Book 1: Youth of Delarn

Chapter 14: War and Education

Delarn sat in the castle library, her back firmly against the wall so she could feel whenever someone was coming in or out. She didn't like to be caught by surprise. She was around thirteen, and this wasn't the first time she had snuck in to read, but today was notable for many reasons.

Since she couldn't go to school, she typically had to be in charge of her own education. She definitely knew how to read, but she felt frustrated when she found something she couldn't understand. If she would have been allowed to go with the other children, she figured she wouldn't be so far away, but this was how her father taught her so she didn't want to complain. She found it inconvenient she had to sneak in, but it was like a game. Everything was a game at this point. War, killing, and education. All a game.

She could hear the guards talking on the other side of the wall, and she was more focused on them than the book in her hand. Things worked like clockwork here.

The first guard said, "So many have been killed patrolling the outer city someone would have to be crazy to want to do it."

"You know who it is, don't you?" The second guard said. "Those damn Salvikans. Before long, we won't be able to recruit anyone at all. Someone should do something about them before they become too big of a problem."

Delarn had a self-satisfied smile, but what they were saying still weighed heavily on her.

"Knock it off," the first guard said. "We blame them and the next thing you know we're only blaming them instead of doing our job."

"Look, it's obvious. They're monsters. They don't have any morals. They fear nothing other than their bloodthirsty god, and they're going to destroy this town one of these days," the second one blustered.

Delarn rose where she sat as if she might show them what they did and didn't have to fear. Only feeling that way didn't feel right, and she sat back against the wall again. They were moving away and left her with her thoughts. Was it better or worse that the masses thought they were monsters? It felt too predictable, too straightforward. Her face scrunched up as she tried to focus on her book and found herself reading the same passage again and again.

She was so focused on what she was trying to read and how upset she was that she didn't hear the head librarian tell his apprentice to prepare to shut the library down for the night. He wasn't loud about it, but he was usually loud enough for her to hear him, and have time to spare before his apprentice finished checking everything. It was often a rudimentary check, so it wasn't hard to stay hidden until they left. However, this time her thoughts were louder than his request, and so she found herself looking his apprentice right in the face, her eyes wide and confused.

The apprentice hadn't registered what she was looking like and didn't know what to do. It wasn't every day she found someone hiding here. Delarn cursed under her breath. The apprentice appeared ready to call out, but Delarn wasn't about to let that happen. She wasn't quite graceful, but she was nimble enough to rise to her feet fluidly and grip over her mouth first.

She seemed to catch the hint that Delarn wasn't just a kid with how strong and fast she was. Delarn might struggle with those bigger than her from time to time, but she could hold this scholarly woman with ease.

Her brown eyes were wide as she stared into her golden ones and tried not to move so she wouldn't upset her.

Delarn said in a low, whispering hiss, "Don't say a word. Don't you dare mention I'm here. If you do, I promise neither of you will leave here alive. Do you understand?"

Her eyes only grew wider, and she glanced back at where she knew her mentor was before her eyes snapped back to Delarn when she heard her growl. She nodded frantically.