Chapter 1
Chapter 2
It was after one such night of sitting by the fire that I heard a loud noise outside. I woke up to the barking, and looked out my window to see the front torches lighting up the yard. I heard the other dogs barking, most notably Baxter, the dog that I grew up with. I never heard Baxter bark like that, and I was scared. I ran out of my room to go to the study.
The interior lights were not being lit, and I could see the flicker of the candles. My mother told me that when she was little, the only time her family lit the candles in the house was when intruders came dangerously close to the house one night. She told me still, if there were people on the property that got through the first defenses of the house, they didn’t want them to see the movement of the servants if they had to use the secret passages.
“Master Thomas is leaving the house!” I heard Bernard, my father’s butler, say from down on the first floor, “Mistress Edmanda is leaving too! Release the secondary dogs!”
I stopped and saw servants running around downstairs, like little ants scurrying to help my mother and father defend the house.
“Bernard!” I heard my father shout from the entry way, “Go to Edmund and prepare to leave if they enter! My son is not to be killed!”
Several people yelled “Yes Sir!” at that moment and scurried off. I wasn’t about to let them have all the fun. I ran down to the nearest weapons room and opened the door silently as I heard the servants that were sent to guard me coming up the stairs.
I knew the room well, and made my way to the window. I was under the front door. I saw the doors open and my father’s figure march out the door and down the walk, with his large winter cloak flapping behind him. Several dogs came to him as he whistled, and followed him barking loudly down the walk. My mother would soon follow.
“Edmund?” I heard my mother’s soft, comforting voice say, “What are you doing here?”
I turned around, and in the faint light she was dressed in a cloak like my father’s. I saw the gleam of her hilt in one of her hands as the other was on the door.
“I wanna fight too!” I said, trying to sound like my father. I knew it was useless though, my mother would never want me in a fight.
“Edmund...” her voice said slowly, “This is not your fight...you will have your turn one day...but not today.”
I knew she was right, and I also knew that she was in a hurry.
“Yes Mother.” I said as I lowered my head. It was hard; I really wanted to fight with them to defend my home.
“Go to your room. Bernard is there.” She said decisively, “Come on, I’ll see you there.”
As I walked back to my room, my mother touched me softly on the head and guided me to my room. As she instructed Bernard, I saw the drapes in my room being closed. I wanted to open them; I felt a power behind them, behind the window, calling to me. But as my mother left, Bernard placed a hand on my shoulder and walked me over to my bed. If he said something, I never heard it. It wasn’t until I was older I found out my mother had ordered Bernard to shield me from the battle that ensued on the front lawns that fall.
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The next morning at breakfast, Mother and Father were absent.
“Master Thomas and Mistress Edmanda are sleeping. They fought long and hard last night, Young Master.”
All I could do was look into my porridge. It was my first day at school, and I was scared. Mother said she would walk me to school with my friends Johnny Gambino and Rosalie Freeman. The previous night had shaken me up, but going to school, away form my mother and father, was even worse. I had been taught my alphabet, and knew how to read...well, as good as a five year old could, but saw no reason why Mother and Father could not let me be schooled at home.
“Edmund.” came my mother’s voice. I looked up and saw her standing in a long, warm dress smiling over at me from the doorway to the dining room.
“Mother?” I said, surprised to see her, “I thought you were sleeping.”
My mother just smiled and walked over to my seat.
“I am not as tired as your father is, and besides he has the rest of the day to sleep...I must go to the store and run it today.”
I was happy. Mother was going to walk me to school.
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I was scared beyond belief, but having my two childhood friends there with me made me calm down. Mother talked to the teacher before she left, no doubt telling her about mine and Johnny’s obsession with chasing girls. Though I never thought about it till later, he particularly enjoyed chasing Rosalie.
She turned and looked at me from the outside windows as I stood with a small ball in my hands, watching her leave. She smiled and waved goodbye. I knew she would be back...I wasn’t too worried, I guess. It was then that she turned like someone had called her name. I saw a man who had long black hair and a smile on his face walk up next to her. Mother nodded, smiled back, and said something, then looked down and talked some more. I was curious.
Mother then looked back up, looked over at me, waved once more and left. The man walked over to the door, and I saw why my mother had looked down.
With the man was a small little girl with long black hair too. She was wearing a warm looking white dress. She looked around nervously, and saw me looking at her. She grabbed hold of her father’s legs and tried to hide behind them.
I did nothing but watch her. Her actions were curious to me, I had never before seen someone so shy.
“Class, can I have your attention, please!” The teacher said. We all looked at Ms. Bear. Even Johnny stopped pulling on Rosalie’s dress ribbon, “This is Anya Sakurayama. She and her parents are new to Durem from across the sea. Please welcome her to our fair town.”
Her father pushed her out from behind him, whispered something to her, and she nodded. She still held his hand, as if she would die if she let go. Looking back, I find this funny. She would always be shy, and that was one of the many things I liked about her, and one of the many things I would always be looking for.
Her father smiled at her once again, pried her hand out of his, and turned towards the door. Anya stood there, looking around at her new classmates who had gone back to playing. I just looked at her. She same aura I had felt last was behind the window. It wasn’t a bad one, but it made me uneasy.
I walked over to her, ignoring Johnny, who was being scolded by Ms. Bear for pulling off Rosalie’s ribbon, and stood there.
Anya just looked back, also, with wide eyes. I admit, I was narrowing mine and she could have mistaken it for malice at first.
“Edmund!” I herd Johnny’s voice say, “C’mon! Let’s play with the blocks!”
I turned back to Anya after that, and handed her the ball I was playing with.
“Here...It’s alright.”
“Thank you.” was all she said, and she grasped the ball lowering her head.
She had an accent that I couldn’t place. I raised an eye to her, turned away, and ran off to join Johnny and Rosalie.
I believe with all my being that this was the time all my anger began.
