A Quest of Heroes (Book #1 in the Sorcerer's Ring)

this place. The dream
was…that you should not drink.”
    The King leaned forward, eyes
opened wide.
    “That I should not drink?” he
repeated, slowly and loudly.
    Then, after a moment of stunned
silence, MacGil leaned back and roared with laughter, bellowing, shaking the
whole table.
    “That I should not drink!” MacGil
repeated. “What a dream is this! I should call it a nightmare!”
    The King leaned back and bellowed
with laughter, and all his men joined in. Thor reddened, but he could not back
down.
    MacGil gestured, and a guard
stepped forward and grabbed Thor and began to take him away—but Thor roughly
yanked the guard off of him. He was determined. He had to give the King this
message.
    Protect our King.
    “My King, I demand that you
listen!” Thor screamed, red-faced, pressing forward and banging the table with
his fist.
    It shook the table, and all the
men’s turned and stared at Thor.
    There was a stunned silence, as
the King’s face dropped into a scowl.
    “YOU demand?” MacGil yelled. “You
demand nothing of me boy!” he screamed, his anger rising.
    The table quieted even more, and
Thor felt his cheeks redden in humiliation.
    “My king, forgive me. I mean no
disrespect. But I am concerned for your safety. Please. Do not drink. I dreamt
you were poisoned! Please. I care very much about you. That is the only reason
for my saying so.”
    Slowly, MacGil’s scowl lifted. He
stared deeply into Thor’s eyes and took a deep breath.
    “Yes, I can see that you do care.
Even if you are foolish boy. I forgive you your disrespect. Go on now. And
don’t let me see your face again until the morning.”
    He gestured to his guards, and
they yanked Thor away, strongly this time. The table slowly resumed its
merriment as they all went back to drinking.
    Thor, dragged several feet away,
burned with indignation. He feared for what he had done here tonight, and had a
sinking feeling that tomorrow he would pay the price. Maybe even be asked to
leave this place. Forever.
    As the guards gave him one last
shove, Thor found himself at the Legion’s table, maybe twenty feet away from
the King. He felt a hand on his shoulder and spun to see Reece standing there.
    “I’ve been searching for you all
day. What happened to you?” Reece asked. “You look as if you have seen a
ghost!”
    Thor was too overwhelmed to
respond.
    “Come sit with me—I saved you a
seat,” Reece said.
    Reece pulled Thor down beside
him, at a table set aside for the King’s family. Godfrey had a drink in each
hand, and beside him sat Gareth, watching with shifting eyes. Thor hoped beyond
hope that Gwendolyn might be there, too, but she was not.
    “What is it, Thor?” Reece
prodded, as he sat down beside him. “You stare at this table as if it will bite
you.”
    Thor shook his head.
    “If I told you, you would not
believe me. So best I just keep my mouth shut.”
    “Tell me. You can tell me
anything,” Reece urged with intensity.
    Thor saw the look in his eyes,
and realized that, finally, someone was taking him seriously. He took a deep
breath and began. He had nothing to lose.
    “The other day, in the forest, with
your sister, we saw a Whiteback snake. She said it was an omen of death, and I
believe it is. I went to Argon and he confirmed that a death is coming. Shortly
after, I had a dream that your father would be poisoned. Here. Tonight. In this
hall. I know it in my bones. He will be. Someone is trying to assassinate him,”
Thor said.
    He said it all in a rush, and it
felt good to get it off his chest. It felt good to have someone actually
listen.
    Reece was quiet as he stared back
into his eyes for a long time. Finally, he spoke.
    “You seem genuine. I have no
doubt. And I appreciate your caring for my father. I believe you. I do. But
dreams are tricky things. Not always what we think.”
    “I told the King,” Thor said.
“And they laughed at me. Of course, he will drink tonight.”
    “Thor, I believe you dreamt this.
And I believe you feel this. But I’ve had terrible dreams, too, my entire life.
The other night, I dreamt I was pushed out the castle, and I woke feeling that
I was. But I was not. Do you understand? Dreams are strange things. And Argon
speaks in riddles. You must not take it all so seriously. My father is fine. I
am fine. We’re all fine. Try to just sit back and drink and relax. And enjoy.”
    With that, Reece leaned back in
his chair, covered in furs, and drank. He gestured to a servant, who put