Ronan's Tale

Chapter 3

I left Shuris a week later because it took a few days to locate all the orphans. Many of them hid from me, thinking that I'd been hired by Kyoros to find them and capture them. When I told them what was truly happening, they came out from the shadows and followed me to Cinderlight Castle, where Kyoros's trainers proceeded to give them a (failed) etiquette lesson under my supervision. I got a pretty good laugh out of that.

Kyoros's men gathered the necessary supplies and provisions for the journey. Some of them were tools, and others were raw materials. He provided me with a horse-drawn covered wagon pulled by two of his finest sport horses, named Rodrigo and Mateo, to transport me, my crew, and our items across Aaradas.

Kyoros informed me, "You'll need to hire a sailing crew to take your team across the Sedgeburn Sea and to the continent of Delura." He handed me a hefty sack of clinking objects. "Here's the necessary payment in gold, plus extra for buying more food if you run out."

I peered into the bag, which contained several hundred gold coins. "Much appreciated," I told Kyoros. I lugged the bag over to the back of the wagon and hoisted it up among the scattered supplies. I was as nimble as a piece of wheat on a windy day, but I had noodle arms, so I struggled a bit. I then came from around the back and climbed onto the wagon's front bench.

Kyoros pulled a scroll from his cape and handed it to me. "Here's an enchanted map," he told me, "and it will give you a precise location as to where you are in Keodin." He pointed to a black dot in the City of Shuris surrounded by trees. "That symbol is where you are."

Saoirse came running out of the castle in a beautiful, poofy azure gown, shouting, "Ronan! Don't leave just yet!"

I stepped down from the wagon to greet her. She walked up, wheezing for breath.

"You're lucky you aren't a female noble," she began. "If you were, you'd be wearing a corset underneath this dress. Dressmakers haven't yet received the notion that no one can breathe in these things."

I put my hand over my mouth to keep from boisterously laughing. She continued, "We'll be housing and feeding the orphans in your absence. They'll also be subject to academic lessons and schooling."

I gave a smirk at the castle itself. "Most of them will hate that. But I'm certain that they'll enjoy the fine dining."

Saoirse held out her hand. In it was something I didn't see before: a small parchment.

"One of the orphans gave this to me to give to you," Saoirse explained. "I think her name was Amy."

I hastily unfolded the note and read it feverishly. It said this:

'Deer Ronan,

I stil cant beeleev that youre going away. Im going to miss yoo verry much.

Luv,

Amy'

I was bewildered after reading the note. Saorise must've seen the expression on my face because she told me that Amy had stayed up all night to learn to write the note. She was so excited to be learning about reading and writing that she wanted to send me off with a written farewell.

I folded the note and shoved it in my pocket without turning to face her. I was so proud of Amy for doing this for me. Still, my heart bore some kind of tear, and I didn't know why, but I felt downtrodden.

A pause. Then I climbed up into the wagon.

"Well," I started, "I'd better be off."

Saoirse's eyes twinkled in the high midday. "Wait. One last thing."