from the stream. His mother was rising just as he was returning with the bucket and bade him to sit for a moment with her.
“Mother,” Thane said anxiously, “I must not be late today. I’ve heard tell DaxSagn has a terrible temper when anyone comes late.”
“Oh dear boy,” Lyn smiled, “you have plenty of time to visit with me a moment yet before you must be on your way. Now come and sit while I start the cook fire. You must eat something before you go anyway, now come and take a seat.”
Thane sighed but obeyed his mother. Lyn went to work at breathing the coals back to a blaze while Thane fidgeted next to her. “I don’t suppose I will have this fire hot enough to heat you some tea before you must be off,” Lyn smiled, “so eat some turnips and corn cake and we can visit a bit before you go.”
Thane jumped to the mat where they stored their food and quickly tore off a piece of cake and grabbed a couple of turnips before sitting back down next to his mother. He quickly bit into a turnip and choked on a piece too large to fit down his throat thinking the sooner he finished eating the quicker he could be on his way. “Easy now,” his mother scolded with the hint of a grin. “Don’t kill yourself before your first lesson.” Lyn chuckled and then watched her boy as he finished the last bit of cake. She wondered where the past eight cycles had gone. She looked into his unusual green eyes as they stared pleadingly at her and her heart felt on the edge of bursting for the love she had for her child.
“Mother, I have finished. Can I go now?” Thane looked as if he was ready to jump out of his skin.
“Yes my son,” Lyn said gently, “you may go. But get a drink before you leave and remember that we love you.”
Thane smiled. “I love you too mother,” he answered and then frowned as he looked at his rising father. “Good-bye Father.”
“Get out of here before you’re late,” Del grumbled. “And you had better do well,” he yelled as Thane grabbed his bow and quiver and pushed past the cloth opening. Del mumbled something about a green-eyed devil but Thane didn’t hear him; he was at a dead run when he left the hut.
Before too long, he spied Dor and slapped the back of his head as he raced by. “Hey you, come back here!” Dor yelled as he started off towards his attacker. They raced along the path that led to the practice area down by the great waters south of the village. Dor did all he could to catch up but Thane’s longer legs were too much for him and he was soon out of sight. Dor smiled to himself as he slowed to a jog unable to control the joy he was feeling about this day. He and Thane had waited and dreamed about this for such a long time now that he couldn’t help but grin as the great waters and the practice area came into view.
He gave a small shout while racing towards the clearing but suddenly became tangled in something and was then thrown mercilessly to the ground. Before he could move a sack was thrown over his head and pulled tight around his neck. He tried to fight and kick but was overcome by many hands that held him down easily. Within moments, Dor was tied securely at his wrists and ankles pulled together behind him causing his back to arch very uncomfortably. The sack was then removed from his head and a young Chufa was staring him right in the face.
It was PocMar. No one could mistake that ugly face. It wasn’t really his fault that he looked so hideous. He had fallen into the fire when he was younger and burned his face quite badly. The whole right side of it was wrinkled and deformed with scar tissue. It was especially thick over his eye causing it to droop in a constant half wink. The hair by his right temple had been burned completely off leaving a
“Mother,” Thane said anxiously, “I must not be late today. I’ve heard tell DaxSagn has a terrible temper when anyone comes late.”
“Oh dear boy,” Lyn smiled, “you have plenty of time to visit with me a moment yet before you must be on your way. Now come and sit while I start the cook fire. You must eat something before you go anyway, now come and take a seat.”
Thane sighed but obeyed his mother. Lyn went to work at breathing the coals back to a blaze while Thane fidgeted next to her. “I don’t suppose I will have this fire hot enough to heat you some tea before you must be off,” Lyn smiled, “so eat some turnips and corn cake and we can visit a bit before you go.”
Thane jumped to the mat where they stored their food and quickly tore off a piece of cake and grabbed a couple of turnips before sitting back down next to his mother. He quickly bit into a turnip and choked on a piece too large to fit down his throat thinking the sooner he finished eating the quicker he could be on his way. “Easy now,” his mother scolded with the hint of a grin. “Don’t kill yourself before your first lesson.” Lyn chuckled and then watched her boy as he finished the last bit of cake. She wondered where the past eight cycles had gone. She looked into his unusual green eyes as they stared pleadingly at her and her heart felt on the edge of bursting for the love she had for her child.
“Mother, I have finished. Can I go now?” Thane looked as if he was ready to jump out of his skin.
“Yes my son,” Lyn said gently, “you may go. But get a drink before you leave and remember that we love you.”
Thane smiled. “I love you too mother,” he answered and then frowned as he looked at his rising father. “Good-bye Father.”
“Get out of here before you’re late,” Del grumbled. “And you had better do well,” he yelled as Thane grabbed his bow and quiver and pushed past the cloth opening. Del mumbled something about a green-eyed devil but Thane didn’t hear him; he was at a dead run when he left the hut.
Before too long, he spied Dor and slapped the back of his head as he raced by. “Hey you, come back here!” Dor yelled as he started off towards his attacker. They raced along the path that led to the practice area down by the great waters south of the village. Dor did all he could to catch up but Thane’s longer legs were too much for him and he was soon out of sight. Dor smiled to himself as he slowed to a jog unable to control the joy he was feeling about this day. He and Thane had waited and dreamed about this for such a long time now that he couldn’t help but grin as the great waters and the practice area came into view.
He gave a small shout while racing towards the clearing but suddenly became tangled in something and was then thrown mercilessly to the ground. Before he could move a sack was thrown over his head and pulled tight around his neck. He tried to fight and kick but was overcome by many hands that held him down easily. Within moments, Dor was tied securely at his wrists and ankles pulled together behind him causing his back to arch very uncomfortably. The sack was then removed from his head and a young Chufa was staring him right in the face.
It was PocMar. No one could mistake that ugly face. It wasn’t really his fault that he looked so hideous. He had fallen into the fire when he was younger and burned his face quite badly. The whole right side of it was wrinkled and deformed with scar tissue. It was especially thick over his eye causing it to droop in a constant half wink. The hair by his right temple had been burned completely off leaving a
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