Thor walked with his head down, downcast, kicking pebbles on the road. Krohn walked at his side and Ephistopheles circled somewhere high above, as he made his way slowly to the Legion barracks. Since the funeral, his encounter with Gwen, he felt deflated. The pain of watching MacGil being lowered into the earth took something out of him - as if a part of him sank into the earth with him. The king had taken him under his wing, had shown him kindness, had given him Ephistopheles, had been the only father figure he'd ever had. He felt as if he owed him something, that it had been his responsibility to save him, and somehow, he had failed. As the bells had tolled, Thor felt as if they tolled the announcement of his failure.
Then there was his encounter with Gwen. She hated him now, that much was obvious. Nothing he could say would change her mind. Even worse, her true thoughts came out today: she felt he was beneath her. A commoner. It seemed Alton had been right all the while. The thought of it crushed him. First he had lost the king; then he had lost the girl he had grown to love.
As he walked back towards the Legion, he realized it was the one thing left that he could cling to here. He cared not for his village, or his father, or his brothers. Without the Legion and Reese - and Krohn - he did not know what he would have left.
Krohn yelped and Thor looked up and saw the barracks before him. The king's banner flew at half mast, and he could already see dozens of boys sulking, and could tell the mood was somber. It was a day of mourning here. The king, their leader, had been murdered, and worse, no one knew who did it, or why. There also seemed to be an air of expectancy. Would the armies be disbanded? The Legion with it?
Thor saw the wary looks of the boys as he walked through the large, arched stone gate. They were stopping and staring at him. He wondered what they thought of him. Just the night before he'd been thrown into the dungeon, and Thor was sure that the rumor had spread that he had something to do with poisoning the king. Did these boys know that he was vindicated? Did they still suspect him? Or did they think he was a hero for trying to save him?
From their looks, he could not tell. But he did know that the tension in the air was thick, and he could tell that he clearly had been a subject of conversation.
As Thor entered the large wooden structure of the barracks, he noticed dozens of boys stuffing their clothes and various objects into canvas sacks. It looked, oddly, as if the Legion were packing up. Was it disbanding? he wondered, in a sudden panic.
"There you are," came a voice he recognized.
He turned to see O'Connor standing there, smiling in his typical good-natured way, his bright red hair and freckles framing his face. He reached out and clasped Thor's forearm.
"I feel like I haven't seen you in days. Are you okay? I heard you were thrown in the clink. What happened?"
"Hey look, it's Thor!" yelled a voice.
Thor turned to see Elden hurrying towards him, a good-natured smile on his face, embracing him. Thor was still amazed at Elden's attitude towards him, ever since he had saved his life across the Canyon, especially when he recalled the hostile greeting Elden had once given him.
Coming up beside him were the twins, Conval and Conven.
"Glad to have you back," Conven said, embracing Thor in a hug.
"And I," Conval echoed.
Thor was relieved to see them all, especially as he realized that they did not assume he had anything to do with the murder.
"It's true," Thor responded, looking at O'Connor, not sure which question to answer first. "I was thrown into the dungeon. At first they thought I had something to do with the king's poisoning. But after he was killed, they realized I had nothing to do with it. "
"So they let you free?" O'Connor asked.
Thor thought about that, not quite sure how to respond.
"Not exactly. I escaped. "
They all looked at him, wide-eyed.
"Escaped?" Elden asked.
"Once I was out, Reese helped me. He brought me to the king. "
"You saw the king before he died?" Conval asked, shocked.
Thor nodded back.
"He knows I am innocent. "
"What else did he say?" O'Connor asked.
Thor hesitated. He felt funny telling them about what the king said about his destiny, about being special. He didn't want to seem like he was boasting, or seem delusional, or cause envy. So he decided to omit that part and just tell them how it ended.
Thor looked him in the eye. "He said: avenge me. "
The others looked at the floor, grim.
"Do you have any idea who did it?" O'Connor asked.
Thor shook his head.
"As much as you do. "
"I would love to catch him," Conven said.
"As would I," Elden added.
"But I don't understand," Thor said, looking around, "what is all this packing? It seems as if everyone is getting to leave. "
"We are," O'Connor said. "Including you. "
O'Connor reached over, grabbed a canvas sack, and threw it at Thor. It hit Thor hard in the chest, and he grabbed it before it hit the ground.
"What do you mean?" Thor asked, puzzled.
"The Hundred starts tomorrow," Elden answered. "We are all preparing. "
"The Hundred?" Thor asked.
"Do you know nothing?" Conval asked.
"It seems we have to teach this young one everything," Conven added.
Conven stepped forward and draped an arm across Thor's shoulder.
"Don't worry, my friend. There's always much to learn in the Legion. The Hundred is the Legion's way of making us all hardened warriors - and weeding us out. It is a rite of passage. Every year, at summertime, they send us for a hundred days of the most grueling training you'll ever know. Some of us will return. Those who do are granted honors, weapons, and a permanent place in the Legion. "
Thor looked around, still puzzled. "But why are you packing?"
"Because the Hundred is not here," Elden explained. "They ship us off. Literally. Far from here. We must journey across the Canyon, into the Wilds, across the Tartuvian Sea, and all the way to the Isle of Mist. It is a hundred days of hell. We all dread it. But we must go through it, if we are to stay in the Legion. Our ship sails tomorrow, so pack quickly. "
Thor looked down at the sack in his hand, unbelieving. He could hardly imagine packing up what few things he had, crossing the Canyon into the Wilds, boarding a ship, and spending a hundred days on an island with all the Legion members. The thought of it excited him; it also terrified him. He'd never been on a ship, had never been across the sea. He loved the idea of advancing his skills, and he hoped he would make it and not be weeded out.
"Before you pack, you should report to your knight," Conven said. "You are squire to Kendrick now that Erec is gone, aren't you?"
Thor nodded back. "Yes, is he here?"
"He was outside with some of the other Knights," he answered. "He was preparing his horse, and I know he was looking for you. "
As Thor stood there, his mind reeling, the thought of the Hundred excited him more than he could say. He wanted to be tested, to be pushed to the extreme, to see if he was as good as the others. And if he made it back - and he felt sure he would - he would return a stronger warrior.
"Are you sure that I'm included, that I'm allowed to come, too?" Thor asked.
"Of course you are," O'Connor said. "Assuming, of course, your knight doesn't need you here. You need his permission. "
"Ask him," Elden said, "and be quick of it. There is much to do to prepare, and you're already far behind. The ships will not wait. And whoever does not go, cannot stay in the Legion. "
"Try the armory," O'Connor said. "I saw Kendrick there just an hour ago. "
Thor needed no prodding. He turned and ran from the barracks, out the door and across the fields, heading for the armory, Krohn yelping and running at his heels.
In moments he reached it
, breathing hard, and there was Kendrick. He stood there alone, inside the armory, looking up at a wall of halberds. He looked pensive, intense, lost in thought. Thor felt as if he had intruded on private time, and felt guilty for interrupting.
Kendrick turned, and his eyes were red from crying. Thor thought of his father's funeral, remembered Kendrick lowering him into the ground, and felt terrible.
"Forgive me, sire," Thor said, catching his breath. He could see Kendrick's grief and felt bad for intruding. "I'm sorry to have disturbed you. I will leave. "
As Thor turned to leave, his voice rang out.
"No. Stay. I would like to speak with you. "
Thor turned back and waited, quiet, feeling Kendrick's pain. Kendrick waited a long time in the silence, examining the weaponry.
"My father, he loved you very much," Kendrick said. "He barely knew you, but I could see his love for you. It was real. "
"Thank you, sire. I loved your father, too. "
"The people in this kingdom, and in the royal court, they have never considered me to be his true son. Just because I was the son of another mother. "
Kendrick turned to Thor, a determination in his eyes.
"But I am his son. As much as any of the others. He was a father to me. My only father. My father by blood. Just because we don't share the same mother, that doesn't make me any less," Kendrick reflected, reaching out and feeling the tip of a blade mounted on the wall, his eyes misty.
"I didn't know him long," Thor said, "but from what I saw, I could see his love for you, and his approval for you. It seemed to me to be as real and as strong as it was for any of the others. "
Kendrick nodded, and Thor could see the appreciation in his eyes.
"He was a good man. He could be a hard man, and a tough man. But he was a good man, always fair. Our kingdom will not be the same without him. "
"I wish you could be king," Thor said. "You would be the best one to rule. "
Kendrick looked at the blade.
"Our kingdom has its law. And I must abide by it. I feel no envy for my brother, Gareth. The law dictates that he should rule, and he will. I do feel upset for my sister, who was passed over. That was not my father's wish. But for myself, I feel no regret. I don't know if Gareth will be a good King. But that is the law, and the law is not always fair. It is uncompromising: that is its nature. "
Kendrick turned to Thor and examined him.
"And why have you come here?" he asked.
"Since Erec has left, I am told that I have been assigned to be your squire now. It is a great honor, sire. I can think of no finer knight. "
"Ah, Erec," Kendrick said, looking off, glassy-eyed. "The finest knight we have. He's off for his Selection year, is he? Yes, I am pleased to have you as my squire, though I'm sure it will not last long. He'll be back. He can never leave King's Court for long. "
Kendrick's expression suddenly morphed to one of understanding.
"So then you are coming to me to ask for permission to leave for The Hundred, are you?" he asked.
"Yes, sire. If that is okay with you. If it is not, I understand, and I am here to serve your needs. "
Kendrick shook his head.
"Every young Legion member must go through The Hundred. It is a rite of passage. Selfishly, I would like you here, but I will not hold you back. Go. You'll come back a stronger warrior and a far better squire. "
Thor was overwhelmed with gratitude towards Kendrick. He was about to ask him more about what lay in store with The Hundred when suddenly, the door to the armory burst open.
Thor and Kendrick turned to see Alton standing there, dressed in his royal finest, flanked by two guards of the royal court.
"There he is!" Alton screamed, pointing a haughty finger at Thor. "He's the one who struck me at the feast last night! A commoner, can you imagine? He struck a member of the royal family. He has violated our law. Arrest him!"
The two guards began to walk towards Thor, when Kendrick stepped forward and extracted his sword from his scabbard. The sound of the metal resonated in the armory, and as Kendrick stood there, fierce, holding his sword drawn before him, the two guards stopped in their tracks.
"Come any closer and you will pay the price," Kendrick threatened.
Thor could hear in his voice something deep and dark, a tone he had never heard before; the guards must have sensed it, too, because they dared not move.
"I am a member of the royal family," Kendrick corrected. "An immediate member. You, Alton, are not. You are son to a third cousin to the king. You guards will answer to me before you do to this pretender. And Thor is my squire. He is not to be touched. Not now or ever. "
"But he broke the law!" Alton whined, bunching his fists like a baby. "A commoner cannot strike royalty!"
Kendrick smiled.
"In this case, I am very glad he did. In fact if I were there, I would have struck you myself. Whatever it is that you did, I'm sure you deserved it - and a lot more. "
Alton scowled, turning red.
"I suggest you guards leave now. Or if you prefer, come closer, and pay the price. I'm itching to use my sword, actually. "
The two guards gave each other a wary look, them both turned, re-sheathed their swords, and strutted out the armory. Only Alton was left there, standing alone, watching in frustration as the guards left.
"I would suggest you follow them quickly, before I find a good use for this blade in my hands. "
Kendrick took a step forward, and Alton suddenly turned and ran out the door.
Kendrick, smiling, re-sheathed his sword and turned to Thor.
Thor was overwhelmed with gratitude, and he felt indebted to Kendrick, once again.
"I don't know how to thank you," Thor said.
Kendrick took a step forward and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"You already have. Just seeing the look on that pip's face actually made my day. "
Kendrick laughed and Thor laughed, too. Then Kendrick looked at him with all seriousness.
"My father did not take people under his wing lightly. He saw something great in you. I see it, too. You will make us proud. Go to The Hundred and excel. Go and become the warrior that I know you will be. "
*
Thor walked in the summer fields outside the Legion's compound, Krohn beside him, late in the day, the second sun dropping, filling the sky with spectacular pinks and oranges and purples. Krohn whined in delight as Thor led him deeper and deeper into the fields, giving him a chance to run, to play, to chase animals and to catch his dinner. Krohn carried an Ursutuay in his mouth now, a strange creature about the size of a rabbit, with purple fur and three heads, which he had proudly caught but minutes before.
Krohn was getting bigger and bigger before his eyes, now nearly twice the size from when he'd found him, and he was getting more of a desire to run and move about. Krohn was also becoming more playful, and he demanded that Thor take him farther and farther, and run with him. If Thor didn't run with him as much as he wanted, Krohn would nip playfully at Thor's ankles, and not let him alone until Thor chased him. Then, Krohn would take off with a delighted squeal, until Thor got tired of chasing him.
As the day had grown long, Thor had wanted a break from the barracks, from all the frantic preparations. He was all packed now, as was everybody else, and it felt as if they were counting down the hours until they left the Ring. Thor didn't know exactly when they were leaving, but he was told it would be within the next day or two. The mood in the barracks was tense and edgy, filled with anxiety for the trip to come and mourning for the king. It was like a time of great change had swept through them suddenly.
Thor wanted one last chance to be alone before the trip, to clear his head, still swimming with the death of the king, and with his encounter with Gwendolyn. His mind drifted to thoughts of Erec, of where he must be now. Would he ever return? He thought of how temporary life could be: everything seemed so
permanent, but it rarely was. It made him feel more alive, and less alive, at the same time.
"Nothing is as it seems," came a voice.
Thor wheeled, and was shocked to see Argon, standing there, dressed in his scarlet robe, holding a staff and looking out to the distant horizon, into the vast expanse of the open sky. Thor, as always, wondered how Argon had appeared here so suddenly. Thor looked at him, and felt both a sense of dread and excitement.
"I was searching for you, after the funeral," Thor said. "There are so many questions I have for you. Even before the death. But I could not find you. "
"I do not always wish to be found," Argon said. His eyes were shining, a light blue.
Thor stared at him, wondering how much Argon was seeing right now. Did he see the future? Would he tell him if he did?
"We're leaving tomorrow," Thor said, "for The Hundred. "
"I know," Argon answered.
"Will I return?" Thor asked, dying to know.
Argon looked away.
"Will I still be in the Legion? Will I pass the test? Become a great warrior?"
Argon stared back, expressionless.
"Many questions," he said, and turned and looked away. Thor realized he was not going to respond to any of them.
"If I told you your future, it might affect it," Argon added. "Every choice you make, that is what creates it. "
"But I saw MacGil's future," Thor said. "In that dream. I saw that he was going to die. And yet I tried to help and it did no good. What was the point of my seeing it? What was the point of all that? I wish I'd never known. "
"Don't you?" Argon asked. "But your knowing affected destiny. He was meant to be poisoned. You prevented that. "
Thor stared back, puzzled. He had never thought of that.
"But he was killed anyway," Thor said.
"But not by poison. By dagger. And you don't know what effect that small change will have on the destiny of this kingdom. "
Thor thought about that, his head hurting. It was too much for him to comprehend. He didn't fully understand what Argon was hinting at.
"The King wanted to see me before he died," Thor continued quickly, eager for answers. "Why me? Of all people? And what did he mean, when he spoke of my mother? Of my destiny being greater than his? Were these just the words of a dying man?"
"I think you know they were far more than that," Argon replied.
"So then it's true?" Thor asked. "My destiny is greater even than his? How is that possible? He was a king. I am nothing. "
"Are you, then?" Argon asked back.
Argon took several steps forward, standing feet away from Krohn, and stared down at him. Krohn whined, and turned and ran away. Thor felt a chill, as Argon stared right through him.
"God does not choose the arrogant for his will. He chooses the humble. The least likely. Those overlooked by everyone else. Have you not considered this? All of your days farming, tending your father's sheep in your village. This is a warrior's - a true warrior's - foundation. Humility. Reflection. This is what forges a warrior. Did you never sense it? That you were greater than what you were? That you were meant for something else?"
Thor thought, and realized that he had sensed it.
"Yes," Thor responded. "I felt that. . . maybe I was meant for greater things. "
"And now that they arrive, you still don't believe it?" Argon asked.
"But why me?" Thor asked. "What are my powers? What is my destiny? Where did I come from? Who was my mother? Why must everything in life be such a riddle?"
Argon slowly shook his head.
"One day, you will discover these things. But you have much to learn first. You must first become who you are. Your powers are deep, but you know not how to wield them. A mighty river flows within you, but it still lingers beneath the surface. You must bring it forward. You will learn much in your hundred days. But remember, that will be just the beginning. "
Thor looked up at Argon, wondering how much he saw.
"I feel guilty to live," Thor said. He wanted desperately to tell Argon what was on his mind, the one person who could understand. "The king is dead, and yet I am alive. I feel that his death is on my head. And it hurts to go on. "
Argon turned and looked at him.
"One king dies and another follows. That is the way of the world. A throne is not meant to sit empty. Kings will flow, like a river, through our Ring. All will seem permanent, and all will be fleeting. Nothing in this world - not you, not I - can stop the current. It is a parade of puppets, in the service of fate. It is a march of kings. "
Thor sighed, looking out at the horizon for a very long time.
"The ways of the universe are inscrutable," he finally continued. "You will not understand them. Yes, it hurts to go on. But we must. We have no choice. And remember," he said, smiling at Thor with a smile that terrified him, "one day, you will join MacGil, too. Your time here is but a flash. Don't let life weigh you down with fear and guilt and regret. Embrace every moment of it. Do you understand me? The best thing you can do for MacGil now is to live. To really live. Do you understand me?"
Argon reached out and grabbed Thor by the shoulders, and it felt like two fires burning through his arms. He stared down with such intensity, Thor finally had to turn his head, and blink his eyes shut.
He raised up his hands to protect his eyes, and then suddenly, he felt nothing. He looked up. Argon was gone. Vanished.
Thor stood there alone in the field, turning in every direction. He saw nothing but the open sky, the open plains, and the howling of the wind.