A Quest of Heroes

Then, for some reason, the beast froze in midair. Thor blinked, trying to understand why.

The beast reached up and clutched its throat, and Thor noticed the head of an arrow protruding from it. A moment later, the beast keeled over, dead.

Erec came running into view, followed by Reece and O’Connor. Thor saw Erec looking down on him, asking if he was okay, and he wanted to answer, more than anything. But the words would not come out. A moment later, his eyes closed on him, and then his world went black.

Chapter Eighteen

Thor opened his eyes slowly, dizzy at first, trying to figure out where he was. He was lying on straw, and for a moment wondered if he was back in the barracks. He propped himself up on one elbow, on alert, looking for the others.

He was somewhere else. From the looks of it, he was in a very elaborate stone room. It looked as if he were in a castle. A royal castle.

Before he could figure it all out, a large, oak door swung open and in strutted Reece. In the distance, Thor could hear the muted noise of a crowd.

“Finally, he lives,” Reece announced with a smile, as he rushed forward, grabbed Thor’s hand, and pulled him to his feet.

Thor raised a hand to his head, trying to slow his terrible headache from rising too fast.

“Come on, let’s go, everyone’s waiting for you,” he urged, yanking Thor.

“Wait a minute, please,” Thor said, trying to collect himself. “Where am I? What happened?”

“We’re back in King’s Court – and you are about to be celebrated as the hero of the day!” Reece said merrily, as they headed for the door.

“Hero? What do you mean? And…how did I get here?” he asked, trying to remember.

“That beast knocked you out. You’ve been out for quite a while. We had to carry you back across the Canyon bridge. Quite dramatic. Not exactly how I expected you to return to the other side!” he said with a laugh.

They walked out into the corridors of the castle, and as they went, Thor could see all sorts of people – women, men, squires, guards, knights – staring at him, as if they had been waiting for him to wake. He also saw something new in their eyes, something like respect. It was the first time he had seen it. Up until now, most everyone had looked at him with something like disdain – now they looked at him as if he were one of them.

“What exactly happened?” Thor racked his brain, trying to recall.

“Don’t you remember any of it?” Reece asked.

Thor tried to think.

“I remember running into the wood. Fighting with that beast. And then…” He drew a blank.

“You saved Elden’s life,” Reece said. “You ran fearlessly into the wood, on your own. I don’t know why you wasted energy on saving that prig’s life. But you did. The King is very, very pleased with you. Not because he cares about Elden. But he cares very much about bravery. He loves to celebrate. It’s important to him, to celebrate stories like this, to inspire the others. And it reflects well on the King, and on the Legion. He wants to celebrate. You’re here because he’s going to reward you.”

“Reward me?” Thor asked, dumbfounded. “But I didn’t do anything!”

“You saved Elden’s life.”

“I only reacted. I only did what came naturally.”

“And that’s exactly why the King wants to reward you.”

Thor felt embarrassed. He didn’t think his actions deserved rewarding. After all, if it hadn’t been for Erec, Thor would be dead right now. Thor thought about it, and his heart filled with gratitude for Erec, once again. He hoped that one day he could repay him.

“But what about our patrol duty?” Thor asked. “We didn’t finish it.”

Reece put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

“Friend, you saved a boy’s life. A member of the Legion. That’s more important than our patrol.” Reece laughed. “So much for an uneventful first patrol!” he added.

At the end of yet another corridor, two guards opened a door for them, and Thor blinked and found himself in the royal chamber. There must have been a hundred knights standing about the room, with its soaring cathedral ceilings, stained glass, and weapons and suits of armor hung everywhere on the walls like trophies. The Hall of Arms. It was the place where all the greatest warriors met, all the men of the Silver. Thor’s heart raced as he surveyed the walls, all the famous weaponry, the armor of heroic and legendary knights. Thor had heard rumors of this place his entire life. It had been his dream to see it for himself one day. Normally no squires were allowed here – no one but the Silver.

Even more surprising, as he entered, real knights turned and looked at him – him – from all sides. And they wore looks of admiration. Thor had never seen so many knights in one room, and had never felt so accepted. It was like walking into a dream. Especially since just moments before, he had been fast asleep.

Reece must have noticed Thor’s dumbfounded face.

“The finest of the Silver have gathered here to honor you.”

Thor felt himself well with pride and disbelief. “Honor me? But I’ve done nothing.”

“Wrong,” came a voice.

Thor turned and felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. It was Erec, grinning down.

“You have displayed bravery and honor and courage, beyond what was expected of you. You nearly gave up your life to save one of your brethren. That is what we look for in the Legion, and this is what we look for in the Silver.”

“You saved my life,” Thor said to Erec. “If it weren’t for you, that beast would have killed me. I don’t know how to thank you.”

Erec grinned down.

“You already have,” he answered. “Don’t you remember the joust? I believe we are even.”

Thor marched down the walkway toward King MacGil’s throne, at the far end of the hall, Reece on one side of him and Erec on the other. He felt hundreds of eyes on him, and it all felt like a dream.

Standing around the King were his dozens of counselors, along with his eldest son, Kendrick. As Thor approached, his heart swelled with pride. He could hardly believe the King was granting him an audience again – and that so many important men were here to witness it.

They reached the King’s throne. MacGil stood, and a muted hush overcame the room. MacGil’s ponderous expression broke into a wide smile, as he took three steps forward and to Thor’s surprise, gave him a hug.

A great cheer rose up in the room.

He pulled back, held Thor firmly by the shoulders, and grinned down.

“You served the Legion well,” he said.

A servant handed the King a goblet, which the King raised. In a loud voice, he called out:

“TO COURAGE!”

“TO COURAGE!” shouted back the hundreds of men in the room. An excited murmur followed, then the room once again fell quiet.

“In honor of your exploits today,” the King bellowed, “I grant you a great gift.”

The King gestured, and an attendant stepped forward, wearing a long, black gauntlet, on which sat a magnificent falcon. It turned and stared right Thor – as if he knew him.

It took Thor’s breath away. It was the exact falcon from his dream, with its silver body and the single black stripe running down its forehead.

“The falcon is the symbol of our kingdom, and of our Royal family,” MacGil boomed. “It is a bird of prey, of pride and honor. Yet it is also a bird of skill, of cunning. It is loyal, and fierce, and it soars above all other animals. It is also a sacred creature. It is said that he who owns a falcon is also owned by one. It will guide you on all your ways. It will leave you, but it will always come back. And now, it is yours.”

The falconer stepped forward, placed a heavy, chainmail gauntlet onto Thor’s hand and wrist, then placed the bird on it. Thor felt electrified, having it on his arm. He could hardly move. He was shocked by its weight; it was a struggle just to hold still as the bird fidgeted on his wrist. He felt its talons digging in, though luckily he only felt pressure, as he was protected by the gauntlet. The bird turned, stared right at him, and screeched. Thor felt it looking into his eyes, and he felt a mystical connection to the animal. He just knew it would be with him all his days.

“And what shall you name her?” the King asked, in the thick silence of the room.

Thor racked his brain, which was too frozen to even work.

He tried to think quickly. He summoned in his mind all the names of all the famed warriors of the kingdom. He turned and scanned the walls, and saw a series of plaques with all the names of battles, all the places of the kingdom. His eyes rested on one particular place. It was a place in the Ring where he had never been, but which he had always heard was a mystical, powerful place. It sounded right to him.

“I shall call her Estopheles,” Thor called out.

“Estopheles!” the crowd echoed, sounding pleased.

The falcon screeched as if in response.

Suddenly, Estopheles flapped her wings and flew up high, all the way to the apex of the cathedral ceiling, and out an open window. Thor watched her go.

“Don’t worry,” the falconer said, “she shall always return to you.”

Thor turned and looked at the King. He had never been given a gift in his life, much less one of this stature. He hardly knew what to say, how to thank him. He was overwhelmed.

“My liege,” he said, lowering his head. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

“You already have,” MacGil said.

The crowd cheered, and the tension in the room was broken. A spirited conversation broke out among the men, and so many knights approached Thor, he hardly knew which way to turn.

“That is Algod, of the Eastern Province,” Reece said, introducing him to one.

“And this is Kamera, of the Low Marshes…. And this, Basikold, of the Northern Forts….”

Soon, the names became a blur. Thor was overwhelmed. He could hardly believe that all these knights wanted to meet him. He had never felt so accepted or honored anytime in his life and he had a feeling that a day like this would never come again. It was the first time in his life he had a feeling of self-worth.

And he could not stop thinking of Estopheles.

As Thor turned every which way, greeting people whose names flowed by, names he could hardly grasp onto, a messenger hurried over, slipping between the knights. He carried a small scroll, which he pressed into Thor’s palm.

Thor rolled it open and read the fine, delicate handwriting:

Meet me in the back courtyard. Behind the gate.

Thor could smell a delicate fragrance emanating from the pink scroll, and was puzzled as he tried to figure out who it was from. It bore no signature.

Reece leaned over, read it over his shoulder, and laughed.

“It seems my sister has taken a fancy to you,” he said, smiling. “I would go if I were you. She hates to be kept waiting.”

Thor felt himself blush.

“The rear courtyard is through those gates. Hurry. She’s known to change her mind quickly.” Reece smiled as he looked at him. “And I’d love to have you in my family.”

Chapter Nineteen

Thor tried to follow Reece’s directions as he wound his way through the crowded castle, but it was not easy. This castle had too many twists and turns, too many hidden back doors, and too many long corridors that seemed to lead only to more corridors.

He ran through Reece’s directions in his head as he descended yet another small set of steps, turned down another corridor, and finally stopped before a small arched door with a red handle – the one Reece had told him about – and pushed it open.

Thor hurried outside and was struck by the strong light of the summer day; it felt good to be outdoors, out of that stuffy castle, breathing fresh air, the sun on his face. He squinted, his eyes adjusting in the bright light, and took in the sight. Before him sprawled the royal gardens, stretching as far as the eye could see, hedges perfectly trimmed in different shapes, forming neat rows, trails winding amidst them. There were fountains, unusual trees, orchards ripe with early summer fruits, and fields of flowers of every size and shape and color. The sight took his breath away. It was like walking into a painting.

Thor looked everywhere for a sign of Gwendolyn, his heart pounding. This rear courtyard was empty, and Thor assumed it was probably reserved for the royal family, set off from the public with its high, stone garden walls. And yet, he looked everywhere and could not find her.

He wondered if her note was a hoax. That was probably it. She was probably just making fun of him, the country bumpkin, amusing herself at his expense. After all, how could someone of her rank really have any interest in him?

Thor looked down and read her note again, then rolled it back up in shame. He had been made fun of. What a fool he was to get his hopes up like that. It hurt him deeply.

Thor turned and prepared to head back into the castle, head lowered. Just as he reached for the door, a voice rang out.

“And where are you going?” came the joyful voice. It sounded like a bird’s song.

Thor wondered if he was imagining it. He spun, searching, and there she was, sitting in the shade beneath a castle wall. She smiled back, dressed in her royal finest, layers of white satin dress with pink trim. She looked even more beautiful than he’d remembered.

It was her. Gwendolyn. The girl Thor had been dreaming about since they had met, with her almond, blue eyes and long strawberry hair, with her smile that lit his heart. She wore a large white-and-pink hat, shading her from the sun, beneath which her eyes sparkled. For a moment he felt like turning around to make sure that there was no one else standing behind him.

“Um…” Thor began. “I…um…don’t know. I…um…was going inside.”

Once again, he was finding himself flustered around her, finding it hard to collect his thoughts and articulate them.

She laughed, and it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

“And why would you be doing that?” she asked, playful. “You just arrived.”

Thor was flustered. His tongue was tied.

“I…um…couldn’t find you,” he said, embarrassed.

She laughed again.

“Well, I’m right here. Aren’t you going to come and get me?”

She held out a single hand; Thor rushed over to her, reached down, and took her hand. He was electrified by the touch of her skin, so smooth and soft, her frail hand fitting perfectly inside of his. She looked up at him and let her hand linger there a moment, before slowly rising. He loved the feel of her fingertips in his palm and hoped she would never take them away.

She withdrew her hand, then placed her arm in his, locking arms. She began to walk, leading the way down the series of winding trails. They walked along a small cobblestone path, and soon they were inside a labyrinth of hedges, protected from outside view.

Thor was nervous. Perhaps he, a commoner, would get in trouble, walking like this with the King’s daughter. He felt a light sweat break out on his forehead, and did not know if it was from the heat or from her touch.

He wasn’t sure what to say.

“You’ve caused quite a stir here, haven’t you?” she said with a smile. He was grateful she broke the awkward silence.

Thor shrugged. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

She laughed. “And why wouldn’t you mean to? Isn’t it good to cause a stir?”

Thor was stymied. He hardly knew how to respond. It seemed as if he always said the wrong thing.

“This place is so stuffy and boring anyway,” she said. “It’s nice to have a newcomer. My father seems to have taken quite a liking to you. So has my brother.”

“Um…thanks,” Thor replied.

He was kicking himself, dying inside. He knew he should say more, and he wanted to. He just did not know what to say.

“Do you…” he began, racking his brain for the right thing to say, “…like it here?”

She leaned back and laughed.

“Do I like it here?” she asked. “But I should hope so. I live here!”

She laughed again and Thor felt himself redden. He felt that he was really messing things up. But he wasn’t raised around girls, had never had a girlfriend in his village, and just didn’t know what to say to her. What could he ask her? Where are you from? He already knew where she was from. He started to wonder why she bothered with him; was it just for her amusement?

“Why do you like me?” he asked.

She looked back at him, and made a funny sound.

“You are a presumptuous boy,” she chuckled. “Who says I like you?” she asked with a huge smile. Clearly, everything he said amused her.

Thor now felt as if he’d gotten himself into deeper trouble.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that. I was just wondering. I mean…um…I know you don’t like me.”

She laughed harder.

“You are amusing, I have to give you that. I take it you’ve never had a girlfriend, have you?”

Thor looked down and shook his head, humiliated.

“I assume no sisters, either?” she pressed.

Thor shook his head.

“I have three brothers,” he blurted out. Finally, at least, he had managed to say something normal.

“Do you?” she asked. “And where are they? Back in your village?”

Thor shook his head. “No, they are here, in the Legion, with me.”

“Well, that must be comforting.”

Thor shook his head.

“No. They don’t like me. They wish I wasn’t here.”

It was the first time her smile dropped.

“And why wouldn’t they like you?” she asked, horrified. “Your own brothers?”

Thor shrugged. “I wish I knew.”

They walked a while more in silence. He was suddenly afraid that he was killing their happy mood.

“But don’t worry, it doesn’t bother me. It’s always been that way. In fact, actually, I’ve met good friends here. Better friends than I’ve ever had.”

“My brother? Reece?” she asked.

Thor nodded.

“Reece is a good one,” she said. “He’s my favorite in some ways. I have four brothers, you know. Three are true, and one is not. The eldest is my dad’s son from another woman. My half-brother. You know him, Kendrick?”

Thor nodded. “I owe him a great debt. It is thanks to him that I have a spot in the Legion. He’s a fine man.”

“It’s true. He’s one of the finest in the kingdom. I love him as much as a true brother. And then there’s Reece, who I love just as much. The other two…well…. You know how families are. Not everyone gets along. Sometimes I wonder how all of us come from the same people.”

Now Thor was curious. He wanted to know more about who they were, her relationship to them, why they were weren’t close. He wanted to ask her, but didn’t want to pry. And she didn’t seem to want to dwell on it, either. She seemed to be a happy person, a person who only liked to focus on happy things.

As they finished the labyrinth trail, the courtyard opened up to a new garden, where the grass was perfectly trimmed and designed into shapes. It was a massive game board of some sort, sprawling at least fifty feet in each direction, with huge wooden pieces, taller than Thor, placed throughout.

Gwen cried out in delight.

“Will you play?” she asked.

“What is it?” he asked.

She turned, her eyes opened wide in amazement.

“You’ve never played Racks?” she asked.

Thor shook his head, embarrassed, feeling more like a country rube than ever.

“It is the finest game!” she exclaimed.

She reached out with her two hands and took his, dragging him onto the field. She bounded off with delight; he couldn’t help but smile himself. More than anything, more than the field, more than this beautiful place, it was the feel of her hands on his that electrified him. The feeling of being wanted. She wanted him to go with her. She wanted to spend time with him. Why would anyone care about him? Especially someone like her? He still felt as if this were all a dream.

“Stand over there,” she said. “Behind that piece. You have to move it, and you have only ten seconds to do so.”

“What do you mean move it?” Thor asked.

“Choose a direction, quickly!” she cried out.

Thor picked up the enormous wooden block, surprised at its weight. He carried it several steps, and put it down on another square.

Without hesitating, Gwen pushed her own piece over. It landed on Thor’s piece and knocked it to the ground.

She cried out in delight.

“That was a bad move!” she said. “You got right in my way! You lost!”

Thor looked at the two pieces on the ground, puzzled. He didn’t understand this game at all.

She laughed, taking his arm as she continued to lead him down the trails.

“Don’t worry, I’ll teach you,” she said.

His heart soared at her words. She’d teach him. She wanted to see him again. To spend time with him. Was he imagining all of this?

“So tell me, what do you think of this place?” she asked, as she led him into another series of labyrinths. This one was decorated with flowers eight feet high, bursting with color, strange insects hovering over their tips.

“It is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen,” Thor answered truthfully.

“And why do you want to be a member of the Legion?”

“It is all I ever dreamed of,” he replied.

“But why?” she asked. “Because you want to serve my father?”

Thor thought about that. He’d never really wondered why – it was always just there.

“Yes,” answered. “I do. And the Ring.”

“But what about life?” she asked. “Don’t you want to have a family? Land? A wife?”

She stopped and looked at him; it threw him. He was frazzled. He had never considered these things before, and hardly knew how to respond. Her eyes sparkled as she glanced back at him.

“Um…I…I don’t know. I never really thought about it.”

“And what would your mother say about that?” she asked, playfully.

Thor’s smile lowered.

“I don’t have a mother,” he said.

Her smile dropped again.

“What happened to her?” she asked.

Thor was about to answer her, to tell her everything. It would be the first time in his life that he had ever spoken about her to anyone. And the crazy thing was, he wanted to. He wanted, desperately, to open up to her, this stranger, and let her know everything about his deepest feelings.

But as he opened his mouth to speak, suddenly a harsh voice came from out of nowhere.

“Gwendolyn!” shrieked the voice.

They both spun to see her mother, the Queen, dressed in her finest, accompanied by her handmaids, marching right for her daughter. Her face was livid.

The Queen walked right up to Gwen, grabbed her roughly by the arm, and yanked her away.

“You get back inside right now. What did I tell you? I don’t want you speaking to him ever again. Do you understand me?”

Gwen’s face reddened, then transformed with anger and pride.

“Get off me!” she yelled at her mother. But it was no use; her mother kept dragging her away, and her handmaids encircled her, too.

“I said get off me!” Gwen yelled. She glanced back at Thor with a desperate, sad look, one of pleading.

Thor understood the feeling. It was one that he felt himself. He wanted to call out to her, and felt his heart breaking as he watched her get dragged away. It was like watching a future life get taken away from him, right before his eyes.

He stood there for long after she disappeared from view, staring, rooted in place, breathless. He didn’t want to leave, didn’t want to forget all of this.

Most of all, he did not want to imagine that he might not ever see her again.

* * *

As Thor ambled back to the castle, still reeling from his encounter with Gwen, he was barely even aware of his surroundings. His mind was consumed by thoughts of her; he could not stop seeing her face. She was magnificent. The most beautiful and kind and sweet and gentle and loving and funny person he had ever met. He needed to see her again. He actually felt pained at the absence of her presence. He didn’t understand his feelings for her, and that scared him. He barely knew her, yet he knew already that he could not be without her.

Yet at the same time, he thought back to the Queen yanking her away, and his stomach sank to think of the powerful forces standing between them. Forces that did not want them to be together, for some reason.

As he tried to get to the bottom of it, suddenly he felt a stiff hand on his chest, stopping him hard in his tracks.

He looked up to see a boy, maybe a couple of years older than him, tall and thin, dressed in the most expensive clothes he had ever seen – in royal purple and green and scarlet silks, with an elaborate feathered hat – grimacing down. The boy looked dainty, spoiled, as if raised in the lap of luxury, with softened hands and high arched eyebrows that peered down disdainfully.

“They call me Alton,” the boy began. “I am the son of Lord Alton, first cousin to the King. We have been lords of the realm for seven centuries. Which entitles me to be a Duke. You, by contrast, are a commoner,” he said, nearly spitting the word. “The royal court is for royalty. And for men of rank. Not for your kind.”

Thor stood there, having no idea who this boy was or what he had done to upset him.

“What do you want of me?” Thor asked.

Alton snickered.

“Of course, you would not know. You probably don’t know anything, do you? How dare you barge in here and pretend to be one of us!” he spat.

“I’m not pretending anything,” Thor said.

“Well, I don’t care whatever wave you washed in on. I just want to warn you, before you get any more fantasies in your head, that Gwendolyn is mine.”

Thor stared back, shocked. His? He hardly knew what to say.

“Our marriage has been arranged since birth,” Alton continued. “We are of the same age, and of the same rank. Plans are already in motion. Don’t you dare think, even for instant, that it will be any different.”

Thor felt as if the wind had been knocked out of him; he didn’t even have the strength to respond.

Alton took a step closer and stared down.

“You see,” he said in a soft voice, “I allow Gwen her flirtations. She has many. Every once in a while she’ll take pity on a commoner, or perhaps a servant. She will allow them to be her entertainment, her amusement. You might have come to the conclusion that it is something more. But that’s all it is for Gwen. You are just another acquaintance, another amusement. She collects them, like dolls. They don’t mean anything to her. She’s excited by the newest commoner, and after a day or two, she gets bored. She shall drop you quickly. You’re nothing to her, really. And by year’s end she and I will be wed. Forever.”

Alton’s eyes opened wide, showing his fierce determination.

Thor felt his heart breaking at his words. Were they true? Was he really nothing to Gwen? Now he was confused; he hardly knew what to believe. She had seemed so genuine. But maybe Thor had just been jumping to the wrong conclusion?

“You’re lying,” Thor finally said back.

Alton sneered, and then raised a single, pampered finger, and jabbed it into Thor’s chest.

“If I see you near her again, I’ll use my authority to call the royal guard. They will have you imprisoned!”

“On what grounds?!” Thor asked.

“I need no grounds. I have rank here. I will make one up, and it is me they will believe. By the time I’m done slandering you, half the kingdom will believe you are a criminal.”

Alton smiled, self-satisfied; Thor felt sick.

“You lack honor,” Thor said, uncomprehending that anyone could act with such indecency.

Alton laughed, a high-pitched sound.

“I never had it to begin with,” he said. “Honor is for fools. I have what I want. You can keep your honor. And I will have Gwendolyn.”