A Warden's Job

A Warden’s Job

Alydia raced through the mass of Hollowsfolk. Ridgerunners were everywhere she looked.

“Dett! Dett!” ‘Dett’ was Alydia’s sister. Her real name was Odette, but she preferred Dett. Alydia had been trained since Dett was born to protect her. A rhythmic beat sounded in her mind: Protect. Protect. Protect.

Dett and Lander were the other two Jewels. Mother called them the Jewels of Anniera. Alydia was seventeen years old, Dett fifteen, and Lander ten.

Protect. Protect. Mother said that that was the very heartbeat of a Throne Warden. Alydia’s mother, Galya Wingfeather, said that once, she had been a fang. She said that Kalmar, Alydia’s father, had also been a fang. His brother, and Alydia’s uncle, Janner, had freed the former fangs by dying. Alydia had asked how this was possible, for she saw her uncle every day. Mother said that Father had found the First Well, and the Maker let Janner go back to Aerwiar. Dett and Lander ran over to Alydia. A sea dragon emerged from the water. It spoke in Alydia’s mind.

“Throne Warden. Do you wish to go back to Anniera?”

Alydia nodded. “Yes. Quickly!”

The sea dragon scooped Alydia and her siblings onto its back. This sea dragon’s name was Hulwen. Hulwen flew toward Anniera. Lander stood up and stretched. Alydia stood and eased her way over to Lander.

“Hulwen!” she hissed, “Slow down.” Alydia grabbed Lander’s legs and knocked him onto Hulwen’s wing. One upward flap and Lander was back to Hulwen’s back. Hulwen landed on the ground of Anniera.

“Hey! You three!” Alydia looked toward the castle. Her uncle, Janner, and her aunt, Sara, came toward them.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Sara asked. Sara had dark brown hair and pale skin. Her bright blue eyes were very attractive.

“We were coming home from the Green Hollows.” Lander said. “There were a ton of Ridgerunners trying to steal the fruit! But Alydia hit a Ridgerunner and brought us back!”

“I did not hit any Ridgerunners.” Alydia said. Janner grabbed Alydia’s arm and took Dett’s hand. Sara picked up Lander. They brought them back to the castle, where Kalmar and Galya sat near a fire. Alydia’s cousin, Ariana, walked up.

“Where is my pwumyum?” she asked, her eyes looking up expectantly. Janner shot a look at Alydia. Alydia pulled a shiny plumyum from her dress. Ariana was two years old, and loved plumyums, but only if they were from the Green Hollows. Alydia’s other aunt, Leeli, came over. A dog followed her.

“Ariana!” she called. Ariana took the plumyum that Alydia held out and walked to Leeli.

“Mommy! Ally bwought me a pwumyum!” Ariana always called Alydia ‘Ally’. Leeli picked up Ariana. “Would you like me to cut it up for you?” Leeli asked. Ariana nodded. Leeli took Ariana to the kitchen. Alydia went to look for Erica, her other cousin. Erica was twenty years old, and Alydia looked up to her. Erica walked out of her bed chambers. “Alydia! Mom already told me. You promised Ariana a plumyum, didn’t you?”

“She begged me for one. You just can’t resist her!” Alydia protested. Nia came into the room. Nia was their grandmother, and her eyes were asking a question.

“Were you girls fighting?” Nia asked.

“No.” Erica said. "Just that Alydia didn’t bring me back any of that real good fruit from the Hollows.” Nia glared at Erica. “Really good.” She said, her voice in the commanding tone she used for correcting grammar. “Now, were you fighting?”

“NO!” both girls said in unison. Nia smiled. “Good.” Alydia stood and left the room. A scream came from the kitchen, followed by a laugh from Lander. Alydia hurried to where the scream came from. As her feet touched the smooth kitchen floor, a fang jumped at her. Alydia jumped away and screamed.

“Ally, what’s wrong? It’s a cool lizard!” Lander said, smiling.

“It is a bad guy, Lander, they don’t like people.” Janner’s voice said, calmly. He drove a sword into the fang’s back. Alydia turned to her aunt, who was shaking, with Ariana in her. Ariana was eating a piece of her plumyum and was completely unaware of the danger. “I weelly whove pwumyums!” Leeli put Ariana in Alydia’s arms and grabbed her crutch. “Baxter! Baxter! Frankle! PUPPIES!” Janner sheathed his sword and took up Lander in his arms. “Alydia! There are more fangs outside. I think one of the stone keepers is there to! She has a stone! Now, we are going into Uncle Artham’s room. He’ll take you somewhere safe. Also, you will tell me things.” He rushed them to Artham’s room. Artham was right in the doorway, sword ready. Janner put Lander on the bed.

“Uncle Artham. Would you like to ask them, or should I?” Janner asked. Alydia noticed Dett in the corner and sighed a sigh of relief.

“Did you open the Fane of Fire recently?” Artham asked. Alydia recalled a few nights ago, that a strange woman had asked them to open the Fane. She jumped down into it and hurried out. The woman was very strange indeed. She had a crab body, and a little boy was with her. She jumped down and sang a song. She came back as a woman.

“Yes, a crab woman and a little boy.”

“I think that may have to- Kal!” Janner said. Alydia hurried to the window. Papa was being dragged out of the castle. Dett screamed and opened the window. She climbed on the windowsill and jumped. “DETT!” Alydia screamed and followed after her sister. Artham threw a bow and quiver out the window and grabbed a sword. Alydia grabbed the quiver before she touched the ground and picked the bow off the ground. A fang had grabbed Dett and held her to the ground. Alydia nocked an arrow and shot the fang that held her sister. A figure jumped over her and landed on top of three fangs. Artham grinned at her, then stole one of the dead fang’s weapons. Janner followed and dispatched the fangs that held the king in seconds. From the looks of the battlefield, there were seventeen fangs left. They could do that. Alydia shot two arrows and skewered two fangs. A dagger hit a grey fang, and Maraly Felda (aka Shadowblade) jumped from the head of a fangs. The fangs were mostly dust on the ground. It looked like there were three fangs left. The crab lady jumped into the sea. Later, as the Wingfeather family relaxed in the family room, Alydia thought about the day. She would keep her sister safe as long as she lived so that the fangs would never have Dett. That was a Throne Warden’s job after all.