Hoodwinked: The Summoning Book One

Chapter 2

A cold September wind howled outside the Traughlin manor house later that evening. The flames in the large fireplace of the dining hall flickered and swayed with each breeze that passed through the chimney.

The dining hall was nearly empty, with only a few stragglers who remained to finish their evening meal before retiring to their beds. The master of Traughlin and his daughter were among the few who lingered. Both of them sat at the front of the room upon the raised platform where they normally took their meals.

Otswana, dressed in her dark blue frock, sat quietly at her father's feet with her lower limbs curled beneath her. She rested her chin upon the right hand she had draped over the edge of her father's knee. The young lady listened to the master of the house as he retold the history of her ancestors.

Lord Briggon leaned back in his russet chair and absently caressed his daughter's light brown locks with his one good hand. His right arm limply rested on his lap. Several battle scars ran from the tips of his fingers to his elbow.

Once known as one of the greatest swordsmen of the Tigeir Kingdom, Lord Briggon had been feared by many. He never shared his battle stories with his daughter, but he did give her several pointers on her footwork, lunges and maneuvers. When Lord Briggon wasn't assisting Sir Frinz with Otti's battle training, he was overseeing Otswana's spell casting with Charlek, the manor's school master and philosopher.

In the evenings, Lord Briggon hid away in his study, managing the business affairs of the self-sustaining Traughlin manor. This estate had an expanse of 76 square furlongs and seven chains. It contained not only a large garden of vegetables and fruits, but 20 square rods of wheat and hay fields as well.

Their watermill, which sat next to the river of Gooseberry Pond, helped them harvest more than 7,000 pounds of flour each year to make bread or to sell to the baker in Firshire village. The manor had a large barn as well as stables and a blacksmith shop. A total of twelve families lived at the Traughlin estate. Each family contributed to the operations and success of the manor managed by Lord Briggon.

Otswana's father was not only a successful Lord, but also a talented storyteller. He had a certain way with words and forming sentences that drew many to his historical tales and legends that left his listeners captivated.

"So it was, Tibiun the Just countered the ancient Draconian spell, thus allowing any of the Sulbarolia bloodline to live or travel outside the walls of the Loboria castle for fifty years if they so desired. That year, just after the counter-curse, the seer, Yenzor of Tigeir, had a prophesy. He foretold that a son of the Sulbarolia bloodline would be crowned king after he broke the curses of Loboria cast by Zyvon the Great and by your great grandmother, the sorceress, Queen Rheena," Lord Briggon released a cough and cleared his throat before he continued the history.

"Though Rheena's enchantment for solely female heirs born to the throne may have been incidental, it was no doubt an essential part of ending the four-kingdom war with Loboria," Lord Briggon let out a long sigh. His gaze drifted to the high window on the far side of the dining hall.

Otswana patiently waited for her father to continue the story. She was accustomed to her father pausing his speech, and getting lost in his thoughts when he spoke of memories and family history.

"In hopes of a male heir, your grandmother, Ediliana, later married my uncle, who was also your grandfather, Sorcerer Brigger Tigeirius. They had only one child, a daughter. Florina, your mother, who was also my first cousin, was born. By her fourth birthday, she had cast her first spell. Like you, she had inherited her magic abilities from both parents. When I was twenty-six, I first met your mother when she was fourteen years old.