Chapter One:
His Sword
Arroun was in pain, but he had dealt with pain before, and he knew it would pass. So instead he tried to reflect on how he got where he was, wherever he was. He sighed, this whole mission had gone wrong from the beginning, first he, his friend Harlac, and his dragon Rivendon had been sent to claim a silver dragon egg, that the ruler of the mountainous country; Tnyuih, whom they had just finished a long war, with, owed them as part of his surrender terms.
He had retrieved the egg along with a Sword of Power. They had then left. Almost at the border when they had been ambushed in mid-air, by a group of flying incectiods. After that…. well he was hanging from the ceiling with only himself, his two swords laying on the ground, the chains, his thoughts, a dim red light, and his pain.
These observations gave him little comfort, for he knew the tactics of abductors, or at least, the proper way to hold prisoners. Keep them separate so they can’t mutually plan to escape, take their weapons, obviously, and keep them in a powerless position. These musings again gave him little comfort. He was thinking of a way to get himself down, if I can break the chains with some hard icicles, then soften my landing with a cushion of air then I can probably escape. Also why leave me in my cell with my own weapons? Well that could only mean two things, one they plan to kill me, and….. Then he heard a harsh voice coming from the ceiling, metallic clicks, and the voice that chilled Arroun to the bone that said “I know.” Then a trapdoor opened down and for a moment bright orange light filled the dungeon. He shut his eyes while his eyes adjusted to the light.
“Well, well, well.” said the same voice that had caused Arroun to shudder. “Here is the great Arroun hanging before Me., defenseless and beaten. And how did he get here?”
“Well,” said Arroun loading his words with contempt. “A traitor named Darius ambushed me and my friends and dragged me down here, or up, or in, but that’s beside the point.”
Darius chuckled coldly “Well now Arroun you know me better than that. Tell me what you really think is going on here.”
Arroun frowned. He was seriously considering this statement, Well more of an order. Well if Darius is here, where ever here is, if those clicks were what I think they are, and of coarse since Rivendon and Harlac aren’t here. “Well if I’m right then you’re here to torture something out of me, more likely kill me, or just talk to me and plan an escape for me, but I know those days are long past.”
“Arroun I’m impressed, and yet disappointed. After all what value would you be to anyone dead?”
“None,” Arroun interjected. “And from that I gather that you’re here to torture me.”
“Exactly, except I am here to torture an allegiance out of you, and not information.”
“An allegiance, ha! You know. I’ll never swear allegiance to you or to Orudnan.”
“I thought so., and so, hence the point of torture.”
“And how do you plan to torture me, exactly?” said Arroun defiantly. “You know as well as me. I’ve been through more pain than a century has. And this room looks devoid of menacing equipment.”
“Well I have some new tricks up my sleeve now. Like this one!” he shouted as he jumped forward and punched Arroun in the sternum. But it wasn’t just that that hurt. He felt a tightening on his arms and calves and a creeping malice assaulting his consciousness.
He grunted in pain. And found the strength to speak. “So after all these years, you’ve been a wielder of Darkness.”
“Yes,” Darius said coldly, and then layering his voice with sarcasm. “I wonder however you guessed?” he twisted his hand now invisible in a cloud of shadow, causing the tensing to creep closer to his thoughts and mind. “Do you still think you can resist me, Arroun? When we both know that Darkness only has one weakness, and what is it?” The malevolence creeping ever closer, and the pain was getting worse.
“Light.” Arroun gritted through his teeth straining to keep back the pain. It kept coming, pressing, jamming, and weakening him. Darius was laughing, an insane and roaring laugh. And he knew he couldn’t fight back. He was fading. Everything was fading into darkness. Fading, fading, fading……………..
And then he woke up. In the cave were he first fined Rivendon’s egg, and where they first met. But instead of the egg lying there, there was a sword, a sword with a beautiful, blue hilt. Arroun approached it and un- sheathed it. The blade didn’t make a sound. It gleamed, sparkled and shone. The blade was made completely out of diamonds. It was a strait blade and instead of coming to the usual point, it came to a jagged point, like a piece of broken glass.
Then he heard a voice it sounded like Rivendon’s take it. Use it, Arroun. Its name is Finerrg. In means Bolt in my language. Save me and your friend. And get the egg!
Then Arroun woke up, but now he wasn’t hanging from the ceiling anymore. He was on the floor. And Darius was standing over him and muttering “How, how, how?”
“How did I not become evil? How did I get down?” He said. “By the power of Light, obviously.”
“But, Your dragon,”
“Is white, what? Did you not think that we wouldn’t wield Light as well?” answered Arroun. “Now it’s time to pay. Pay for you dark deeds, pay for your murders, and betrayals, and the lives you’ve taken.”
So saying Arroun spun towards Darius taking a low stance. “Now face me coward.” Arroun said with contempt. Darius had only one sword by his side. He drew it, and took a high guard, they bowed. Very formal, for two bitter enemies. Arroun thought. Darius attacked first slashing downward while lunging forward. Arroun didn’t cringe, but instead spun low and met Darius’ blade in mid swing. After that Arroun began a barrage of heavy blows and swift slights. Arroun knew they were both deadly swordsman, but Arroun also knew he had a tactical advantage, magic and up to this point he had neglected to use it. He began by throwing Darius one way against a wall and then again, he let up, air pressure can be deadly. As soon as Darius got to his feet he hurled a bolt of Darkness at Arroun. Arroun needed some practice with his newfound power of Light, so he flung a bolt of Light at Darius’ Darkness. That he knew had demoralized Darius enough to make him liable to surrender.
But instead of giving him anymore opportunities to cause trouble, Arroun then leapt a Darius holding his sword out in front of him planning to stab Darius through the heart. But at the last second Darius
Spun on the spot and vanished. Coward Arroun yelled after him. “Cowered! Traitor! Murderer!”
Arroun stop. Rivendon’s voice echoed in his head. He’s gone. There are more important things to do now anyway.
You’re right. But how do I get out of here?
Use your head! And use your sword! Or more accurately it’s power.
Right, I’m coming. Arroun turned around picked up his two swords. Slung them across his back, and then focused on Finerrg. Immediately he felt a power, a hot burning power, it raced up his arm and pulsed through him. He felt an urge, an urge to do something he didn’t expect, he said “Finerrg.” And the world transformed.
Right, Rivendon. Ready or not, here I come. Arroun said to himself.
Chapter Two:
Flight from the Mountains
They were flying. The air was cold and crisp. The noise was near overwhelming. But Arroun looked past all that and focused on trying to use his power of Air to create a tailwind, so they could fly faster. Harlac was holding tight onto his shoulders, and he could faintly hear the clank of the crossguard of his two swords on Harlac’s steel backed gloves. As they flew, Arroun reflected on the events of the past couple of hours they were, to him…………….unsettling. First they had been captured by one of Arroun’s previous friends, now enemy. Then the enemy in question, Darius, had proceeded to lock them all in separate cells, very far away from each other, and then had tried torture Arroun.
Then by some miracle Arroun had escaped from Darius’ painful influence, escaped his cell had fought an entire garrison of Minerrecks, and men, freed Rivendon, and Harlac. , then escaped to fly back to Clattrocttcea. Arroun was expecting an ambush as soon as they escaped, but he was disappointed. Apparently Darius was getting a little negligent in his old age. Then he had concluded since there wasn’t an ambush then eventually there was to be. He fully expected it to come at any moment, but of course an ambush isn’t an ambush if it’s expected.
They continued flying through clouds to take, in a manner of speaking, an invisible route. Arroun used his Air power to clear a clear air pocket to surround then were ever they flew, so that Rivendon could see, partially. He could feel the border of Tnyuih, anyone associated with magic or Dragons could feel the change of feeling when one passed from one country to the next. Then he could see it, a distinct rippling line that extended in a horizon of rippling, and swirling, colors. The color of the surrounding landscape, which wasn’t much, besides gray, white, black, the occasional green, and higher up blue and the white of the sun’s rays.
Arroun relaxed. Took a deep breath and let it out. “What?” Harlac asked. Of course Harlac couldn’t see the barrier. Not being associated with magic and especially not dragons, even though he had ridden with Arroun and Rivendon for several years.
“Nothing.” Arroun replied.
“Nothing? Ha! With you Arroun nothing isn’t nothing.”
“True, my friend. Oh, so true.”
They past through the barrier, and as they did Both Rivendon and Arroun shuddered as they past through. And they flew on, into the clouds, and back to Clattrocttcea.
* * * *
Later………….
The sky was dark, dark and spotted with little specks of light, which were the stars. The moon was large round and bright. Making the night sky look a dark blue, like Arroun’s eyes. When the three travelers had finally passed the last mountain, and flown over the foothills, it was dusk and the sky had turned a beautiful purple, orange, pink, and blue. The lush land they were currently in was Isteraind. Isteraind was a beautiful country all on its own, with its lush green forests, occasional plains, lakes and rivers. Its people were friendly, peace loving, and wise. Some people even called this land The Land of Peace and Learning. When ever Arroun heard that title he shared a silent chuckle with Rivendon, and thought that if they only knew what happened between the forests and the winds.
Only a Dragon or its Master could be so in touch with nature. Most people could never or would ever know the happenings of the conflicting elements. Unless they were told by a Dragon or its Master, but it was never the same. Now back to our story.
They had landed on a plain and camped by the edge of one of Isteraind’s famous woods where harmony was abundant. They had lit a fire and had settled into a quiet mood. Arroun was meditating trying to keep alert and watching for signs that might foretell of danger in their journey. Harlac was cooking a pair of rabbits, and Rivendon had flown off for a while to hunt. When he returned he was carrying a slightly charred haunch.
Arroun was still meditating long past dark, reaching out with all his power. He found an answer; it came from the sword Clebrager, the Sword of Shadows. Arroun then sank into deep thought. Blotting out the rest of the world, and Hanging his head between his hands he drifted into the mystery.
* * * * *
Later………………………again…………
Harlac was worried. He was in this state of mind for, by his reckoning, two hours. The reason for this is that; two hours previously when he had just finished cooking a pair of rabbits for he and his friend’s dinner. He had looked up from the fire to announce that the rabbits were done or something to that effect. When he had looked up Arroun was still, unmoving, and silent. And he had tried, in vain, to wake his companion.
“I’ve never seen him like this.” Harlac complained to Rivendon, Arroun’s Dragon.
“I have. He’s meditating.” replied Rivendon. “He must have found something worth knowing.”
“But is he still alive, will he come out of this?”
“Yes. He has done this before.”
“Really? Has he done this more than once before?”
“Yes. I remember thrice this happened.”
“Well, what should we do until he comes out of this meditation?”
“Rest. Sleep. Eat.”
And so they did. Harlac ate both rabbits, reluctantly, but it’s hard to argue with a Dragon. And with Rivendon’s assurances he laid down to sleep.
Much of the night had passed by the time Arroun finally awoke. But unfortunately for our heroes the reason for his sudden alertness was not benign. When Arroun awoke it was well past midnight. The fire was only smoldering coals, and from what Arroun could tell it was almost dawn.
“Well you’re up finally.” called Rivendon’s voice from across the camp. “Harlac was worried.”
“Hah. I’m surprised he was.”
“Well he was. And anyway what did you find?”
Arroun started to reply but, suddenly they heard a twig snap. Both there heads whipped around to the source of the sound. Arroun ran over to where Harlac was sleeping, and shook him into alertness.
“What’s going on?” Harlac blearily asked.
“I heard something unnatural.” Arroun replied hastily, while simultaneously packing hurriedly, and using his Air magic to wipe evidence of their being there.
“What did you hear?”
“A twig snap.”
“Oh, Arroun it was probably just a squirrel.”
That was when the soldiers came charging out of the woods. Harlac jumped immediately to his feet, not bothering to put on the rest of his light armor. He stood next to Arroun who had already drawn his two thin blades. When Darius came out of the woods accompanied by four bodyguards, dressed in black and bronze. Darius himself was armed in red, black, and gold, carrying a sinister poleax.
“Well if isn’t Darius again.” observed Harlac. “I thought we had lost you.” He said drawing his sword, while the eight other soldiers circled the trio.
“Well there you were wrong, boy.” Darius explained tauntingly. “I have far more power than I demonstrated in the prison. Why in just wit alone I have all three of you outclassed.”
“Darius, you’re being irrelevant,” Harlac cut in. “could you just get to the point?”
Darius scowled. He did not like being criticized even more so then someone younger than him. “You really annoy me, boy. Now I want my sword back.”
“Your sword!” Harlac burst out. “That black bladed sword?”
“No, not his sword,” Arroun had spoken the first time since the encounter began. “Clebrager isn’t your sword anymore Darius.”
“What?! Ha! It’s always been my sword.” From here Darius tried to summon his sword to his hand, but nothing came of it. He tried again and again, but to no avail. Darius rounded on Arroun. “What did you do?”
“It was not I. It was the sword. You should know as well as I that swords such as Clebrager have wills of their own.” Answered Arroun coolly. “I asked it its will earlier, and it told me how it used to belong to you. It also told me who it has chosen as its new master.”
“And who is that Arroun you?”
“No. It is someone who I believe you don’t know. And I’m not about to divulge. However it has agreed to aid me until we meet its chosen master.” And so saying Arroun sheathed his twin swords and summoned Clebrager to his hand.
Suddenly Darius let go of his self control and screamed “You will pay for this Arroun!” Darius then shrouded his hands in clouds of Darkness, and started throwing bolts at the trio. The soldiers taking Darius’ queue attacked. The three were ready for them however. Arroun had already proceeded to take his stance with the two handed, black bladed sword in his hands and, Harlac as well.
As the soldiers charged the group Arroun and Harlac slashed at their enemies. Unluckily for their opponents they were lightly armored, presumably for quick travel. They caught the first two in the gut. Harlac charged at one and severed ones lower arm before stabbing him through a weak point in his armor. Arroun himself took a slower strategy, allowing the soldiers to come to him and dealing blows to their shoulders and then either stabbing then or whirling and cutting through their chain mail and dispatching them. They easily killed the first eight, albeit not without some effort. By the time only Darius and his guards were left Clebrager was stained with blood. During this battle Darius had been throwing bolts of Darkness at the two warriors, only to be met with Arroun’s beams of light, and evaporate.
The other soldiers had been lightly armed with only swords and bows. Wearing only chain mail tunics along with braces and grieves. Which were no match for the strength and speed of the two warriors? But Darius’ bodyguards were more proficient and more heavily armed. “Harlac,” Arroun said to his young friend. “Stand back and let me handle this.” Harlac didn’t say anything he knew when to argue and when not to. Arroun held Clebrager in his left hand and in his right he conjured an orb of Air. Then throwing the orb at Darius, which he naturally tried to avoid, but just as his luck was progressing this morning, was too slow. As the ball hit a powerful concussive wave hit the men. Arroun took their momentary distraction to lunge. He flew through the air and spun in a wild attack. The blade of Clebrager was glowing from gore and dawn’s first light. Arroun quickly dispatched two of the remaining body guards with swift blows to one’s neck and an icicle to the other man’s chest.
The third man was taken by one of Harlac’s arrows. It had caught him in between the eyes. Then Arroun, Harlac, and Rivendon turned on the sole survivor, Darius. He had fallen to one knee from the effort of battle.
“So Darius what shall we do with you now?”
“I say we should just kill him here and now. Save us some trouble.”
“Ah, no Harlac. I understand the lingering effects of battle, but he may be of some use, but I think very little.”
“You’ll never get any thing out of me.” Darius proclaimed.
“Exactly, but Darius I do have a question for you, and I do think I will get an answer.”
“What is this question, then Arroun?”
“Why start acting up now? I mean why start warmongering, just as the war has just ended?”
“Hah! The war is not over Arroun. In fact it’s only begun.” And then Darius vanished, using his power of Darkness.
“I hate it when people say that. And I really hate it when Darius just vanishes like that.”
Arroun relaxed and surveyed the damage they had done. Twelve lifeless bodies lay around them. Including Darius there had been thirteen total. He should have known better than that. Arroun thought to himself.
“Well now what?” asked Harlac rhetorically?
“Now I think we should move the egg.” Arroun replied nonetheless. “Even though Darius said he was only after his previous sword. I believe he was also after the egg. After all both the sword and the egg were part of the agreement.”
“So where will we send it? I can’t think of any place in particular right now.”
“Perhaps you can’t but I can. In my opinion Daramal would be the ideal place. It’s right on our route and I haven’t seen Gartain in a while.”
Arroun then retrieved the egg from their bags and found an unstained patch of grass. Placed the egg on it and summoning his power of Light and Air willed it into a beam of light and directed it to fly towards Daramal.
“I didn’t know you could do that.” said Harlac aghast. “I mean turn something into pure light.”
“Neither did I.” agreed Rivendon, but in a way that suggested pride and confidence.
“We’d better start riding. I don’t want the egg to be alone for too long.” Arroun said in a tired voice.
Chapter Three:
The Egg
Arryanna was helping her father and sister start to close up the family tavern: The Crescent Moon. It was a well constructed building, built of oak and half built into a natural cave. There were two floors one was the dinning room, bar and fire place, the second was the guest house. Except half of it was also the family’s living space. It was situated in the edge of the town Daramal. It was a small town situated in a valley, in the middle of a mountain range. The town also was next to small lake.
The last few customers were just finishing their meals and Arryanna was serving the last drinks of the evening. Usually it was somewhat smoky from the hot fireplace, they burned cedar wood most often, and it gave the tavern a pleasant smell. Most of the costumers sometimes came in to just see Arryanna. She was a young girl, about 18 years old; she had black hair that shone like wet ashes. Her face was pointed and soft, her eyes were lilac making her unusual. But they were most times put off by her younger sister Yannalise. She had dirty blonde hair was somewhat short, but always energetic, she usually gossiped with her friends in the village when not working.
Arryanna was just going to the last table, these particular stragglers had been enjoying her father’s hospitality, in other words her father’s special brew, a bit too long, and so by this point of the evening they were a little forward. She knew how to handle situations like this, course she thought if they actually think I look pretty that might make matters worse.
As she was walking up to the table she could hear them whispering amongst themselves, “You ask her. No you. No you.” As she reached the table one of them stood up. This one in particular had been crushing on Arryanna ever since they were children. Arryanna never could figure out why, she didn’t see what he found in her black hair, usually pale skin, and oddly lilac eyes.
He said, rather nervously. “Hi Arryanna, I was wondering if you’d like…to…uhhhh……get some drinks.”
“I have your drinks right here.” she replied curtly, and with a straightened back, she walked back to the bar.
“Did William just ask you for drinks? Again?” asked her younger sister Yannalise.
“That boy never quits,” complained their father. He was a medium sized man, balding and raven haired like Arryanna, he was very protective of his two girls. He was also quite muscular from being a farmhand in his youth to being a champion in the entire village wrestling competitions. “Don’t look now but I think that their might be some trouble.” All their heads turned to see Will stand up rather abruptly, and then one of his companions as well, he then tackled Will. “Oh, boy. Here we go again.” said their father. “I hate it when this happens.” From there he entered into the fray, Saying “boys, boys, settle down.” the brawlers continued to brawl, but dragging their father into it. Suddenly he was feral, the few customers left were hurrying to the counter to pay and quickly exit, not saying a word but watching with nervous looks. They tried to exit but soon found themselves trapped between the bar and the brawlers, because a few more boys had jumped in.
Arryanna could see that her father was getting quite beat up. “Yan, go get help!” She told her sister. Yannalise then made a brake for the back door. Arryanna then tried to support her father by the only way she could, she cheered him on with the rest of the rioters. Then she had an idea, Grabbing the ash shovel + hitting + naughty boys= big ow. She hurried to the fireplace grabbed the shovel and then proceeded into the brawl. The boys had by this point already knocked down several tables and chairs, some diners had either entered the fray or were cheering. As Arryanna entered the cheering reached its peak. She hit two brawlers over the head and they hit the floor with a thud.
Before she could hit anyone else the door opened and a draught of cold air blew in. Then a silver light flashed, like a lightning bolt, but there was no crack of thunder after, just silence, for it seemed that everyone was frozen and all was silent for a brief moment. Then Arryanna’s father broke the silence with a loud laugh, soon all the guests were laughing as well. Arryanna couldn’t see what was so funny but she was still laughing.
Quietly Yannalise walked in the door, her coat wrapped around something, unnoticed she sneaked back to the bar and put the bundle behind it. Then as the merriment ended and all the guests left for the night and Arryanna locked the door, their father swept the floor and straitened the chairs and tables, and Yannalise wiped the bar, and then the goodnights were nearly said. Yannalise brought out her mysterious bundle, by saying “Wait! Look what I found.” Then with excitement she unwrapped shiny, silver.....…… thing. Arryanna couldn’t tell what it was, as far as she could tell it was about a foot and a half long, silver, egg shaped, and about six inches thick.
“I found it while I was out. I found this with it, but I didn’t read it.” Yannalise said as she handed their father a note.
As he read it his eyes widened slightly, in surprise. Then he hurriedly took the egg-thing from Yannalise’s arms. “Dad why did you do that?” She asked.
“It’s a nothing for you to worry about.” He said, almost casually, but his eyes said “I can‘t tell you”. “Now you girls need to get to bed,” he said, again with traitorous eyes.
The girls compiled, but looking at each other in bewilderment. They didn’t read eyes but they knew something was out of the normal.
“What do you think that silver thing was, Yan?” Arryanna asked her sister as they got in their beds that lay in a loft.
“I don’t know. An egg it looked like.” she replied silently. “I felt really weird holding it though. It felt like I wanted to give it to you, or like I was supposed to give it to you.”
“Really?” she asked.
“Yeah, but we’d better get to sleep before Dad catches us.” And so saying they both fell asleep, but not without thinking about the egg-thing, and what it actually was.
Chapter Four:
Family Life
Arryanna had had a pleasant nights sleep, although she had problems actually getting to sleep main because Yannalise couldn’t and kept talking to her in the middle of the night. As she got up she felt the chill that had crept into the room. Yannalise had already gotten up and gone downstairs into the half of the tavern that was their house. This part was in the cave. The cave was lined with wood boards and there was a natural tunnel that led into their pasture that was about fifty paces away from the front of the building.
Their pasture was several acres large and contained five cows, three horses, six goats, and a large flock of chickens that wandered around. But all the animals had to come back to the stable to sleep, and at this point in the morning the roosters were crowing; waking some of the sensitive guests. The horses were waiting patiently for their morning bundle of hay, They are so intelligent. Arryanna said to herself, she said this every time she saw them. Yannalise then came charging into the barn, saying, rather breathily “Morning Arry.”
Arryanna was always puzzled by how energetic she was. “Morning Yan.” she replied, half yawning, she was not a morning person.
“Well don’t look so chipper, Arry.” she said with a half pout face. Arryanna chuckled; Yannalise could always cheer her up. “Anyway we’d better feed the animals, so we can help Dad get breakfast going.”
“Right.”
And so saying they went to work, Yannalise went up to the loft to feed the cats, or to make sure that they had something to eat, and Arryanna went to give the horses their hay, and then to the goats, they always fed the pasture animals before letting them out., well minus the chickens, they were always roaming. The goats were bleating loudly, Yannalise had climbed down from the loft, had was letting the horses out, and as they realized their freedom, they ran out into the wild. Or semi-wild thought Arryanna as she fallowed them into the pasture. The air was clouded with fog, and mist. This was the way weather was during summer, fog in the morning, and either a clear bright day or clouds all day, and if there were clouds all day there was usually rain, but mostly only for the farms on the side of the mountain.
The mountain that Daramal was situated on was a strange one, it was not steep on it’s sides but a network of smaller slopes, the farmers over the generations had tilled these slopes to make them a network of plateaus, so including each farm on the mountain Daramal was more like a city, a very spread out city, but despite it’s solitude Arryanna was glad she lived in Daramal, it was quiet, calm, and when the weather was not clouded the sunsets were legendary, but only viewable if one climbed to the other side of one of the peaks, and looked out over the vast plains of Isteraind, but the weather wasn’t fine just bleak and ordinary.
Arryanna walked back into their house with Yannalise, and as they entered the tavern they realized that their father really needed some help with serving customers breakfast. Most of the food the served was eggs, pork, and beef. They also had huge stores of wheat, barley, and oats, for the horses of coarse. Arryanna always made bread, Yannalise usually served, and their father cooked, he would also hire older boys from town to help, he did this to make sure his girls were never overworked.
As they worked the boys came in only three, because that’s the most their father would hire at once. The boys names were Michael, Rupin, and Daniel, but every one just called him “Dan”. Michael was tall, he had brown hair, rather standard, brown eyes and was rather normal, and also one of the few boys in Daramal that wasn’t fawning over Arryanna. The reason for this was earlier in their childhood Arryanna had a crush on him but then ended in Yannalise blabbing this out in front of his face, thus ending the attraction.
Rupin was tall, broader and more muscular, he as a farmhand, only sixteen years old he had traveled to Daramal as a child, his hair was messy and a dirty brown, he had dark green eyes and had a solemn face from his experiences, but he was always cheerful.
Dan was a bit of a prankster and always ready to cheer someone up. He was the son their father’s best friend. He was slightly shorter than others and sixteen like Rupin, he had black hair cut short, an angled face and green eyes, again like Rupin. Many people speculated them to be long lost brothers.
Yannalise would always blush when they entered, particularly Rupin. This she did without fail everyday, today was no exception.
“Yan.” Arryanna said.
“Yeah?” she replied, rather airily.
“You’re blushing again.”
“I am not!” she retorted.
“I think you’re in love.”
“Am not!”
“Now, now girls don’t fight.” their father interrupted.
“Well she started it!” said Yannalise pointing at Arryanna.
“I don’t care, I’M ending it.” Arryanna chuckled in triumph and they got back to work. The boys severed the tables, and the customers at them, Yannalise while not tending the bar, had turned on her charm and was, as usual, trying to flirt with Rupin.
* * * * *
At about noon, Arryanna’s father came over to her, Probably to ask me to go get something in town. Ugh. Sure enough he said “Arry I need you to go into town and get some things.”
“Sure Dad, what do you need me to get?” she answered rather exasperatedly.
“Well we need some more flour, straw for the animals, oats as well, and more meat; beef.”
“All right, Dad.” Arryanna sighed.
“Arry what’s wrong?” He asked affectionately.
“Oh, nothing, well…….er……..I was wondering why you took that, um egg thing.”
“Arry you best be on your way.” her father said hurriedly.
“Right.”
As she left with a bag over her shoulder, she couldn’t help wondering, why her father was being so vague about that egg thing. I’m sure he’s hiding something, which makes me think it’s a dragon egg, but that’s impossible.
Then suddenly she heard another voice that was coming from inside her head, that said: No just highly improbable.
What? Who are you?
You’ll see in time, my dear friend. And then the voice was gone. Now Arryanna was really confused. First Dad is acting weird, then she hears a weird voice in her head. What is going on? She thought to herself. Its like I’m in some sort of fairy tale, or legend, that are only found in books, or something. As she went into town, she stopped thinking about the recent mysteries life had put in front of her, and started to look around town. The usual fog had lifted, the weather was very good if this happened. Arryanna loved Daramal, it was small enough to be peaceful, and yet large enough to be prosperous. Life hear was simple, and as complex as it got was the occasional summer storm that blew through and knocked down several trees, but this was purely normal for Daramal. It allowed the villagers to get wood easily, and kept their stores up to last all winter.
Another thing Arryanna liked about Daramal, was that everyone knew each other. When times were tough everyone pooled together to help.
As she neared her first destination,; the mill her thoughts turned back to the egg, thing, but she was soon lost in a conversation with Trapper, really his name was Aure, but as a boy he was so adept at catching animals. The name Trapper stuck.
