was just a young boy when he left and I would like to see him again. I remember very little about him.”
“And I will be by your side, my Prince,” added Graggis.
“Good. Baylin, pick eight others from our knights. Pick men that have experience in the mountains, for the journey will be long and hard.”
“I will, Father.”
“Jonas, can you be ready in two days?” asked the king.
“Yes sir,” Jonas said confidently.
Seven
Kiln
I can’t believe you’re leaving,” Fil said as Jonas pulled himself into his saddle. The king had given Jonas a glittering coat of chain mail and new traveling clothes of high quality. The new tunic he wore was blue with the symbol of Finarth embroidered on the chest. His black breeches were made of softened leather and his boots were made of the same material and of equal high quality. A gray wool traveling cloak draped his shoulders and at his belt was a long sword and hunting knife, all gifts from the king. His ash wood bow was strapped to the side of the horse next to a full quiver of arrows.
He had never worn such fine clothes nor had he ever received gifts from a king. It amazed Jonas at how fast things were changing for him. Just two years ago he was a cripple living in a small mountain town where he had traveled no more than a half day from where he was born. Now he was a traveler that could ride a horse, wield a sword, and use magic to some degree, not to mention he was receiving gifts from the king of Finarth. It was hard for him to believe. Even so, the cost had been steep, and he wished his mother could be here with him, to see him sit proudly on his steed.
“I will miss you, Fil. Good luck with your training,” Jonas said, reaching down and taking Fil’s hand in the warrior’s handgrip. Jonas was feeling very anxious at leaving his friend behind. They had been through a lot together and the parting was not easy. But both knew that they had different paths, at least for now.
The entire blue team was there to see him off, except for Bornius and Litus, who were killed by the demon. The other teams had lost more boys on that dreadful night. Jonas’s team was bunked closer to the south door which enabled more of them to get out before the demon tore into them.
Bornius’s death sat heavy on Jonas’s heart as the young man was kind and carried a lot of promise as a knight. They had kindled a strong friendship over the last year and he missed him greatly. Jonas felt guilty. He knew it was his fault that the demon had come that night. In fact he had learned that is was very possible that the deaths of his entire village were his fault, including his mother. High priest Manlin had suggested that that could be the case, that all the attacks that have occurred around Jonas had been directed at him. If that were true, although he was unclear why the Dark One would target him so, that meant that he had a lot of blood on his hands. He was carrying a big load of guilt on his shoulders and he didn’t know how to deal with his emotions. Mostly he was angry and a large part of him was glad he was leaving. He didn’t want to endanger anyone else, plus he wanted to move, to ride, to train, anything to occupy his mind away from the guilt.
The last week had been difficult for Jonas. He had wept for his friends that were killed and he was trying to deal with his friends who survived. Some were cold to him, obviously blaming him for the tragedy. Others, like Calden and his other teammates, were friendly and treated him with new respect. They asked him questions about the demon, his God Light, his meeting with the king, and where he was going.
Fil’s wounds were healing quickly thanks to Manlin. His shoulders were very sore and it would be several more weeks before he could start training again.
“You be careful, Jonas. Remember, I will not be there to watch your back,” Fil said with a smile.
“I will. I will see you soon, my friend,” Jonas replied, not really knowing if it were true or not. He was saddened to think of his journey without Fil. He had been with him