Chapter 5 - Noble Blood

Three Days Ago

Rayne made her way downstairs just as her mother was coming from her room in her evening attire. Lillian brushed her long curly hair behind her shoulders and beckoned Rayne over. As Rayne stepped close, her mother took the glasses off her nose and began to wipe them clean with the hem of her dress.

“How has school been?” her mother asked.

“It’s . . .” Rayne grimaced. “It’s different. I . . . didn’t make full marks on my last test.”

“Hmm.” Lillian’s silver eyes narrowed, and she examined the glasses in the light. “You know the mindset we need to have, don’t you?” Her voice was a little less airy, just deep enough to poke and prod Rayne in a way that only her mother could. “Noble blood demands noble effort.”

“Yes, but, Mother . . .” Rayne paused. “They do things very different. Their curriculums aren’t the same, and their history is different. They just skim over Northern history like it’s—”

“Noble effort, Maralyn.” Her mother placed her glasses back on her face. They were spotless. Lillian cupped Rayne’s cheek with smooth slender fingers and tilted her face up. “Watch your posture, darling. I can tell you’ve been slacking.”

Rayne frowned, but she straightened her back and shoulders. Lillian nodded in satisfaction and beckoned her into the dining room. It was a tall-ceilinged space with a golden chandelier contrasting with the dark wooden décor. The table they sat at felt empty, as it was a table big enough for fifteen but set only for three.

Her father was already seated, an open scroll to one side and the newspaper on the other. He folded the paper and set the scroll aside. Both were picked up by one of the servicemen as he passed by.

“Well, I certainly enjoyed shopping,” Aaron said, taking a sip from the glass that had been placed before him. “How are you two adjusting to city life?”

“It’s a beautiful city,” Lillian said with a smile, “though I admit, sometimes the air feels like it’s dirty and clings to my skin.”

“Ah.” Aaron chuckled. “With all the vehicles and industrial plants around the city, the air is less pure than in the North.” He turned to Rayne. “I saw some especially wide smiles from you.”

“It really is amazing,” Rayne said, still a little dimmed by her mother’s earlier correction. “I love how tall the buildings are, and their bookstores are . . . are . . . so full of books.”

Her father chuckled as a servicewoman brought them each a plate of bright salad with a golden dressing.

Rayne poked at her food with a fork. “And it’s nice to be in the land that Grandfather spent so much of his time protecting.”

Aaron coughed, then took another sip and cleared his throat. His eyes didn’t meet hers. “Yes, it is, isn’t it?” His voice sounded less than enthusiastic.

“Speaking of which . . .” Rayne swallowed, steeling herself. “I was hoping to maybe do a little exploring myself.”

“Of course, dear. We’ll do plenty of exploring.” Her father nodded, his voice straining just enough for it to be noticeable. “We can visit each of the islands, let you see all the East has to offer.”

“Well,” Rayne said, foregoing her last chance to back out, “I was also hoping to try to explore for the guild. Maybe I could even join.”

Metal clinked on a ceramic plate.

“Maralyn, we’ve talked about this,” her father said. “Several times now.”

“Yes,” she agreed, “but I’ve continued to think about it, and I don’t think it’s a passing want. I believe this is something I would like to do with my life. It’s a noble cause, and I would give it every ounce of noble effort.”

“How do you know you would like it?” her mother asked, her voice calm, careful. “Living the life of an Explorer is quite difficult. It’s exhausting and dangerous, and you might spend more time hungering and sleeping on rocks than you want.”

“I understand,” Rayne said, keeping her voice controlled even though her fingers tapped on her leg with nervous energy. “I would be happy to train, to take classes, to do whatever I need to do.”

“How about you start by making full marks on your next test,” Lillian responded with biting calm. She continued to eat as though nothing was wrong, as though nothing fazed her.

It was infuriating.

“Maralyn, I understand you and your grandfather were close,” Aaron said slowly, “but he wasn’t always how you knew him. See, he is the reason that I make such an effort to spend time with my family. For most of my life, my father was gone, off on some adventure. Yes, he was a great man, a warrior, a survivor, an Explorer. He was many things, but he was not a father. So you’ll understand why I hesitate to see my daughter follow in his footsteps.”

“But . . .” Rayne’s fight died in her throat.

“That’s enough, Maralyn,” her mother said, and there was something about the way she said her name, as if it was a way of holding her back, restricting her from even speaking. “Posture, please.”

Rayne’s eye twitched, and her jaw clenched.

They finished their meal in silence.

***

“Over here!” David called, waving his arm.

Rayne trudged toward him through the snow, grimacing in the cold as the sky darkened.

“I found a cave,” he said, kneeling beside a stone wall. There, at the base, was a crevice that went into the mountain.

“Here, Dust, take this,” David said, handing a small keychain flashlight to Dustbunny. “Go forth and make sure this cave isn’t full of monsters and stuff.”

“O-kay!” Dust saluted and wiggled inside, the little flashlight beaming.

David and Rayne waited outside the stone crevice, shivering as the wind blew by them.

A short while later, Dust came back to the entrance. “All clear!”

“After you.” David gestured.

Rayne took off her backpack and crawled inside, pulling it along behind her. The crevice was tight in some places, and she had to hold her breath to get through. At the end, it opened into a small cave.

Dustbunny sat at the back of it, holding the light so they could see.

The cave didn’t amount to much, but it was out of the wind and snow and was thus the best place Rayne had been all day.

“Oh yeah,” David said, poking his head in. “This’ll do nicely. You guys hold the fort. I’ll be right back.”

“Hey, where are you—” Rayne started to ask, but he was already gone. She glanced at Dustbunny, and he sat there looking back at her, holding the light.

“David’ll be right back,” he said with a nod to himself. “He kinda likes to do his own thing.”

“So I’ve noticed,” Rayne said. She found a smooth spot on the cave floor and removed her cloak to use as a blanket. Feeling Dustbunny’s gaze, she glanced over her shoulder.

He looked away quickly and pretended to mind his own business. Rayne couldn’t help smiling. She took the cloak and wrapped it around the little gormaden, and he cozied up within it.

“You’re very nice,” he said. “We don’t normally get people who do nice things.”

“What do you mean?” Rayne frowned and sat down beside him, resting against her backpack and stretching her legs out.

“We fend for ourselves,” Dustbunny said, but he didn’t say it in a sad way; it was just a fact of life.

“How did you meet?” Rayne asked, making sure her voice was gentle, prodding. “You and David, I mean.”

“We were both lost.” His ears twitched. “But we’ve been bestest buddies ever since. We go on adventures, eat donuts, and occasionally save the world.”

“You save the world often?” Rayne smirked.

“Eh, once or twice a week,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Wow.” Rayne made the effort to raise her eyebrows in surprise. She relaxed a little, because Dustbunny wasn’t so bad. He was quieter and far less annoying than David. She wondered if all gormadens were like him.

As her body relaxed, Rayne’s eyes drooped, and she realized how tired she was. Her shoulders slumped, and she had the thought that her mother wouldn’t appreciate her posture.

“So . . .” Rayne blinked and yawned. “What, uh . . . do you mind telling me about David?”

“Oh, David?” Dustbunny scooted a little closer to her, still wrapped in her cloak. “David is really cool. A lot of people hate his guts, though.”

“Can’t imagine why . . .” She closed her eyes again.

“I know, right?” Dust said with a small snort. “Can’t even believe it.”

***

Rayne startled awake to find David patting her ankle, where golden embers flickered on her pants leg. She pulled back in surprise, only to realize the cave was filled with light and warmth. In the center of the cave was a small crackling fire, and the flames had chased the cold away.

With an exasperated sigh, Rayne sat up and rubbed her eyes. 

Despite how short her nap had felt, it had given her enough energy for the moment.

“David, did you catch my pants on fire?” she asked dryly.

“Only a little bit,” he said with a nervous laugh and one final pat that made her roll her eyes. He flicked his silver lighter closed and tucked it into his pocket, then looked up next to Rayne, and there was Dustbunny, all curled in on himself, his ears rising and falling with each breath. “He seems to have taken a liking to you.”

Rayne smiled at the little creature as she pulled her feet a safe distance away from the fire and reached out to warm her hands, stretching her sore, stiff fingers. David did the same, and his hands were trembling just so.

“You all right?” Rayne asked, noting that he was only wearing a hoodie and pants, compared to her cloak and the windbreaker she’d picked up in Old York.

“S’chilly out there,” David said, his voice as shaky as his hands. “I am froze in places I didn’t know could be froze.”

“How long was I asleep?”

“Not long. I was only gone ’bout a half hour. I found the wood from some of those crates where the plane crashed,” he answered. “Should probably go back to sleep if we’re gonna take on that dragon tomorrow.”

“And what about you?” she wondered aloud. “Surely even the great David Echoe must get his beauty sleep.”

David slumped back and lifted his hat to run a hand through his rich brown hair. The dark circles under his eyes were made more evident by the shadows from their small fire. A bruise was just visible under his shirt, and he’d rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, revealing dozens of scratches and cuts.

“He does,” David replied, “but sometimes he also stays up late pondering his own greatness and the ways of the world. Just a warning, though, if someone gets him talking in the third person, it’s awfully hard to make him stop.”

“Well, switch back to first person, then.” Rayne gave him a small smile and readjusted herself to get comfortable. She took another look at David—a real look this time—taking in the gleam of firelight in his green eyes and the make of his clothes. He looked just like a kid, just like her.

“Tell me again,” Rayne said. “What brought you out to this valley?”

“Oh, you know.” David waved her away but didn’t meet her gaze. “I’m an adventurer. I do tend to do adventurous things.”

“Come now.” Rayne smirked. “If I’m going to sleep in the same cave as a boy, I would like to know him a little at least.”

“Northerners,” David grumbled under his breath, “always so forward.” He shifted in place a little. “You know, I happen to think I’ve been pretty open about me. My name is David, I like donuts, and I’m an all-around swell guy.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Rayne said, feeling only a little frustrated that he wasn’t more forthcoming.

“What about you?” David asked before she could ask him any more questions. “What’s a yank like you doin’ all the way out here?”

“Excuse me?” Rayne frowned, recalling that word from when they’d first met. “A what?”

“Sorry.” David snorted. “What’s a Northerner like you doing in the Broken World? They don’t usually frequent the East, do they? Usually, they’re preoccupied with praising their own empire.”

“Hold on, that’s—”

“Tell me it’s not true.” David snickered. “Come on, tell me it’s not.”

“It’s not,” Rayne grumbled, though even she wasn’t convinced. “I moved here from the mainland about a month ago. My dad was born here, and he got a big opportunity for his business.”

She paused for a moment, and her gaze fell to the glowing embers in the heart of the flame.

“It’s quite strange.” Her voice was softer this time. “I grew up hearing stories of this place, and now that I’m here, it almost doesn’t feel real.”

“What kind of stories?” David asked, his head tilting up, eyes finally meeting hers.

“Stories of the Breaking,” she answered, “the legends and myths of what actually happened. I’ve always loved hearing the stories of the Explorers and how they fought for peace and discovery.”

“Pretty cool, huh?”

“Indeed.” Rayne nodded. “My grandfather was an Explorer, first class.”

“First class?” David cocked his head like a curious animal.

“Top tier,” she explained. “And that’s why I’m out here in this forsaken wasteland. I want to be an Explorer too.”

“Oh snap.” David grinned. 

“Ambitious, are we? You know you don’t have to join a fancy guild in order to go exploring. Go in your backyard, climb a tree or something.”

“But it’s more than that.” Rayne shook her head. “My mother’s always told me that noble blood requires noble effort, and it means that my blood, and in essence my life, is valuable. It means that if I’m giving my life to do something, then it better be worth it. Being an Explorer, saving people, going on grand adventures . . . I can’t think of a more noble cause.”

“Has anyone told you that you take yourself way too seriously?” David asked. “If not, lemme do you the favor.”

“I’m just . . .” Rayne sighed. “It’s not just about the guild.” She reached into her pack and pulled out An Explorer’s Journey. “It’s about my grandfather.” She flipped to the last pages of the book, the blank pages. “There’s something he was working on, a quest he never finished.”

“So you want to finish what he started.” David nodded, tossing a small piece of wood into the fire. “That’s pretty admirable.”

“Right.” Rayne closed the book with a sigh. “But I need to join the Explorer’s Guild. They have the training and the resources to help me, and, well . . . he was one too. Only feels right if I follow in his footsteps.”

“Look, I don’t wanna be a Debbie Downer about your grandpa or nothing,” David shook his head “but you can’t let other people dictate how you live your life.”

“And that’s exactly why I’m here.” Rayne clenched the journal tight. “Because this is my life, and I want to live for something worth dying for.”

“Hmm.” David scrunched his nose. “I still think you’re a little too serious.”

“Shut up.”

David grinned, and he adjusted his position against the wall of the cave, crossing his legs and arms and tilting the bill of his cap down to shade his eyes. Rayne in turn felt the soreness creeping up from her tailbone and lower back. It was going to be a long night, but she was still so exhausted. She used her pack as a makeshift pillow and lay down on it.

David shifted once, then twice, and his shoulders began to rise and fall in a rhythmic pattern. Rayne curled up, clutching her pack. 

Beside her was Dustbunny, still fast asleep. She was warm, a little uncomfortable, and scratched and bruised in a dozen different places.

But even so, she felt good, proud even, because Maralyn Rayne was right where she belonged.