Thor stood at the helm of the ship, the sails full, the boat cruising beneath him, and his heart swelled as he saw, on the horizon, his homeland appearing. The Ring. It had been a long journey home, he and the Legion leaving the Isle of Mist in rough waters, fighting their way out to
sea, then fighting their way through the rain wall. They had entered the open waters into a thick fog, and fog had enveloped them nearly the entire way home, luckily for them, allowing them to escape detection from the Empire the entire way back.
Now, with the Ring in sight, the two suns broke free, revealing a clear and perfect day. The wind caught, and the sails allowed them all a happy break from rowing. As Thor stood there, Krohn beside him, his bigger and stronger legs braced more sturdily on the wood, he stood taller, straighter, his shoulders broader, his jaw more full, and he stared with his narrow gray eyes at his homeland, his hair blowing in the wind.
In his palm he held the sparkling Orethist stone he'd salvaged from the dragon's shore. He could feel its power pulsing through him, and he smiled in anticipation as he imagined giving it to Gwen. He had been unable to shake her from this thoughts the entire ride home, and he realized now that she, more than anything else back home, was what mattered to him most, what he looked forward to most. He hoped that she still cared for him. Maybe she had moved on. After all, she was a Royal—she must have been introduced to hundreds of other boys in the meantime. He squeezed the jewel harder, closed his eyes, and silently prayed that she still cared for him even a fraction as much as he did for her.
He opened his eyes and on the horizon spotted the thick wood outlining the shores of the Ring. He breathed. It had been a long hundred days, the longest of his life, and he still could not believe he had survived it. He felt proud to be coming home, proud to have survived, and proud to be a true member of the Legion. He recalled the journey left to take through the woods, across the Canyon, back inside the energy shield of the Ring. He remembered how frightened he had been upon first leaving the Canyon, and marveled at how differently he felt now. He no longer held any fear. After his hundred days of grueling training, of every sort of combat, after facing the Cyclops and most of all, the Dragon, he realized that nothing scared him anymore. He was beginning to feel like a warrior.
Thor heard a familiar screeching noise, and looked up to see Ephistopheles. She was circling high above, following the ship. She swooped down and landed on the ship's rail, close by. She turned and screeched, looking right at Thor.
Thor was elated to see her, a reminder of home.
Just as quickly, she lifted into the air, flapping her wide wings. He knew he would see her again.
Thor reached down and lay a free hand on the hilt of his new sword. When they had finished the Hundred, before they had boarded the ships to return home, the Legion commanders had given each of the surviving boys a weapon, a token to symbolize that they were now full Legion members. Reese had been given a bejeweled shield; O'Connor, who walked now with a limp, still recovering from the dragon's blow, had been given a mahogany bow and arrow; Elden had been given a mace with a spiked silver ball—and Thor had been given this sword, its hilt wrapped with the finest silk, bejeweled, its blade sharper and smoother than any he had seen. Holding it in his hand, it felt like air.
As he squeezed its hilt tighter, he felt that he was now part of the Legion, a part of this band of brothers forever. They had gone through things together that no one else would ever understand. Thor looked over his brethren and could see that they looked older, too, stronger, toughened. They all looked like they had been through hell. And they had. He thought of all the brothers they had lost back there, boys they had started out with on this boat and who were not returning; boys who had dropped out along the way from cowardice; and boys who had been killed. It was sobering. Today was a cause for celebration—but it was also a cause for mourning. Not all of them had made it back. The weight of it was carried by all the Legion members, and Thor could detect a more serious, more mature look to them, the youthful giddiness they'd had just months ago gone, replaced with something else. A sense of mortality.
Thor would do anything now for these boys, his real brothers. And they all, since his rescuing them from the dragon, looked at him with a new respect. Maybe, even, with a sense of awe. Even Kolk looked at him differently, with something like respect, and he had not reprimanded him once since.
Finally, Thor felt like he belonged. Whatever enemies he faced on shore no longer scared him. In fact, now, he welcomed combat.
Now, he understood what it meant to be a warrior.
*
Thor rode on horseback with the Legion, Reese on one side of him, O'Connor, Elden and the twins on the other, Krohn following below, all of them walking on the path towards King's court. He could hardly believe his eyes: before him, stretched as far as the eye could see, stood thousands of people, lining the road, screaming in adulation at their return. They waved banners, tossed candies at them, threw flower petals in their path. Military drums beat with precision, and cymbals and music rang out. It was the grandest parade that Thor had ever seen, and he rode at the center of it, surrounded by all his brothers.
Thor had not expected a return welcome like this. Luckily, there journey back through the Canyon had been uneventful, and he had been shocked as they had crossed the bridge and the hundreds of King's soldiers had lowered their heads in deference to them. To them, boys. The guards had reached out and lowered their halberds, one at a time, in honor and respect. As Thor had walked through them, he had never felt more accepted, more of a sense of belonging, in his life. It made him feel that every minute of every hardship had been worth it. Here he was, respected by these great men, now a part of their ranks. There was nothing he had ever wanted more in life.
As they'd all set foot back on the safety of their side of the Canyon, they had been met with another surprise: there was a fleet of horses awaiting them, the most beautiful horses Thor had ever seen. Now, instead of having to tend the horses, to shovel their waste, Thor had been given one to ride himself. It was a thing of splendor, with a black hide and a long, white nose. He had named him Percival.
They had ridden for most of the day, cresting a small hill before reaching King's Court. When they'd reached its peak, Thor's breath had been taken away: as far as the eye could see, the masses lined King's Road, cheering them. The horizon was filled with Fall foliage and flowers, and it was a perfect day. They had left at Summer and returned at Fall, and the change was shocking.
As they all rode their horses now through the parade in King's Court, the sun beginning to set, Thor felt as if he were in a dream.
"Can you believe this is for us?" O'Connor asked, walking on his horse beside Thor.
"We're Legion members now," Elden said. "Real Legion members. If there's a war, we're called upon as reserves. We're not just trainees anymore: we're soldiers, too."
The masses cheered as they passed through, but as Thor looked over the faces, he was looking for only one person: Gwendolyn. It was all he thought of. Not riches or fame or honor, or any of it. He just wanted to see her, to know that she was still here, that she still cared for him.
The cheers reached a crescendo as the group reached King's Gate and crossed the wooden bridge, the bridge echoing beneath the weight of the horses' hooves. They continued on through the soaring arched stone, beneath the rows of iron spikes. They proceeded through the darkened part of the tunnel, then came out the other side, into King's Court.
As they did, they were met with a cheer, masses flooding the plaza from every direction, calling out their names. Thor was even amazed to hear some people call out his name—he could hardly believe that anyone even knew who he was.
As they continued into the plaza, Thor saw that banquet tables had been prepared for the festivities. He was beginning to realize that this day had been declared a holiday, and that all these festivities were just for them. It was hard to fathom.
They reached the center of the plaza, and standing there, waiting to greet them, was Brom, the lead general of all the armed forces. He was surrounded by his top generals, and by dozens of members of The Silver, and one by one, the boys dismounted and walked towards them, stopping at attention as th
ey lined up.
Kolk walked around and stood beside Brom, and the two of them stood side by side, facing the boys. The crowd fell silent.
"Men," Brom called out, "for from now on you shall be called men—we welcome you home as members of the Legion!"
The crowd cheered, and knights of The Silver stepped forward and pinned each boy with a pin, a black falcon holding a sword, the emblem of the Legion, on their left breast, above their hearts. Each Legion member was pinned by the knight he was squire to—and Thor was upset that Erec and Kendrick were both not there to pin him. Kolk, in their place, stepped forward and pinned him. He looked down and, to Thor's surprise, slowly broke into a smile.
"You're not half bad," he said.
It was the first time Thor had ever seen him smile. Then Kolk quickly frowned and hurried off.
The masses cheered, and musicians started up, drums and lutes and cymbals and harps, and the crowd broke into celebration.
Casks of ale were rolled out onto the fields, and a foaming glass of ale was soon shoved into Thor's hand. Within moments, it became an all-out party.
Someone came up behind Thor and lifted him up onto his shoulders, and Thor found himself hoisted in the air, along with this brethren, holding his glass of ale as it spilled, laughing as he was jostled in the air. Thor reached over and clinked glasses with Reese, also on a stranger's shoulders, off-balance, laughing. He swayed and eventually fell off, landing on his feet with the others.
Songs and dancing broke out everywhere, and Thor found himself locking arms with some woman he did not recognize, a stranger who grabbed his arm and danced with him in circles, spinning him around and around, in one direction, then the other. Thor, caught off guard, finally broke away; he did not want to dance with her. Although all the other Legion members were dancing with random strangers, Thor did not want to be with anyone else. He only wanted Gwendolyn.
He searched for her frantically through the crowd. Had she come? Was she still interested in him?
The crowd grew rowdier, and the sun began to set, torches were lit and the drink grew stronger. Jugglers appeared, throwing flaming sticks, sporting events ensued, and huge spits of meat were rolled out. Thor was thrilled to be in the middle of it—but without seeing Gwendolyn, something was missing.
"Hey, that's my girl!" someone screamed threateningly.
Thor turned and saw O'Connor, with his limp, dancing with a girl, then saw a drunken stranger approach and shove O'Connor hard. The man was tall and beefy, and O'Connor stumbled back several feet, caught off guard.
The bully continued towards O'Connor, but before he could take another foot, Thor, reacting instinctively, jumped into action—as did the other Legion members around him. Within seconds, Thor, Reese, Elden and the twins pounced on the man, knocking him down to the ground.
The man scurried up, fear in his eyes, and ran off.
Thor turned back to O'Connor, who was fine, but dazed. As Thor looked over at his brothers, he realized how quickly they had come to each other's defense, realized that they were now all truly one unit, there for each other. It felt good.
Thor saw all the people dancing, and his thoughts returned to Gwendolyn. He searched for her everywhere, breaking away from the dancing area, leaving his brethren, and walking up and down the rows of banquet tables. He had to find her.
He jumped up on a bench, trying to peer above the crowd. But he saw no sight of her, and his heart fell.
He jumped down and saw an attendant from the castle, a girl he recognized, a beautiful girl, maybe seventeen, and ran up to her. She turned to look at him, and her eyes lit up in adulation. She was flirting with him.
"Thorgrin!" she exclaimed.
She embraced him, and he gently pushed her away.
"Have you seen Gwendolyn?" he asked.
She shook her head, and looked into his eyes.
"I have not," she said. "But I am here. Would you like to dance with me?"
Thor gently shook his head and hurried off, not wanting to get embroiled with anyone else.
He looked everywhere for Gwen, on all corners of the field, and was starting to think the worst. Maybe she had run off with someone else. Maybe her mother had gotten to her, had forbidden their relationship. Maybe she didn't feel the same way about him.
Suddenly, Thor felt a tap on his shoulder.
He spun, and his world melted.
Standing there, just a few feet away, smiling back, was the love of his life.
Gwendolyn.
*
Thor was mesmerized. Gwendolyn looked as beautiful as ever, staring back with her wide smile, her perfect skin, her long, blonde hair, her large blue eyes. It was like meeting her for the first time. He could look nowhere else, his heart pounded. He felt as if he had truly returned.
Gwendolyn jumped into his arms, embracing him tightly, and he embraced her back. He could hardly believe that someone like her could love him, and he loved her back with everything he had. He hugged her for a very long time, and she did not let go.
"I'm so glad you're back," she whispered earnestly into his ear.
"As am I," he answered.
He felt her hot tears running down his neck, and slowly, he pulled back. He leaned in and kissed her, and they held the kiss for a long time, as people jostled them in every direction, shouts and cheers all around them as the crowd swirled.
There came a whining, and Gwen looked down in delight to see Krohn, jumping up on her, whining. She reached down and petted him, kissing him and laughing as he jumped on her and licked her face.
"I missed you," she said.
Krohn whined.
Gwen stood, smiling, and looked back to Thor, the last rays of sunset lit up her eyes, and she reached out and took his hand.
"Come with me," she said.
He did not need prodding. She lead him through the crowd, zigzagging this way and that, Krohn following, until finally she lead him through an ancient gate, and into the royal gardens.
They were back in the labyrinth of formal gardens, and it was quiet here, the cheers of the masses muted. They had privacy, finally, and they held hands as she faced him.
They kissed again, for a long time.
Finally she pulled back.
"Not a day passed that I did not think of you," Thor said to her.
She smiled.
"And I you," she said, looking into his eyes. "I prayed every day for your safe return."
Thor smiled as he reached into his pocket, and slowly pulled out the stone he had been dying to give her.
"Close your eyes," he said, "and open your hand."
She closed her eyes, smiled, and tentatively held out a palm.
"It's not a snake, is it?" she asked.
He laughed.
"No, I think not," he said.
Thor reached out and gingerly place into her palm the piece of Orethist he had found on Dragon's isle.
Gwen opened her eyes, and examined it in wonder.
The stone lay in her palm, glowing like a living thing, attached to the silver necklace chain Thor had forged.
"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed.
"It is Orethist. A rock from the shore of Dragon's isle. It is said to have magical powers. Legend has it that, if you give it to someone you love, it will save their life."
Gwen looked down and blushed as he said the word "love."
"You brought this all the way back for me?" she asked.
She looked at it in awe as Thor took the necklace, came around behind her, and fastened it on her neck. She reached down and felt it, then turned and hugged Thor tight.
"Is the most beautiful thing I've ever been given," she said. "I will cherish it forever."
She took his hand and led him deeper into the twisting and turning pathways of the gardens.
"I'm afraid I have nothing to give you in return," she said.
"You've given me everything," he said. "You're still here."
She smiled, clutching his hand.
"We can be together now," she said. "My mother…she's not in her right mind. I'm sorry for her. But happy for us. We have no more obstacles between us."
"I have to admit, I was afraid that when I returned, you might be with someone else," he said.
"How could you think such a thing?" she scolded.
Thor shrugged, embarrassed.
"I don't know. You have so many others to choose from."
She shook her head.
"You don't understand. I've already chosen. I want to be with you forever."
He stopped and turned and kissed her, a kiss that lasted forever under the fading light of twilight. At her words, Thor was happier than he'd ever been. Because that was exactly what he wanted, too.
She looked embarrassed.
"And I have to admit something, too," she said.
Thor looked at her, puzzled.
"I was afraid you might not think me beautiful anymore," she said, eyes lowered, "because of my scar."
"What scar?" Thor asked.
"Here, on this cheek," she said, pointing to the scratch that Gareth's dog had left.
Thor squinted at it, puzzled.
"I can't even see it," he said.
"That's because it is nearly dark. In the light of day it is more visible."
He shook his head.
"You imagine it to be greater than it is," he said. "It is but a trace. Inches away, I can barely see it. And besides, it does not detract from your beauty—if anything, it adds to it."
She felt her heart warming, felt reassured, realizing he was genuine, and leaned in and kissed him.
"I was attacked," she said as she pulled back.
Thor's face darkened, and he lowered his hand instinctively to the hilt of his sword.
"By who?" he demanded. "Tell me who it was, and I will kill him right now."
She shook her head.
"That does not matter now," she said, her face darkening. "He's already dead. What matters now is that you should know that there are big changes about to happen here," she said. "King's Court will nev
er be the same."
"What do you mean?" he asked, concerned. "Is everything okay?"
She slowly shook her head.
"It is and it's not. My brother, Kendrick, has been imprisoned."
"What!?" Thor cried, outraged.
"Gareth has set him up, accused him of murdering my father. All lies. My father's murderer—we have discovered him. Finally, we have proof."
Thor's eyes opened wide.
"It was Gareth," she said.
Thor felt his body go cold with the news. He hardly knew what to say. He tried to think of what that meant for the King's Army, the Legion, for the kingdom, for Kendrick—it was too much to process. He hated to think that he was swearing allegiance to a king who was a murderer.
"What will you do?" he asked her.
"We have a witness to the crime. Tomorrow, my brother Godfrey and I, we will confront Gareth. We will bring him to justice. And King's Court will be without a king."
Thor tried to process all of this. His mind spun with the implications. He was happy that MacGil's murderer had finally been found, yet he was worried for Gwen's safety.
"Does that mean you will free Kendrick tomorrow?"
"Yes," she said. "Tomorrow, everything will change. We only found our witness hours ago, and we were awaiting your return. We wanted the Legion to be here, to back us up when we confront Gareth, in case there is a revolt. He will not go down easily."
Thor breathed.
"I will do whatever I can, my lady, to make sure justice is done for your father. And to keep you safe."
She leaned in and kissed him, and he kissed her back. A fall breeze caressed them, and he never wanted this night to end.
"I love you," she said.
He felt a thrill at her words. It was the first time she had said it—the first time that any girl had ever said those words to him.
He looked into her eyes, a glistening blue, lit up in the twilight, and in them, he saw his own reflection. It was a face he almost did not recognize. Every day, he felt as if he were becoming someone new.
"I love you, too," he said back.
They kissed again, and for the first time in as long as he could remember, everything felt right in the world.