Aaron had always wanted to be a soldier. It was something he had only told Hailey. His parents would have looked at him sadly then tried to explain how soldier’s needed two arms to fight. Then they would have told him how much better off he was making candles. Hailey was the only one he knew that he could tell his crazy dreams to because she was the only one who did not dismiss them outright or tell him that he shouldn’t get his hopes up.

And so he had gotten up early and had washed and dressed. They hadn’t given him a soldier’s uniform yet, but he figured that would come soon. The man with the big red beard had agreed, and the mage had given him his sword back.

He didn’t know how castles worked and so he walked down the corridor, trying to keep out of the way of all of the servants running every which way. He decided that it was best to stay close to a wall. That way, he wasn’t in everyone’s way. As he got closer to the kitchen, he asked one of the maids how he would go about getting breakfast. She had bright brown eyes and crooked teeth. She smiled a lot, so it was hard not to notice.

“You new to the manor then?”

“Yes. I start training to be a soldier this morning.”

“Well, most of them eat together, but I don’t see any harm eating with the servants especially since you don’t have a uniform yet. It’s that door, over there.

He passed the kitchen, as the girl had instructed and entered the great hall. It was a large room, with long tables and a raised platform where the king would obviously sit. The tables in one alcove were all filled with servants eating and chatting before they started their morning chores. Many of them eyed him, like they were uncertain what he was doing there, but no one stopped him from ladling out a bowl of porridge for himself.

He found a place to sit alone in a corner, far away from where the nobles might sit. He watched people coming and going here and wondered where the other soldiers were. Maybe it was just too early. Excitement ran through him at that thought. Today he would finally have the opportunity to train to be a soldier. He was sure it was hard work, but he was ready for it.

Finishing his breakfast, he set his bowl down next to a pile of dirty ones on a table and made his way to the practice yard. The sun was up, but he couldn’t see it yet. Buildings and trees clogged the horizon. There was no one else here yet. The practice yard was a large grassy area behind the manor. Barinon had told him where it would be the night before and he had promised to be here bright and early.

He waited. Finally, the bald man with the red beard, Derrick, came strolling into the courtyard. He walked confidently.

“Good morning,” Aaron called to him, relieved that someone was finally here.

The man frowned at him. “You. What do you think I can do with a one armed soldier? I’m surprised you even got your sword belt on by yourself this morning or did you need help with that?”

Aaron was taken aback. The man had not been kind to him last night, but at least he hadn’t been rude. “I did it myself sir,” his voice cracked on this last bit and he blushed.

Derrick blinked. “You are only here because that addled minded girl wanted you to be,” he said. “We will make certain that you decide to quit, because we can’t just kick you out.”

Someone sniggered behind Derrick and Aaron turned to see a few other men watching the exchange. “Men,” Derrick said, “form ranks. Boy,” and he glared at Aaron. “Stay here and stay out of my way. If I think of something useful for you to do, I’ll let you know.”

Aaron didn’t know what to say. He found a bench against the wall of the manor and sat watching the men. He thought about just turning and going home. No one would say anything. He would never have to face these men again, but then he thought about Hailey, about leaving her here alone with people she didn’t know. She would want him to at least try.

Hailey woke to a glass of cold water being splashed in her face. For a moment she thought she was drowning and then she looked up to see Barinon standing over her. She had been sleeping in the most comfortable bed she had ever been in. Now, she was sitting up, gasping for air. “What is wrong with you?” she asked, wiping water from her face.

“You slept so long that breakfast is over. We have a long way to go and I don’t want to still be in the forest when the sun sets.” He walked out of the room and slammed the door.

Hailey pulled herself out of her giant bed, trying to decide if she should do something about the wet blanket or not. She didn’t have time. If he was already angry at her for sleeping in, than she would have to hurry. She pulled off her nightgown, which clung to her skin and made her shiver. Why was he being like this? He could have just knocked. She would have gotten up.

The room she had been given was bigger than anything she had had before. It was like a noblewoman’s room with a couch, a massive four poster bed, and a wardrobe. One corner held a small desk. The dormer window that looked over it would have given plenty of light. She stepped onto the floor but instead of cold stone, a a warm rug met her feet. She even had her own fireplace. It was exciting to have such a place all to her own, even if she didn’t stay here forever. She didn’t want to get up and leave it, but she didn’t want Barinon to be any more upset with her than he already was. She sighed and dressed as quickly as she could manage and hung the wet blanket off the side of the bed. Hopefully it would dry while she was gone.

When she opened the door, Barinon was standing there with his arms folded, looking frustrated. Instead of the mage’s robes that she had seen him in the night before, he wore a shirt and trousers and good boots. He had said they were going to be walking, and so she wore her maid’s dress and her own pair of sturdy boots.

He turned and they began walking. They took a large staircase down to the first level. It opened up onto the great hall, where kitchen maids were tasing down tables. Barinon had been right. Breakfast was long over. The smell of fresh baked bread still hung in the air, making Hailey’s stomach clench with hunger. She supposed it was her own fault. She had trouble sleeping in a different bed, nice as it was. She was also used to all the creaks of the old castle and being in a new place unnerved her. She constantly had the feeling that she didn’t belong, but she had agreed to train with Barinon and she would.

Outside the manor, people worked fields. It was too early for harvesting, but weeding always needed to be done. An old woman nodded to them as they passed. She seemed incapable of standing straight but her hand moved deftly between plants. Already she had a large pile of weeds in her basket. It made Hailey feel even more guilty for sleeping in.

The city seemed to have built right up to the manor, but to the sides of it were farms and behind it was the practice grounds. What lay beyond that was the shimmer. Trees had been cut to a certain line and a stone wall had been built up behind that line to remind people not to cross the shimmer. It wasn’t safe. An arched doorway was in that wall and Barinon stepped through it, seeming unconcerned. The doorways were in the walls, but in more populous parts of the city, they had gates that were locked. This one didn’t even have a door. The opening gaped at her had she stopped moving.

Barinon turned back. “You said you would come with me,” he reminded her. “I’m a mage. I have defenses against things that live in the forest.”

“But no one goes into the forest. It isn’t safe. At least, not past the shimmer.” She couldn’t make her feet move forward.

He took a deep breath. “For this arrangement to work, you are going to have to trust me. If anyone can protect you from the things in that forest, it’s me. Now come.

Hailey tried to control her terror and stepped through the doorway.

Barinon seemed angry with her until now. He paused just outside the doorway. “You see the shimmer, right? Magic is what keeps us safe. It’s what keeps the shimmer intact. Hailey looked up at the shimmer. She had never been this close to it before. It was like a wall reaching up past the trees. Blues and greens intertwined in the translucent wall of magic. It was beautiful, beautiful enough to lure you in, but most people who entered the forest never came out alive. There were legends of those that had, but Hailey didn’t think those stories were real.

“Take my hand,” Barinon offered. She took his large bony hand in her own and held her breath as they stepped through. She didn’t want to breathe in whatever made up the shimmer. As beautiful as it was, it was also something she did not know. They stepped through. Hailey felt a tingle on her skin, more powerful than the one she felt stepping into the spell around the castle.

There were forests that were safe in Taivalon, forests that bordered the city and separated towns from each other. This was not one of them. This was the magical forest of ***. Everyone knew that the fairy king ruled here and that he punished all who came into his realm.

She clung to Barinon’s hand as they traveled. The ground was carpeted in a thick layer of pine needles. She could make out a trail, but it was not much more than a deer path. Every once in a while, they would pass a stake that had been pounded into the ground. The top of it had been painted blue. Fir and the massive spruce trees along with the occasional birch all vied for space. It was dark, even though the sun was well up and cooler in the forest but not uncomfortable. Birds sung in the trees and squirrels scampered across branches ahead. Hailey was surprised at that. She thought only magical creatures lived here, not regular animals like birds.

“What you have heard about this place is true,” Barinon said. “The fairies of this forest will attack most people, but those with the spark of magic… well, the fairies cannot do much to us, and so for the most part they leave us alone, though I think you have a little friend.” He pointed behind her and Hailey spun to see a naked little man with beautiful wings staring angrily at her. She took a few steps away from him and screamed. These were the being that killed people who ventured into the forest.

Barinon stopped walking and sighed. “Ignore him, he’s only angry because you aren’t falling prey to his glamours.”

The fairy flew down, picked up a pinecone and threw it at her head. Then he tried to kick her. He was incredibly fast, but it didn’t hurt. She pulled the pinecone out of her hair and he flew off, a faint yellow glow fading into the trees.

“Why didn’t he bother you?” Hailey asked, looking around for more of them. If the fairies were nothing to be afraid of, maybe something else was. Then again, if enough of them were throwing things at her, they could do some damage.

“I’ve already had an argument with one of his kind. They knew from the moment I stepped into this forest that I wasn’t worth bothering with. You are new and so he fully expected to be able to lure you wherever he wanted.”

“So he can’t hurt me?”

“No. Fairies are harmless to mages. There is a good chance when next you come into this forest that they won’t even bother to look at you.”

Hailey felt a little better, but this forest still made her nervous. She glanced behind her as Barinon continued speaking.

“We have more important things to discuss than the fairies. There is other magic here, magic that you will need if you are going to become a true mage. Magic is what drives our world, what keeps us safe from the fairies, what makes us able to trade with other kingdoms, and what protects us from attacks. It is not often, but on occasion, a magical creature will make it out of the shimmer and then it is the responsibility of the mages to protect the people of the kingdom.”

“Like the dragon?” Hailey asked.

“Exactly,” he responded.

She had seen it flying over the castle a few times now. It had breathed fire on the spell and Hailey worried that the whole castle would burn down but nothing happened. It was a terrifying experience. “So if I’m a mage, I would have to fight the dragon?” She heard the worry in her own voice. She never wanted to go up against something like that. The thought made her shiver. She missed her castle already. It’s safe walls and the spell that protected it, but he had convinced her that this was the best thing she could do for her people. She would do what she had to to keep them safe, even if the thought scared her.

Barinon climbed over a tree that had fallen on the path. “If you are a mage, it is your responsibility to protect the people of the kingdom. Once you complete the rite, you will be able to wield magic, and the fairies will cower when you enter.”