The Lost Knight (Volume III) The Lost World

Chapter 7: Flying Menagerie

I roll over as Lenox's nose hits the pillow next to me. "I'm awake," I groan. Today is the day I'm leaving. How will I wake up tomorrow? No Latuus birds or pegasus' noses.

I pet him for only a moment because he turns and leaves before I've done both ears. I think he's nervous, or more likely, hungry.

"Good morning," Albína says as she wedges herself in the doorway with a tray of food. Her almost always perfect red hair is slightly mussed, and her eyes are puffy.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" I ask.

"I'm a worrier. That's what mothers do. You never lose it. I slept a little. Now, don't you go worrying about me."

She takes a step back and spills the glass of water on my nightstand. She wipes it up and studies the rag she used. "I've raised five children, and I've never owned a dishtowel. A proper parent should own at least one dishtowel." She dabs a tear off her lashes with the dirty rag. "I've lived in the castle my entire life. I thought I would never need a dishtowel."

I hug her and rest my cheek on top of her head. "When I get back, you and I should make a matching set. You could teach me."

She pulls away with a wave of her hand like she's trying to fan-dry the tears in her eyes. "Enough of that...you have to get ready." She turns and walks into the other room.

My armor was delivered yesterday, along with my weapons; all of which are in my office. "I'm not sure how to get everything on," I say as I follow her in.

"One piece at a time," she answers as she grabs the chest plate.

It takes us much longer than it did when Trelix helped me put it on the other day because we get a few things wrong and have to start over, but eventually, we get it assembled properly on my body.

"That's like a puzzle," Albína says with a wipe of her brow.

I pull my old used sword from the sheath on my belt and replace it with my shiny new one. I hope when I return, it will still be this pretty. I wrap the wand belt around my waist and then strap my quiver to my back. I've done this a million times before, but today I feel the weight of all of it. I'm doing this because I need them.

I check both knives before I put one in my belt and the other in my boot. My bow hooks to my thigh, but it's too hard to walk with it like that, so I opt to carry it until I'm mounted.

I sigh and look at Albína. "Well, that's it. My shield is with Lenox."

"That's it," she repeats in a whisper.

I want to reach out and comfort her, but I think that would make things worse. She's trying very hard not to cry, and I fear she'll burst into tears if I touch her. So instead, I go to my closet to retrieve the Orb. I put it in the little blue pouch Albína made for it and hook it to my sword belt.

Jonah's knock at the door means it's time to go. Before we leave, I give Albína one last hug and whisper, "It's just a few days."

She bites her lip and nods. "Remember, you owe me a set of dishtowels," she says as I walk out the door.

The streets are sunny as always, but the city is deserted. It's eerily quiet because the village hasn't woken up yet. I like the tranquility, and I appreciate that Jonah's letting me enjoy it by not talking.

Lenox trots over to me as soon as we make the turn to the guest stables. Trelix is already waiting with his pectogur named Squirrel. She looks like a prehistoric dinosaur lizard-bird. She matches Trelix nicely because she has a thick horn jutting out from the back of her elongated head that curves down her squat neck to end at her shoulders. I've met her many times before on the training field when we worked on getting Lenox used to some of the animals he'll have to work with.