The month of Gathering (September) at age 8

Week 1

Today we had another little tournament, just in our age groups. We used the same arena as our big fight before, when I beat Harry, to practice as the adults said it would 'make us more used to the surroundings and atmosphere' ready for the tournament in two weeks.

Yes, I know, it was a short notice, but we literally only found out today. The actual tournament will be all the age brackets again like before, so I'm hoping I do as well as I did in practice against my group if not better.

Week 2

There was a big robbery in the town and we were told we weren't allowed to leave the building. So I missed my patrol, but for once I didn't mind.

No, I'm not going mad. Most of us were pushed up against the windows facing the town, looking out for what was happening and how it could be so dangerous.

We could see flames flickering in the distance at one point, but soon they died down.

We often saw the adult guards running away from something we couldn't see.

"There's too many!" We'd hear through the glass. "There's too many!"

We all got a little nervous- it'd have to be big to scare the adults. As members of the guard, we are supposed to be brave and strong in life-and-death situations. If these adults just crumbled then...

Well, it's Sunday and I'm sleepy. Hopefully they'll tell us what happened.

Week 3

They told us the very next day! Well, sort of.

The alarm went off during practice, and the draik man said we should go. So we went down to the assembly hall. The adults in charge of all the different groups stood in a row at the front, and the groups themselves sat on the floor in neat rows. We sat down at the back in rows of our own.

"Guys," One of the adults, a pretty purple ixi in charge of the group above us, said. "Some of you may be aware that something happened in Brightvale yesterday."

We all nodded, not even the loud people daring to speak.

"It was nowhere near as bad as you would think watching what glimpses you could from the base," She explained. "But it wasn't very pleasant. It was a rather confusing matter. A house caught fire, we still aren't sure we caught the culprit. We have many suspects locked in the dungeons whom we believe could possibly have done the crime, but we aren't sure. Could those people who missed their patrols because of the incident please go down to the dungeons. You're going to do some guarding to make up for it. We know it's not as exciting, and we apologise, but it's the best we can do."

After assembly, I meet with Violet and together we go down to the dungeons. There's a couple of older kids who I guessed missed their patrols too just sitting around chatting, paying no attention to the suspects in here whatsoever.

However, I was feeling curious, and Violet seemed to be feeling about ten times more curious than me. Together we went down the aisle, looking into each cell.

Most the people were big and burly, though there were a few kids. I was quite shocked, some of the kids looked even younger than me! How could they be suspects?

Then I reached the last cell and found a book being thrown at my head.

"Catch!"

Instead, as it was too late, I ducked and the book hit Violet in the face.

"Whoops!" Hanso said. "Sorry!"

"I would hit you really hard were these bars not in the way!" Violet seethed with fury.

"I have no doubt you would," Hanso agreed.

"Hanso," I said. I had many questions about the incident, and I was hoping he could answer. I mean, he must have been there to have been caught, right?

"Yes, Brynneth?"

"What exactly happened yesterday?"

"Is this my interrogation?" He said, teasing me slightly. "'Cos I was expecting to be tied to a chair or a stretching rack or something for that sort of thing."

"Hanso!"

"Alright, I'll tell you!" He said quickly. "Some of the rich kids from the other side of down set this house on fire. They had a bit of a falling out with a little boy there and took their revenge a little too far. Us thieves, well most of us anyway, were there to try and help the family inside. There were a few scavenging the wreckage, sure, but a lot of us were helping the woman and her young son out. The husband was at work."

Violet was staring at him as though she didn't believe a word, but I did. He didn't have an expression that said he was lying.

"Have they managed to catch the actual culprits?" I asked, ignoring Violet's little complaints by my side.

Hanso came and pushed his head up against the bars, looking up and down the hall.

"I don't think they have." He said finally.

"So who did they catch?"

"Any thieves in the area." He said, before adding. "Guards typically always blame the thieves- it's not fair!"

"And they should!" Violet said. "I mean, you guys do break the law for fun!"

"Not nessacarily." Hanso argued. "Some people have no other option. You two live in a big castle with, I've no doubt, soft beds and big gardens. A lot of thieves have nothing like that!"

"I didn't automatically think it was the thieves." I said quietly.

"I heard that!" Hanso said. "And I thank you."

"Brynn!" Violet complained. "Don't talk to the suspect!"

"We should go." I said, picking my book up from the floor where it had fallen.

"At last, something we agree on!" Violet sighed with relief at the whole fact we were leaving.

"Bye, Brynn." Hanso said. "Oh, and if I 'accidently' helped a couple of innocent kids escape, you wouldn't mind, would you? I mean, they didn't do it and there are some kids in here I know who are only four years old so..."

"Okay," I agreed, he was right in that it was wrong to keep them in here. "But I never said that." Violet stared at me open mouthed. "Tell and I'll beat you to a pulp." And after seeing me fighting off thieves many times, I don't think she'll tell. Violet knows better than most how well I can fight, through firsthand experience.

I hope Hanso's got those kids out. I know I shouldn't. I know I should never have said he could let them out, but I'd feel so much worse than I do now if I hadn't let him. They're kids a lot younger than us. It makes me wonder who in the guard would capture little kids for a crime. Some of them were in cells all alone, others at least had a sister of a brother to keep them company. But... Arrggh! It's so hard to explain! I feel guilty, but I'm glad I let him do it. It's so confusing!

Week 4

It would seem Hanso let himself out along with the little kids. Then again, I never really expected him not to.

The draik man was confused as to where everyone had gone, as were the other adults.

"I think I know who it was," I told him when we were quietly alone. "And it wasn't any of the thieves."

"Really?" he asked, his face glowing with hope. "Who?"

"Some rich kids from the other side of Brightvale," I say.

"How do you know this?" He asked suspiciously.

"A friend told me." It wasn't lying really.

"And do you trust this friend?" He asked. I swallowed. Did I? He was a thief and everything, but here I was, telling the draik man what he'd said had happened.

"I guess so," I say.

He's said he'll look into it. I hope they do something. I hope Hanso wasn't lying and hasn't made me look like a total fool now.

They should've called this the Month of Hoping with the amount of hoping I'm doing at the end of entries this month!