Lazar spared a glance at Ewan. Ewan nodded his head, as he understood that
Lazar needed some time with Kael alone. He got up and headed for the door.
Just before he stepped outside, he informed them where he was going to be.
Both men nodded and Ewan left them alone.
"I do not see where you are at fault, Kael." Lazar added.
"It is my fault. I should have raised her differently. I spoiled her, Lazar. Given her everything she wanted or needed." Kael used the back of his hand to wipe away his tears. "Then what she wanted next was not mine to give." He shook his head. "She could not understand or accept that. Stubborn just like her mother." Kael smiled weakly. Lazar got up from his chair and walked over to Kael, placing a hand on his shoulder. "There is no fault in the way you raised your daughter. You did your best, Kael. She chose her path not you. You cannot blame yourself for this." Lazar gave a reassuring squeeze to the man's shoulder. Kael understood but was still a bit unwilling to accept that he was not responsible in one way or another. Lazar sat back down while Kael stood up, staring into the fire.
"You're here for Ewan aren't you?" Kael threw over his shoulder, not bothering to see Lazar nodding his head. Kael knew this day was going to come. It would have been easier if he had not grown attached and considered Ewan as a son. He smiled into the flame remembering their first encounter.
.. "My name is not boy!"..
"Is he ready?" Lazar's words pulled Kael out of his thoughts. He turned around and smiled proudly. "He is more then ready. The lad has far exceeded all of expectations, Lazar. There is nothing more I can teach him." Lazar could sense a bit of loss coming from Kael. "Are you ready to give him up, Kael?" The large man laughed amusingly. "Yes, Ewan has a way of growing on you. I love him as if he was my own blood. I will miss him but he does not belong here. He needs to move and so will I." Lazar listened as Kael proudly spoke of his son. "Then we will be leaving in two days time."
"Shall I call Ewan in? He's probably atop that hill." Lazar shook his head and headed for the door. "That won't be necessary I will go to him." Kael was about to protest, telling Lazar the conditions of that hill and the difficulty of the climb for such an old man. His decision taken away when Lazar disappeared outside and the door closed. Kael grinned and headed for his room.
Ewan sat against the tree trunk, absently rubbing the ring on his forefinger. He looked down at the quiescent blue stone. So many times, he thought he had seen it glow and swirl but it happened so quickly he was not sure if it was real. Ewan looked back into the night sky just in time to see two falling stars. He was so caught up in his thought he did not hear Lazar approach him. Lazar cleared his throat and Ewan leaped up to his feet. A bit surprised to see him here. "How did you," Ewan waved the question away, "never mind."
Lazar sat down and leaned against the tree. He patted the empty ground next to him, signaling Ewan to join him. Lazar watched Ewan as he sat down. He took notice how much the young boy had grown so much in just eleven years. Lazar corrected himself, Ewan was no longer a boy but a man now. His hair had grown longer, stopping just above the waist. He had even grown a beard; it was not as long as Kael's own beard. Lazar grinned remembering Kael's comment about Ewan's scrawny state when they had first arrived. How he would change that when they started training. Ewan was indeed bigger now, taller and muscular. He was not as big as Kael use to be but Lazar knew Ewan had great physical strength. It was obvious when he had witnessed the sword fight between Ewan and Kael. How easily Ewan took advantage over the fight.
Ewan looked up and stared at Lazar curiously. However there were no changes to those golden eyes, it remained the same. Ewan may have had grown physically into a man, but in those eyes were those of a lost eleven year old boy. Though he far surpassed in his training as a warrior, Ewan was still unaccustomed to what goes on beyond this land, beyond Kael's training. His time to serve the wielder is getting closer. It would be another year before he served the wielder. Ewan still needed to experience life. That's why Lazar was here now, to be his guide once again. It was time for Ewan to move on. Before they could move on Lazar wanted to know what been going while he was gone.
"So tell me Ewan what has happened in my absence?" Ewan averted his eyes from Lazar and looked up into the night sky. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "there is not much to tell you, Lazar. Training with Kael has taken up most of my time here. The only time I would venture out to the village is when I accompanied Kael or Fiona. Most of the time, I come up here to think and remember all that you have thought me about the wielder and my place by her side. Nothing more." Lazar nodded his head.
"I believe there is more to tell, Ewan. There were times where I sensed such great anguish and pain from you. Why?" Ewan glanced towards Lazar. He quickly turned away from the man's penetrating gaze, lowering his head he stared at the ground. "There were times where I felt." Ewan tried to search for the words, "out of place and alone."
"There is more, Ewan." Lazar stated. Ewan knew then to hold anything back from the old man. It was useless to try to hide anything from Lazar. The man always finds out one way or another. Ewan nodded his head as he explained about his encounter with Kellan years ago. How Kellan's words had hurt and how he almost believed in them.
"Then I came up here. Remembered the reasons why you had to leave, why I was left here, my destiny, and her." Ewan chuckled "I even heard you're voice that night." Lazar smiled, "It is because I spoke to you, Ewan." Lazar laughed at the confused look on Ewan's face. He leaned over, poked at Ewan's chest above the heart, and then tapped the side of his head. "I told you I was near, always." Ewan smiled and nodded his head. Since then, he never once doubted his place.
"Now, tell me about your dreams." Ewan chuckled. He should have known Lazar would ask about them. It was always the first thing he would ask him when he woke in the morning. His answer was always the same then, "She was there wielding the blade and I am always in the shadows, watching over her." Now along with time, the dreams had changed. The meanings of his dreams were different. How could he express the difference to Lazar? His chance was taken away when Lazar spoke, "You've grown quite fond of the wielder haven't you, Ewan?" He nodded his head. "I'm in love with her, Lazar."
"There's something else?" Lazar questioned.
"Is it wrong of me to be in love with someone I haven't met? And not just anyone she's wielder of the blade. One I am supposed to guide and protect with my life. I fear that my feelings for her will blind my judgment hence put her life in jeopardy. Is it wrong for me to be in love with her? I shouldn't be in love with her."
"But you are?"
"Yes" Ewan softly sighed. "Can't you help me Lazar? My expertise in this is very, very, limited."
Lazar smiled, "Even the simplest matters such as love is a true mystery to me. I cannot tell you what one does when it comes to the matters of the heart. Only you can decide on that, Ewan. In addition, I do not think it is wrong to love the wielder. She is a woman of course. She will need someone who will accept and truly understand who and what she is. She is a special woman who will need someone just as special. One who will be in love with her? Not as a wielder of the blade but as a woman. There will be pretenders who will impose their love for her. Nevertheless, their love is not genuine. It is only a guise, for they lust after the power they seek. You must protect her from those as well."
Ewan stared up into the sky "There will be a pretender in her life. He seeks her out only for the power of the blade. In return, he teaches her the art of love, shares her bed, and has her heart. In the end, he will betray her. This too is what I have dreamt. Moreover, it has been a painful one at that. Is there nothing I can do to spare her that pain?" Lazar shook his head.
"All you can do is to be there for her. Tell me Ewan are you in love with the woman or the wielder?"
"I do not see where you are at fault, Kael." Lazar added.
"It is my fault. I should have raised her differently. I spoiled her, Lazar. Given her everything she wanted or needed." Kael used the back of his hand to wipe away his tears. "Then what she wanted next was not mine to give." He shook his head. "She could not understand or accept that. Stubborn just like her mother." Kael smiled weakly. Lazar got up from his chair and walked over to Kael, placing a hand on his shoulder. "There is no fault in the way you raised your daughter. You did your best, Kael. She chose her path not you. You cannot blame yourself for this." Lazar gave a reassuring squeeze to the man's shoulder. Kael understood but was still a bit unwilling to accept that he was not responsible in one way or another. Lazar sat back down while Kael stood up, staring into the fire.
"You're here for Ewan aren't you?" Kael threw over his shoulder, not bothering to see Lazar nodding his head. Kael knew this day was going to come. It would have been easier if he had not grown attached and considered Ewan as a son. He smiled into the flame remembering their first encounter.
.. "My name is not boy!"..
"Is he ready?" Lazar's words pulled Kael out of his thoughts. He turned around and smiled proudly. "He is more then ready. The lad has far exceeded all of expectations, Lazar. There is nothing more I can teach him." Lazar could sense a bit of loss coming from Kael. "Are you ready to give him up, Kael?" The large man laughed amusingly. "Yes, Ewan has a way of growing on you. I love him as if he was my own blood. I will miss him but he does not belong here. He needs to move and so will I." Lazar listened as Kael proudly spoke of his son. "Then we will be leaving in two days time."
"Shall I call Ewan in? He's probably atop that hill." Lazar shook his head and headed for the door. "That won't be necessary I will go to him." Kael was about to protest, telling Lazar the conditions of that hill and the difficulty of the climb for such an old man. His decision taken away when Lazar disappeared outside and the door closed. Kael grinned and headed for his room.
Ewan sat against the tree trunk, absently rubbing the ring on his forefinger. He looked down at the quiescent blue stone. So many times, he thought he had seen it glow and swirl but it happened so quickly he was not sure if it was real. Ewan looked back into the night sky just in time to see two falling stars. He was so caught up in his thought he did not hear Lazar approach him. Lazar cleared his throat and Ewan leaped up to his feet. A bit surprised to see him here. "How did you," Ewan waved the question away, "never mind."
Lazar sat down and leaned against the tree. He patted the empty ground next to him, signaling Ewan to join him. Lazar watched Ewan as he sat down. He took notice how much the young boy had grown so much in just eleven years. Lazar corrected himself, Ewan was no longer a boy but a man now. His hair had grown longer, stopping just above the waist. He had even grown a beard; it was not as long as Kael's own beard. Lazar grinned remembering Kael's comment about Ewan's scrawny state when they had first arrived. How he would change that when they started training. Ewan was indeed bigger now, taller and muscular. He was not as big as Kael use to be but Lazar knew Ewan had great physical strength. It was obvious when he had witnessed the sword fight between Ewan and Kael. How easily Ewan took advantage over the fight.
Ewan looked up and stared at Lazar curiously. However there were no changes to those golden eyes, it remained the same. Ewan may have had grown physically into a man, but in those eyes were those of a lost eleven year old boy. Though he far surpassed in his training as a warrior, Ewan was still unaccustomed to what goes on beyond this land, beyond Kael's training. His time to serve the wielder is getting closer. It would be another year before he served the wielder. Ewan still needed to experience life. That's why Lazar was here now, to be his guide once again. It was time for Ewan to move on. Before they could move on Lazar wanted to know what been going while he was gone.
"So tell me Ewan what has happened in my absence?" Ewan averted his eyes from Lazar and looked up into the night sky. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "there is not much to tell you, Lazar. Training with Kael has taken up most of my time here. The only time I would venture out to the village is when I accompanied Kael or Fiona. Most of the time, I come up here to think and remember all that you have thought me about the wielder and my place by her side. Nothing more." Lazar nodded his head.
"I believe there is more to tell, Ewan. There were times where I sensed such great anguish and pain from you. Why?" Ewan glanced towards Lazar. He quickly turned away from the man's penetrating gaze, lowering his head he stared at the ground. "There were times where I felt." Ewan tried to search for the words, "out of place and alone."
"There is more, Ewan." Lazar stated. Ewan knew then to hold anything back from the old man. It was useless to try to hide anything from Lazar. The man always finds out one way or another. Ewan nodded his head as he explained about his encounter with Kellan years ago. How Kellan's words had hurt and how he almost believed in them.
"Then I came up here. Remembered the reasons why you had to leave, why I was left here, my destiny, and her." Ewan chuckled "I even heard you're voice that night." Lazar smiled, "It is because I spoke to you, Ewan." Lazar laughed at the confused look on Ewan's face. He leaned over, poked at Ewan's chest above the heart, and then tapped the side of his head. "I told you I was near, always." Ewan smiled and nodded his head. Since then, he never once doubted his place.
"Now, tell me about your dreams." Ewan chuckled. He should have known Lazar would ask about them. It was always the first thing he would ask him when he woke in the morning. His answer was always the same then, "She was there wielding the blade and I am always in the shadows, watching over her." Now along with time, the dreams had changed. The meanings of his dreams were different. How could he express the difference to Lazar? His chance was taken away when Lazar spoke, "You've grown quite fond of the wielder haven't you, Ewan?" He nodded his head. "I'm in love with her, Lazar."
"There's something else?" Lazar questioned.
"Is it wrong of me to be in love with someone I haven't met? And not just anyone she's wielder of the blade. One I am supposed to guide and protect with my life. I fear that my feelings for her will blind my judgment hence put her life in jeopardy. Is it wrong for me to be in love with her? I shouldn't be in love with her."
"But you are?"
"Yes" Ewan softly sighed. "Can't you help me Lazar? My expertise in this is very, very, limited."
Lazar smiled, "Even the simplest matters such as love is a true mystery to me. I cannot tell you what one does when it comes to the matters of the heart. Only you can decide on that, Ewan. In addition, I do not think it is wrong to love the wielder. She is a woman of course. She will need someone who will accept and truly understand who and what she is. She is a special woman who will need someone just as special. One who will be in love with her? Not as a wielder of the blade but as a woman. There will be pretenders who will impose their love for her. Nevertheless, their love is not genuine. It is only a guise, for they lust after the power they seek. You must protect her from those as well."
Ewan stared up into the sky "There will be a pretender in her life. He seeks her out only for the power of the blade. In return, he teaches her the art of love, shares her bed, and has her heart. In the end, he will betray her. This too is what I have dreamt. Moreover, it has been a painful one at that. Is there nothing I can do to spare her that pain?" Lazar shook his head.
"All you can do is to be there for her. Tell me Ewan are you in love with the woman or the wielder?"