Miserably the two boys began their walk back to the Squire's Wing, but before they even reached the courtyard, they heard the cocky, lilting voice of Foster.
"…Yes, Sir Douglass. I've the letter from my father. He would like to contract the bridge between Veldine and Roledge. It's right here." There was the scratching sound of paper being unfolded. Dodson peered around the corner. Sir Douglass was reading a letter, lips moving silently.
"You would like to take Samantha's hand, Foster? But you're only fifteen!" Douglass's face was mild, but doubt was hidden in his eyes. "I thought that Samantha was courting Ced--"
Foster was rigid with anger. "Cedric of Tessol has expressed his want to be with Samantha. I doubt she returns his feelings," he said tersely. "And as to the matter of age, I would plan on waiting until I got my shield. Or do you just think Cedric is more capable than I? I, your own squire?"
Douglass sighed. "I'll have to think on it, and ask Samantha," he finally replied. "I'm going in. Don't stay up too late; we have patrols tomorrow." He walked out of the courtyard.
Dodson and Cedric waited until Douglass was out of hearing range before stepping into view of Foster. Cedric's face was carefully blank.
"Trying to ruin more lives than you have already, Fos?" Dodson proclaimed boldly. Silently, Foster stared back at them. His hazel eyes glittered in the dim light.
"I've wasted enough time trying to match up to one of you," he retorted quietly, unusually thoughtful. "Now, I'm just trying to be happy. Why deny me of that?"
"Because you've been trying to steal any of my happiness for ages, you godless, spiteful coward!" Cedric's dark eyes were narrowed dangerously. Without a word, Fostre strode away, and was quickly swallowed by darkness.
Dodson leaned over to Cedric. "You've finally grown a temper."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Instead of taking the scant hours before dawn to sleep, Dodson and Cedric stayed up and played chess. It was a gloomy time for them: the girls they were courting had been sent away, their knight masters were gone, and their rival was acting oddly. Neither knew what to think.
"What if the Council doesn't get back before the siege is laid?" Cedric finally said. "Check."
Dodson moved his king from danger and fixed Cedric with a thoughtful stare. "Suppose they don't. We can still fight. Honestly, we're not acting like ourselves lately." Cedric shrugged. He was about to move his queen, therefore achieving victory, but the morning bell rang. The boys sprang up and sprinted to the chapel. They pushed to the front of the crowd. Slowly, the Chamber door swung open. A few tense seconds passed before Yule stumbled out, pale and sweaty. His short black hair was mussed, but his eyes were bright and alert. The crowd erupted into cheers.
After congratulating Yule, Dodson and Cedric wound their way to the back, intending to leave. A group of first- and second-year pages waited by the doors.
"Hello," a black-haired, blue-eyed boy said. "I'm Roald."
The squires dipped their heads. "Highness," Cedric acknowledged.
Roald nodded in return and proceeded to introduce Balduin of Disart, Faleron of King's Reach, Prosper of Irenroha, Cleon of Kennan, Nealan of Queenscove, Joren of Stone Mountain, Garvey of Runnerspring, Vinson of Genlith, and Zahir Ibn Alhaz. All were awed to meet the famous squires.
It took a while for them to untangle themselves from the eager pages. Uneasy, they immediately afterwards went onto the ramparts. They put themselves a fair distance from between any guards. Finally they were alone.
"I have to tell you something," Cedric said, staring straight ahead. Dodson grunted his attentiveness. "Remember how Raoul said there might be a traitor? I think it's Oluf."
Dodson jerked. "What?" he squeaked. "Even if that's so…After all we've done for him? It can't be."
"It can…maybe. Remember? We heard him talking? Then that white light. I think he has the Gift and was doing a speaking spell." Cedric punched the wall. "If only we had proof!"
Dodson stayed silent. The sun shifter higher into the sky. Slowly the fog began to disperse.
"Wait!" Dod said suddenly. "See that?" He pointed into the distance. Slowly Cedric began to see large, moving clumps. Clumps moving under banners. Figures flew in the sky over the clumps.
"Mithros," Cedric moaned.
"It's the siege," Dodson confirmed.
They raced to Wyldon's office. He was sorting through piles of paper.
"My Lord!" Dodson yelled, halfway through the door. "The siege! It's visible on the horizon!"
Cedric stopped to bow before he, too, blurted their story. Once again Wyldon calmly heard them out.
"I'll gather the defense troops," he said finally. "Get ready."
The squires nodded and ran to collect their armor and weapons.
(A/n: I will warn you now that the next chapter will be the last. It is very sad. Some *cough MOLLY cough* may not want to read it. But it's the climax and the ending of the story.)
