Green Moon, 5020 Avalonian Calendar
The day that Shaundar realized he would never be a swordsinger was a beautiful, but otherwise ordinary, day on the small world of Peridot. The elves loved their unusual home, with its great roots and branches that stretched all around into the starry firmament, and they called it Yggdrasil’s Sprout, or affectionately, “Old Man” after the Green Man god Bile. Even below, in the far reaches of the roots of the great cosmic tree, the climate was mild and temperate.
It was bristling with old-growth forest too, which made it the perfect colony world for the families of the Avalonian Imperial Navy starfarers and spacers who patrolled the great tree’s orbit, policing pirates, which kept them in fighting shape, even though the Interstellar War was long over.
One of Peridot’s great points of pride was its public school, something that even pristine Glimmerfell could not boast of. This was in part due to the efforts of Shaundar’s grandmother, Deliana Wintermist, who had established the public school when she came to live with her daughter and son-in-law after the fall of fabled Evergleam.
Although he was proud of his family’s contributions to their home, the school was a constant source of misery to Shaundar. Elven children were usually given some latitude about their schooling but considering his family’s connection to the school, his father, Rear Admiral Ruavel Sunfall, insisted he and his sister attend, and was not very forgiving of “unexplained absences.”
That day, Shaundar walked Selena to school with more than his usual reluctance. It wasn’t just that the weather was calling him to go fishing or chasing frogs instead of spending all day with his nose in a book. He just had a bad feeling about school that day.
The two Sunfall children walked hand-in-hand past the dockyards, where several small insect-shaped naval vessels, and not a few merchant ships, were at anchorage. Shaundar’s cornflower blue eyes filled with longing as they swept the docks. It seemed to him the years until he could sail among the stars, just like his father, stretched forever out of reach.
His heart leaped at the tales sailors told, of battles with space pirates, monstrous Cthulans and fierce star dragons, and to the descriptions of the places his dad had seen; glowing nebulae, gas giants, water worlds, belts of thousands of rocks hurtling through space to be dodged like an obstacle course, even worlds carried around on the backs of giant animals. He would make a great midshipman, he reckoned; he knew all the language of spacefaring and he could tell the time and keep watch with the best. Why in all the worlds did he have to go to school?
Still, Father had said that he was old enough now to go with him on patrol if things were relatively peaceful, at least for the summer break. Shaundar could not wait!
He spent most of his free time at the docks, read everything he could find on ships and starfaring, and pestered the entire Navy flotilla with his questions, usually until they sent him home to continue the assault on his father and Uncle Madrimlian.
Distracted by pleasant thoughts of his summer holiday, Shaundar didn’t notice the approaching band of children until Selena caught his arm.
His heart sank. He recognized Laeroth Oakheart, scion of a prominent Sidhe family, barring the school’s front door with several other moon elves. Laeroth was about three years older than Shaundar, and his friends were all about the same age. Shaundar was, unfortunately, their academic superior. It wasn’t a good combination.
“Off to class, Sunfall?” Laeroth trilled, his expression twisted into a smirk.
Shaundar sighed. “Just leave me alone, Laeroth.”
Laeroth took a step forward. “You hear that?” he said to the pack of ruffians behind him. “He thinks we should leave him alone!” He jutted his alabaster face into Shaundar’s own. Shaundar was already as tall as Laeroth, but of much slighter build, maybe even lanky. “Why should we? You think you’re better than us or something?”
If asked honestly, Shaundar would have told them that he didn’t think any such thing. He shared the opinion of almost everyone around him. He was a half-breed and therefore, he would never amount to anything much. He didn’t understand why the Sidhe seemed to think he was stuck-up.
Laeroth didn’t wait for his answer. He kicked Shaundar’s legs out from under him and knocked him to the ground. His face hit the dirt and his lip split open on a sharp rock. He wiped his bleeding mouth on his sleeve on reflex, and groaned. Not another uniform! His father was going to kill him!
The front door of the schoolhouse burst open and a small, towheaded Alfar girl shot out like a catapult stone. Her sea-foam green eyes flashed furiously. “You leave him alone!” she cried.
“Narissa, stay out of this.” Shaundar got to his feet.
Her hands balled into fists and planted themselves on her hips. “I will not! Laeroth, you leave him alone!”
“Who’s going to make me?” Laeroth laughed at the tiny-boned elf maid before him. “You and all of your friends?”
“Yeah, that’s about right,” a quiet voice replied, and Shaundar smiled.
He glanced to the side to see a well-built Alfar boy, golden-complexioned, with hazel-green eyes and a careless mop of midnight-black cowlick, approaching the front of the schoolhouse. The boy eased his book bag off his shoulder and onto the ground. His eyes were fearless and steady. His body was tensed and ready for the fight.
Shaundar knew that things were going to be okay. Yathar was here.
Laeroth hesitated. “You’re outnumbered.”
Yathar was not deterred. “Only by one. And Shaundar and I could take you and all your cronies on the best day of your lives, with or without the help of the girls.” He grinned impishly and winked at Selena. Her cheery smile answered him.
Laeroth never had the chance to put it to the test. One of the professors came out. Shaundar’s spirits fell. It was Professor Lord Captain Goldenbough, Yathar’s father.
“What’s going on here?” demanded the Alfar lord. His ametrine eyes fixed on Shaundar and narrowed. “Sunfall, causing problems again, are you?”
Laeroth smirked, but Yathar stood beside Shaundar supportively. “No sir. Laeroth was causing the trouble, sir. Shaundar was just defending himself.”
Captain Goldenbough licked his lips, but he could hardly call his son a liar in public. “Get inside, all of you,” he snarled. “You are late.”
Obediently, all the children collected their things and filed into the building. Relieved by his narrow escape, Shaundar put a hand on his friend’s shoulder to show his thanks. Yathar gave an almost imperceptible nod and smiled in return.
But Captain Goldenbough was displeased, and he found a focus for his wrath. “Sunfall, your uniform is out of order again. I think you can spend some time cleaning up the classroom with me at lunch to learn the importance of cleanliness.”
Shaundar sighed in resignation. “Yes sir.” Laeroth grinned.
