“What do they eat?”

  “What do they eat? What do you think they eat? They eat food same as you and meI! What kind of question is that? Meat, eggs, plants, fruit, vegetables…hare with onions and mushrooms!”

  “So, how do they get their powers?” Morell asked.

  “I don’t know,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Magic.”

  “But how do they get the magic?” the prince asked.

  “I don’t know. Maybe they dig it out of the ground, or pull it from the sky or they make it in a pot. I don’t know. They just have it. You’re more than welcome to ask them when we get there. In the meantime, I think we should keep moving and put as much distance between us and where we stayed last night.”

  “Agreed.” The prince and Morell said together. As before, Hoxley took the lead and the boys followed past the pastures green. At midday, they rested beneath the shade of a tree on a hill away from the road. Morell earned his keep by sharing a container of small white mushrooms that he assured were neither poisonous nor explosive. Hoxley enjoyed the almost waxy smooth texture as her teeth cut through them. Not too flavorful, but it was welcome food nonetheless. Morell, obviously not having been used to hauling his gargantuan backpack, finished his ration of mushrooms and fell asleep to snore in the grass. Prince Damron sat with his back against the tree, nervously pulling his sword out of its sheath half an inch before pushing it back and repeating the gesture.

  “You have a sword now,” Hoxley said. “Do you know how to use it?”

  “Not really,” he replied. “I’ve had a few lessons, but that was a long time ago.”

  “You may need to use it. Come on, then.” She pushed herself to her feet. “Let’s see what you can do with it.” He leapt up and unsheathed his sword, ready to play. She stood before him and held her pugil perfectly vertical. “First lesson,” she said. “Sheath your weapon.”

  “If I sheath it, you’ll just attack.” He said.

  “It’s possible, but I won’t yet. This first lesson is the most important. Put it away.” He did as he was told. “You must understand that this is a world of weapons and words. Battles can be won with either, but only one can kill. The person who can dominate using their wits and words without unsheathing is truly the greater sword master, understand?”

  “I think so, but you attacked those men on the bridge with such ferocity.”

  “I only did so when they forced my hand. I regret striking those men. I never meant to kill that one man, but my strike put him in the water, and now he is dead. A great burden has befallen me as I am now possibly wanted for his death.”

  “But he attacked you first.”

  “Yes, but I am the cause of his death. Drawing a weapon to solve your problems is never the answer.”

  “I thought you were going to give me a sword lesson.” He said.

  “I am giving you a lesson. Listen to what I’m saying. The sword is only sharpened metal. It has no will or strength of its own. It only does what it is used for. A sword should only be drawn when no other option remains. A fight avoided is a fight won.”

  “This is boring.”

  “This is important!” She stamped her pugil on the ground again. “These are things a prince should know! What do you do with all your time in that castle?”

  “I sometimes go down to the market and talk to girls.”

  “And?”

  “I watch plays with my mother and father.”

  “That’s not going to be enough to run a kingdom.”

  “Oh? And what do you know about running a kingdom? You’re a faun girl messenger!”

  “Yes, I’m a simple faun messenger, but I’ve seen almost every person, village, town, and settlement from the east to the west so I’d say I’ve seen more than you. I’ve seen men twice your size unsheathe their weapon over nothing but boorish pride, only to be laid low a second later by a more skilled fighter. Do you remember how I tried to get those men on the bridge to listen and use reason before I used my pugil? When two weapons are drawn, one rarely ever returns to its place without blood on it. Please listen to me. I’m trying to teach you that the smartest thing you can do is avoid swords being drawn in the first place. That’s the first lesson.”

  “Then what’s the second?”

  “Pull that sword and I’ll show you the second lesson.” Prince Damron enthusiastically pulled his blade and showed it to her. “Now strike me, if you can.”

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  “This sword could kill you.” he said.

  “Perhaps, but only if you can hit me.” She said, picking up her pugil to hold it in both hands. “Come on, give me your best death stroke.” Prince Damron’s eyes went wide and he rushed to take a swing only to have her back away well out of his range.

  “What are you doing?” He asked.

  “This is lesson number two,” she said. “Are you giving up so soon?”

  “No, I’m not!” Again, he closed the distance between them only to have her scamper out of range. He made another quick sprint but couldn’t keep up as she galloped well away from him. “Stop running! Come back and fight!”

  “But I am fighting you.” She said, twirling her pugil high above her head. “This is the lesson!”

  “This isn’t a lesson at all! You’re just running away!”

  “But that’s part of fighting. Running away when you know when you’re in danger is always an option. If the fight is not winnable or you’re at a great disadvantage, retreating is a good option. That way you live long enough to fight when the odds are better in your favor.”

  “I see.” He said. “Do you have any lessons that will teach me how to use this when I have to? After words and running have ceased, I mean.” It was then that Morell roused and sat up.

  “What are you two doing? He asked. “You should have woken me, the sky is no longer at its highest. We should keep moving if we’re going to reach Spellvale.”

  “Well said.” Nodded Hoxley before looking to the prince. “What have we learned?”

  “Use words and reason first to avoid a fight. If that’s not possible, running away means you live.”

  “There.” she said with pride. “I’d imagine there are a great number of dead swordsmen who would like to have the knowledge you now hold.”

  “I understand how that would be true.” The prince said, putting his sword away.

  “You’re one step closer to being the king you need to be. Let’s carry on. We’ve all got more steps to take before nightfall.”

  For the rest of the day, they traveled. The three kept to the tree line unless needing to emerge to cross a bridge. As soon as they crossed, they quickly returned to where they were less likely to be seen. Hoxley observed only a handful of people on the main roads, cautious enough to make the others stand still and be quiet until the other travelers passed. Morell sometimes fell behind because of the burden of his pack. Hoxley suggested he discard unnecessary items to lighten his load, but upon inspection, but he would part with none of it as he was able to point out the importance of every item. A few times when climbing steeper hills, she relieved him of the pack. He expressed his gratitude and thanked her every time. With her strong back and powerful legs, the burden was little for her.

  When night fell, she led them away from the road to a clearing near a steep rock face overlooking the trail.

  “We’re stopping here?” The prince asked.

  “Yes. It’s a good spot.”

  “Why do you say that?” asked Morell

  “We’re easily concealed here, and from a vantage point like this, one could easily watch their surroundings from a lofty place that can’t be surrounded. The steep grade of the hill would make it hard for anyone to rush us.”

  “How do you know these things?” the prince asked.

  “I once shared the road with a soldier travelling in the same direction. He was good company, and he told me a great many things. You can always learn something new if you’re willing to listen. Now look at us, we have a safe place to bed for the night.”

  “You don’t think anyone will find us?” asked the prince.

  “No, I don’t think so. To be safe, each of us will stand guard while the other two sleep. I’ll take the first watch. When the moon reaches that spot in the sky,” she pointed high in the air. “I’ll awaken you. And when the moon reaches that spot,” She pointed away to another direction. “You’ll awaken Morell. That way, we each get some rest and we’re not unguarded.”

  “That sounds like a good plan.” Morell nodded. He immediately set to unpacking the bedroll from the bottom of his pack and set himself against a tree. The prince sat down next to him and gathered the tails of his cloak, wrapping it tightly around him. Soon, fatigue of a long day’s march put them both to a sound sleep.