1Chapter one
Dusk had fallen but Theoro didn't care. He wasn't even near the village. He was climbing his favorite tree where Kitrae was waiting. He had somehow stolen a bag of marbles from the younglings and he and Kitrae planned on spending the night in their favorite tree playing. The two were the only children in the village in their age group so naturally they were best friends.
The village elders divided all the children among several surrogate parents so the children never grew attached to a single person. If all the children were within three years of each other they were placed together. Kitrae was just under a year younger than Theoro. Theoro had been thirteen for eight months.
"Where did you get the cool marbles?" Kitrae asked enthusiastically.
"I nicked them off the younger kids" Theoro bragged.
"What?! You jerk!" Kitrae scolded him.
"What?!" Theoro retorted. "They're just little kids." The girl just glared at him.
Theoro positioned himself inside the tree. The two of them had found this tree with a hollowed out hole big enough for both of them to fit comfortably. A second after the boy sat down an arrow buried itself into the bark right above the door way. Both children jerked their heads to look at the feathered end.
"What on Earth…"Kitrae trailed off. Theoro crawled over to the opening. He stuck his head out and looked up at the arrow. His hand grasped the stick right above the arrowhead. He yanked it out and went back inside.
"Hey Kitrae, there's a note attached to it." Theoro said. "The Great Lord Damonrek has ordered that the Jewels of Creation be removed from their dwelling in order to better prepare the Royal Armies for the eminent war with the Orions." Theoro read aloud.
"This arrow doesn't look like a regular arrow. It is warm to the touch and the feathers are torn to tatters." Kitrae said surprised.
Theoro glanced out the entrance to the tree's hollowed chamber. "Kitrae! We have a problem!" He snatched the arrow from her hand and thrust it into his bag. He hastily crammed the note into his pocket and scurried to gather the marbles.
"What are you doing!? You are ruining the game by moving my marbles!" Kitrae screamed.
"Hush! The older teenagers are in the forest!"
"Which ones!?" Kitrae cried.
"The snitch ones!"
"Oh no!" Kitrae joined in collecting the marbles.
"How about it? Caught in the act!" Came a high male voice. The teenager grabbed the two children, and as he was significantly larger than both of them, dragged them out of the tree. "I will make sure you two get a bare whoopin'!"
The two children frowned because they probably were going to get a beating if the teenage suggested it.
"Jerk," muttered Kitrae to Theoro. The boy looked away. The older teenager dragged the kids along, twisting their arms in the process. He and his friends laughed maniacally. Kitrae lifted her foot and slammed it down as hard as she could onto the teenager's foot.
"Ahhh! You brat!" he yelled. Theoro and Kitrae snickered at the adolescent's pain.
It didn't take long to get to the village after that. Those guys were just dieing to get Theoro and Kitrae punished. They were dragged to the hut of the elders where they would most likely get a beating. One of the boys pulled open a wooden door.
"Excuse us," he said. The elders looked up from their work. The leader gestured for the group to come in. Once they were inside, Kitrae sighed. Theoro laughed a bit seeing how his friend always did that when they came here. "Sires, we have the children you were searching for." The teenager pushed the younger ones forward.
"Theoro! Kitrae!" One of the elders shouted. "Where have you two been?" Neither of them responded for fear of giving away their hiding spot. "Well no matter. You shall be punished either way. Let's see," he paused to count al the children had done. Then he counted them off on his fingers aloud. "Stealing, bullying, staying out past curfew, and…" it was then that the guy who'd dragged them here noticed a lump in Theoro's pack. He 'accidentally' knocked over the bag. Everyone turned their attention to the contents on the ground.
"Theoro has an arrow in his possession, sir." The elders directed their glances to the weapon. "And the girl tried to attack me when we politely asked them to come back with us." Theoro and Kitrae shot dirty looks at the older boy.
"Very well then. Your punishement shall be a month locked in isolation."
"But that means we won't be able to attend our own advancing ceremony!" Theoro yelled in an outburst of rage.
Kitrae felt like she was going to cry when she stated "It isn't fair…don't we at least get to defend ourselves?" Her voice was hoarse and shaky.
"That's it. If you keep up your begging you will receive a beating right here and now plus an extra month of isolation." The elder threatened. "Take them to the extra hut."
The teenager looked shocked we didn't get a beating but cheered up at the prospect of locking Theoro and Kitrae up for a month.
In the hut there were three cots and a sink offering water. There was no light in the small grass hut. It wasn't the most welcoming space even though it was almost identical to the one they'd slept in all their lives. The only difference was the lack of personal property.
"I guess we better get some sleep." Theoro muttered discouraged.
"What for?" Kitrae asked also discouraged. "We aren't going anywhere or doing anything for a while."
"Good point." Theoro agreed. "Do you really think there will be a war?"
"Yes but I don't know with who. I definitely know not the Orions though." Kitrae stated.
A voice yelled from outside the hut. "Go to sleep children! Quit talking and get to sleep!"
Not one to follow orders Theoro quietly slid his cot closer to Kitrae's so they could still talk.
"Please, Theoro, I don't want to get in any more trouble. We escaped a beating but that doesn't mean we still won't get one. Let's just go to sleep." Kitrae pleaded in a whisper. Theoro nodded and laid down.
The next morning when it would be suitable to talk, Theoro asked Kitrae where he'd heard of Lord Damonrek
"Isn't Lord Damonrek the one ruling the world, or at least our part of the world?" Kitrae asked.
"I think. That sounds right." Theoro answered puzzled.
"Why would he want a war with the Orions?" Kitrae asked thoughtful.
"I don't know much about the Onions."
Kitrae sighed. "It is Orions. O-rih-yuns."
It was a that moment as Kitrae finished pronouncing Orions for Theoro that all of the elders stormed into the hut. Their actions indicated something of importance because otherwise they would have sent one of the obnoxious teenage twerps. "You wanted an advancing ceremony? It is time." The elder's voice sounded stern and unloving.
An advancing ceremony happens when all the people in a group come of age. Kitrae was still not quite old enough to advance but within the next two months she would be. Their advancing ceremony was scheduled for the end of the current month. The best things about advancing ceremonies are the receiving of new clothes and responsibilities. The two children were grabbed forcefully and dragged to the center of the village. The rest of the village was already congregated in a circle around where the children were.
"These two are guilty of conspiracy and attempted murder. They have also reached their next advancing stage. They will receive their prize but they will lose all rights." The children were forced to kneel. A second elder put a knee in Theoro's back and pinned him against a log. Theoro watched helplessly as another elder put a knee on Kitrae's spine and held her down too. "Bring the poker." Said the first elder Theoro saw a box brought in. A pointy metal skewer was the only contents. Theoro was the first to receive their sentence. An elder grabbed his right earlobe and poked the sharp skewer through. He with drew it and inserted a bronze stud. The piercing didn't hurt but when the fastener was put on and welded together Theoro underwent a form of torture he had never dreamed of. When the elder finished Theoro was allowed to stand up. He watched as the same thing was done to Kitrae. When the flame was applied to the back of her ear she cringed and silent tears streamed down her cheek. After the elder finished the ritual the first elder handed Kitrae two dresses and Theoro two pairs of pants and a shirt. "The ear piercing is a universal sign. You are banished from all decent people. May you never again foul the air with the name of the Dark Lord or with your dark arrows. Be gone never to return! May death befall you if caught trespassing." Kitrae and Theoro fled for their lives.
After thirty minutes of running the two children started slowing down. Both were gasping for breath. Kitrae looked as though she would pass out.
"Theoro! Theoro, I need to stop!" She yelled to her companion who was far ahead of her. The boy glanced over his shoulder and stopped. Kitrae was breathing heavily, had one hand on her side, and seemed to be crying. He jogged back to her.
"We'll stop. We should be far enough away from the village by now." He told her as he took a seat on the boulder next to the one she was resting on.
"Thank you." Kitrae mumbled. She wasn't sure if Theoro had heard her, but she didn't care at the moment. There was much more to worry about than apologizing. No shelter, no food, and all the dangers of the world outside of the village was what they were up against. "What are we going to do?" the girl said through the tears of physical and emotional pain.
"We make it on our own." Theoro said with ignorant pride. He handed Kitrae a piece of cloth. She took it and proceeded to wipe her eyes.
"What are you talking about, Theoro? We've just been banished from the only home we have ever known. Our supplies consist of nothing but clothes."
Theoro understood her frustration. All that they could do was try to survive on their own. He began to replay that morning's happenings over in his head when he thought of something. He reached into his pocket to see if it was still there. It was. He pulled the letter out and unfolded it. Kitrae saw the paper in his hand.
"You still have that stupid thing?" She asked.
"Yes, and I think it can help us." Theoro stated, with his sense of adventure blinding him, and thinking that if they had a distraction, such as stopping a war, that they could forget their problems.
"How? It has been nothing but trouble." Kitrae said. "Shouldn't we try to find someone to take us in? You know, a town or at least a little food?"
"I think I know someone out here who might be able to help us for the moment. I met him at our last advancing ceremony." Theoro replied trying to be encouraging.
"Didn't you hear what the elders said? If we are caught trespassing we will be killed." Kitrae murmured.
"It is ok. He lives on the edge of farm country. He was nearly banished but he got off lucky. He just has to maintain a farm and welcome visitors to the village."
"Can we trust him?"
"I do despite his murderous reputation." Theoro muttered.
Kitrae was aghast when she mouthed "Murder?"
"Don't worry. He just has a reputation for it. His only crime is actually just pick pocketing."
"What an uncanny resemblance to someone else I know. How far is this person's house?" Kitrae asked with the first part slightly accusatory.
"It is about a mile. Can you make it?"
"Yes, but only if we walk. I can't handle another run." Kitrae replied wiping a tear from her right cheek.
The two walked on; both supporting each other mentally and physically. By nightfall the two had reached the friend's house. Theoro knocked on the front door. A man in his early thirties answered. He was brandishing a customized crossbow. The cross bow held three arrows about an inch apart and all parallel. "Who is it?"
"It is me, Theoro!"
"Theoro?" he asked. "Little Theoro? Is it you? Come in! Come in!"
Theoro stepped in but not before grabbing the shy Kitrae's hand to pull her in too.
"What brings you to the edge of the village!?" Wallace demanded happy and excited.
"I would like to ask a favor. Could we have some food and basic supplies?"
"What for…Theoro! Your friend is banished! If I am seen with a banished person!" Walllace exclaimed not even trying to finish his sentence. Theoro turned to his side and showed Wallace his earring. "You are banished too?! How about I let you two stay in the barn? I will get some food out to you and you can take anything you want from the barn."
So how did you like it? Please review now that you have read. Thanks much.