Chapter 18
"Alyss, what are you doing?" Will stood pouting in a corner as his graceful companion had rushed to her chambers. They were supposed to be playing in the shallow lake by the fresh green hills surrounding Redmont castle. On summer days where the sun made a point of consistently shining, bathing everything in a glow of warmth, him and Alyss had repeatedly ventured to the small lake close to the Tarbus river and its outlying cottages yet not so close as for anyone to stumble upon their secret hiding place.
Months ago, both rejected by those in the society, the two children had decided they had had enough of mingling with others close to their age. Children and adults alike seemed wary of them, nervously tossing bread at their feet should they enter near their homes, Will and Alyss both sick of this treatment had therefore decided to create a new place. A place where they were not judged or criticised, somewhere that the two of them could spend their lonely hours together, playing and talking then playing some more.
Will with his uncanny ability of gifted eyesight spotted the perfect area that shielded from others views by thick clumps of blueberry bushes opening up to a well lit meadow full of wildlife and beauty. Alyss with her wits and imagination brought and invented new and original things they could do and play. They played under water hide and seek, for as long as they could keep breath, knights and mermaids, a fantasy tale of a widow knight falling for a cursed mermaid who was bound to imprisonment, sentries and thieves (one of Will's favourites) he knew Alyss had not as much preference for this yet she tolerated playing it, an action packed game where a thief is caught in the process of stealing goods and the sentry must find a way to capture them. An assortment of edible arrangements were always laid out after, courtesy of Will's talented climbing and stealing abilities, so once tired the both of them could munch on Master Chubbs freshly baked raspberry muffins and dip their toes into the cool refreshing water once or twice spotting small fish just under the surface.
They had planned another visit to the secret that had sustained them through their childhood years, no one knew of this place and to avoid suspicion, both would always randomly choose a date of when to play so as not to receive attention from the caring house maids. They had just been about to set off when Alyss with a yelp told Will to stay where he was as she rushed up the smooth stone steps to her dormitory. He clucked his teeth with seething impatience as one…two…three minutes painfully passed.
She slid down the steps tossing her bright blonde hair then jabbing him in the ribs and yelling "Come on then" ran off to their location. Will angry with her at first warmed up as they sprinted across the countryside, running through the soft golden hay, fingers trailing over jagged fences until finally, finally they had reached their destination. Will loved running. Though short he may be he felt at one with the wind and the earth as he pushed his feet off the ground and caught up with his best friend in a matter of minutes.
A red tinge lighted both their faces as they stopped and went to a gentle walk.
"What were you doing upstairs?" Will asked her. Alyss smiled, lighting up her face as she did so. She knew of Will's irrepressible curiosity and decided she would evade the subject until they could play freely in their secret world where she would tell him what she was doing.
"Oh nothing, a bit of this a bit of that." She kept her face neutral and to her delight saw him frown in anger and impatience.
"Oh come on, if you had nothing important to do surely you could have waited to do it after we played instead of spending hours doing hocus pocus." Will scoffed though was proud by the new bit of vocabulary he had brought into their casual banter. Alyss laughed, her voice echoing across the valley.
"Hocus pocus? I see your vocabulary has improved as usual." Will grinned at that. Alyss had a different type of comedy to others, her forte was usually deadpan in which she could pull off surprisingly well for a girl of her age. "Tell me…" She pressed on then paused for effect while Will waited, looking at her. "Do you have the slightest idea as to what those words may even mean?" Her eyes twinkled in delight though she remained determined not to break into a smile. Will frowned in concentration knowing his brain had picked it up somewhere, though after several seconds claiming defeat he replied.
"Honestly I have no idea." His face too, moulded into a serious expression as though perhaps the two young children were talking about matters of great importance.
"That's what I thought." Alyss shook her head intellectually. Though they both fell into fits of laughter afterwards. Stopping himself from chortling once more at the serious expression on his best friends face he said.
"O.K then what does it mean genius?" Will asked his curiosity mounting. Now that he had said the word but forgotten where he heard it from he was desperately wishing to know how he had come to know about it. Alyss tossed her hair again significantly as they clambered through the bushes to their usual hide out.
"Well it's what jongleurs and magicians say isn't it?" She said this as if it were the most simple thing in the world. Unfortunately Will didn't seem to understand and after giggling at his bewildered face she continued. "Well if you think about it all the magicians that have performed at Redmont castle always do tricks and before they do, they say 'Abracadrabra loomicadoomi hocus pocus' Surely you remember it?" Alyss saw a light of understanding dawn on Wills face before he burst into laughter. She frowned. "What's so funny?"
"Your face when you said those words you looked like a fifty year old witch." She smiled a rare smile that she only used with him.
"Well to be honest I do think it's a bit silly." She added, wanting to justify herself. Will trotted over and set down the woven wooden basket which had carried their food and drinks. Fortunately he had the sense to wrap everything inside with extra clothes since he knew he was to be running. After putting the basket down he knelt down on one knee to examine its contents which Alyss had prepared herself for some reason. He noticed most prominently from all the foods inside a huge cake sat with delicately hand made icing now ruined. He shrugged the matter away. He loved cake regardless to its appearance. He wondered though why Alyss would pack such a luxury food item…
"Hmmm" Will muttered under his breath. Alyss saw him inspecting the contents with fascination. She waited for him to continue which she knew he surely would. "Alyss why have you brought cake for our play session thing?" He asked not looking up. She smiled then nonchalantly said.
"Because it's your birthday" She strolled down to the lake to look as though she was doing something purposeful as Will's head snapped up. He did it so quickly he got a crick in his neck.
"Birthday?" He asked in a perpetual state of shock.
"Yes birthday." After seeing incomprehension still etched on his face she added. "Your birthday." As if guiding a two year old.
"But how do you know?" He asked with a slight tinge of sadness mixed in with shock still.
"Know what?" Deliberately not understanding him.
"How do you know whether it's my birthday or not I mean no one knows anything about me." His voice sounded miserable even to his own ears as he stared down at the cake again, then looked up to see Alyss smiling with such warmth all his doubts seemed to melt away. She walked across and sat down directly opposite Will, looked into his eyes and said.
"I think you're the luckiest person ever." She smiled still and saw Will frown again. He had always thought of himself as a person who had an unfair life. His parents were stolen away from him by death before he could even find out his surname, stripping him of identity. How she thought this problem was an advantage baffled him.
"How?" He looked down at the plush green grass and awaited her answer.
"At least you get to choose your birthday so you can have it whenever you want every year. You can celebrate it whenever it's sunny whereas I have to celebrate it in December which is always the coldest month of the year." Her words took him by surprise. Right now he had never loved Alyss more than he did at that moment. He always considered his unknown birth date as a flaw, a reason for village boys to bully him, somehow she had managed to twist his problem to an advantage and make him sound lucky, cool. He looked away and stood up, walking to the river so as to hide the tears that were daring to fall. Wiping his eyes quickly he turned to see she had also stood up and clutched in her hands was a small wrapped package. His eyes were ready with a question his mouth couldn't form as he eyed the parcel.
"For you." She took two long steps and secured the present in his grasp before stepping back her eyes shining with excitement. "Go on. Open it." She nudged him.
Still flabbergasted at this unexpected surprise he hastily tore off the paper neatly covering his present and gasped in shock. It was a small wooden amulet, carved with an amazing degree of accuracy as it had taken the form of a single flame. Even though it was wooden the intricate lines in it made it look real and for a second he thought he saw a flicker of shimmering orange. He looked up at her this time unable to hide the tears falling freely down his face. She took it as a positive confirmation as he was unable to talk for many minutes. Still gazing at his gift.
"Go on look at the back." And he did. And he cried a bit more for on the back was a small carved message.
Hope, Courage, Determination is what this represents. Which is exactly why it was made for you.
"Happy seventh birthday Will." Alyss grinned. He looked up at her again and brought her into a massive hug, something which surprised the both of them since they rarely hugged each other. He stepped back and put the necklace over his head and tucked it under his clothes where he knew it would be safe.
Battered and bruised he was dragged mercilessly by a pair of unknown calloused hands that had clearly experienced the full force of battle. Many scars adorned them as the hands flung him across the room slamming him against the hard rock wall. They were in a mountain of sorts. No recollection of recent events had appeared to him so he was forced to conclude that he either must have been drugged or knocked out then sent to this location. The latter most probably he thought, wincing as the pain in his ribs flared through his body. He was unaware of the fact that he had been injured during his journey which made it an unpleasant surprise for when he awoke in a nasty smelling room filled with darkness. His eyes darted around the room looking for any clues to their location but as ever all the rooms he had been in looked the same. Dark, damp and in serious likelihood to collapse. One advantage he had though was his enemy. They were in a foreign country and were in no position to find any unlikely hostage areas which Will concluded meant they were going for speed not stealth. This also meant that wherever he was being held was probably in the closest mountains to the battle ground. Then it came to him. He remembered looking at the mountains with Halt who said the Temujai could climb up there and shoot arrows from their vantage point to attack the Skandians had they decided to remain at the inadequate stretch of land mainly used for resting purposes to hold off the army that were on their way. A rough voice snapped him out of his speculating.
"What name?" Towering before him was a heavily built soldier equipped with tools so deadly Will suppressed a shiver. As he did so a surge of annoyance took its place. The man in front of him was obviously unaware that he spoke the most appalling Araluan and after being kicked, punched and dragged over jagged rocks asking his name, which they already knew, was too much. Shuddering, he stood up painfully and faced the Temujai with a light of grim determination.
"Why don't you ask me something you don't know the answer to." He knew it was wrong. He knew it was stupid but after all they put him through just wanting to find out his name really ticked him off. Anger had flooded through replacing the pain and fear as he saw the man pause, looking at him with contempt yet there was something else there. In his eyes. A hint of admiration?
Next thing he knew he was savagely kicked in the chest and he flew back slamming again into the wall. A massive bruise was forming he could feel it. Pain beyond imagination yet he knew this was only the beginning. Will lay on his back too hurt to have the energy to groan. Dripping down his face was thick wet saliva where the man had then proceeded to spit on him. Faintly he heard the slam of a door. Metal presumably from the clank. But he needed to know more about his surroundings, where he was, what information they wanted to get out of him. Unconsciousness was calling to him though. Purring softly in his ear persuading him to let go of all his worries and fall straight into a deep sleep that would rid him temporarily of his pains. Not was he one of the best fighter though if he didn't have determination. Gritting his teeth he pushed himself into a sitting position, his muscles trembling in protest. A layer of sweat covered the spit on his face and he leaned back against the wall now able to see the events occurring outside his cell. As he rest his head back something fell on to the floor with a clutter. His eyes snapped open and he scanned the floor quickly until he found what it was. He frowned as he picked it up. A wooden amulet now lay in his hands as memories stirred deep inside him. He looked to the back and found sixteen words glaring back at him.
Hope, Courage, Determination is what this represents. Which is exactly why it was made for you.
Something stirred in him. He knew he had all those qualities or else Alyss would not have given him the amulet. A small tear ran down his cheek as he thought of her and all his friends back home waiting for him. If only he had Alyss with him now, quick witted and calm as always, she would have been able to turn the situation to make it sound as if he were having the time of his life. He grimaced sadly while hot tears prickled his eyes again. He only had one choice now. He had to get out of here fast or die trying.
Hey guys in case you're all wondering why I'm adding a memory of Will's it becomes important later on in the plot line or I'm not sure maybe not I just had a fun time writing it! This memory is mainly written to show Will and Alyss' relationship since they are best friends and nothing more. I think this is important since he is dating Cassandra after all. Do not forget the amulet because it is important!