105 Age of Steel
The world had changed and Pahoran was lost and confused. The boy couldn’t have told anyone where they were. There were two very big reasons for that. They had traveled all that first night stopping at a little island rested but when Pahoran had been awaken with dusk he was so tired that he had only been half awake as they continued to flee. And it had occurred night after night. Sometimes they flew over water sometimes over land. So he couldn’t have track of where they were even if issues two wasn’t there . Which was that as a five year year old he hadn’t yet been taught geography.
Now they had seemed to have found a place. They had at least been in this location for a couple of days now. Pah wondered around the cave they had taken up residence. It was a long twisting cavern that had a large chamber farther in the back so that they could keep a fire burning without it being obvious from the entrance. Pah found that he was absolutely board. While he had his knight figure that wasn’t really a toy and he only had a ball that he had brought with him and he had bounced it so much that his mother and grandmother had relegated it use to other parts of the cavern.
So it was that the boy walked dejectedly around the cavern not realizing how dangerous his behavior was. Pahoran could see his father and older siblings were gathered around the “armory” talking and if he had actually paid attention he would have noticed that they kept glancing at him.
His Mother and Grandmother where in a different part of the cavern preparing food for dinner or making adjustments to clothing and despite his lack of observation. He did know it was safer by his mother and grandmother. So while still a couple steps away he collapsed to the ground and sighed dramatically and just lay there staring up at the ceiling.
His gaze was blocked as his older brother stepped up next to him. Pahoran’s ice blue eyes looked into his brother’s adult face and spoke up. “Hi Bakato.”
“Having fun Pahoran, staying busy.” Bakato asked way to calmly.
“I am so board.” The boy said total missing the warning.
“Oh good.” His brother smiled at him. Then the smile slipped away and his expression became grim and his voice rigid. “Get up Pah.” The boy knew that voice as it could have come straight out of their father’s mouth. He didn’t even think twice before he found himself standing up looking warry at his brother.
“Bapona” Pah’s mother said straightening up and ignoring her oldest and talking to her husband.
“Follow me.” Bakato commanded. Pahoran glanced at his mother for rescue but he could already see her in conversation with his father. His older brother gentle put his hand on the boy’s shoulder but firmly led him along.
“What are we doing?” Pahoran asked his brother even as his parents discussed in the low tones they used when a conversation had to be had in front of the children. He kept trying to keep his mother in view but he could see her expression slowly changing to some sort of agreement.
“You are starting your training.” Bakato as he paused and picked up a sword. Then discarded it.
“Put I am not old enough.” The boy said actually feeling an excitement. He had asked to start his training for a while now but had always been told he would have to wait until he was seven.
His brother pulled a sword out and handed it over to his brother. “You are right, but this isn’t the fortress anymore. We are on the run and anything could kill us.” He said even as Pah took the blade and fought to keep from dropping it. “You need to know how to fight now. Who knows when you will need to protect yourself.”
So it was that Pah began his lessons. The boy also had his illusions shattered. He was used to watching his older siblings practice and they made practice seem so easy. Now the boy discovered it wasn’t as easy it had appeared. His brother made Pah practice how to stand and hold the sword over and over in different positions. He also had to learn how to hold sword and keep it held up as he kept wanting to draw the blade. His brother was particularly strict on that point and Pah found hand slapped after he refused to take that point seriously. After that he tried to correct himself.
The golden haired boy was breathing in gasp as his brother let him rest after their lessons. Pahoran hadn’t felt his brother had been unkind, but he had been unfair and tough. Pah hadn’t ever done done these types of workouts and it was unfair to expect so much out of him.
“Bakato.” Pah started. His braver and strong older brother brought his hand up for silence. The boy would have resisted if he had been told verbally to be silent but due to the fact that his idealized, even if he had just put Pah through that workout, was quite himself made him stop talking. The icy blue eyes watched as his brother listen, Pah strained his own ears and was sure he heard someone moving in the distance.
It was then that he saw his brother hand gesturing for Pah to bring out the others. This Pah could do. Moving quietly around the family old home was almost a requirement. And so he slipped back to the farther reaches of the cave. As he came around he could see that others in his family had also taken up with practice. His parents though were talking quietly not far from where he had slipped in.
“He had already passed the requirements at this point were were just waiting for the official ceremony” his father was saying in his firm deep voice.
His mother was nodding when she saw Pahoran quietly waving for her attention. Pah started motioning towards the front of the cave. All of them were on wound like a wire ready to spring. So his mother nodded and summoning her blade looked into her husband’s eyes. He looked at Pah as well and then summoned his blade at the same time he gave one of his legendary grunts that communicated much with no words. Pahoran watched as his other siblings all stopped. His oldest sister Delan and their Grandmother also summoned blade while his other siblings grabbed theirs.
Like a a pack of wolves the Rayunia clan made its way to the front of the cave. Once there the moved to various spots around the entrance. Pah made his way to stand by his oldest brother who glanced down any him and nodded approvingly as the boy pulled out the dagger his father had given him.
Pahoran struggled with staying still. Especially when they saw a group walk up to the cave. He would have moved but his brother but a restraining hand on his shoulder. The firm grip tightened when they saw in the moonlight familiar faces.
Pahoran was sure why but still they waited. After what seemed like an eternity another group closed in behind the first. This group sent shivers down Pahoran’s spine. These he didn’t recognize but knew they weren’t e knights.
His family moved forward after the group passed, but as Pahoran moved to join them he was very firmly pushed back into the most hidden part of there hissing place. The boy skunked back into the corner, pouting as the family slipped away.
He sat there holding firmly to his dagger as the sounds of fighting suddenly erupted from the cave. He was missing it all.
Depending on how one viewed it luck had different ideas, as the battle was nearing its close one particularly cowardly enemy had run and suddenly slide into Pahoran’s hiding but not seeing the boy sitting in the corner. He was more focused on the entrance and anyone following him.
“Catch him.” A voice called and Pahoran heard others rush out. His five year old mind realized that they must want this man. Pahoran slowly stood up and holding his dagger stabbed at the only spot on the body that was covered by armor. A spot near the back that was exposed by the way the man was bent while trying to hide.
The knife went in, and the man arched his back up trapping the knife. Pahoran panicked at that point and so jumped into the man’s back and wrapped his arms around the man’s throat. The man couldn’t turn around or he would kill Pah, and then he would be like dead. He didn’t want to be dead. The boy couldn’t ever really tell you what happened after that. He just held on with his arms wrapped around the man while he dangled from his back becoming intwined in the man’s cloak.
Eventually the man collapsed some where but still Pahoran clung on. He was aware he was on the ground but fear kept his grip firm. He had to stay behind this man or he would kill him. It was that though which he clung to until he heard two soft voices. Voices that had always been ones of comfort. He opened his eyes and saw his two grandmothers standing over him. The one they had made come with them when they fleed and the other who he had seen earlier in the moonlight.
With a cry he left go and buried himself in their waiting arms. They enfolded him into that most special of hugs and between the two of them for him on his feet and away from the man on the ground. Finally safe Pahoran started crying. “It’s okay your safe.”
“Where did you come from?” He asked his mother’s mother who hadn’t escaped.
“We came a different route.” She said her beautiful Hytori features comforting him. His gaze could also see that his mother was just outside the circle of grandmothers and his arms reached out to pull her in. The matriarchs of the clan took the little boy in even as in the background he heard his father say.
“It wasn’t clean but the boy has a warrior’s heart. The assassin is dead.”
All Pahoran cared about was that the man couldn’t harm him.
