Silent Moments

Chapter 1

I hear the swallows rustling in the roof, the hallow space is filled with the infants cries, I close my eyes in expert practise and reach out towards the infants, I feel their tiny heartbeats underneath mine, as the reality morphs into a world of energy. I see their aura moving with their being, I watch a while in complete wonder; I reach further and touch their minds. Their minds are simple, as they are a simple creature without many desires, their heads keep asking for food without actually thinking of the consequences of the racket they make, a feel a rat stirring from nearby and it’s hungry too, it hears the wild chirps of the hungry swallows and advances.

 ‘Zephyr.’ A woman’s voice cuts through my thoughts, hitting me like a physical blow, it takes me a moment to gather my own voice and muster a response.

 ‘Yes mother?’ my own voice pitiful and weak like a wounded infant. Her reply as fierce as her initial attack, ‘Please come at once.’

Sighing, I put my book down on my bedside table and head towards the kitchen, treading carefully on the floor boards. Our kitchen isn’t as grand as the other villagers, but it does the job. A single small table decorates the room with a vase of neglected flowers. A single window overlooks the Kiari Sea. Several iron clad shelves line the bare and desolate walls, each baring only a few goods. The pantry is equally bare. From the doorway I can see the meadows that surround the tiny valley; orchards of fruits, and patches of ripe vegetables that are ready to harvest soon, everyone in the village will be helping out more and more now, and I intend to play my part. I want them to like me.                             

‘Will you snap out of it already?’ her voice razor sharp slicing through my thoughts. She is quite a remarkable lady. She can rally troops of men without so much as lifting a finger, not to mention one of the few female warriors of the village, and to top it off she is beautiful. She has emerald green eyes as do all witches and wizards of the age, hair deep red in colour, flames and flares like her personality. She is sought after by every eligible man in the village. Her every movement is languid and brutal; each planned with careful precision, which mimics the creature that resides in her soul, in times of distress or pain it is said that the creature will aid you. The lore is that the emblem will appear to you when you need it, that they are tour guardian constantly looking over you. She is a peregrine falcon, ferocious, cunning and fast, a top predator, not someone you want to cross.

 ‘Yes mother?’ I ask, my infant voice cracking slightly.

 ‘Look I know I must have told you over a hundred times already, but your choosing is less than two moons away and you haven’t given any indication.’ Her voice softens slightly as she makes eye contact with me, ‘I know what this means to you Zephyr, but you can’t make it alone.’

            ‘Yes I know mother, but right now I am considering all my options I want to make the right decision, when I know, you will know.’ The Choosing is a celebration of adultery, it is where everyone is gathered to hear what the child has chosen as a career, then the elder or teacher will accept or deny the child, it’s all rather complicated followed by a millennia of speeches, it’s all rather dull. I look over to my mother who gives me her once in a moon heartfelt smile, ‘I am sure you will make the right decision, you have much to offer to this clan especially in these hard times we face.’ Now it is my turn to return the smile, I give her a brief hug to show my affection, after all I am becoming a man and it is unseemly for a man to hug his mother for any period of time. i feel my smile tug into a grin, ‘How about a quick spar?’ I ask, my grin is immediately returned.

 ‘I’ll race you.’ She said gently pushing my aside and heads out the front door towards our small armoury.

            We pick our swords, mine is Holgdur which translates to ‘The One’ in our ancient language. Its elegant blade, curved slightly in the belly, double-edge and non-impregnable. Muttering a simple spell under my breath, I dull the swords edges to prevent any harm. I turn to face my opponent only to find she has done the same and ready to fight. We circle each other, assessing, calculating and manoeuvring, I wait for her to strike first; I feel the padded ground beneath me, dry and cracked from the draught. A slight breeze stirs up the dust that sits upon the crevassed surface. A rabbit stirs from its burrow somewhere towards the east. I move to have the sun behind me, a tactical advantage in any fight. I make a false attack, lunging towards my opponent to draw her out, she retaliates like I knew she would, lunging towards my seemingly open side, pulling my dagger from its sheath I deflect her blow and jar her blade. It falls to the ground with a solid thud and she looks at me with complete shock. ‘You cheated’ she states still in shock.

I smirk, ‘No I didn’t I merely used my defence as an offense and I hardly think in a realistic battle your opponent won’t be playing fair anyway.’

   ‘I’ll make you eat your words young man.’ She spits venomously towards me, picking her sword up and twirling it through the air.

 She laughed, ‘I honestly don’t know why you don’t join the army already, the war would be over if they had a man like you.'                                                         

I laugh as well, as the memories of our old argument arise once more, ‘You know very well why I am not joining the army, mimicking her light heated tone.                            

  ‘Yes, because you are too soft.’ Her mocking tone and mischievous eyes playing as she continued circle around me.                                                                                                                                     ‘Oh really?’ my question goes without a response for I lunge towards my opponent with a brilliant clash of steel.