The morning sun slowly rose, its rays spreading across the world and finding their way to Whill’s closed eyes. He awoke to find Tarren upon the thick stone balcony rail, silently overlooking the courtyard. Whill sat up but did not stand. He did not know how to approach the lad. Tarren sat like a statue, unmoving, seemingly lifeless, and Whill knew only too well the pain the boy felt, if not as deeply.
Whill found his words at last and went out onto the balcony. Despite the early hour, the courtyard below was bustling with activity. Soldiers marched past in groups of four, while others sparred or practiced at the archery range. Though there were countless things to see below, Whill could see that Tarren focused on nothing before him. He simply stared forward, unmoving, distant.
Whill spoke softly, choosing his words carefully. “Tarren. I am sorry about your family. I could say that I feel somewhat responsible for it all, for merely coming into your life. But Abram, I am afraid, would prove one way or another that I am not. These things happen, he would say. They cannot be changed, and they cannot be altered. I do beg to differ.” He looked into Tarren’s distant eyes. When he did not look back, Whill gently grabbed his shoulders. “Tarren I was not strong enough to see. I did not know. If I had, I would have stopped it all from happening-know that I would. But believe me when I say-no, I vow-that no ill fate shall befall you again. So long as I am here and able to stop it, nothing will happen to you. I swear on my life.”
At last Tarren met his gaze. “I miss them.”
Whill fought a lump in his throat. “I know you do, lad. Of course you do. But take heart in the time you had together. Honor and remember them always, and you will have gained their approval forevermore.”
Tarren hugged Whill but this time did not sob. “What will become of me now? Now that my family is gone?”
How ironic life was, Whill thought. How often the parts we play are changed, whether we were ready or not. Seldom could one pinpoint when and how one’s life changed, when one had to step up and take on the unknown. But Whill knew at that moment that this was one of those times.
“I shall claim you as my own, Tarren, as my ward. You have no family aside from those who perished, and therefore I have the right, as your recent guardian, to do so. You shall be named my ward, and shall be recognized by my remaining family who, I have just recently found out, is the royalty of Uthen-Arden and Eldalon.”
Whill smiled as Tarren gave him the most puzzled look he had ever seen.
Whill took the opportunity to speak with Abram and the king over breakfast. As planned, the meal was not served in the king’s grand dining room, which was under repair, but rather in Whill’s own room. The food was set on a small table on the balcony overlooking the bustling courtyard. Whill entered the room to find Abram and King Mathus already seated and waiting.
“I am sorry for my tardiness, but I had pressing…issues to deal with,” said Whill as he took a seat at the circular table.
“No need for apologies, Whill,” said Mathus. “How is the lad?”
Whill shrugged. “As well as can be expected, I imagine.”
“It is a tragedy indeed,” the king said. “His entire family…unspeakable.”
Whill sat up and breathed deeply, trying to appear confident. “I have claimed him officially, to him and now to you, as my ward. It is my right as his last caregiver and I have taken it. I expect him to be welcomed into the Eldalon royal family, and that he will be treated as such.”
Whill dared not meet Abram’s eyes and so instead he watched the king’s reaction. He was silent for a while. Finally he lifted his glass of orange juice, drank, put it down, and said, “So be it. I will have it seen to immediately. The boy Tarren is now your ward.”
He took Whill’s hand. “I sincerely and openly welcome Tarren into our family, as I have you.”
Whill finally looked at Abram, who only smiled and drank his own orange juice. “And let it be known to your sons and whomever else holds stock in my claim: I want only the Uthen-Arden throne as my own, and look forward to the bond we shall share as nations.”
Mathus raised his glass. “To the rightful king of Uthen-Arden, my grandson, Whill of Agora.”
As the door closed behind King Mathus, Whill finally let out a sigh of relief. Abram sat down and lit his pipe.
“You never fail to surprise and impress me, Whill.”
“Trust me. I thought it out, and I know what it entails. It was the only honorable thing to do. And I like the lad.”
“You did right. I am proud of your decision and the way you handled yourself this morning. And I may be a fool, but I feel as though I have gained a grandson myself.”
Whill smiled. “You have, my friend. Indeed you have.”
Since only ashes remained of Tarren’s family, and they were hundreds of miles away, oak ashes were provided for Tarren in their stead. Once the ashes where recovered from the destroyed inn, placed in an urn, and sent from Fendale, they would fill an urn that would be given to Tarren. The funeral ceremony was held some miles outside of Kell-Torey, upon a hill of Tarren’s choosing. The king attended, as did Whill, Abram, Zerafin, Avriel, Rhunis, and Roakore. It was a symbolic ritual in which Tarren could say goodbye, spread the ashes, and honor his fallen family.
The spring had only just conquered this stretch of land, but the air was mild. Tarren opened the urn and spoke bravely.
“Goodbye, Father. Goodbye, Mother. Farewell, Grandpa, Gram, sisters. I will honor you always and try to remember you always.” Tears welled in his eyes, but he went on. “I will be a man soon, and although you have already been avenged, I offer the promise that I will be a good man and fight for those who cannot. I will be just and true, that you may forever look down upon me with pride.”
He fell to his knees as he opened the lid. The faint spring wind carried the ashes high into the air, though it should have been too weak to do so.
Whill stepped forward and put a hand upon Tarren’s shoulder. “I say farewell also, and promise to hold Tarren to his oath. I swear upon the name of my father that I will do all I can to raise this boy to become a man you would be proud of. I hope I do not fail where you have succeeded.”
His words rose up with the ashes into the noonday sun, and there disappeared.
Dinner that night was a solemn affair. Tarren stayed behind in his room, wanting to be alone. The remainder of the group ate with King Mathus and discussed the coming meeting, which was but a week away.
Abram sat back in his usual after-dinner posture, pipe in hand, head back, hand in his pocket. “What numbers do you think we can expect from our neighbors to the north, King Mathus?”
Mathus took a small sip of wine. “Hmm. Maybe five thousand.”
“Five thousand!” Whill cried. “I’m sorry, Sire, but five thousand! Against the numbers we will face, that is but a small band.”
The king frowned. “What do you know of the numbers we will face, Whill?”
Whill glanced at Zerafin and Avriel. “I had a vision after the incident the other night.”
King Mathus sat up in his chair and put his hands together. “Go on.”
“I saw a great battle, possibly a hundred thousand Draggard, and thousands of Addakon’s soldiers. We were greatly outnumbered, good king, greatly. It was…it was a slaughter.”
Mathus thought for a moment, then addressed Zerafin. “How well can such a vision be trusted?”
“Such visions can be very reliable, depending upon the source,” the elf replied. Whill shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “We elves have many seers of the future, some vaguely correct, and others known to be right on all accounts down to the last detail. Given what I know about Whill, the fact that he has not been trained but exhibits many elven abilities already, I would not dismiss his vision lightly. But I would not embrace it, either.”
Whill let out a sigh and sank back slightly. Zerafin noticed this small objection. “Whill is going through a change that few can fully understand, not even we elves. Our powers come to us at an early age and grow with us. Whill, on the other hand, has been thrown into this new world with little knowledge of what is happening to him and even less control. He is already dangerously powerful, and will only get stronger. With the right training he will flourish, but for now we can only speculate on whether these visions are real.”