A Clash of Honor

you. When she had gone, my senses cleared. But I was stuck with you.”

It hurt Thor to hear these words, but at the same time, for once in his life, it all rang true.

But this still didn’t explain who his real father was. Or why this man had been chosen to raise him.

“Before she left, she gave me one command. She told me that on the day you found out about her, I was to give you something.”

He turned and strutted across the small yard, to a shed, and Thor followed him inside.

He knelt down on its wood floor, used his big beefy palm to swipe it of dust, and revealed a hidden compartment. He blew on it, revealing a latch, then turned it and hoisted it with all his might. A foot thick, he slowly raised it, and ancient air came out, along with a small cloud of dust. It looked as if it hadn’t been opened in years.

He reached in up to his elbow, fished around, then grabbed something and pulled it out. Thor knelt there, opposite him, and he held a small leather sack in his palm, covered in dust. He blew on it, and handed it to Thor.

Thor gently opened and reached into the sack. He felt a piece of parchment, rolled up, and took it out and unrolled it.

He could not believe it. It was his mother’s handwriting. He felt a thrill as he read it:

My dearest Thorgrin:

On the day that you read this, you will already be a man. I am so sorry that I left you. But it was for a good reason. Fate has its own way of unfolding, and on the day that we meet, you will understand.

Inside this sack are two pieces of jewelry-both of which you will need to save your life. The first is a ring, which you must give to the one you love. The second is a necklace, which you must wear. It will lead you to your father. And to me.

I love you with everything that I am, and I weep every day I do not see you.

Your mother.

Hands trembling, Thor reached into the sack and first pulled out a ring. His breath was taken away: it was a large diamond ring, flawless, with rubies and sapphires all around the band. It was the most spectacular piece of jewelry he had ever seen. He then reached in and pulled out the necklace. The chain was bejeweled with diamonds and sapphires and rubies, and from it hung the emblem of a falcon, carved in black amethyst.

Thor reached back and put on the necklace, and he could feel its power throbbing immediately through his chest. He felt comforted by it. Protected. He felt, for the first time, as if he was close to his mother.

Thor tucked the scroll and the diamond ring safely inside his shirt, and as he put it away, his thought turned to only one person.

Gwendolyn.

Give it to the one you love.

“That is all I have for you,” he said, standing.

Thor stood, too.

“So you see,” he said, “you have no more business here. You have received what you’ve come to find.”

Thor looked back up at this pathetic man, who had once loomed so large for him. He felt a deep sadness.

“Before I leave, tell me one thing,” Thor said. “Did you ever have any love for me? Any at all?”

Thor needed to know. For his own sake. For some reason, it was important to him.

Slowly, sadly, the man shook his head.

“I wish I could say that I did,” he said solemnly. “But my life was my three boys. They are who mattered to me. You were always a burden to me. To this entire family. If you want the truth, there it is.”

Slowly, sadly, Thor nodded, realizing it was the truth, and grateful, at least for that. If this man could not give him anything else in life, at least he could give him that.

“Do not worry,” Thor said, preparing to leave. “I shall never burden you-ever again.”

Thor turned and walked out the shed, across the man’s yard, back to his horse.

As he mounted it and began to ride away, out of this village for the last time in his life, he could have sworn he heard something behind him, could have sworn he heard the man call out. He could have sworn he heard the man call his name, longingly, apologetically, one last time.

But as the noise of the horses’ hooves rose up, Thor could not be entirely sure.

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX

Reece’s heart was pounding as he made his way across the small village of Sulpa, on his way to see Selese. He wiped his sweating palms on his pants yet again and realized he hadn’t been this nervous in as long as he could remember. He had procrastinated from seeing her for the better part of the morning, joining his brothers as they rebuilt the town gate. As the first sun had grown high in the sky, he had continued to lose himself in the chain line, handing off large blocks of stone, passing them down the line, then helping his brothers mortar them in the wall. By the time the second sun had risen the wall had grown nearly four feet high, thanks to all of their labor, and when they all finally took a break, he realized the time had come. He could put it off no longer. He had been distracted the entire time with thoughts of her, and he had to confront his fear.

Reece finally broke off from the group and made his way through the dusty streets of the village, his palms sweated as he neared her cottage. She had done her job masterfully-the wound in his shoulder barely hurt anymore, and he felt as if he had never been infected. Yet he needed an excuse to approach her, and figured maybe somehow that could be it. After all, he could say that he was there for a checkup. And then if it did not go well between them, he would have an excuse to leave.

Reece breathed deep, doubling his pace, and strengthened his resolved. He knew he should have nothing to fear. After all, he was a prince, son to a King, and she was a mere commoner in a remote village on the outskirts of the Ring. She should be thrilled by his advances. But even in his delirium, he had sensed something in her eyes. She was willful. Noble. Proud. Independent. So a part of him wondered how she would react.

Reece stopped before her door, and hesitated. He breathed deep, and realized he was sweating, and wiped his palms again. His heart pounded as he stood there, and a part of him did not want to go through with this. Yet he knew that if he did not, he would think of nothing else.

Reece steeled himself, reached up, and slammed the knocker. Several passersby turned and looked at him, and he felt self-conscious, especially as the iron knocker echoed way too loudly.

He stood there, shifting, not knowing what to do with himself, as he waited and waited. Just as he decided she wasn’t home, just as he was about to turn around and leave, suddenly, the door opened.

Reece’s throat went dry. She stood there, proud, confident, staring back at him, her blue eyes aglow in the rays of the second sun. It took his breath away. She was even more beautiful than he had remembered. Her black hair dropped down on either side of her face, framing it, her cheeks were high, her chin proud, and she had the bearing of someone from a royal court. He could not understand what a girl like her was doing here, in this humble village. She seemed too big for this place.

Reece realized he was staring, and he cleared his throat and shifted, as she looked back, waiting. She was expressionless, maybe slightly amused. She was not making this easy on him.

“I…um…I,” Reece began, stopping and starting, looking down, then up, “I have come to check on you.”

She burst out laughing.

“To check on me?” she asked quizzically.

Reece reddened.

“I meant…um…to check on me.”

She laughed harder.

“What!?” she asked. “You have come here to check on yourself?”

“I meant…um…,” he said, reddening, “for you to check on me. I mean-on my wound.”