Chapter Four: Bren
Tranith Argan: Book 1
Continuing Felanar’s childhood experience with the regent of Tranith Argan asking if he would want to be trained to one day serve the regent. Of course! But what does that mean, and what kind of training would Felanar get (and his older brother, Alak, and his younger sister, Kara, wonder the same things).
The days that followed the Festival were crisp with autumn air. Each morning Chafrar and Alak would rise early for their day out on the boat. Felanar would always wake up with Alak and think longingly of what it would be like to be a fisherman, and then he would fall back to sleep until it was time for his day to begin.
Felanar and Kara spent their mornings in lessons and study with Sera. It was customary in the Lake region for children to be taught whatever skills or book knowledge their parents felt was needed. Many parents taught only practical things, skills their own parents had taught them as children. Mothers did most of the teaching and much of the quality of the learning depended upon each mother’s intelligence and ambition.
In addition to the practical knowledge that would be needed for village life, Sera felt it important to impart as much knowledge of the world as she could obtain from books. She had been taught from books by her mother, and she was going to do the same with her children.
In this respect she was different from the women in town, most of whom saw little point in book knowledge. Teach a boy to be a blacksmith or farmer or fisherman and be done with it, they said. Girls needed to know how to keep both house and husband well, and also do some farming. Sera did not agree with those views.
This suited Felanar and Kara well. Both shared Sera’s love of books, and Sera encouraged them to read as much as possible. Chafrar wasn’t against reading so much as he couldn’t see much use in it, but he deferred to Sera in this, who never ceased to find ways to broaden her children’s imagination. Until a few months ago, Alak had spent his days learning too, but had not shown much aptitude for it. He was far more interested in his father’s workshop and used any excuse he could to help out with the tools.
Felanar, though yearning to be a fisherman like his older brother, actually hungered for a wider knowledge. He would continually pester Sera for a greater understanding of things. He wanted to know about High Men and why they were different from Low Men. Occasionally one could see High Men in the village, but mostly they kept to themselves. He was curious about the Tranith cities and the great dwelling places there. The children in the village had heard that High Men lived in the clouds and came down to land only when they had necessary business. Sera tried to explain the truth about that, and what it meant to have a city built high in the mountains, but the fantasy was too strong to erase completely. Probably their mother had reasons to hide the truth from them, they thought, but certainly High Men must dwell in the clouds.
Felanar asked about the dwarves who lived far to the east in Khrea and the Iron Mountains. Occasionally one could see a solitary dwarf stumping along the Old Highway, probably returning from the ancient Korhana Mine. They too kept to themselves, so it was hard to know what was happening among their kind. Rumor spoke of their past, and how they used to range all over the Lofty Mountains, until the Troubling Days came. Now they lived in a far off land and little news came from there. The Royal Highway crossing the vast Plain of Talenar wasn’t maintained as in the days of the Kings, and it was dangerous to make your way across that distance. It was rare for a dwarf to feel the need to do so now.
A Brindledown fisherman said he had once sailed all the way to the Cove of the Dwarves and he described it as being the entranceway to a land of riches and jewels. Some said such days had faded and that even if the jewels existed, they were remnants of an ancient age. There was no denying the skills of the dwarves in carving out from the earth great beauties and dazzling objects. One could see evidence of their handiwork in the Tranith cities, it was said. But since few Low Men could claim to have actually seen it themselves, it remained just a rumor.
Tales of the Western lands and their vicious warriors captivated Felanar’s imagination. Legends of fire-breathing dragons danced at the edges of his curiosity. Yet it was the elves who truly fed his hunger for knowledge, drawing him into endless speculation and wonder.
When Elaria, the home of the elves, was discussed, both Felanar and Kara grew very interested. “Do you think we’ll ever see an elf?” she would ask her brother. “Yes,” he always replied, “we will. I promise you, we will.” His imagination on fire, he would pester his mother for more details about Elaria. Poor Sera had only a limited knowledge of elves, and, too often to please her children, would say, “I just don’t know.” What little knowledge they had about elves came from books written by men, or talk that had been handed down from parent to child. Was this knowledge accurate? Sera could not say.
After lessons, there was work to be done around the house and gardens. This was Felanar’s least favorite activity and the moment when he most yearned to be a fisherman. He gamely did what was asked of him, though Sera found it best at times to assign different chores to the children. Sometimes, as they did their chores, she would find them trading stories of elves instead of working.
At sundown the fishermen would return to the dock with their daily catch. The men would haul the nets ashore to dry and repair them and sort out the fish for sale. Fish dealers from Brindledown met the boats at the docks and bought the bulk of the catch. The rest served as food for the families of the fishermen. By the time it was dark Chafrar and Alak would be home cleaning up after their day. Felanar always asked how the day had gone and his father would tell him of the weather, or some unusual fish they had caught, or some other tidbit of news. Alak would excitedly fill in the details.
This was the pattern that filled the days after the Harvest Festival. Felanar had not forgotten Ravesfel’s words, but as each day passed the memory seemed increasingly unlikely to come to pass.
Late one afternoon, as Felanar was helping his sister weed the garden, and he was thinking he would never be trained to serve the Regent, a man approached the house. Sera swung open the wooden door and saw a tall stranger. He seemed to have aristocratic bearing. His dark brown hair swept neatly back from his face, revealing eyes that gleamed confidently. His right eyebrow seemed slightly higher than his left, giving him a friendly but quizzical look. Sera noticed with some feeling of discomfort that his clothing was made of fine material but seemed more suited to outdoor use. Clearly, this was a High Man. But what could he want?
Removing his wide-brimmed hat and seeing the hesitation on Sera’s face, he bowed politely and said in an even tone, “Good day, lady. I am Bren and I come from the palace. I seek a young man whom I would guess to be your son – assuming that you are Sera and that I have the correct house.” His right eyebrow rose even higher and he smiled.
“Yes,” replied Sera, overwhelmed. “Oh dear, please do come in. Yes, I’m Sera. Forgive my manners, please come in.” She looked anxious as the man walked confidently into her house. Felanar’s words with Ravesfel came back to her mind now, and she realized that Bren had come for Felanar. Remembering this made her feel less ill at ease.
“Please, sir, allow me to attend to your needs. You must be hungry after your journey. Is your horse cared for?”
“I thank you, Sera, and yes, I’ve seen to my horse. However, some refreshment for me would be most welcome. As you know, it is eighty leagues between here and Tranith Argan and I have been riding for the better part of this week.”
Sera went into the kitchen and grabbed some small cakes and a mug of ale for this noble guest. He was obviously a High Man of some rank – here in her house! – and yet he wasn’t acting in a haughty manner, as she had been taught was their way with Low Men. “Still,” she told herself sensibly, “I’ve not had dealings with any High Man, and I don’t really know. This one seems polite enough.”
While he was eating and drinking, Sera went out to the garden and brought the children back with her. Felanar entered the house and paused when he saw Bren, who, as he heard the children enter, turned to look at them, his eyes coming to rest on the boy.
“You must be young master Felanar,” he said with a smile. Felanar turned red and nodded silently in reply. The man by the fire continued, “My name is Bren and I have been sent from the palace.”
“From Tranith Argan?” His shyness dissolved in a wave of excitement.
“Naturally from Tranith Argan – or did you think I was sent by the elves?”
Felanar, looking anxiously at Bren, asked, “Do you know a man named Ravesfel? Did he send you?”
“Do you know elves?” interrupted Kara before Bren could answer. Talk of the palace was one thing, but news of elves was far more important to her.
“Yes, I know elves,” Bren laughed as he answered both excited children’s questions at once, “though not many. And yes, of course I know Ravesfel, Felanar, and yes, he sent me. Ravesfel is an old man who loves to tell stories and eat good food. But he is also a man who keeps his promises, and he expects no less of those who would be trained.”
Felanar couldn’t believe any of this was happening. It wasn’t a dream, it was reality; he was going to be trained to be a servant of the Regent! “Am I really going to be taught to use a sword?”
Bren looked serious. “Yes, Felanar – to strike fear into the heart of your enemy and to make the maidens of your village swoon in delight. You will learn to shoot an arrow that flies straight and true to its target. You will know how to find your way through any woods and swim any river – to ride a horse as if your life depended on it.” He paused for effect. “For you never know, one day it might!” He winked as he said this, and made a friendly smile.
Felanar liked the part about the swooning maiden, but wasn’t sure about his life depending on these skills. What was he getting into?
“But why am I to be trained?” he finally said. “Why me?” This was a question that had been weighing on him ever since the Festival.
Bren looked at him steadily. “Didn’t you tell Ravesfel you would like to learn these things – and be diligent about it besides? Didn’t you tell him you would like to be a servant of the Regent?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Well, then, here I am! Bren, at your service! I am here to teach you all of these things. Ravesfel has told me I am to journey here regularly until you have surpassed even my own skills. That means you will have to be very diligent indeed!”
Further questions were temporarily cut short with the arrival of Chafrar and Alak, smelling of fish and full of curiosity as to the strange horse out front. Sera rushed forward to explain. Felanar looked anxiously at his father to see how he took the news. He knew that his mother would be excited at this new prospect, but his father was more likely to be cautious. Indeed, Chafrar seemed distant to Bren as he was introduced. Alak, of course, was as excited as Felanar, still assuming he was going to take part in this training as well.
“What might be the interest in my boy?” Chafrar asked Bren with a frown as he eased himself into his usual seat by the fire. “I’ve heard what the old man said, but it seemed like a joke to be played on a child and not a real offer.”
Bren looked at the father seriously. “I assure you, it was no joke.” He hesitated a moment, then continued, “But as to the reasons for it, it is not something I have been told. Indeed, I find that I am to stay nearby at the far outpost at the base of the Lofty Mountains and no longer at the palace. I know I am to provide training for Felanar of a kind that even Knights do not receive. I have been told to lie low in your village, and not talk casually of my duties. Yet Ravesfel has told me little about the reasons for an event that will change my life. And the life of your boy here.”
Again he paused, and with a far-off look stared at the fire. He seemed to be weighing two thoughts against each other. Then he sighed and said, turning back to face Chafrar, “I have known Ravesfel my entire life. He has advised the Regent, faithfully and true, as he did the Regent before him and the one before that. I’ve not known him to be anything but trustworthy and wise. I am a man of duty and would take on this assignment whether or not I thought it had merit. Ravesfel’s words, though, always have merit, even if you cannot perceive it at the time.”
He smiled and said “It is not for nothing that he has advised the Regents for generations. He has learned much and has much wisdom to impart. In short, I trust him and will do as I am asked. What say you? Will you grant the same to Felanar?”
Chafrar chewed his lower lip and looked at the floor, but answered slowly and calmly, “I do not defy the Regent or any of his representatives. If it is asked that my boy receive training, then I will not stand in the way. I see no sense in it myself, for what is the point? You say you don’t know, and as sure I am standing here, I cannot know. I am going to train him to be a fisherman, and I hope this training of yours won’t interfere with his learning a sensible trade like that.”
Bren let the implied insult pass by and responded, “Fear not, he will learn to fish. I ask for a day a week for training, and some time for him to practice on his own. I do not know how long his training will take for much depends upon his diligence. We are aware of your customs, though, and it is for this reason that Ravesfel wanted to begin at once. By his twelfth birthday I would hope he would have a lot of the training accomplished and we could continue the process in a manner that would not interfere too much with your work. Indeed, I will be returning to Tranith Argan after a time, and will carry on the training on a sporadic basis after that. Much will depend on Felanar practicing what he is taught.”
“What about me?” finally asked Alak, unable to hold back anymore.
Bren turned to him with surprise and said, “I’ve been told nothing of your training, young master Alak.” Alak’s face dropped, and Bren took on a softer tone as he continued, “I see no harm in your joining us. Assuming, of course, that your father does not object. I must warn you, however, that you must learn by watching, as I will not have time to spend with you. My task is with Felanar, not with you.”
Alak felt both elated and disappointed at this news, for it was true, then, the training really was for Felanar alone. He did not know why and he could not know why, for even the adults didn’t seem to know. Still he could join in, and that in itself was exciting enough.
Sera got up and began preparing supper for the family and their guest. Felanar and Alak sat in front of the seated Bren and asked many questions about the training. Kara helped her mother with the preparations, but also kept a keen ear toward what Bren was saying. She was too shy to say anything, but she intended to learn from her big brothers.
Chafrar just sat there staring at the fire and listening to Bren’s words to his son. He thought of the meaning of this event. It was not unknown for young boys to be trained by emissaries of the Palace. The Regent always had need of skilled young men to serve him. It was not very common, though, for a boy of the Low Men, especially under these circumstances. Bren said he was under orders to remain inconspicuous, if possible. He could understand the concern, for a High Man appearing on a regular basis would certainly cause much talk in the village. Their cottage on the outskirts of Heatherwood was away from most other homes and isolated by tree and hill. But it wasn’t so isolated that a High Man showing up on horseback weekly would not be noticed.
He thought of Ravesfel and his role in all of this. Chafrar could guess at the meaning of his involvement, and had a dim idea that this was going to lead to pain in the future. It had been a long time since he had spoken with Ravesfel. It would be good to have another discussion.
His thoughts were interrupted by Kara’s announcing dinner and they all sat down to eat. Sera wondered what sorts of delicacies were served at the Palace, and how Bren might react to her rustic fare. Any concerns were allayed by Bren’s obvious enjoyment of the bread, stew and vegetables. He seemed to be particularly taken with their home-brewed beer and remarked several times on its flavor. Bren had a way of putting people at ease, regardless of circumstance, and by the end of the meal the family had warmed to their guest and were becoming less overawed by his high station.
After supper Bren graciously accepted their offer of a bed for the night and said that he would be off before the dawn. The training would not begin for a couple of weeks and he had other duties to carry out. For one thing, he needed to report to the outpost where he would be staying. In addition, he had Palace business to attend to in Brookhollow and Upton. When asked what he was to do in those villages, he would not say other than it was a matter that Ravesfel has asked him to look into.
That night each member of the family had much to think about as they lay in bed. Chafrar and Sera spoke in low tones about their concerns. Sera tried to soothe Chafrar, reasoning that Ravesfel had always been honest and good with them, the few times they had dealings with him.
Kara had a very hard time getting to sleep. She was tremendously excited by all that had occurred. Even having a High Man staying under the same roof was newsworthy and she had said she wanted to tell all her friends about this – but was sharply warned by her parents not to say a word. Still, it was exciting and they couldn’t deny it. Just before bed she had gone over to Felanar and looked up at him, her eyes wide open and said, “You’re going to be in the Palace one day! I’m going to join you there. I’m going to serve the Regent too!”
Alak felt numb, pondering how a situation could change so quickly. It was bad enough that Felanar had surpassed him in height and swiftness. At least he had his fishing training and age to hold over his younger brother, but now even that seemed insignificant. Training from the Palace, and specifically for Felanar! As with Kara, he was excited by this turn of events, but he also experienced a sick feeling of envy. Still, he told himself, he could join in the training and could learn from Bren. No doubt his age would help him to learn faster than Felanar and then Bren would see who was the worthier!
Felanar lay in bed trying to sleep. He thought about Bren and wondered if he would ever be like him. Tall and aristocratic, happy and relaxed, at ease and in control of every situation. Would he serve at the Palace, he wondered? That was too much to expect, but if he did well in his training he hoped to prove his worth to Ravesfel, that mysterious old man at the Festival.
As he drifted off to sleep, he fell into a dream. He was sailing on Lake Brindle, fishing nets in hand, on a beautifully sunny, warm day. He felt content as a fisherman, enjoying the sound of the water lapping against the boat. Suddenly — the sky turned black. A storm? No. A shadow, massive and consuming, eclipsed the sun. Dread seized him. He looked wildly about, searching for help. In the distance he saw Bren walking casually along the shore. Felanar cried out but Bren was preoccupied with Ravesfel, who was also walking. The two men were laughing and didn’t hear him. Then the shadow lifted, a scream echoed in the distance and Felanar woke with a start.