Idamia

The Summons

The menacing stone building towered in front of me as I stood on the dirt road in the center of the village. I had lived in Kilham for my entire life, but for some reason I had never been inside this house. Inside it resided the leader of our village, Garon. Garon had been the leader of Kilham since before I was born. For as long as I could remember, he had been the trusted friend of every family in our small village. Since we were such a small and unimportant part of our great and powerful country, Idamia, all of the villagers worked together to survive. Garon brought us together like a noble hero united his people.

My family owned the bakery in Kilham, and that was how we made a living, selling extravagant breads and pastries to people all over Idamia. I secretly hated the bakery and its confined, tiny kitchen. I loved Kilham, the way it was nestled inside a valley, its kind and understanding inhabitants, and the quiet, gurgling river that wound its way through the houses to the north. However, I felt uncomfortable living here in the village. For some reason, working in the bakery felt like a punishment. It may have been the perfect lifestyle for my parents, but not for me. I was seventeen years old, with long, light brown hair and blue eyes. I was more or less an ordinary girl.

Today, I had been summoned to Garon's home. I had been in the middle of selling a man a loaf of bread when Marlena, Garon's daughter, had strode straight up to the counter and told me to report to Garon's home in an hour. Since it was Garon, my parents had told me that I had better be on time. I couldn't think of something I had done recently to get me in trouble, but I couldn't see any other logical reason for me to be summoned.

Mentally preparing myself, I knocked on the large oak door. A minute later, Marlena opened the door. She gave me a warm smile and told me that Garon was waiting in his office, pointing to the elaborately carved door at the end of the hallway. I slowly walked down the hall imagining all the absurd reasons that Garon could have summoned me for.

Garon's home was elegant and simple, showing his importance in Kilham. No one else had this much wealth on display in their home. The richly patterned rug on the floor and the small painting hanging on the wall were both too expensive for any common villager to have in their possession. At the same time, Garon's home had a humble feeling to it, like Garon was trying to show that he was a generous and kind leader as well as powerful.

As I lifted my hand to knock on the door to the office, a quiet but commanding voice from inside the office called, "Come in."

Feeling nervous, I entered the office, smiling congenially at Garon.
"Good morning, Garon," I said politely. Was I in trouble?

"Hello, Lillian. This isn't a time for formalities, so I'll get right to the point. I have a sort of mission for you. I would like you, if you are willing, to deliver an important message to Ragni," Garon stated.

Ragni was the capital of Idamia, and home to King Absolon and his royal family. As far as I knew, no one from the capital was associated with Kilham, and no one I knew had ever been there. What could be important enough to justify a visit to Ragni? I tried to brainstorm a scenario that would require a seventeen-year-old girl like myself to journey to the capital alone.
"This message is quite important, and it would be quite disastrous if it were to fall into the wrong hands before it is delivered to King Absolon. Do you understand?" Garon said, a stern look on his face. Questions popped around inside my head like fireworks, so I decided to ask all of them.

"Yes, but I don't understand. Why me? Also, who will help out at the bakery? Wait, do my parents know about this?" I asked, confused. Garon smiled sympathetically, like he understood my confusion.

"Don't take this the wrong way. It's not meant to be an insult. The thing is, girls like you are often overlooked on the roads and in the cities. No one will notice you. And since you are so responsible, Lillian, I thought that the message would be safest in your possession. I have arranged for another boy to help at the bakery in your absence. As for your last question, no, your parents do not know about this. I have told them that you will be journeying to the next village over to help out at another bakery for some extra money," Garon said, looking uncomfortable. "I hope I can trust you to keep a secret?" he questioned.

"Of course," I said, with the most convincing smile I could put on my face. I felt intimidated by the whole mission. Why did Garon think I would be unnoticed on the road? I felt that he was complimenting me in order to convince me to accept this mission. I would be traveling across the country on my own. I did not feel ready to go on an adventure like this. However, I was willing to take some risks for Kilham, whatever they were.

An hour later, all the details had been sorted out, and I stood at the edge of Kilham, wearing a simple black traveling cloak and a small knapsack. The letter, which Garon had forbidden me from reading, was securely tied to the inside of my sleeve. I also had a small map tucked into my pocket. I was startled that I was leaving so soon, but I was anxious and excited to go and explore the country.

"Remember, as soon as you deliver the letter to the king himself, get out of Ragni as quickly as possible. But not too quickly, you don't want to be rude," Garon reminded me. This part seemed suspicious to me, but I trusted Garon and his motives. I nodded encouragingly, and waving to Garon, walked down the dirt path away from Kilham.

"Good luck, Lillian. Be careful!" I heard Garon call from behind me. I passed through the farmlands that were owned by my friend Willow's family. I had spent half of my childhood running through the tall, dry grasses surrounding these fields. Today, the wind blew the grass wildly, giving it the appearance that it was waving good-bye.

After about an hour, I reached the tall hill that separated Kilham Valley from the rest of Idamia. Behind me was the village that I had spent my entire life inside. Kilham looked small and peaceful from here. Ahead of me was the world. With a deep breath, I turned and walked down the road away from my home.