Chapter 4
Ra’m woke the next morning to hear singing. At first to her the words were unintelligible but as she listened it grew into a beautiful (and perfectly intelligible) song. It went something like this:
I went along the fiery road
The trees abroad with flame
Trapped within a glowing rock
The heat upon my fur
I was found then lost again
Left to die that day
Fire burning
Turning trees to dust
I cried for help but no one came
Fire burning
Till the end of day
The trees abroad with flame
Trapped within a glowing rock
The heat upon my fur
I was found then lost again
Left to die that day
Fire burning
Turning trees to dust
I cried for help but no one came
Fire burning
Till the end of day
She now heard that it was Hochiesa who was singing. She walked over to him to tell him that his song was beautiful, but she saw that he was sleeping and went back over to her bed and slept for another hour.
Hochiesa woke up before Ra’m hoping to get some breafast. Nothing was on the table so he started cooking. He made eggs, chicken, and rice, (a rare delicacy according to his parents) with which a certain type of cheese would go nicely.
Smelling the food Ra’m awoke.
“I see you found the food I bought last night when I woke up the first time, the crystal does really get brighter you know, said Ram still a small bit distrustful.
“Yes”, Hochiesa said surprised, “ You got these?”
“Yes I did, I woke up after you sang as well it was beautiful.”
“What song?”
Then Ra’m repeated the song that he had sung. It had been beautiful in his voice but in hers it was harmonious.
As she finished he applauded her and asked, “Well I must of been having a nightmare. Will you sing another, that one was amazing. You are indeed talented, I can only imagine the surprise on that man’s face when you use that amount of talent in your archery.”
“Alright, thank you:
The willows breath is strong and wise
The outcome of it’s forest’s demise
Though it may seem far away
It comes at break of day
The long road you now may travel
As young and free with lifted heart
Though you’ve seen every beast
Have you seen me
The willows breath is strong and wise
The outcome of it’s forest’s demise
Though it may seem far away
It comes at break of day
The long road you now may travel
As young and free with lifted heart
Though you’ve seen every beast
Have you seen me
Ra’m finished the song by jumping onto one of the beds.
Hochiesa laughed, for it was indeed a hilarious sight.
Ra’m got off the bed and headed down the hall to see if the boy was there. She did indeed find the boy. With a few of his friends he escorted her to the academy. Ra’m told the boys stories of above, tales of elves and dragons. By the time they got to the academy they had asked her so many questions she was out of answers.
“Yes Arobier I will tell the elves about you if I ever come across one”, Ra’m said to one of them as she looked up.
The crest that was on the gate she almost walked into, was one of a Rhino like the ones seen by Hochiesa, it was adorned with sapphires and great rubies that made it easy to spot from anywhere in the cavern.
“This was the training ground for the great Rhino riders who once opposed their government because of it’s unfairness. They took money from the weak and helpless and used it for their own personal vendettas but luckily for us they were soon overthrown and a new king was set on the throne, one who supported the Toviitsa or so the legend goes”, Rima’s son said while opening the gate, “Come in, I must see how your aim is if you can aim at all.”
“You shall see”, Ra’m said in response to his final sentence.
Ra’m walked into the courtyard. There were many jewels abroad the walls that surrounded the courtyard, some were is the shape of dragons others of the valiant Dwarves that beheaded them. The courtyard itself was filled with weapons and other students. The ground had a larger version of the Rhino crest on the door, this one being silver.
“You will spend the next hour pulling the bowstring. When I return your uniform will be given to you”, Rima’s son said with a powerful voice.
“Yes sir, but I have to ask you something. Why are you in an abandoned Dwarven city if the Dwarves are aligned with the Toviitsa?” asked Ra’m curious.
“Well we have run into a lot of trouble but this is as dangerous as any place, we like to think it isn’t but it is and well frankly the Toviitsa don’t look for you underground they think all humans reside above the earth. You should know that even though they will hunt you down, not all Were-Foxes are evil there is a lesser tribe called the Sorviiasta.”
“So I have been told by Hochiesa.”
“Ahh yes the one who hunts by night, he has a strong name for a younger one.”
After a long and rather imposing silence Ra’m told her teacher, “If you excuse me sir I have to work on my pulling.”
“Alright youngling, I will leave you. You know you don’t have to be so polite don’t you”, he replied smiling.
“I will be as polite or impolite as I want to.”
At that moment he left her ignoring the fact that she had been rebellious towards him. Rima’s son had seen far worse from some of the children those children had sworn and spit at him. Though their usage of language never became minute, their attitudes changed. In her he sensed the amazement and wonder at the beauty of the Dwarves golden age.
The Dwarves were not always ruinous and chaotic, they were once a great people who found their love in stone. They created many beautiful and wondrous things at that time and age. They were loved and most definitely feared.
The Toviitsa had seen how great a race the Dwarves had become in their world so they went to the Dwarven leaders and convinced him to work as their inside agent on the whereabouts of each dwarf and dwarfling in the clans of this world. Little did they know, and to their advantage, the Riognahs or Rhino riders were to overthrow their own government in which the Toviitsa placed a greedy and selfish Were-fox in a high position of their council. That Fox was killed during the raid of the council in the Dwarves revolutionary age.
Those days were thought to have been the last of the corruption, and it wasn’t till the first king did the corruption begin again. The Toviitsa had planted another one of their own in their government. This time they decided the operative should be the highest authority in the Dwarven government. That Toviitsa still leads the Dwarves today.
The hour passed quickly and Ra’m relaxed for the last time as her teacher entered the room. She had been bored most of the time since up till now no one had been there and she was doing one action several times over, nevertheless she was tired.
Ra’m watched as her teacher walked in with Hochiesa. Her teacher handed her a gold tunic with a pair of brown pants, like Hochiesa was wearing, telling her to go and put them on. When she returned with the clothing on he gave her a cloak, black and mysterious but it had a red Dragon brooch to hold the ends together.
“Thank you Mr…” Ra'm said.
“Roansa, but you will call me teacher.”
“Yes teacher”, Ra’m said bowing, “So when do I begin a new training session.”
“When you show me how your aim is.”
Ra’m nodded and brought her bow out. She grabbed an arrow and strung the bow. Cautiously she aimed and when she finally shot she hit the center. They all were shocked no one had ever hit the middle on their first try before. Ra’m herself was even shocked mostly because at the time she had been dizzy.
“Amazing”, Roansa said, “You’ve managed to do something I’ve never thought possible till now.”
“I still don’t believe it myself”, Ra’m said in wonder and fear.
“You have quite a talent. The only other time I’ve ever seen this was when a Dragon Master came to my tribe 100 years ago”, Hochiesa said.
“What”, Ra’m said shocked, “You can’t be that old.”
“Yes Ra’m I am and have been ‘that old’ since the beginning of our journey together.”
“It’s not a journey as you say it’s a… an expedition.”
“Whatever”, Hochiesa replied barely audible, “It’s the same thing.”
“Both of you stop fighting are we going to get training done or not”, teacher Roan said annoyed, “We will begin by doing one-hundred pull-ups stat.”
The two obeyed him immediately and began their rounds. Ra’m wondered how old Hochiesa’s mother was, if she was even alive. She didn’t understand why he had not looked his age but she continued despite the confusion.
Two hours later they finished. Despite the pain in their arms (more-so for Ra’m) they were ready for more training unfortunately they were sent to their rooms to get settled. They didn’t talk at any time as they walked, they were too deep in thought to even think about speaking to one another.
When they got there Ra’m sat on the bed in her room. It was nice to be in a room with just other girls no boys to bother her. Even though the girls in the room whispered all night she was able to get a good amount of rest.
The months passed quickly and she got better and better. Soon she was in the adult classes (mostly because all the techniques they taught there were simple). Though she fought well, her mind was never on strategy All was going well until the Dwarves came.
They attacked like nothing anyone had ever seen quick, agile, strong. The town guards tried to hold the forces back but were unsuccessful. They flooded the streets burning pillaging. Roansa grabbed Ra’m and Hochiesa and told them to run and to bring the woman and children with them. Ra’m and Hochiesa did as they were told and made sure the people got out safely. Once they were at a safe distance they watched as their training ground and home burned.


