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

we
must leave now. Take my squire’s horse, in the rear of the stable. The brown
one, with the red mane.”
    Thor ran back to the stable and
found the horse. As he mounted it, Khron stuck his head out of his shirt and
looked up and whined.
    “It’s okay, Khron,” Thor
reassured.
    Thor leaned forward, goaded the
horse, and burst out of the stable. Erec had barely waited for him to catch up
when he and Lannin and raced off at a gallop. Thor followed Erec as best he could.
    They rode together out of King’s
Court, through the gate, as several guardsmen pulled it back and stood to the
side. Several members of The Silver were lined up, watching, waiting, and as
Erec rode by, they raised their fists in salute.
    Thor was proud to ride beside
him, to be his squire, and excited to accompany him, even if it was only to the
first crossing.
    There was so much Thor had left
to say to Erec, so many things he wanted to ask him—and so much he wanted to
thank him for. But there wasn’t time, as the two of them galloped south,
bursting across the plains, the terrain constantly changing as their horses
charged down the King’s road in the late morning sun. As they passed a hill, in
the distance Thor could see all the Legion members in a field, breaking their
backs as they dug. Thor was glad he was not among them. As Thor looked, in the
distance he saw one of them stop, raise a fist in the air, towards him. It was
hard to see in the sun, but he felt sure it was Reece, saluting. Thor raised a
fist back, as they rode on.
    The well-paved roads gave way to
untended country roads: more narrow, rougher, and eventually hardly more than
well-trodden paths cutting through the countryside. Thor knew it was dangerous
for common folk to ride these roads alone—especially at night, with all the
thieves that lurked on them, but Thor had little worry of this himself,
especially with Erec at his side—in fact, if a robber should confront them,
Thor feared more for the robber’s life. Of course, it would be crazy for any
thief to attempt to stop a member of The Silver.
    They rode all day, hardly taking
a break, until Thor was exhausted, out of breath. He could hardly believe
Erec’s stamina—yet he dared not let Erec know he was tired, for fear of seeming
weak.
    They passed a major crossroads,
and Thor recognized it. He knew that if they bore right, it would bring them to
his village. For a moment, Thor felt overwhelmed with nostalgia, and part of
him wanted to take the road, to see his father, his village. He wondered what
his father was doing right now, who was tending the sheep, how irate his father
must have been when Thor had not returned. Not that he cared for him much. He
just momentarily missed what was familiar. He was, in fact, relieved he had
escaped from that small village, and another part of him wanted to never
return.
    They continued galloping on,
farther and farther south, to territory even Thor had never been to. He had
heard of the southern crossing, though he had never had reason to be there
himself. It was one of three major crossroads that led to the southern reaches
of the Ring. He was a good half day’s ride now from King’s court, and already
the sun was getting long in the sky. Thor, sweating, out of breath, was
starting to wonder, with trepidation, if he would make it back in time for the
king’s feast tonight. Had he made a mistake to accompany Erec this far?
    They rounded a hilltop, and
finally Thor saw it, there on the horizon: the unmistakable sign of the first
crossing. It was marked by a large, skinny tower, the King’s flag draped from
it in all four directions, and members of The Silver standing guard atop its
parapets. At the sight of Erec, the knight atop the tower blew his trumpet.
Slowly, the gatehouse rose.
    They were but a few hundred yards
away, and Erec slowed his horse to a walk. Thor had a knot in his stomach as he
realized these were his last few minutes with Erec until who knew how long. Who
knew, indeed, if he would even return. One year is a long time, and anything
could happen. Thor was glad, at least, that he had had this chance to accompany
him. He felt as if he had fulfilled his duty.
    The two of them walked
side-by-side, their horses breathing hard, the men breathing hard, as they
approached the tower.
    “I may not see you for many moons,”
Erec said. “When I return, I will have a bride in tow. Things may change.
Though no matter what happens, know that you will always be my