The Ahlissan Chronicles
~ Book II ~
A Perilous Journey
~ 4 ~
A Flower by any Other Name
Lord Brion left Erica when they turned and saw Kira waiting patiently to talk to her Shalafi; the adults smiled and asked her how long she had been standing there. All she would answer with was a childish giggle. Brion placed a kiss on Eryca's forehead and left her to her student, while he went off in search of his own young charge. He found Matthew up by the wheel watching the navigator make his calculations. Captain Nerelas told him that the Nesser was wide and deep enough for large vessels such as their brig but he wasn't taking any chances and planned on staying in the center of the river.
Pleased that the captain had everything well in hand Brion took Matthew below to his cabin. Once there they unpacked the gear that Brion had purchased for his new squire. The young knight took his time teaching Matthew all the names for his new attire and how to properly wear and care for it. Matthew learned the proper way to wear a sword and why and he learned what the duties of the squire were to his knight. When Brion sensed that Matthew needed a change of scenery they walked down to Astinos' stateroom. When they entered, the knight and his new squire found the three older men talking; Brion introduced them to his young charge.
"King Barnard, William, Earl of Walworth and Paragon Astinos allow me introduce my new squire, Matthew!" Brion then bowed low indicating that Matthew should the same. The three older men cheered, clapped and congratulated Matthew on his new position. The young boy clearly embarrassed by all the attention quickly turned red faced and looked down at his new boots.
"Chin up boy!" Lord Barnard kindly chided him. "You are a Squire of Ahlissa now, one day to be an Ahlissan Lancer and maybe a Knight of the Argent Griffon. You won't find any answers on the toes of your boots. So head up and look your fellow man in his eye and let him see your mettle. Yes?"
They all made gestures encouraging Matthew to look them in the eye. Squaring his shoulders and pulling himself up to his full height Matthew tried to look as serious as he could and looked at all of them. There was raucous laughter from the four older men in honor of the boy's determination.
"Well my son," Barnard said "I suppose you're here to see the Paragon and that means that William and I should go get some air." The two older men made their way out heartily patting the boy on the back as they went. Brion took a seat at Astinos' table and looked at the priest as he straightened his velvety blue robes over his stomach.
"Paragon, my young squire here requires teaching about the Arch-Paladin and the Heironean Code and I can think of no better teacher in those areas than you."
Astinos smiled at the compliment and turned to Matthew. "Can you read boy?"
"After a fashion sir," Matthew said looking at Astinos "my Mother taught me a little but after my parents died I was not able to practice much. Brenan the stable-hand thought learning letters was a waste of time sir."
The old priest threw his arms in the air in exasperation. "A waste of time!" he repeated. "What is the world coming to? I ask you?" Astinos patted the chair next to him and motioned Matthew to sit. "Come boy let us begin before you get the idea in your head that all warriors are witless sword slingers!"
Smiling as he remembered his own youthful days as the Paragon's student Brion quietly rose from his chair and made his way to the door. The last thing he heard before it clicked shut behind him was the old priest lecturing on the importance of duty and honor to the warriors of Ahlissa.
* * *
In her cabin Lady Eryca and Kira worked diligently, her stateroom was indeed furnished in the same magikal fashion as that of Aizantius. She turned and approved of the herbs that Kira had diced and instructed her to add them to the small pot that was cooking over the fire in the grate. Of course the cabin had no fireplace but she had solved that issue before she had even unpacked.
"Now go ahead and stir it Kira, nine times clockwise and then nine times counter-clockwise. You will see it turn a bright purple, when it does you need to add this valerian that I am dicing up."
Using the ladle Kira stirred the mixture exactly as her Shalafi had told her and it did indeed turn a bright purple. She smiled to herself and then tasted the brewing mixture; it smelled of peppermint and tasted of ginger. She eagerly went over to where Eryca had finished dicing the valerian and carried the small pile over to the pot. Dropping it into the already boiling mixture, the purple color began to fade and it began to turn yellow.
"Um... Shalafi, it's turning yellow. Is that right?" Kira asked as she looked worriedly at the brew boiling in the pot.
"Yes little one" her teacher said patiently "continue stirring it and the yellow should fade and turn pale. It will look very similar to a broth."
Kira continued to stir the heated concoction and it faded just as her teacher said it would. As Kira continued to stir, Eryca walked over with a wooden drinking bowl and began to ladle the steaming brew into the bowl. When she finished filling the bowl she walked over to the door.
"Come Kira."
Following her teacher they walked to the cabin next door to Eryca's. The green-eyed mage knocked softly on the door and then entered. Kira looked in and saw Miss Karolyn lying on the bed in the corner of the cabin. Next to the bed were a small table with a bowl on it and a bucket on the deck. Eryca walked over and sat on the edge of the bed where her sick friend lay.
"Here Karolyn, sit up and drink some of this."
Miss Karolyn forced herself to a sitting position and took the bowl from Eryca. Her face was drawn and pale, her eyes sunken and tired looking; it seemed that traveling by ship did not agree with her. The handmaiden sniffed at the warm liquid.
"What's in it?" she asked as she took a tentative sip.
"Just something that Kira and I brewed to help with your sea sickness. It will take away the feeling of uneasiness in your stomach and help you to sleep."
