A Hero's Journey: Rivalry

     Meridell Castle was like a crown jewel, nestled within a maze of roads, buildings, and structures. Trees and grass dotted the area before expanding outward into woods, plains, and countryside. More greenery adorned the feet and flanks of mountains and hills. The sky was a serene shade of blue, without a cloud in sight, and everything was quiet. Not a single dot of activity disrupted the atmosphere, and Beekadoodles and Crokabeks alike did not sing their songs.

     Atop a hill, Rohane sat on a log, staring out at the landscape, hands clasped on his knee. It was peaceful – quite possibly the first drop of peace he had in a long time. Dimly he was aware that he was supposed to be injured, sick, and in bed, yet he didn’t feel any pain or discomfort.

     “It’s been a while.”

     The peace was shattered by a voice behind him – a voice he had not heard in years, which caused his heart to stop. The speaker was a tall, solidly built yellow Blumaroo clad in immaculate white garb. He was barefoot, and though his face had a weathered, even weary quality to it, he still managed a gentle smile.

     Rohane jumped to his feet and whirled around, gasping loudly when he saw who it was.

     “…Father?”

     “Hello, son.” Reynold’s smile widened. “Mind if I sit next to you?”

     “Er…n-not at all…” Rohane’s words trailed off into nothing, and he settled for gesturing to the spot next to his on the log. Reynold took that spot, making sure he sat as close as possible to his younger son and smoothing out his tunic.

     For a while, the two Blumaroos just stared out into the distance, alone in the world, and yet not alone at all.

     “Words can’t describe how proud I am of you,” said Reynold fondly, placing an arm around Rohane’s shoulder. “You’ve grown into the knight and warrior I knew you would be.”

     “Y-You are? I am?”

     “How many parents can boast that their child helped save not one but five Neopian lands?” The veteran knight laughed softly before his smile faded into a sterner expression. “Of course, I’m not proud of how you fought with Jeran under the rain like that.”

      “Oh.” Rohane winced. “Sorry.”

     Reynold raised a hand to his forehead and let out a breath. “Then again, it’s probably partly my fault that you two fought.” He rested his elbow on his lap and didn’t meet Rohane’s eyes. “I don’t know if you can be proud of me. I fulfilled my duties as a knight of Meridell, but I fell short of my duties…as a father.”

     The white Blumaroo fell silent at these words, noticing that Reynold wasn’t looking at him.

     “I’m sorry I couldn’t always be there for you. I’m sorry I died before I could make it up to you, Reuben, and your mother.” Reynold folded his arms across his chest as though a chill wind blew past, yet the air remained comfortable and warm.

     “Father…I understood why you always had to leave,” said Rohane slowly. “You taught us what it meant to be a knight. But I still wished you were around more often. I didn’t think of it as much when I left home, but after I was knighted and met Jeran again after a long time, it was as if those feelings came back and boiled over. Still, I’m sorry I let them get the better of me.”

     “Oh, Rohane.” Reynold sniffed, opened his arms, and embraced his son tightly. “I can’t blame you at all. You’re still young, and you’ve already been through so much. I don’t know what else I can do now, except tell you that I have always loved you, and always will. I thought of you, Reuben and Melissa each and every day. That’s why I had my locket – remember when I showed it to you and your brother for the first time?”

     “Yeah, I remember.” Rohane managed a short chuckle. “I was so amazed at how small the pictures of us were.”

     “And I told you that I left you because I had to keep you all safe.” The yellow Blumaroo eventually let go and stared out at Meridell’s landscape below. “But what I didn’t tell you was that, even with my locket, I missed you. I still missed you.”

     The younger knight clasped his hands together on his knee. “Well, I miss you now. It’s silly, but I do. Maybe Jeran was right; I’m too old to be missing…”

     Reynold cut him off with a dismissive wave of his hand. “No. First, it was an outburst of emotion from Jeran. He struggled with his own share of feelings, just like you. Second, don’t ever consider that a weakness. Your real strength lies in your heart.” Emphasizing this point, he gestured to Rohane’s chest. “Remember that. Remember what is truly important.”

     Rohane closed his eyes briefly before saying solemnly, “I will. And…despite everything, I’m still proud of you. I’m still proud to call myself the son of Sir Reynold.”

     That made Reynold laugh, his posture relaxing as he patted the white Blumaroo on the head. “But you’re more than that. You’ve done things I could only dream of and learned many lessons during your travels. Today, you are Sir Rohane, a hero, a knight, an adventurer, and a swordmaster. And Neopia still needs you. I think it’s time you returned to your friends.”

     “What? But we just started talking! I don’t want to leave you yet…”

     “But you have to,” said Reynold evenly, taking Rohane’s hands into his. Both sets of hands were rough, scarred, and callused, the marks of swordsmen. “They need you. And they will need you, in the future.”

     “Will I ever see you again?” Rohane pleaded, blinking back tears. He gasped softly when he felt his father’s hand gently cup his cheek – much like he used to years ago, when Rohane was very small.

     “I’ll always be with you, my son. Wherever you go…I’m right here, in your heart.” Again, Reynold gathered him into a tight hug.

     * * *

     Jeran glanced at the bed next to his, flinching as he moved and brushed against the covers. Bandages and the heat of a fever enveloped him, and he groaned as he turned over on his side to stare at Rohane, who was still fast asleep and who seemed to have tears in his eyes as he slumbered. But that wasn’t all.

     “I’m sorry…”

     What in the name of Chet Flash? The blue Lupe frowned and stuck a finger into his ear, wondering if he really did just hear Rohane talking in his sleep. Nevertheless, the words struck a chord inside Jeran, making him shift awkwardly on his bed, the mattress creaking beneath him. He sighed and lay down, his arms at his sides as he decided to focus on the ceiling instead.

     “…I’m sorry too,” Jeran found himself saying out loud. He sighed and rubbed his temples as the words continued to pour unbidden from his lips. “I was a jerk. I was jealous of you, jealous because you did what I couldn’t. I was jealous of you being Sir Reynold’s son, because you learned and knew things I didn’t, because you’re an international hero…” He paused to cough, gritting his teeth. “I couldn’t control myself. I wanted to…ugh, you’re asleep, why am I even bothering. You can’t hear anything I’m saying.”

     “Hear what?”

     He sat bolt upright and bit back a yelp of pain.

     “I thought you were asleep!”

     “Not anymore,” said Rohane irritably, adjusting his pillows. “What were you saying, anyway?”

     Jeran opened and closed his mouth as he lay back down on his bed, avoiding eye contact before grumbling, “It’s nothing! I mean, no, it’s not nothing, it’s…” He groaned again, more loudly this time. “No, it’s more than nothing. It’s something.”

     “Just spit it out,” the white Blumaroo interrupted, attempting to prop himself up on his elbow and failing; much of his sword arm was still sore and wrapped in bandages.

     “Fine, fine!” The Lupe turned to face Rohane properly. “Ugh, I have to start over…I’m sorry. I’m sorry I was a jerk to you. I’m sorry because I was still angry at myself for losing to Ramtor, so I took it out on you, and that’s why I messed up during our mission. And I was jealous. I wanted to find Sir Reynold’s locket before you and prove that I deserved his legacy even though I couldn’t avenge his death.” Jeran paused to grab a handkerchief and wipe his nose. He sniffed and sank lower into his bed. “I just…Sir Reynold was like a father to me, and I wanted to make up for not being able to save him.”

     The silence that ensued was broken only by the sounds of the two of them coughing and shifting around in their beds.

     “Well,” said Rohane tentatively, “I was jealous of you, too. You were my father’s squire, and you got to spend so much time with him while I had to wait for him to come home. Everyone always talked about your adventures and missions with him. I would’ve given anything to have what you had. And I just wanted to prove that I was better than you.”

     Jeran managed to bark out a laugh, sniffling. “So did I.”

     “I’m sorry, too,” said Rohane, reaching up to massage his forehead. “For bungling the mission, for everything I said…ow, my head is pounding. I’m sorry I got you into this.”

     “Are you kidding? Challenging you to that fight was my idea,” said Jeran, grinning weakly.

     “And I accepted it, like an idiot.”

     “That’s two of us.”

     It was Rohane’s turn to laugh, although he had to stop momentarily to cough into his own handkerchief. “Finally, something we can agree on.”

     “I’m so glad you two are awake!”

     Their conversation was interrupted when Lisha entered the infirmary and strode purposefully toward their beds, and at the sight of something small and gold in her hand, they both sat up.

     Jeran whispered incredulously, “Is that…”

     Lisha held up the locket for them to see.

     “Where did you find it?” Rohane asked before Jeran could say anything.

     “You won’t believe it, but it was tucked in Sir Reynold’s diary.” She showed them the aged leatherbound volume tucked under her other arm.

     “His diary?” Jeran and Rohane repeated at the same time.

     “Sir Fidelity said that Sir Reynold kept a diary, where he would write about what it was like to be a knight. Sir Reynold gave it to Sir Fidelity for safekeeping, and it was hidden away between the pages of a book in the library.”

     “What book?” Jeran raised his eyebrows. “I never thought Sir Reynold would be a bookworm.”

     Lisha placed the diary and the locket on the bedside table between the two knights’ beds. “According to Sir Fidelity, it was a book Sir Reynold wanted to borrow. Faerie Tales for Young Heroes.”

     “That’s right,” Rohane interrupted. “He was always borrowing books from the castle library to read to me and my brother when we were little.”

     “So, when Sir Reynold gave the diary to Fidelity…the locket was already hidden inside,” said Jeran, gaping at the two items on the table. “And the diary was in a children’s book. You and Fidelity did all that?”

     “Not just us. We had a lot of help from the castle staff and the other knights. I figured that since Sir Fidelity was one of Sir Reynold’s trusted friends, it was worth asking him about the locket, then we got everyone to help us search for it, and the diary, in case it had a clue that would tell us where the locket was.”

     The blue Lupe snapped his fingers. “But the diary didn’t just have a clue. It was the locket’s hiding place all along.” He lay down in his bed, pushing away some of the covers. “Ugh, if we had thought to ask Fidelity…”

     “…then we would’ve been able to find the locket right away.” Rohane slapped his forehead with his palm. “It never occurred to me to ask him or anyone else, except for that time Oakley and Tuffold brought it up once. I never thought of working with you either, Jeran.”

     “Instead of making a bet, yeah. It looks like you won, Lisha,” said Jeran, grinning at her crookedly.

     Lisha sighed. “Well, I’m glad you two learned your lesson. You should rest; I have to help clean up the library after we turned it upside-down. Drink plenty of liquids and listen to the healers, okay?” Though that last statement was aimed at both of them, she looked directly at Jeran when she said it. She took a few steps toward him, but he waved her away.

     “I don’t want you to catch what we’ve got. Don’t worry, we’ll still be here when you’re done with the library.”

     “Right. I’ll see you later.”

     When the Aisha had gone, it was Jeran’s turn to sigh as he looked at the diary and the locket, kneading the edges of the covers.

     “Seeing the locket reminded me of something, actually.”

     “What?”

     “When we were about to fight against Ramtor, Sir Reynold told me that he had plans to retire.”

     “Retire?” Rohane was so surprised both his ears stood straight up. “He wanted to retire from being a knight?”

     Jeran nodded solemnly. “He said he had his duties as a knight, but also a duty to his family. He was going to retire to spend more time with you, but, well, Ramtor happened. I get that you felt like he wasn’t always there for you, but he thought of you a lot. I probably should’ve told you this sooner, but I forgot…because I was too busy competing with you.”

     “To be fair, I can’t say if I would’ve believed you then.” The white Blumaroo smiled ruefully. “But thanks. Thanks for telling me that now.”

     “And he said that he didn’t mind retiring because he knew you would take his place in the Order one day.” The Lupe pushed the diary and the locket on the table closer to Rohane’s bed. “He was right. Here you are, carrying on your father’s legacy, which means these are yours.”

     “No, we are carrying on Father’s legacy,” Rohane corrected him. “I think that’s the best we can do for him.”

     “Heh, I guess we are. It’s what he’d want, too. I don’t think he’d be happy to learn that we fought each other in the rain and everything.”

     “No, he wouldn’t.”

     “You sound really sure about that…then again, he’s your dad, so you would know.”

     Rohane smiled. “You could say that. So, no more wild duels in the rain?”

     “The next time we duel, it’ll be a proper one. Where we don’t try to beat each other into a pulp and catch a cold,” said Jeran resolutely.

     “But let’s focus on getting better first. My sword arm is still in bad shape, and so is the rest of me.”

     “I know, I know.” The blue Lupe leaned back in his bed. “Oh, and there’s one other thing.” Before Rohane could ask what it was, Jeran went on and said, “Thanks for beating the stuffing out of Ramtor and avenging Sir Reynold’s death. Even if I didn’t get to do it, at least someone did.”

     “Two someones.” The Blumaroo held up two fingers, one of them wrapped in gauze. “I couldn’t have done it without Mipsy’s help. Or your help. Even if you didn’t get to bring Ramtor down, I’m sure you did your part chipping away at his forces.”

     Jeran smiled and chuckled softly. “You’re too kind.”

     “Everyone acts like I’m the one who defeated Ramtor when I had so much help behind me,” Rohane answered modestly. “I had Mipsy with me, and everyone who provided us with places to stay, supplies and weapons. And everyone else who fought against him, weakening his army.”

     “I never really thought of it that way.” Jeran took a deep breath and sighed contentedly. “Thanks. So, do you plan on wearing Sir Reynold’s old locket like he did? And what about his diary?”

     “I’m thinking about what I want to do with that locket, but as for the diary…” Rohane reached out gingerly and took the diary from the table, opening the first page. “We’ve got time while we’re here, we can read it together.”

     “Really? But Lisha said it was meant for you and Reuben…”

     “Well, you said my father was like your father, too. That means you count.”

     Jeran said nothing at first, before shrugging casually. He winced, rubbing his shoulder. “Heh, thanks. And I’m sure you’ll want to hear my side of Sir Reynold’s stories. I’d be more than willing to tell you all about them.”

     “Great. We can start reading…” Rohane’s voice trailed off as he scanned the three words written on the inside page. Then he smiled and read them out loud.

     “A Hero’s Journey.”

     The End.