Tales of the Lorekeepers 01 - Rise of the Red Dragon

officer.
    “What is your name, son?” asked the advisor.
    “Samuel Osmond, my lord.”
    “And where are you from, Samuel?”
    “I’m from Venta, sir,” remembering the village Malloy believed he was from.
    The answer seemed to surprise Morghan. “Are you now? Did you leave before or after the attack on your town?”
    Samuel could now feel the panic growing rapidly in his stomach. This man was clearly not fooled by his story and would not let go until he found the truth. The problem was, Samuel could not reveal the truth or he would probably be killed then and there by the advisor’s bodyguards.
    “I’m … I’m sorry, sir?” was all Samuel could mumble, trying to buy a few seconds.
    “I said, did you leave before the Saxons attacked your town like a coward, or did you defend your people before joining the army? It’s a simple question, young man.”
    Samuel was still unsure of the proper answer to give this man. From the corner of his eye, he saw the two bodyguards behind Morghan move their hands to their swords.
    “Please, don’t mind my friend, good sir,” intervened Malloy. “He may be a strange character, but he is as brave as a whole regiment. Plus, he fights with his sword like no other. The great master Aragorn taught him how to make the blade dance in front of his enemies. It is quite a sight, I assure you.”
    Morghan seemed to lower his guard a little, but was still studying the young boy in front of him. He did not believe this boy was from Venta.
    “Is that so?” was all he said.
    “Yes, my lord,” answered Samuel.
    “I assure you,” continued Malloy, “he will defend the king’s name with the fury of a dozen men. Even if he acts strangely and appears to talk to himself most of the time, he has the heart of a lion.”
    Morghan had stopped listening when the soldier mentioned this boy was talking to himself a lot. He remembered what the dark stranger had said, that a boy would attempt to sabotage their plans. He had warned the advisor that such a boy would be a significant threat to the Britons and to the king.
    Samuel noticed the change in the advisor’s eyes. The boy and the man gazed into each other’s eyes, trying to guess what the other knew about him, without being quite convinced that an enemy was standing before each of them. The advisor could have given the order to arrest this boy or even to kill him on the spot, but his instincts told him otherwise. After all, they still needed the fatherless boy and he could not afford any delay. Morghan decided that he would capture the traitor on his return. He turned and walked back to the officer.
    “Here, take this map. It will show you the way to the monastery. I expect you will be back with the boy within four days. If you do not have him, don’t bother to come back at all.”
    “Yes, my lord.”
    Before returning to the hill and his tent, the advisor looked at Samuel one last time.
    “It was interesting to meet you, Samuel. I am looking forward to our next meeting.”
    “My lord,” answered Samuel, bending his head down as he thought he should do.
    As the advisor and his bodyguards galloped away, Samuel could not shake the feeling that Morghan had guessed who he was. He feared that their next meeting would not be a pleasant one.
    “It would seem that the advisor has taken a personal interest in you, my friend,” whispered Malloy.
    “It certainly looks like it.”
    “Come on, don’t be like that. It’s a great honor. Maybe we will get an invitation to meet the king upon our return!”
    Samuel did not share the enthusiasm of his friend.
    “All right, you lazy bastards!” yelled Kaleb. “Let’s get on with this. Gather your things and let’s go.”
    With all the commotion and the advisor’s visit, Samuel had all but forgotten the most pressing problem that now presented itself. Reluctantly, he followed Malloy to the horses, which were tied to a wooden post. The older boy untied two of them and handed the reins of one of the horses to Samuel. Quickly, Malloy mounted his horse and turned around to join the rest of the group.
    Putting a hand on the saddle, Samuel looked up and was astonished by the height of the horse. “Come on, boy,” yelled Darroch, one of the two bulky brothers. “You don’t have to court this one to mount it!”
    The rest of the group laughed hysterically. Samuel, of course, only smiled politely. He did not have much of a choice. He had to give it a try. Carefully, he put his left hand