----------------------------------------
Chapter 14
When a bright evening came to blanket the cliffs, the road had leveled out. They came across one of the mountain’s many narrow valleys. Trees, tall and thin, grew outward from the path until they reached the steep stone faces that stood like walls around them. It was pure wilderness. Yet, there was a strange coziness about the confines of the vale. As if they were inside a cavernous house and its ceiling was a brilliant array of stars.
It seemed, at their height, the sky glistened like morning dew. And, the light afforded to them had washed the woods with an ivory glow. Even the shade hardly had a presence here. The birds sang late into the night and stopped only when the owls chose to begin. All around them were bundles of vibrant flowers that looked to have recently sprouted.
Interestingly enough, Leland’s aim to make camp had coincided with their arrival at a swell in the path and a dipped elbow of land beside it. It was a clearing made for weary travelers in their search for repose. That much was obvious to him as Leland had passed this place on the way to Angoulet. However, while it had been empty the first time, this night proved quite different.
As their wagon rolled onto the edge of the path, Leland, Ezabel, and Dani looked down into the dip. There were a handful of healthy campfires that sprayed a wall of orange across the leafy canopy. Wagons of various sizes were parked in a way that followed the tree line. A common practice as they shielded the camp from the woods.
Of course, none of that had gripped Ezabel and Dani quite like the people that stirred in the clearing and around the fires. A quick glance saw twenty, maybe thirty individuals that worked, ate, laughed, and rested there. The last crowd they had been a part of was not so joyous. Fortunately, it was time that they also made camp. So, the two grew in excitement as their wagon rolled carefully into the dell.
At once, the light shifted in their descent and revealed a row of stone edifices across the near cliff face. They were a kind Ezabel had never come across, yet their lofty poise found her in awe. Great portions of rock had long since gone from their walls and left vast openings where the moon could not reach. She only gazed upon them for a moment, but already knew that the realm’s history no longer kept them in mind.
A thin line of trees separated the denizens of the clearing from the old ruins. And, the wagons only made it easier for them to forget they were there at all. That is, if they had any interest in their existence to start with.
°°
String tunes filled the campgrounds and were played by a quartet of minstrels that wandered between fires. They had done so ever since Ezabel’s company had arrived and they continued to do so as they finished making camp. Although, it was worth noting that Leland had done most of the work while his companions looked on into the rest of the site. This type of roadside fellowship was common in the summer, especially in the areas surrounding Melle. The selection trials were the pinnacle of celebration in the realm and saw that most everyone flocked to the capital. Merchants above all. This lot was agreed to be very much the same.
The women gazed down the wagon train. Several had been partially deployed to reveal the wares of their respective vendors. And, the people of the camp often walked about each one with curious eyes. More notably, a larger wagon at the center of the line had opened in full. Great barrels protruded off one side. Naturally, it wielded a denser concentration of people; they leaned against wooden, standing tables that were set before it. Many mugs of ale were spread throughout them. Altogether, it was a warm and cheerful evening. One that Ezabel could not help but want to be a part of.
With a careful hand, Leland nursed their fire to life. When it was ready, his gaze lifted onto Ezabel and Dani, who stood a few steps away. They were slow and in the middle of fetching nearby sticks but were entirely distracted by their neighbors. So, he tossed an extra log into the fire and sighed.
“Relax, you’ll have plenty of time to walk the camp.”
“We will?”, they turned in unison.
“Only if you sit and eat first. We won’t even get down the mountain on an empty stomach, nevermind the capital.”
Without a wasted moment, he gestured for them to take a seat across the fire. Bread and dried meat eventually found their way into their hands. And, while Benny’s ration offerings were not at all terrible, they were a depressing consolation compared to the aromas that blew in their direction from the rest of the camp. To Ezabel’s best guess, it was the remnants of some sort of stew. Hot and filled with meat. Unfortunately, that meal had long since finished and only the residual smells of empty bowls remained. Barely a piece of her own meal had been eaten and already her eyes wandered.
Dani had been studying her spellbook with much concentration. Never once did she turn the page, which itself was the same one that had been shown to Ezabel when they fixed Benny’ stove. With one hand, she picked away at her bread while the other traced the lines of the spell circle she had referenced.
“How long have you been practicing?”, Leland asked through the fire.
Dani perked up, having nearly forgotten where she was.
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!
“Six years. I was fifteen when I started.”
“Makes sense.”
“What does?”
“The spell circle you made back there. It was correct all the way through.”
“But, it was just a basic heating spell.”
“You’d be surprised at how many new recruits struggle at it. - They all think that a knightstone is only good for making you stronger or faster.”
“Isn’t that what it does?”, Ezabel interjected.
Leland turned his eyes her way and took a bite of his jerky. Then, he leaned back until his elbow rested against the log below him. He had left the question unanswered until it fell moot.
“This is as good a moment to start as any, I guess.”, he stated. “What do you think an Attendant is, Ezabel?”
The question was not entirely world changing, but it certainly took her by surprise. She had spent her life daydreaming about the stories she read time and time again. Yet, never once did she ever consider this. Of course she knew what an Attendant was, right?
“An Attendant is a hero. - Each one I’ve read about had gone on a grand adventure and became a legend that everybody recognizes.”
“And you, Dani?”
“Talented knights with mastery over spellcraft. They can weave magic and bend it to their will as easily as breathing, right?”
There was a chuckle out of Leland’s lips. It came softly from behind the flames and would have been inaudible if one did not look his way. Both women had done so, however. They leaned slightly forward at his dismissal of their respective answers. In fairness, Leland had heard similar responses more times than he could count. In fact, it would not be entirely wrong to assume that most of the realm held similar beliefs.
“No.”, Leland answered. “There may be truth in what you’ve heard about the Order until now, but reality is much more simple. You both are about to take part in an important time in the realm, so it’s vital that you understand this: ..”, he sat forward with elbows against his knees and took a short breath. “..an Attendant Knight is a servant.”
“To the king?”, Ezabel asked.
“The Order answers to the old man, yeah. But, that’s not what I meant. - We are servants to the people. We go where they need and push back against the struggles they face. We tend to the well being of all Ardyn, hence the name.”
“Attendant..”, Dani uttered the word in deep thought.
“If you lose sight of that, your feet will be taken out from under you and you'll never join the Order.”
At that moment, Leland had grabbed their attention in full. There was gravity in his words that fell without warning. They struck like lightning and found the women reconsidering their earlier answers. He had not doubted their resolve, only their foundation.
“But, I’m sure you’ll figure it all out in the end. I am your sponsor, after all.”, he smiled.
“Sorry for blackmailing you with your own sweet bread.”, Dani muttered.
“Y-yeah. But, thank you for believing in us.”, Ezabel added.
“Don’t mention it.”
Amidst all of that, he had returned to a laxed seat. There was no backrest on the log beneath him, yet he somehow found a way to lean back. Funny enough, had neither of his companions met him before, he would have seemed just like anyone else that made camp here. His height and build were distinguishable, but his posture and demeanor fell more in line with the average merchant than it did with an Attendant. - Ezabel gazed over.
“Why did you become an Attendant, Leland?”
It did not show on his face, but her question brought him a small degree of surprise. Until now, Ezabel had seemed distracted by the camps beside them. There was a small portion of her conduct that made her appear disinterested. Her constant need to look over every few moments had told him as much. So, when she fixed her attention to their own group, he smiled; it was not often that he found relief in being wrong.
“Not too sure if you’d want to hear this.”, he chuckled. “My story isn’t as good as those books of yours.”
“But, you’re a captain! You don’t look it, but you must be super skilled!”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”, there was a tinge of irritation in his voice, but it was short-lived.
“C’mon, why did you become an Attendant?”
“You won’t quit asking until I answer, huh?”
He huffed and gave Ezabel a look that said ‘Fine.’, to which, she nodded in satisfaction.
“I lost a bet.”
Their brows furrowed in unison when his words settled. Ezabel and Dani exchanged a brief look, only to return their puzzled faces toward him.
“Not very exciting, is it?”, he continued before they could pry. “But, I’m not the one that is about to take on the selection trials. It’d be better if you asked yourselves that same question. Why do you want to become Attendant Knights? - Dani?”, he questioned her first.
She turned her gaze aside that very moment and followed whatever it happened to land on. There was a man wiping tables and another that adjusted the wheels of his wagon. Neither were enough to sidetrack her thoughts. So, she sat upright and answered with a hint of reluctance.
“I want to join the Iris Brigade. Everyone says that Captain Niles Heede can design a spell circle for any occasion. He even created a spell that widened the mouth of the Amber River so more ships could pass. - I hope to study under him.”
“That’s great, Dani!”, Ezabel exclaimed. “Captain Niles sounds so dangerous, like an ancient sorcerer, or a dragon of old!”
Leland took a sip from his waterskin and nearly spat it out. He swallowed after a moment but still allowed a laugh to escape.
“W-what?”, Dani asked.
“Niles the dragon.”, Leland wiped his lips. “That’s a good one.”
“Isn’t he your peer? Why are you laughing?”, Ezabel questioned.
“My bad, my bad. - Yes, he’s good at what he does. Let’s hope you get to where you wanna’ be, Dani.”, he gave a nod of certainty. His eyes then shifted and stared intently. “And, you? Why do you want to become an Attendant, Ezabel?”
Stillness fell upon her mind and body. Whereas she was roused before by Dani’s aim, she now retreated into the recesses of her mind. For better or for worse, it was there that her answer resided. She only needed to look through once more.
----------------------------------------