This entire section makes me see James as a
spoiled brat who is scared and doesn't know how
to overcome that fear. He is surrounded by
people who want to help him but he isn't ready to
be helped; he wants life without fear and without pain. Poor boy.
May He bless you and keep you in His grace and love,
Charles Matthias
Patrol VII
May 17th, 697
"He doesn't like me." I said. My arm was straight out and utterly rigid.
"He doesn't know you well enough yet." Sir
Tallis said. "Would you trust someone you barely know?"Â
"I wouldn't be a wild animal." I said. The
Harris hawk on the end of my arm glared at me. I
tried to take a step back, except my arm went
with me so the hawk did also. Around his left
leg were little bells, they jingled every time I moved.
"James all you want to do today is get the bird
used to being perched on your arm." Sir Tallis
stayed behind me at all times, watching and
never touching. Further behind him were five knights who watched us.Â
My father had me watched at all times. Despite
being only twelve I had nearly been assassinated
three times already. When you're in any position
of authority in the Empire (or could be)
everyone want to kill you so THEY can be the target of assassins.
Life is funny like that.
"He's a beautiful bird isn't he?" Sir Tallis
asked. I swallowed. "James, he won't hurt you."
"I know." I said. "It's just...I was hoping to
spend more time with him before doing this." Sir Tallis laughed.Â
"James starring at your bird while he is in his
mews is not spending time with him. My arm by
now was beginning to throb and sweat was rolling
into my breeches. I flexed my fist.
"It's almost spending time with him." I said.
The hawk turned his head to match my gaze. His
eyes pierced my skull. I closed my eyes but I
could still feel him starring at me. My skin
began to crawl. "What if he flies away?" Tallis snorted. "What?"
"I expect him to fly away." Sir Tallis said.
"Every bird will try to fly away no matter how
well trained they are. Especially when they
aren't well trained. But that's why we have the bells."Â
"Right, right the bells." I stammered. "Well
I've had him out for a while, why don't we put him back in his mews?"
"Because you told me you wanted to be trained in
falconry." Sir Tallis said. "I will train you
James, but it will take time." I glanced back at
the other knights. Of the four knights there, at
least one was a mage. "James do not take your
eyes off your bird." My head snapped back.
"Sorry sorry sorry." Sir Tallis gestured at the bag tied around my waste.
"Take some food from your bag. We're going to
try feeding your hawk." Of course we were. I gingerly reached into my bag.
"Kay, don't move." My hawk cocked his head.
"Please don't move!" Now my guardian was laughing at me. "Shut up!"
"I'm trying." Sir Tallis said. His face was red
with mirth and his body was shaking.
"I'll have dad put you in stocks!" I snapped.
"No doubt. Now please James pull out one scrap
of meat." I swallowed and stuck my hand into the
pile of greasy scraps. Cold, squishy and all of
it very greasy. Now my hawk turned his gaze to my eyes.
"Tal, he's looking at my hand!" I cried. The
knights behind me hid their laughter as best they could.
"Of course he's looking at you." Sir Tallis said.
"He's going to claw my face off!" I stammered.
"He's gonna kill me!" Sir Tallis didn't even
bother hiding rolling his eyes. The little hawk
had actually turned his gaze to the hand in my bag.
"James, he's interested in what you have." Sir
Tallis said. "That's a good thing; you need to
hold your birds interest." I nodded. Gingerly I removed the chunk of meat.
"Skreeeee!" My hawk fluttered his wings and my scream matched his.
"James!" Sir Tallis brought me back to reality.
"You said you wanted to learn falconry, you have to learn this way."
"What way?" I whined.
"The same way I learned. I promise you my liege
you will be just fine." Sir Tallis raised a hand
as if to clap me on the back. To do such a thing would mean to lose the hand.
My father made it a rule; you were only to touch
his wife, his sons or his whores if protecting
their lives. Sir Tallis realized this and
lowered his hand but he kept smiling at me. I grimaced.
"I just...I don't want to hurt him. But I don't
want him to hurt me!" Sir Tallis shook his head.
"James he won't hurt you, he's scared of you." I
nodded. He's scared of me. He's scared of me.
I raised the chunk of meat again and my hawk
cocked his head. I held it forward, just on the
tips of my fingers. He reached down and snatched it. "Yowch!"
"Something wrong?" Sir Tallis asked.
"He pecked me!" I tried shaking the pain out of
my fingers. "I told you he was going to hurt
me." Now my men were laughing at me, even Sir
Tallis was failing. "Quiet! I'm gonna have you thrown in jail!"
"We don't doubt it sir." Sir Tallis said, wiping
tears from his eyes. "You need to relax James.
You're fine but your bird will hurt you the first time. That's natural."
"It is not!" I said, my arms shaking. "I should
never have to be in pain! I'm gonna be your
lord!" Now I was whining so hard that I couldn't
pay attention. If I had been I might have noticed Sir Tallis pointing.
"Uh James? Your arm?"
"I can have you sent to jail!" I yelled at them.
Now I began to gesture, causing my hawk to
screech. Sir Tallis began to yell at me.
"Arm James! Arm!" I paused just in time for my
hawk to screech at me and take off like a bolt
from a bow. We stood there as my bird flew
straight to the roof of the manor and clenched down, glaring at us.
At this point all of the knights fell to the
ground laughing. I glared at them as fiercely as
a twelve-year-old can. This naturally made them laugh harder.
"Stop this!" A voice rang out above the
laughter. We all looked up to see a lone figure marching towards us. I sighed.
"Enfer!" Sir Tallis greeted the approaching
knight, "What brings you out to our young lord's
lesson?" The new visitor was perpetual sour puss
and lieutenant in the Noble Guard, Sir Enfer.
Like Sir Tallis, Enfer was tall but much
thinner. His red hair was falling out, what
wisps and clumps were left stuck straight up.
His body swayed as he moved, his arms leapt
around whenever he talked. His eyes were a weird shade of brown, almost orange.
"I'm not coming here to watch this foolishness."
Sir Enfer said. "Our young lord was supposed to
be at his next lessons." My head sunk.Â
"My next lesson is dance!" I whined. "Don't make me go."
"Sir Enfer is right." Tallis said. "You have to
attend your lessons, knowing how to dance
matters when you are a Lord. You will host balls
events here one day and attend many more." My
hawk punctuated this with a screech. Sir Enfer glanced up at him.
"Why is their a hawk up there?"
"He tried to attack me!" I said. Sir Enfer just rubbed his temples and nodded.
"You men" He pointed at them, "I expect you to
get that bird down. And Sir Tallis, I will be
escorting you and our lord to his next lesson."
"Yes sir boss!" Tallis said, mock-saluting. He
gestured and I followed behind, my head down the
entire time. "I'm not trusted to look after my charge?"
"I don't trust you to, Lord Leontes should not
either." Sir Enfer kept up pace on my other side. I looked up at them.
Could one of them be a mage? I thought to
myself. Dad has mages hidden in the knights and
that would be cool. Wish I had magic... We
entered inside the manor and made our way
through the winding maze of corridors. I wonder
where grandpa hid the secret passage. I know it's somewhere.
We came to the ball room doors, two massive oak
slabs. Engraved on them were the family crest
over and over, even on the door latch. Enfer nodded at Sir Tallis.
"I will relieve you of our young master."
"I stand relieved." I let out a cry.
"I hate dance!" I whined. "And I hate you!" I
grabbed onto Sir Tallis. "I want you to stay here."
"Sorry my friend." Sir Tallis smiled but didn't
touch me. "I've got a wife and boy of my own to
return home to." He disentangled himself from my
little arms. I watched him walk away.
"I wish you wouldn't dislike me so." Sir Enfer
said. "I have your best interests at heart."Â
"No you don't." I snapped.
I forgot how young I was then; I couldn't see
what was obvious. I'll get into it soon though.
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