High Sun, the longest day of the year. The town was
readying for the celebrations, hanging wreaths and decorating their houses for
the festivities. Several caravans full of spring produce had arrived earlier
in the day and the men of the town were helping unload. Some merchants had
arrived from deeper in the Empire, and some from across the Whitetooth
Mountains, from Goralon to the east.
It was said that one of the Emperor’s mythical sky citadels
guarded the pass from Goralon; a fortress in the sky. He would love to see one
of those someday; if they even existed. Tomrin, one of the other boys in town,
had said he had seen one once, but everyone knew Tomrin lied more often than
not.
Niala came running up the hill, out of breath. Keela jumped
up, knocking her down in a tangle of limbs and then began licking her face.
“Can we give it to him now?!” she asked Vanda, still giggling, rolling on the
ground with the hound. “Can we?”
“Give me what?” he said excitedly, sitting up.
“Your birthing day gift,” said Vanda as she sat up also.
She was almost fifteen, and tried to match the maturity of the older girls,
usually quite successfully. She was failing right now, however.
“You didn’t have to get me anything,” he said, with even
more excitement, but he didn’t really mean it. He was ten. Ten! It was a
special year, and he should get presents.
Vanda reached into the small rucksack they had brought their
lunch in. The adults were glad to send them on a picnic, getting them out from
under foot. She brought out a small item wrapped in a bright cloth and
presented it to Hoyle.
He opened it reverently, and saw a small silver firebird
earring. It had flecks of red stone for eyes and its wings spread as if in
flight. He was speechless. This must have cost Vanda all her chore money for
the past year.
“The merchant said it was a charm to keep one safe,” said
Vanda. “And mother helped out. She knows how much trouble you get into.” She
smiled as she said it. Her smiles lit up her face, and made others wants to
smile too. She had dark hair like his, but bright green eyes that sparkled.
“And it’s really pretty too,” added Niala, who was eight.
Hoyle looked at the hook on the end, and became
apprehensive. How was he going to wear it? It was supposed to poke through
his ear, but that was going to hurt. He turned to Vanda, who wore an earring
in each ear. She noticed his look, and took the earring from his hand.
“It only hurts for a second, and is sore for a day or two.
You have to make sure you wash your ear every day for a week, or it will get
rotten.” She instructed. “Agreed?”
“Okay Vanda, I will.”
“Promise.”
“I promise,” he said as solemnly as any ten year-old had
ever said the words.
“Which ear do you want it in?” Vanda asked as Niala sat up
in the grass beside them, looking on intently. She did not have any earrings
yet, their mother would not allow it.
“The left,” Hoyle decided, after thinking it through for a
short time. He often went to sleep on his right side. He gritted his teeth as
Vanda held his head steady and poked the earring gently against his ear to
position it.
“On three,” she said and started counting, “One... Two...”
And then a sharp pain shot through Hoyle’s ear as she pushed the hook through
his earlobe.
---o---
Hoyle woke to the large man tugging on the earring, causing
sharp pain to lance across the side of his head, “you said on three...” Hoyle
accused his sister, waking from the dream.
“Awake now are you?” Robart asked as he let the earring
go. He stalked to the water pitcher and poured more into the goblet he had
allowed Hoyle to drink from earlier. He walked back and splashed it in Hoyle’s
face. “There, that’ll help.”
“What was the question?” Hoyle asked groggily.
His only answer was a slap across the face. He could feel
blood running
readying for the celebrations, hanging wreaths and decorating their houses for
the festivities. Several caravans full of spring produce had arrived earlier
in the day and the men of the town were helping unload. Some merchants had
arrived from deeper in the Empire, and some from across the Whitetooth
Mountains, from Goralon to the east.
It was said that one of the Emperor’s mythical sky citadels
guarded the pass from Goralon; a fortress in the sky. He would love to see one
of those someday; if they even existed. Tomrin, one of the other boys in town,
had said he had seen one once, but everyone knew Tomrin lied more often than
not.
Niala came running up the hill, out of breath. Keela jumped
up, knocking her down in a tangle of limbs and then began licking her face.
“Can we give it to him now?!” she asked Vanda, still giggling, rolling on the
ground with the hound. “Can we?”
“Give me what?” he said excitedly, sitting up.
“Your birthing day gift,” said Vanda as she sat up also.
She was almost fifteen, and tried to match the maturity of the older girls,
usually quite successfully. She was failing right now, however.
“You didn’t have to get me anything,” he said, with even
more excitement, but he didn’t really mean it. He was ten. Ten! It was a
special year, and he should get presents.
Vanda reached into the small rucksack they had brought their
lunch in. The adults were glad to send them on a picnic, getting them out from
under foot. She brought out a small item wrapped in a bright cloth and
presented it to Hoyle.
He opened it reverently, and saw a small silver firebird
earring. It had flecks of red stone for eyes and its wings spread as if in
flight. He was speechless. This must have cost Vanda all her chore money for
the past year.
“The merchant said it was a charm to keep one safe,” said
Vanda. “And mother helped out. She knows how much trouble you get into.” She
smiled as she said it. Her smiles lit up her face, and made others wants to
smile too. She had dark hair like his, but bright green eyes that sparkled.
“And it’s really pretty too,” added Niala, who was eight.
Hoyle looked at the hook on the end, and became
apprehensive. How was he going to wear it? It was supposed to poke through
his ear, but that was going to hurt. He turned to Vanda, who wore an earring
in each ear. She noticed his look, and took the earring from his hand.
“It only hurts for a second, and is sore for a day or two.
You have to make sure you wash your ear every day for a week, or it will get
rotten.” She instructed. “Agreed?”
“Okay Vanda, I will.”
“Promise.”
“I promise,” he said as solemnly as any ten year-old had
ever said the words.
“Which ear do you want it in?” Vanda asked as Niala sat up
in the grass beside them, looking on intently. She did not have any earrings
yet, their mother would not allow it.
“The left,” Hoyle decided, after thinking it through for a
short time. He often went to sleep on his right side. He gritted his teeth as
Vanda held his head steady and poked the earring gently against his ear to
position it.
“On three,” she said and started counting, “One... Two...”
And then a sharp pain shot through Hoyle’s ear as she pushed the hook through
his earlobe.
---o---
Hoyle woke to the large man tugging on the earring, causing
sharp pain to lance across the side of his head, “you said on three...” Hoyle
accused his sister, waking from the dream.
“Awake now are you?” Robart asked as he let the earring
go. He stalked to the water pitcher and poured more into the goblet he had
allowed Hoyle to drink from earlier. He walked back and splashed it in Hoyle’s
face. “There, that’ll help.”
“What was the question?” Hoyle asked groggily.
His only answer was a slap across the face. He could feel
blood running
Similar Books
