Nobody is allowed to know about what happens in the ceremonies until they have come of age and past the test. After your ceremony you have to take a blood oath to swear that you will never tell anyone what happens. This is what I was always told as a kid and now, now I'm about to find out.
"You can look now" she whispered in my ear bring me out of my daydream.
I slowly opened my eyes waiting for them to adjust to the light, a few seconds later I was staring at my reflection in the water. I was still in my hunting gear but my hair was pulled up into a ponytail with a blue rose intertwined with the braid that was pulled into a bun. I was so busy looking at myself to notice my mother leave the room and come back. I turned around so that I was facing her hesitating to meet her eyes. I loved my mother she was always agreeing with me and letting me do things behind my fathers back, and the fact that she was standing there with tears in her eyes, was making me regret growing up.
"This is what me and my mother wore the night of her ceremony," she said with a hint of pain in her voice, swallowing it down, her next words came out quiet but strong. "I want you to wear it."
"What!" I said in shock " you told me never to touch it."
Again I saw the look of hurt in her eyes "That was because you were little now... now your grown up, and it's time." With that she left the room leaving me so I could get changed.
I quickly put the dress on and checked my hair. It was a beautiful dress, it was light blue with black beaded flowers dancing across the right side. It went past my knees and with every movement it would sway side to side. Gazing one last time into the mirror at the girl I hardly knew, I left the room.
By the time we had finished getting ready it was time to go. We quickly hurried out the door and headed down to the center of the village. The roads were lite with torches shutting out the darkness that was pressed up against it's back. I had been to other peoples ceremonies but I had never stayed long so what they did after that was a mystery to me.
As soon as we joined the others they all stepped aside making room for me to walk through. I glanced around searching for my father praying that he would be here to see me.
"Lady Ýrwen, please step forward." he said.
I turned around meeting eyes with the young man standing at the front of the crowd. 'Wow' I thought to myself 'How does he know me name, and how is it that I had never seen him before?'
Without even realizing it, my father came up trough the crowed and joined me.
"Are you ready Ýrwen?" my father said joining me.
"What?" I said jumping back in surprise. When I realized who it was I replied with a smile.
"Yes? I think....I don't know..." I said trying to shake off the fact that I was nervous.
"Well that's good enough for me" he said as he took my hand leading me past the boy and towards the nearest house. I looked back to see the crowd dispersing except for my family who slowly walked behind us with the boy.
'How did he know my name?' I thought as my dad lead me into the house. 'Where has he been hiding?' I though to myself as we entered the house my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of my mothers voice.
"What do you mean I can't come in? I know what happens, I've been through this before!" she screamed. Then the boy said something that I couldn't make out.
"Fine but I'm not leaving here until she's done."
A few seconds later he walked in turning to the closest guard and whispered something under his breath so only the guard could hear.
"Yes sir" he said.
' It was strange most guards wore helmets so that no one can see there face, being that they must swear to Laris never let anyone besides their family see it. Yet this one was allowed to walk free without one?' I thought ' this guy is being treated a lot differently than everyone else. But even then shouldn't he have put on one at least for the ceremony? I slowly looked him up and down , I had to admit the more I thought about it the more I wanted to know what know. was good looking but not even close to the boy who had now turned his attention to me.
I looked him up and down looking for some sort of badge or something to tell me his title, but found nothing. The guard next to me flashed me a smile while nodding his head towards his friend, he must have caught me looking because he smiled with amusement. I looked away trying very hard not to blush, thanking Fornir that there was very little light. The boy moved slightly away from his friend only to look at my father.
"I will see her now," he said showing no emotion.
" Right, I will be waiting with her mother." My father said turning to look at me.
"Don't let him fool you, this is what I have trained you for. Watch the way he walks, the way his eyes dart back and forth, do not let anything he says interfere with what you need to do. Do you understand me?"
I looked up at him, and smiled as I caught the look of pride in his eyes as he slowly turned at walked out the door.
'Yes father, I ready' I said to myself.
"Follow me." the boy said, not waiting to see if I was following.
I was surprised when the guard joined me as I followed slowly behind.
"Hi, I'm ..."
"I know who you are." He said cutting me off " we all know who you are."
"How?"
"Please, everyone knows you, your the chief's daughter
"Oh, yeah" I said.
We walked in silence not knowing what to say next, until I realized that I didn't know his name.
"What's your name?" I said.
"Oh... sorry" he said stopping. "I am Magnor " He said laying his hand across his chest.
"All my friends and family call me Yrwen, so if you want... you can."
'It would be an honor!" He said smiling from ear to ear.
"Great, I'm glad I made one friend. So uh... what's his name?"
"Oh sorry, he won't talk to you much because he is the leader of the guards and well it prohibits him to do so but just for future reference it's Captain Callon"
"Oh I see, so that's why he's not wearing a helmet" I said
He laughed and said " so that's why you were looking at him."
"Why else would I be looking at him like that?" I said I a hard tone. "I'm sorry..." I said minding my manners.
''No it's perfectly fine" he said, "I'm the one who needs to apologize."
Quickly changing the subject I said "Are you good in battle."
"I don't know, I mean I certainly haven't died so far, so I guess, but that is up to whoever I'm fighting with."
"Oh, well... would you like to fight, I mean guard me." I said giving him a wink.
"Sure," he said chuckling as we continued walking.
