| The Adventure Begins |
| Chapter Three |
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| While Corbin watched his brother�s sleep peacefully, he thought back to the day they�d left home. Only the previous evening, they�d returned from an afternoon of sparring to find their mother trapped under a horrible curse. Of all three, Kenton was the most effected by it. He was the youngest and still tended to cling to their mother when he was frightened. Added to that was the trauma of being the one to find her in the garden�turned to stone. Corbin sighed and looked over at Kenton. Curled up on his side, fast asleep, he looked even younger than his twelve years. The young man glanced across the fire at his older brother. While Emory had discovered Kenton�s stuffed fox their second day out, he had yet to find either the picture of their parents or the wooden top. He also had no idea that Corbin had brought along his journal. Emory had protested the presence of the stuffed toy at first, but his arguments had been quelled when Kenton had discovered that his oldest brother had brought along a toy of his own. Corbin still smiled as he remembered the embarrassed look on Emory�s face when the puzzle had fallen out of his pack. Since then no one had protested when Kenton brought Fox out to sleep with at night. It added comfort, not just to Kenton but also to his brothers. If he could still carry this small reminder that he was just a little boy, then maybe things weren�t as bad as they�d first seemed. Corbin looked up at the night sky and sighed. Tomorrow they would reach the capitol. He�d make sure they bathed and changed out of their traveling clothes before they went to palace. Looking as they did now, covered with days of road dust, they�d never make it past the front gate. �Emory,� he called softly. Instantly, his older brother woke up. Corbin smiled. �Your watch,� he whispered. Emory nodded and sat up. �Night,� he whispered, as his younger brother lay down in his own bedroll. Corbin nodded once and then closed his eyes. He was asleep a few moments later. *** Kenton moaned and stretched before opening his eyes. He blinked in surprise before remembering where he was and sitting up. �Morning,� he said softly. �Morning,� his brothers chorused. �You can go and bathe in the river over there,� Corbin instructed. �Put on clean clothes and then we�ll have breakfast.� Kenton made a face, but nodded. He pulled his nicest kimono and hakama out of his bag and trudged off to the nearby river. He had no idea why they had to dress up, but since he could see that Emory already was, he wasn�t about to argue. Kenton absently wondered how his oldest brother had reacted when Corbin had pulled the brush and ribbons out of his pack. He knew there must have been some discussion, since Emory�s hair had been brushed out and neatly tied in a topknot with a ribbon that matched his kimono. Meanwhile, Corbin was rummaging in his pack for a ribbon to match Kenton�s kimono. �What?� he asked, glancing up from his search. �I didn�t say anything,� Emory said defensively. Corbin smiled. �You�re scowling,� he pointed out. �What�s wrong?� Emory shook his head. �How much junk did you take with you?� he blurted crossly. �None,� Corbin replied evenly. �Everything I have is important for something, even if you don�t see what it is,� he added. �Whatever,� Emory grumbled, sitting back against a tree. Corbin chuckled softly, knowing he�d won the argument. He was still smiling when Kenton returned a short while later. The boy dropped his travel clothes in a pile beside his other things and settled himself on a log. �Here,� Corbin said, handing him a slice of bread that he�d warmed by the fire while he�d been bathing. �Eat that while I brush your hair.� �What�s it matter?� Kenton asked, ripping a piece off the bread and nibbling at it. Emory shrugged. �If we look like street urchins they won�t let us in to see Lord Silas,� he explained in a soft voice. �Oh,� Kenton said softly. Ripping another piece off his bread, he asked, �Think he�ll be able to reverse the spell that was placed on Mama?� �I hope so,� Emory sighed. Corbin nodded in agreement while he finished brushing Kenton�s hair and began to tie it back in a low ponytail with the ribbon he held. �Everything will be fine,� he said reassuringly. �Even if he can�t reverse the spell, he�s sure to know a way we can.� Kenton blinked in surprise and looked up at Corbin, as he stepped back over to his own bedroll. �Why�s Emory got a topknot when I don�t?� he asked, frowning in confusion. Emory grinned. �I�m done with my training,� he explained. �You�re still learning.� Kenton scowled and looked at Corbin, who shook his head. �He�s teasing you, Kenny. It�s just that he kept looking up at me while I did his hair,� he explained. Kenton chuckled and then began rolling his dirty travel clothes up so he could shove them in Corbin�s pack. At the same time, Corbin was carefully taking his own belongings and moving them to Kenton�s pack. �I�m ready,� Kenton announced, getting to his feet. Emory nodded and kicked out the fire. Corbin loaded their packs onto the horse and climbed up. After Corbin had pulled Kenton up behind him, Emory took the animal�s reigns and began leading it down the slope to the capitol. ** The boys had no trouble getting into the capitol and finding their way to the royal palace. However, the guard scowled darkly at them as they approached him. �State your business,� he said gruffly. Emory glanced at Corbin and nodded silently at him. His younger brother sighed and stepped forward. �I�m Corbin Brightmeadow,� he said softly. �These are my brothers, Emory and Kenton.� Emory regarded the man seriously, while Kenton looked nervously at his feet. �We have important business with the Lord Magician, Silas Greenmeadow.� The guard scoffed and shook his head. �Lord Silas has no time for conversations with boys,� he stated, turning to head back inside. �Please,� Corbin called, when he heard Kenton sniffle. The last thing he wanted was for his little brother to start crying. �It�s very important, or we wouldn�t be here,� he added. The guard turned to listen further and Corbin smiled hopefully. �Just tell him that we were sent by Aaron Greenmeadow, please.� The guard sighed deeply and waved them inside. �Wait here,� he said firmly, pointing to a low bench. Emory nodded and sat down, scowling darkly. Corbin sat beside him, watching his surroundings intently and Kenton sat on the end, scuffing his feet on the floor and generally looking very nervous. After a moment, he whispered, �Corey, I�m hungry.� �We�ll eat after we�ve gotten to see Lord Silas,� Corbin whispered back. Kenton nodded, but before he could say anything in reply, the guard returned with a light-framed man with straight dark hair. �Hello,� the man said cheerfully. �Sorry to keep you waiting.� Turning to the guard, he said, �Aaron�s my kinsman. Whatever brings these youngsters here must be important. He doesn�t usually call in favors like this.� �It�s our mother,� Emory started, getting to his feet. Master Silas waved a hand to silence the young man. �That can wait until after we�ve eaten,� he said gently. �You boys must be hungry.� Kenton nodded vigorously. �All I had for breakfast was a slice of bread,� he replied softly. Corbin blushed at his brother�s forwardness. �We were getting low on provisions,� he explained hastily. �Well then,� Silas said. �We�ll have to make sure you�re well provisioned before you leave, won�t we.� �That�s most kind of you,� Corbin said, bowing slightly. Silas smiled and shook his head. He led them back to his apartment, occasionally stealing glances at Kenton. When they arrive, he smiled at the youngest brother and pointed at a table that was already set with food. �Make yourselves comfortable,� he stated, kneeling at the table. Emory and Corbin knelt down opposite him and Kenton settled himself next to Corbin, with his feet pulled up under him. His older brother poked him gently and nodded to Silas. Kenton blinked and then drew his legs under him, so that he was kneeling as well. Silas smiled at Kenton again and set to eating with startling intensity. Although Emory would have liked to explain what had brought them there, the Lord Magician was completely focused on his food and seemed oblivious to the boys seated with him. Finally, the plates were completely empty and Master Silas wiped at his face with a napkin. Sitting back comfortably, he turned to Kenton. �So,� he said. �Have you had any training?� Kenton blinked in surprise, glanced at his brothers and then turned back to Silas. �No,� he replied honestly. �I only just found out that I am a magician.� Silas shook his head slightly and turned to Emory. �So,� he started. �Why�d Aaron send you?� Emory sighed and Corbin said, �He�s the elder of our village.� When Silas nodded in recognition, he continued, �We returned from sparring in the forest near our home nearly a week ago now, to find that our mother had been� turned to stone.� Silas frowned. �There�s a few different spells that can do that,� he said almost to himself. �Some are slow others are nearly instantaneous.� �This was fast,� Emory said softly. �We got Elder Greenmeadow and he said that he couldn�t reverse it, but that you might be able to.� �Our first day on the road,� Corbin added. �We were attacked by� these� shadow warriors. They were defeated easily enough, but we think they were sent by the same person who cast the spell on Mother.� Silas nodded thoughtfully and Kenton said, �After fighting with them, we found this on the ground where one of them had been standing.� He reached into his kimono and pulled out the small crystal. The magician looked at the crystal for a moment and frowned. �I know what this is,� he said finally. Turning, he held out his right hand and a book floated off of a nearby shelf and over to him. Taking the book, he began flipping through it. �This is a part of a statue and it tells me what kind of spell was used on your mother,� he said pensively. �If the person who cast the spell is trying to gather the pieces of the Oracle, it�s probably because that�s the only way to reverse the spell.� Looking up, he pointed at the page he�d turned to. �See,� he said and Kenton glanced over his shoulder. �The Oracle, when all nine pieces are assembled � I have a piece around here� someplace � will grant a wish. That�s the only way to restore you mother, I�m afraid.� The three boys looked dismayed and Silas� frown deepened. �You all are quite young to be trying to gather these pieces by yourselves,� he said firmly. �Well,� Corbin said softly. �When we set out, it was only to get here and seek your council,� he explained. Silas nodded. �If you aren�t opposed, I�ll go with you,� he offered. �Really?� Kenton said, his eyes lighting up. Silas grinned at him. �Sure,� he said. �It�ll give me a chance to get out of the palace � I�ve been cooped up here too much. Plus, it isn�t often I meet an untrained magician as powerful as you are, Kenton.� Kenton blushed and turned to his brothers. �With the Lord Magician accompanying us, we won�t have to worry about provisions,� Emory said reasonably. Silas shrugged. �I�d have to travel incognito, otherwise everywhere we go, people will come up and say, �Oh, Lord Magician, please help me with thus-and-such,�� he said, mimicking the voice of a distraught villager. �And I�ll have to tell them to go ask their own elder, that�s what they�re for.� Kenton giggled and Corbin grinned, while Emory just shrugged. �Still,� he said. Shaking his head, he got to his feet. �I�ll see to the horse.� As he left the room, Silas said, �That�s another thing. If I go with you we�ll have more than just one horse.� �We only had the one horse,� Corbin explained. The magician nodded. �Most families do,� he agreed. �I can�t ride on my own,� Kenton said shyly. Silas grinned at him and said, �You can ride with your brother, but I�m not walking.� Turning to Corbin, he said, �When do we leave?� Corbin blinked in surprise. He wasn�t used to grown men deferring to him, shrugging, he said, �It�s too late to start out now.� �Good point,� Silas agreed. �Make sure they prepare rooms for you for the night.� Corbin nodded and smiled gratefully; then turned and left the room. Silas frowned to himself and said, �I�ve got to find that crystal. I know it�s around someplace.� Kenton picked up his crystal and shoved it into the folds of his kimono again. Turning to Silas, he said, �Can� can I talk to you?� Silas looked up and nodded. �Sure,� he said gently. �What�s wrong?� Kenton sighed and said, �It�s just� since I found this crystal, I haven�t been sleeping too well. I � I keep seeing this big man with dark hair and a beard and cold hard eyes�� Looking up at Silas, he added, �He scares me.� The magician sighed and set a hand on Kenton�s shoulder. �Well, kid,� he said softly. �The man you�re describing sounds like Meltech. He�s an evil wizard and probably the one after you.� When Kenton nodded, Silas said, �He�s probably using his magic to try to find you. I�ll teach you how to block him� after I find that crystal.� �It�s over there,� Kenton said softly, pointed across the room to a trinket box sitting on a shelf. Silas frowned and walked over to it. Opening the box, he pulled out a small crystal, similar to Kenton�s. �Well, I�ll be�� Silas muttered. Looking up at Kenton, he added, �You can sense them.� The magician grinned. �That�ll make it a lot easier to find them.� He handed the crystal to Kenton and said, �Now I�ll teach you how to block Meltech�s probes.� Kenton nodded and sat down opposite the older man. Something about Silas Greenmeadow was comforting to him, probably the fact that he was a magician, like their mother. It made him feel familiar and safe and it made Kenton not feel quite so alone. The young boy listened as Silas explained how to block the probing from the evil wizard and smiled when he said, �It�ll be great to get out of the palace again. It�s awful being cooped up here with�� He broke off and smiled. �You don�t need to know about that.� Getting to his feet, he said, �Come on, let�s make sure the kitchen gets the provisions ready for us to leave tomorrow.� �Yes, Master Silas,� Kenton said shyly. Silas grinned and set a hand on Kenton�s shoulder. �I like hearing that from you, Kenny. �Master Silas.� You can call me that from now on,� he said. End of chapter three� |