by Wark, RM
“The last one – all the way in the back.”
Talia led them to the last stall and slowly opened the door to reveal a large grey mare and her little black and grey foal. The foal eyed his visitors cautiously and stayed close to his mother.
“It is all right, Gretta,” Talia said softly to the mare. “We shall not disturb your baby; we just wanted to show Fallon his birthday present.”
Fallon turned to Talia, his eyes wide with excitement. “You mean to say the foal is mine?”
“Aye! And I kept the secret for two whole weeks,” Zeke reported proudly. “What shall you name him?”
“Attawan.” Fallon heard himself answer without even hesitating. He had no idea where the name had come from – it just rolled off his tongue.
“I like it,” said Talia. “Attawan,” she repeated in a whisper.
The children were so enthralled watching Gretta and Attawan that they failed to notice when Jonas, Elizabeth and Tobias entered the barn.
“Are you pleased, son?” asked Tobias.
“Aye. He is a beauty. Thank you,” said Fallon, his eyes still focused on the young foal.
“We shall take good care of him for you while you are gone,” said Elizabeth.
It was a cruel reminder that Fallon’s destiny was leading him down a path he had not envisioned for himself. “Can I not take him with me?” protested Fallon. “I might need a horse.”
Tobias spoke softly to his son. “Perhaps, but he is young yet. He needs more time with his mother. Have you given him a name?”
Fallon started to answer but Zeke was quicker. “Attawan. And what do you mean, when he is gone? Where is Fallon going?” The young boy looked up at his father.
The adults exchanged quick glances, but for the moment no one answered Zeke.
“Is Fallon going somewhere?” asked Talia, who was equally confused by the conversation.
“Let us go back to the house and let the horses alone,” Elizabeth suggested. “There is much to discuss.”
“Is it about the mark?” asked Zeke.
Tobias nodded.
*************
Zeke did not take the news well. Tears began falling from his eyes as his father explained that Fallon must leave them, that he had a special job to do and needed special training – training that he could not receive at the farm in Littlebrook. Talia remained quiet, but she was obviously shaken by the news as well. She stared down at the table and bit her lip.
“I shall return as often as I am able,” Fallon assured his brother, though he did not know how often that might be.
“You promise to return for my birthday?” sniffed Zeke. “I shall turn six this year.”
“Even if I must sneak away from the Steward!” This boast from Fallon brought a smile to Zeke’s face.
“Aye, all right – you may go,” said Zeke finally, not understanding that Fallon would be leaving with or without his blessing.
“Thank you, Zeke,” said Fallon as he ruffled his brother’s hair.
Zeke remained behind with Elizabeth as Tobias and Fallon said their good-byes. “I shall return tomorrow,” promised Tobias.
But without Fallon, Zeke thought, wiping his tears away.
*************
It would take a good part of the day to reach the Village Square – especially with old Sadie carrying two riders along the hilly terrain. Tobias started off at a slow pace – in part because he did not want to tire out his horse – but also because he wanted to enjoy these last few hours with his oldest son before everything changed.
As they rode along in silence, the terrain gradually changed from rolling hills to land that sloped gently downwards towards the center of the village. Sadie found the ride much easier now and the pace picked up a bit. After a few hours, they stopped for lunch. The rolls and cheese that Elizabeth packed for them were quickly devoured, and words between a father and son were finally spoken.
“Your mother would have been proud, Fallon. It grieves me that she is not here to see what a fine young man you have become.” Tobias’s voice cracked a little as he remembered his wife. “She would have been amazed that a son of hers was marked to be the next Steward of Reed. But she would not have been surprised; she always said her boys were special.”
Fallon smiled and tried to remember his mother. She was beautiful, with dark hair and the bluest eyes. He remembered her always laughing, even after the sickness took hold. Though his mother always seemed tired and weak after the birth of Zeke, somehow she still managed to smile. One day, his mother complained of a sore throat and a fever and went to bed early. She never woke up.
“I cannot remember if I told her I loved her that night,” Fallon lamented aloud.
“Even if you did not speak those words that night, she knew it to be true. And she loved you – both of you.”
“It is a shame that Zeke has no memory of her.” His brother had been just barely a year old when she died.
“Aye. But she was happy she lived to see his first steps and hear his first word,” Tobias said.
“Hiya!” Fallon smiled remembering the word that Zeke repeated over and over to anyone who would listen.
They were quiet for some time before Fallon spoke again. “Father, do you know Steward Isaiah?”
“Aye,” his father replied. “When the Plague took the life of my parents – your grandparents – as well as Steward Isaiah’s wife and many other Reedites, a memorial service was held near the old oak tree in the Village Square. We lit a candle for the departed and said a few words in remembrance of them. Steward Isaiah made a point to speak to each of us afterwards.”
“What did he say to you?” Fallon asked.
“His words were kind,” Tobias recalled. “He said I was far too young to have suffered such a loss, but that I must stay strong, that I needed to take care of my sister Rebecca. I believe his children were of similar ages, so I suspect he took pity on us in particular.”
“How old were you?”
“I was seventeen; Rebecca was but thirteen. It was especially difficult for her.”
Things made more sense now. The relationship between his father and Aunt Rebecca had always been strained; it must have been hard to lose their parents so young, and to have Tobias suddenly in the role of a guardian. Fallon hoped he would never have to do that for his own brother, Zeke. Then it occurred to him that the Steward of Reed is the guardian for the entire village. The thought terrified him. What if I am not a good Steward?
They started back on the road. It was an uncharacteristically clear day (the Village of Reed always seemed to be cloaked in fog or mist) and the downward-sloping terrain allowed them to see quite far. As the Village Square appeared in the distance, Fallon was gripped with a growing sense of panic. He knew his life would never be the same.
*************
As Isaiah’s father had done sixty years prior, Tobias knocked on the Council Chamber door and spoke to the man who answered. “Hello, I am Tobias of Littlebrook. This is my son Fallon. We have come to see the Steward.”
“The Steward is occupied at the moment. What is the purpose of your visit?” inquired the doorman.
“Today is my son’s 13th birthday. He awoke this morning to find his chest marked.”
With those words the man’s eyes grew wide and he ushered them both inside the entry hall. “Please wait here. I shall find the Steward.” The man disappeared through the double doors that led to the inner chambers.
Fallon and Tobias sat in the same uncomfortable chairs that Isaiah and his father had all those years before, but this time the wait was not long. The Council of Elders had been called to a special meeting that day to discuss recent reports that Komanites had been spotted near the northeast part of the village. It had been a particularly long winter and there was concern of an imminent raid.
Steward Isaiah emerged from the double doors. He smiled at Tobias and Fallon.
“Hello Tobias, I hope you have been well.”
“Aye, Steward. And I yo
u.”
“I see your sister Rebecca every now and again.”
“Aye, she lives in the Square; her husband Charles runs the fabric shop on the east end.”
Isaiah nodded and turned his attention to Fallon. “Hello, Fallon, I am Isaiah. I have been waiting for you. There is much I shall teach you, and so much more for you to learn.”
Fallon’s “hello” response was barely audible as he shook Isaiah’s hand.
Isaiah smiled. “I must tell you how delighted I am that you are here, Fallon,” he said. “You understand that your apprenticeship must begin immediately?”
“Aye, sir, I understand,” replied Fallon. With courage that surprised him, Fallon made his plea. “I know it is only a few months away, but if you permit, I would like to take leave at the end of Heptuly; I promised my brother Zeke that I would not miss his birthday.” Fallon was nervous to hear the Steward’s response; he did not know what he would do if the request was denied.
“Of course,” said Isaiah with a warm smile, “though I ask that the visit be short. There is much for us to do, and there is not much time.”
Relieved, Fallon smiled brightly and nodded in response.
“Now, please say your good-byes to your father and join me when you are ready.” Isaiah shook Tobias’s hand and walked back to the double doors.
Tobias hugged his son. “Be good, my son. We shall see you in a few months.”
“Aye,” Fallon replied. “And you shall take care of Attawan?” He had not forgotten about his birthday present.
“Of course,” Tobias said. “I love you always, son.”
“I love you, too.”
After Tobias left, Fallon turned back to Isaiah, who had been patiently waiting on the other side of the entry hall. He walked towards the old man and together they entered the inner chambers.
*************
It is unfortunate that very few Reedites have ever seen the Council’s inner chambers, for it is one of the more stunning spaces within the village. The floor was adorned in a beautiful mosaic tile unlike anything Fallon had ever seen. There were no windows, but the walls were lined with bookshelves, maps, and works of art from faraway places – all things that intrigued Fallon’s young mind. But it was the ceiling that really captured Fallon’s attention. Large wooden beams crisscrossed the circular ceiling in a wheel spoke pattern, with an enormous candelabra hanging from the center. In between each of the beams were the most beautiful pieces of stained glass lit up in various shades of blue, yellow, green and red by the fading sunlight outside. As he began to study the glass more intently, Fallon’s thoughts were interrupted by Steward Isaiah’s voice.
“Fallon, I would like to introduce you to the Council of Elders. These invaluable souls provide much needed guidance with regard to the safekeeping of this great village.”
Fallon had learned about the Elders in school, the group of eight men and women – all over the age of fifty – who provided counsel to the Steward regarding the village’s affairs. He turned his attention to the semicircle of wooden desks before him.
“Hello,” Fallon said quietly.
“Hello,” each of the Elders echoed in response.
Steward Isaiah began making introductions. “Starting at the left we have Elder Tomar, Elder Lydia, Elder Jacob and Elder Catherine.” Skipping over his own desk he continued, “And to the right we have Elder Anne, Elder Peter, Elder Theodora and Elder Graham.”
Although all the faces before him were friendly and smiling, Fallon was intimidated. He felt immediately that he was being judged, and he shifted uncomfortably as he stood next to Steward Isaiah.
“Fallon, please remove your shirt so we may behold the mark,” the Steward directed. In accordance with tradition, the mark had to be verified by the existing Steward and sitting Council of Elders before any training could commence.
Fallon obeyed Isaiah and unbuttoned his shirt, holding it open to reveal the mark. Almost immediately the room filled with gasps and the Elders began whispering vigorously to one another.
“Is something wrong?” asked Fallon, noticing the Steward was now frowning.
Isaiah did not immediately respond and seemed deep in thought as he studied the mark upon Fallon’s chest. At last he spoke. “Thank you, Fallon, you may button your shirt now. Would you please excuse us and wait for me back in the entry hall? The Elders and I have important things to discuss.”
Fallon was confused, but he obeyed Isaiah and headed through the double doors back into the entry hall, sitting down in the uncomfortable wooden chair once again.
CHAPTER THREE
The Debate
Elder Lydia was the first to speak when Isaiah stepped back into the inner chambers, closing the double doors behind him. “That is not the mark of Reed, no matter how similar. Fallon cannot be our next Steward,” she remarked firmly.
“Aye, was not a precedent for this already set with the twins?” added Elder Tomar, eager to impress the others with his knowledge of the village’s history.
“That was a long time ago and a completely different situation, and I seriously doubt the actions of the Council were meant to be precedent-setting,” retorted Elder Anne, the oldest member of the current Council. “Fallon is already so late in coming, I fear that waiting for another marked boy – one who may not even exist – is not a luxury available to us.”
“What twins? And what do they have to do with Fallon?” In her short tenure, Elder Catherine had not yet learned this bit of lore and was confused by the direction of the conversation.
Elder Graham knew the lore of the twins and ignored Elder Catherine’s question. “Elder Anne has a point. Besides, the mark is not all that different, it is just a bit more… symmetrical,” he noted. “Perhaps it is a sign that changes are nigh.”
“Nothing good ever comes from change,” Elder Peter said sharply. “I do not like this at all. I agree with Elder Lydia. Fallon is not our next Steward.”
Elder Jacob remained silent, still mulling things over in his mind.
Elder Theodora also said nothing, though it was clear from the expression on her face that she was troubled.
Steward Isaiah, who had remained standing in the center of the room all this time, also refrained from joining the debate. Perhaps to give himself more time to reach a decision about Fallon, he proceeded to answer Elder Catherine’s question concerning the twins.
*************
Steward Isaiah turned towards Elder Catherine and started to explain. “The situation we have found ourselves in today is not entirely unique in the history of the village. About five hundred years ago, Steward Elijah and his Council of Elders were faced with perhaps an even more unusual circumstance. Unfortunately the Great Fire destroyed many of the Council records from that time, but Steward Elijah’s personal journal provides a few references to this particular event. His journal speaks of identical twins, Soren and Seth, born to Sebastian and Eleanor, of Corning I believe.”
Steward Isaiah turned to Elder Peter at the mention of his birthplace and Elder Peter nodded in confirmation of this fact.
“On the morning of their 13th birthday, both boys awoke to find themselves marked. Soren’s mark was exactly as mine appears today, but Seth’s was slightly different.”
“Slightly different, how?” interrupted Elder Catherine.
“That I do not know. The journal entry does not say,” conceded Isaiah.
“Perhaps Seth’s mark resembled the mark upon Fallon’s chest?” Elder Catherine ventured.
“Perhaps, perhaps not,” answered Isaiah. “Sebastian brought both boys to the Council that day, and the Elders debated at length. It was eventually agreed that Steward Elijah would start to train them both. In the meantime, a messenger was sent to Lady Delia – that would be Lady Dinah’s mother – to request a meeting regarding the situation.”
*************
Although she had never met her, Elder Catherine was familiar with Lady Dinah. She was one of the Western Wizards –
one of the few remaining anyway – who took refuge in the village during the Second War of the Wizards. It was the aftermath of that visit which still haunted Elder Catherine. In retaliation for providing refuge, the Eastern Wizards unleashed a terrible plague upon the village. For months the villagers lived in fear, afraid to leave their homes, afraid to tend to the sick. So many innocent people died, and they died in so much pain.
She remembered working with her father, one of the village physicians, in a desperate attempt to heal the sick. She remembered the anguish on the faces of the dying and the faces of their families. She remembered rushing from house to house; she remembered many a sleepless night. Alas, all of their tireless work was for naught – of all the sick that she and her father and others had tended to, not a single one survived.
Many villagers blamed Lady Dinah for the Plague, and they privately blamed Steward Isaiah as well for providing shelter to her and the other wizards during the height of the War. These are things left unspoken in certain company.
*************
Lord Cephas frowned. “Your accent is much improved, but you still have the look of an Easterner about you.”
“But I am an Easterner, my lord,” replied Wendell, taking care not to sound too annoyed by the observation.
“We must purchase some new clothes for you in the West,” replied the Lord, ignoring his servant. “I shall take that from your allowance, of course.”
“Aye, my lord.” Having been a faithful servant for the better part of twenty years, Wendell knew better than to argue. “How far must we travel?” he asked after a while. He had never been to the Western Territories, and was somewhat anxious about the upcoming trip.
“Far. You shall see the shores of the West Samora Sea before the journey is through.”
Wendell had not studied the maps and was not familiar with the geography, but he nodded anyway. “And for how long shall we be gone?”
