Alaric had meant well. Making an escape felt like it was the best option. He didn't want anyone to get hurt on his account. Alaric was frustrated that he hadn't made it more than a few feet from the gate when Tyron and Erika caught him.

Alaric felt that chastisement that followed would stick with him for years. He shuddered at the thought of the things that had been said to him.

Lilia was beyond distant after Tyron and Erika woke and told her what Alaric had tried to do. He hated that he had hurt her, but he was just trying to do the right thing.

Lilia was sent to fetch Alaric in the morning.

“We are not done traveling Alaric. Everyone is ready and waiting to leave. Get up!” Lilia commanded. Her voice was without sympathy.

Alaric couldn’t see the agitation in her face, but her voice told him that she was angry.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize. I’ll be up and ready quickly.” He stammered as he looked around for his clothes with his eyes. He wanted to say more, but he could tell that she wouldn't have any of it.

Lilia chuckled. It felt out of place. “What is wrong Alaric? Are you not going to get up and dressed with me here?”

Alaric could feel his cheeks burning. There was no way that he was getting up with her in the room with him. He had taken his clothes off when he had been locked in his room. “I’ll get ready but not until you leave, Lilia.” He wasn't sure what was wrong with her. She seemed to be in the better mood than Alaric though she should.

“Whatever you say, my Lord Alaric,” she laughed as she dipped down into a mocking bow. She moved with grace, and her crystal, blue eyes glittered in the light as she eyed him. She danced out of the room slowly.

“Fool woman.. Probably drunk..” he muttered as he climbed out of bed and gathered the clean clothes that Lord Moats had his servants purchase for him.

It seemed that either Lord Moats or his servant had good taste. His breeches we loose and grey. His shirt was light and black. They had also purchased a hooded, dark blue cloak, but he decided not to wear it. He instead packed it into his bags. It was much too warm during the day to be wearing a cloak. He slipped on his new, black riding boots last. They were heavily cushioned on the inside but had thick soles.

Alaric stepped out of his room just as Lilia was again approaching. Alaric thought that she was coming again to fetch him.

She smiled at him shyly. He hadn’t noticed her outfit, when she came into his room before. She wore a light grey dress with orange flowers that crawled halfway up. A thin, white belt wrapped around her waist. Every step she took in the dress made it look as if she were dancing.

“Come Alaric, it is time to be off. Lord Moats insists that we leave just before sunrise,” she said as she grabbed his arm and started pulling him down the hall.

Alaric didn’t complain at all. He was unsure about his feelings toward the girl and about how she felt. Whatever they both felt, having a woman on his arm felt good.

"I'm sorry, Lilia," Alaric muttered quickly.

The beautiful girl looked up at the smith with a tenderness in her eyes. "Alaric, I can understand why you tried to run. You were trying to protect us, and I forgive you for being a fool."

Alaric nodded. He wanted to speak with her of the topic more, but the duo reached the doors that marked the exit from the mansion.

The pair strode casually out of the large, ornate double doors. Lord Moats said that every door in the mansion told a story about the Moats family.

The double doors that sat at the entrance of the home told of the Moats family’s rise to nobility. The paint on the doors was heavily faded but the carvings were all still clear. At edge of each door was half of an anvil. When closed, the anvil was completed. Flowers much like those on Lilia’s dress crawled in all directions away from the anvil. From the outer edges of the doorway, flames crawled up and devoured the flowers that reached too far from the anvils.

Lord Moats admitted that there was little her knew if the meanings except that the anvil has always been the symbol of their line. He assumed that the flames had some relationship with the dragons, but it was all unclear.

Hunters were waiting patiently on their horses or digging through saddle bags, when the pair came out of the mansion. Erika and Tryon both frowned at Lillia and Alaric, while Nathaniel smiled at them. Chas was digging through his bags and didn’t acknowledge the pair.

Lord Moats rode out from the stables on a jet black Charger. Alaric didn’t know much about horses, but it looked to be the strongest and fastest among the group. “Come, children. We must be off soon. High King Arthfael will be eager to meet you boy!” The heavy man said with an excited look in his eye.

Alaric nodded. He didn’t like being called a child, but a lord or lady could nearly do anything that they decided to do without penalty.

He walked over to the large grey and white gelding that he had been told to use. It already wore a saddle, and someone had put his few things in bags on the saddle.

“One thing young man!” Lord Moats said as he climbed off of his horse. He was smiling large than ever, revealing clean, white teeth.

He pulled a large leather sheath from his saddlebags and waved Alaric over. “Your father is Orven Stonehammer, yes?”

Alaric nodded. “Yes, Lord Moats.”

“Orven was once a good friend of mine. He worked many years as my personal blacksmith,” the large Lord said. He was still smiling, but he seemed to be remembering something.

Orven had talked very little about his time away from Baerlon, but he never said anything about working as a blacksmith for a Lord or Lady. Alaric suddenly felt that his father kept many things quiet about his life.

Lord Moats looked up at the large, young man. “You remind me a lot of your father. He was one of the best men that I ever met. I have a gift for you. I saw the large sword that you father made. I would recognize his work anywhere. Easily the best in the kingdom, and that is well known. This sheath will sit on your back, so that you can actually carry the beast of a weapon.”

Lord Moats then showed Alaric how to put on the sheath, and how his sword would sit in and be removed from the sheath. It seemed smart and simple, but the sword was so heavy that it would be hard to safely move the sword. Alaric would need quite a bit of practice, but he had a lifetime to master it.

“Thank you very much, my lord,” Alaric said afterward, with an attempt to bow.

The man chuckled and patted his shoulder. “No need for formalities among peers, boy.” Lord Moats turned and climbed back onto his horse and waved Alaric away.

Alaric turned toward his horse and Chas was waiting with Alaric’s sword. Chas helped slide the large sword into the new sheath. It felt strange having the heavy sheet of metal sitting on his back.

Alaric climbed onto the gelding carefully. The sword sat mostly still on his back.

Once everyone had mounted, the Hunters, guards, and Lord Moats were off. They crept slowly out of the city. As they left the city walls, the horses in the front broke into a run. Everyone else followed suit.

The plan was to make it to Ilian in two days time. They would stop very little on the way. It was easily just as far as Lucenne was from Baerlon.

The sun was well over the sky before the guards leading the group waved for the group to stop. Alaric was hungry enough that he might have been able to eat a full pig on his own. At least he thought so.

The food was light and the break was short. They had some honey and bread that had been baked that morning. It was good but not enough. Most of them finished their food as fast as they got it.

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Alaric realized he was the only one unaccustomed to hard and fast travel like this. Some of the guards seemed to even enjoy the trip.

One man in particular, an older man named Caenic, spent most of the day humming and whistling songs that Alaric knew from his childhood. Caernic, Alaric found out during the second break just before nightfall, had been born and raised a soldier. He was captain of Baerlon’s guard and one of the most respected swordsman in the world.

Alaric wanted to train with the man, but there wasn’t time. The group would be riding hard through the night.

They would pass the village of Fate’s Stand in the middle of the night and the large city of Amrithanne midday the next day without stopping.

Half of the group was supposed to sleep on their horses, while the other half led them. Alaric was part of the half that was to sleep first. Lilia was assigned to lead his horse.

The heavy hoof beats and rough terrain made it hard for Alaric to fall to sleep. Everything that he thought that he was begin to drift away, the gelding reminded him roughly that he was riding and not in the soft bed in Lucenne.

Lilia went to sleep nearly on command. Alaric held the reins on her horse as it ran closely next to him.

Alaric’s eyes were heavy, but the rough ride kept him from even thinking about sleep. He thought he caught a glimpse of Fate’s Stand off to the right in the distance, but it was hard to tell by moonlight.

Fate’s Stand was one of the New Villages. Alaric knee by the name. Villages with simpler and sensible names were the new settlements. Places like Baerlon and Lucenne were settled in and built before men’s great grandfather’s could remember.

It was something that the Elders in Baerlon made sure that everyone knew. To them it was something to be proud of. Alaric never truly understood the importance. It seemed to him that the always just wanted to be better than everyone else in one way or another.

Alaric shook his head. Even in Hewe, the men and women seemed to be less horrible than he had been told. They couldn’t help having the madness. It seemed that nowhere was immune to its effects.

The sun was rising before it felt that it should. Alaric didn’t feel like he rode all night. Most of the group had woken already and taken control of their horses.

Lilia was the only one still sleeping. Alaric hasn’t noticed before that she wore dark, leather breeches underneath her dress. He laughed to himself. Even when dressing like a girl, she was still a Hunter. And it showed.

Chas rose up on the other side and pulled the reins from Alaric’s hands. He never said anything or looked at Alaric though.

Alaric shrugged as he let go of the reins. He looked behind him to the other Hunters. They were all riding silently. Nathaniel was the only one smiling. Tyron and Erika looked as if they had just woken up.

Alaric slowed and weaved to Nathaniel’s side. The slim man smiled at Alaric. “Did you sleep at all? Alaric?”

Alaric shook his head. “I couldn’t. I’m not used to sleeping on a saddle, yet.”

Nathaniel chuckled. “I thought not. It is a talent that you will quickly acquire. Sleeping on command becomes second nature even after just a few weeks of hard travel.”

Alaric hoped that he never had to gain that skill. “What is bothering Chas?” he asked just quiet enough for only Nathaniel to hear.

Nathaniel half turned in his saddle and studied the Alaric’s face. “Chas and Lilia will someday be married, Alaric. I’m surprised that no one has told you yet.”

Alaric frowned. He had been told that before, but he didn’t realize that it meant so much to Chas. Lilia made it seem like it was a casual thing that she would do because there was no other option. “Is he jealous then?”

Nathaniel nodded. “Yes. That essentially is his problem. Because of his culture, in his mind he and Lilia are already engaged. An expectation for most, is a requirement to him. Despite this, he respects that it isn’t his place to control her.”

Alaric looked down. He wasn’t trying to steal Lilia from Chas. She was beautiful, but she was also aggressive. She acted too much like a man at times. He couldn’t wrap his mind around being with someone so much like himself. “She is beautiful, but perhaps she is also not the right fit for me.”

“I couldn’t say that I agree. You two are very similar. The problem is the difference in your destinies. Lady Fate has different plans for you both.” Nathaniel was not smiling and laughing any longer.

Alaric was frowning too. “I don’t know exactly what I feel toward her. We are friends. That is all that I am sure of.”

“That is good. Protect your heart. It belongs to someone that you don’t yet know, I’m sure.” Nathaniel’s smile had returned. It was easy from him to speak of love, Alaric thought. He and Erika were deeply in love.

Lilia had woken while he talked with Nathaniel. He watched Chas interact with her through different eyes for the first time. He could see her appreciation for him as well as his love and respect for her. Her movements showed care. His every motion was gentle. Chas never really touched her, but he did as much as he could for her. As Alaric watched, he realized that he wanted something similar. He wanted to have someone to care for and to adventure with.

“Your smile suits you. Maybe you will be able to attract a few women in Ilian. Could you imagine having great Ladies swoon as you pass by.” Nathaniel sounded to Alaric more like one of the young boys running around in Baerlon. It was the first time that Alaric really saw him laugh and joke.

“From what I hear, most noble women are about as ugly as they come, inside and out,” Alaric replied with a daring smile. He wasn’t totally sure how, Nathaniel would reply.

The slim Hunter laughed. “You are both right and wrong. You may find a few that aren’t the best to look at, but most of them are beautiful. There are also many kind and gentle woman in Ilian and all of the other noble families.” His face was serious again. “Trust as few as you can. Politics are more dangerous than living in the madlands.”

Alaric shuddered. He didn’t understand how Nathaniel could go so quickly from jovial to dark. Either way, he made staying around nobles sound too complicated.

Alaric fell silent as the group continued their ride. The distant grey blur that was Amrithanne had grown much larger. It sprawled for leagues off to the right in the distance. It seemed as if they had ridden for an hour without ever passing the end of the city.

Amrithanna was a marker for the group. They stopped just after the northern edge of the city. It would be another few hours until the group reached Ilian, but they were close.

Alaric was nervous about his fate once he reached Ilian, but he was hopeful that it would be an adventure rather than a hardship. He smiled at the thought of being raised to a Lord. He would be given his own land and domain. He would rule over people.

As he thought about his work as a ruler, he realized that he would have to be a leader and care for people. That was not as fun a thought as he had fantasized suddenly.

“Alaric!” He heard a gruff voice call from behind him. Alaric to see Lord Moats waving for him to come.

Alaric slowed his horse to ride next to the heavy-set man. “Yes, Lord Moats?” Alaric asked. It was strange talking to a lord, especially the lord that was supposed to rule over his home land. He knew that Lord Moats had told him not to address the lord that way, but Alaric was also given no alternative.

“Young man, I told you not to call me that. Call me instead Darren. It is my given name. We must talk about the things that are going to happen once we reach Ilian.” The older man suddenly looked much older. It seemed that the grey in his beard had spread overnight.

“What is it going to be like?” Alaric asked calmly. At least he thought it was calmly. He had a lot of questions, but it was hard to think of what he needed to ask.

“You will not be able to refer to most other Lords and Ladies by their given names. You will only be allowed to speak if spoken to by any noble. You must bow to every noble that you come across. You cannot cross in front of a noble. We will go over table etiquette as well once we reach Ilian. There are many rules, but it boils down to sense and those few things.” Lord Moats said. A large, toothy smile crept across the man’s lips. “This will especially be important if you are raised to be a lord.”

Alaric shifted in his saddle. He didn’t like the thought of having such rigid structure. Being raised to a lord sounded like it gave too much responsibility. “Do you think that is what will happen? Will I be raised?”

The Lord’s grey eyes studied the young man. “I think that there is little doubt in any of our minds as to why we are taking you to Ilian. A Dragon Priestess doesn’t simply gather random young men off of the streets. They are the conduits of the ancient pact that men formed with dragons. Their position exists mostly just to gather new royal families. They make it seem all mystical, but I don’t believe that’s the case. I’ve never heard of them doing anything else.”

Alaric stomach was suddenly in knots. He left his home thinking that it would be some wild adventure with as a Monster Hunter. He didn’t intend to be stuck in puffy clothes and to live a boring life of legislation.

“Don’t worry, boy!” The large man chuckled and patted Alaric’s shoulder. “You’ll not be set to doing any of the tedious and boring work that a typical lord or lady does just yet.”

Alaric sat silently. It was a dream and a nightmare all in one. He spent time as a child dreaming of what it would be like to be a lord. They would take turns pretending with the other children in the village to rule for a day. He was older now. He knew that there was more responsibility than he was interested in. He wasn’t sure that he wanted to be a leader or to be responsible for the wellbeing of others. He was nothing more than a blacksmith. At least, he felt that way, even if no one else agreed.

“You’re being too quiet, boy. Always remember to speak when spoken to.” Lord Moats chuckled as he stared at Alaric.

“I’m sorry, Lord Darren. It’s just a lot to take in all at once. I didn’t leave home thinking that I would be some young Lord.” Alaric shook his head.

Lord Darren stared intently and quietly. “It is true that you have difficult things to face, but you are your father’s son. He was the best man that I ever knew. You’ll be just fine.”

Alaric looked at the lord sitting next to him. It wasn’t that Alaric thought of Lord Moats as a father, but how the lord acted acted like a father comforting a son that would soon face a dangerous challenge.

Alaric nodded. “My father is the best man that I know. He raised me right.” It was true. Alaric felt inadequate and unready, but he knew that he would be able to overcome it. He had always thought of himself as hard like the steel that he worked.

The pair sat mostly silent for the rest of the ride. Occasionally, Lord Darren would feel the need to mention another small detail here or there about the life of nobility that Alaric would soon enter.