The Stewards of Reed, Volume 1: The Rise of Fallon (18 page)

On a dreary day in late winter, Steward Isaiah received word that Elder Jacob’s wife, Bessa, had passed on to the next life. It was not unexpected – she had been suffering from dementia for some time and her health had deteriorated considerably – but it was sad nevertheless. The Steward brought Fallon along with him to pay his condolences.

“I am truly sorry to hear about Bessa, Elder Jacob,” said the Steward as he sat down with the Elder for some tea.

“Thank you, Steward. She was sleeping peacefully when her time came. For that I am thankful.”

“When did you return from Chesterville?”

“The night before last.”

It was common practice in the Village of Reed to bury the dead near their home, so they would always be a part of the land from which they came. There was a small cemetery on the edge of the Village Square for those who did not own property elsewhere, but that was not the case with Elder Jacob and Bessa. She was buried under a large oak tree on their family’s property in Chesterville, and one day Elder Jacob would join her.

The passing of Bessa reminded Steward Isaiah of his own beloved Nora, who was gone more than twenty-six years now. Both men sat in silence, sipping their tea, mourning the loss of their wives.

Fallon kept quiet for some time out of respect, but he was still just thirteen years old and it was hard for him to sit in complete silence for long. “Elder Jacob, would you mind if I had a look at your library? It must be the best library this side of the River Nye and I have been quite eager to see it again.”

This made Elder Jacob laugh and brightened the mood considerably. “Of course you may, Fallon,” he said with a smile. “You are a young man after my own heart. There is nothing quite like a good book to take your mind off things.”

Elder Jacob and the Steward continued to drink their tea while Fallon perused the books. He saw one on the history of ale-making that caught his attention.
I wonder if Gentry might be interested in this one
, he thought as he grabbed it from the shelf and began flipping through the pages. He and Gentry had grown close ever since their trip to the Cadian Forest, and it did not take long for Fallon to learn of his friend’s love for ale.

When it was finally time to leave, Elder Jacob made a point to invite Fallon back any time, and Fallon graciously took him up on that offer. From then on, the two had a standing tea-time every Heptaday, assuming the weather was not too disagreeable. They mostly read books quietly by the fire, but they often spoke about the books they had read, and Elder Jacob would usually share a story from his own life that always gave them both a good laugh. The winter was not so lonesome any more, and for that Fallon was grateful.

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

There is no greater pain, no greater sorrow, than the death of a child. And there is no greater guilt, no greater anguish, than feeling responsible for the death of a child. Gentry was a changed man following his journey to Mt. Xavier. He was not as quick to laugh, and when he did, the laughter did not last as long. All who knew him took notice, but he was dismissive of their concerns. “No man may stay forever young and innocent,” he would say, and then his eyes would stare off into the distance. His parents would catch glimpses of the old Gentry every once in a while and their hearts would be hopeful for a time. Yet somehow his thoughts always returned to Luca, and the old Gentry would become lost once again.

The snake bite had taken its toll and relegated Gentry to the confines of the village for much of the fall and winter, but with the coming of spring came a renewed commitment to seek justice for Luca. Gentry’s work with Steward Isaiah and Fallon came at a perfect time; it provided Gentry with the money he needed to finance his planned trips up to Colton, and it also provided him with the pretext he needed to keep those trips secret from his parents.

Over the winter Gentry had grown a bit of a beard; he had also grown another inch and added more weight and muscle since his last trip up to Colton. Nevertheless, he knew that he would be easily recognizable if he were to run into Dennison or Clive, so he took care to walk in the shadows.

On his first trip up to Colton, he stood in the darkness of a small alleyway across from the Settler’s Inn, watching out for Dennison and his friends. Hours went by before he spotted anyone familiar – it was the overweight man who had been teasing Dennison the night Gentry was forced to flee. Gentry did not know his name, but it was Ned, the shoe cobbler who had sealed Luca’s fate by piecing together how Gentry escaped.

Ned walked out from the pub with another scruffy-looking man and they were enjoying a pipe together. “Where might your fearless leader be tonight, Taylor? I hear he is quite popular with Silvia’s girls,” he teased. “Perhaps he is keeping them warm?”

“Wizards be damned,” said Taylor, shaking his head. “One of these days Dennison shall tire of your mouth always running, fat man.”

“And what then?” replied Ned.

“Dead men do not run their mouths.”

“Am I to fear for my life now?” It was said mockingly, but Ned’s voice betrayed a hint of underlying trepidation.

“Many have lost their lives for less,” replied Taylor coldly.

That seemed to keep Ned quiet for a while and he said no more as he puffed on his pipe. Gentry’s heart started to race in excitement. He had found one of Dennison’s crew.

That night Gentry followed Taylor home. Fortunately for Gentry, the young man had consumed enough alcohol to completely dull his senses and he had no idea he was being followed as he stumbled along the dirt path. Taylor lived in a shabby little house only a few blocks from the pub. Gentry watched as he fumbled with the door before letting himself in. There did not appear to be anyone else in the house with him. The anger over the death of Luca started to boil his blood, but Gentry managed to talk himself out doing anything rash. “Patience, Gentry,” he muttered to himself. “You shall not do Luca’s memory any good if you die straight away. Justice shall come soon enough, but there is more planning to be done first.”

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

Before he knew it, the month of Tetril had arrived. It would be Fallon’s birthday again soon. It seemed only yesterday that he had awakened to find himself marked – it was hard to believe a year had already passed. Much to Fallon’s surprise, the Steward had once again granted him several weeks of leave so that he might help his father. Although it was in fact a busy time on the farm with all the planting and tending to the fields, Fallon did not understand the Steward’s reasoning.
Would not my time be better spent learning the ways of a Steward instead of the ways of a farmer?,
he thought to himself with a frown. Yet he did not say anything to Isaiah. In truth, he was looking forward to getting home, and was especially excited to make the trip by himself (with Attawan) for the first time.

Fallon’s 14
th
birthday was celebrated with much fanfare in Littlebrook. Talia and Elizabeth outdid themselves with a vast assortment of cherry pies and sweet bread. Fallon and his growing appetite happily devoured all that was before him. “I had forgotten how much a growing boy could eat,” his father chuckled.

While Fallon was busy eating and helping Tobias with chores on the farm, Steward Isaiah was lamenting his impossible situation. He had spent much of the time immersed in the Council Chamber archives in hopes of gaining some insight into what to do about Fallon. Unfortunately, so much was lost during the Great Fire that his efforts had been for naught.

A Council meeting was scheduled for the following night, and Isaiah knew that the Elders were expecting to hear his recommendations on Fallon. He was at a loss as to what he would say. He was hoping against hope that Lady Dinah had found her mother’s notes and that a new message would arrive momentarily, but he knew that was wishful thinking. He also knew that even if Lady Dinah had found her mother’s notes, it was quite possible they would be of no use to him.
Fallon’s situation is not the same as the twins. There is no other boy to take his place…

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

The Steward was noticeably somber the night of the Council meeting and several Elders questioned whether he was feeling all right, but he assured them he was fine.

“And now, Steward Isaiah, we reach the final item on the agenda. The Council should like to hear your thoughts on young Fallon,” said Elder Anne.

The moment Isaiah had been dreading the entire meeting was finally upon him. With a deep sigh the Steward addressed the Elders. “I had hoped to come to you today with a decision about Fallon and a clear direction forward. Unfortunately, my initial correspondence with Lady Dinah did not provide any real insights, and she has yet to locate her mother’s notes from the meeting with Steward Elijah regarding the twins. Alas, I have nothing to go on save my own instincts, and they are quite muddled at the moment. My instincts have never failed me before; I do not understand why they choose to do so now.”

The room was silent. Each of the Elders had been waiting in great anticipation to hear Steward Isaiah’s recommendation. They had not been prepared to witness the Steward’s sad struggle.

Uncomfortable with seeing her beloved Steward fret, Elder Anne spoke up. “Well, perhaps we might help to un-muddle your instincts. I, for one, would not mind hearing what you have learned of Fallon this past year – the good and the bad.”

The other Elders nodded in agreement with Elder Anne, with several murmuring, “Aye, please do tell.”

The Steward thought back through the year as he had done countless times in the days leading up to this meeting. It was quite simple for him to rattle off all the good – and sometimes amazing – things that Fallon had accomplished: the ingenuity he showed in the poison challenge, his premonition of the Komanite attack, how he saved Gentry from the black boca bite, and how his advice about the meehli flower helped to save Calvin and other young victims of the Nye fever. He was also a quick study, and with the exception of marksmanship (which had been slowly improving under Gentry’s tutelage), he seemed to have a good grasp of the things expected of a Steward. The only negative things the Steward could think of were Fallon’s less-than-spectacular skills with weapons, and the fact that his mark was not the same.

Elder Tomar was the first to speak after the Steward recalled his impressions of Fallon. “I must say it is quite telling that you are still bothered by Fallon not having the proper mark, even after spending a year with him. Perhaps it is time to cease Fallon’s training and wait for a boy with the proper mark to arrive.”

Not surprisingly, Elder Lydia and Elder Peter nodded their heads vigorously in agreement. Elder Theodora remained quiet.

“I would argue that Fallon’s accomplishments were quite exemplary in this past year. How many people – let alone a young boy – have ever saved a life from the bite of a black boca?” Elder Anne argued. “Steward, aside from the mark, has Fallon done anything to make you believe he is not worthy of taking your place?”

“No,” the Steward admitted.

“That just proves my point,” retorted Elder Tomar. “Clearly if the mark being different did not matter, there would be no argument about this. But even with all of Fallon’s accomplishments, the Steward is still not convinced that Fallon is the chosen one. I, for one, find that troubling.”

Elder Jacob had remained quiet thus far, but felt the need to speak up in defense of the boy who had become dear to him. “I understand your position, Elder Tomar, but you do not know Fallon as I do. He is a bright and kind soul. I see in him everything that the village could possibly want in a Steward. He was marked on his 13
th
birthday, and his gifts of prophecy and insight cannot be ignored. He would be a great asset to the village. We would be foolish to turn him aside.”

With that the Elders started squabbling – with Tomar, Lydia and Peter arguing against Fallon, and Jacob, Catherine and Anne arguing in his favor. Theodora bit her lip and said nothing. Graham seemed to find the entire exchange amusing and refrained from joining in the verbal sparring.

It was the Steward who finally brought an end to the quarreling. “Enough!” he said in a loud voice that had not been heard in quite some time. “I appreciate the heightened emotions surrounding this issue. Your opinions reflect everything that I, too, have been grappling with this past year, to no avail.” The Steward looked around the room at each of the Elders sternly. Then he sighed, “I fear I am just not ready to make any decision regarding Fallon. I need more time.”

This time it was Elder Catherine who spoke. “If you please, Steward, I believe Elder Jacob made a good point in that the rest of us do not really know Fallon. Perhaps it would be helpful if we each had a chance to spend some time with him and come to know him better. We could then share our own personal judgments concerning Fallon, based on our interactions with him. Perhaps that might help you reach a final decision.”

The room was quiet as everyone considered Elder Catherine’s proposal. Steward Isaiah was intrigued. He knew that the Steward before him, Steward Benjamin, would highly disapprove of any Elders being involved in the evaluation of the young apprentice, but Isaiah had already done so many things differently from his predecessor. He gave Fallon Heptadays off, he let him go back home for weeks at a time, and he even shared the duties of training Fallon with Gentry. Fallon’s situation was unique and called for a unique approach.

Eventually Steward Isaiah spoke. “Without another marked boy before us, and with the continued threat of the Komanites, I am reluctant to stop the training process just yet. And while it may or may not be helpful to have you all come to know Fallon better, I do not think it shall hurt. I am in favor of accepting the Elder Catherine’s proposal,” said the Steward.

It was settled. Fallon was to spend some time with each of the Council Elders in the coming year, and hopefully by his 15
th
birthday Isaiah would have a better sense of whether or not it was Fallon’s destiny to be the next Steward. He was not quite certain that the Elders would be able to sway him one way or another, but at least Elder Catherine’s proposal gave him the one thing he had sought: more time to make a decision about Fallon. And with the blessing of the Council, no less.