Sword Bearer (Return of the Dragons 1)

“Great changes come quickly in times of trouble,” she said. “You may be a prince or even a king before your body is really ready. Your mind and your magic will grow faster, and your body will have to wait to catch up. That’s how it was in the times of the ancients.”

I felt a lot of doubts. I wondered if maybe I was just delirious, if Giancarlo had hit me too hard on the head in practice and I was really in the infirmary. A day ago I was just a slightly out of shape boy who knew a little magic and wasn’t too bad at swinging a staff.

But was that even true? How many boys did I know who were locked in at night? Who was I, really?

My body ached. I had gotten more exercise in the last twenty-fours than in the last month. Twenty minutes of swinging a staff every morning hadn’t prepared me for this. No wonder I felt so sore.

I decided not to share any more of this with Kara. I didn’t want to her think I was just some whining kid.

So instead I just smiled at her.

“So, the ancients. Did the ancients have bad skin too?” I asked.

She nodded. “And green clay, charcoal soap and goat’s milk.”

I laughed, looking away. I felt Kara grab my hand.

Again came a rush of energy: I felt so alive, and I felt myself plunging into her eyes, falling into her, and then she spoke:

“Ask me whatever you like, Anders.”

“Whatever I like?”

She nodded at me, and kept my hand in hers.

“Do you believe in me? In all this?”

She nodded slowly.

“Do you believe things will ever be the same again for me? Will I ever return home to my parents, to my home in the South?”

Kara shook her head. “You know, I used to want to grow up as fast as I could, but now I miss my childhood. But I can’t go back. My parents are dead. I’ll never be their little girl again. These are desperate times, my friend.”

I felt warm in the face for the second time as I looked Kara in the eyes.

“Are you my friend, then?” I asked.

She nodded. “No matter what happens, Anders, I’ll try to always be your friend.”

“You promise?”

She nodded, biting her lip.

I tried to smile. “Who knows, maybe one day we’ll be more than friends.”

She looked away, and I felt her pull her hand off mine.

“What?” I said, feeling hot in the face. “Did I say the wrong thing?”

This time it was Kara who blushed. “No, Anders, it’s not you. It’s me. You’re sweet. But I already have a boyfriend.”

“But you kissed me,” I said, feeling stupid.

She still wasn’t looking at me, and I didn’t blame her. “Anders, there’s kissing, and kissing.”

“You don’t like me, do you?”

Kara sighed. “You make it sound so simple. I like you as a brother, as a friend.”