‹ Prequel: Lore of Anteria
Pawn of the Gods: Treasure of Gael
Chapter Three
Uri woke up the next morning, Zeke knocking on his door.
"Get up, Uri! It's Rikita's name day," Uri rolled out of bed, pulling on his breeches and tunic. He yawned, stretching.
"Uncle, where are my boots?" Uri yelled, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"By the door, come get breakfast," Zeke replied. Uri staggered out of his bedroom, walked into the kitchen and picked up a slice of bread, tearing into it with his teeth. He snatched up the book he wrote for her and a tied a white ribbon around it. Uri stomped into his knee-high boots and swung his cloak around his shoulders.
"Meet me there, uncle," Uri said, exiting the house. Zeke shook his head, sighing deeply. That boy is going to be the death of me, Zeke thought, rubbing a hand over his face. The young scholar jogged down the village path, braid pulled over his shoulder and cloak billowing out behind him. Once he was in view of the village he slowed down to a walk. He looked up at the sky, a pure, cloudless summer day. He smiled. What a lovely day, he thought.
"Uri!" a figure tackled him, arms wrapping around his waist. "Is that for me?" Rikita asked, she was clad in a white silk dress, hair loose and feet still bare.
"Rikita, where are your shoes?"
"Is it?" she evaded.
"Rikita..."
"By the pond," she mumbled. Uri laughed. She jumped on Uri's back, wrapping her arms around his neck. She buried her face in his neck. Uri walked the rest of the way to the village square, the young female elf on his back.
"Rikita! Don't you ever run off like that again, I don't care if it is just to Uri," Ma'iola reprimanded her. "And get off of his back,"
"Yes mother," she said, sheepishly, sliding off his back. Uri handed her the book and she smiled brightly, pulling the ribbon off and sitting by the edge of the well. Most of the Light Elves were at work, or tending thier families. "Read it to me?" she whispered. He laughed.
"Read it by yourself, little one," He took the ribbon from her hand and braided her hair, tying it off with the ribbon. She closed her eyes. Rikita was the only person in the village with red eyes. The rest of the Light Elves had blue or green eyes.
"She's training to become the next seeress. If her training is successful, she'll be blind in a hundred years or so," Ma'iola whispered.
"Rikita..." he said, stroking her hair. She jumped up and ran to Carn. Throwing her arms around his neck.
"Uncle Carn, you smell like ale again," she said accusingly. He patted her head, smiling softly.
"Uri, I need to tell you something. Zeke doesn't agree it's the right time, but I think it's well past time," Carn stumbled and Uri pulled Rikita back, fingers wrapped around her slender wrist, so she wouldn't get hurt. "Your father died, trying to steal the Treasure of Gael,"
"Gael? The Goddess Gael?" Uri asked sharply. Carn nodded. "Why? What did he want?"
"Get up, Uri! It's Rikita's name day," Uri rolled out of bed, pulling on his breeches and tunic. He yawned, stretching.
"Uncle, where are my boots?" Uri yelled, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"By the door, come get breakfast," Zeke replied. Uri staggered out of his bedroom, walked into the kitchen and picked up a slice of bread, tearing into it with his teeth. He snatched up the book he wrote for her and a tied a white ribbon around it. Uri stomped into his knee-high boots and swung his cloak around his shoulders.
"Meet me there, uncle," Uri said, exiting the house. Zeke shook his head, sighing deeply. That boy is going to be the death of me, Zeke thought, rubbing a hand over his face. The young scholar jogged down the village path, braid pulled over his shoulder and cloak billowing out behind him. Once he was in view of the village he slowed down to a walk. He looked up at the sky, a pure, cloudless summer day. He smiled. What a lovely day, he thought.
"Uri!" a figure tackled him, arms wrapping around his waist. "Is that for me?" Rikita asked, she was clad in a white silk dress, hair loose and feet still bare.
"Rikita, where are your shoes?"
"Is it?" she evaded.
"Rikita..."
"By the pond," she mumbled. Uri laughed. She jumped on Uri's back, wrapping her arms around his neck. She buried her face in his neck. Uri walked the rest of the way to the village square, the young female elf on his back.
"Rikita! Don't you ever run off like that again, I don't care if it is just to Uri," Ma'iola reprimanded her. "And get off of his back,"
"Yes mother," she said, sheepishly, sliding off his back. Uri handed her the book and she smiled brightly, pulling the ribbon off and sitting by the edge of the well. Most of the Light Elves were at work, or tending thier families. "Read it to me?" she whispered. He laughed.
"Read it by yourself, little one," He took the ribbon from her hand and braided her hair, tying it off with the ribbon. She closed her eyes. Rikita was the only person in the village with red eyes. The rest of the Light Elves had blue or green eyes.
"She's training to become the next seeress. If her training is successful, she'll be blind in a hundred years or so," Ma'iola whispered.
"Rikita..." he said, stroking her hair. She jumped up and ran to Carn. Throwing her arms around his neck.
"Uncle Carn, you smell like ale again," she said accusingly. He patted her head, smiling softly.
"Uri, I need to tell you something. Zeke doesn't agree it's the right time, but I think it's well past time," Carn stumbled and Uri pulled Rikita back, fingers wrapped around her slender wrist, so she wouldn't get hurt. "Your father died, trying to steal the Treasure of Gael,"
"Gael? The Goddess Gael?" Uri asked sharply. Carn nodded. "Why? What did he want?"