Rose's Dilemma

Chapter 8: Innocence Lost

WAR WAS OVER...The boy fell in the heart of a broken kingdom. This was Cardamon...Under the Royal Court's rule of a tribunal. In the midst of all it, he had fallen. Alone. Cardamon and the Royal Courts now were at an uneasy peace with the elves. Centuries had swept by, and the memory of battles with Hilltop had been all but lost to time. Yet, never forgotten. FALLING...

A boy of thirteen, the air roaring around Wolf Heart the Brave as he felt his stomach lurch. He wanted to yell, however there was no sound but the rushing of the wind. He thought he should be terrified, but instead he felt strangely calm, as though he were a part of the Winds themselves. He had no idea how far he'd fallen or how much farther he had before he'd reach ground. He wasn't sure how much farther he would spin out of control down the poppy hill.

His descent slowed and he felt the land against his side. Then, pulled himself up, standing on solid ground again. Wolf brushed the dirt and poppy remnants from his rough, brown pants and looked up standing in a village, his home. The deep green landscape of Fonde SSique lay beyond the walls, a realm of lush vegetation sitting in the middle of the Crystal Sea. From his home, beyond the walls he could see the tops of the stretching, towering trees. Below, a carpet of purple poppies blanketed the ground, a brilliant contrast to anything else in the land. Towering over them in blue and white, a castle rising from the horizon – Castle Cardamon.

The towers were a breathtaking spectacle. Its steeples and turrets reaching for the cloud line, and its banners waving in the wind depicting a white raven. Wolf Heart knew that was where the tribunal of rulers lived, a tribunal made up of the aging brothers Titus and Avitus, and the enigmatic Kallinikos, a tall female Westerian.

From the streets he could hear the cries of the people, the poor and destitute. Wolf suppressed a deep chuckle. The tumble was fun, but night was dawning, and it was time for him to go home to father. He strode through the desolate streets of his homeland. Dust clung to his trousers as he walked past poppy fields, some dried and brittle from the long summer heat. The sky was still lit with the faded, hazy orange glow of the ending day.

The air was still and cool, with a distant scent of smoldering fires and the dancing poppy. Wolf took a deep breath and forced himself to keep walking, though his feet kept trying to drag him to a halt for playing too hard.

As he continued on, a small, white raven flew past his head, its wings brushing against his hair. Wolf paused for a moment to watch it, marveling at its agility. The bird, symbol of Cardamon circled and swooped, seeming to dance in the air. As he watched it, Wolf felt a sense of peace and it gave him strength. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Wolf saw the familiar silhouette of his home. 

The darkness of the night was lit by a few dim candles, and Wolf's eyes adjusted to the soft light as he pressed on the rickety door and entered, shutting it behind him. His father was sitting in a chair near a small fire. He looked up and smiled as Wolf entered and felt relieved and grateful to see his son. He smiled back, and gave his father, Thomas a tight hug. 

The man could feel the inevitable, all too familiar tightness in his chest. A knot that could not be untied. He could not help but let out a *COUGH*. This was Thomas. A thought ran through his mind. 'What would he do if Wolf found out about my condition?'

Wolf backed away as Thomas let out another *COUGH*, but the boy's fear of the unknown had forced him to take a deep breath. He asked. "Are you alright, father?"

"Yes, son. I am fine." 'Enough of this.' Thomas thought to himself, his determination surging like a tide within him. The weight of his secret illness and his love for Wolf Heart propelled him into action. "I must do something. My son deserves more than this life."