A Hero's Journey: Squire

     On the way to the training grounds, Cavall collided with a furry Purple whirlwind.

     “Cavall! You’re back!” Will crowed, flinging his arms around the Blue Cybunny in a big hug. Then he blinked and pulled away, gazing down at the smallsword sheathed at Cavall’s waist. “And you have a new sword! Is that the one…”

     “Sir Rohane’s brother made it for me, yeah,” Cavall confirmed with a nod. “It feels really good in my hands, and…and I think I can do better in my training sessions now.”

     The Bori’s eyes lit up and he clapped his claws together. “Of course you will! I believe in you – oh, um, if you’re not in a hurry, maybe you could tell me about your visit to Trestin? I’ve always wanted to visit Sir Rohane’s home village, but the next best thing is that you got to see it, see his family, get a sword forged by Reuben the forge master…you have to tell me everything!”

     Cavall swallowed, a hand on his pocket where his Wincott medallion felt like a lead weight.

     “Yeah. I’ll, um, tell you everything.”

     * * *

     Rohane’s quarters at Meridell Castle had become less spartan over the years as he filled his shelves with books, several sharp weapons, souvenirs from his adventures, and assorted gifts from family, friends, well-wishers, and quite a few admirers. As he tidied his desk, he watched as Cavall rearranged the items on his shelf with one hand while toting a feather duster in the other.

     ”Your relatives know about you, right?”

     Cavall paused from his cleanup, a hand tentatively on the spine of a random book. “A few of them did. One of them was Aunt Yvi, a Faerie Koi.”

     The White Blumaroo slid a drawer shut and stood up. “Hmm, the name does ring a bell.”

     “But after she tutored me for a while, she suddenly disappeared, and her favorite amethyst necklace was left with my mom.” The Blue Cybunny’s brow furrowed, and he glanced at the closed door of Rohane’s study before pulling out the book on which his hand had been resting; it was entitled One Hundred and One Meridell Folktales. “That was before my tenth birthday – ah, I know this book! Wait, this was not in your shelf yesterday.”

     “I borrowed it from the library. You can read it if you like. I think it has a few of the stories about Cavall, the epic hero.”

     “Does this mean you read…all the stories about Cavall?” Cavall slid the book back into the shelf, arranging the volumes by title.

     Rohane nodded as he placed his sword onto his desk, drawing it carefully from the scabbard. “I did. I thought you were named after Cavall…until I found out that wasn’t your name at all.”

     “Um…yeah,” the Cybunny mumbled as he dusted the shelves. “A-Are you sure you’re all right not telling anyone about me? Since you and the other knights are looking for my parents…”

     “I promised I wouldn’t,” said Rohane solemnly, holding his blade up to the sunlight streaming in from his window.

     “Ah, y-your sword – “

     The knight sighed and gave his squire a wan smile. “I’ve never liked the idea of a squire cleaning up after me when I can do it myself – you already volunteered to organize my shelves, and that’s enough for me.”

     “But the knights…”

     “They won’t know about you. You’ll be safe from your parents.”

     Cavall put down the feather duster, staring balefully at the books and a small golden locket he had opened to miniature paintings of three White Blumaroos who could only be Reuben, Rohane, and Melissa, propped up neatly against a small figurine that probably came from Shenkuu.

     “But…you won’t be,” he whispered.

     “What’s that?”

     “I…” Cavall stepped away from the shelves to face Rohane. The Blue Cybunny shoved his hands into his pockets and seemed to shrink, the Wincott medallion bumping against his fingers in one pocket. “There’s…I can’t…”

     Rohane frowned and stood up, setting his sword aside. He approached his squire and placed a hand on his shoulder. “What is it?”

     “Sir…if you want to find my parents…maybe you should look for Aunt Yvi. But I don’t know where she is now.”

     * * *

     “Lady Yvi?” said Jeran, raising his eyebrows as he drummed his fingers on a map in the war room. “Now that you mention her, she has not been seen for years. We figured she had a falling-out with the main Wincott family, which was why she disappeared.”

     “Could they have made her disappear?” asked Rohane grimly.

     Danner gaped at him before shaking his head. “I’d like to believe that’s not the case – but it could go either way. Lord Lotham and Lady Elesia are not known to be merciful, but at the same time…would they really go as far as to ahem, disappear their own relative?”

     Oh, they made Cavall disappear for years, just in a different way, Rohane thought, but he kept it to himself. “What else do we know about Lady Yvi, Jeran?”

     “Apparently, she had a penchant for teaching,” the Lupe answered. “She taught other nobles’ children, but I’m not sure what kept her from setting up her own school. Fyora knows Meridell could always use more schools.” He perked up and snapped his fingers. “Wait. I just thought of something.”

     “What?” Danner and Rohane asked at the same time.

     “Lady Yvi is a Faerie Koi, right? Well, you don’t see many Faerie Koi. If she wanted to vanish and do what she has always wanted to do…”

     * * *

     The Yellow Kacheek looked out the window of her classroom at the empty playground in the square before sighing and leaning against her blackboard. School had been out for an hour; the last child had been picked up just fifteen minutes before. She glanced at the gold watch at her waist and began to pace the room, only to jump when there was a knock on her classroom door.

     “Miss Ollan?”

     Glancing this way and that, the Kacheek hurried to open the door. A cloaked figure swept into the room before shutting the door behind them with a soft snap.

     “Yes,” she said steadily. “Were you the one…who sent me…” Miss Ollan reached into the pocket of her blouse and pulled out a folded sheet of paper.

     The stranger reached up with gloved hands to lower the hood covering their face, and Miss Ollan bit back a yelp.

     “S-Sir Rohane!” she whispered breathily. Then she gasped. “How did you…ah, the knights…”

     “Will keep your secret, and will allow you to continue teaching in peace, if you agree to help us,” he said. “I’m sure by now you’ve heard the rumors that Lord Lotham survived the fire…Lady Yvi.”

     Yvi opened and closed her mouth, resembling a Koi more than she ever did in years. She swallowed hard.

     “Yes.”

     Rohane cut to the chase. “Do you know if they’re true?”

     She deflated and placed a hand to her chest. “I’m afraid not, Sir Knight. But there is a tavern not too far from here, where Lord Lotham was said to have been spotted. I’m sure you’ve heard of it by now – it’s Meadowsend.” Yvi took a deep breath. “I haven’t been in contact with Lord Lotham and Lady Elesia in years. They do not know where I have gone, or that I am no longer a Faerie Koi. I don’t think it matters to them; they only care about themselves and their fortune.”

     “I see,” the White Blumaroo said, nodding slowly. “Thank you for your time. I suppose Meadowsend will be our next stop.”

     As he turned to leave, Yvi spoke up.

     “Wait…”

     “Yes?” he asked.

     “Please be careful, Sir Knight. If there is one thing you need to know about Lord Lotham, it’s that he’s a practiced swordsman – and perhaps, while he’s on the run, he’s had more time to practice.”

     * * *

     “Meadowsend was fun!” Oakley crowed as he tossed his cloak onto a display of shields upon entering the war room. “I even had fun with my super mysterious persona – Yelkao, fearsome ranger of the North, who can hunt in his sleep!” The Striped Kougra struck a pose – and smacked his companion, a solidly built Yellow Lupe, right in the face.

     “Yeowch!” Tuffold groaned, clutching his nose. “Watch it, ‘Yelkao’! That’s the second time today you hit me!”

     “But the first time made our act more convincing, right? They were pretty sure we were just a couple of weird travelers blowing in from nowhere!”

     Tuffold placed some distance between himself and Oakley before sitting down at the table.

     “Your report,” said Jeran, who was standing next to the board, a piece of chalk in his hand.

     The Yellow Lupe leaned back in his seat and scooted away when Oakley took a chair. “An Usul has been hanging around every now and again, and some merchant guild folks are almost sure they look like Lord Lotham, but they can’t be one hundred percent sure, especially now that that Usul has stopped showing up. They say the Usul seemed to be looking for something…or someone...”

     “Do you have any clue where the Usul could have gone?”

     Tuffold merely shrugged. “No idea. Oakley – no, not Yelkao, you dolt – will probably try and scout around Meadowsend.”

     “There’s a rumour that every week, the Court Dancer performs in Meadowsend!” Oakley offered. “Or was it some other tavern?…”

     “Really?” Danner looked up from where he was sorting through some maps. “I doubt the Court Dancer would ever show her face in Meridell again, though. Not after the last war.”

     “Focus.” Jeran tapped the board irately with his chalk and sighed. “Every single knight in this room, hoodwinked by a couple of greedy nobles. I can’t believe this.”

     “To be fair, they’ve had a lot of practice hoodwinking everybody,” said Colleen. “Not even their fellow nobles know where they are or what they’re up to. Do we have any more leads?”

     Rohane shook his head. “Meadowsend was our last one. Who knows if they’re still in Meridell? If I were them, I’d take the next ship out of here, start a new life…”

     “Not without their money,” said Danner, gesturing at Tuffold who had placed his feet on the war room table. “What if they return to their manor?”

     Colleen frowned at him. “That’s the first place we looked! The Wincotts were never sighted anywhere near the ruins of their manor, and no doubt they would have money squirreled away elsewhere.”

     Jeran paused and tilted his head toward the war room door. “Is anyone…there?”

     “I think I heard something.” Colleen stood up, turning toward the door. “Hello? We’re in the middle of a meeting, can you come back later?”

     Jaco snickered. “What if it’s a squire spying on – “

     “I’ll see who it is.” Rohane immediately pushed his chair aside as he stood up and strode toward the door. When he opened it and glanced from one end of the corridor to another, he saw the retreating back of a small Cybunny running away without looking back. He waited until the Cybunny was out of sight before turning back to tell the other knights, “Oh, guess they’re gone.”

     * * *

     Cavall felt like he was running away from his burning home again, his heart racing as he tried to put as much distance as he could between him and the war room. The last thing he needed was anyone finding out that he had been listening in to the discussion about the whereabouts of his parents.

     They couldn’t find my parents.

     The Blue Cybunny skidded to a halt in the corridor leading to the library, leaning against the wall and touching the hilt of his smallsword at his side.

     Of course they can’t. Mother and Father have always been very careful – and I doubt they’d stop now. They’re successfully evading the knights and everyone else looking for them. But what if the one looking for them was…Cathton Wincott?

     “Cavall! There you are!”

     The library door opened and a Shadow Grarrl emerged from it, stooping so his head didn’t hit the top of the doorway. Behind him were a Brown Moehog and a Green Zafara.

     “Mulligan?”

     The Grarrl chortled. “We thought you were on some business with Sir Rohane, so we went on ahead to the library.” He groaned as he held up a large, gilded tome. “Master Ward’s etiquette homework is crazy – without you picking it up, it was even more of a slog than usual.”

     “Uh…”

     “Yeah, for someone who doesn’t have a noble upbringing, you’re very sharp when it comes to etiquette lessons,” the Moehog added.

     Though he was no longer running, Cavall could feel his heart hammering against his ribcage.

     “Cavall’s just sharp overall, Philip,” the Zafara pointed out, grinning. “So, are you free now? We’d like to run our essays by you just so we got all the honorifics and proper gifts right.”

     “Um…”

     “You’ve been working hard, so don’t worry if you’re not free,” Joanna said.

     “N-no, it’s not that…” Cavall looked from Mulligan, to Philip, then to Joanna, and took a step back. “It’s…I-I have to go.”

     He turned to run the opposite direction, but Mulligan grabbed his wrist before he could take another step. “Cavall, what’s wrong? Are you alright?”

     “Is there…something you need?” Philip asked. “Whatever it is…”

     “No!”

     Cavall gasped, his hands flying to his mouth as he stared at his friends. Mulligan flinched; a surprising gesture from a Grarrl who towered over everyone in the hall. Philip stood there slack jawed, while Joanna had taken a step back and whispered, “Cavall…”

     “No…no, I’m sorry, please,” the Blue Cybunny said, letting his arms hang limp at his sides. “I’m…” He blinked furiously. “There’s something I need to tell all of you, but we should probably be somewhere else. Not here.”

     “Why not?” Philip asked.

     “You’ll find out,” said Cavall bleakly. “I just hope you’ll still be friends with me after this.”

     * * *

     “Are you sure Sir Rohane is okay with you letting us in here?” asked Joanna as she stepped into the White Blumaroo’s quarters, Mulligan and Philip close behind her. As soon as they were all inside, Cavall immediately shut the door and locked it.

     “Yeah, he told me I can have my friends here when he’s not around – so long as we don’t break anything or go through his stuff.” He laughed nervously. “He’s really the private type…kinda like me, I guess.”

     “I didn’t know Sir Rohane liked reading,” Philip commented, eyeing the bookshelves. “Didn’t think he’d be the type.”

     Cavall nodded. “He gets that a lot. Anyway, there’s something about me you need to know. Something that should be secret – something Sir Rohane already knows.”

     “So, what is it? What’s the big secret?” asked Philip, not without some impatience. Meanwhile, Mulligan tried to sit down in a chair, which just barely bore his full weight.

     Cavall winced and took a moment to gather his thoughts.

     “I’m not a poor orphan Theodosia found in the streets,” he said. “Well, she found me on the streets and took me in, but the truth is, I’m the son of Lord Lotham and Lady Elesia Wincott. I ran away from home the day the manor burned down, and I’ve been pretending to be someone else for the past four years.”

     The silence that followed that revelation cloyed around Cavall like thick plumes of smoke, and from the looks on his friends’ faces, it was the same for them.

     “Wincott,” Joanna repeated. “But they don’t have a son!”

     “They kept him from the world for ten years,” said Cavall in a strangled voice. “Told him the world was dangerous. Raised him to be the perfect heir who would protect the family legacy and fortune.” His hands trembled, and he placed them down on Rohane’s desk to keep them from shaking, and then he pulled out the Wincott medallion from his pocket and dropped it onto the surface of the desk. “Few Neopians knew of him. One day, he decided to run away – and he chose the day his home burned down.”

     “That’s…” Mulligan’s voice trailed off.

     “I ran away, Theodosia took me in, and I took the name ‘Cavall’ from my favorite stories. My real name is Cathton Wincott. And…and I know what my parents did.” The Blue Cybunny straightened up again, steadying himself against the wall. “They’re corrupt, they’re evil, and…I’ll never do what they did, but if you don’t believe me, I don’t blame you. After all, I lied to you for years. Told you I was something I wasn’t, just to protect myself from my family and so I could start a new life. I may as well be as bad as they are because I – mmmph!”

     His words were cut off when Joanna, Mulligan and Philip approached him, and he disappeared under a group hug.

     “Are you kidding?” Philip said, ruffling Cavall’s ears. “You’re a good Cybunny, and you’re nothing like what we’ve heard about the Wincotts at all. If I were you, I’d want to ditch them too.”

     “Cavall, that doesn’t change anything,” Mulligan added.

     “Mull…igan…can’t…breathe…”

     “Right. Sorry, Cavall. Sorry, everyone.” The shadow Grarrl stepped away from them, raising his arms.

     “I think the boys said everything that needed to be said.” Joanna squeezed Cavall’s hand tightly. “You’re our friend. We understand why you did what you did. And…your secret is safe with us.”

     “Squire’s honor,” the brown Moehog said sagely.

     “You just let us know when you’re ready to tell everyone. If that ever happens, okay?” said Mulligan. “So, can you check our essays? Just so we don’t bungle any of the terms and such.”

     Cavall held up a hand. “Wait. There’s someone else I need to tell. He’s my friend too, so he deserves to know. Sit tight, I’ll be back.”

     * * *

     “Whoa,” Will breathed, as he bounced lightly on Rohane’s bed. “Does this mean…you have a secret identity?”

     “It’s not much of a secret anymore,” Philip pointed out. He gasped when Joanna elbowed him.

     “I…guess?” said Cavall, scratching his head. “Um, try not to bounce too much on the bed…anyway, I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you everything the first time. But that’s the gist of it. I’m really Lord Lotham and Lady Elesia’s heir, and made absolutely sure no one ever knew about me.”

     The Purple Bori jumped up from the bed and flung his arms around Cavall. “You left your home and your parents, took your chances with a new life, and here you are now squire to Sir Rohane! That’s so cool!” Will paused and suddenly let go of him. “Er, does Sir Rohane know? That you’re, y’know, a Wincott. N-Not that I’m saying you’re like them or anything, ‘cause you’re not!”

     “Um…he does, but can all of you not tell anyone about that either? He’s keeping it a secret.”

     “Sure!” Mulligan crowed, before clapping his claws to his mouth. “Whoops, gotta keep my voice down.”

     “But…will you tell everyone else?” Will wondered as he broke away from Cavall. “I mean, one day, will it not be a secret anymore?”

     “I…I don’t know,” said Cavall, wringing his hands. “Everyone knows my parents are the worst kind of nobles. What’ll they think if they find out I was the son of the Wincotts?”

     Philip shook his head. “If I can understand that you’re different from them, so can everyone else. The knights, the other squires, our teachers, the other nobles – well, the nobles who aren’t allied with the Wincotts or whatever.”

     “Philip’s right,” Mulligan agreed. “All this time, you’ve never given us any reason to doubt that you’re good and kind and strong.”

     “Wait. You think I’m strong?”

     Will beamed and placed his claws on Cavall’s shoulders. “We do, Cavall. Or Cathton. Er, I got used to Cavall – “

     “You can still call me Cavall. I think from now on, even if I tell everyone who I really am, I want to be called Cavall. So I don’t forget…why I wanted to become a knight.”

     * * *

     Checking his friends’ essays, writing his own, and listening to Will recommend some of the books on Rohane’s shelves briefly took Cavall’s mind off the growing possibility that his father was alive – or perhaps, both his parents were. For a while, the Blue Cybunny felt like he could finally be himself, without worrying about them finding out that he was a member of one of Meridell’s most corrupt noble families.

     But after Joanna, Mulligan and Philip bade goodbye, and after clasping hands (or claws, rather) with Will, Cavall was left alone with his thoughts, and he sat down at the desk, propping his elbows up onto it and turning the Wincott medallion over and over in one hand. A math book was open in front of him, but he wasn’t even reading.

     Bet Father’s only putting himself out there to find me, he thought bleakly. Me, his perfect heir…his little accounting whiz. Of course he wouldn’t want the knights to know he’s alive, they’d arrest him on the spot. They should.

     He glanced at the door, wondering if Rohane was done with the war room meeting.

     But he’d risk it…for me. Cavall snorted. Almost as if he loves me. He and Mother only need someone to protect the fortune when they’re gone. I wonder if Mother is also alive and looking for me… He sat up, shuddering. Yeah…if they knew where I was, they’d come running. Or do something…

     When the door opened, Cavall jumped and nearly fell out of his seat at the voices he heard. The medallion leaped out of his grasp, and he barely managed to catch it, the Wincott coat of arms embedding itself against his palm.

     “…slippery Lord Wincott…”

     “…try again tomorrow…”

     “…you sure?”

     Cavall immediately shoved the medallion into his pocket as Jeran and Rohane entered the quarters and scrambled out of his chair to bow before the two knights.

     “I’m sure,” Rohane said as he nodded at Cavall. The Cybunny could have sworn that his master conveniently stepped in front of the desk so Jeran would not see Cavall quickly pocket the medallion. “We can’t stop now. The Wincotts are dangerous; this might be our chance to finally catch them in the act of a crime. So, dawn tomorrow?”

     Jeran rubbed his temples. “Hmm, maybe you’re right. Let’s see if lightning can strike twice. Ugh, what else is there for the Wincotts besides their money, anyway?”

     The White Blumaroo didn’t say anything and merely shrugged, not batting an eye at Cavall.

     Sir Rohane and the other knights are risking their lives…all to find my parents. I can’t stand around doing nothing while Mother and Father are giving them a hard time.

     “I wish I knew,” Jeran mumbled. He glanced over at Cavall. “Hey, Cavall, how are you doing? You know, your swordsmanship’s improving. Guess you really just needed a lighter weapon…and the right guidance.” The Blue Lupe winked at Rohane.

     “Is that a compliment, sir?”

     “Shhh, you heard nothing.” Jeran turned back to Cavall. “Anyway, I hope you don’t mind me borrowing your knight-master for tomorrow while we figure out how to draw the Wincotts out.”

     “Oh, er…” The Blue Cybunny stood up abruptly, nearly tripping over the chair leg. “I-it’s no trouble…I, uh, I know it’s…important…”

     “You don’t sound like it’s no trouble,” said Jeran, raising an eyebrow. “Is your squire okay, Rohane?”

     “Well, he was when I left him…are you feeling well?”

     “No! I mean, yes, I mean – I’m feeling fine!” Cavall jumped backward and would have fallen over had Rohane not managed to grab him in time. Cavall immediately pulled himself away and took a deep breath. “It’s me.”

     “What’s you?” Jeran asked.

     The squire hurried over to shut the door before whipping out the medallion from his pocket.

     “It’s me. I’m the one the Wincotts want. My real name is Cathton Wincott. When our home burned down, I ran away, and Theodosia took me in. I called myself Cavall since then. I know you think the Wincotts never had a child, but they did. I spent ten years locked away until I escaped and found a new life as a page, as Sir Rohane’s squire…” Cavall breathed in again, the words just overflowing from his lips without stopping. “And I can’t take it anymore! I can’t hide while you keep chasing my parents. They’re probably looking for me. Because they can’t bear having no one to inherit their fortune.” He thumped his chest with his free hand. “That’s all I am to them anyway. Someone they raised to cover for them and to keep our money safe.”

     “Did you…know about this?” the Lupe asked, bewildered.

     Rohane’s expression was stoic. “Yes. I promised to keep his secret until he was ready. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, Jeran.”

     Jeran frowned at first, then threw up his hands. “No…if I were you, I might’ve done the same. Besides, there’s no telling what Lotham and Elesia would do if they found out their son was here and alive. He’s safer here, within the castle.”

     “But I want to help you find them!” Cavall burst out. “If they know I’m alive, they’ll come find me. And you’ll find them. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”

     “Er, yes, but…that’s going to be very dangerous.” Jeran began to pace the room. “You’re pretty much telling us you want to be bait.”

     “I know.”

     “You want to be bait to lure your parents out.”

     “I know.”

     The Blue Lupe squinted at him. “Cavall – I mean, Cathton, you’re what, fourteen? I can’t possibly let you do this. Come on, Rohane, tell him! We can’t put him in danger!”

     However, Rohane did not respond right away, but stroked his chin, looking at his squire. He placed a hand on the Cybunny’s shoulder.

     “Cavall, are you sure? Like it or not, this means you might see your parents again. And didn’t you tell me you wanted a new life? You can move forward.”

     “I want to move forward,” said Cavall, biting his lip. “But that means I have to see Mother and Father. I have to make sure they’re brought to justice.”

     Forehead creased in thought, Rohane turned away from Cavall and Jeran. Finally, after a few seconds, the White Blumaroo faced them again.

     “I’ll protect Cavall.”

     Jeran’s jaw dropped. “Rohane, you can’t be serious. Cathton can get hurt.”

     “I told you, I’ll protect him,” said Rohane defiantly. “I’m his knight-master. It’s my duty – and honestly, he’s right. We stand a better chance of finding and arresting the Wincotts with him. I promise, I won’t let anything happen to him.”

     Cavall’s gaze flicked from one knight to the other – Jeran frowning, and Rohane resolute. Then Cavall flung himself toward his knight-master and buried his face into his chest.

     “Thank you, Sir Rohane. I promise I’ll do my best, I’ll help in any way I can.”

     “And I’ll keep you safe, every step of the way. Won’t we, Jeran?”

     Jeran scratched his head in mild irritation, but finally shrugged and said, “Yeah, you’re right. You two are right – this might be the best way to finally put Lord Lotham and Lady Elesia behind bars. That way, Cathton – “

     “Cavall,” the Blue Cybunny corrected.

     “Right. Cavall can be truly free to pursue the life he wants. But first, we need a plan that isn’t just bringing Cavall out with us and hoping the Wincotts take the bait.”

     To be continued…