The Youngest Mage [Completed]

(1) A Ride Into Town

The Efaltel mansion, Dalbreath's home, had been in the family for several centuries. It was a pleasant place for a five year old to grow up in.
One morning, about five days after seeing the Mother Blessing, he tried to get his mind off of the Mother Blessing's strange request by playing bandits with his nanny Leanha. It was while playing with her that he gave in and decided it was time to pay a visit to his father. So he excused himself and went to see his mother downstairs.

Dalbreath's father owned a large printing business, and in a time in the land of Rhet, the country on Avalon where the Tilithneaa lived, that was not unlike that of our nineteenth century. It was in Rhuhalil, the Capitol city of Rhet, sort of like Wales is the homeland of the Welsh on our world. His father printed books for many authors of Rhuhalil, and was quite wealthy because of it, since there were no shortage of great authors in Rhuhalil.

First Dalbreath sought out his mother's permission to go visit his father at work, and when she said, "See if Leanha will take you," he knew just what to do.

"You're the only one who can take me Loobi Hoobi," he said with boyish charm when he came back upstairs.

"Stop calling me that. You know I hate that. But no, with you it's always Leamar, or Leandu, or worse Toobenafa, or Lubewafa. Repeat after me: Le Ann Ha. Leanha!"

Dalbreath smiled mischievously. "Come on, Leebeehoo, you know how to ride a horse. We can ride like the wind on Rubadon. We'll get there in time for lunch. You know how good father's lunchtimes are."

Leanha looked at him sternly, but then gave in. "Your father is so generous that even his little servants can eat like pigs gone amuck at a banquet for a king. Not that I would go amuck, mind you."

Dalbreath smiled. "No, of course not."
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It was a short ride to Rhuhalil. Dalbreath loved the sights and smells of the big city. There were bakeries that sold only the finest breads and pastries, and there were every kind of eatery. In Rhuhalil, there were many culinary differences that had mostly to do with what ancient family the eatery belonged to. The extended Efaltel family, Dalbreath's family, had thirteen fancy eateries in town. They had a variety of businesses in Rhuhalil, including several boutiques, as well as men's clothing stores.

There were five hundred thousand Tilithneaa in Rhuhalil alone, which made it the most populated city in all of Rhet, which was a long flat and hilly land that lay between the Thunderbird Peaks and the Fire Mountains. The Efaltel family was one of the oldest families in Rhuhalil.

Dalbreath had never once thought of what he wanted to be when he grew up. He was much too busy being a five year old boy to bother with such thoughts. Tilithneaa don't become adults until they reach thirty, since their lives span thousands of years.

"What's wrong little man," said Leanha as they rode Dalbreath's great steed Rubadon through the gate to the city.

Dalbreath looked up and laughed at Leanha's face as he looked up at it from his spot in front of her. "Nothing, I'm just thinking, that's all."

"You better stop. You're not supposed to think, you're a boy."

"Boys think all the time," he said, "it's girls who are silly."

Leanha laughed."Maybe we are, but at least we know how to laugh. Boys are so serious. I'm surprised you can smile at all with your face all scrunched up like that."