I walked behind him down the hall and along the balcony above the corridor. He descended the stairs with me in tow. We walked to the doors that had been closed when I saw them the day before. This time, they hung open into the room, allowing bright sunshine to filter out into the corridor. I stood by myself after stepping through the door and into a ballroom large enough to hold hundreds of people. Stone statues of creatures missing since well before my birth sat in front of each window lining the far wall of the room.
The first depicted a centaur warrior, in what I would assume would be life-sized proportions if they still existed, poised with his bow in hand and an arrow ready to be loosed on his target. His face held a serious expression, as his eyes fixed on a spot ahead of him with a large quiver of arrows strapped to his back. His hair, in many tiny braids, sat tied in a collection on his back. To the right of him stood a dwarf, also life-like in size, clad in battle armor. His long beard rested on his chest, divided into two braids and reached the belt around his thick waist. In front of him, with his arms resting on the top of the blades, stood a dual axe. The next statue was the most beautiful and captivating of all. An elf, tall, sleek, and elegant, stood wearing a smooth gown and a belt wrapped around her delicate waist. She held her right hand over her heart with her head bowed, as if in a silent prayer. Her other hand remained at her side, holding a flower resembling a large poppy.
The end of the room held a massive fireplace that almost took up the entire wall. Surrounding the mantle were floor to ceiling shelves filled with more books than I had ever knew existed. I couldn’t believe so many had been written. The dark wood had a red, glossy finish. They were smooth and plain, without the intricate carvings all over them as found with most of the other wooden furnishings in the small palace. I found the contrast intriguing, and I liked the change, especially for a room that held such serenity.
The final wall held the most curiosity for me. Besides the door near the corner, the wall was filled with weapons of all types and sizes. Underneath the display sat rows of chairs in the same wooden color with deep burgundy cushions in the seats.
“Wait right there.” Enid pointed to the spot I stood and removed the hood from his head. Eyes of captivating blue stared at me with a sadness that glowed beneath them. I was surprised by his long blond hair, pulled back and tied low. I half expected him to be bald or look more like Marren. His nose was shorter than Marren’s and rounded at the tip, not pointed. His lips were more square-shaped than round, and his cheeks sat high under his eyes. His thick eyebrows curved a little too round but didn’t take away from his attractiveness. I found him handsome, but not astonishingly so.
I nodded as he walked to the display of weapons and pull down a short sword. He brought the beauty over, holding it out to me like a lavish gift.
I took the sword, handling with care, and inspected the craftsmanship. The sword was much lighter than expected. The blade curved out on both sides then returned at the tip. The length matched the span from my waist to my knee, and green fabric and brown leather strips wrapped around the hilt. The cap on the end had a beautiful light blue crystal clutched tight by silver fingers.
Out of the corner of my eyes, Enid pulled his sword from its sheath. My eyes met his with a question that dissolved into a challenge.
“Let’s see what you’ve got.” His lips pulled back, revealing white rows of teeth in perfect alignment.
I smiled in return with the anticipation of a duel. “You’ve asked for it.”
“We shall see,” he retorted.
I held the sword in front of me, taking my stance as he took his. When he stepped to his right, I matched his movement, keeping eye contact with him. For several paces, we moved like this. Neither of us wanted to make the first move.
Realizing we could go on like this forever, I lunged first. He defrayed my attack and took an immediate counter. I dodged. The thrill of the exercise energized me, making me feel good again. Almost whole.
Soon we danced to an orchestra of clashing steel and shuffling footsteps. The more we fought, the more energized I became. Then Enid increased the skill level. He moved faster than me and nearly disarmed me more times than I cared to count.
On a turn, something bright caught my eye. The gleam stung and forced me to squeeze my eyes close. At that moment, Enid swept my feet from underneath me. My fall caused me to release my sword, sliding out to my side just out of reach. I moved to grab it, but the tip of his sword pointed at the base my throat. I lost.
“Not bad,” he said, sounding pleased. “It takes skill to hold up as long as you did. Who taught you to fight, if you don’t mind my asking?”
He removed his sword, giving me leave to stand. The question opened a wound I would have rather just kept shut and let heal.
“The man responsible for the Balai coming after me in the first place.” I clenched my hands in an effort to hold back the tears. The tips of my nails dug into my skin.
“That wasn’t his fault,” Marren said, walking up behind me.
I turned, startled by his appearance. “Are you always so quiet?”
“Yes,” he answered in a matter-of-fact manner.