The first thing Garinor noticed as he looked around the room was that it was intended for visitors. Three long padded benches ran the perimeter of the room, with small tables in the corners between them and low tables in front of them with flowers. Numerous bright paintings were hung, many of which had clearly been created by very young children, adding to the merry ambience.
Garinor sat on one of the benches and peered out the window. He could see small groups of children milling around out in the brilliant afternoon. They seemed happy, as if they didn’t have a care in the world. He wished he could have been one of them, carefree with no worries.
The door opened soon after and in stepped the old woman who had first greeted him when he had arrived in a panic. She carried a tray with a pot of steaming water and several cups. As she set it down on the table he also noted she had small sandwiches to eat as well.
“Help yourself, that’s a boy,” she said, taking a seat near him and pouring out tea.
“I’m sorry for—”
“Now stop that,” she said. “There is only one person to blame for all the trouble and that’s the one behind all this, so no more of that.”
He nodded and bit into a sandwich. “Thank you for your help.”
She patted his knee. “There, there. Some people do still act like human beings. My sisters and I have all been working for years to help those little ones in need. The five of us started this orphanage many years ago and it’s grown over the years.”
“Five of you?” he asked before he could stop himself.
“Yes, dear. Oh, the others told you there are four of us, well that’s all fine. Our youngest sister wanted to take her skills to another place. She ventured off to Kallinoria, thinking the big city would need a place like this one. And I must say that she has done well by herself.” She leaned in and winked at Garinor, “Of course we taught her everything she knows.”
He couldn’t help but smile.
“Now, we ought to get to introducing ourselves, shouldn’t we? Let’s see, in order by age, I think? I am Inera, and I oversee the basic needs of the orphanage. Reina is the chef among us, and she teaches the children to cook and to prepare food. It’s a vital skill. Arine is the athlete of the group and she trains the children in basics of battle but also in games of skill. We have sports competitions all throughout the year here. Niare is the gardener and she works closely with Reina to ensure the gardens will support us. I say sometimes she has a gift about her, the things she can do with a plant and soil. Then there is Erina, who is a master seamstress and who was the mastermind behind setting up this place to be so self-sufficient.
“We were orphaned at an early age ourselves, and it was Reina and I who really raised the others. It was our calling to help others who, like us, weren’t as fortunate as to be able to care for themselves. This place started as our house and through the years we’ve added to it little by little. The children all help in one form or another. There’s time for play, but there’s also time for duty.
“Years ago, though, there came word that there was a prophecy in the land and that it would come into play in our lifetimes. We turned to digging out the underground deeper and wider and we planned to help those who would be the most affected.” She poured herself more tea and let the words sink in for a moment before she continued.
“You have met the others marked by destiny,” she said. “Well, not ‘marked’ so much as being unfortunate enough to have been born the same year as the heir to the throne. They’ve come to us through the years when others discovered the prophecy and they wanted their boys hidden. We’ve turned away very few, and almost to our detriment.”
She set her cup down and looked at Garinor. “You see, even among the children there can be spies. Boys your age who would rather report the happenings here to their own gain instead of looking out for the good of the land. These are difficult times.”
“But how do you know who the spies are?” Garinor asked.
“There are ways, but I will not reveal them to you just yet. After all,” she added with a grin, “what if you’re a spy yourself?”
“I’m not. But I understand what you’re saying. When I was downstairs, I was wondering if I was really being jailed instead of protected.”
“Of course. Truth rarely parades around freely.” She motioned for Garinor to take another sandwich and to drink more tea, which he did. “You may be aware that you were followed here.”
He nodded cautiously. “I thought so. I was reluctant to come but I didn’t have anywhere else to hide.”
“Understandable. As you can see, we’ve dealt with them, so there’s no need to worry.” She took up her tea again and sipped. “They told a tale that you had stolen one of their horses and had run this way with it, perhaps intending to sell it off. But I pointed out that the only horses here are branded with our insignia. They insisted that you had come this way and we served them food and drink, as we have with you. Once they were sated and calm, they left in pursuit of you toward the east, reluctant though they were to leave. But footsteps in the dirt were more alluring than the prospect of looking for you amidst all the children here.”
Garinor was grateful for having his tracks covered, but he felt awkward that these strangers had acted so decisively to protect him. It reminded him of how Tomli had acted back in the forest when the hunters had appeared.
“Now that you have eaten and heard my tale, it is your turn.”
Garinor took some time to tell his story, from being taken from home, running from the archers, stumbling into Arvion, setting out east to find the stone that burned in his pocket even now, to being discovered by the riders, and eventually leading here.
Inera’s face was lit with amusement as he wove his tale and when he finished, she smiled. “Well told, I must say, for one so young. And never once did you contradict your story.”
“I—well, it was the truth of what happened.”
“Yes, I know. I could hear it in your voice and I saw it in your eyes. But also,” she added with a slight laugh, “you had no choice but to be honest with me. The tea you have been drinking has a blend of herbs in it that, shall we say, opens the tongue. It works better on younger children like yourself and not as much on old ladies like me.”
Garinor stared down into the cup and only then acknowledged that he would have told her the entire tale anyway, but with one omission. He would have left out the discovery of the stone, which he still felt he needed to protect.
“Now,” she said into the silence, “I know that’s an unfair game of me to play, but there’s much at stake if we fail in our duty. I do beg your forgiveness.”
“No, it’s fine. I understand.” He looked at her then. “I don’t suppose you’d tell me what’s in this tea, then? It could be helpful.”
Inera laughed. “You are a clever boy, indeed, Garinor. But no, I’ll not let you in on that secret.”
He shrugged and smiled, not really expecting an answer. And despite knowing what was in the tea, it tasted good and he continued to drink it.
“Now there is one other detail,” Inera said with a sigh. “The two men who arrived told us of a boy they were following, which I told you already. But even without the tale of the stolen horse, they were looking for you.”
His brows furrowed. “Me in particular?”
“Yes,” she said with a tinge of sorrow. “I regret telling you this, but you must be aware of it. They have a drawing of you. Crude and vague but it looks enough like you to be accurate.” She steadied herself and gazed into Garinor’s eyes. “You mentioned the prophecy in your own tale and this relates to that as well. For it seems that the prince has recently uncovered the identity of the one who would overthrow his power. And he has started having replicas made and sent to various encampments so they can all be on the lookout. For you.”
From what he knew in his conversation with Elder Dorin, he was wrapped up in the prophecy. But now this. The prince was seeking him directly now. Chills ran up and down his spine as he sat there, clutching the warm cup in his hands.
“It’s a terrible burden to have thrust upon you, but it’s yours to bear, I’m afraid.”
Everything started feeling heavier to him. His heart was pulled down and he felt himself sinking into the floor beneath him. The prince was after him all this time. He thought of the thirty or so boys who were downstairs in hiding and of his own friends. He wondered how many people’s lives had been changed or ended because the prince was seeking him.
“But at least,” Garinor said tonelessly, “the ones downstairs won’t have to hide anymore. It also means that I can’t stay. I’ll endanger them.”
Inera shook her head. “We have protected them for years and not one has died because of this nonsense. You may stay a while if you like.”
Garinor wasn’t so sure.