Amaranth's Yule

Chapter Three ~ The Messenger of Carrion

Emira felt an odd feeling of despair as she watched her parents roll away in the wagon. It bumped along the road leaving dust in its trail, until it disappeared over the hill, and out of sight. Emira surveyed the grassy, rolling landscape on the west side of Revelen. Across the fields, through the woods and up the foothills, all the way to Skylord. They would travel for a little less than a day and have to stay the night at Skylord before returning. Emira had hoped that the decision to head to the city would have resolved her parent's argument, but it seemed that they were still quite unhappy with each other as they rolled away from the castle.

General Cerise rested a hand on Emira's shoulder, comforting her. Cerise had always felt like a big sister to her. Before Mallee was born, she'd always let Emira braid her long, red hair, no questions asked. They would play chase and pick peaches and berries, laugh and dance; they would do everything together. She felt like family.

"Alright, you're not going to sulk at the gate all day," Cerise told Emira and Lassor. "You two have training to do."

"Me too!" Mallee chimed in excitedly at Emira's feet. The little five-year-old didn't seem to realize what kind of training they would be doing, she just wanted to be included in whatever was happening.

Cerise gave her a sad, benign smile. "No, you're too young for battle training."

Mallee looked up at Cerise with pleading eyes, but Cerise only shook her head again. Finally, Mallee hung her head sadly and moped back to the castle, two guards taking up the rear. She turned and gave one last sad glance to Cerise. Emira guessed she was going to find the nursemaid, Claret, to see if she would play with her.

Cerise turned back towards Emira and Lassor. "You two follow me," she commanded with a wave of her hand. Her heavy, leather and fur garments ruffled as she walked. Emira was appalled at how she could wear that in the early summer heat. As Emira began to follow the redhead back to the castle, she noticed Lassor beside her, looking strangely excited. "What's got you so delighted?" she asked quizzically.

Lassor only grinned at her.

Emira dismissed it, figuring she'd find out soon enough, and caught up with Cerise. The scarlet-haired general led the siblings to the courtyard, where all their trainings were held. The courtyard was mostly barren except for a few shrubs around the edges by the cloisters, as this yard was used exclusively for battle training and not for relaxation and enjoyment. Emira saw that there was an unusual amount of equipment out. Racks of swords, axes, and a few weapons she had never seen, were mounted on rolling, wooden carts. "What are we doing today?" she asked, stepping out onto the grass.

The general walked over and leaned against one of the racks full of swords and daggers. "Today, I'm going to give you a brief introduction on some of the weapons you're unfamiliar with," she informed, gesturing to the cart of peculiar blades. "And then you will fight each other, as a sort of assessment of your skills."

Emira and Lassor faced each other in unison. Now she understood his grinning, he must've asked Cerise about today beforehand. Emira had always found her brother's bellicose odd. Maybe it was the adrenaline of the battle, or the feeling of wielding a mighty blade. Whatever the reason, Emira was not looking forward to the spar. Though Lassor lacked her level of astuteness, he was far stronger than her physically, and won every previous battle they had fought against each other.

"This is a saber," Cerise introduced abruptly, taking an odd sword with a curved blade off the stand. She examined it as if it was a strange looking banana. "A rare armament, but it works just the same as a sword." She swung the blade at open air, producing a swift, swishing sound. She handed it to Emira, who ran two fingers over the sleek, dull edge.