Chương 19: Reward

Anyone passing the clearing that afternoon would have seen a small boy with a wild mess of black hair, too-thin wrists, and serious green eyes that looked entirely out of place in such a young face. Mud covered his knees, grass clung to his tunic, and he carried himself with the solemn dignity of a powerful mage conducting extremely important research. The research currently involved running between the cows and flinging his hands at bushes, tall grass, and one deeply unimpressed fence post.

A passerby might have mistaken it for a child's game. The cows showed no such interest. They continued chewing. The grass had been excellent since the storm. Arien had not felt this alive in weeks. After the Storm of Morth and the fever that followed, with the memory of the Void still too close, he had promised himself he would make the sensible choice. He had meant to choose Unshakable Mind. He really had. Danger Sense was useful. Wind Aspect would have been practical. But lightning was lightning.

So, two hours after assigning Lightning Aspect, here he was: breathless, muddy, and grinning like an idiot as a bush trembled beneath the most powerful spell he could currently manage. A few leaves fell. Arien stared at them. Then he raised both arms in triumph, whooping and breaking into a wild smile.

"Arien, conqueror of plants!" Fatty looked up, chewed once, and returned to her grass. Lightning magic was wonderful. Admittedly, his accuracy, range, and power were pathetic. Transforming mana at the instant it left his body was harder than anything he had tried so far, and after two hours of practice, he had nearly emptied his mana reserves. At this rate, he would spend more time waiting for mana than using it. Still, it was real. For now, that was enough.

He gathered the last of his mana, raised one hand toward the sky like some tiny, half-starved Zeus, and brought it down. Something flickered. A soft crack sounded. The air filled with the scent of ozone. Three blades of grass snapped in half. A nearby cow gave him an offended look. By the time he had returned the last of the neighbors' cows and led Fatty and Lazy home, he was both tired and happier than he had been in weeks.

As he entered the yard, he saw a massive black stallion tied to the post by the animals' trough. The horse snorted quietly at the sight of Arien and the two cows behind him. Arien's good mood faltered. No farmer in Three Meadows owned a horse like that. He led Fat and Lazy to the barn, tossed some feed into their trough, and only then headed toward the house, trying to clean his hands with water from the well along the way. The whole family was gathered around the kitchen table.

Sir Samwell sat in Terry's usual place at the head, one leg stretched out before him. Terry and Wod sat on either side with mugs of beer in hand, but both fell silent when Arien appeared in the doorway.

"Arien, Sir Samwell arrived not long ago and would like to speak with you," his mother said, her eyes moving between him and the knight.

"Greetings, boy." Sir Samwell rose from the table. Arien glanced at his left leg, the one he remembered covered in blood and mud, pierced clean through. This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Samwell followed his gaze and shifted his weight with a faint grimace.

"I can walk," the knight said.

"Even ride, if I don't mind regretting it afterward. It will be weeks before the leg fully heals." Then his attention settled on Arien.

"You notice more than most boys your age," Samwell said.

"And your family says this is not the first time." Arien widened his eyes.

"Is that your horse, my lord? The big one? Can I pet him? I like horses," he asked, trying to sound as childlike as possible.

"Pet him? Zerex?" Samwell sounded surprised at first, then his eyes narrowed slightly in understanding.

"Yes, but you must be careful. He has been rather nervous lately. You don't mind if I show Arien the horse?" he asked Mari, who watched them suspiciously.

"Of course not, sir. Let me carry Arien—""Oh, better not. Zerex is a warhorse; he doesn't like too many people around him. It would be best if you stayed inside. We'll be right back," he said, leaving little room for argument. Mari clearly wanted to object, but her eyes dropped briefly to Sir Samwell's crest. In the end, she stepped aside. Sir Samwell led Arien out into the yard. They had barely started toward Zerex when the knight placed a hand on his shoulder. Arien turned.

Samwell crouched beside him and studied his face.

"Why didn't you tell your family that it was you who saved Will and me?"

"The priest saved everyone, my lord."

"The priest might have managed to save Will, but I would have bled out long before that if not for your help. Varix was very intrigued by your trick with the belt. He said he had seen Healers do something similar before. But the nearest Healer is in Ribenne."

"Father likes to tell stories."

"Yes, I've heard about his Skill. Unusual for a Farmer, perhaps, but not every Skill has to match the Profession." Samwell paused.

"That might explain the belt. It does not explain the rest. I ordered you to take Will and run. I may not have been in the best shape, but no child should have been able to resist that."

"I don't know, my lord. I didn't want to leave you there." Samwell studied him for several seconds before letting out a quiet sigh.

"There is more to you than you're telling me. Whatever it is, I won't press."

"Is Will alright?" Arien asked.

"Yes, he is recovering. That boy has more energy than a foal from the steppes of Veryd." The corner of Samwell's mouth lifted.

"I promised you a reward for your actions. Do you have any ideas?" Arien fell silent. Most of what he wanted would only raise questions, and his gaze drifted to the cloth wrapped around Sir Samwell's right hand. The Command still bothered him and probably would for a long time, but the knight had also broken that arm to save him, then come here himself instead of sending a servant. Even so, Samwell had earned enough of that trust for one small risk. Sir Samwell waited for a moment, then continued.

"It does not have to be coin. Position, land, apprenticeship fees... When the time comes, I could even sponsor your journey to Jakar. There is a much wider selection of Professions there. Three Meadows is a beautiful place, but a good Profession could give you a comfortable life. Your mother would surely be proud."

"I want to learn how to read and write," Arien said firmly. He had considered it more than once already. Not being able to read had become increasingly irritating. Every name, place, or piece of history he wanted to learn about had to come through someone else, and every question was another chance to draw attention. Books would finally let him search for answers on his own. The knight stared at him in surprise for a moment, then chuckled.

"Even your family does not know how intelligent you are for your age, do they? But why? After all… Ah…" the knight's eyes lit up with understanding.

"Even after all these years, I forget that I am not in the capital. There, your parents could use this to find you a wealthy patron. Here… here you would be a curiosity." He scratched his jaw.

"Do not worry. I will keep your secret. As for Varix, I will speak to him. I'll make sure he understands that I consider the matter settled. As for your request… I can barely read myself. I used to be an ordinary soldier, and only later did the King raise me to my current status. But I will arrange something. Actually… I may have an idea. Helii might like it as well…" At that moment, Mari came out carrying a thin blanket.

She draped it around Arien's shoulders while doing a poor job of pretending she had not come to check on them. Samwell seemed to take that as his cue to leave. He gave Arien a brief smile, said his farewells to Mari, then mounted Zerex and rode toward the road. Arien watched him go. He had never even gotten to pet the horse.

"Arien, what did Sir Samwell want from you?" Mari asked as soon as the sound of Zerex's hooves faded.

"I helped on the road," he replied, slipping back into childish speech.

"Sir Samwell gives Arien reward."

"Help on the road? Did you forget to tell me something?"

"The cart was broken. The man and the boy were in the mud. I brought the cows close. They blocked some of the wind." He did not like lying, but sometimes there was no other choice.

"Oh, that was very brave, Arien," she said with genuine admiration.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I forgot. Hard to think."

"My poor boy," she said, pulling him close.

"Remember, adults are supposed to protect you, not the other way around."

"Yes, mama protects me," he replied honestly. It was childish. It was also true.

"What did I do to deserve you?" she whispered. For a moment, all the worry seemed to leave her face.

"Remember, whatever the reward is, thank him properly. We must show him respect. They say he once fought for the King."

"For the King?"

"Yes, in the royal guard, but those are only rumors. Supposedly, one of the soldiers from Ribenne told Nessi's cousin that he once saw him in the capital during a parade. How much of that is true, no one knows." Mari adjusted the blanket around his shoulders.

"What matters is that Sir Samwell is our liege lord. It is better for people like us not to get involved in the affairs of the nobility."