I guess I’ll never get to go to the arena and fight. Looks like it’s just boring healings and blessings from now on for me. Oh well.
By this time, he was almost finished packing, and as he put the last piece of clothing in his bag, he looked over and saw his Dragon uniform and equipment lying in a crumpled heap on the floor.
He distressed briefly about how he never would have let that happen before now, how he’d always taken such great care with it all and spent hours cleaning and folding everything each night, then walked over to pick his equipment up.
“Looks like I won’t be needing this stuff anymore,” he said, tossing it back on the floor. “Maybe I should return it, or at least hang it up. It’s like a disgrace to the Great Father just to leave it all in a heap like this. I should know better.”
As he said the words ‘Great Father,’ it sparked a memory in his mind from earlier that day that instantly came to life. “Who knows, maybe someday I will call you Brother,” the Great Father had said when he was leaving.
For some reason, he believed those fanciful words this time. “Come to think of it,” Lyrad said, a wicked grin on his face, “maybe I will have use of my equipment yet. I think I’ll just put the stuff in this chest here, and I’ll keep it locked up so no one else can see what’s inside and take it with me. Then, if I ever need it, I can just get it out. It’ll just be my little secret.”
* * * * * * * * * *
Lyrad awoke the next morning, refreshed and feeling much better now that he had his secret to look forward to. It was well before dawn, and he knew he still had a while to sleep, but he could not. Besides, good smells were already coming from the kitchen. It smelled like his mother was making something special for him. He quickly got dressed and bounded down the stairs. When he reached the kitchen, he gave his mother a big kiss on the cheek.
“Good morning, sweet mother,” he said with enough joy in his tone to parallel that of his first day of training. “Isn’t it just a great day? I mean, there’s dew on the leaves, it’s warm already, sunrise will be soon and then there will be birds chirping! And to top it all off, I have the company of my mother to share.” He let out a contented sigh. “I truly feel blessed.”
His mother was taken aback by this cheery attitude and was stricken for words. She hugged him until found her voice. “Well, I must admit I am happy to see you so cheery today, but I can’t see why. You had to leave your training, and now you’re going away. I know how hard that must be for you.”
“I have many reasons to be happy, Mother. It’s a nice day, I have the sweetest mother in the world, and I am going to the Seminary today. A new experience, one that is bound to be fun. I have all the reasons in the world to be happy,” Lyrad insisted.
Eleanor was still quite surprised at this happy mood, but didn’t want to ruin it, so she tried to be delicate. “I just would have thought that you not being able to be a Dragon would-”
“No, Mother, that doesn’t bother me anymore,” Lyrad lied. “I was just angry last night, and for that I must apologize. Now I am willing to accept the path the gods have chosen.”
His mother straightened herself and fussed with a tiny bit of his hair that was sticking out of place. “Well, I must say I am very pleased to see you so happy and that you’re handling the change so well,” she started, “but it just seems a little unusual. I mean, so much has happened to you, your world has been turned upside down in a day, and you don’t even hold a grudge?” Her tone turned accusatory and she glared at him. “Why are you so happy?”
He stifled a laugh and put his hands out in front of him. “That’s my own little secret, Mom, one I’m not telling anyone,” he replied with a big grin. “Don’t try to force it out of me, either.” The last part was said in a playful tone.
Eleanor’s face paled. “You’re not going to run away, are you?” she asked, her face plain with worry. She started pacing around the kitchen. “Please don’t tell me you’re going to kill yourself!” She stared straight at him and put one hand on each side of his face. “Will this involve hurting anyone, Lyrad? Please just don’t do anything stupid, okay?”
Lyrad practically jumped out of his skin at his mother’s incessant worries. “Mother, please, don’t worry like that,” he insisted, pushing her hands away and trying to calm her down. “I know better than to do anything stupid. I will be perfectly fine, Mother, can’t we just leave it at that? There’s nothing to be concerned about.”
She straightened again and shook her head. “Well, of course I’m very happy for you, it’s just that, well . . .” She blinked a few times and smiled broadly at him. “I made your favorite breakfast. Cat eyes and lizard skins!”
At the sound of those sweet-sounding words, Lyrad grinned from ear to ear. “Really, Mom, that was very nice, but you didn’t have to. I know how expensive that food is. Kings of small countries can rarely afford to eat it. It’s nice, but you didn’t have to.”
Eleanor beamed at him. “I know, but you are my son. My wonderful little boy,” she said, giving him a hug. Then she squeezed him even tighter
