Legon interrupted. “I know. I have a lot to think about, but not today. Let’s just shoot, ok?”
Kovos nodded.
* * * * *
Standing next to Keither, Sasha watched them go. She looked over at the boy who was slouching and didn’t at all look like he wanted to be there.
“So Keither… how are you doing?” she asked tentatively.
“Meh,” said Keither in a grunt.
Sasha was having a hard time thinking of what to say. She always had problems with Keither. He was a quiet boy and a bit socially awkward, or extremely socially awkward if she was being honest. He sighed hard and looked down the field at his brother and Legon, who were carrying their targets to the purple flags. He obviously hated being dragged along like this.
“So, have you decided on a trade to pursue yet, or are you still thinking about it?” asked Sasha.
“Ahh, I don’t know, I haven’t thought much about it. I think I’m going to go find my arrow before they get back.” And with that Keither walked off to find his arrow.
Sasha stood alone and looking a bit irritated. “He has no manners! What will become of that boy?” she thought to herself. Legon and Kovos had finished moving the targets and were walking back to her now. She could see Kovos throwing his arms in the air at Keither, and she could also see that he was yelling something at him but couldn’t hear it. Soon they were all back together and Kovos was scolding Keither.
“I don’t care if you were looking for your arrow, you can’t just wander around the field like that,” Kovos said angrily.
“There’s no one else out here. What’s the big deal?” Keither said in a defiant voice.
“Are you sure there’s no one here? Did you look around before you walked across the field? No, I don’t think so. Legon and I walked straight to our targets and moved them. You were walking along the row of targets. What if you got hit?”
“Blah blah blah. You worry too much. Nothing could have happened.” Keither waved his arms lazily.
It was true. The field was still empty, but Kovos’ anger was warranted because Keither never took the time to think about what he was doing. Once he had walked onto the field while others were shooting and a stray arrow had only been missed him by a hair’s breadth.
“Well, look before you do that again, ok?” Kovos said imploringly.
Keither didn’t answer him but gave a “Harrumph.”
* * * * *
Legon shook his head and took his place next to Sasha. They all pulled back their strings and shot another volley. The arrows hissed down the field again and this time they only heard Sasha’s hit the target. Both Legon’s and Kovos’ arrows hit their mark, but they were too far away to hear. Legon spoke to Kovos as he knocked his next arrow.
“So do you still think you want to leave town with me?” After saying this he fired again, hitting the target in the center.
“I’m not sure. It’s a big decision, and I know I’ll have to leave Salmont, but I’m not sure if I know enough yet, you know?” said Kovos after a shot.
“Yeah, I know what you mean, but you’re pretty good. You know enough to make a go on your own.”
“Yeah I’m sure I’ll end up going, but I don’t much feel like leaving and striking out on my own. I wish there was enough in Salmont to support two blacksmiths.”
“And two butchers,” said Legon flatly.
“Why can’t you both stay here?” asked Keither, puzzled. Kovos lowered his bow and stared incredulously at him.
Legon responded in a patient voice, “Because we have to pay taxes and feed ourselves.”
“Yeah well, why don’t you just say you can’t afford the taxes?”
Legon shook his head. “Because they make you a slave then, Keither. Have you not been living here your whole life?”
Kovos turned toward Keither and said, knocking an arrow, “I’m going to shoot him. It’s better we put him out of his misery now.”
“Kovos!” Sasha said loudly.
“No Sash, it’s better this way, trust me,” Kovos said, giving Sasha a sideward glance.
“Ha ha, very funny. Can we go home now?” asked Keither.
“Go home?” Legon said, surprised. “We’ve shot three arrows! No, we can’t go home. Come on, Kovos.”
They continued shooting the targets for awhile, and after an hour or so they decided to go home. They would have stayed a bit longer, but Keither had managed to lose most of the arrows they brought, and Legon and Kovos were forced to walk down the field to get their arrows every five or six shots. The arrows Keither shot were gone forever. They were on the field somewhere, but the field was large and people were starting to show up to practice, and Legon and Kovos were not excited about becoming a human quiver while trying to find the arrows.
They made it back to Kovos’ house in time for lunch and they spent much of the afternoon there talking and having a good time. After a few hours Legon and Sasha decided to start for home. They walked out of the house and headed toward the edge of town. They would often skirt around the town to take more time getting home and to give them a chance to talk. It felt good to walk after sitting on a wood bench all afternoon. The sun was starting to set and the sky was beginning to turn a variety of colors, the grey clouds taking on hues of pink and lavender. The valley was soon covered in shadows and they could hear crickets starting to chirp. Legon noticed that Sasha wasn’t talking much.
“Why so quiet, sis?”
“I don’t know. I guess there’s a lot on my mind,” she said softly.
“Well, like what?”
“Like, what’s going to happen when you leave? I’ve spent my whole life with you and I’m not sure what it will be like when you’re gone.”
“I’ll visit, you know. I’m going to try to go to a town within a few weeks of here. But I suppose it won’t be like it is now. I’m going to miss you, too.”
That was a lie. In truth he wasn’t entirely sure how he was going to live without her. It was like they were linked.
“That can’t be all that’s on your mind Sash. What else is bothering you?”
She took her time answering him. “It’s your tattoo. I noticed yesterday that it’s changed from that dark green to purple. Why would it do that?” There was a hint of concern in her voice, and even a bit of fear.
“It’s what? Sash, tattoos don’t change color,” he said confidently.
“I know they don’t, but yours has… I saw it just last night.” Now the concern was evident in her voice and face. “If it has changed colors then that mean that it must be…”
“Magic,” Legon finished. He felt his blood turn to ice and his heart beat faster.
Magic was rare in humans, which scared Legon, because magic was treated with great fear and respect. Iumenta and Elves could use it, but he didn’t know of any Elves in their area.
“Do you think it was put there by an Iumenta?” he asked Sasha quietly.
“I don’t know. I hope not, but it may not be much better if it was put there by an Elf. The queen hates them. And if it was a human, then who knows what it means.”
They walked silently, neither wanting to talk about Legon’s tattoo. They opened the distance between them and the town and soon they couldn’t hear the town at all. The only sound was that of two sets of feet stepping on the soft ground. The town was surrounded by farms and fields, all green with spring’s life. The sun was almost below the mountain’s high peaks, and sat above them like a crown of gold and fire. They both felt themselves relaxing as the air started to grow cool. Legon looked over at Sasha. Her face seemed to glow in the orange light and the last shafts of the sun’s rays danced in her hair. She still looked a bit worried; he could see it in her eyes. He could tell that there was more she wasn’t telling him.
Sasha broke the silence. Her voice was conversational. “So, have you given any thought to where you are going to go when you leave?”
He took his time answering. “Yeah, I’m thinking Sal
kay. It’s just a bit south of here. The town is growing and they don’t have a butcher. Also, they’re still under Regent Kooth’s control, so it should make it simpler.”
“Hmmm. Salkay, huh? That’s only about four days from here, isn’t it?”
“Yep, that’s the idea. I want to be close, and Salkay is about as good as I’m going to get.”
Sasha looked like she was thinking. “But it’s still a small town. You won’t make a huge amount of money, or at least not enough to start a family. Speaking of which, do you think you will be able to find a wife there? Wouldn’t Salez be better?”
Legon stumbled over his words a bit. “Well, Salez is a big city, and as far as Salkay goes, I will make a decent amount of money. I’m not worried about it.”
Sasha didn’t pursue the subject any more. They got home just after dark. When they got in Edis greeted them. “Your mother had to go. Arkin cut himself or something like that.” He saw worry instantly cross Legon and Sasha’s faces. “Oh, it’s nothing bad, he’s fine. I think he got a small cut today. He didn’t even want her to come over, but you know your mother.”
Sasha gave a deep sigh and said, “We know her.” She looked around the kitchen. Something was off. “There’s no smell of food cooking. She must not have made dinner,” she thought. Edis was smiling politely at her, that kind of smile you give to your daughter to tell her she’s the most wonderful thing in the world or…
“Sash, dinner!” Legon said in a commanding voice and snapped his fingers.
She turned and scowled at both of them. Legon winced, but Edis, having gotten many of these looks from his wife over the years, kept smiling as if this act would somehow make her feel better. “What, you two aren’t capable of making dinner?” she spat.
“Puddin,’ it’s not tha…,” began Edis, whose smile was beginning to fade.
“Don’t you give me that! Why do I have to cook?”
Legon spoke, “Dad, Sasha is right. Why should she do it?”
“Thank you,” she said.
“We can make dinner. Come on, we do it all the time when we go hunting,” Legon said to Edis.
At this something clicked in Sasha’s head.
“Oh… well… that’s ok, I really don’t mind,” she said in a much calmer and placating voice.
“No Sash, Legon’s right. We’ll cook. I’m sorry, that was pig-headed of me.” Edis gestured for her to sit down.
“No, no I insist. I can do it. You two set the table and sit down, I don’t mind.” She swept over to the counter and began putting on her blue apron.
“Are you sure?” asked Legon one last time.
“Yes, I’m sure,” she said as she began to get out pots and pans. As Legon sat down, Edis mouthed to him, “Good one, son,” and gave him a thumbs up. The fact of the matter was that both Legon and Edis could cook. They were not as good as Sasha or Laura, but they weren’t bad. Sasha didn’t know this, of course, since she had never let them cook on the two occasions when she had gone hunting with them. Legon had thought the for sure that she wouldn’t fall for his trick, but she had, and this bothered him. It meant that there was a lot on Sasha’s mind that she was not telling him.
Chapter Four
Coming of Age
“Life is a series of decisions, each moving us along the ropes of fate. How to make the right decision? This is a question that all ask yet few understand. As options are weighed and consequences revealed we see bondage, but in reality we are free. Look up the rope of fate and choose your place, then go to it. Let that guide your decisions today.”
-Diary of the Perfectos Compatioa
The day after Legon and Sasha had gone over to see Kovos, Legon found himself walking into his house after an uneventful morning. There was almost nothing to do in the shop; it was one of the famine days as far as work went. The only thing that Edis could find to keep himself busy was making sausage, and for that he liked to have Sasha’s help. Legon didn’t mind; he hated to make sausage and it was a great opportunity for Legon and Sasha to switch roles. He would help his mother if she needed it, and Sasha got some time with Edis.
When he got inside, his mother was sitting at the table sorting herbs, or at least he thought that was what she was doing. There were a lot of dried plants on the table and she was sifting through them. She was wearing a brown dress and a white apron. She was sitting on a chair hunched over, her hands moving quickly over the herbs. He was amazed that the little plants didn’t crumble as she picked them up. She looked up at him, smiled and gestured with her head for him to sit down. She was deep in concentration and he knew that she would get to him eventually, so he contented himself with sitting and pulling his shoulders back, feeling the muscles across his broad chest stretch and relax.
“How are you today dear?” she said, not looking up from her work.
“I’m doing good mom. What are you doing?”
“I’m trying to get these sorted out. They fell off the wall and got all jumbled up.”
On either side of the fireplace were herbs drying on the walls, and sure enough there was a spot that was missing a patch.
“Do you want me to fix it? I don’t think it would take long,” Legon said, gesturing to the wall.
Laura didn’t see him point as she was still hunched over the herbs. “What dear? What would you fix?” she looked up, confused.
“The wall,” he said flatly. She looked over and shook her head as if she was ridding herself of day dream.
“Sorry. You know I can be a flake when I’m concentrating. Let me finish this and we can have some tea.”
An image of the look on Sasha’s face from two days ago when she had “some tea” rushed through his mind like a herd of stampeding cows.
“Oh… I feel great mom… I don’t need anything. Not thirsty, really. You have stuff to do, so I’ll just…” his mind reached into what seemed to be nothingness, coming up with a reason to avoid tea. “I’ll fix the wall, that’s what needs to be done.” He instantly knew this hadn’t worked. As soon as he said it she looked up at him, and he could see she was trying not to laugh.
“We’re not going to have that kind of tea, just good old mint will do today,” she said with a chuckle in her voice.
Legon sat back and sighed with relief. Soon she was done, and before he knew it she seemed to make mint tea appear out of thin air. As he sipped it he felt the hot liquid flow down his throat to warm his belly. They sat quietly for a bit. His mother broke the silence.
“You’ll be eighteen in a month. How do you feel about that?” Her voice was soft and carried with it all the sincerity in the world. This subject had been playing over and over again in his head for the last few weeks.
“I don’t know how I feel about it. There’s a part of me that is excited about coming of age but… there’s a bigger part that is terrified, you know what I mean?” He looked at her and she nodded a bit. He continued on.
“I just feel… I feel like I’m racing toward something I can’t control and something…” he seemed to have a hard time thinking of the words.
She tried to help him. “Scary?”
“Yeah, but not like the scary you would think. It’s not the excited scary.”
Her face looked concerned. “Legon, what’s wrong?”
He paused, wondering if he should tell her about his tattoo. “It’s better to tell her now than later,” he thought.
“Come and look,” he said.
As he said this he gestured to his back and pulled the back of his shirt down. His mother looked a little frightened now and came around back of him to look. He heard a sharp intake of breath and then he felt her fingers inside the back of his shirt and then he heard the fabric rip. It caught him off guard. His mother would never damage good clothes. She held his shoulders in place when he tried to turn. Her hands were moving across his back, over the tattoo. The movement felt frantic and scared. It felt like she was trying to remove dirt or a smudge off his back. They stopped moving a
nd she walked slowly over to the chair. She sat and held her face in her hands. Her whole body was shuddering, and he could hear her say between sobs, “Not my son… not my son…”
Fear crawled up the back of his neck and he was surprised by a crack in his voice. “Mom what’s wrong? What’s going on?” She looked up at him. There was a pleading look in her tear-stained face, a look that said, ‘Don’t make me, please don’t make me.’
Her voice was rough. “I think it’s time I told you how you came to us.”
His forehead scrunched. “Mom, I know how I got here. Dad found me while he was hunting. They came across a camp site that had been raided; they figured that I was left behind by mistake when people fled from the robbers.” But as he said this, like so many other times when he thought about it, he somehow knew that it wasn’t right. Nobody would leave a baby in a campsite. Even the robbers would at least kill or try to sell it. He had never given too much credence to the story of how he came to be with Laura and Edis. They were his parents now, and that’s what mattered.
“No, Legon that’s not how we came to have you in our family,” she said softly. Her face was still tear-soaked, but he could see resolve cross it as well. After pausing for a moment she continued.
“Your father was hunting, that part is true. He found you and brought you home, but that’s where the truth ends.”
Trepidation began seeping into him, as she went on.
“He was in the woods when he heard a baby crying. He was with Brack and Arkin. They moved to the sound and found a cottage, or at least that’s what your father thought it was. He said it seemed more like a tree, but I’m not sure about all of that, he was upset when he got home and I don’t think that he was in his right mind. When they came to the cottage they could see that it was horribly damaged…”
Legon Awakening: Book One in the Legon Series Page 6
