This is a work of fiction. All characters portrayed in this story are fictional and representative of anyone living or dead. (c) 2010 by robertx5sf@yahoo.com, all rights reserved, may not be reproduced in any form without the author's consent, with exception of license granted to Nifty.org per Nifty's terms of use.
Author's Note: All constructive comments are appreciated but please no flames. Thank you, Robert - robertx5sf@yahoo.com
Squires of Telisan Keep - 5
MIKEL
Mikel had given up trying to open the door for a while. He had no idea what time of day it was or if it was even the same day anymore. He thought it was probably the 1st of X, the day after the Tournament, but was unsure if it was day or night. No light seeped into the room when the lantern is closed.
He sat at the desk and put quill to parchment, hoping that be writing down his thoughts it might help him find a solution.
***Problem - Door. The door is hard wood banded with iron. There is no handle, lock or latch. The door opens out. If there are hinges or a bar they would be on the other side of the door. The fit between the door and the stone wall is tight. I've tried slipping a piece of paper between the door and its frame. It stops less than a fingers width into the crack. I can't see through the cracks even when I use the lantern. I've pushed and shoved at the door. It doesn't move at all. I've tried hitting the door with the chest. I just dented and marked up the chest. The chair or the desk would be of no use in forcing the door. I've searched everywhere in the room for some hidden catch, level, or stone to press. I've inspected every square inch of floor, ceiling and walls. I've searched through the entire straw pad. I've checked the chest, desk, chair and even night basin for any secret compartments or use in opening the door. I've tried talking to the door, asking it to open or move or do anything. I've tried guessing passwords or commands, even making up words and sounds. I even tried concentrating and trying to summon some magical force to open the door. There is no way of opening that door from inside this room. I finally tried to `cast a spell'. I have no idea how to cast spells. But I waved my arms, making patterns, mumbling bizarre sounds. Nothing happened.
I'm hungry and thirsty. I'm going to starve in this prison. I'll die here trapped in this room. My Master will find my dead body here. My Master***
Mikel jumped up to his feet and step towards the door. He looked at it and spoke, "Master, may I please be allowed to leave my room?" He went to the door and pushed it. It swung open easily. Standing outside was his Master. He was dressed in the same black robes with red trim. He also wore a pair of thin black gloves. His face was still hidden in darkness underneath the hood of the robes. Mikel guessed that it might be the work of magic because he was certain that from this angle the light from the lantern should have revealed his face.
Behind him Mikel could see a circular hallway that led to a circular staircase spiraling up what must be the center column of the tower. Mikel smiled as his guess that he was at the base of a tower was confirmed.
"Good, you have passed your first test. None of the doors in this tower will open for you until you have my permission. There is a reason for this, some of the magic contained in this tower can be dangerous, especially to those untrained in its use," said Sir Valen as he reached out and placed his hand on Mikel's head. Mikel felt a small jolt as a spark seemed to leap from his Master's hand as it touched his head. "You are now attuned to the tower, if your door will not open at your mental command it is because I require that you stay in your room," explained the wizard. "But except for those rare times you will have access to the entry level of the tower. Come with me, I will give you a tour of that area." With that he turned and headed for the stairs.
"This level is the basement and is underground. There are three other rooms down here but they are no concern to you. Upstairs is the ground floor of the tower. It used to be part of the outer wall, but a hundred years ago the keep was expanded and a new larger wall was built further out," explained Sir Valen as they crested the stairs onto the ground floor.
"There are three rooms on this level, an entry way, the main room which will be both your study and your dining area, and a bathing room," said the wizard as he showed his young apprentice around his new home. The main room had a table and two chairs. In the middle of the table were a loaf of bread, a bowl of fruit, a pitcher of apple juice, and one glass. He pointed to the table and told the boy to eat. Mikel tried to eat as quickly as possible while not making a fool of myself. As he ate Sir Valen explained some more of the rules, "you are to stay on these two levels and never open the door that leads outside or the door at the top of the stairs leading up to the rest of the tower. Eventually if you have excelled in your education you will gain more access to other areas of the tower. Place the dirty dishes and any uneaten food on the bottom self of the cabinet over there," he said gesturing at a ornately carved wooden cabinet against the wall. The top shelf shall always be stocked with fresh food. There are no windows on this level of the tower so light is provided by magical light stones inside recessed enclosures in the walls. If you wish less light they have shutters that can be closed to block out some or all of the light. That bookcase over there will contain books you are required to read. New books will appear on the top shelf from time to time. I suggest you not let them pile up. Once you have begun reading a book place it one of the other shelves. One of your tasks will be to fill all the lower shelves of the bookcase with books you have read. Any other supplies you need for your education will be provided when you need them. Come, I will show you the bathing area."
Sir Valen led the way through a door that opened without his touch as he approached. Inside was a large bathing tub. "Focus your thoughts on the tub and shall be able to fill or empty it and adjust its temperature with your mind. Over on the ledge underneath that wooden board is a waste hole. You are to empty your night basin into it each morning. You may rinse your basin with water from that pitcher next to it. It will always be full of water. You are to also use the waste hole to relieve yourself during the day when needed. You may clean yourself as needed afterward with the water from the pitcher and a towel from that shelf over there. Used towels go in the hamper over there. You need not worry about running out of towels or emptying the hamper. A warning, do not put any part of your body into the waste hole, or for that matter put anything you ever wish to see again inside the hole," said Sir Valen as he left the bathing room and took a seat back at the dining table.
Mikel followed and sat back down. He stared at the remains of his meal, overwhelmed by everything he had just been shown. Sir Valen could sense the boys troubled thought. "Mikel, you must always be honest with me and ask if you have any questions. What is wrong?"
Mikel fought against the emotions that were racing through him and forced himself to speak, "I don't deserve to be a Squire, they were right, I am a coward."
"I am now the one in charge of determining if you 'deserve' to be a Squire, the matter is no longer in your hands. But what have you done that you believe is cowardly? Are you referring to your duels in the Games?" Mikel nodded, unable to look towards his Master.
"Well, before the fight had you ever sworn an oath to behave with honor? Did anyone explain to you that your duels were to be an honorable fight? Were you told that that actions you took were against the rules or even dishonorable? Do not confuse honor with bravery. Only the thick headed or young believe they are the same. You fought within the rules that were explained to you and you fought to win. Those are not cowardly acts. You showed only honor and bravery in your fight with the noble boy. If that is all there is then you should dismiss any thoughts of being a coward."
Mikel started sobbing, "There's more." He recited the full story of the night his family was killed and Wilric was taken by orcs while he hid in the hay.
Sir Valen pulled back his hood and reached across the table, taking Mikel's hand, "When you left the Temple to come to the games to try to become a Knight I am sure many told you that you would fail but you came anyway, why?"
Mikel thought for a moment as the question drew him away for a moment from the pain he was feeling, "Because I knew it was my best chance to become a Knight and the have the means to go after the orcs."
"When you fought the noble boy, you must have known there was no chance you were going to beat him, yet you kept getting back up, why?"
"Because I just knew I couldn't give up. I wanted to prove to him I wasn't a coward."
Sir Valen thought for a moment then gave the boy a smile, "So, when you do not know what to do, when you do not know the rules or what is expected of you, when you cannot think of a way to defeat two armed and armored orcs, you fail to act 'properly', while when you know what you want to do and how to do it, you act bravely. It seems to me that your problem is not that you are a coward but instead you are inexperienced and untrained in how to use your true power. Experience can be gained and I can teach you how to harness the power of magic so you will be able to find the orcs that took your friend and be strong enough to face them. But the path of magic is not easy, it is not without pain, suffering, and sacrifice. There are times when it will seem to be without honor, but it is not the path of a coward, it is the path for the brave and it is your path. Finish your meal and get some sleep, it is the middle of the night and your journey along that path begins in earnest tomorrow morning."
Sir Valen rose and went up the stairs in the entry way to the second floor. After Mikel heard the door close he finished eating as he thought about what Sir Valen had said. Before he retired to his sleeping quarters for the night he took some of his food scraps and threw them in the waste hole to see what would happen. The waste hole was about a foot deep and as soon as the food hit the bottom there was a brief flash and it was gone.