Sample Chapters

Prologue

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The day of judgement had finally arrived. Murmurs of conversation swirled in the air as Kal stood amidst a large crowd in the castle courtyard. Tension darkened the atmosphere of the usually cheerful courtyard as restless disorder threatened to be tipped off the edge by a wrong word or careless action. Both nobles and peasants alike gathered to hear the king’s ruling against one of Castlebrook’s finest knights, Sir Brout. A middle-aged man standing beside Kal mumbled to his wife about the proceedings. Kal couldn’t hear his words, but his tone indicated a deep-seated disturbance regarding the trial.

Kal looked over to his left at a huddled group of young men who were throwing insults at the accused man with their fists raised in the air. He peered over them and looked at Sir Brout’s wife. She stood off to the side by herself, clutching their infant son to her chest with an ashen face. Kal couldn’t help but feel pity for the terrified woman. Her whole life depended on the king’s pronouncement.

He followed her gaze over to Sir Brout, whose muscular frame knelt before the king. His head dipped down, but his square shoulders protested a humble bow. Kal had never liked him, but he had never expected to see him upon the raised platform for a trial. Knights of the king were called to keep the law and uphold it with zealous intent. Sir Brout’s actions dishonored both himself and the law.

King Job sat upon his throne in the simple courtyard of limestone block walls and cobblestone floors before most of the populace of the country. He was flanked by several renowned knights armed with their long swords and serious faces. King Job scanned the crowd with mournful eyes and made eye contact with him. Slowly, he shook his head.

Kal stared back. What is that supposed to mean? Was he looking at me? He glanced behind him at hundreds of eager faces before rising to his tiptoes to get a better look. King Job had turned his face away from him and stared at Sir Brout. He stood in his regal blue robe and raised his hands. This single act of authority silenced the waiting crowd.

“At times like these,” his words echoed against the thick walls, “I am convinced that any other occupation is more desirable than kingship. Hard decisions affect everyone in some way or another, and kings are left with the consequences of their actions, be it right or wrong.” He turned to Sir Brout with a grave face. “You have been a faithful knight to the throne for many years, but today I have found you guilty of the willful murder of Herrison Grey. According to the law, I hereby sentence you to death by beheading for your actions.” He lowered his head. “Is there anything you wish to say?”

Several gasps and angry shouts echoed throughout the courtyard. Kal resisted the urge to search for those who disagreed with the king and forced himself to focus on the condemned man.

Sir Brout stood and faced the king with an unashamed stare. “Your recourse, mighty king, is my command. For hundreds of years, knights have laid down their lives to protect the royal lineage. My life is in your hands.” He saluted the king, then turned to face the crowd. “Long have I pondered what my last words would be should the time come. Alas, I have decided.” He paused and sent a saddened glance at his wife before turning back to the crowd. Sir Brout took several clipped steps toward them and pulled his sword from its sheath. He raised it above his head and pointed it at the bright sun in the sky. “I invoke puer mortem aliter!”

The bygone law reverberated from his lips and stunned the crowd to silence. As if in a daze, whispers of unbelief circled around Kal and worked its way throughout. A farmer behind him bumped against his elbow as he strained closer.

“Allow it!” he shouted in Kal’s ear.

Murmurings of approval rushed through the multitude. Kal glanced behind him at the farmer and stared at him in disbelief.

“Don’t you understand what that means?” his voice broke.

The farmer roughly pushed him and sneered. “Of course I do, boy. Mind your own business before I make you do so.”

“He has been faithful,” a gray-haired woman in the back yelled. “Faithful to the throne. You said so yourself. We need him!”

“Puer mortem aliter!” another yelled. His call was echoed by several on the fringe. He bumped those around them and shouted again.

“Puer mortem aliter! Puer mortem aliter! Puer mortem aliter!”

A teenage boy jumped close to the platform and waved to the king. “Let him live!”

“Let him live!” the crowd thundered back. The agitation grew as they pressed closer together and jostled each other.

“But he’s just an infant!” someone voiced from the middle of the crowd.

Mrs. Brout shrieked at their words and pressed against the hardened wall.

Kal’s heart pounded in his chest as he swung his gaze back to the king. The frenzied demand would only grow. He needed to make a decision. He steeled his gaze as King Job shrank back before the clamor. The knights standing behind the king moved in front of him and beat their swords on the wooden shields. The clash quieted the crowd to a low hum.

King Job took a timid step forward. “My people, be silent. I will make a decision, but first I must commune with the Yallene. It is the greatest knowledge and truth.” He stepped into a circle of his advisors and left the crowd in bated breath. Their cries died on their lips as expectant silence draped across the people.

Kal was sure he had never heard the courtyard so quiet in all his life. He glanced around at the fellow citizens beside him as his heart sank. How can they knowingly condone the old rule and encourage such cowardly behavior? He looked back at Sir Brout’s wife. She held her son close and wept uncontrollably. He bit his lip and hung his head. Either way, she loses because of her husband’s actions.

King Job’s movement caught Kal’s eye as he walked to face the crowd. He couldn’t read the expression on his face, but doubt wormed its way into his stomach.

“Upon counsel with my advisors and noblemen,” King Job uttered, his eyes glued to the dirty cobblestone. “It is decided that the Yallene gives an allowance. I will honor your request.”

Kal’s jaw dropped in disbelief. He stumbled back as King Job continued to explain. Honor the request? How could he? The king was called to have the highest ideal of justice. What had Castlebrook come to?

A slow eruption of applause worked its way across the mass. In shock, Kal looked around at the people he had grown up with. Their affirmation made him sick.

“No!” Mrs. Brout wailed and dropped to the ground in a heap of sobs. For fear of the crowd, no one dared to comfort her.

Excited citizens behind him bounced and thrust Kal into the wobbly old man in front of him. Kal grabbed his arm to steady the grumbling man before he pushed his way out of the courtyard in a daze. This action drew the line and pushed him to the edge. His previous doubts about the religion of Castlebrook seemed trivial in comparison.

The Yallene can’t be true. No religion should allow murderers to get away and innocent people murdered. His thought stopped him in his tracks as the truth caught up to him. It was true, and it pierced him through the heart. He wouldn’t stand back in silence, not this time.

This time, he was going to stand up.

This time, he was going to search for the truth. The real truth.

Chapter 1

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Sunlight streamed into the great throne room through the lofty stained glass windows and illuminated the room. Purple banners with the kingdom’s insignia stitched upon them adorned the grand walls of thick wooden beams and limestone blocks leading up to the high vaulted ceiling. Several knights armed with the ever-present long swords stood at attention behind the silver throne glowing from the afternoon sunbeams.

King Job had sat before hundreds of trials during his reign, but this one caused them to pale in comparison. The greatest recorded act of treason manifested itself before him in four young faces. Their actions demanded reproof, if not worse, but he was not yet willing to consider the consequences.

Job let out a shuddered breath and rested his green eyes on the fearful line of four before him.

Standing first in line, Silas towered above every other person with his six-foot-three frame. His confident face reminded him how many times he had seen the unkempt, copper-brown-haired young man best a knight in a duel. He was a promising youth if he could learn to control his anger. The deep blue eyes avoided eye contact with his own, but Job couldn’t blame him. If he were in his place, he wouldn’t know what to do.

He shifted his attention to Kal, standing next to him, who was slightly shorter at six feet. The blazing red hair and gentle blue eyes drew attention, but Job knew that underneath shone a young man full of integrity and honor. Job couldn’t read the blank expression on his face, but he knew that he had come for a reason. A movement to the left caught his eye.

Mercy had shifted her footing and flung her ash blonde hair out of her green eyes. She scanned the room with a defiant eye. He knew without a doubt that those eyes were full of the ever-quick temper, but also the same sorrow that threatened to overwhelm him. He forced himself to swallow down his emotions and study the last one.

Piper, the shortest of the four, stood shyly beside them with a timid face. Her large brown eyes connected with his and radiated compassion and gentle strength.

He broke eye contact and hung his head. You are responsible for this, his guilty conscience reminded him. You cowed before the noblemen. Job shoved away his inner voice and straightened his posture. He turned to the man who had accused them. His expression twisted the atmosphere with a sickly smile.

King Job cleared his throat as his noble voice echoed in the great throne room. “Come forward, Mr. Abborly. What charges do you hold against these youths of Castlebrook?”

“My good king,” Mr. Abborly addressed, stepping forward and giving a slight bow. He motioned with a disgusted face behind him.

“These youth that stand before you now have committed treason against the Yallene and yourself. They declare that you were wrong to honor Sir Brout’s request for puer mortem aliter.”

Job turned to them. “Any defense against this substantial accusation?” He watched as they eyed each other in silence before Silas roughly nudged Kal forward. He caught his footing, sucked in a breath, and gave a respectful bow.

“King Job,” he rasped as he began. “It is out of the highest respect that I come before you.” He glanced back at the others for confirmation before continuing. “We have had questions for many years about the Yallene, but it is only from recent actions that we have been pushed to finally stand up and say something.” Kal stepped back into line as the fear on his face morphed into determination.

Job frowned and glanced at Mr. Abborly. His face relayed that this small matter was not the end of the story. He looked over at Sir Hourtly standing with the Yallene in his hand. He was thankful that he had requested his presence. If they were going to question the Yallene itself, he would need his knowledge.

Job turned back to Kal. “What questions do you have about the Yallene? A scribe would not mind youths coming to him to have the ancient laws explained.”

“We understand the rules,” Kal said. “But the history of the Yallene is illogical. It says that everything lives and will eventually die. This is true; this statement has proven itself in life, but the Yallene never tells us where the living things came from.” He shifted his footing as he continued. “Where did the trees and grass come from? Where did our planet come from? King, where did we come from?”

King Job studied him for a moment and tried to cover the fact that he had no answer for him. He had never questioned the traditions. He had always believed them because that was the law.

“You discern that none of our wise elders and ancestors bothered to discover this question? They found the Yallene and believed it, because the truth was handed down through it. Everything came from the Yallene.” He leaned back on the throne and held back a smile as he waited for a reply. He was confident that he could convince them to recant. Their pushback against the Yallene, though understandable, wasn’t strong enough for severe punishment.

“You see, that’s what gets me,” Silas interjected, taking a step forward and neglecting to bow. “How can life come from a book? Where did the book come from? It doesn’t make sense.” He held his hands up in a helpless gesture.

“Show the king some respect, young man,” Nobleman Moard hissed from the other side of the throne.

Silas glanced at him and shrugged his words away. Job bit his lip to keep from smiling and turned his head as Sir Hourtly stepped away from his side with a condescending smile.

“That is why young minds shouldn’t bother with things that they cannot understand. Imagine the shambles this great country would be if our philosophers were young and impressionable, such as you. Wait until you are older and wiser to think about such things.” He smoothed the back of his balding head and gave a proud smile. “However, if you had come to me first, I could have instructed you in the Yallene and shown you how it is the most trustworthy book in Castlebrook.”

Mercy glared at Sir Hourtly, her displeasure with the man evident on her face. Job was prepared for an outburst, but a light squeeze on her arm from Piper checked her anger. She took in a deep breath and said nothing.

Job ignored his assistant’s comment and turned when Mr. Abborly began to speak.

“Sir Hourtly.” He dipped his head. “What does the law say in regard to this behavior?”

Sir Hourtly raised the book in his hand and turned several pages. “This is from chapter 3. To question this book and the king is folly to the highest extent. Upon a refusal to recant, the foolish shall be exiled with a fitting sentence for his crimes that the king approves.”

A smile broke on Mr. Abborly’s face. “It is evident that they have gone against the law and that they must be punished.”

Job’s heart sank. He knew the laws, and his duty to uphold them was unquestionable. To waver would be to forfeit his rule. He turned to the accused and stared at them with pleading eyes. “You all will need to be punished, but I can lower its severity tenfold if you recant. As a friend,” he glanced at Mercy, “I beg you to reconsider your words.” He stood and gazed over them.

“Silas, Kal, you are both already some of the finest swordsmen I have. You both are so close to finishing your training in the Squireship and earning the title you already live out as knights of Castlebrook. Piper, you are a growing intellect and an asset to the kingdom. One day, you could be a wise citizen and earn your family a place above the farmer’s caste.”

He swallowed hard, forcing his eyes to rest on the last one.

“Mercy, daughter, you are next in line for the throne of Castlebrook.” His voice broke as he spoke. Job forced his rising emotions down. “You have the potential to become a great leader… a queen.” His kind eyes misted with sorrowful tears. “If you do not, you all know the consequences; please change your mind!”

Kal dipped his head and stepped forward again. “If doubting the Yallene’s trustworthiness was all I had come for, you could persuade me to recant. But the facts of the Yallene did not push me over the edge.” His shoulders squared. “I was present at the trial for Sir Brout. You were right to find him guilty, but to pardon his crime for—for puer mortem aliter—” he choked on the words and hung his head. After several breaths, he raised it again. “Your highness, I have come to the conviction that if the Yallene allows Sir Brout to give his child to be killed in his stead, it is no religion at all. Therefore, my conscience cannot allow me to recant.”

Job stumbled back onto his throne and stared at the wooden floor. Listening to the noblemen and allowing Sir Brout to invoke the ancient law would haunt him for the rest of his life.

“My dear king.” Piper’s soft words brought him back. Her large brown eyes shone with compassion. “I do not mean to cause you grief. My heart breaks for you and the choices you have to make, but I have to find the true religion. I cannot live in a lie if I know there is truth to be found. Hearing that baby Kert was—was beheaded for his father’s crimes breaks my heart.” A tear traced down her cheek as her chin quivered. “I have studied the Yallene, and I know that the law states an infant’s life isn’t held as highly as an adult’s. But, your highness, I disagree. An infant is a precious life that relies wholly upon their parents. It stands to reason that they should be protected, not given for death. I cannot recant because I will continue to search for the true religion. A religion that will never allow the innocent to be murdered.”

She met his gaze and offered a small smile. “I hold no hard feelings against you, nor will I ever. Do what you must, and do not be sorrowful. Your duty to the throne is to uphold the law with justice. Do it and have peace. Good will come from this.”

A smile escaped his long face. Her strong words cut, but her encouragement smoothed it over. “Your words are like a balm to my aching heart.”

“King Job,” Silas declared. He took a stiff step forward and cast a wary glance at Nobleman Moard. “As early as I could walk, I wanted to be a knight, an honorary man of my country, to live out that way of life. Part of the sacred duties of knighthood is keeping the peace, which means seeking justice and truth. I am doing as I have been taught; I am seeking the truth of my beliefs. I could not and will not recant.”

Job felt the tension of the entire sunlit room rest on his beloved girl as it awaited her declaration.

She shook her head rapidly and uttered a small cry. “Father! I cannot give up what I have started. I will see this through, but don’t hold this against me—,” her words caught in her throat as she hung her head.

Job turned to Sir Hourtly in despair. “Is there no other way? Is there nothing we can do to protect them from the worst possible sentencing?” He gripped the arm of his chair and forced himself to breathe. He couldn’t lose Mercy, too. She was all he had left.

Sir Hourtly shook his head slowly. “I am afraid that the law is quite specific in regard to rejecting the Yallene. There is no other way.”

He turned to the royal advisor on the other side of the throne with desperate eyes. “Nobleman Moard, do you have any advice? Please, I beg you, relieve this distress.”

Moard shuffled to him. “King,” he whispered in his ear. “It is not good to show your extravagant emotions before the court. You have no other recourse. Pronounce your judgement, and hope on the Yallene that the cruel outside world quickly reshapes their rebellious ideology.”

Job hung his head and heaved in a sob. “I henceforth exile Silas Hywer, Kal Kaulin, Piper Schafer, and… crown princess Mercy Ondover from Castlebrook, until they find the truth they are looking for. If they never do, they may come back and recant.”

The room fell to silence as the truth of the exile rested on everyone like a decree of death. Job slumped forward on his throne and covered his hand with his face. Mercy glanced at the others sentenced to the same fate, tears glistening from her own green eyes. She turned towards her father and slowly approached him.

“Father,” she called to him in a small voice, placing her pale, cold hand on his. She kneeled before him. “I have no other choice, Father.”

King Job uncovered his face, his own tears streaming down and mixing into his beard. He studied her tearstained eyes. “You’re all I have left. Why do you insist on leaving me as your mother did?” He hung his head and squeezed his eyes shut. Mercy’s arms wrapped around his neck.

“I must.” Her grip tightened as her voice wavered.

Job clenched his jaw to hold back the tears and broke from her embrace. “Just come back to me, my sweet, sweet daughter.”

Mercy nodded and stood, kissing his cheek before descending the stairs of the throne. She held her head high as she walked across the room and exited through the large double doors. Silas glanced at Job with a sad face before breaking from the line and following Mercy out. Kal patted Piper’s shoulder and led her out of the room. Before she slipped through the door, Piper glanced back and gave Job a forlorn smile.

Job looked up at Mr. Abborly with haunting eyes as the closing door echoed in the silent room. “They’ll never survive.”

He shook his head. “You have done your country, great king, a mighty service. Their twisted minds cannot taint the rest of society. You know the ancient truths. Life without Castlebrook isn’t life at all. They want to disrupt the peace. Exile is the only cure for such rebellion. The end result will please you; have patience.”

Job shook his head. “Castlebrook was founded in honor. Where is the honor in exiling your only daughter for asking questions? I murdered an innocent child. People are remiss for not questioning that.” He swayed as he stood from the throne.

“Tomorrow they leave. What horrors will they face? I don’t wish to know. I don’t wish to know.”

Chapter 2

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Warm rays from the sun penetrated into Piper’s room, calling the morning to begin as she placed the last necessary item in her pack. She looked around the small and familiar room as the shocking reality of having to leave hit her like a brick wall. What was I thinking? Leave Castlebrook for the evil outside world? She sank onto the bed and wrapped her arms around herself. How was she supposed to leave everything and everyone she had ever known? This place was her only home. She knew the entire country; its history was imprinted in her mind. She wasn’t sure if she could continue on. The courage that had enveloped her yesterday seemed to have vanished without a hope for return. Her heart began to race. We will be killed, and all of our sacrifices will be for nothing. Images of morbid deaths raced through her head and accelerated her heart even faster.

“I thought I’d find you here.”

She jumped to her feet at the sudden voice in the room and spun around to find Kal eyeing her with concern.

“I know how difficult this is, but we cannot give up. You and I started this, so we can finish it. You were so brave yesterday, standing up for truth and the right to seek it; I know you can be brave now. Remember, baby Kert. This is for him.”

Piper closed her eyes and took in a slow, deep breath. If I can tell the king he is wrong, then I can go on a small adventure. For Kert.

She opened her eyes and smiled softly at him. “It’s hard to imagine that we are right when all the ancestors of Castlebrook have pledged themselves to what we have found untrue.”

“At least that is what has been recorded,” Kal reminded her. “You have told me of many interesting accounts where someone has mysteriously disappeared, or an event wasn’t recounted. Just think of how many people we could help by taking on what seems to be impossible and bringing to them the truth we fought so hard for. How many innocent lives could we save?”

Piper nodded several times and pictured Kert’s innocent face as he slept secure in his mother’s arms. He didn’t deserve his death.

“If I don’t continue to remind myself of that, I’m sure I’ll be begging to be brought back.” She gave him a small smile. “Let’s go. Ready or not, adventure has come upon my door with a convincing push.”

Kal shouldered his own pack and motioned towards the door with a slight nod. Piper grabbed her pack off the bed and smoothed the quilt before following him down the old, creaking stairs. He walked straight through the kitchen to the yard, but her footsteps faltered in the doorway. Her eyes drifted across the kitchen table, so often laden with produce from the garden and bread baked from the wheat fields. Memories of laughter echoed through her mind. The few fond memories she had were from that scarred table.

“Don’t leave the door open, Piper.”

Piper looked over at Houl emerging from the back room and gave him a sad smile. His weathered face remained emotionless as he stared back at her.

“I wanted to say goodbye, but I didn’t want to wake you.” She glanced behind him, hopeful to find Ferca as well.

“She is too depressed to see you again. All of Ferca’s hard work and time put into you has afforded her nothing in return. It is a bitter disappointment.” He shuffled over to the table and sat down with a scowl. His presence marred the sweet memories that swirled in her mind.

Piper lowered her head and bit back the threatening tears. Disappointment? I am not a worthy daughter.

“I am sorry, sir.” She choked on her words and swallowed hard to clear her throat. “I did not intend to disappoint you so much.”

Houl shook his head. “You cannot undo the damage you have caused.”

Piper glanced outside the front door and caught Kal’s eye. She turned away, but he must have noticed the troubled look on her face. He bounded back to the door and stood in the doorway.

“Good morning, sir.” He dipped his head at Houl. “I promise that I will take care of Piper and protect her.”

Houl rumbled a reply and motioned outside. “You have quite a day ahead of you. Get going now.”

Piper firmed her chin and nodded. “Yes, sir.” She desperately wanted to hug him, but the look in his eye warned her not to. “Goodbye,” she whispered. She felt Kal’s gentle hand grab her arm and lead her out of the house. She closed the door behind her and stopped. Piper inhaled a long breath of the refreshing morning air and let it clear the emotions piercing her heart. I can do this. Maybe the truth will change their minds.

The chirping bird above her sang its morning tune and beckoned her onwards and into the unknown. Piper walked in a small circle as she took in the farmstead with a keen eye. The tall farmhouse stood erect next to the evergreen trees in contrast to the acres of farmland on the large property. This is home, she thought. Nothing will ever be the same again.

Kal stood patiently behind her, an understanding look resting on his face. Piper sighed and waved at the kitchen window. She hoped that Houl and Ferca were there, ready to miss her, but the sinking feeling in her gut told her that no one was there. She turned away without another glance and silently bid the farm goodbye.

“You ready?” he asked, his thumbs hooked behind his pack straps.

She nodded and forced a smile on her face. “It’s time to begin our journey.”

With Kal in the lead, they started making the hour or so trek to the edge of the village.

Piper took the time to organize her thoughts as they walked before addressing the prompting questions rolling about in her head.

“Kal, what if we don’t find something different? What if we don’t find the truth we are looking for? What if—.”

“Piper,” Kal interrupted. He stopped and turned to her with a serious face. “Since we know something isn’t right, then there must be something that is right.” Conviction filled his voice as he continued. “We will find the truth; it just might not be as soon as we may like.” Kal resumed his fast pace and motioned her forward with his head.

“We knew that there was the possibility of exile before we even brought it to Silas and Mercy. I believe that there are others who feel the same way but are just too afraid to speak up. If we find the real truth, then we will be helping more than just ourselves.”

Truth. Truth. Truth. The word resounded in her head. Kal always spoke the truth, but she knew that his words were especially correct now. “You are right, Kal,” she sighed and caught up with him. She felt silly being so doubtful and scared when she had been the instigator since the beginning. She still remembered the day she finally found enough courage to bring her doubts about the Yallene to him. And once he realized what she saw, he took the lead and gave her the courage to speak up.

“We need to keep our quest on the forefront of our mind, no matter what new idea pushes its way into our lives. And,” he sighed, “keep Castlebrook’s existence a secret, no matter who we befriend.”

He stopped suddenly in front of her, forcing Piper to step to the side to avoid crashing into him. He touched his finger to his ear and pointed up the hill on their left side. Piper listened to the familiar noises of the forest before discerning the sounds of an argument coming toward them.

Piper and Kal sighed in synchronism.

“Do you ever think they will get along?” Kal asked her.

“It may indeed take a miracle,” she responded wearily, and moved to stand beside him. “In all honesty, I don’t even care what they don’t agree on this time.” She spotted Silas in the lead with a scowl on his face and a hand gripping his pack strap.

“Look, just because you were the princess doesn’t mean that you are in control,” Silas said, swatting at a branch that happened to be in his way. Piper cringed as it flung back and whipped Mercy in the face.

“Watch it!” Mercy shouted. “And I will always be the princess of Castlebrook; it is a hereditary lineage. I will be in charge because I am obviously the better choice between you and me.”

“Better choice? Ha! I am the one who was in Squireship. I know how to lead other men. I know how to fight.” He tossed an arrogant smirk over his shoulder.

“If you want to talk about leading, try learning how to lead an entire nation. You can’t find a better leadership position.” Her eyebrow arched in anticipation of a comeback.

Silas’s lack of response echoed in the forest.

“Good morning to the both of you. Are you ready to go, or do you need time to argue a little more?” Kal’s pained look spoke volumes as he stepped aside to make room for them.

Two glares were thrown his way, but not another word was spoken in regard to the argument.

“So what are we even supposed to do?” Silas muttered moodily. He crossed his arms and turned to Mercy. “Princess, what are the steps for exiles?”

Mercy turned to him. “You’re the knight,” she spat. “You’re the one who is supposed to know.”

“Sir Hourtly said,” Kal interrupted, “to go to the edge of the village on the south side and find a sign that says—”

“Exiles stop here?” Silas read off, pointing at a wooden sign covered in green moss.

“Yeah.” Kal walked up to it and kneeled before the lopsided wooden sign. He wiped off the moss covering the engraved words.

“So we wait here?” Piper asked. She glanced around at the forest floor and the overgrown path they had followed. No one has been here for ages, she thought.

“I guess,” Kal shrugged.

Silas threw down his pack and flopped onto the forest floor. “Well, let me know when you get a revelation about what we’re supposed to do. I had to get up way too early, so I’m taking a nap.”

“Oh, that’s rich,” Mercy muttered, flinging a small pebble at him with the toe of her boot. She frowned when he ignored it and picked up the heavy skirts of her long dress, sitting unsteadily on a fallen oak tree.

“We should remain ready for whatever may come,” Kal reminded them, placing a comfortable hand on the hilt of his sword.

“We’ll be fine,” Silas replied lazily.

Piper moved to the boulder beside the log Mercy was sitting on and leaned against it. She didn’t know how long they would be waiting so she closed her eyes and rested her head against the rock. Walking away from her home had been so much harder than she had imagined. Piper couldn’t stop Houl’s despondent face while he sat at the kitchen table from haunting her thoughts. I am such a failure to them, she mourned as his words came back to her. They graciously adopted me and— a sharp pain interrupted her thoughts and reverberated throughout her head. Time slowed to a stop as her vision swirled, then finally dimmed into darkness. Piper tried to scream to alert the others, but her body seized and her muscles refused to move. She forced herself to take calming breaths as her consciousness succumbed to the enveloping darkness.

***

“Piper! Wake up.”

A hand shook her arm. Piper forced her eyes open, blinking rapidly to clear her watering eyes from the piercing brightness. She sat up and squinted at Mercy. “Where are we?”

“A farm of some sort, I think,” Mercy replied. She offered a hand to Piper, which she promptly took.

She sucked in a breath as the ground swayed beneath her. Piper closed her eyes to steady herself before opening them and following Mercy’s line of vision. They stood in the thinning part of a forest. A house-like building stood off to their left, but didn’t have a thatched roof. A barn stood in the distance across from tall hay fields that were ready for harvesting. The dirt beneath the hay was a different color than at home. It looked like it desperately needed to be watered. Piper glanced up at the bright blue cloudless sky. Even the air had less humidity.

“This can’t be Castlebrook,” Silas stated. “The air feels drier.” He waved a hand in front of him.

“We are definitely outside of the mapped borders of Castlebrook. Anything we see is foreign,” Piper replied. She glanced behind her at the dense forest nearly void of ground cover.

“And not to be trusted,” Mercy finished for her.

Kal walked over to Piper and handed her the pack she had been carrying. “This was leaning against the tree to our left. I’m not sure how it got there.”

Piper took it with a smile. “Thanks.”

“I think someone is watching us,” he whispered. “Keep an eye out.”

“Okay.” She trusted Kal and Silas to protect them against any foe that may stalk them day or night. She had seen them duel against some of the most respected knights. Kal’s father included.

“It doesn’t look like anyone is home,” Mercy pointed out. “The chimney doesn’t have any smoke.”

“This isn’t home,” Silas muttered. “We can’t assume anything.”

Mercy crossed her arms. “What are we supposed to do?”

“We need time to think. Assess. Review our assets.”

“Your assets?!” Her hand rested on her hip as she pointed at him. “Silas Hywer, we have been exiled! Our only asset is the fact that we still happen to be alive in an alien world that is full of evil.”

“Shh!” Kal motioned them to silence and pointed to the thicket of trees looming behind them. Piper took a step closer to him and peered through the ominous trees. Something moved in the shadows just beyond her sight. She strained to see it better, but the darkness made it impossible.

“Make a circle,” Kal whispered. “Keep an eye on the farm, Silas and I will confront this.” They stood back to back. Kal and Silas withdrew their swords, and Mercy pulled a small dagger from her pack. Piper glanced around them and snatched up a stone. She scurried back into the circle and held it uncertainly in her hand. I hope it doesn’t come to me…I can’t hit anything I aim for.

“They’ve found us,” Mercy stuttered. “How do we tell them we’ve come in peace?”

“Who is they?” Silas asked. “Piper? You’re smart. Who could it be? You actually read all of your school.”

Piper scoured her memory of scrolls and books she had studied throughout the years, but nothing proved useful. “I don’t know anything about cultures and people outside of Castlebrook.” She firmed her grip on the stone to hide the trembling of her fingers. “You know how the old proverbs discourage the study of life outside of Castlebrook.”

“This may be the only time I will ever wish that I had paid attention to that short class on the outside world during Squireship,” Silas muttered. “Should we seek cover? If we could get into a defensive position, we’d be better off.”

Piper scanned the land in front of her part of the circle. The only shelter near there was the house, and the barn further off in the distance. There wasn’t anywhere to go.

“Cover would be nice,” Kal agreed. “But from where?” Their circle shifted as the form in the shadows caused a great crash.

“Either it’s really big,” Silas gulped, “or there are lots of people in there.”

“Should–should we run?” Mercy’s voice wavered.

“That would give them cause to chase,” Kal replied. “They might not attack if they think we’re not afraid of them.”

Piper willed his confidence to find her. She was about ready to break and run with Mercy’s suggestion. She held back a whimper of fear as the shadow came ever closer.

And then it emerged into the light.

“A donkey?!” Silas cried. “A donkey was in the woods!”

Piper let out a heavy breath as her shoulders drooped. They were safe! She dropped the stone and watched as it rolled on the uneven ground. The donkey brayed and glanced at them before disappearing back into the thick woods.

“Thank goodness that’s all it was!” Mercy exclaimed. “I was terrified that it was going to kill us.”

Piper shuffled over to the nearest tree and leaned against it. She closed her eyes and regulated her breathing. Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed her, clamping sweaty fingers over her mouth as something cold and hard pressed against her temple.

“Move a muscle and I’ll blow her head to kingdom come.”