Excerpt: The Beginning - a Novel from the Land of Celtika

Prologue:They Return
Tamuril rode hard into the setting sun. Her horse, Leaventhen, heaved with the intense pressure and her mouth foamed. The war band’s song echoed around the hills surrounding the ravine as she ripped through the darkening night. The sun’s setting rays shielded her from detection by the band of heathens. Their front riders held their war spears highly in the air, with their hellish trophies displayed on the tips.
Tamuril stop to survey the area, looking for the small crack that had been in the ravine’s side wall the day before. She had found it while scoping the area for this very reason. Her father had not believed her when she had told him the Maule were moving again, nor when she told him the former senator, Maulef had stolen the Disk of Lorpent. Tamuril’s dreams were never wrong and she saw him swipe the Disk from its enclave deep in the halls of the Wizard’s Guild. No one had ever stolen anything from out under the wizards at the Guild, nor from the Senate.
The other races had decided to form the Senate at the end of the War Between the Races, more than eight hundred years ago and now it seemed to be for nothing. Tamuril’s horse turned a corner following the river that cut through the ravine, and she saw the cave. The horse’s hooves skittered on loose gravels as she plunged into the mouth of the cave. For a moment the panic that had seized her seemed to abate.
Dismounting the elf surveyed the cave and deciding that it may prove to be safer than it would be to continue trying to outrun the war party from the Underworld. As she patted Leaventhen to calm her, the first brash course of the war songs trickled into the cave’s opening. Fear caused Tamuril to press against the damp walls of the cave, which gave her a bird’s eye view of the entrance to the clearing. Her heart knew that they would pause here to allow their horses to drink, but she hoped against hope that once they had drank their fill they would disburse back in the shadows of the night that now blanketed this part of Celtika. Her eyes stayed trained on the bend in the river from where they would come.
Tamuril closed her eyes and began chanting in little more than a whisper. “Wavum ronos sernunos!” Three times the verse fell almost silently from her lips. She felt the protection of the forest wrapping around her, just as the first strand of warriors rode into view. The heads of those they had defeated earlier still held proudly up on their shafts and swords in front of them. Trickles of drying blood trailed down the length of them, and discolored their bodies and armor. Horror then disgust curdled Tamuril’s stomach as she settled down to wait out their stay in the cove.

Chapter 1: The Lonely Daughter
The day dawned bright and clear, the warm sun had just risen over the peaks of the Eastern Mountain Ridges. Yet the early hour was of no concern for Ms. Edith Stoneson as she stormed into the kitchens looking for Cook. Not finding Cook in the kitchens only intensified the nanny’s growing agitation. Calling for the cook several times and not receiving a reply led Ms. Stoneson down the hallway toward the servant’s quarters at the back of the castle. She walked up to the Cook’s bedroom door and banged on it.
“Get up! Get up, ye lazy cook! The master of the castle is gone, but the girl stills needs to eat. Ye can’t sleep in all day long,” yelled the infuriated nanny.
“Mwwumph!” was the Cook’s reply.
Ms. Stoneson threw up her hands in disgust and shouted, “Ten minutes, then I expect ye in the kitchens where ye belong.”
Turning briskly, Ms. Stoneson hurried up the back staircase toward the family’s bedrooms. Stopping at Arvana’s bedroom door, she again banged her balled up fists on the solid oak door.
“Wake up! Get out of bed!” shouted Ms. Stoneson’s shrill voice.
“Okay! Okay, I am up! I’ll be down in a minute,” was the muffled reply from inside the room.
Arvana Kilkenney sat up and stretched as she began to wake herself up. Grimacing at the bright sunlight that invaded her room, she stood and walked to the eastern windows of her room. Before them stretched a fantastic view of the moors. The green grasses, blew gently while the spring breeze, the brilliant blue sky with its sprinkling of fluffy white clouds cast small shadows against the brightly colored flowers. Each view was more spectacular than the next. Arvana took a deep breath of the cool, crisp air as she stepped out onto the balcony. Leaning into the stone railing, her thoughts turned to her father. Lord Kilkenney had been called away again on, what he called, other nations’ business. Arvana was sure he was working on more adventures with Elves, Dwarves or some other race.
Subconsciously her fingers toyed with the intricate elven charm that hung from a thin silver chain around her neck. She smiled as she thought of the necklace’s elven nature. Her mother had always worn it, or so her father had said on the eve of this latest business departure, as he fastened it around her neck. And, he had given it to her as a wedding present from an Elven King, so he thought it only fair to give it to Arvana as an early fourteenth birthday present.
She continued to churn around these thoughts until the harsh call of an eagle interrupted her reverie. She turned back into her bedroom. Plundering through her dresser and chests, Arvana carefully chose her tunic and pants for the day. As she changed from her nightclothes, she heard Ms. Stoneson again thumping toward her door.
“Hurry up now! Breakfast is waitin. Yer minute is longer than any minute I ‘ave ever had the luxury of having. What ‘ave ye been doin’? ”
Oh, why can that woman not leave me alone, thought Arvana as she replied, “Go on down! I am right behind you.”
Satisfied once more, she thumped back down the steps. Sighing Arvana pulled her coarse cotton tunic over her curly red hair, before tossing her pajamas on the unmade bed. Spinning on heel she headed down to the kitchens.
Once she went into the kitchens, her violet eyes surveyed the room for any sign of Ms. Stoneson. Seeing none, Arvana quickly grabbed a piece of bread and slice of cheese from the nearby cheeseboard. Turning to the cook who bent over a large black pot at the fireplace, Arvana offered her a somewhat guilty grin.
Cook turned her head and shook it at Arvana. “Hurry girl, Ms. Stoneson is on the warpath this morning. She’s just in the parlor. Outside with you, she’ll be back any moment now.” The cook concluded, scraping the eggs from Arvana’s plate into the slop bucket to throw to the pigs later.
Nodding her agreement, she ran out the back door. Arvana gasped as the chilly air hit her, wishing instantly she had thought to grab her cloak. Wrapping her arms around herself, she remembered that she had stashed a second cloak in the stables.
As she approached the stables, a familiar head peered over one of the stalls. Edain greeted her with a whinny.
“Hello, there beautiful! Father’s not back yet. How long has he been gone this time? Is it one week or two?” Arvana muttered to the horse as stroked her smooth brown head.
Getting the horse groomed easily, Arvana turned to toss a blanket across the broad back of the sweet tempered horse. Leading Edain over to a low, she mounted. As the pair exited the stables, Arvana noticed her cheeks where wet with tears.
“I haven’t any friends, Edain. I wish Father would let me go to school like a normal girl. I should be starting the Academie this autumn, but I doubt he lets me. I always hear, ‘You have fine tutors, Arvana. You’ll be fine.’ But, I’m not fine! I want friends, real friends.” The horse whinnied loudly in sympathy to Arvana’s words.

Chapter 2: Changes
Arriving at the back gate much later than she had intended, she slapped Edain on toward the stableyard, and headed into the kitchens via the servants’entrance.
“There you are! I have kept your lunch warm for you.” The kindly Cook greeted her.
“I’m sorry, Cook! But, I have been on the southern moors. I didn’t realize it was so late. By the way, what time is it? I’m starving,” Arvana gushed, prowling around in the cabinets.
Gently shaking her graying head, the Cook replied with a hint of a smile, “Nearly two o’clock. I bet the moors were beautiful this morning. Will you be going back this afternoon?”
Smiling Arvana shook her head,” I don’t think it wise, mi’lady. I don’t think Ms. Stoneson would approve.”
“Oh! I dare say not,” Cook said with a sly smile setting down a lead plate laden with sliced meat and potatoes. “She was planning on going in to the village this afternoon.”
“Really! Cook, do you think she would take me with her? I love to go to the village!”
“Hurry then, I think that if you meet her by the front gate in about, oh say fifteen minutes,” laughed the Cook.
Arvana shoved her lunch into her mouth, and took off charging up the back staircase to change. Arvana ran to her dresser and pulled her best tunic and pants out and slithered in them, before she lacing her black boots back on her feet. Yanking her brush through her auburn hair and tying it back with brown leather wrap, she gazed into her mirror. Satisfied she ran back down the stairs. In the marbled foyer Arvana saw Ms. Stoneson wearing her best hat, preparing to go out.
“Ms. Stoneson! Ms. Stoneson! May I come with you, please? I won’t be any trouble! Please, oh, please,” shouted the girl as she ran into the nanny at the door.
“Calm yourself, child!” Ms. Stoneson replied, trying to disengage herself from Arvana. “Of course, ye may go. I wanted to buy ye a new dress. Yer Father left the notes to pay for it. We need to get one before he comes home,” she continued as she straightened her hat.
“Father is coming home! When?”
“Soon, child, Very soon, hopefully next week, maybe sooner,” soothed the older woman as they headed down the lane out the main gate of Kilkenney Castle toward the village center.
Once there Ms. Stoneson headed into the bookstore, Quills and More. She went through the familiar front part through a small door hidden by an overstuffed bookshelf. The room they entered was one that Arvana had never seen before. Ms. Stoneson bent low, “Tell no one of this room.” With no further explanation Ms. Stoneson approached the counter where she made her order and gathered her purchases, as Arvana stared around the eerie store. Books upon books were stacked haphazardly around on bowing shelves, countertops and even in the floor. A china cabinet full of odd bits and pieces of everything you could imagine from, what seemed to be, tattered book covers ripped from their pages to jars of colored liquids. The bare skull of a deer hung on the wall behind the cash counter. Arvana carefully crossed the room, dodging stacks of books, boxes and other litter that covered the stone floor. Her eyes continued to rake the room. She noticed a display of an odd assortment of different shaped packages, whose wrappings carried a mark of a five –pointed star wrapped in a circle. Arvana had just reached out a curious hand to touch one of the packages, when Ms. Stoneson slapped her hand away.
“No, Arvana! Do not touch those! That is not a package you would want to be found with. That mark is the mark of witchcraft. Stay away from it, child, and stay away from those you see have it,” whispered the nanny urgently, but quietly enough that they would not be overheard.
“Oh, really, I didn’t know,” Arvana said as she dropped her hands. Walking away from the display her curiosity only intensified, still a strange tugging feeling seemed to be luring her back toward the display.
Ms. Stoneson returned to the clerk as she noticed him trying to get her attention. Quickly walking back over to the front counter her low heels clicking hard against the floor. Her time and attention was spent paying for her purchases. Glad that the nanny’s attention was focused, Arvana gave into the unnatural tugging sensation and moved back toward the odd display. Turning her eyes away from the display she scanned the store, seeing no one paying any attention to her, Arvana reached a somewhat timid hand out and snatched the nearest packet. Quickly stowing it into her traveling cloak, completely unnerved by what she had just done, Arvana darted out of the store skirting the piles on the floor. She dared not to take a chance of inspecting the package any closer until she was safely away from the market. Ms. Stoneson emerged from Quills and More moments later and led the way to the dress shop, refusing to answer Arvana’s questions as to what was in the bags she was carrying.
Leading Arvana in, she turned to her,”Ye go on in and find a nice dress for yer Father’s return party. I twill be back shortly, so you stay in this store until I get back. Do you understand?”
Nodding in agreement, Arvana turned and headed into Lady Alice’s Tailoring Shoppe. Upon entering the shop, she was drawn to a silken blue gown. Heading straight for it, she went deeper into the store. Pulling the gown free of its hanger, Arvana held it to her body. She loved the feel and look of the dark blue silk. A few moments later and saleswoman approached and lead her to the dressing rooms at the back of the shop. Ms. Stoneson just appeared as Arvana was spinning in front of the dressing room’s mirror.
“That’s a lovely dress, Arvana. Ye look very beautiful in it, almost like the princess that ye are,” Ms. Stoneson offered with a rare smile toward Arvana.
“It is beautiful, isn’t it? Oh, Ms. Stoneson this is the gown I want! Please may I have it?”
“Alright child, peace now, I will get ye the dress.”
Arvana darted back into the dressing room to change back into her tunic, and then Ms. Stoneson led her to the cash counter.
A huge smile spread over Arvana’s face as she accepted the wrapped package that Lady Alice held out to her, accepting the package with her new dress tenderly in her arms, Arvana left the store. As they left the packet in her cloak’s pocket banged into her thigh, reminding her of its presence.
Out in the street once more, Ms. Stoneson led her to an outside table at the only restaurant this side of the market, Lady Gilgham’s Kitchen. After ordering a dessert, Arvana watched Ms. Stoneson scurry away on more secretive errands. Shaking her head lightly, she bit into a large slice of apple pie. Then, she allowed her mind to wander to the package that lay close to her thigh in her cloak pocket. Completely consumed by her thoughts at Ms. Stoneson’s strange actions, Arvana hardly noticed the two people staring at her from across the way.
“It has to be! Who else could it be? That is Lord Kilkenney’s daughter. I am sure of it,” proclaimed the brown haired boy.
“Maybe, but whoever she is, she looks a bit lonely. I say we go over and talk to her,” declared the bookish looking girl with Dylan.
The two friends left their desserts unfinished and walked, somewhat nervously, toward Arvana. As Arvana noticed them she offered a friendly smile as they approached her table.
“Um, hello. My name is Willow O’Lackey and this is Dylan Gardner. We just thought you looked a bit lonely and that we might offer company,” Willow said with a nervous grin on her cocoa-colored face.
“Hello, I’m Arvana Kilkenney…” a gasp from Dylan interrupted her. “So, you are Lord Kilkenney’s daughter?”
A giggle escaped Arvana, “Yes, I should hope so. And, I would love your company!”
The three fell silent as Arvana waited for one of them to speak, but since neither one did, she continued, “Do the two of you go to the Academie? I had hoped to go this autumn, but I don’t think I’ll get to.”
Dylan stared open mouthed at Arvana then exclaimed, “Won’t get to? Why not?”
“Dylan!”
Arvana smiled, “It is okay, really. I guess it is a little odd, but my Father always says that I have fine tutors at the castle and more friends than I could ever need,”Arvana trailed off looking over Dylan’s head toward the street.
“Tutors? At the castle! Wowhee!” Dylan exclaimed.
“Shut up, Dylan!” Willow cut in.
“Sorry Arvana,” Dylan said reddening around his ears.
Arvana smiled again, “No worries. I would probably say the same things.”
Silence fell between the trio, until Ms. Stoneson started calling out. “Arvana? Arvana, time to go!”
“I don’t mean to seem rude, but there’s my nanny, Ms. Stoneson.” “Would the two of you like to come over tomorrow afternoon? I’d really like to get to know you both better. You will come won’t you?”
“Come, of course we will come. Wild horses couldn’t keep me away, and I’ll drag Willow along for a good measure,” Dylan answered for the both of them, thankful the pressure was off of him for the time-being.
Arvana saw Ms. Stoneson impatiently motioning her to come, “I really must go, but I look forward to seeing the both of you tomorrow after lunch. I can’t wait to see you again!”
“Nor we you! We’ll be there around two o’clock then,” Dylan replied.
“Two would be great! Well, bye then,” Arvana answered as she grabbed her packages.
Arvana smiled all the way home, as they walked she told Ms. Stoneson of her guests for tomorrow, as Ms. Stoneson listened patiently.

Chapter 3: The Unlikely Friendship
Early the next morning, Arvana stashed the little square package from her cloak pocket deep in her underwear drawer before rushing about getting things ready for her visitors. Glancing at the clock, Arvana was glad to see that her wait was soon to be over. Thinking it best to greet her guests at the gate, she headed toward the gate and sat down on the black wrought iron bench just inside the gate. Her wait was not long, as she saw two heads bobbing up the road from the village market, one was unruly and brown, the other curly and black. Grinning broadly, Arvana jumped up and yanked gates open for them. Willow’s dark head looked up and waved at Arvana. Dylan had a grin on his rosy face, revealing cute dimples in both cheeks.
“Hi! Um, welcome to Kilkenney Castle. I am glad you came!” Arvana’s nerves were ricocheting around in her stomach.
“Wow! This is great!” Dylan said in return as his eyes turned to the gorgeous sprawling building behind Arvana.
Willow shook her head in disgust at Dylan’s words, as the three walked through the stony gargoyle statues guarding the gate. The heavy black gate swung shut behind them, and Arvana panicked! She wanted to make a good impression on the two potential friends, but she did not know how to do that. Dazed, and hoping that she was doing the right thing Arvana led them around the eastern wall of the castle and into the back gardens. Arvana continued to lead as she navigated through the tangle of hedges and flowering bushes, finally reaching the gazebo at the center of the garden. As they walked the three said nothing, but the two newcomer’s tried to see everything as they walked. As they reached the gazebo, they all took seats. Still no one spoke. Arvana felt the responsibility to start but she didn’t know how.
“Well, this is it.” It sounded dull and uninterested even to Arvana as she said it.
“This is such a beautiful place. I think that it is absolutely marvelous.”
Blushing slightly Arvana turned to thank Dylan but Willow interrupted, “I think it’s amazing, but could we see more of it?”
“I would love to take you on a tour if that is what you want, but I do not want to bore you.”
“Bore me! Are you kidding? A tour would be great!” Dylan exclaimed jumping to his feet. “Let’s go!”
Giggling in spite of herself, Arvana joined him on the steps of the gazebo. Then, she lead them in the direction of the stables. Willow and Dylan followed two steps behind as their eyes continued to search out their surroundings.
Willow visibly shook her head in disbelief and Dylan’s mouth dropped open, as Arvana had led them around to the front of the stables. Above the white and green trimmed doors was a sign marked, Kilkenney Stables. Arvana glanced over her shoulder to make sure that the two guests were still behind her, and then she flung open the doors to expose the stable’s interior. Inside in perfectly measured rows were twenty separate stalls, all housing a different horse. Edain was pawing the dusty ground and neighing loudly as the group entered the stable.
Arvana walked over to the horse and turned to her friends, “This is my horse, Edain. My Father bought her for me from a band of traveling Forest Elves about four years ago.”
Dylan continued to stare open-mouthed at Arvana then at the stable surrounding them,” This is your horse? An elven horse! Wowwhee!“ He sobered up a little before continuing. “Then it is true that your Father has traveled beyond the village of Suesum. It has to be true! Especially if this horse came from elves, I don’t ever see any elves in Suesum anymore.”
Willow looked just as curious as Dylan when Arvana answered,” Oh, yeah, he is gone a lot, but I’m never told where he goes exactly. I suppose he has traveled throughout Celtika on many occasions. Sometimes he is gone for months at a time, other times he is only for a few days, but Ms. Stoneson says that he was home much more when my Mother was alive. She said that he hardly ever left the village. I suppose that the castle holds many bad memories for him, but I don’t know.”
Arvana continued down the main alley in the stable and circled through the rest of the gardens before heading back toward the castle.
Cook met them at the door.“You two had better hurry on home now. I suspect your families are waiting dinner on you. It’s after seven, didn’t you notice the sun setting? I would say though that it would be fine if you wanted to come back tomorrow, but maybe you should come earlier.”
Willow smiled at the cook and answered for both Dylan and herself, “ We would love to come back tomorrow. Maybe around ten or so, that would give me time to finish my morning chores, and Dylan too.”
“Ten would be great! I’ll see you both then! Bye and thank you for your company today,” Arvana agreed her nervousness now completely gone.
The two left Arvana standing in the kitchen with Cook and headed back toward the front gate. Cook smiled as she sat a plate of vegetables and a slab of cornbread on the table in front of her. Arvana had almost forgotten how hungry she was as she stuffed the meal ravenously in her mouth. Finishing quickly then bounded up the steps, taking two or three at a time, in a hurry to lock herself away in her room. She wanted to write about this day in her journal but as she got to the top of the stairs, she ran right smack into Ms. Stoneson, who merely pointed into the makeshift wash room off the bedroom. She had a steaming bath waiting for her. Groaning impatiently Arvana dragged her feet into the re-designed closet turned washroom. Sighing defeat Arvana rushed through her bath. Finally, freshly scrubbed and neatly dressed in her nightgown Arvana was able to escape to her room.