Chapter Five

Chapter 5

The other squires present on the training grounds gave Valsigian smiles and gestures of congratulations. They were happy that Harmon had been knocked down a peg or two. Some of the knights who had been gathered began talking to one another. One of them, Harmon’s master, sighed. “I don’t know what else to do with the boy, he’s too quick to anger.” Another knight, one of the King’s Vanguard, laughed. “If he keeps going after Valsigian, he’ll learn his lessons the hard way.” All the knights present agreed that Valsigian was destined for great things, perhaps even a position among the Vanguard. Valsigian tried not to listen to the conversations, not wanting to focus on what had just happened.

As he began walking away from the training grounds, he noticed a man standing in the shadows of a nearby archway. He hadn’t noticed him there until just now, and wondered if he had been there all along. Taking notice that he had been spotted, the man walked out of the shadows and towards Valsigian. As soon as the man stepped into the sunlight, Valsigian recognized him immediately. It was Eldrien Altherin, Elvin Ambassador to Mountainfall, and cousin to Queen Vaelith Shal’theris of Iltharion, on the continent of Elves.

Eldrien was a tall man, even as elves go. His pointed ears rose slightly from his shoulder-length blonde hair, which was tied back from his face by a flat braid and silver chain. Eyes of deep violet shone in the morning sun with an almost ethereal glow. Face chiseled and clean-shaven, he looked every bit the noble he was. Valsigian noted the trained gait of a blade master, the way he placed his feet and never fully extended his knees, always at the ready if he needed to draw his blade. At his left hip, he wore one of the most beautiful and wicked-looking two-handed swords Valsigian had ever seen. Expertly crafted, and in all probability, perfectly balanced. A weapon of such beauty and lethality could only have been crafted in Starfall.

Home to the Order of Wind and Fire, three days' ride to the north and west of Mountainfall. Starfall was constructed in the impact crater of a massive asteroid that had struck Dricarro long ago. As a result, the rare metals that could be mined around Starfall produced the most legendary weapons ever known. The weapon smiths of Starfall were renowned for their skill and craftsmanship, and were known to infuse their blades with the elements of Wind and Fire, among other things.

“Ambassador Altherin,” Valsigian said excitedly, as he bowed slightly. “I wasn’t aware you were back from the Dwarven continent yet.” He straightened and added, with a bit of humility in his tone, “I hope that display of poor swordsmanship doesn’t make you think any less of me.”

“On the contrary, young squire,” Eldrien said as he clapped Valsigian on the shoulder and gave him an approving wink. “Your skill with a blade is becoming quite the topic of discussion among the King’s most trusted advisors.” He paused for a moment, his expression becoming more serious. “Especially as I hear, you are to be knighted tomorrow.”

Valsigian couldn’t take the seriousness any longer. He smiled widely at one of his best teachers, a man he considered to be the best swordsman on all of Dricarro. Even though Eldrien had told him there were many better than he, Valsigian didn’t believe it. Nobody carried such an exquisite weapon who wasn’t a blade master. It was what Valsigian had always aspired to, in addition to becoming a knight. Eldrien moved through the forms with his sword with the passion of two long-lost lovers dancing with one another. The sight was enough to motivate Valsigian to push himself to the extremes, to attempt to defy the limitations of the human body. He wanted to be the best, and he would settle for nothing less.

“To be honest,” Valsigian said as he turned to face the rectory. “I’m looking forward to my vigil today. I’ll finally get a moment's peace to think about things,” he gestured with his hand to include the citadel and the great wall. “To hopefully understand how I will fit into all of this.” For a moment, he considered telling Eldrien about what he had just experienced while fighting Harmon. Before he could, Eldrien’s eyes darted over Valsigian’s right shoulder. Turning to look at what had grabbed his attention, he saw Titus walking towards them, he didn’t look at all happy. Eldrien, for his part, understood what was about to happen. He said with a half smile, “I believe this is where I find somewhere else to be. I’m sure I’ve got very pressing business… somewhere.” He clapped Valsigian on the shoulder again as he whispered, “Good luck.” Valsigian furrowed his brows, casting his eyes towards the ground, and murmured, “I’m gonna need it.”

As he watched Eldrien walk away, he could hear Titus’ footsteps getting closer behind him. He turned on his heel and faced the First Knight. He tried to read the expression on his master's face but found nothing. It was amazing how he had perfected the ability to show no emotion, no telltale hints at what he might be thinking. Valsigian only hoped he could learn to master that skill even half as well as Titus, although he may just have been born that way. Nobody he had talked to could ever remember seeing Titus smile. The only way anyone even knew the man had teeth was because of the way he could devour a steak, not even bothering to cut it with a knife! The thought made him chuckle a little. Maybe something he should have hidden a little better, as Titus noticed his amusement, as he was not at all pleased.

Titus was a giant of a man, standing nearly seven feet tall and built like a blacksmith who swung anvils at hammers instead of the other way around. His black uniform, trimmed in gold to denote his rank as First Knight, was one of a kind. Valsigian wondered if the tailors had to use double the normal amount of fabric to make it. His bald head glinted in the morning sunlight like a well-polished armor. The only visible hair on the man's body was a neatly trimmed goatee that had gone fully gray to match his steel gray eyes. Valsigian could feel the ground tremble with each step closer the massive warrior came.

“You think this is funny?” Titus angled his head, waiting for a response.

“No sir,” Valsigian stammered. “It was just something Ambassador Altherin said before he left.” It wasn’t wholly untrue, but he dared not tell his mentor what he had been thinking.

Titus clenched his jaw tighter, if that was even possible. “Ambassador Altherin is as skilled with his tongue as he is with his sword.” He crossed his massive arms over his chest as he focused his gaze on Valsigian. “I hope he told you that losing focus in a fight can be the difference between life and death.”

Valsigian looked towards his feet. “I beat him, didn’t I? That’s all that matters in the end.” He looked back up at the man who had been training him ever since his father’s death. A pang of guilt in his gut for speaking the way he just had to a man who had devoted so much time to him.

Titus stepped closer, his massive frame shadowing Valsigian. “You hesitated, something distracted you. Be honest with yourself at least, if your not going to be honest with me.” His gaze burned into Valsigian’s soul.

“I did exactly what you taught me to do. I took advantage of his anger, I used it to keep him from being able to focus.” Valsigian began to feel more confident as he reviewed the fight in his mind. “I used the Blessing to disrupt his footing, took the opportunity to end the fight quickly,” Valsigian said, a little more confidence in his voice. “I had control of the fight from beginning to end.”

Titus shook his head, his disappointment plain on his face. “I’ve seen you fight hundreds of times. Never have I seen you so distracted, so unfocused as you have been this day.” The giant man leaned forward. “You could have ended the fight when Harmon first lunged at you,” he then lowered his voice so only his squire could hear. “Tell me, Val, you know you can’t hide things from me. I know you too well.”

Valsigian suddenly noticed Titus’ expression had changed, a rarely glimpsed countenance. Was that a look of concern etching his master’s face? Maybe he should tell him about the visions, the odd glow, how he was able to see Harmon’s strike before he ever made it. Even now, his thoughts wandered to the Mystic Mountains. He could feel the pull, the desire to go where men were forbidden. Considering his next words carefully, and keeping his voice to a near whisper, he said, “I saw something when I was fighting Harmon. I don’t know how to explain it… I somehow knew what he was going to do... before he did it.” He noticed the concern on Titus’ face immediately replaced with skepticism, but he went on. “There’s more, I saw a faint glow out of the corner of my eye. That’s what distracted me, it was there just before I… saw what his next move would be.” Valsigian shook his head as if it would help to clear his confusion. “It was like he moved… before he did. I moved to block his attack before he had even started to make it.”

Titus noticed the look of confusion on his squire’s face, watching his eyes as they seemed to search for an answer that was just out of sight. He studied the young man’s face for a moment, no signs that he was lying. It was obvious that he believed every word he was saying. Straightening his posture and taking in a deep breath, he said, “You are learning to intuit your opponent's intentions, it comes as you progress with your training, nothing more.” He contemplated his next words, not wanting Valsigian to dwell on the impossibility of what he thought he had seen. “Your father was a master at reading the body language of his opponent in battle, it saved him countless times. Something you have inherited, nothing to be afraid of or distracted by. Don’t believe the old soldier's tales you heard growing up of the Knights Aureate.”

“The Knight’s Aureate?” Valsigian looked puzzled. “I thought they were a myth, just stories to scare us when we were little?” He began to recall the stories he was told in his youth, mostly from grizzled old veterans around the fire during field exercises late at night. Legends told of an ancient order of knights that could wield the Aureate thousands of years ago. Allowing them to do amazing but also unspeakable things that the command of the Blessing could not. Then he remembered a detail from the old stories, how the knights would be surrounded by a golden “glow” when they wielded the Aureate. The stronger they embraced it, the more brilliant the glow. This insight had his thoughts swimming once again. Is that what he saw? The glow of the Aureate? His thoughts immediately turned to someone else. Someone rumored to be able to command the Aureate once again. “What about Empress Obsidia? Is she able to use the Aureate?

“Rumors, and nothing more,” Titus replied, his expression sharpening. “Don’t believe everything you hear. That woman is a monster, a twisted, vengeful tyrant, bent on the domination of all Dricarro.” His hand unconsciously moved to the hilt of his sword as the tone of his voice darkened. “Her people are terrified of her. She most likely has her cronies spread rumors of her powers to keep them under control.” He spat on the ground before saying, “Obsidia is known to command the elements of Space and Time. I’m sure she has figured out a way to make it look like she can wield the Aureate. Nothing more than tricks and illusions.” He gripped his sword tightly, the leather-wrapped handle crunching slightly with the effort. “I’ll never understand why Zerathis allows her use of the Blessing.” He relaxed his grip on his sword, perhaps just now realizing that he was squeezing it so hard his knuckles had whitened. His voice returned to its usual deep, gravelly but measured tone. “Concentrate on reality. Don’t waste time on what-ifs and what could be. Live in the moment, focus on the task at hand. He placed his hands on Valsigian’s shoulders, looking him straight in the eyes. “If you lose focus in battle, you will lose your head.” Giving Valsigian’s shoulders a shake to solidify his point before releasing them.

Valsigian bowed slightly. “Thank you, First Knight. He opened his mouth to say more, to talk about the Mystic Mountains, his dreams. He noticed something different in his teacher’s stance, a moment of sadness perhaps. Titus was there when his father was killed. He was Captain of the King’s Vanguard at the time, serving directly under his father, First Knight Aldric Hunterson. He had told Valsigian that his father had died bravely, in service of king and country. As a boy of only 8 years at the time, Valsigian didn’t dare question the Captain of the Vanguard. Now he wondered if there was more to his father’s death than Titus was willing to share. He watched as his mentor turned and walked away. He was left with the impression that there was something more that Titus wasn’t telling him.

As the training grounds were thinning out, Valsigian turned to leave as well. He looked back towards the archway where Eldrien had been observing from the shadows earlier. The Ambassador was nowhere to be seen. He thought to himself, “Must have found somewhere more important to be after all.” Shrugging his shoulders in disappointment, he suddenly remembered there was somewhere else he had to be. There should be a certain young lady waiting for him in the royal gardens. A small smile curved his lips as his mood suddenly improved. He hoped he wasn’t too late.

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Nestled in a sunny but quiet corner, between the citadel courtyard and the training grounds, the royal gardens weren’t necessarily on the way to the chapel. One could argue that it was quite the circuitous route, but Valsigian had to see her before his vigil began. The smell of blooming Honeysuckle flowers and freshly picked Lemongrass filled his senses. As he rounded a trellis covered in Blue Sky Vine in full bloom, he saw her, Tove Falkenberg. She was standing on a part of the garden path that typically saw few visitors, other than the gardeners. Her long blonde hair highlighted by the late morning sun, she had left it free of her usual braid this morning. It flowed in waves across her shoulders and down her back, almost reaching her hips. As she turned to look at him, her deep sea-blue eyes brightened at the sight of his approach. A smile, so perfect, bloomed on her face, betraying any ability she had to feign anything other than happiness to see him. Tove was, by all accounts, one of the prettiest young women in Mountainfall. Her small nose, turned slightly upward at the end, perfectly fit her delicate features. Cheeks blushing slightly as she noticed the way Valsigian was staring at her. She reached up with a hand and tucked a strand of her golden tresses behind an ear as she said with a soft, sultry voice, “What took you so long?”

Valsigian noticed that she was dressed in her modest Damsel’s dress of blue and gray, symbolizing her rank in the Order of Earth and Water. The embroidered waves of blue water around the hem of her knee-high dress crashing against the stone gray rocks. The bodice, trimmed with what looked like flowing blue water, revealed only a hint of the ample cleavage beneath. A wide ribbon of deep blue fabric, cinched at her waist to reveal the curve of her hips, was tied in a flat knot so that the remaining fabric flowed down the front of her dress, ending just above the hem. In her other hand, she held her gray leather shoes, preferring the feel of the grass and soil under her feet. As he finished drinking in the sight of her, he found her eyes once again. Smiling to match hers, he said, “I had to deal with a bit of a nasty situation at the training grounds.”

“I know,” Tove said as she stepped closer to him. “I saw you put Harmon in his place. He deserved it.” She reached up and put her free hand on Valsigian’s chest, resting the palm of her hand ever so lightly. He felt as if a small, beautiful bird had just landed on his heart. She looked up into his sky-blue eyes, speaking softly, “You were amazing. I’ve never seen you move like that. It was quite... impressive.” Then, without warning, she kissed him. It wasn’t a long kiss, just enough to show she cared. A simple peck on the lips, testing, teasing. The alluring look in her eyes revealed that she wanted more.

Valsigian glanced around, ensuring nobody was watching. He turned back to Tove, placing both of his hands at the sides of her neck, thumbs brushing her jawline. He leaned in, tilting his head slightly to the side, and returned the kiss. Although this time it wasn’t quick. It was long, deep, and full of passion. Tove returned his kiss and matched him effortlessly. Her shoes dropped from her hand like she had forgotten them completely. Her empty hands found his waist, then slid up his back. She continued up his neck, entwining her fingers in his wavy blonde hair, pulling him closer, wanting more of him… all of him. She ended the kiss gently, pulling away softly, before things could get more heated. The desire for more burned deeply in both of their eyes.

Tove averted her eyes first, looking at her discarded shoes. “We have to stop doing this,” she whispered as she caught her breath. “You will be a Knight tomorrow. I still have another year of training before I can take the trials to become a Dame.” She glanced around nervously, looking for any sign that they had been spotted. “I don’t know how much longer we can keep this secret if we are so careless.”

Her eyes betrayed her again. Valsigian could see there was no desire to stop. They both knew relationships between Squires and Damsel’s were forbidden. The punishment for breaking this rule was well known. The offending parties were publicly shamed and flogged in the courtyard for all to see. If there was any proof of... carnal knowledge, they would both be expelled from the Order.

Having a romantic relationship out of wedlock was nothing unusual, and for the most part was overlooked. Having a relationship with someone outside of the Order was technically not a violation of the rule, even if frowned upon. But for those who had been accepted to the Order, there were rules to be followed. Sworn to ply themselves to their studies, to their training, relationships were a distraction. A beguilement that took focus away from the reason you were here. Your duty was to the King and the Order first; everything else had to wait until training was over. It also didn’t help that relationships between novice Weavers had ended badly in the past. Breakups or betrayals usually ended in a lot of structural damage, and sometimes, lives were lost. There was a loophole, of course, and they had been planning to exploit it as soon as they could.

“Besides,” she said as she stooped to pick up her shoes. “Once you’ve been knighted, things can change.” Her eyes found his once again, there was a look of promise and excitement in them. “You will petition my Headmistress for permission to court me, won’t you?” The look in her eyes changed to one of playful seriousness. Crossing her arms under her breasts, she began tapping a foot in the grass. Tove then raised her right eyebrow, turning her head to the left to give him a one-eyed no-nonsense look. “You promised me, Val. Don’t think I won’t hold you to it.”

Valsigian gave the appearance of considering her words carefully. Crossing his left arm over his chest and tucking it under his right elbow, he placed his right hand on his chin, index finger tapping just under his lower lip. He let a sly half smile play out across his lips. Winking an eye at her, he said, “Maybe I will...and maybe I won't.”

Tove gave an exaggerated, open-mouthed, chin-dropping gasp, eyes going wide in mock surprise as she immediately moved to punch him in the gut. She wasn’t surprised that he let her punch land as he gave a slight “oof” and acted like she had hurt him. Never mind the fact that her punch reminded her of the rock-hard, chiseled abs hiding under his shirt. Oh, how she loved strolling through the training grounds on summer days when he was practicing his forms. Such displays of his chiseled physique should be against the law. How could a lady ever hope to remain chaste, or follow these damned rules with such eye-candy to devour every morning? “You scoundrel,” she said, pressing her lips into a thin line. “You let me do that to distract me!”

“Guilty as charged, my lady,” he said, while bowing deeply at the hip, rubbing the sore spot on his belly. “Distraction seems to be my specialty today.” Valsigian straightened and gave her another wink. “At least this time it wasn’t me being distracted.” His thoughts suddenly turned to his visions, the Mystic Mountains, and what happened during the fight earlier. He considered telling Tove everything, he needed to fully confide in someone. He could trust her, couldn’t he? She would never tell anyone, would she?

Tove noticed the sudden change in his demeanor. “What’s wrong, Val?” Her eyes pleaded with him to tell her. “You can tell me. I’ve been worried about you lately. Something has been bothering you, and I wish you would share it with me.”

Valsigian decided not to burden her with his problems. He didn’t want her to worry about him when he wasn’t even sure if he should be worried about himself. He leaned against the nearby trellis with the beautiful blue flowers, and the sound of bees buzzing around the nearby flowers suddenly seemed louder to him as Tove had gone quiet with obvious concern for his well-being. He blew out a quick breath. “I’m just nervous about my vigil and the knighting ceremony tomorrow,” he said. It wasn’t a lie this time. Even though he had said this to Titus earlier, this is the person he wanted to have this conversation with.

“You’ve been preparing for this night your whole life, Val.” Tove gave him a look of reassurance. “We’ve talked about the ceremony more times than I can remember. You have always been looking forward to this.” She smiled that beautiful, captivating smile at him again. “It’s what you’ve wanted since you were a boy struggling to raise your father's sword.”

“It feels different now, for some reason.” Valsigian stood away from the trellis and began pacing in the small space they shared. “It’s like, now that it’s here, it feels so final and yet so uncertain. Like my life is about to change in ways that I can’t even imagine.” He stopped his pacing and looked her in the eyes again. “I feel like I’m preparing to start a new journey, and I don’t know where it will take me.”

Tove considered his words for a moment. This may be the most opportune time to tell him what she had been sensing lately. Her hands folded across her abdomen, eyes turned to the ground. “I’ve been meaning to tell you something.” She took a deep breath, looking back up at him. “You know how the Blessing can communicate with us when we are deep in meditation. How the elements can tell us when the rain is coming or when it’s time to plant.” She turned her gaze from him, smoothing her hands across the front of her hips. “Lately… I’ve been feeling something different, something… dangerous. It’s as if the ground is preparing for blood, the rivers and streams pushing against their banks, trying to change their flow.” Her eyes darted back to his. “Something terrible is coming. I think you may be feeling it too.”

When she looked back into his eyes, he could see the fear in them. Not just some small concern, but actual fear. She believed what she was telling him. “Perhaps you're just frightened about the rumors of war,” Valsigian said. “All the talk of Obsidia preparing to invade the free peoples of Ayan is just rumors.” He placed his hands on her shoulders, caressing them lightly to give her reassurance. “Don’t dwell on what may or may not be. Focus on the here and now.” He glanced around once again to be sure they were still alone, then pulled her into a hug. As he wrapped his arms around her, he could feel her trembling slightly. She buried her face in his chest as he planted a kiss on the top of her head.

Tove withdrew from his embrace abruptly, feeling no better about what she knew was coming. She looked up at Valsigian, crossing her arms over her chest, blowing out an exasperated breath. “You don’t believe me,” she said, irritation tinging her voice. “I’m telling you that everything we know is about to change. I don’t know when or how, but I know for sure something is coming.” She reached forward and grabbed his hands, squeezing them firmly. “I can feel it pressing down on me, like an avalanche rumbling down a mountainside, destroying all it touches. The ground is moving in such strange ways, as if it knows what is coming and is preparing to make way for the countless dead it will soon embrace.” She wrapped her hands around his, pulling them towards her, begging him to believe her.

“I do believe you, Tove,” Valsigian said. “Believe me, I do. It’s just... I’ve been feeling something else, something about the Mystic Mountains.” He watched as her eyes went from pleading to instant concern. Perhaps he shouldn’t have mentioned the Mystic Mountains after all. He lifted his gaze to the sky quickly. Taking in a deep breath through his nose, smelling the sweet, flowered air, the loamy soil. He had to find a way to distract from what he had just admitted. Looking back down at her, he released her hands as he gave her his best ambivalent face. “Maybe we're both sensing the same thing, just in different ways.”

“Nothing I have been sensing has anything to do with those bewitched mountains, Val, nothing at all.” The look of concern didn’t leave her eyes; it grew stronger. “What have you been feeling about that accursed place?” The concern grew to outright fear, she began shaking her head as if to tell him no. Her voice became higher-pitched and strained, as if she were on the verge of tears, as she said, “Please tell me you're not thinking about going there? You can’t, it’s forbidden! They’ll kill you if you even try!” She clasped her hands together as if in prayer, tears beginning to form in her eyes, pleading with him as her breathing became more rapid. “Please, Val, please tell me you're joking.”

Just as he was about to respond, he heard footsteps coming down the garden path heading in their direction. He backed away from Tove quickly as she tried to regain her composure. Peeking around the trellis with the blue flowers, he spotted a man in the black and green uniform of the Royal Guard. He blew out a quiet breath of relief as he instantly recognized his friend Dayne’s distinctive swagger. He quickly ducked behind the trellis before his best friend saw him. He looked back at Tove as she continued to try to pull herself back together. He said in a hushed tone, “It’s just Dayne. I’m sure he’s just trying to find me before I start my vigil.” The concern and fear still hadn’t left her eyes. He only had a moment before Dayne would be here, as he said, “I’m sorry, Tove, I’m not going to do anything stupid. I don’t want you to worry about me.” He stepped closer to her as he said, “I promise. I will find you after the ceremony tomorrow, and I will tell you everything.” He cupped her face with both hands, his eyes pleading with her to believe him.

Tove reached up and placed her hands on the back of his. Her touch was soft, gentle, as she pulled his hands down away from her face and held them close to her chest. Her voice was smooth, calmer than it had been a moment ago as she said, “I will hold you to it, Val. Please don’t ever scare me like that again.” She felt a tear roll down her cheek. Watched as it landed on the back of his hand, tracing its way down to his wrist, and soaked into the cuff of his shirt. “I don’t want to imagine what would happen to you if you were to attempt such a foolish thing.” She raised the back of his hand to her lips and kissed the spot where her tear had fallen. Without another word, she released his hands and turned to leave. She walked to the other end of the secluded cove where the trellis ended and another path would take her in a direction that would hide her passage from anyone coming up the other path. As she began to round the corner, she looked back at Valsigian. For the first time, she saw something new in his eyes as her watched her go. She wasn’t entirely sure, but she thought she detected a hint of realization in that gaze. As if he had just figured something out, something she had already known for quite some time now. The thought made her smile as she quietly ducked out of sight.