The Books of the Shadows III- Silver Tiger

14

-Oh, sorry, but... the bear... 

-Yes, I know, he must be fishing right now. I think I saw your fishing rod in his claws, and he asked me how to use it... He wanted to fish for himself, you see? And I had to tell him! yes, I had to tell him so that he would let me come to you fast, to welcome you here, see?

Senere looked at him seriously and burst out laughing. Wow... she laughed at the first joke he made. Incredible. That was easy, he thought. People were not usually fun to be around.

-What is it? Does anyone laugh at your jokes, bro? 

Moon appeared out of nowhere and asked looking curious and presenting with a smile. 

-What's funny? Well?  Tell me too! 

Senere and Silver both began to laugh at Moon's words, and she, feeling left out, did not accept them and hit them both on the shoulder, friendly with her bow. 

-Well, come on, tell me too, don't be like that! I want to laugh with you too!

-Well, this young lady came all the way from the forest on her own and she fed your dear bear on the way with some fish...

-Really? You fed my pet?? Now is going to be your friend too? No way! I will not accept to share! No!

All three of them started laughing. 

-Really, you came alone all the way back here? From where?

-I left her close to the hills of the Warlords? Silver pointed somewhere behind them.

-Woah! That is far enough... And she came alone all the way back from there? You did great, friend! Moon touched Senere's shoulder, resting her hand on it, showing pride in her eyes and smiling wide at her.

-Yeah, I think she did...

Moon turned angry at Silver, shoving him in the shoulder again: 

-And you left her alone from here to here? Seriously? Don't you know how dangerous it is for her? 

-I Have! Auch... hey, don't hit me so hard that she succeeded! Looks like she's dangerous... See? She is safe and sound! 

"I was there with her, hidden all the way, sis! I could not leave her alone, but she managed to handle things all alone! " Moon heard her brother in her mind, speaking to her through their personal channel, words that no one else could hear, but the two of them. 

"I thought so... But she did well... better than expected in such a short time. "

"Well, she had good teachers, let's face the truth..."

"No, she had the best!!" 

They both started smiling and noticed that they were speaking to each other in their minds. They did not realize it was quiet now and Senere was wondering why they were smiling. 

-You two are talking to yourselves, huh? She said she looked hurt and sad. I wish I could do that with my brother... It would be nice to have something to share at least...

-You can not?

-No.

-You can not talk to him or using your powers?

-We do not have this kind of power in my world. Not that strong as you have it here.

-Hmm... I wonder how is that possible... Why?

-I do not know it either. What I could think of, is that we do not connect with our sarumans so deep as you do. I have never seen anyone in my world letting their demons out, or using them in the war, like you do here. But I think I would so like to have this nice connection with my brother, just like you two have. I think is so nice..

The two looked at her, and Silver felt the need to caress her lightly on the back. He felt sorry for her. He could not understand this distance between Senere and Kaion, because he and the Moon were inseparable. They did all their nonsense together and even now, they are doing nothing without each other's knowledge. They complemented each other and were a force of nature together and separately, but together it was the only thing they knew. Even with their younger siblings, the connection was just as intense and dissent had never occurred. Their mother had raised them well.

But Senere did not have a mother. At least, not one that cares about the well-being of the family and keeps its members together. For they knew well that the united were the strongest.

-I wonder what Kaion is doing, Moon? Senere looked at her with pleading eyes, formulating a question. 

She knew that Moon was held responsible for her and she was also spending time getting to know her brother and helping him find a way to go home. If there was a person who could give her any news about her brother, she would be the one. 

-Yeah, your brother is not as fun as you are, just so you know.

-He is not? Silver smiled.

-No... he is so serious, damn, almost like mom!

-No way... there is... no... I have never met anyone as serious as our mom! Silver tried to think about it for a while... Moon looked like she was trying to recollect some thoughts too... but no, they could not find anyone amongst all the people they knew. There was no one as serious as their mother. Maybe except for Kaion, Senere's brother.

-And how is he? Senere asked her with tears threatening in her eyes.

-He is studying hard. He is smart, asks around all kinds of questions, all the time, hundred of times...over and over again... Sometimes I get tired of so many questions. He wants really badly to find a way to go home.

-I wonder... Does he say anything about me? Do you think he will let me stay?

-You think he will not?

-If he finds a way... I think he will try to take me by force and I will not go back there, Moon. Earlier, in the forest, when I saw the bear... I thought I needed to learn how to fight anyone that would try to take me by force to anywhere I didn't want to go. What do you think?

-Is that what you want?

-Yes. I need to learn how to defend myself. Can you two teach me?

-Hmmm...

-Hmmmmm.....

Both of them, Moon and Silver, crossed their arms against their chests, looking up and down, measuring her from top to toe... 

-I don't know what to say...

-Yeah, she is kinda old to start the training...

-Yeah, I think so too... Here we teach the children when they start walking, and they learn to shoot with a bow before they can run, you know? And you are... what, 15?

-I am 16, said Senere proudly, raising her head up in a bold move.

-Aww, I like the attitude... she caught Moon's attention. 

-Yeah, I bet you do... Silver smiled at them both. Maybe we can start teaching her how to use a bow... she does not need to learn everything. The basics and getting good at it would be enough. What do you think? 

-That would be good enough for starters... But girl, you need to know that you are going to work hard for it... Silver does not waste his time and neither will I... We already have so many things to do. This is just another one. Do not make it hard for us... 

-I won't, I promise! Just please, teach me how to shot with a bow??

-Come on, the king is calling for us... You are to come with us, Senere, Moon spoke seriously all of a sudden, started to walk like a devoted soldier,

Silver followed her just as conscientiously. 

Senere suddenly lost her smile and, becoming as serious as they were, followed them. Why did the king ask them to come to the fortress? Well, of course, they were her children. But call her too? What did he want from her? Should she tell her that she would have to leave when her brother finds a way out of there, into their world?

-Why is she asking me to join you too? She asked them both if they were a little anxious. 

-I don't know, Silver stated. 

But there was something changed in his tone and his eyes, even his attitude. Gone was the warmth, and the gentle man she found in the forest as her teacher. This man who hurried in front of her was a cold and calculated soldier, serious and wild. Senere shuddered as if chills began to run through her body, raining down on her from his direction. 

Silver was wondering why his mother, the king, summoned them with her to the court. Her Highness did not like strangers and she kept pretty much private. She did not enjoy giving parties, not that Silver would feel like doing that either. It was just that he was curious about why his mother asked him to bring her along too. 

They all hurried and reached the walls of the fortress in the afternoon. The sun was already falling from the sky and the dusk was already painting its colors on the sky.

They entered the city together, passed through the massive wooden gates, just in time for the exchange of guards, where they had to be present for the soldiers to report to them. Senere was amazed by the whole process and found it extraordinarily simple and interesting. She had never had the opportunity to attend such a ceremony and here, although life seemed so simple, people made a ceremony about everything.

The soldiers who came to change the guard came in columns, with polished armor and weapons in a salute position. They followed the protocol and greeted the Royal Blood, Prince Silver, and Princess Moon, without making any difference between them. Senere looked at each of the two, and they were both changed. They were different from those in the woods; they were smiling and easy to talk to. 

They seemed to be somewhere, away from her, and it seemed to her that she could no longer reach them from where they had gone. They climbed the ramparts and participated in silence, looking seriously and responsibly at the soldiers marching and changing positions on the wall. Those were their soldiers, their people, and they were both responsible for them and all their lives, just as leaders would be expected to be. 

Inside the gates, they were Royal Blood. There were no more young people playing in the woods and running away from responsibilities. Here, inside, people had high expectations of them. And especially from him, from Silver.

Just as everyone expected his sister to choose a home and help Silver to a stronger unification of the kingdom, and to stabilize it, so everyone had the highest expectations of him to follow in his mother's footsteps. and lead firmly, like her, and straight, like her. Sometimes, because of the way he felt these expectations of the people around him, Silver did not yet feel ready to take on the role of Crown Prince, and prayed that the gods would take care of his mother so that she would live to old age, just to have time to prepare for it.

The soldiers changed positions and the ones leaving saluted and descended the stairs, while the newcomers sat on their feet, ready for anything, each in their place.

"Silver!" he heard the familiar voice in his mind, which made him smile. "Yes, mom?" "Where are you?" "At the change of guard. It won't be long! " "We are waiting for you." "OK, Mom".

"Mother".

Every time he addressed her like that, his father, Sei, looked at him for a long time but said nothing. At one point, when they were younger, he pulled the two of them aside and took them to a discussion about how they should address the king in public. In public, they were not who they really were, or who they wanted to be. In public, they were only Royal Blood, and the king was "Your Highness" or "My King," and by no means their "mom."

Their father told them both how the old king was asking for respect by using his force and hitting his Royal Blood, and that was the moment Silver understood why his mother would not ever speak about her father. He heard the stories circulating about him. 

He was the bravest warrior in the kingdom, and the cruelest. All the soldiers were afraid of him. only his mother was not. That was what her soldiers were saying about her. She was not afraid of him, not even when he was killing his subjects for the smallest insult. And Silver knew almost everything about his grandfather. 

How he tried to divide the houses and devastate them, through arranged marriages and murders. He slaughtered his family and then his wife, because she gave birth to Silver's mother, Iris,  a female heir and not a prince. He tried to kill his mother many times, because she was not a male heir. How he marked her with the red iron when she was a little child, only to claim her in the name of the house of the Warchild. He punished her all the time, beating her when she called him "father" instead of "My king". 

He found out how the old king was locking her in the tower, where he knew she had her own room there. As often as she slept there, it practically became her second home, her second bedroom actually. His mother did not know he knew all this, but he did know. The soldiers were talking and he was a good listener.

Silver loved his mother. She was the fairest and most loving person he had ever met. His soul only smiled when the thought flew to her. When they were speaking in their personal space, which was their home, they did not need to be formal. But Silver knew that when they were in the presence of the others, he would bow and present himself not as her child, but her heir. With the respect demanded for the king of the shadows.