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

“And why wouldn’t you mean to? Isn’t it good to cause a stir?”
    Thor
was stymied. He hardly knew how to respond. It seemed as if he always said the
wrong thing.
    “This
place is so stuffy and boring anyway,” she said. “It’s nice to have a newcomer.
My father seems to have taken quite a liking to you. So has my brother.”
    “Um…thanks,”
Thor replied.
    He
was kicking himself, dying inside. He knew he should say more, and he wanted
to. He just did not know what to say.
    “Do
you…” he began, racking his brain for the right thing to say, “…like it here?”
    She
leaned back and laughed.
    “Do
I like it here?” she. “But I should hope so. I live here!”
    She
laughed again and Thor felt himself redden. He felt that he was really messing
things up. But he wasn’t raised around girls, had never had a girlfriend in his
village, and just didn’t know what to say to her. What could he ask her? Where
are you from? He already knew where she was from. He started to wonder why she
bothered with him; was it just for her amusement?
    “Why
do you like me?” he asked.
    She
looked back at him, and made a funny sound.
    “You
are a presumptuous boy,” she chuckled. “Who says I like you?” she asked with a
huge smile. Clearly, everything he said amused her.
    Thor
now felt as if he’d gotten himself into deeper trouble.
    “I’m
sorry. I didn’t mean to say that. I was just wondering. I mean…um…I know you don’t
like me.”
    She
laughed harder.
    “You
are amusing, I have to give you that. I take it you’ve never had a girlfriend,
have you?”
    Thor
looked down and shook his head, humiliated.
    “I
assume no sisters, either?” she pressed.
    Thor
shook his head.
    “I
have three brothers,” he blurted out. Finally, at least, he had managed to say
something normal.
    “Do
you?” she asked. “And where are they? Back in your village?”
    Thor
shook his head. “No, they are here, in the Legion, with me.”
    “Well
that must be comforting.”
    Thor
shook his head.
    “No.
They don’t like me. They wish I wasn’t here.”
    It
was the first time her smile dropped.
    “And
why wouldn’t they like you?” she asked, horrified. “Your own brothers?”
    Thor
shrugged. “I wish I knew.”
    They
walked a while more in silence. He was suddenly afraid that he was killing
their happy mood.
    “But
don’t worry, it doesn’t bother me. It’s always been that way. In fact,
actually, I’ve met good friends here. Better friends than I’ve ever had.”
    “My
brother? Reece?” she asked.
    Thor
nodded.
    “Reece
is a good one,” she said. “He’s my favorite in some ways. I have four brothers,
you know. Three are true, and one is not. The eldest is my dad’s son from
another woman. My half-brother. You know him, Kendrick?”
    Thor
nodded. “I owe him a great debt. It is thanks to him that I have a spot in the
Legion. He’s a fine man.”
    “It’s
true. He’s one of the finest in the kingdom. I love him as much as a true
brother. And then there’s Reece, who I love just as much. The other two…well….
You know how families are. Not everyone gets along. Sometimes I wonder how all
of us come from the same people.”
    Now
Thor was curious. He wanted to know more about who they were, her relationship
to them, why they were weren’t close. He wanted to ask her, but didn’t want to
pry. And she didn’t seem to want to dwell on it, either. She seemed to be a
happy person, a person who only liked to focus on happy things.
    As
they finished the labyrinth trail, the courtyard opened up to a new garden,
where the grass was perfectly trimmed and designed into shapes. It was a
massive game board of some sort, sprawling at least fifty feet in each
direction, with huge wooden pieces, taller than Thor, placed throughout.
    Gwen
cried out in delight.
    “Will
you play?” she asked.
    “What
is it?” he asked.
    She
turned, her eyes opened wide in amazement.
    “You’ve
never played Racks?” she asked.
    Thor
shook his head, embarrassed, feeling more like a country rube than ever.
    “It
is the finest game!” she exclaimed.
    She
reached out with her two hands and took his, dragging him onto the field. She
bounded off with delight; he couldn’t help but smile himself. More than
anything, more than the field, more than this beautiful place, it was the feel
of her hands on his that electrified him. The feeling of being wanted. She wanted him to go with her. She wanted to spend time with him. Why