Kael had discovered an unexpected consequence of learning to speak.
Everyone wanted him to do it again.
“Mama.” Elena sat across from him with an encouraging smile.
Kael stared at her.
He knew the word.
He had already said the word.
Apparently, that wasn’t enough.
“Mama,” Elena repeated.
Kael opened his mouth.
“Ma.” Her smile widened.
“Again.” Before Kael could attempt it, another voice came from behind her.
“Papa.” Orion crouched beside Elena.
Kael looked between them.
“Mama,” Elena said.
“Papa,” Orion countered.
“Rowan!” The third voice came from Kael’s left.
Rowan practically threw himself onto the floor beside them.
“Say Rowan.” Kael closed his eyes.
This was becoming unbearable.
“Row-an.” Rowan pointed at himself enthusiastically.
“Rowan!” Orion laughed.
“Your name is harder.” “Then he should practice it more.” Kael opened his eyes.
Three faces waited expectantly.
He considered crawling away.
Unfortunately, Rowan anticipated this and moved directly into his escape route.
“Rowan.” Kael glared.
“Ro…” Rowan’s eyes became enormous.
“Ro!” “Let him finish,” Elena said.
Kael tried again.
“Ro…” His tongue betrayed him.
“…wa.” Rowan jumped upright.
“He said it!” “Almost,” Orion said.
“He said it.” “Technically—” “He said my name!” Rowan ran outside.
“GARRICK!
KAEL SAID MY NAME!” A distant voice answered.
“I DIDN’T ASK!” Kael stared after his brother.
Perhaps learning to speak had been a mistake.
…
Crawling, on the other hand, was wonderful.
Once Kael had figured out the basic coordination, an entire world became available to him.
Under tables.
Behind chairs.
Beside shelves.
Near doors.
Places that had previously required someone else to carry him were suddenly accessible through his own effort.
This freedom lasted approximately two days.
Then Elena began moving things.
Knives went higher.
Medicine containers disappeared from lower shelves.
Baskets were placed in front of cupboards.
Orion moved his hunting equipment.
Even the fireplace gained a wooden barrier.
Kael watched each modification with growing offense.
They were systematically destroying every interesting destination in the cottage.
His only ally was Rowan.
Unfortunately, Rowan’s assistance usually made things worse.
“Come here.” Rowan whispered from the doorway.
Kael crawled toward him.
“We’re going outside.” Elena’s voice came from behind them.
“No, you’re not.” Rowan froze.
“How did you know?” “Because you’re whispering.” “I whisper all the time.” “No, you don’t.” That was true.
Rowan looked down at Kael.
“We tried.” Kael sighed internally.
He needed better accomplices.
…
One object remained available.
The map.
Orion usually kept it rolled on a shelf, but occasionally brought it down when hunters discussed trails or traders spoke about road conditions.
Kael had become fascinated with it.
Not because he could read the markings.
He couldn’t.
But he understood what it represented.
The world beyond the village.
One afternoon, Orion spread the map across the table while checking something with Doran.
Kael sat on Elena’s lap nearby.
He stared at it the entire time.
Lines.
Symbols.
Small marks.
A winding shape Kael assumed represented a river.
Several darker sections that probably indicated forests.
When Doran left, Orion began rolling the map.
“What’s that?” Rowan had finally noticed it.
Kael almost thanked him.
“A map.” “I know that.” Orion raised an eyebrow.
Rowan immediately corrected himself.
“What map?” Orion smiled.
He spread it open again.
“Here.” His finger touched a small mark.
“This is us.” Rowan leaned closer.
“That’s the village?” “Approximately.” “It’s tiny.” “On the map.” Rowan considered that.
Then pointed toward a line.
“What’s this?” “The southern road.” Kael focused.
Orion traced it.
“It follows the river for a while, passes through Lowfield, then continues toward Bellhaven.” “Bellhaven?” “The nearest proper town.” Rowan’s eyes widened.
“Is it bigger than our village?” “Much.” “Twice?” “More.” “Three times?” “More.” “Ten?” Orion paused.
“Depends what you’re counting.” “People.” “Then much more.” Rowan stared at the symbol representing Bellhaven.
“How many people?” “I don’t know exactly.” “Do you know everyone there?” Orion laughed.
“No.” That answer seemed impossible to Rowan.
“You don’t?” “No.” “But how do you know who’s supposed to be there?” “You don’t.” Rowan frowned deeply.
Orion thought for a moment.
“It’s big enough that you can walk past people you’ve never met.” Rowan’s mouth opened.
Kael understood his reaction.
In the village, strangers were events.
A trader arrived and everyone knew.
A traveling craftsman stayed overnight and half the village heard his story before breakfast.
A place filled with unknown faces was almost beyond Rowan’s experience.
Kael looked at the tiny mark representing their home.
For months, that had been his entire world.
It wasn’t even large enough to deserve more than a mark on Orion’s map.
That thought didn’t make the village feel less important.
It made Elaria feel larger.
…
Rowan’s finger moved toward Bellhaven.
“Are there warriors there?” “Yes.” “Real warriors?” Orion gave him a look.
“As opposed to?” “You know.” Rowan stood straighter.
“Strong ones.” Kael became completely still.
Orion noticed neither his interest nor the sudden intensity behind his eyes.
“There are trained guards.
Mercenaries sometimes.
Travelers.” “With Aura?” There it was.
Kael listened.
“Some.” “Can you use Aura?” “No.” “Can Garrick?” “No.” “Can Doran?” “No.” Rowan seemed disappointed.
“Why?” Orion leaned back.
“Because knowing Aura exists doesn’t mean you can use it.” “Why not?” “Because it requires training.” “I train.” Orion looked toward the wooden spear abandoned beside the doorway.
“Debatable.” Rowan frowned.
“I train every day.” “Aura isn’t something you learn by hitting a post.” “Then how?” Orion considered how much explanation a five-year-old actually needed.
“People capable of developing it usually train their bodies first.
Properly.
Later, with instruction, they learn to sense and control the energy within themselves.” Kael memorized every word.
Energy within themselves.
Sense.
Control.
Training.
“Can everyone do it?” Rowan asked.
“No.” That answer mattered.
“Some people have more aptitude than others.
Some never manage it.
Some don’t have the opportunity to learn.” “Why?” “Teachers cost money.
Training takes time.
Equipment costs money.
And most people have other work.” Rowan looked confused.
“Why would anyone choose farming instead of being strong?” Orion laughed.
“Because warriors need to eat.” Rowan thought about that.
Kael did too.
Resources.
Training.
Teachers.
Aptitude.
So supernatural strength existed, but it wasn’t freely available.
Good.
That made sense.
More importantly, Kael finally had the beginnings of a structure.
Then Elena entered carrying dried herbs.
“Are you filling his head with warrior stories?” “He’s asking.” “Kael?” “Rowan.” Elena looked toward Kael.
Kael maintained his most innocent expression.
She wasn’t convinced.
Rowan pointed toward the map.
“Father says people can use Aura.” “Some can.” “And warriors are strongest.” “I didn’t say that,” Orion replied.
Rowan ignored him.
Elena placed the herbs down.
“Warriors aren’t the only people who train supernatural arts.” Kael’s attention sharpened further.
“There are mages,” Elena continued.
“Magically trained healers.
Alchemists.
Some craftsmen use techniques I wouldn’t understand.” “Can you use magic?” Rowan asked.
“No.” “Why?” “Because I’m an herbal healer.” She held up the dried plants.
“I learned this.” Rowan looked almost offended on her behalf.
“But magic healing would be better.” “Sometimes.” Elena sat beside him.
“But if you cut your hand today, would you rather wait several days for a magical healer to travel here, or let me treat it now?” Rowan considered this.
“You.” “Exactly.” Kael liked the answer.
Elena wasn’t secretly powerful.
Orion wasn’t a retired legendary warrior.
They were simply competent people who had learned useful things.
That made their survival during the beast tide mean more, not less.
…
Garrick’s explanation came later.
Naturally, it was worse.
Rowan found him supervising Bren’s reconstruction work from his increasingly famous chair.
“Have you fought an Aura warrior?” Garrick looked suspicious.
“Why?” “Father said you can’t use Aura.” “Your father talks too much.” “So have you?” Garrick scratched his beard.
“Once.” Rowan immediately sat beside him.
“Did you win?” Silence.
Garrick looked toward the palisade.
Then toward Bren.
Bren was already smiling.
Finally Garrick said, “I survived.” Rowan frowned.
“So you lost.” “That’s an unnecessarily negative interpretation.” Bren laughed.
“What happened?” Rowan asked.
“He hit me.” “And?” “I woke up.” Rowan’s eyes widened.
“That’s it?” “Very educational experience.” Even Kael, sitting nearby with Elena, nearly laughed.
But beneath the humor was useful information.
Garrick was one of the most experienced hunters Kael knew.
During the beast tide, people listened when he spoke.
He wasn’t weak.
Yet a trained Aura user had apparently defeated him so thoroughly that decades later, Garrick’s preferred description of the encounter was simply surviving.
There were levels to strength in this world.
Their village existed near the bottom of that ladder.
Not because something was wrong with it.
Because most people were ordinary.
Kael found that strangely reassuring.
He knew where he was starting.
…
His body presented a more immediate ladder.
Standing.
Kael had been studying Rowan.
Not his spear technique specifically.
That remained questionable.
But Rowan improved through repetition.
Kael could use that.
He crawled toward a low bench.
Grabbed the edge.
Pulled.
His legs shook.
He rose halfway.
Then collapsed onto his backside.
Again.
Hands on the bench.
Pull.
Almost.
Fall.
Again.
Kael lost count.
His body tired quickly, so he rested.
Then tried later.
The following morning, he repeated it.
Again.
Again.
Again.
On the third day, something changed.
Kael pulled himself upward.
His feet found the floor.
His knees straightened.
His hands gripped the bench.
He stood.
Actually stood.
His legs trembled violently.
But he was upright.
Nobody noticed.
Good.
Kael looked around.
The table seemed lower.
The window slightly closer.
The entire world had spent months towering above him.
Now…
A little less of it did.
Satisfaction filled him.
Then— “MOTHER!” Kael’s concentration shattered.
He fell backward.
Elena came running.
“What happened?” “Kael stood!” “I saw!” “No, you didn’t!” “I see him now.” “But he was standing!” Orion entered from outside.
“What’s wrong?” “Kael stood!” Soon everyone was looking at him.
Kael sat on the floor, deeply offended.
Rowan crouched.
“Do it again.” No.
“Come on.” Absolutely not.
…
That night, Kael woke briefly to his parents talking.
“He’s developing quickly,” Elena whispered.
Orion glanced toward the sleeping children.
“Rowan did too.” “Not quite like this.” Kael remained still.
Elena continued.
“He watches everything.” “He’s curious.” “Very.” Orion was quiet for a moment.
Then said, “Good.” Elena smiled.
“Good?” “Curiosity takes people farther than talent sometimes.” The words stayed with Kael.
Curiosity.
Perhaps Orion understood more than he realized.
…
Kael had already discovered the limitation of listening.
Adults rarely explained things they assumed everyone knew.
Aura.
Magic.
Towns.
History.
Countries.
The wider world.
If he depended entirely upon overheard conversations, learning would take years.
He needed another method.
Books.
The problem was obvious.
Kael couldn’t read.
The marks on Orion’s map meant nothing to him.
Occasionally he saw writing on trader receipts or medicine labels.
Still nothing.
Then opportunity appeared in the form of Rowan.
Elena mentioned it casually during dinner.
“Tomas wants the older children beginning proper lessons again next month.” Rowan stopped chewing.
“Why?” Orion stared at him.
“To learn.” “I already know things.” Garrick’s voice came through the open window.
“That’s debatable!” Rowan shouted back.
“GO HOME!” “I AM WALKING PAST!” Kael ignored them.
Lessons.
Rowan would learn letters.
Reading.
Numbers.
Perhaps history.
Kael looked at his brother differently.
Rowan noticed.
“What?” Kael smiled.
Rowan looked suspicious.
Kael had found his teacher.
Whether Rowan knew it or not.
You’re going to school for both of us.
…
Two mornings later, Orion began preparing his travel pack.
Kael immediately noticed.
Food.
Water.
Bow.
Knife.
A heavier cloak.
Rowan noticed too.
“Where are you going?” “Bellhaven.” Kael looked up.
The town.
“Why?” “Supplies.
Bren needs new tools.
Elena needs a few things.
Cedric wants to trade some hides.” “Can I come?” “No.” The answer came immediately.
Rowan looked betrayed.
“Why?” “You’re five.” “I’m almost six.” “You’ve been almost six for months.” “Because time is slow.” Orion laughed.
“Not this trip.” Rowan crossed his arms.
“Next time.” “We’ll see.” That meant no.
Rowan knew it.
Kael crawled toward the doorway.
Outside, the southern road stretched between fields before disappearing beyond the trees.
Somewhere down that road stood Lowfield.
Beyond it…
Bellhaven.
People Kael had never met.
Aura users.
Mages.
Books.
Teachers.
And beyond Bellhaven lay places no one in the village had even mentioned yet.
For most of Kael’s life here, roads had meant departure.
Danger.
Unknown things approaching from beyond the safety of home.
Now he saw something different.
A path.
Someday…
He would follow it.
But not yet.
Kael looked toward Rowan.
His brother would soon begin lessons.
Kael still struggled to stand.
He could barely form words.
Power could wait.
The world could wait.
First, Kael needed to understand it.
And for perhaps the first time across all three of his lives…
He had enough patience to begin at the beginning.
End of Chapter 24.