CHAPTER XIV #6
Mana nods as Cal gives me a small shrug, silently telling me not to think too much into it.
“I’m excited for this food, however,” Holis grins, changing the subject, “and ready to go home.”
Both Cal and Mana smile wide in agreement, the two of them relaxing in their seats.
“Speaking of…” I lean forward in my chair, carefully watching their reaction to my next words, “how do you all feel about traveling to Woodlands after we spend some time in Bardot?”
“As long as they have decent ale,” Cal shrugs, bringing his hand up to his beard.
Holis and Mana seem unfazed by my comment as well, still sitting contently at the table. Storm makes his way closer to my neck and moves behind my hair, tucking himself under my ear to fall asleep.
“Have any of you traveled into Woodlands Court?” I prompt again just as Margaret brings out two large pots.
All three men shake their heads with no look of unease gracing their features.
Hmm.
Do I tell them what Keane and Alanna have alluded to? Even Hirovale made some comments about the need to travel to the Court.
I decide against it, for now, not wanting to ruin the good morning we’ve already had.
“The Prince just wrote,” Margaret smiles as she places large platters of food in the middle of our table, “your full group will take breakfast here tomorrow before you head out.”
We all grin at the news.
“Will you share breakfast with us as well, Duhni?” Cal asks.
Margaret laughs at the thought, “absolutely not. I could not attend the kitchen and a group as big as yours.”
“And now?” Cal replies kindly, pulling out the chair next to him.
Holis and Mana swiftly stand from their chairs, nodding to the woman in agreement. Margaret eyes the chair at Cal’s side before she looks at the twins standing in respect. I smile at her in genuine friendship, grateful for her treatment of us during our time here.
“It would be an honor,” she bows her head.
“Willem!” I wave to the boy on the side of the road.
His head darts up from his crouch, a grin spreading across his face when he spots me.
“Hi Lady Alexis!” he stands up, “and Lady Alexis’ funny looking friend.”
He eyes Golem in hesitation, “mother told me that I should bow the
next time I see you.”
The young boy promptly dips his head and shoulders into a lopsided
bow. I smile at his cuteness while Golem returns the greeting from my side.
“Are you okay, Lady Alexis?” Willem frowns, eyes darting to the bruises on my face.
I give him an affectionate smile, “just took a bad fall a few days ago. These will clear up, nothing to worry about.”
“It looks like it hurts.”
“A bit,” I nod, rummaging around in my travel bag, “but that’s how we get stronger.”
“I once broke my foot,” Willem takes my hand and pulls me into a crouch with him, pointing at his boot, “and mommy said the same thing. That it would only make me stronger.”
“She’s right,” I grin, “I’m sorry I didn’t pull you aside yesterday when we got in. Everyone was so busy. But I haven’t forgotten about you.”
“Nor I you, tricky Lady,” he reaches his hand down to his marbles in thought, “I still can’t think of what I want.”
“Well how about you take this as a temporary gift for now and I’ll still owe you a favor.”
I pull the small velvet sack from my bag and hold it out to him. Willem quickly grabs it with a grin, already guessing what’s inside. He hastily leans towards the road and pushes all of his green and black marbles to the side, tipping the new sack upside down.
“They’re beautiful, Lady!” he exclaims, eyes wide in shock at the new colors. He picks up the silver playing ball, smiling at the sparkling swirls that are now reflecting against the late morning sun.
“That’s called crystal,” I explain, “it comes from the mountains of a faraway land. None of your friends will have a set like this.”
“No, none of them will. They will all be properly jealous,” the boy grins, flinging the silver ball at the red ones, “will you play with me?”
“You’ll have to teach me how,” I admit as I sit down on the road.
“Oh its simple, Lady Alexis,” Willem pulls out a piece of charcoal from his pants, drawing a new circle in the road, “if you hit a marble out of the circle then you get to keep it and try again. Whoever has the most marbles at the end wins!”
“Does seem simple enough,” I smile.
“Here, I’ll go first and show you,” Willem grins, picking up the crystal ball in his small fingers. He flicks it skillfully, hitting a red marble out of the circle, “see!”
“Let’s see you do it again, then,” I arch my brow, impressed.
“I may be too good for you, Lady,” he replies with a shrug, hitting another marble out of the circle.
“I think you may be, too,” I laugh, watching as he thoroughly beats me in our first game together.
“Here. You can go first this time,” he offers.
I tip my hand down and place the ball between my thumb and forefinger, flicking and completely missing every single one of the marbles. Willem laughs out right, hitting his hand to his forehead in disbelief before reaching for the crystal ball.
“You’re worse than mommy! Here, go again. You won’t get better unless you practice.”
“Too true, little one.”
I take aim again and hit the side of a red marble, but it remains within the circle. Willem takes his turn and glances at me with a curious look.
“Why do you have a bird sleeping under your hair, Lady? Seems an odd thing to do.”
“He’s my friend,” I reply with a smile.
“You have odd friends,” he comments, looking up at Golem, “but I’ll be your friend if you don’t trick me again. And I can introduce you to my brother and Kyrsten and the other kids here.”
“I would like that,” I nod quietly, not having the heart to tell him that I don’t know when he’ll next see me once we leave Fumagalli. I sigh and forgo even mentioning it, the two of us playing on the side of the road until the sun reaches directly over our heads, a signal to midday.
“I have to get going, Lady,” Willem notices the bright rays over us, “mommy will be mad if I’m late for lunch.”
“Well we can’t have that,” I nod.
Willem quickly picks up all of his new marbles and places them into his sack, standing up.
“Thank you for the marbles and playing with me, Lady Alexis,” he flings his arm around my free shoulder so as not to disturb Storm.
I reach around and give the boy a tight squeeze, “you’re very welcome, Willem.”
He waves goodbye to Golem and bounds down the road for the Hidden City.
“Wait, Willem!” I stand up, “your old marbles…”
“Keep them, tricky Lady. You need the practice.”
I chuckle at his honestly and pick up the green and black marbles from the side of the road, dropping them into the bottom of my travel bag.
“Lunch, ale and reading, Golem. Emphasis on the ale.”
The two of us head straight for the only pub in the village that doesn’t belong to the inn.
It’s a cute single-story cottage that’s small and cozy on the inside with a tiny fireplace roaring at the far end of the room.
An older Discerni man greets me as we walk in, his features not as old as Margaret but with a slight sign of white hair gracing his temples.
He smiles when I ask for the village’s amber ale and whatever he has cooking for the day, then saunters off without saying a word.
I take a seat in the corner of the room by the fireplace and let the flames warm my body, deciding to pull out the book given to me by Clair on the Ancient Ten.
I need to refresh my knowledge on the four Ancients Holis and Mana spoke of earlier this morning, my curiosity piqued and wondering which brother or sister Hirovale will choose to wake first.
“Sianoa, Heysan, Nolan and Tomo…” I mumble, cracking open the spine. Golem takes a step closer at my back and looks over my shoulder, eyes landing on the text in my hand.
“Do you want to read, too?” I ask, angling the book so that we can both read. Golem nods just as the Discerni man sets down a mug and bowl of steaming soup.
“Okay. I’m thinking Nolan, first. I don’t recall much about him.”
I eat and read about the Ancient of Healing and Alleviation, all of the knowledge from my childhood rushing back only after a few paragraphs.
Nolan promoted medicine and good health and was the Ancient people prayed to when they or their loved ones were sick.
He also aided in the discovery of new remedies and cures, working alongside the people of the Old World to create mixtures and tonics to counter sicknesses and diseases.
He was revered by the Kingdom of Aireal, as they valued and used a lot of their summoning for healing purposes back when they had access to magic, and he worked at times in conjunction with Hirovale, alerting his Ancient brother when a soul was too far gone to save.
He was often at odds with the Ancient Rivian, the Ancient of Strife and Struggle, as him and his sister clashed on their completely opposite views of life.
Nolan promoted the belief that life should be as unburdened as possible and often took away people’s struggle and suffering whenever he could.
He was a mid-level Ancient in his powers but still an important one, nonetheless.
Tomo, the Ancient of Acumen and Judgement, was much more complex than his brother.
Once Damen was slaughtered, Tomo rose to become the third strongest Ancient in the Old World, third only behind Hirovale and Malachi.
He coveted rational intelligence above all else and judged important disputes within the Old World without emotion.
He was known for having the uncanny ability to see both sides of any disagreement or story, understanding the reasoning behind people’s actions and what led them to the choices they made in life.