Omen: 2, 16

  Elder Lykan had called for Adam in the m. He held out a ring to Adam, which taihe heart of a Dragon, one which would have satisfied Big Ivory’s ditions. If it didn’t satisfy him, then the Iyr would have had to speak politely with the Guardian of the Awakened Forest.

  “Thank you,” Adam said, quickly donning the ring on his ring finger, as though he were married to the heart.

  Elder Lykan raised his brow towards Adam, who hadn’t checked. Adam smiled, nodding his head towards the handsome Front Iyr Elder, leaving the business at that. Adam had o check, for they were Iyrmen.

  “Adam,” called an older Orcish Iyrman from nearby. He wore the clothes of the Iyr, with s all the to his forearms. At his forehead was a tattoo of a red cross, with yellow hollowed ovals to its sides. At his back ear, which was made of a blue steel, with runes which glittered in the m sun.

  “Okvar?” Adam replied, reag up to shake the Iyrman’s forearm. “Are you one of the two Iyrmen?”

  “I am.” Okvar smiled. He hadn’t seen Adam in some time, but he was one of the few Iyrmen who had go with Adam before he had made a name for himself. “You should e and speak the tale once more.”

  “Well,” Adam replied, awkwardly. “I’m not so good with the stories, you know that.”

  The Orcish Iyrman smiled. “Are we to sy another Dragon?”

  “Not this time. In fact, I hope we don’t e across any Dragons, since I have some busio attend to.”

  “You still wish to keep it a secret?”

  Adam winked. “You should know the kind of queer Half Elf I am.”

  “I do.” hed.

  “If you’re here, does that mean Wujyn is ing with us too?”

  “No, she is busy.” Okvar held in his smile. “However, there is a Guardian who was eager to join.”

  “Are they Mithril Rank like you?” Adam asked.

  Okvar winked.

  “You are Adam?” the woman asked, reag out to shake Adam’s forearm. Adam thought her face was cute, but she was also tall and wide like an auroch. Adam swore she was reted to Nobby some how, sidering how huge she was. She was slightly wider than Adam ie mail, and carried at her side a mstar. On her back was a shield, which covered her pabsp;

  “Yes,” Adam replied, meekly.

  “Rasam,” the woman said. “I have heard you are a great warrior, an Expert with both magid bde.”

  Adam wasn’t liking where this versation was heading. “Something like that.”

  “Once we step into the Awakened Forest, would you face me in bat?” Rasam asked. “I would like to see how strong you are.”

  “Maybe, but I’m not making any promises. I already had to give up a magical on, and I’m rather afraid of you Iyrmen.”

  Rasam threw Okvar a look, who replied with a smile. “You are as meek as they say.” She had joined up on this request because she thought there would be great glory to be had.

  “Being meek is the point this time. I’ve got a task to plete, so I don’t want any trouble until I finish up with my mischief.”

  “Mischief?” Rasam asked. That was not what she would have called this task, but she allowed Adam his peabsp;

  The Half Elf before them smiled ily.

  Ohey met with the group, Kitool he woman, and approached her. “I am Kitool.”

  “Shaool’s grandniece?” Rasam asked, before shaking the woman’s forearm. “I see that you are doing well and have brought glory to your family.”

  Kitool bowed her head. “I am only fortunate.”

  Rasam looked to Adam, before smiling back to Kitool. “It is no matter. You will do well, and bring much mlory.” She part Kitool’s shoulder as gently as she could manage.

  Nobby stared at the woman, his eyes twinkling slightly, w if he and Rasam were somehow reted.

  “Jurot?” Adam called.

  “Yes?”

  Adam motioned his head to Rasam and Nobby, before raising his brows.

  Jurot remained silent for a long while. “What?”

  “Are they reted?” Adam finally asked.

  Jurot gnced between the pair quickly, before looking to Adam, his eyebrows shifting almost imperceptibly. “No,” Jurot replied, with the slightest hint of shock. He had no idea how anyone could possibly think the pair could be reted sihey looked nothing alike.

  “We will be joining you on the way to the Front Iyr,” Okvar informed, but he said no more.

  The Iyrmen within the group didn’t question it, sihere were a multitude of reasons as to why there would be a pair of Mithril Rank Iyrmen ing with them.

  “Hey, is Rasam famous?” Adam asked, whispering to Kitool.

  “She is like grandaunt,” Kitool said. “She is young, and already Mithril Rank, and she will give up her freedom to bee one of the Iyr’s greatest.”

  “Do you know all those like her? Those willing to give up their rights to bee the stro?”

  “There is a choice to be made to retire at Mithril Rank, or to make it known to the entire Iyr that you are to give up your freedoms to bee one of the Iyr’s greatest,” Kitool said. “Some do not.”

  Adam wondered if she meant making the choice to bee one of the greatest, or to make it known, but he wasn’t sure if he wao know. He looked at Rasam, realising she did appear to be much youhan Okvar, though apparently they held the same rank.

  They made their way out of the Front Iyr quickly, Adam eager to leave. Watg them from afar were the two Lords, each of whom were drinking.

  “Why did you want to watch him go?” the Dwarf asked.

  “It may be the st time we meet,” Strom replied, sipping from his cup of wine.

  “You asked him to return for you.”

  “I asked him to return, but that doesn’t mean I’ll be there for him. It doesn’t matter, since my message will be passed on. It’s a shame I won’t be able to look at his face he finds out I’ve died. Well, I’ll also be taking his precious sister out of the Iyr first too.”

  The Dwarf sighed. “I hope he doesn’t return, or that Demon girl.”

  “You should hope that he returns at least,” Strom said, finishing the bottle of wiossing it aside. “I’ve bet too mu him for him to die.”

  The Dwarf eyed him suspiciously. Out of all the Lords she khe Lord of Storms was one of the most erratic. He had calmed since his youth, but that was during a time she would beat him into submissioime. Her eyes fell across the group who had left and wondered what Strom viewed of them for him to be so incessant on their worth.

  ‘Should I kill them?’

  The Awakened Wolf returned back to the Front Iyr, pantiedly.

  ‘Is that a sign?’

  It was early in the evening when the group approached the vilge, with a freshly summoned elk and owl also in tow. Merl, the Chief, greeted the group quickly, and ihem inside.

  “Are you an Expert yet?” Merl asked Nobby, who was slowly sipping his soup.

  “No,” the boy replied.

  “How you make me wait this long?”

  Adam cleared his throat. “It’s alright. ces are, Nobby will be an Expert in the year or two at most.”

  “A year or two?” Merl asked. She had been joking about Nobby being an Expert so soon, sidering he wasn’t eveeen. However, she had inally seen both Adam and Jurot as young kids at the beginning of the st year, and they had returned during dawnval of this year as Experts. “I wait that long.”

  Merl, the granddaughter, wondered what they were talking about. How her grandmother could fall for something so ridiculous was beyond her, and she looked to Jurot for help.

  “We should aim to make him an Expert before we return,” Jurot said.

  Young Merl wondered how many years that would take. From what she khe average Expert was close to their thirties, and would retire at that age so they didn’t meet an untimely death. Of course, there were many great prodigies who became Experts by the time they were in their mid twenties, and then there were Iyrmen, a handful of whom would bee Experts before they turwenty, but they were groomed from young for such a task.

  “At the end of this year?” Adam asked.

  “At the end of this year or the ,” Jurot said.

  Young Merl’s eyes fell to Jurot’s once more, w what he was saying. Had it been another individual, she would have assumed they were a chartan, but the nearby vilges all khat Iyrmen told the truth. They would always e when they said they would, and would always assist the vilges whehey came through.

  ‘ they really…’

  Chief Merl refused the gold s, though Adam tried to hand them over. “We ot take them from you, not after all you’ve done.” Merl had he presence of the two older Iyrmen, as well as all the young Iyrmen, so assumed they were off to train during this year. She would not take their gold from them, not when it was su important time for these youth.

  “Return with the handsome young man as an Expert and you will not have to pay the fee for some time,” the Chief whispered.

  “At least take a single gold , so that my heart feels at ease, Chief.”

  She grumbled quietly, but accepted the gold . “I will only do it out of gratitude.”

  Adam remained quiet for some time. “Gratitude? I’m the orying to pay you for your hospitality!”

  The vilges on the way to Red Oak were simir, refusing the gold s, though Adam mao hand them one gold . The Chiefs had all he same thing, and it was not good fortuo take their gold as they passed by. When young Iyrmen passed by the vilge to train, the vilges would often do their best to put them up, sihey would return iure to assist them. There were some Iyrmen who would return year round to assist during the Beast Wave and Uhreats.

  ‘Is it because I’m an Elf?’ Adam thought, only to recall how eager they had been to take his gold previously.

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  Even leaving the Iyr is slow? Eugh. I bet there's going to be no a for a feters.