The Golden Dragon

Chapter 3: New Face

289 AC

It was around Midday, the birds were chirping away on this fine morning in the woods outside of Qohor. It was a bit creepy but that never bothered me. I was on horseback, riding through the forest with my mask on my head, my eyes glancing around at all the animals around. I knew there was danger in the woods but that is what made it all the more fun... Sadly I wasn't here for fun.

I had many thoughts racing through my head as I rode on my horse, Daegon, through the forest of Qohor without a care in the world. The horse was a fine black stallion, my father gifted him to me. He was found in the wild, stuck in a trap set by hunters. My father managed to free him and they nursed him back to health, I helped where I could and I could feel a... Connection to the horse. My father saw this and so he decided to keep the horse for me, it seemed to be young enough to last a good few years.

He didn't seem special, hell he wasn't exactly special to anyone else. To me though? He was special, he was my first horse and he was a good one, one I trust. I couldn't ask for a better one. It has been a year or so since I was given him, the bond we have built is strong and wouldn't break any time soon.

I stopped up on top of a little hill after riding out of the Forest itself. As I stopped on the hill I looked down at the large camp outside of Qohor, the camp had banners of the Golden Company on them. I didn't know what the deal was but apparently Myles Toyne, the Captain-general, took on a contract with the city. Father wouldn't tell me about it, I am too young to understand apparently. Gods, he will have me learning war strategies and how to fight with different kinds of weapons but he stops at sharing information I could help on? No one in the Company is allowed to be a child, even if you are born into it...

"Griff!" I heard a shout behind me. I didn't even need to turn around, I already knew who it was. I looked beside me as another boy, 10 years in age and a good friend of mine. "Griff, you alright? You had people worried.." He said. Watkyn stared at me with worry in his one hazel eye and his one blue eye.

I just shook my head and looked ahead, back down at the camp. "I am fine Watkyn, you didn't need to come after me" I said, some annoyance in my town. I just wanted to be alone...

"I-I know but Griff it is dangerous, your father is in the woods searching for you" Just as he says that, I heard my fathers voice in the distance. He was shouting out my name. "He was worried you would get attacked by bandits or worse" He said.

I looked at him, my bluey violet eyes staring right at his chocolate brown eyes. "Go back to camp Watkyn, I just wanted to be alone for a while" I told him. I had been told something quite serious, something very important and I just... I wanted to think about it, let it sink in.

He sighed "Griff, whatever you are hiding... You don't have to go through this stuff alone".

Don't I? All my life, I have been told to keep my face hidden, keep silent and don't stand out. I have been told to watch and learn, never take action. When in seven hells have I ever been able to trust someone with how I really felt? Never... Because I never knew how I really felt. All I knew was what people wanted me to feel and I thought that was enough but no... No, it wasn't enough. It was far from Enough. I knew things now that I never knew before, things that I should've been told, fucking gods damn it all. "There are some things I can't share Watkyn, not with anyone" I told him as I let out a sigh. "I can't even take off this damn mask or helmet or... Whatever the hell it is called! This damn thing is a curse... I cannot show my real face to anyone and it just feels so... Shit" I admit, letting out the anger that I had built up inside of me for a while. I never felt so angry but... I didn't even know what I was truly angry about? My family were not who they said they were... They were strangers really... But I still thought of them as my family so why was I angry? Was it because they hid this from me for so long? They... They could've told me earlier, couldn't they? Surely they could've...