The Unprotected
Chapter 6
The town of West Citadel was buzzing with activity, as it frequently did. The houses; which were very closely assembled, were picturesque and charming, despite the ruddy front doors and window frames and no front lawns or footpath areas. Children were playing in the narrow streets, and men were working, every now and then coming out of shops or houses carrying something that needed to be fixed or delivered to someone. Women were tending to flower boxes on windows, hanging out laundry on thin lines, or scolding children for getting in the way or soiling their clothes. Sheep were strolling down the dirt road and horses were carting loads of supplies, like straw and other useful things that the men at work might require.
“So, which way is it to Kolward’s place again? I can’t seem to remember.” Joban inquired, slightly embarrassed by his little knowledge of where places were in the small twisted streets of West Citadel.
“Follow me.” Rion simply stated. He took lead and led Joban to a busy main street. All the houses and shops in the main street were constructed of stone and wood, making it look like they were in the wrong place, and needed to be near a grand castle that was also made of stone. They then turned off in to a small, quiet residential lane. Rion stopped abruptly in front of a small, but pleasant house and dismounted. The atmosphere of the small lane was much quieter than the noisy air of the busy main street. No one was around, except an occasional person peering out their front window to see what odd strangers had come to their street.
“Where do we leave Tiya and Teell?” Whispered Joban, looking about anxiously, seeing no trees to tie them to.
“Why are you whispering?” Asked Rion, pulling a confused face when he realised, he too was whispering.
“I don’t know, I guess it’s just too quiet here.” Observed Joban, raising the volume of his voice, until it was back to his ordinary tone and volume level.
Rion nodded in agreement and knocked on an old wooden door which had many dents and scratches. He stood back, gripping Tiya’s reins tightly. An old man of about 70 answered the door. His hair was fluffy and was as white as snow. It looked as if someone had taken a handful of cotton balls, stretched them and stuck them to his head. Pulling his old grey coat tighter around his thin body, he peered at the two boys, squinting as if the thick lens on his glasses didn’t have any effect whatsoever. Finally he recognised the boys and his eyes widened. He smiled warmly, making his old hazel eyes twinkle and his face crease with wrinkles.
“My, how you’ve grown! Rion, Joban, come in, come in!”
“Hello Kolward, how you’ve grown too… Uh, before we come in, where can we tie our horses?” Rion motioned to their horses and Kolward shuffled back in surprise, he hadn’t seen the horses until Rion mentioned them.
“Well,” Kolward stuttered, “I’m not sure.” He thought for a moment, “Ah, yes, follow me, boys. Bring your horses.”
Kolward ambled slowly out of the door, shuffling his slippered feet and indicated a small alleyway that ran along the side of his house.
“It’s not very big, but it’ll do.” Kolward explained, moving back towards his open front door, “There should be something to fasten the reins on to in there.”
Joban managed to drag Teell in to the small alley, digging his heels in to the dirt when she resisted and tried to back up in to the street again. Quickly, he tied her on to a sticking out piece of metal and squeezed past her, stumbling out in to the street again.
“Phew, your turn, Rion.” He announced, fixing his hair.
He stood back and watched Rion struggle, just as he did, to get Tiya in to the small gap.
Finally, when they had succeeded, Rion and Joban both entered through Kolward’s front door and made their way to the living room. Kolward shuffled in to the room, carefully holding on to a tray, which had upon it a teapot and three cups.
Rion gazed around the musty room and sat down in a big dusty arm chair. Joban sat as well, his eyes fixed on the fire place where a smouldering fire was burning slowly. He looked away from the fire, and glanced around quickly. The walls were lined with many shelves, pictures and clocks. Most of the clocks were the wrong time and some didn’t even work which didn’t surprise Joban, since he thought Kolward was way past his use-by-date. On the shelves were various books and objects of different shapes and sizes, much of the book titles not making sense to Joban, some he couldn’t even read. The pictures on the wall were torn, frayed and crumbling in their frames, even some of the wooden frames looked like they were disintegrating!
Accepting the tea Kolward offered him, Rion then spoke,
“Kolward, we have come here to ask you some questions.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, well, yesterday Joban and I came across some medallions, and we were wondering if you could give us some advice.”
Joban sipped his tea, his eyes flicking from Kolward to Rion.
“Please continue,” Kolward requested, inclining his head.
“Joban and I have medallions which we found yesterday. Shortly after Joban found his medallion in the cornfield, we had a visit from Foron’s spirit.”
“Really? Do you have the medallions with you?”
Joban and Rion removed the medallions from their necks and Kolward leaned forward, his eyes widening. Carefully, he took their medallions, the wizard medallion in his right hand, and the warrior medallion in his left.
“Foron, you say?” Mused Kolward, turning both of the medallions over in his hands. After he had examined them, he sat back in his chair and reached for his tea.
“Yes, Foron came and asked us to go to his village in the Foron forest. He told us he wanted us to join his army and school.” Joban informed, ending his silence.
Rion glanced uneasily at Joban, and then looked back at the old man, “So, should we go?”
“Well of course you should!” Kolward said rather accusingly, “Silverkeep is the best school there is, Foron was the greatest man that ever lived in West Citadel! He was the maker of the medallions, the creator of the army so powerful! Haven’t you heard of the prophecy?”
“Heard of it, yes. Heard the actual prophecy, no.” Rion growled bitterly.
“Kolward, please tell us the prophecy? Since we’re part of it, as Foron and you suggest, then I think we should be told what the prophecy is.” Joban placed his cup back on to the tray and sat back, eagerly awaiting the story that many people had talked about.
“Well, you want me to tell you boys the prophecy? Alright, but if you two really are the two in the prophecy, then I don’t think you will enjoy part of it. Quite sad actually.” He bowed his head for a moment then looked back up. His eyes took on a glazed look as he began…
(is any one reading this, or should i stop adding chapters?)
“So, which way is it to Kolward’s place again? I can’t seem to remember.” Joban inquired, slightly embarrassed by his little knowledge of where places were in the small twisted streets of West Citadel.
“Follow me.” Rion simply stated. He took lead and led Joban to a busy main street. All the houses and shops in the main street were constructed of stone and wood, making it look like they were in the wrong place, and needed to be near a grand castle that was also made of stone. They then turned off in to a small, quiet residential lane. Rion stopped abruptly in front of a small, but pleasant house and dismounted. The atmosphere of the small lane was much quieter than the noisy air of the busy main street. No one was around, except an occasional person peering out their front window to see what odd strangers had come to their street.
“Where do we leave Tiya and Teell?” Whispered Joban, looking about anxiously, seeing no trees to tie them to.
“Why are you whispering?” Asked Rion, pulling a confused face when he realised, he too was whispering.
“I don’t know, I guess it’s just too quiet here.” Observed Joban, raising the volume of his voice, until it was back to his ordinary tone and volume level.
Rion nodded in agreement and knocked on an old wooden door which had many dents and scratches. He stood back, gripping Tiya’s reins tightly. An old man of about 70 answered the door. His hair was fluffy and was as white as snow. It looked as if someone had taken a handful of cotton balls, stretched them and stuck them to his head. Pulling his old grey coat tighter around his thin body, he peered at the two boys, squinting as if the thick lens on his glasses didn’t have any effect whatsoever. Finally he recognised the boys and his eyes widened. He smiled warmly, making his old hazel eyes twinkle and his face crease with wrinkles.
“My, how you’ve grown! Rion, Joban, come in, come in!”
“Hello Kolward, how you’ve grown too… Uh, before we come in, where can we tie our horses?” Rion motioned to their horses and Kolward shuffled back in surprise, he hadn’t seen the horses until Rion mentioned them.
“Well,” Kolward stuttered, “I’m not sure.” He thought for a moment, “Ah, yes, follow me, boys. Bring your horses.”
Kolward ambled slowly out of the door, shuffling his slippered feet and indicated a small alleyway that ran along the side of his house.
“It’s not very big, but it’ll do.” Kolward explained, moving back towards his open front door, “There should be something to fasten the reins on to in there.”
Joban managed to drag Teell in to the small alley, digging his heels in to the dirt when she resisted and tried to back up in to the street again. Quickly, he tied her on to a sticking out piece of metal and squeezed past her, stumbling out in to the street again.
“Phew, your turn, Rion.” He announced, fixing his hair.
He stood back and watched Rion struggle, just as he did, to get Tiya in to the small gap.
Finally, when they had succeeded, Rion and Joban both entered through Kolward’s front door and made their way to the living room. Kolward shuffled in to the room, carefully holding on to a tray, which had upon it a teapot and three cups.
Rion gazed around the musty room and sat down in a big dusty arm chair. Joban sat as well, his eyes fixed on the fire place where a smouldering fire was burning slowly. He looked away from the fire, and glanced around quickly. The walls were lined with many shelves, pictures and clocks. Most of the clocks were the wrong time and some didn’t even work which didn’t surprise Joban, since he thought Kolward was way past his use-by-date. On the shelves were various books and objects of different shapes and sizes, much of the book titles not making sense to Joban, some he couldn’t even read. The pictures on the wall were torn, frayed and crumbling in their frames, even some of the wooden frames looked like they were disintegrating!
Accepting the tea Kolward offered him, Rion then spoke,
“Kolward, we have come here to ask you some questions.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, well, yesterday Joban and I came across some medallions, and we were wondering if you could give us some advice.”
Joban sipped his tea, his eyes flicking from Kolward to Rion.
“Please continue,” Kolward requested, inclining his head.
“Joban and I have medallions which we found yesterday. Shortly after Joban found his medallion in the cornfield, we had a visit from Foron’s spirit.”
“Really? Do you have the medallions with you?”
Joban and Rion removed the medallions from their necks and Kolward leaned forward, his eyes widening. Carefully, he took their medallions, the wizard medallion in his right hand, and the warrior medallion in his left.
“Foron, you say?” Mused Kolward, turning both of the medallions over in his hands. After he had examined them, he sat back in his chair and reached for his tea.
“Yes, Foron came and asked us to go to his village in the Foron forest. He told us he wanted us to join his army and school.” Joban informed, ending his silence.
Rion glanced uneasily at Joban, and then looked back at the old man, “So, should we go?”
“Well of course you should!” Kolward said rather accusingly, “Silverkeep is the best school there is, Foron was the greatest man that ever lived in West Citadel! He was the maker of the medallions, the creator of the army so powerful! Haven’t you heard of the prophecy?”
“Heard of it, yes. Heard the actual prophecy, no.” Rion growled bitterly.
“Kolward, please tell us the prophecy? Since we’re part of it, as Foron and you suggest, then I think we should be told what the prophecy is.” Joban placed his cup back on to the tray and sat back, eagerly awaiting the story that many people had talked about.
“Well, you want me to tell you boys the prophecy? Alright, but if you two really are the two in the prophecy, then I don’t think you will enjoy part of it. Quite sad actually.” He bowed his head for a moment then looked back up. His eyes took on a glazed look as he began…
(is any one reading this, or should i stop adding chapters?)