Donner and Thalia: The Anastasia Academy (Episode 5)

Chapter Nine

9.

The lake by Hillshade's fish population had finally returned to normal after Donner's great victory against the giant octopus. Donner and Paul were taking advantage of that, having a nice day fishing by its shores.

"What do you think Lenny's up too?" Paul asked, relaxing, reaching for the canteen of ginger beer between the two, and taking a swig.

"Learning his art, no doubt," Donner smiled. He was going to have a Wizard by his side trained by the Anastasia Academy, a mark of honor for any Knight. "It's only his first season, once he finishes, I guarantee that Lenny, Leonard, will be a mighty Wizard," he said, smiling, thinking of the great victories he would win with his Wizard alongside him.

"You know, if you're not a named Knight by the time Lenny graduates as a Wizard, he may receive an assignment, could be sent to a town, called to the High Order, may even be called to another Knight, a named Knight. He might not be available to be your Wizard when, if, you get dubbed," Paul said as he moved his pole around, looking for a hungry fish.

"Four seasons he's going to be there, four seasons alternating over two years. That's my benchmark. I have to earn my name in two years. That way, when Lenny graduates, and I'm a Knight, I can petition to have a Wizard assigned to me, and then Lenny will be my Wizard, and we will write history together," Donner smiled as he felt a slight tug on his pole. He stood up, tried pulling the fish towards him, pulling it up, "I got it, I got it," he gave it just a bit too hard of a tug and ended up ripping an empty hook out of the water. "Damn, got my bait," Donner lifted his pole to bring his hook back to put another one of the worms he and Paul found earlier on it

"You really think you can earn a name in two years?" Paul asked.

"Of course," Donner said, "I was a Squire, I've won great victories, and who knows what could happen. Dragon Season is coming soon. Maybe Lenny will be back when it starts, Lenny and I take down a Dragon, that alone could earn me a Knighthood," He said as he put another worm on his hook and cast his line back out.

"As good as you are at it, this Knighthood business, part of me still thinks you two are crazy, questing for glory, so dangerous, and I know that first hand," Paul said as he kept his line straight, waiting for a sound bite.

"Hey," Donner turned to Paul, "When Lenny and I write our stories, you're going to be in them. When all the Kingdom is talking of Sir Donner and Wizard Leonard and their great adventures, I would want them to know of you, Paul, Cleric of Thiximir, the only reason we're still alive, I want you to be in the pages with me," Donner turned to Paul and smiled.

"I think I'll pass, I just can't dream like you can, Donner, I'll be glad to help you within reason though, I just don't want to follow you on some foolish crusade that's going to get me killed," he said.

"You're a Cleric, every war story I've read about a lost cause always mentions the Clerics got away, you've got the God's protection, and you've given us that protection when we've adventured together. My leg was beyond saving, and it was you, Paul. You, my faithful Cleric, who healed me. You helped us fell the God of Rats, It was you who stood tall against a charging spirit without so much as blinking, you've fought battles with the rest of us, you could be an amazing Cleric, have you given any thought to the Seminary?" Donner asked.

Paul didn't even know that Donner knew of the Seminary, a base at the center of the Island of Kinleath, they trained War Clerics. Not too many students lately, men of the Gods like Paul, weren't really suited for battle these days. A cleric's job was just to heal after the war, that was where a Cleric of Paul's aptitude belonged.

"I mean it, Paul," Donner said as he moved his pole, trying to find another fish as Paul kept his line dead silent. "I saw something in you. When Sir Neil was charging towards you, you stood strong, didn't even move. And you're so well studied, not just in Thiximir's word but all the gods. If you applied yourself, you could even become a Cleric of the Pantheon, a mighty warrior," Donner said.

"You, me, Lenny, Thalia, we've already had so many amazing victories. If we follow our potential, really commit ourselves, we could be one of the greatest adventuring parties since the age of the Elves," Donner said.

"I don't know, Donner," Paul said, "When Neil was charging me down, it wasn't bravery that kept me standing, it was fear," he bit his lip, "I held my symbol up in fear, hoping there was anything I could do to not be charged down, I froze, I was just hoping he wouldn't run me through," he said.

"Paul, that's the same thing I feel when I'm in trouble, that fear, that's what makes a hero. The ability to see that fear, and then act against it and do whatever you need to survive, you're a hero Paul," Donner said.

"Donner," Paul thought of what to say, Donner thought of him as a hero, Donner, the man who felled the Rat God, Sir Theodore's squire, could he really be as much a hero as he was, his thoughts were distracted when he felt a tug on his line. Paul stood up and started to bring his pole up.

"Come on, reel it in Paul," Donner said, encouraging him as he always did when Paul had a chance for glory.

"I got it," Paul said, tugging his line and pulling a fat catfish out of the lake.

"And again, you win glory!" Donner said, laughing as Paul held it up. "Should be a nice lunch," Paul said as he put the fish on the board, ready to gut it.

"There you two are," it was Thalia, digging her feet to the ground and sliding down to the lakeshore as Donner and Paul celebrated their catch, "Have you two been here all day?"

"Yeah, just taking a day off," Donner said, "And low and behold, we were just about to have some lunch, care to join us?" Donner asked as he helped Paul unhook his fish and lay it on a stone. Donner reached for a small boning knife to gut it.

"Fat catch, Paul, get the fire going. This is going to be so good, easily enough for all three of us," he said as he started to clean the larger than average fish.

"I have news," Thalia said as Paul began to strike flint to steel to light the kindling, "I was at town hall making a delivery for my mother, and I ran into Lenny's parents. They were there to send a pigeon to the Academy after getting word about how Lenny's doing. Apparently, the Academy is going to have a visitor's week. Lenny's parents are going to see him, and they said we can come too. We get to spend a week in the Academy, free food and lodging, getting to see all the wonders of its halls," Thalia said, with a beaming smile.

"That's going to be awesome," Donner said as he chucked away the fish's guts before moving his knight to descale their meal. With two nice filet's, Donner took a sharpened stick and leaned them against the fire.

After a bit of heat, the three cut off some bites. They dug into their meal, "Look at us, questing, Lenny studying at the greatest magical Academy in the world, and Paul, I heard you gave a small sermon last week, sorry I missed it, was busy with Thalia earning an easy thousand gold," he smiled at her.

"Wouldn't really call it a Sermon, it was after my father's ceremony, and it mostly just the kids. They were all badgering me about our adventure in the Lair of the Rat God," Paul smiled, "They ate it up, especially the part where you broke your leg falling down a flight stairs, that got a good laugh out of them," Paul smiled.

"You will never let me live that down, will you?"

"You can be as sure as Thiximir's glory, I won't," Paul said as he took a bite of fish.