Aros got up, walked over to his son, and asked to accompany him away from the bonfire, as soon as they were five meters away, sat down, and Eastar did the same.
— Allyn, if you can keep lighting the flame. — I know it's boring, but I ask you.
The woman nodded and turned with the flint, raising the fire again.
— Thanks. Now, Eastar, I want you to focus. Close your eyes... that.... Now breathe slowly and calmly. I want you to feel the energy flowing and to control your internal flow. I want you to try to break the connection with the external energy that comes to you. It is like creating a barrier in your own body. As soon as you feel it, you will understand.
The boy concentrated, at first just felt everyone's eyes on him, tried to stop thinking about it. He could hear the faint wind and feel it on his face, smell Sindar ahead, thoughts began to go the wrong way.
He shook his head and tried to isolate himself from everything. He became calm and stopped thinking. A while passed, and that's when he felt something different, something that pushed lightly on his skin, was so soft that it would be imperceptible if he wasn't focused.
He focused on that sensation and, with his eyes still closed, felt as if he could see small yellow lines leading him to the fire, those lines writhing and touching his body, spreading and dissolving. He could see that the fire was larger and, therefore, felt it now.
— As I thought, your range is longer than normal. — He heard his father say.
He realized what he needed to do instantly. He focused on his inner energy, that was easy, every star learned very early, after all, that's how they controlled their own strength.
Start moved the energy from inside the body from its center to create a thin barrier around it. However, the lines now seemed to want to merge into their barrier. He frowned.
A voice came to his ears as if from far away.
— Block everything.
The boy understood, and the thin barrier began to change color. Instead of fusing with orange lines, it now remained translucent. No more would the body center to the edges, now he emanated from the inside of each part of the body to the skin, as separate pieces of an transparent armor.
As it closed, the lines that struck it lost their connection and returned, beginning to fade slowly. He opened his eyes and smiled as he looks to the fire, now with a much larger flame.
— Yeah! I think I can control that, at least a little…, but and when I sleep?
— Remember how scared you were, not knowing if you could stop shining after it started?
— Yes, you taught me to stop the flow, my body does this alone a long time, no need to think about, just calm down .
— This is similar. Your lack of control is purely emotional. This part of the workout is simple and your body will maintain the barrier even when sleeping.
Across the fire, Edwin rubbed his hands and spoke loudly enough to catch the attention of everyone who was engrossed in Eastar's class.
— Very well. Now that we have fire, how about staying near it and eating at once?
A few cheers and laughter were heard as the food was prepared.
Everyone sat around the fire. Relles clapped and licked his lips, Jaime went to the bags, which had been placed on the floor to relieve the weight of the horses, and brought bread and a bottle with wine to eat and drink, while Remus was preparing a stew in a pot over the campfire . Eastar accompanied him and searched for the jumpsuit.
He began to change, and when he was in his underwear, he heard a whistle. He looked back and saw that Sindar was raising her thumbs, looking at his ass. The others started laughing and the young stellar rolled his eyes as he got dressed.
He fastened the garment buckles and twisted his arms to see if it was firm enough. The straps did not slip off the shoulder, which was important. He kicked the air a few times and jumped, swung upright, backward, and dropped to his feet again, making sudden, exaggerated movements, all to test if the clothing would bother him, but was perfect.
— Can the dancer join us? The food is ready. — Aros looked at his son.
— Forgot that we aren't eating today? — Eastar snorted.
— Don't worry, Eastar. — Remus grinned as he moved the pan over the fire. — I did more than I needed, and I don't want to keep it, it tastes bad the next day.
— Seriously? — The young star's eyes sparkled with hope.
The giant smiled and nodded.
— Wonderful!
Eastar joined the others with a leap, which made the wood of the bonfire fall out of place, the pan began to sway as the branch where its handle was attached swayed. After a few tense seconds, the pan remained trapped and they breathed a sigh of relief.
Everyone looked at the stellar, who scratched his neck and smiled.
— My bad.
Sindar, Aros and Remus began to laugh, while the others put their hands on their faces. The red-haired giant began serving his companions, and Aros took the moment to speak with Edwin.
— I think you can call them now.
— Already? I intended to make them spend a day or two on their own in the woods. Maybe they would quit when hunger tightened.
— The idea is good, but I doubt if they give up on following my son, besides, they must have enough food, and they're smart.
— What are you talking about? — Eastar said, sitting next to Sindar.
— Brat, I figured you'd already noticed them. Still too distracted. — Aros looked at his son, shook his head and continued: — They left shortly after us and entered the woods. Since then they have come fringing the trees to the Dark Forest. They hid behind the last house we passed and, once stopped, came from the other side of the fence using the hideout of trees. — He smiled. — Honestly, how did you not realize with all the noise they made?
— I... well, I was distracted... talking.
The young star bowed his head, embarrassed for a moment, then lifted it and looked around, concentrating on listening, looked toward the noise, and distinguished two pairs of lights, one brown and one green, next to a tree on the right side. from the forest trail.
— Oh! Don't tell me it's the boys.
— Exactly! — Edwin tossed a lump of soupy bread in his mouth and shouted: — Sean! Drun! Get out of this fucking forest! I hope a specter catches you!
The threat seemed to have an effect, because suddenly, the two figures ran close to the fire.
— Lieutenant Edwin, we don't believe that anymore! This is story for children. — Sean heaved while look sulky for the sirion, who laughed.
— How did you know we were there? — Drun crossed his arms.
Eastar realized that the boy had cut his blond hair the same way as his and smiled, though his stellar hair was growing back much faster.
— Several things. You guys are noisy and your horses are too, also, is better to pick you up them in old Jon's house, he might think it was a gift he got overnight.
They both widened their eyes at that.
— Besides, boys. — Aros stared at both of them. You are sirions, it's impossible to hide in the dark with your eyes open.
— I said they would see us! — Drun punched Sean's arm.
— Ouch! What did you want, idiot? Follow them with your eyes closed?
— Well, no..., but I said.
— Forget it. — Edwin waved a hand. — Now get the horses. I hope you have supplies and weapons if you want to stay with us.
— Yes, sir! We... well. — Sean looked down, pinching his index fingers together. — We borrowed some food from the castle kitchen, also a sword and a spear of dust, which were in front of one of the smith's barracks.
— Dust? You guys are screwed when you get back, Garret will strangle you. — Relles faced boys while carrying a spon of soop to the mouth.
— I'd bet on that too. — Edwin smiled with a savage expression on his face, making the two boys swallow hard. — Now go.
They ran across the field in search of their mounts.
— Will they come with us? — Remus turned to Edwin and Aros.
— Well, I don't think they'll come back even if we send. — Aros shrugged. — They have been watching Eastar in every practice and everywhere he goes from the first day that the saw.
— Everywhere I go?
— Not all the places, but sometimes. They think something fascinating will happen anytime near you. — The commander continued, after taking a sip of wine bottle.
— I had seen them watching me, but I didn't think they would follow me all the time. Even more to get in there. He nodded at the Dark Forest.
— Oh, don't worry about it, Eastar, these boys know the woods well. — Jaime smiled and nudged the fire with a hand. — Children often take short excursions, coming to the forest to show friends that they are brave. Sometimes they are lucky to find merchants along the way and end up earning candy.
— Did you do that when you were a child?
— I? — Jaime let out a short laugh and shook his head. — I was never one of the brave. — He lifted his head and looked at the star. — Unlike you, who has corage to face a cornaro.
— Not a big deal, any of you would be able if get your own storage free.
Everyone around looked surprised and shook their heads, negatively. The young star was confused.
— Oh! Is that what you think? — Jaime continued: — No, Eastar, neither of us could face one of those alone. Well, maybe he thinks Edwin, but he's not a comparative.
He looked toward the white-haired sirion who gave a small smile and return to spoke with Aros, then the blond man poked the fire a little. Seeing that the stellar was still watching him, he sighed and began to explain.
— It turns out a cornaro's skin is very hard and tough, no normal weapon can get through it. It takes a lot of star dust and strength together. As for smashing the skull of one, well, no storage I know would give anyone enough strength to do it, not even Relles… — He put his hand on his chin for a moment, considering. — Okay, I think with the hammer he maybe could do it.
— Is that serious? I ... well, I didn't know. — Eastar was thoughtful, if what James said was true, he had hit the bull much harder than he thought.
The boys got back on their horses. They went to the other animals and tied their mounts, then returned to the circle of the fire, walking slowly, ashamed. Sindar gestured for them to sit next to her and they both smiled and joined the group.
— Old John had not seen the horses. When we passed the window, mounted, he got scared and then cursed us. — Drun scratched his head and looked down at the ground.
— Well, well, I don't think he'll ever change. —Edwin laughed, and the other soldiers followed.
They sat there for a while, enjoying the warmth of the fire. Then each one slipped under their blankets. Sindar pulled a large green cloth from the floor and lay on it with a woolen quilt in his hands.
— Are not you going to sleep? — She put an elbow on her knee and rested her face in her hand as she looked at Eastar, sitting on the ground beside her.
The young star looked at her, smiled and saluted.
— Yes ma'am.
The flame of the fire flickered and leaned toward him, who quickly noticed, frowned and concentrated. The flame was stable again.
— Sorry. — He smiled at the others, who rolled their eyes and went to sleep.