Chapter 7:

Lord Thales was studying the map again when a hooded stranger came in. For a man his age he reacted rather quickly, drawing his dagger and turning to face the intruder.

"Father…" Tom called and drew back his hood.

The dagger fell from Thales' hand, "You, you are still alive?" he murmured.

Tom nodded, "Though not without shame, seeing that I was probably defeated by a boy younger than I am."

"So it was him."

Tom looked up in surprise, "You know him, father?"

Thales smiled bitterly, "Yes, through an old friend and some other businesses. I wonder why he let you off so easily, though."

"I was wondering that too, and when I asked him he said that he was ordered to win, not to kill. On my way here I also met a man who was freed by him, so this might be his own custom. But surely we would have heard of this before now?"

"That might be just as well. But it is not surprising that none of the released generals ever mentioned it; how were they to keep their face while admitting they had been defeated and were spared to live only at a young boy's grace? It would be far better to be thought as dead in a heroically way. I wonder why he wears that mask…for it surely was not to hide his age, otherwise he would have enchanted his voice as well."

Tom looked at his father, and they both looked thoughtful, finally he asked, "Who is he?"

"The most faithful and powerful servant of the Dark Lord, one who was bound to him at birth. And we fear that he may even share a small part of the Dark Lord's power. For him the greenness of the hills and the singing of the birds are alien, the only thing he is familiar with is destruction."

Tom was silent after this, his father's words still ringing in his ears. The words struck fear into the very deepest realm of his heart; but, as his father would have never guessed, they also arouse in him a strange sympathy. Surely he did not choose this life, just like I did not choose to be the bastard son of the most powerful man in the kingdom.

Tom felt much better the second day, and bumping into a strongly-built, brown haired young man lightened everything up. "Neville!" he called, "I had no idea you'd be here!"

Neville smiled too, but his eyes looked tired, "Times are not good, and I must ride again in three days. But I was most worried about you."

Tom shrugged, "No need to worry about me, where are you going anyway?"

A cloud seemed to have drifted over Neville's face, "Ceres."

"What, why so soon?" Tom turned very pale; remember the terrible fighting he experienced the night before.

Neville smiled wryly again, "I will meet him sooner or later, and the sooner the better since less people will suffer. I am supposed to be the one, right? So of course I can handle a mere servant of the Dark Lord."

Tom looked at his childhood friend, knowing he was not at all as confident as he sounded. And it suddenly occurred to him that Neville was no longer the fun, haughty kid he had played with; he had become a prince, and with that he was no longer a carefree young man living for his own sake. He opened his mouth but was uncertain about what to say, "Um…I'm sure you will, and you darn better, too!" he hoped his voice sounded more confident and joyful than what he truly felt, "Want to swim with me in the river?"

Neville's eyes shone with delight, "There is a river? Of course!"

Neville reached the bank first as he had always done so, but instead of bragging his swimming skills like in the old days, he sighed and said dreamily, "Sometimes I am so tired of this whole thing, being the supposed savior of the kingdom and all…but when I look around me, I see lovely sceneries and lovely people; they are what made me go on."

Tom laughed, "There are also ugly places and awful people, but anyhow you always look at the good in things." Then his smile was gone, "I wish I could be like you, but I just can't do it."

Neville was surprised, "What do you mean? What did that Rider do to you?"

Tom shook his head, ignoring his friend's joke, "Don't you know I'm not interested in warfare and all that?"

Neville nodded, "I remember you telling me once that you much prefer to be a healer, and you are quite good, too. But I thought you were joking then, I mean…"

"I know what you mean: surely the Great Lord Thales' son – even though only son in secret - would be a great general! But I…I mean they know I'm a terrible soldier; they are just covering up for me because of my father. I know I'll screw up one day, and then father would know how incompetent I am…I have wanted to tell him so many times before, yet every time I just couldn't bring myself to it when I looked at his face, full of pride…I know he wants to give me the best, sort of making up for my mother…But how am I supposed to tell him that this is not what I want when he had everything planned out ever since I was born? I thought I was over with it when I got captured then…a heroic death will end all my troubles…but I'm sent back." He smiled bitterly.

Neville didn't know what to say; he didn't ask to be the one the whole kingdom depended on either, and he didn't ask to be burdened with sword practice, tactic training, and bloody wars ever since he could remember. Instead he smiled and said, "Well I guess sometimes there are just things we can't change."

Tom did not speak for a long time, then, with sudden courage, he said, "Don't kill him if you do meet him!"

"What…"Neville was taken aback and then he realized who Tom was talking about, "Are you nuts?"

Tom blushed and muttered uncomfortably, "Hmm, I mean, I suppose he'll have to be defeated, doesn't he? I just thought, well, he didn't ask to be who he is today either…and being raised in that place since he was a baby and all, he really didn't have that much of a choice…"