Flashback Childhood Matters (FlashBack) Pt 4

[Akarn]

Childhood Matters (FlashBack)
Summer 29th day 506 AV
Part 4

The iron flashed in the summer day and rang out when battle axe met sword. A boy of eleven, his black hair pasted to his face and a girl of ten, her long blond braid wisped around her figure as the two combatants danced around each another. One trying to get the upper hand over the other. The two looked serious locked in combat, but then again training was no laughing matter. For the Drykas being untrained meant death in the Sea of Grass.

The girl feinted to the left and moved to the right, a trick that the boy had taught her himself. So the opening appeared that he had been waiting for. With an inner block to her sword, the young Drykas boy stepped in and placed his foot between her legs. In her haste to make a side step she tripped over his foot and fell backwards to the ground. Akarn brought his shoulders up and gritted his teeth when the girl hit. "Are you ok, Litha?" he said with genuine concern.

The girl nodded and now was attempting to catch her breath. She laid on the ground and gazed up at the blue sky. There was hardly a cloud in it. Litha allowed her sword to fall away from her grip and on to the ground. She reached over and pulled her long blond braid from across her chest with little thought and came up to her elbows. Her blues eyes looked up to her older brother. "Nothing hurt but my pride," she said. The young girl did not expect to win but she had hoped she had been passed the stage of her brother tripping her in their training sessions.

Akarn offered his hand, "You really are getting better." He nodded while he pulled her to her feet. "Do not look to the right when you are feinting to the left. One, it unsteadies you." He released her hand and then bent over and picked up her sword. "Two, you take your eyes off of me."

The girl giggled, "What nothing wise to say like father?"

The boy looked to his sister and smiled, "I will leave that for him to say."

"Here comes mother," Litha indicated having noticed another person approaching. Akarn looked to where his sister was looking.

Anisa waved to her children as she climbed the little hill that they were practicing on. "Akarn your father wants you to be ready to go soon." She looked to her raven haired son and she nodded. "No matter what happens today you are still Akarn Riverwalker, remember that."

The boy nodded, sometimes Drykas were selected by striders at a younger age or it was not unheard for Drykas to be selected at fifteen or seventeen. His father had been bonded at eight. Sometimes the bonding happened naturally and unexpectedly to a Drykas. Really it was the horses choice and could not be forced. Akarn was already eleven and began to wonder if he was going to suffer the same fate like his uncle had. Shyll was eighteen and still no strider had bonded with him. Akarn had thought it because of his ill temperament, but then why had Akarn Riverwalker not been bonded with yet. He closed his eyes at the thought and pushed it from his mind. He looked up to his mother. "I will go get ready."

She turned her attention back to her daughter. "Litha, your hair!" Their mother shook her head. "How do you expect the boys to like you when you are a mess?"

"Oh mother, I am only ten seasons old. I will have time for boys later I want to be a warrior right now!" she said as a matter of fact.

Akarn left his mother and sister alone to sort out if Litha was to be a lady or a warrior. He had a feeling that conversation would also spill over to a mother and father talk later this evening. Even though he did think his sister was coming along rather well on her path of being a warrior but he would never dare tell his mother that.

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The Drykas boy had found enough time to sharpen and oil his axe, before his father and uncle were ready to depart. He decided though to leave his axe behind at the pavilion today and instead he carried his bow in his left hand and a quiver on his back. That way he could pratice his archery on their way back. He walked along side his father, Jaden, who in turn followed behind his younger brother. A dark cloud accompanied Shyll while he led the others toward the herd of clan horses. They all walked in silence on their way there.

Last year was more exciting to the young Drykas when they actually ventured to Endrykas to hopefully find a horse that would bond with Shyll on his seventeenth. Akarn shrugged, maybe his uncle was trying to force it to much, maybe it was because he was evil. Whatever the reason Akarn was glad no animal had chosen his uncle.

The trio had just made it to the outer edge of where the herd was residing when a colt, that had to be no more than a week or so old, started to wander in their direction. The gray colt with the mottled gray markings bobbed its head up and down neighing continuously on its way over to them. Akarn let out a little sigh that only he could hear, his uncle was finally going to get his wish. Perhaps his uncle would leave him alone for a while now.

Akarn could she Shyll straighten and stand taller than he ever had seen. The colt stopped in front of Shyll and lowered its head and then lifted it again, then continued past him and did the same thing to Jaden. Akarn's heart began to race. The next thing that the young Drykas warrior knew was that the strider was standing in front of him. The dapple-gray colt shook his head and with a gentle nudge nuzzled his nose in to the astounded boy.

The young Drykas boy smiled and could not help but laugh. Akarn hugged the horse about the neck and he knew the colts name in an instance. "Maverous!" Jaden smiled and rubbed his sons head and pride puffed out his chest.

Caught in the moment neither of them had noticed that Shyll had stalked off and neither had noticed that anger seethed from him. Akarn had stolen his moment and had stolen his strider. His nephew would pay for his insolence and arrogance, somehow, Shyll would make sure Akarn regretted this moment.