Armhianthia, Arbhin Cioc [world best books to read .txt] 📗

the corridor make a turn to the right. Not that he remembered that he came that way. But he seldom realized till he had to look back. He knuckled his head with his right hand, a habit his father used to do, when he stood at the field watching his work of the day and forgot that he was standing there, in the hot sun. Or when he was doing other jobs. His parents never gave him much trouble when they found him like that, they thought he would learn in the end, after discovering his error, His father just knuckled his hand over Arabons head. After Arabon left his parents house, to attend the Eagris and learn about the world, he missed his father’s knuckles, therefore he started, first out of joke, later as a habit to kuckle his own head instead. But as much as Arabon did try to change, he did not seem to be able to lose the habit. Knuckling his head, he pressed himself off the wall and walked back to the corridor. After three other hallways, he remembered his place again and walked to the kings hall. This time without wrong turns.
Appearing before Trakand, a young man just in his twenties, he bowed his head. Outside the halls, Trakand and Arabon were almost the same age. And they both shared same interests. But where Arabon was absent every now and then, Trakand was a man with a clear mind and logic reason. Looking for a place to sit, he saw Luse sitting there, with a plate of bread and something to drink in his hand. It reminded Arabon, that he had not yet had breakfast. Looking around he noticed all the plates empty and the people sitting there holding their mug in hand. Trakand looked up at Arabons entrance nodded to Arabon. Some meters away from Trakand one of his generals was sitting there, solid as a rock, only eyeing the crowd.
“I took the liberty to send your breakfast to your rooms, my best. I hope you enjoyed it.”
With a shock Arabon remembered his writing table, which was half covered with his writing material and the other half he wondered why he had left his breakfast there before going to the Eagris. Now he realized that it had been fresh breakfast, most probably already cleaned up by maids. Feeling sorry for the waist, he nodded a mouthless thank you to Trakand, then took a seat near Luse.
The kings hall was filled with people, seeking audience to Trakand. Some farmers for higher rates for supplies, some merchant applying for places for market and other things people need. Some more important then others. But Trakand had an ear for all of them, listening to every small problem, dealing with it like a judge with years of experience. Luse turned his head to Arabon and whispered softly to him, “Trakand has asked for a meeting with me, but since you are his Eagrival, I think its very useful if you would attend this meeting too.”
Arabon nodded, “Thank you. I will be there.”
Luse smiles softly.
“We will be sitting in the private speaking room of Trakand. As far as I know, we are supposed to have lunch there too.”
Arabons face froze. With those lunch meetings, the lunch most often came only after the meetings. That meant he had to keep up without food till after the meeting with Trakand. Luse saw the expression appear on Arabons face and chuckled. “You passed on breakfast? When this meeting is over, you can have a little run to the kitchen see if there is something saved.”
Arabon had that figured already. It was not the first time he left his breakfast. And it wouldn’t be the first time he appeared in the kitchen, he only wanted that he had eaten. That was all. But he nodded again to Luse and turned his attention to Trakand.
It still took some good hour before Trakand ahd spoken to all the people. He stood up from his chair, raised his hands to request for silence. When all the people silenced down, and they all turned their heads to Trakans, he raised his head a little more.
“Right has been done today. Now take your leave and see that you live to the choices made. By decision of Trakand, ruler of Nadirand, all is right now. A good day to you all.”
Trakand still stood there, waiting for the people to depart. Until they were all gone, servants back to their work and some higher royalty only present, he sat down again.
A servant brought him his mug of wine. Trakands eyes looked over the room, then saw Luse and Arabon sit there. Luse with a mug in his hands, Arabon with head bowed to Luse. Luse took little sips from his drink, while Arabon was talking softly to Luse. Then Arabon stood up, and bowed his head to Trakand. Trakand answered the bow with a gesture of his hand, then Arabon turned and walked away. Luse stood up from his seat and approached Trakand, in his eye corners Trakand could see the guards at the sides of the room stir at the sudden open movement of Luse, but with one stare at them, he set them at ease. Luse was no threat, tho he was more sure of everything around him, then Arabon was. Arabon needed more knowledge of the kingdom. And of the lands and customs. That boy was so caught up in his own thoughts that it was hard to work with him.
Trakand opened the conversation with Luse. One way to make an advantage to the Eagrival, other way to unease the guards that they hadn’t seen Trakands gesture to let Luse approach, even though he had not.
“Is there a way to solve that cloud around Arabons head, Eagrival Luse?”
To his surprise Luse did not look surprised. This man actually laughed about the question.
“Sometimes I think we were too late for that, when we found him.” Luse answered. “But even now and then I think he sees more then we think he does.”
“He has been my disciple ever since his arrival at Eagris. He must grow and he must get to know the customs at the courts. There is more in him, then you should think and he needs to learn that himself.”
Luse looked back at the guards. Trakand looked again and then saw that Luse was not looking at the guards, but at the place, where Arabon had left the room. Somewhere behind the door.
“We should go to the speaking room.” Luse said to Trakand. Trakand nodded and stood up from his chair. The general stood with Trakand, and walked to one of the doors at the side of the stage, where Trakand had been sitting. At the door the general turned and waited for Trakand before opening the door to let them both pass. In the doorway Trakand turned to Luse, “Take half an hour, I’ll change into something comfortable and we will meet at the speaking room.”
Without waiting for an answer, he turned to the door and left the room. Just as the general shuts the door, Arabon entered the hall, with two breads in one hand and a mug of wine in his other hand. He had opened the door with his knees and was now trying to close it with his head. Luse walked across the room, waving for Arabon to hold his mug straight. Arabon looked up and saw Luse come close. Turned to put the things in his hands on a table nearby, when Luse closed the door for Arabon.
“You trip over your own feet one day.” Luse said to Arabon.
“You know, that’s what my father used to say too.” Arabon thoughtlessly replied. He put his mug on the table without spilling, then sat down to eat his bread. Luse turned around the table and sat down in front of Arabon.
“We have half an hour, before Trakand is ready. Eat your bread.”
Arabon looked at Luse for a moment, then turned to his bread again.
“We will have a conversation with Trakand in a few moments, Arabon. For you speaking with Trakand is like old new to you, he is your assigned ruler. But this time, you will be present as Eagrival, not as his Advisor. We both came from Eagris, both as Eagrivals. We both have to give him the news we have. As older Eagrival, I should be the one having the conversation. Because Trakand is custom that you are his Advisor, he may turn to you to ask for your advice over the information. But at that moment, you are just an Eagrival.”
Arabon looked up from his bread and was thinking the information over, than nodded.
He turned to his mug and started to drink. Halfway he lowered his mug and looked at Luse.
“What is so special about the news we are going to tell?”
Luse looked at Arabon and was pleasantly surpriced. Sometimes Arabon could surprice people with a sharp wit.
“There is a little passage in this book I am reading, or studying, talking about a new born human. Now, this book is old and written in a language we hardly use anymore. I gave it a large amount of learning to come to an explanation. It is still not very clear to me, but one of the clues is Trakand. Eagrival give both peace and war to countries, Arabon. We are not only nice. But I hope it won’t come to a war.”
Arabon watched Luse with a blank stare. No expressions, no emotions, “I know Luse. We’ve been told this when we started as students. But Trakand is my Liege. If it comes to a war, I will rather stand behind him, then behind the Eagris.”
Luse felt proud of this young Arabon.
“Very well. Then I suggest that you go first and meet with Trakand, I will come in when I’ve been summoned.”
Arabon nodded, stood and walked out the room. Luse watched Arabon leave. Only after Arabons back was well out the door, the smile fell off his face and a mask of serenity appeared. Luse had been Eagrival for Tyr for ten strong years, he knew what it was to have to change sides. The Eagris did not only give peace in the lands. They gave wars too. Sometimes wars were unavoidable. Luse had started a war himself already. The five years of Tyr battling Bregar, just before the three brothers Rahl took over the throne. The Eagris had many power inside a court, but they had no hands over who entered a throne. Eagrival were supposed to advise the sitting ruler, discuss royal decisions with other Eagrival make them match together, then give back advise to the ruler, who could take the advise, or lay it beside. If he laid it beside him, the Eagrival had to make sure that the other countries were not getting involved in the decisions.
The door opened to a servant entering the hall. He nodded to Luse.
“Prince Trakand is ready to meet you, Eagrival.”
Escapes