The Stewards of Reed, Volume 1: The Rise of Fallon (2 page)

Fallon had not quite decided his course in life. He rather enjoyed school and did quite well in the various subjects, but he also enjoyed working the farm with his father. For his part, Tobias did not pressure Fallon either way. “The farm shall always be here if you want it, son,” he answered whenever Fallon voiced his indecision.

As of late, Fallon had been leaning towards staying in school. In three years he would be done with his studies, at which point he would have the option to attend the university in Bartow. It had been a secret dream of his to see what life was like outside of Reed, a seed that had been planted two years prior when a wayward visitor from Jessum stumbled upon the schoolhouse and began telling tales of life in the mining town, much to the annoyance of Fallon’s teacher. Of course, Fallon was not certain he would ever go to the university; he did not know if he could leave his family and the only home he had ever known. These were the thoughts that filled his mind as he fell into a restless sleep that night.

*************

The following morning Zeke came barreling into Fallon’s room and jumped onto the bed. “Happy birthday!” he exclaimed.

Fallon was a bit startled by the rude awakening, but the sleepy haze soon left his mind and he smiled and hugged his brother. “Thank you, Zeke.”

“Do you feel any different?” asked Zeke, who began eyeing Fallon suspiciously, as if he expected to find that his brother had somehow changed overnight.

“No, I do not,” answered Fallon, stretching his arms high above his head as he yawned. He rose from his bed and began to undress.

It was Zeke who noticed it first. “What is that?” he asked, pointing to Fallon’s chest.

Fallon looked down and his heart skipped a beat. He walked over to the mirror above the wash basin and watched in the reflection as his fingers traced the design. He took a rag, wetted it, and attempted to scrub it off. But it was not dirt and he knew it.

“It is the mark of the Steward of Reed,” he said at last.

For once, his brother had nothing to say.

Fallon finished changing in silence and walked out into the kitchen with his brother. He thought of his dreams, of being torn between exploring life outside Reed and staying on the farm, and he thought about how different everything would be now.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he did not hear his brother ask repeatedly, “Fallon, is something wrong?” He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he did not notice Zeke run out of the house.

The sound of the front door slamming shut as Zeke returned with his father finally interrupted Fallon’s rambling thoughts.

“What is the matter, son?” Tobias asked. “Zeke says you are not yourself. Are you not feeling well?”

His father was obviously concerned, but Fallon shook his head. “I am fine, Father. I have something to show you.” Fallon opened up his shirt and revealed the mark.

Tobias stared at his son’s chest. “Wizards be damned,” he muttered with shock. His father managed a small smile. “Aye, you shall be fine, my son.”

“What is the Mark of Reed?” asked Zeke, somewhat remembering what his brother had called it earlier.

“It is a special mark for special people,” answered his father after a pause. “Your brother has been chosen to be the next Steward of Reed, the highest honor of this village.”

*************

After a quick breakfast, Tobias and his sons packed up their horse, Sadie, and headed to Elizabeth’s house. Elizabeth saw them approaching and called to them from the front porch. “I was not expecting you so soon, but I am most pleased to see you. Our grey mare finally had her foal – just in time,” she said, winking at Tobias. “He is a beautiful thing.”

“Boys,” Tobias said, “I must speak with Elizabeth and Jonas for a moment. You should go have a look at the foal.”

Fallon and Zeke headed over to the barn while Tobias walked up the front steps of the porch. Talia soon joined them. “Papa sent me here,” she explained. “They must have something important to discuss.”

Fallon knew what they were talking about, but he tried not to think of it.

“Have you seen him yet?” Talia asked.

“No, which stall is he in?” asked Zeke.

“The last one – all the way in the back.”

Talia led them to the last stall and slowly opened the door to reveal a large grey mare and her little black and grey foal. The foal eyed his visitors cautiously and stayed close to his mother.

“It is all right, Gretta,” Talia said softly to the mare. “We shall not disturb your baby; we just wanted to show Fallon his birthday present.”

Fallon turned to Talia, his eyes wide with excitement. “You mean to say the foal is mine?”

“Aye! And I kept the secret for two whole weeks,” Zeke reported proudly. “What shall you name him?”

“Attawan.” Fallon heard himself answer without even hesitating. He had no idea where the name had come from – it just rolled off his tongue.

“I like it,” said Talia. “Attawan,” she repeated in a whisper.

The children were so enthralled watching Gretta and Attawan that they failed to notice when Jonas, Elizabeth and Tobias entered the barn.

“Are you pleased, son?” asked Tobias.

“Aye. He is a beauty. Thank you,” said Fallon, his eyes still focused on the young foal.

“We shall take good care of him for you while you are gone,” said Elizabeth.

It was a cruel reminder that Fallon’s destiny was leading him down a path he had not envisioned for himself. “Can I not take him with me?” protested Fallon. “I might need a horse.”

Tobias spoke softly to his son. “Perhaps, but he is young yet. He needs more time with his mother. Have you given him a name?”

Fallon started to answer but Zeke was quicker. “Attawan. And what do you mean, when he is gone? Where is Fallon going?” The young boy looked up at his father.

The adults exchanged quick glances, but for the moment no one answered Zeke.

“Is Fallon going somewhere?” asked Talia, who was equally confused by the conversation.

“Let us go back to the house and let the horses alone,” Elizabeth suggested. “There is much to discuss.”

“Is it about the mark?” asked Zeke.

Tobias nodded.

*************

Zeke did not take the news well. Tears began falling from his eyes as his father explained that Fallon must leave them, that he had a special job to do and needed special training – training that he could not receive at the farm in Littlebrook. Talia remained quiet, but she was obviously shaken by the news as well. She stared down at the table and bit her lip.

“I shall return as often as I am able,” Fallon assured his brother, though he did not know how often that might be.

“You promise to return for my birthday?” sniffed Zeke. “I shall turn six this year.”

“Even if I must sneak away from the Steward!” This boast from Fallon brought a smile to Zeke’s face.

“Aye, all right – you may go,” said Zeke finally, not understanding that Fallon would be leaving with or without his blessing.

“Thank you, Zeke,” said Fallon as he ruffled his brother’s hair.

Zeke remained behind with Elizabeth as Tobias and Fallon said their good-byes. “I shall return tomorrow,” promised Tobias.

But without Fallon,
Zeke thought, wiping his tears away.

*************

It would take a good part of the day to reach the Village Square – especially with old Sadie carrying two riders along the hilly terrain. Tobias started off at a slow pace – in part because he did not want to tire out his horse – but also because he wanted to enjoy these last few hours with his oldest son before everything changed.

As they rode along in silence, the terrain gradually changed from rolling hills to land that sloped gently downwards towards the center of the village. Sadie found the ride much easier now and the pace picked up a bit. After a few hours, they stopped for lunch. The rolls and cheese that Elizabeth packed for them were quickly devoured, and words between a father and son were finally spoken.

“Your mother would have been proud, Fallon. It grieves me that she is not here to see what a fine young man you have become.” Tobias’s voice cracked a little as he remembered his wife. “She would have been amazed that a son of hers was marked to be the next Steward of Reed. But she would not have been surprised; she always said her boys were special.”

Fallon smiled and tried to remember his mother. She was beautiful, with dark hair and the bluest eyes. He remembered her always laughing, even after the sickness took hold. Though his mother always seemed tired and weak after the birth of Zeke, somehow she still managed to smile. One day, his mother complained of a sore throat and a fever and went to bed early. She never woke up.

“I cannot remember if I told her I loved her that night,” Fallon lamented aloud.

“Even if you did not speak those words that night, she knew it to be true. And she loved you – both of you.”

“It is a shame that Zeke has no memory of her.” His brother had been just barely a year old when she died.

“Aye. But she was happy she lived to see his first steps and hear his first word,” Tobias said.

“Hiya!” Fallon smiled remembering the word that Zeke repeated over and over to anyone who would listen.

They were quiet for some time before Fallon spoke again. “Father, do you know Steward Isaiah?”

“Aye,” his father replied. “When the Plague took the life of my parents – your grandparents – as well as Steward Isaiah’s wife and many other Reedites, a memorial service was held near the old oak tree in the Village Square. We lit a candle for the departed and said a few words in remembrance of them. Steward Isaiah made a point to speak to each of us afterwards.”

“What did he say to you?” Fallon asked.

“His words were kind,” Tobias recalled. “He said I was far too young to have suffered such a loss, but that I must stay strong, that I needed to take care of my sister Rebecca. I believe his children were of similar ages, so I suspect he took pity on us in particular.”

“How old were you?”

“I was seventeen; Rebecca was but thirteen. It was especially difficult for her.”

Things made more sense now. The relationship between his father and Aunt Rebecca had always been strained; it must have been hard to lose their parents so young, and to have Tobias suddenly in the role of a guardian. Fallon hoped he would never have to do that for his own brother, Zeke. Then it occurred to him that the Steward of Reed is the guardian for the entire village. The thought terrified him.
What if I am not a good Steward?

They started back on the road. It was an uncharacteristically clear day (the Village of Reed always seemed to be cloaked in fog or mist) and the downward-sloping terrain allowed them to see quite far. As the Village Square appeared in the distance, Fallon was gripped with a growing sense of panic. He knew his life would never be the same.

*************

As Isaiah’s father had done sixty years prior, Tobias knocked on the Council Chamber door and spoke to the man who answered. “Hello, I am Tobias of Littlebrook. This is my son Fallon. We have come to see the Steward.”

“The Steward is occupied at the moment. What is the purpose of your visit?” inquired the doorman.

“Today is my son’s 13
th
birthday. He awoke this morning to find his chest marked.”

With those words the man’s eyes grew wide and he ushered them both inside the entry hall. “Please wait here. I shall find the Steward.” The man disappeared through the double doors that led to the inner chambers.

Fallon and Tobias sat in the same uncomfortable chairs that Isaiah and his father had all those years before, but this time the wait was not long. The Council of Elders had been called to a special meeting that day to discuss recent reports that Komanites had been spotted near the northeast part of the village. It had been a particularly long winter and there was concern of an imminent raid.

Steward Isaiah emerged from the double doors. He smiled at Tobias and Fallon.

“Hello Tobias, I hope you have been well.”

“Aye, Steward. And I you.”

“I see your sister Rebecca every now and again.”

“Aye, she lives in the Square; her husband Charles runs the fabric shop on the east end.”

Isaiah nodded and turned his attention to Fallon. “Hello, Fallon, I am Isaiah. I have been waiting for you. There is much I shall teach you, and so much more for you to learn.”

Fallon’s “hello” response was barely audible as he shook Isaiah’s hand.

Isaiah smiled. “I must tell you how delighted I am that you are here, Fallon,” he said. “You understand that your apprenticeship must begin immediately?”

“Aye, sir, I understand,” replied Fallon. With courage that surprised him, Fallon made his plea. “I know it is only a few months away, but if you permit, I would like to take leave at the end of Heptuly; I promised my brother Zeke that I would not miss his birthday.” Fallon was nervous to hear the Steward’s response; he did not know what he would do if the request was denied.

“Of course,” said Isaiah with a warm smile, “though I ask that the visit be short. There is much for us to do, and there is not much time.”

Relieved, Fallon smiled brightly and nodded in response.

“Now, please say your good-byes to your father and join me when you are ready.” Isaiah shook Tobias’s hand and walked back to the double doors.

Tobias hugged his son. “Be good, my son. We shall see you in a few months.”

“Aye,” Fallon replied. “And you shall take care of Attawan?” He had not forgotten about his birthday present.

“Of course,” Tobias said. “I love you always, son.”

“I love you, too.”

After Tobias left, Fallon turned back to Isaiah, who had been patiently waiting on the other side of the entry hall. He walked towards the old man and together they entered the inner chambers.

*************

It is unfortunate that very few Reedites have ever seen the Council’s inner chambers, for it is one of the more stunning spaces within the village. The floor was adorned in a beautiful mosaic tile unlike anything Fallon had ever seen. There were no windows, but the walls were lined with bookshelves, maps, and works of art from faraway places – all things that intrigued Fallon’s young mind. But it was the ceiling that really captured Fallon’s attention. Large wooden beams crisscrossed the circular ceiling in a wheel spoke pattern, with an enormous candelabra hanging from the center. In between each of the beams were the most beautiful pieces of stained glass lit up in various shades of blue, yellow, green and red by the fading sunlight outside. As he began to study the glass more intently, Fallon’s thoughts were interrupted by Steward Isaiah’s voice.