doesn’t want anyone using the sword against him; that’s also what King Ignis believes. The Sword of Light has been used to fight evil for thousands of years.’
‘ The sword must be able to stop him,’ suggested Red. ‘Why else would he want to take the sword from you?’
‘I’m sure most of our questions will be answered when we arrive at the council in Faircastle,’ said Cassiel.
**
After a short time they remounted their horses and left the glade. They rode west for the remainder of the day. As the evening approached the company found a clearing off the highway and out of sight. Red made a small campfire and placed a pot full of vegetables over the flames. The evening was cool and still. The moon rose over a line of trees, lighting up their surroundings.
Eben looked across the fire and saw that Red was staring intensely at the full moon. ‘What’s troubling you, Red?’
‘T he full moon always brings back memories of my childhood when I lived in Talis.’
‘ What memories?’ asked Stella.
‘S ome sad memories; the night my parents died was a full moon night.’
‘You never told me what happe ned to your parents, Red,’ said Stella gently. Red looked into the flames of the fire and for a moment fell into a thoughtful trance.
‘The memories are difficult to talk about ,’ he said, pausing for a few moments. ‘At the time I was fourteen. I spent most of my days working with my father. He was a candle maker and had a small workshop in the backstreets of Talis. We lived behind the workshop in a small one bedroom cottage. I was out late with some friends one night and returned home to find my parents were gone. Everything was taken from our house, and the workshop had been ransacked. I didn’t know where they had gone or what had happened. I asked everyone in the neighbourhood; no one knew what had happened to them. I searched every corner of Talis and asked everyone if they had seen my parents. My father never owned his workshop, and he had large debts to various bankers in the town. The bankers sold the workshop and our cottage. I was left to fend for myself on the streets of Talis. I worked hard to support myself and lived on the streets for years. I spent all my spare time searching for my parents. I never found them. It took me years to accept the possibility that they were probably murdered.’
‘ I’m sorry to hear this,’ said Cassiel. ‘Those years must have been very difficult for you.’
Red nodded and glanced up at the moon. ‘Every time I see the full moon I think of them. I miss them so much. I think they are still with me in a sense, looking after me and keeping watch over me.’
Eben felt sad for R ed. He understood what it was like to not know what happened to your parents. Hearing about Red’s past made him feel an even stronger kinship with his friend.
‘Hey look, dinner is ready,’ said Red with a smile as he leaned over and pulled the pot off the flames. He took four bowls from his bag and served them boiled vegetables.
**
They moved quickly the following day and came to the edge of Altus Forest. They stopped their horses at the site of the Battle of Ortaria where they had fought weeks earlier. Few signs of the battle remained. After a short stopover they followed the highway out across the Golden Plains.
The highway was mostly empty apart from occasional peddlers or trading caravans. The blue skies were passing away. The weather was becoming cool again as grey clouds rolled in from the north. As night fell they set up camp by the side of the road. They all sat around the campfire and kept warm as the night grew dark.
‘I’m looking forward to seeing Vastoria and Irvaria,’ said Red. ‘I’ve heard many stories about the Western Lands. Irvaria is said to be the most beautiful kingdom in all Veredor.’
‘I’ve also heard that Irvaria is beautiful,’ said Cassiel. ‘They say Faircastle was built by the first Ecorian, Jeriel the Just; it was the seat of
‘ The sword must be able to stop him,’ suggested Red. ‘Why else would he want to take the sword from you?’
‘I’m sure most of our questions will be answered when we arrive at the council in Faircastle,’ said Cassiel.
**
After a short time they remounted their horses and left the glade. They rode west for the remainder of the day. As the evening approached the company found a clearing off the highway and out of sight. Red made a small campfire and placed a pot full of vegetables over the flames. The evening was cool and still. The moon rose over a line of trees, lighting up their surroundings.
Eben looked across the fire and saw that Red was staring intensely at the full moon. ‘What’s troubling you, Red?’
‘T he full moon always brings back memories of my childhood when I lived in Talis.’
‘ What memories?’ asked Stella.
‘S ome sad memories; the night my parents died was a full moon night.’
‘You never told me what happe ned to your parents, Red,’ said Stella gently. Red looked into the flames of the fire and for a moment fell into a thoughtful trance.
‘The memories are difficult to talk about ,’ he said, pausing for a few moments. ‘At the time I was fourteen. I spent most of my days working with my father. He was a candle maker and had a small workshop in the backstreets of Talis. We lived behind the workshop in a small one bedroom cottage. I was out late with some friends one night and returned home to find my parents were gone. Everything was taken from our house, and the workshop had been ransacked. I didn’t know where they had gone or what had happened. I asked everyone in the neighbourhood; no one knew what had happened to them. I searched every corner of Talis and asked everyone if they had seen my parents. My father never owned his workshop, and he had large debts to various bankers in the town. The bankers sold the workshop and our cottage. I was left to fend for myself on the streets of Talis. I worked hard to support myself and lived on the streets for years. I spent all my spare time searching for my parents. I never found them. It took me years to accept the possibility that they were probably murdered.’
‘ I’m sorry to hear this,’ said Cassiel. ‘Those years must have been very difficult for you.’
Red nodded and glanced up at the moon. ‘Every time I see the full moon I think of them. I miss them so much. I think they are still with me in a sense, looking after me and keeping watch over me.’
Eben felt sad for R ed. He understood what it was like to not know what happened to your parents. Hearing about Red’s past made him feel an even stronger kinship with his friend.
‘Hey look, dinner is ready,’ said Red with a smile as he leaned over and pulled the pot off the flames. He took four bowls from his bag and served them boiled vegetables.
**
They moved quickly the following day and came to the edge of Altus Forest. They stopped their horses at the site of the Battle of Ortaria where they had fought weeks earlier. Few signs of the battle remained. After a short stopover they followed the highway out across the Golden Plains.
The highway was mostly empty apart from occasional peddlers or trading caravans. The blue skies were passing away. The weather was becoming cool again as grey clouds rolled in from the north. As night fell they set up camp by the side of the road. They all sat around the campfire and kept warm as the night grew dark.
‘I’m looking forward to seeing Vastoria and Irvaria,’ said Red. ‘I’ve heard many stories about the Western Lands. Irvaria is said to be the most beautiful kingdom in all Veredor.’
‘I’ve also heard that Irvaria is beautiful,’ said Cassiel. ‘They say Faircastle was built by the first Ecorian, Jeriel the Just; it was the seat of
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