Orc and Bunny

Chapter 9 - The Call to Adventure

Tears spilled down Anne’s face as she remembered Commander Gareth. She remembered all the times he’d dragged her home after she’d run off into the woods. She remembered the impromptu lessons he’d secretly given her with the rapier after her official lessons had ended. She remembered the silly faces he’d sometimes pulled behind her father’s back while she was being lectured. She had always taken his presence in her life as granted but now he was gone.

She looked over to her father who was also kneeling at the memorial marker they had made for the Commander. His breathing was shaky as he held back sobs. His cane was laid at his side even though he no longer needed it.

It hadn’t taken long for Ansemoni to get annoyed with their pace through the darkened forest after their escape, so Belmoral had carried her father again after a while. The next day, the village magister had examined her father’s leg, and determined that he would be able to fix it, but the pain would be extraordinary. He went through with it, the screams were terrible, but he was told he would be able to walk normally with practice.

“Even knowing that my leg is perfectly fine, my hand still feels wrong without it,” he had explained to Anne when she asked why he was still using it, he then gave her a wry smile, “plus it makes me look like a distinguished gentleman.”

Anne scolded herself for getting distracted. She couldn’t remember where she had been so she began her prayers over again. She heard her father stand to his feet, wipe the debris from his knees, sit on the nearby log and sigh. Anne felt bad for abandoning her prayer at this point, but her aching knees were screaming at her to move.

I’ll come back and finish them properly in a minute, she promised herself and the commander.

She was wiping her knees off when she looked up to find Belmoral and her grandmother walking down the path to the secluded spot. Anne loved Granny Grunetha almost immediately, the kind woman told the most entertaining stories about far off places. She longed to see more of the world that they suddenly found themselves in, but she seriously doubted she could convince her father to allow it.

“Philipil,” Granny began, “please excuse us for intruding on your mourning ritual.”

Anne stifled a giggle. When Belmoral had introduced them, she had called her father Philipil, not understanding that her father had two names - Philip Hil. Apparently the Britomites didn’t use family names, so there had been some funny confusion at first .

“Granny Grunetha, please, I must insist that you just call me Philip, and you are not intruding, we were just finishing our prayers,” her father was smiling warmly at the woman and he gestured for her to join them, “please, have a seat if you like.”

“Ah, yes, Philip. I will get it one of these days. And you must call me Grunetha. I am only Granny to the children.”

“How may we be of assistance, Granny?” Anne interrupted them.

“Ah, Anne. I’m glad you are here, “ Granny said before turning to Anne’s father, “Just the person I wanted to talk to you about, Philip.”

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“I certainly hope Anne hasn’t done something wrong.”

“Goodness, no. She is a sweet, hard working girl. No, I have come to ask for you to allow her to join Belmoral on a journey.”

“A journey?” Anne’s ears perked up at the word, “Where to?”

“Anne, please,” her father scolded, “I am sure that Grunetha will explain in due time. Be patient.”

Granny laughed aloud at that.

“It is just that spirit and eagerness that I believe will help Belmoral in her journey.”

“And just where are you sending me off to, Granny? This journey is news to me as well.” Belmoral said with a long-suffering expression.

“As Philip has said, I will explain all in due time,” she turned to look up at Belmoral, “my dear, your talents are wasted here. You must go into the world and find your place in it. It isn’t in this village, and I don’t think it is even on this island. Anyone can see that.”

“I’m not sure I see it. What about your health, Granny?”

“Stop worrying about me, I’ll be fine. After all, I’ll have Philip here to keep me company,” with that, Granny put a hand firmly on her father’s leg and winked at him. His spine went ramrod straight and his face went beet red. He promptly cleared his throat.

“Belmoral, I will happily look after your grandmother, you don’t need to worry about that. I owe both you and her a great debt of gratitude for lending us your aid in our time of need.”

“Fantastic!” Granny exclaimed, “now we just need to get Anne ready to go with her.”

“While I wouldn’t mind going with Belmoral on her journey,” Anne’s heart raced at the thought of the two of them going on an adventure alone, “I don’t think my father would agree to something like…”

“I accept your offer, Grunetha,” her father interrupted.

“What?!” Anne exclaimed, jumping to her feet.

“Anne, just as it is time for Belmoral to find her place in this world, I believe it is also time for you to do the same,” her father looked at her with a firmness of purpose that she had never seen in him since her mother had passed, “And I’ll certainly feel more comfortable with someone sensible and reliable like Belmoral at your side. She’ll temper some of your impulsiveness. I haven’t known her long, but I can see the strength of her character clearly.”

“What about you, won’t you need help?”

“Anne Hil, I did not need your help before my leg was healed, and I need it even less now it is healed. You have not begun to see what I am capable of.”

Anne winced at the tone of his voice. She had forgotten that he was sensitive about needing help.

“I’m sorry, father, I didn’t mean…”

“I know,” he said softly, “please, forgive my outburst.”

“I…”

“Well then, since everything is settled,” Granny piped in happily, “I’ll be stealing Anne from you, Philip. There is much preparation to be done.”

“She is all yours, Grunetha, make sure she is well prepared for what’s to come.”

“She’ll be as prepared as my own granddaughter, if not more so, once I’m through with her,” she called back happily, pulling Anne and Belmoral behind her out of the secluded area. Anne could hear her father chuckling to himself about headstrong women.

“I still haven’t agreed to anything,” Belmoral tried to complain, but just like that it was decided, Anne and Belmoral would be leaving the village.

Anne went to sleep that night with thoughts of grand adventure filling her head.