her too far and risk being denied training. He simply clamped his mouth and nodded, then turned for the door again. He pushed the door open and marched out, trying to keep his own temper down. Ilias bowed to Lady Tirinele and followed Sawain out. He closed the door behind him. Ilias clasped Sawain by the arm with his right hand and gave it a quick shake when they returned to the courtyard,.
“It has been an honor and a pleasure to meet you, Sawain, and I wish you great fortune on your journey. I must be getting back to the prison now. Lots of criminals to feed and all. Speaking of criminals, your friend should be along at any time.”
Sawain awkwardly returned the handshake, “Thank you, Ilias. I’m glad to know that there are kind people in this city.”
Ilias nodded and gave Sawain a warm smile, “Keep your eyes open, there are more here than you are aware of.”
Sawain returned the nod, though his heart was doubtful. Ilias waved farewell as he headed for the front gate, leaving Sawain alone in the courtyard full of strangers. He let his gaze wander around a bit to take in the entirety of the large fortress. He noticed several blue, glowing fungi near the top of the structure that gave off a pale light which made it possible for him to see in shades of blue instead of the gray shades he was used to seeing at night.
He wandered around the grounds and looked at the array of tools and targets scattered about the place. He could not help but notice how casual conversations turned to silence every time he came close to a group of elves. It began to get to him, so he finally decided to test his courage. He saw a group of younger looking elves sitting in a cluster on the grass nearby. Their laughter faded as he approached them. He noticed the group was made up of two boys and four girls. They all stared at him suspiciously, unnerving him a bit, but he could not back down now. He stopped a few feet short of them and gave them his friendliest smile.
“Hello, may I join you? I’m new here.”
The entire group rose to their feet and dispersed. Most of them did not give him another glance, except one. One of the boys stood where he was and studied Sawain with a look of cruel intentions. He was the same height as Sawain, though of a slightly thinner build. He had wild dark hair that fell just below his shoulder blades in straight, matted locks. His face was long and his nose was crooked and slightly flat. A small scar was visible on his chin. His eyes flashed green, even in the blue light.
“You smell like a human. How can you even see where you’re going in here? You should just go home before you get yourself killed, man-elf.”
Sawain opened his mouth to answer, but the boy turned his back on him before he could, and strode off, laughing at his own words. Sawain’s temper flared. He grit his teeth and clenched his fists. He wanted to go after the boy and beat that superior grin off of his face, but he knew that would land him back in Deepglade prison.
Sawain sat down on the grass. He felt alone and depressed. He wished he could go home to Anvilheim. He wished he could be sitting around the dinner table right now with his friends. He missed Syd and Rylie’s name calling battles. He missed Axel’s boasting. He even missed Reisim’s snide racial remarks. He missed Kyra above all others, though. He did not get to talk to her as often as he liked, but during his time there, she was a better friend to him than all of the others. Everyone else was so much older than he was, but not Kyra. She was much closer to him.
He pulled at a blade of grass while he reflected on Anvilheim. A familiar voice called out to him from across the lawn.
“Hail, Deathsbane! Good to see these elves haven’t made an effigy out of you just yet!”
Sawain jumped to his feet. Jatharr strode toward him while he waved with the arm that was not in a sling. A large smile dominated Jatharr’s face. The smile was contagious to Sawain in this gloomy atmosphere. He strode towards the halfling hero and stooped down to clasp hands with his friend.
“Jatharr! I heard they threw you in prison as well! Good to see you mostly in one piece.”
Jatharr nodded, “Aye, after we separated, I stumbled around in the darkness until I came upon one of these ranger patrols. They showed me some true Alfhaven hospitality and clapped me in irons then knocked me out. Still have a painful headache from it all. I told em I was innocent and should not be treated in such a way. They just ignored me and threw me in prison. I’m relieved you were able to get us out of that bind. I owe you again, my friend!”
Sawain blushed and shrugged, “I didn’t do much. It was Turin who stepped in and saved the day. We’d be in much worse shape now if it wasn’t for him.”
Jatharr pondered Sawain’s words for a moment and opened his mouth to respond when a loud bell tolled from the tower. The elves in the courtyard all headed for a staircase that descended below the lawn. Jatharr nodded in the direction of the stairs.
“That must be the dinner bell. Ye’d best be getting something to eat. I know you must be hungry. I still have to report in with the Director to make personal arrangements. I’ll join you tomorrow after training.”
Sawain nodded, “Be careful, Jatharr. That woman’s terrifying.”
Jatharr winked as he turned to the tower, “Don’t worry about me, I know how to handle old Tirinele.”
Sawain was curious about how Jatharr already knew the Director of the Rowan Circle, but did not have time to inquire. He watched his friend disappear into the tower, then turned reluctantly to the stairs at the edge of the lawn. He sighed and strode boldly to the line of elves.
His wait in line was quiet and awkward. When he finally descended into the chamber below, a medley of aromas greeted him that made his malnourished stomach growl greedily. At the end of the stairs, a long table was set up that ran along the perpendicular wall. The table held a wide array of fruits and vegetables and cheeses, as well as roasted beasts with fancy garnishes. Attendants stood behind the meats, g
iving those interested a single slice.
Sawain grabbed a wooden plate when he came to it and put pieces of fruits and cheeses on it. When he came to the first attendant, the elf looked at him distastefully, like he smelled foul.
“Do you want a slice of boar?”
Sawain held out his plate, “May I have two slices?”
The elf carved off a single slice and put it on his plate, “No.”
Sawain scowled, “You’re not going to give me another slice just because I’m an outsider?”
The attendant sighed, “Everyone gets only one slice. Director’s rule ever since Tobi ate an entire boar by himself.”
Sawain was satisfied with the answer, though he had no idea what it meant. He simply nodded and turned to find a place to sit. The room was large and round. The same glowing fungi clung to the ceiling and walls, illuminating the cavern in a dim glow. Several long tables ran parallel to each other, a few feet apart. Most of them were already crowded, except for a section of the far table in the back.
Sawain sighed and made for the table. He sat down at the edge and picked at his food. The few elves at the table got up and relocated, not too subtly. He tried to ignore them, but the way they treated him like a disease sickened his stomach. He chewed on the boar meat as his heart sank lower and lower. The meat had little flavor. He couldn’t tell if it was the meat itself or his loss of appetite.
He heard someone clear his throat nearby. He looked over his shoulder and was surprised to see a chubby elf standing behind him, holding a plate of food. He looked to be the same age as Sawain. His long blonde hair fell in straight strands around his pointed ears and face. His small blue eyes shone with hope as he gripped his plate with stubby, trembling fingers. His voice was a little shaky as he addressed Sawain.
“y-you know, that’s my seat.”
Sawain turned around and sighed. He grabbed his plate and started to rise when the elf spoke again.
“No, no! It’s alright! You can have it, but… is it alright if I sit with you?”
Sawain was shocked that someone in this place wanted to sit with him. He looked at the newcomer skeptically.
“You actually want to sit with me? Not afraid I might be carrying some plague?”
The elf smiled and hesitantly took a seat beside him. The two ate in silence for a few minutes. Sawain just stared at his plate, picking at his food. He picked up a glowing berry and stared at it warily. He was about to put it back on his plate when the elf beside him spoke up.
“That’s a Frostglow berry. You should try it, it’s really good. It can cool you off on the hottest days.”
Sawain looked at his table mate, then back at the berry. He shrugged and popped it into his mouth. When he bit into it, the juices that flowed out were sweet and cold as ice. He shivered as he swallowed it and the chilly sensation rushed through his body. He exhaled in surprise and saw his breath.
“Wow, that’s a new experience.”
The elf grinned, “Yeah, there’s all kinds of fun berries in the forest that have magical juices. Some are useful, but many are deadly, so you can’t just go picking anything that glows.”
Sawain nodded and tried to pretend that he already knew that.
The elf was quiet for a moment, then spoke again, “I’m Tobilin, but everyone around here calls me Tobi.”
Sawain nodded again, not knowing what else to do, “I’m Sawain. Nice to meet you. How come you’re being so nice to me?”
Tobi stared at his own plate, looking downcast, “I know what it’s like to be the new guy around here. I’ve been here a year and I’m still treated like the new guy. I thought maybe we could… stick together, maybe we can make it through the academy if we work together.”
Sawain looked at him closer. Tobi looked to be in bad shape. He was the first overweight elf Sawain had ever met. He was surprised the already infamous training regime had not yet expelled Tobi.
“Tobi, I don’t want to sound rude, but how are you in the training program still after a year?”
Tobi looked as if he was about to cry, “You mean how come I haven’t failed out, being so… fat?”
Color and heat rushed into Sawain’s cheeks, “No, I mean… Does it really take that long to finish the training to become a ranger? Or…”
Tobi forced a smile as he looked at Sawain, “Sure, most finish within a year, but… It’s a lot harder for me. I never made any friends, it took me a year to pass the test to be placed on a team, and now even my team mates don’t want me around. My father was a Ranger for the first hundred years or so of his life until he was wounded in the last war. It’s his dream for me to become a Ranger like him and carry on the family legacy. I love my dad and he has always done so much for me, I just can’t let him down. Even if it takes a decade, and even if I’m just one of the trackers, I have to become a Ranger for my father’s sake.”
Sawain listened and felt bad about judging Tobi just from his looks. He smiled at Tobi.
“I think you can do it, Tobi. Maybe we’ll end up finishing the training at the same time and will be able to work together out there.”
Tobi’s eyes brightened and his mood improved dramatically, “That would be great, Sawain! I hope we can both do great this year and pass the Arena Trials on the first try!”
Sawain didn’t know what the Arena Trials were, but he smiled and clapped Tobi on the shoulder, “Maybe we will, Tobi.”
Sawain and Tobi talked and joked for another hour until it was time to turn in. Sawain climbed the stairs along the Courtyard wall until he found a door with the same strange runes etched onto it as his key. He took the key Lady Tirinele gave him from around his neck and placed it into the keyhole. He turned it until the lock clicked. He pushed the door open and looked inside. The room was dark and barely furnished. The only things in his room were a small bed and a chest at the foot.
He stumbled inside and closed the door. He took off his boots and other belongings, then strew them across the floor as he fell into bed. This bed was not much, but it was the most comfortable one he was ever able to call his own. He was asleep within the minute he closed his eyes.
Chapter 5
The bell in the courtyard rang out and snapped Sawain from his slumber. He stared at the darkness in front of his eyes. His body did not want to get out of bed.
I just went to sleep. It can’t be time to get up yet.
He closed his eyes. Sleep enveloped him again, but released its grip when a knock rapped hard on his door, followed by a loud voice.
“Time to rise, recruit!”
He winced and sat up. He glared in the direction of the voice. He swung his feet to the floor, resting them on the cold wood. He looked around for his clothes, then realized he could not see a thing. He felt around for his pants and tunic, using his sense of feeling to put on whatever he found. It took several minutes to dress. He stumbled out into the better lit stairs outside of his dark room.
I need to get one of those glowing mushrooms.
There was a scroll pinned to his door. He pulled it off and unrolled it. He was thankful it was written in common.
Sawain of Anvilheim,
Team Mirehawk
Instructor: Captain Nerelis
Meet at sword ring after breakfast.
Sawain’s stomach dropped when he read the name Nerelis. He remembered Ilias matching the name with the Ranger captain who beat him and threw him in prison.
This is not good.
He was shoved from behind and stumbled down the stairs, catching himself before he crashed into the young elf maid coming out of the room below him. He glared over his shoulder at his assailant. It was the boy from the encounter on the lawn. He grinned viciously.
“Watch your step, man-elf. Don’t want to cause a ruckus.”
The girl who Sawain stopped short of frowned at the boy, leaning close to Sawain to look past him, “Banthan, you’re the one who needs to watch his step! You know you’re on the verge of being expelled as it is!”
The girl’s green eyes narrowed on him and her thin lips tightened, “You’re all talk. I’ve seen your scores, and I’m not impressed. Also, my father is harder on me than anyone else.”
She turned and walked down the spiraling stair. Sawain heard Banthan spouting off a stream of complaints, but did not register them. He felt the heat in his cheeks from the girl being so close. He willed his legs to move again, tucking the scroll into his belt. He was forced to walk behind the girl who defended him against Banthan.
She had black hair that fell over her shoulder blades. She was wearing a brown tunic and trousers held together with a brown leather belt. He could not help noticing how well in shape she was. He tried to keep from staring as he followed the flow of the crowd into the courtyard and into the lower chamber where they had dinner the night before.
Tobi sidled up beside Sawain in the line for breakfast as Sawain was receiving a ladle full of oatmeal in his wooden bowl, “Morning, Sawain!”
Sawain returned the smile Tobi gave him, “Are you sure it’s morning? I can’t tell in this place.”
Tobi chuckled, “Sure, look at the glowstools.”
Sawain arched an eyebrow, “The what?”
“Glowstools. You know, the glowing mushrooms on the walls and ceiling. They change color depending on the time of day. They fade from the cooler colors at night to warmer colors in the daytime. If you’re good with color recognition, you can track time to the minute, depending on where the glowstools are in the spectrum.”
Sawain nodded slowly, trying to comprehend. He glanced at the walls and noticed that the glowstools were glowing a color somewhere between green and yellow.
This is going to take getting used to, but I think warmer colors are like fire colors. So it must be early still since it’s still mostly green.
Sawain asked Tobi, “Do you think I could get one of those in my room so I can see what I’m doing in the morning?”