The young prince eyed them both, unable to completely mask his look of disdain, but he did not press the issue.
“Your Majesty, I do not know what to do,” Jonas replied. “My life has changed so much that my mind is whirling with uncertainty. I was a poor cripple my whole life and now I sit in a king’s chamber with a God Mark on my chest. It is overwhelming. I have nothing left except for my friend, Fil. I have thought of nothing else other than to do something good with the gifts that Shyann has given me.” Jonas looked around the group, making eye contact with them all, even Prince Nelstrom, whose veiled hostility was becoming increasingly apparent to Jonas. He returned his gaze to the king on his throne. “I think that I would like to join your knights, where I can gain the skills to protect the weak and battle the darkness that is spreading. Then when I’m eighteen, with your leave, I will go to Annure to see if my destiny lies there.”
Everyone stared at Jonas, most with approval, a few with uncertainty, and one with disdain. For whatever reason, Jonas thought, it seemed Prince Nelstrom would become a problem for him.
“Well spoken, young man. If you are both serious, then approach the throne and swear your allegiance to me,” the king commanded.
Fil and Jonas looked at each other and stood, approaching the throne. They stopped on the top stair below the throne.
“Kneel and repeat after me,” the king ordered.
Jonas and Fil knelt at the base of the throne.
“I, Fil Tanrey and Jonas Kanrene, of the Tundrens, swear allegiance to the crown of Finarth. I will protect the throne and the people with my honor and blood, unto death.”
Fil and Jonas repeated the words.
“And I, King Gavinsteal of Finarth,” the king continued, “will protect you both as my vassals. My honor shall be yours through times of peace and war, unto death. Now stand, young men, you are now knight apprentices.” Fil and Jonas stood proudly, looking at each other, trying unsuccessfully to hide their growing smiles.
***
The apprentice knights slept in one large barracks by the north wall. There were around fifty young men between sixteen and eighteen years of age organized into five different training groups. These groups were each given a different color, each with a name. Jonas and Fil were assigned to the blue group, which they later found was the group where most of the commoners were placed. It created fewer problems because many of the highborn apprentices didn’t relate well with the commoners.
The barracks were simple but spacious. Bunk beds lined both walls. At the foot of each bed were two small trunks for their belongings. Each bed had a tapestry on the wall above it representing the group to which they belonged. They were all embroidered in their group’s colors and insignia.
Fil and Jonas stood at the base of their bed looking up at a blue tapestry. It was edged in red silk and lined with silver thread. In the center was a silver embroidered insignia of a massive set of deer antlers. The horns were spread wide and tall in a protective stance. The other groups were the Eagles, Dragons, Lions, and Boars.
“We’re the Stags,” said Fil, staring up at it. “I like it.”
“Seems fitting, I think Shyann would approve,” responded Jonas, looking up at the tapestry in thought. A stag was one of the symbols that represented Shyann, and living in a mountain town their entire lives gave them a deep respect for the wildlife that helped sustain them, particularly the noble stag.
They put their meager belongings into their trunk and took a look around. The barracks were empty now; the apprentices were at the training field. The king had a servant direct them to the barracks immediately after the king and Landon had talked a bit longer. Jonas was obliged to give Airos’s blade back to Androg who had insisted that it belonged in the temple of the High One now that the cavalier was dead. Jonas hated to see the weapon go, but he knew that Androg was right.
Jonas sat on his bed, looking around in wonder. Lying on the bed were two blue tunics, each marked with the silver stag horns. He grabbed one, throwing it up to Fil who had climbed to the upper bunk.