Rodrigo Zacara and the Mirror of Power

7. The Squire Naming Ceremony

Over the course of the next few days, they had a lot of work to do. Rodrigo and Oliver, who thought they would miss television, computers and video games the most in Karinthia, realised just how wrong they were.

'If I could return to our world, even it was just for a few hours, the first thing I'd bring back would be a washing machine,' Oliver complained as he squeezed out the twentieth tunic.

'I don't know where you'd plug it in,' Rodrigo observed.

'You're right. I'm dying of boredom with this work. With the number of people here in the fortress, is there nobody who has the power to make clothes wash themselves? Maybe you can. Why don't you give it a try?'

Rodrigo stood up straight, extended his arms and began to whisper.

'Abracadabra, hocus pocus, please wash these clothes so we can focus.'

'You're not taking it seriously,' Oliver reprimanded. 'You'll never discover your power like that.'

'Well, there's just a bit more to go,' said Vega, returning with an empty basket. 'I've just hung up the last cloak. All that's left are the tunics.'

'Hey, I just saw Adara,' Noa said as she reappeared with another basket. 'She said that when you finish you should look for her in Fountain Courtyard. She wants to do a rehearsal of your squire naming ceremony.'

After three days in the fortress, Rodrigo already knew there were various courtyards, each of which was reserved for different activities. Fountain Courtyard was normally used by the knights to practise sword fighting. The first time he had watched them, he had been very impressed as it seemed as though they were locked in real combat. Afterwards, he discovered that they had been using blunt swords and leather breastplates so they didn't suffer any serious injuries.

'This is the last tunic,' Darion said as he hung the item of clothing on the enormous clothes line located at the foot of the stronghold's walls. 'We can go and look for Adara now.'

'I'll wait for you in the reading room,' said Noa.

'Why don't you come with us?' Aisha suggested. 'I don't think Adara would mind if you did.'

'Do you think so?' Noa stammered. 'I would love to.'

'Of course she won't mind!' Aisha cried. 'Come on.'

Noa joined the group and they all ran through the vaulted passages linking the different parts of the fortress. When they reached Fountain Courtyard, they saw that Adara wasn't the only person practising their combat skills. There were six pairs of opponents who were locking swords with surprising speed. In addition to the leather breastplate they were all wearing, they also bore metal chainmail which covered their heads such that Rodrigo couldn't tell which person was Adara until she broke off from fighting and removed her protective gear.

'I think that's enough for today,' she said, lowering her weapon. 'I'm going to do a run-through of the squires naming ceremony with these kids.'

'Yeah, I've had enough for today too,' said her opponent who turned out to be Donegan. 'I have to take my breastplate to Toravik and have him fix a few links.'

Adara removed her leather breast plate and approached the children.

'You'll need to accompany me to the armoury first,' she said. 'I need to put all this away.'

'Can I come too?' Noa asked overcome by shyness as always.

'Of course, sweetie,' Adara consented. 'Come along.'