Swanheart

Chapter One
Welcoming Home The Knight

The sun was high in the sky as the lonely rider reached the outskirts of the kingdom Chitaan. Pulling at the reins, she stopped her chestnut-colored mare. Her clear green eyes looked at the valley, which lay in front of her. She gently patted the horse's neck and slid out of the saddle, her leather boots hitting the ground with a thud. Taking a deep breath, she scanned her surroundings. She had not been here in three years but it did not seem as if much had changed.

There were the tall trees with dark green leaves that grew around the valley. She remembered the many hours of happiness it had brought her to play with her friends in these woods. Close by was the Kildiv river, which gently snaked its way through the landscape of lush green meadows and fields. Many colorful flowers were in bloom. She could hear the birds singing and tiny insects were buzzing by.

A smile formed on her features as she took it all in and her heart started to pound strongly as her eyes fell on the proud castle, which rose in the center of the valley. It was still as beautiful as it had been in the years she had not seen it, not counting the times she had closed her eyes to bask in her memories. Completely made of white stone, it gleamed in the sunlight like a beacon. Squinting a little bit, she thought she could see smoke curling its way out of the chimney of a cabin that was only a few meters away from the castle, at the edge of the forest. She loved them both, the castle and the cabin, for they had become her home at the age of four. But most of all, she loved the people that lived there. They all were her family, though not by blood but most definitely by heart. It really felt good to be back.

She had had many a rough time in the past three years of her apprenticeship. More than once, she had been on the verge of just giving up when her body was so sore that every movement was accompanied by pain. Yan had been a very strict teacher and he had taught her everything about mastering a sword and several fighting styles that he knew. It had been the last wish of her parents that she would learn all that to be able to protect the ones she loved in times of need.

The mare snorted and butted her gently in the shoulder with her head, bringing her out of her musings.

"I know, Mican," Leigh said and stroked the soft muzzle. "You are just as anxious to get home as I am. What do you think? Will we get a 'Welcome Home' party?"

Mican snorted again, shaking her head.

Leigh chuckled. "What? You would not like all the attention?"

The horse cocked her head, looked at her with large brown eyes and an expression as if to say, "Are you kidding?"

Quickly, Leigh put her foot in the stirrup and climbed up on the mare's back. "Alright then, let's go and find out how much they missed us." She clicked her tongue and steered the horse to the dusty road between the rocks that would lead them to the castle. A wild grin was forming on her face as an idea came to her and Leigh urged Mican into a gallop.

*****

Holding the heavy, round, silver shield in his strong, tanned hands, Zaylan, King of Chitaan stared at the pattern of runes and signs that had been carved into the metal. Unseeing, his eyes were fixed to the lines, while his mind went back to another time.

Slowly, the white horse put one hoof in front of the other. It was tired and in desperate need of some rest.

The tall man with the short silver beard, who sat on top, let go of the reins and patted the sweat-soaked neck of the stallion. "Good boy, Uruth. It's not much further, we are almost there. Keep going, we are almost home. We all can rest then."

A light whimper came from the small body that was attached to the King's side. Tiny arms were clinging to the strong man with all their might.

Zaylan pulled back his cloak to reveal the tear-streaked face of a 4-year old girl. He used one hand to tenderly brush his fingers through her long, blonde hair and gave her a gentle smile. "Everything is going to be alright, Leigh." Holding her tighter to himself, he added, "I promise. We are almost home."

Snorting, Uruth continued at a steady pace and finally they reached the castle of Chitaan.

At the gate, they were greeted by the soldiers that Zaylan had left behind to guard the castle.

"My King, it is good to see you. Are you alright? Is it over?" one of the men inquired, while another reached for Uruth's reins and a third man hurried to assist the King.

"Yes, it is over, Leander. The battle has been won," Zaylan answered. Yes, the battle was won, but at what cost? Too many had been killed, only because a tyrant had seen it fit to attack the peaceful country of Chitaan, trying to overtake it. "Our country is safe again," the King continued and carefully slid out of the saddle. "A peace treaty has been forged with the new king of our neighboring country and I can only pray to the Spirits that he will be a lot smarter than the bastard, who attacked us."

"My King, what happened to your guards? Where are Shonara and Marnoc?" Leander asked, looking around for the missing warriors.

Zaylan fixed his sad eyes on the man in front of him. "They have fallen to protect me, like so many others. They have given their lives for me and the people of this country. This evening, we will bury them with all honors."

The soldier shook his head sadly."It's just so horrible. They had a child. What's going to hap..." Before Leander could finish his question, Zaylan pulled back his cloak to reveal Leigh, who still clung to him for dear life.

"I will make sure she has everything that her parents had hoped for her," the King said and entered the castle.

Tiredly, he climbed up the marble steps, holding on to the child in his arms.

"Zaylan! Oh, thank the Spirits, you are alright," somebody exclaimed and the King raised his head. A small smile formed on his lips as he discovered a tall slender woman in a simple brown dress racing towards him. Her long, black hair floated behind her.

"Look there, Leigh," Zaylan adressed the girl. "Do you know who that is?"

Leigh sniffled and a tremor went through her small body, as she looked at him with big eyes. Her lower lip trembled a bit and she whispered brokenly, "No."

"Never fear, my little one. That is Loreen, our healer. I'm sure your Mama and Papa have mentioned her, didn't they?"

The girl's eyes turned to the woman that had reached them, scrutinizing her up and down, her face a mixture of fear, curiosity and also a tiny trace of awe. "You got pointy ears. Are you an Elf?" Leigh blurted after a while of staring at the new arrival.

Loreen smiled at her disarmingly and tenderly brushed her knuckles against a soft cheek. "I am a Half-Elf, sweetie."

Frowning, Leigh contemplated that statement, before turning back to the King. "She is nice, yes?"

Zaylan chuckled. "Yes, Leigh. That she most certainly is."

Loreen raised an eyebrow. "So? That's not what you said last time I had to cure your tooth ache."

"Well, people in pain don't always speak their true mind," Zaylan tried to wave her off.

"Oh really?" Loreen crossed her arms in front of her chest.

The King rolled his eyes. "Let's change the subject."

"No, no, no, let's not do that. Since we are talking about pain, do you have any wounds that I should take care of?"

Zaylan shook his head. Looking down at Leigh, he said, "We are fine. Only time will be able to heal the wound that was ripped into our hearts today."

The healer nodded sadly. "I figured. Shonara and Marnoc are..." Loreen swallowed hard, unable to voice the question.

"They didn't make it. I promised them to take care of their daughter. This is the least I could do for all their years of loyal service and friendship. They have been great friends. I will miss them tremendously," Zaylan choked out. Silence fell and the king swallowed hard, desperately trying to keep the tears in. He could not break down yet. He needed to be strong, especially for Leigh.

Loreen seemed to sense what was going on inside the man. The time to mourn all that gave their life would have to come later. "Your daughter is fine. She'll be happy to see you."

Zaylan nodded, grateful. "Good. Say, why don't you take care of the little one here, while I have a bath and a change of clothing. Make sure that she eats something and then we go and see Alannah."

The healer smiled slightly, taking Leigh from the King's arms. "That sounds wonderful. How about it, Leigh? Would you like to go with me and see what the kitchen has to offer? I'm almost sure we could find some cookies there."

About an hour later, Leigh entered the Princess' chambers hesitatingly, holding on tightly to Zaylan's hand.

"Father!" Alannah explained as she looked up from her book. She flung it aside, jumped off the bed and wrapped the silver-haired man into a bear hug. "I have been worried."

"I'm fine, precious," he said, patting her back before holding her away from his body. He was relieved to see her unharmed. "I would like to introduce you to somebody." He went down on his knees and wrapped an arm around Leigh's back. "Alannah, this is Leigh. She will live here now."

The little girl just stood there, completely awe-struck, while looking at the princess.

Alannah was a few years older than her. She had the silver hair of her father, which reached to the middle of her back. Warm, brown eyes regarded the small girl in front of her and she gave her a dazzling smile. "Hello, Leigh."

Bashfully, she reached for the Princess' hand. Unable to say anything, she just held on to the fingers that were presented to her.

The King smiled as he looked from one to the other. "I'm sure you will get along just fine."

And he was right.

The clearing of a throat brought the King out of his memories. He looked up and right into the smiling face of Loreen. "Having happy thoughts?" she wanted to know.

Zaylan smirked. "Yes. Finally, I will be able to fulfill Shonara's and Marnoc's last wish."

*****

Tenderly brushing her fingers through the white fur of the blue-eyed wolf, the Princess of Chitaan sat at the shores of the lake, which was in the back of the castle's gardens.

It was a beautifully secluded area. Mighty trunks of weeping willows grew here, as well as reed and the soft green grass was dotted by the occasional white daisy. A soft breeze made the surface of the lake ripple and twelve majestic swans floated over the water, slowly and quietly. From time to time only their rump was visible for they had stuck their head into the water to search for their food on the ground of the lake.

Alannah loved sitting there, letting the warm sunlight caress her skin. She looked down at the white wolf and couldn't help the big smile that appeared on her face.

Cerulia's bright, blue eyes had closed to tiny slits while she lay there, clearly enjoying all the attention that the Princess was paying her. Rolling over on her back, she indicated that she would like to have her belly rubbed.

Alannah chuckled and turned back to the lake. If she wanted to, she could sit there for hours, watching the majestic birds and never grow tired of it.

Suddenly, Cerulia stirred beside her and sat up, looking intently in direction of the pond.

One of the swans came towards them and Alannah reached into the linen bag that lay beside her, bringing out a slice of bread. "Hello, Snowfeather," she said to the bird that waddled closer. "Would you like your special treat?"

The swan cocked her head, blinking her small black eyes.

Breaking off a piece, the princess held it out for the bird.

Not hesitating, Snowfeather reached forward with her beak, taking the bread from the offering hand. Once the last crumbs were gone, the swan let the Princess rub her head before waddling back to the lake.

Alannah watched her leave with a fond smile.

Cerulia followed the bird to the edge of the water but quickly retreated a bit as the other swans turned towards her.

Feeling disturbed by the close presence of the wolf, they spread their wings and began hissing. It was a first warning.

Unsure if the swans wouldn't attack the wolf if they felt really threatened by her, Alannah called her back.

Cerulia did as she was told and lay down beside the Princess.

The swans calmed down and continued gliding peacefully over the lake.

Alannah's mind turned back to another time and an almost similiar incident.

It happened a few months after Zaylan had brought Leigh to the castle.

Curious by nature, the girl had begun to explore her new home with great vigor. On that day, she had ventured out on the castle's compounds and was wandering through the gardens.

In the low grass, she discovered a frog, which was on its way to the water. Leigh followed it, wanting to catch the slimy, hopping animal to have a closer look at it.

Unfortunately, it was too quick for her and she never managed to get it into her grasp. "Hey froggy, wait, I'm not gonna hurt you. I just wanna see how pretty you are," she called out, but the frog didn't hold still.

Closer and closer they got to the edge of the lake. The frog did a last desperate leap to escape the curious child. With a splash it disappeared under the water's surface.

Undecided, Leigh nibbled her lower lip, her eyes scanning the lake, trying to catch a glimpse of the amphibian. Then, she took off her boots, intending to enter the lake. Carefully, she stuck one big toe in to test the water's temperature. It was a little bit on the cold side but Leigh would not let this fact discourage her.

"By the Spirits, Leigh!" a voice exclaimed behind her. "Get back from the water!"

Turning around, the blonde girl discovered Alannah, who came running towards her, yelling and waving her arms wildly.

Another weird noise sounded and Leigh whirled around again, finding herself face to face with a group of swans that had their wings spread and were hissing. A small outcry of fear escaped her as she saw the twelve sharp beaks that were heading for her. She squeezed her eyes shut. Then she was grabbed and dragged a few steps away.

Alannah's heart was pounding wildly as she held Leigh away from her body and looked her over, checking for injuries. "Are you alright? Did any of them bite you?" she asked, still a bit frightened for her young friend.

Leigh shook her head.

The Princess exhaled sharply in relief. Lowering herself to her knees, she cupped the small girl's cheeks and made her look directly into her eyes. "Just what were you thinking?"

Leigh told her about the frog.

"That was close. You have to be careful, Leigh. They are a bunch of very fierce guards."

Drawing her brows together and looking up at the Princess, she asked, "Swans can be guards? Like my Mama and Papa were? What are they guarding?"

"A piece of the Stone of Asram."

Leigh's eyes grew big. "What is the Stone of Asram?"

Alannah rose. "Well, would you like to come back with me to the castle? I will tell you the story."

"Sure!" Leigh exclaimed, smiling. She quickly put her boots back on. Holding out one of her small hands, she waited for the Princess to take it.

At a leisurely pace they made their way back to the castle and walked into Alannah's room.

Leigh sat down on the bed, while the older girl went to her large book case and pulled out a big book.

The brown cover looked worn because the leather, which held the yellowish pages together, was torn in some places. It was a very old book that had been handed down from generation to generation and it contained the history of Yuron, as well as myths and tales, which had been written down.

Alannah joined Leigh on the bed and opened the book, revealing an ancient map. "Once upon a time, the mighty Spirits created our world Yuron," she began. "For that they used the Stone of Asram, the stone of creation."

"Did they use magic too to do that?" Leigh interrupted excitedly.

"Yes, I think they did."

"Whoa, I like that."

Alannah smiled. "I knew you would." Everything that dealt with magic was of great interest and fascinated the little girl beyond belief. "Anyway, Asram, the highest of all Spirits, put the powers of creation into a stone. Each of his children was given a piece of that stone that would give them control over a certain element."

Leigh raised her eyebrows. "They could do magic with this stone?"

Alannah nodded, before continuing the story. "So, there was Leydara, the Spirit of earth. She created the country Pavan with the golden piece of the stone." The Princess pointed at the map, showing Leigh the location of the country, which was in the north-east of the land.

"Then there was Axana. She is the Spirit of air and created the country Ashkyhra with the light-blue piece of the stone."

"Who created our country?" Leigh asked.

The Princess patted her knee, smirking. "Be patient, I always save the best for last." Pointing her finger at the next country in the north-west, she went on. "This is Livos. It was created by the Spirit of metal, Menor. He used the silver piece of the stone."

Bright-eyed, Leigh took in everything the Princess showed her.

"See here, all the deserts? This is the land Urdgard, the land of Sastar, the Spirit of fire. The people there have to live under the ground during the day because it is so hot there. It was the red piece of Asram's stone that created it," Alannah said, explaining about the country that was located in Yuron's west. "Father's good friend Ranya lives there. She is a mighty sorceress and a very nice woman. She sometimes comes to visit us."

Leigh cocked her head while looking at the map. Pointing at the landscape that made up a part of Yuron's south-west, she said, "This looks like big mountains."

"You are right. These are the mountains of the country Kentaara. Harkon, the Spirit of stone forged it with the gray piece." Then, Alannah showed her another country in the south-east. "Denora, the Spirit of wood, used the green piece of Asram's stone to create Slidur and its many and very beautiful forests."

"You missed one," the little girl announced and put her finger on the country in the south. The landscape on the map was mostly green but had several blue lines and big blue spots.

Grinning, Alannah replied, "I told you that I always save the best for last. That is our country, Leigh. It's Chitaan, formed by Ossyr, the Spirit of water."

"I like it, it looks very pretty with all the green and blue."

"Yes, I have noticed that green is your favorite color," Alannah responded. "Want me to tell you a secret?"

Leigh nodded.

"My favorite color is blue. Our piece of the Stone of Asram is a very beautiful shade of dark blue."

"Have you ever seen it?"

Alannah shook her head. "Not for real, no. Only on pictures"

"Why not for real?"

"It is locked away. Each country that was specially created by one of Asram's children is guarding and protecting their stone, so that nobody can do evil things with it. Every sorcerer uses different ways to protect it. Our piece of the stone of creation lies in a heavy stone chest. It is sealed shut with an enchanted lock. Even if somebody manages to steal the chest it won't be of much use. Nobody but the sorcerer of Chitaan can open it."

"Where is the chest?" Leigh inquired, curious.

Alannah reached forward and tenderly tweaked the girl's nose. "That's why I told you to stay away from the lake. The chest is sitting at the ground of it and the swans are guarding it. They have been trained to attack anybody who gets too close."

The Princess' mind returned to the present.

Meanwhile, Cerulia had curled up in her lap, dozing.

"Would you look at that? What a lovely sight," a cheerful, deep voice said and Alannah whirled around.

"Oh, it's just you," she responded. Not sparing the two young men that strode toward her another glance, she turned back to the calm water of the swan pond.

"Just us... just... by the Spirits, Ranib, it doesn't seem that our Princess is too happy to see us." Wyan grinned and sat down beside Alannah. "Waiting for somebody special, aren't you? I bet I know who it is."

A little bit nerve-wrecked, Ranib rolled his eyes. "Oh, give her a break, Wyan."

"It's okay, Ranib," Alannah replied, smiling. "Everybody knows that Wyan has as much feelings as an axe in the woods."

Gasping, the man in question clutched at his heart. "My, that was a low blow, Princess."

"That's what you get for being stupid," she said and playfully rammed her elbow into his ribs.

Wyan's eyes widened and he gasped even louder, "Now, she is also insulting my intelligence."

Alannah smirked, raising an eyebrow. Taking a deep breath to let loose another smart remark, she was stopped by a finger that was pointing at her threateningly. "Ah, ah, you better not say out loud what you are thinking right now, because I'm sure it's not nice at all."

"Okay, I'll let you off the hook for now," she promised.

"I'll sure be glad to see the little one again," Wyan said then, changing the subject. "I have missed her."

"We all have missed her," Ranib chimed in. "Three years is a long time. I hope Yan didn't kill her," he added, thinking about his own apprenticeship with the old sword master.

"Oh, I'm sure she did great. You know, she can be more stubborn than any donkey. When she wants to succeed then she will," Wyan responded with a fond smile.

"Leigh was able to hold herself against you already before she left. Now, she will be able to really kick your behind when you pick on her," Alannah chuckled.

Wyan glared at her. "Oh, you think so, huh?" He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, displaying the hard muscles that had developed on his arms. "See this, Princess?" he asked, using his other hand to point at his flexing biceps. "I'll still be able to pick her up and carry her around like I did when she was 4 years old. Oh, and if I can't, I'll just call my big brother to help me."

Ranib snorted at that. "Hey, I'm just a couple of minutes older than you."

"So what? You are still older, meaning you'll get gray hair far sooner than I will."

Frowning, Ranib looked at his twin brother. "And what, pray tell, does that have to do with anything?"

"Nothing at all," came the cheeky reply. "I just wanted to point that out."

Alannah broke into loud laughter. "You really are something, do you know that?"

"Sure do," Wyan responded cocky. "Let's see..." He rubbed his bearded chin as if he was deep in thought. His eyes sparkled with humor as he looked at the Princess and declared, "I'm strong and handsome, funny and smart..."

Ranib buried his face at his hands. "Mighty Spirits, help me. What did I do to get punished with such a brother?"

"Well, if it helps you, you didn't do anything. You can blame our mother and father for that."

Now, Ranib was chuckling too.

Suddenly horns sounded, indicating the arrival of a rider.

Stopping their silly banter, the three of them rose.

Cerulia was a bit complaining because she didn't want to leave her comfortable sleeping place.

"Who do you think that might be?" Wyan asked in a high-pitched voice and with a dramatic, dreamy-eyed expression on his face, while holding his folded hands up to his cheek. "The Princess' knight in shining armor?" He batted his eyelashes.

Alannah glared at him and Ranib swatted him in the stomach. "Stop it."

"Oh, come on, why do you always have to be so damn serious? It was just a joke," Wyan told them.

"I know, but you should know when enough is enough, alright? Now, shut up. Let's escort the Princess to the castle and see who it is."

Wyan grumbled something under his breath. Fortunately, neither Alannah nor his brother was able to make out the words he used.

*****

The wild grin was still firmly fixed on her face as Leigh galloped along the path that led to the castle. It took all her will to suppress a silly war cry, which wanted to escape her throat. It really felt great to be home again and a huge warm wave of happiness spread through the young woman's chest.

Mican's pounding hooves whirled up dust and sand, which formed a cloud behind her.

As the high gates of Chitaan's castle became visible, Leigh slowed Mican down and slid out of the saddle. Holding on to the reins, she guided the mare and walked the final couple of meters that parted her from her home.

At the gate, she was welcomed by four guards, who crossed their lances in front of her, keeping her from entering. "Who are you and what do you want?" one asked gruffly, scrutinizing her.

Leigh grinned. "My, those past three years with Master Yan sure must have changed me if you don't recognize me anymore, Leander." From below her armor, she pulled out a silver necklace with a pendant that bore Chitaan's heraldic animal, a swan with spread wings.

The man glanced at the pendant and then took a second, closer look at her. His eyes widened in surprise. "By the Spirits, Leigh? Is that you?"

"In the flesh," she replied, smirking.

"I'm sorry," Leander apologized, grasping her hand. "I didn't recognize you right away. You do look different."

"You have changed too, Commander. There is more gray to your temples than what I remember."

"Really?" The man let go of her hand and reached up to touch said area.

Leigh chuckled. "I was just kidding. It is as fine as ever."

"Are you sure? No bald spots or anything?"

She shook her head, grinning. "No. The ladies will still think you are handsome."

"Well, that definitely is a relief." He laughed. "You have grown up but you still have your sense of humor. I really like that. I'm glad Master Yan didn't kill you."

"Yeah, me too. Even though sometimes I wasn't sure if he wouldn't succeed in that."

He nodded. "He is a hard teacher, but a very good one. Now enough with the babbling. Everybody is excited and waiting to see you." That said, Leander turned to his men. "Let her pass."

The men uncrossed the lances and stepped aside to make room for the woman and her horse.

"Thank you," Leigh said and continued on her way.

"See you later!" Leander called after her.

Leigh waved at him a last time before disappearing in direction of the stables. "Hello? Anybody here?" she asked as she entered, taking in the smell of horses and fresh hay.

A young boy came up to her. Looking at her, he smiled, revealing a gap where one of his front teeth was missing. "My name is Leon. How can I help you, Sir?"

Leigh raised an eyebrow. Why was he mistaking her for a man? It wasn't that unusual for women to wear armor and pants. She decided not to dwell on it. Instead, she reached into the pocket of her pants and pulled out a golden coin.

Pointing at the horse beside her, she said, "My name is Leigh. This is Mican. Can you take extra good care of her and make sure that she gets food and water and is rubbed down?"

Leon nodded vigorously.

Leigh watched as he led the mare into a box with fresh straw. He took off the saddle and reins, rubbed her down, gave her oats, carrots and set up a bucket with water.

Mican snorted in excitement and settled down to have her meal.

Leigh's stomach chose that moment to remind her that she had neglected it for some time.

The stable boy grinned at her. "Master Leigh, I think it is time for you to have something to eat too."

"I think you are right, Leon" she answered. "Thank you for taking care of Mican." She gave him the golden coin.

His eyes widened as he stared at it. "M-m-master L-leigh," he stammered. "That is far too much..."

Holding up a hand to interrupt him, she shook her head. "No, you deserve it."

"T-thank you," Leon whispered. "For that I will continue to take care of your horse till the day I die."

Leigh was touched by the boy's heart-felt words. "And I couldn't hope to find a better person to do that," she responded smiling.

Leon returned the smile.

Leaving the stables behind her, Leigh went to the main entrance of the castle.

Three people and a white wolf stood outside, waiting for her.

Immediately, her eyes turned to the smallest of them. Leigh couldn't help the wide grin that spread across her features as she recognized her friends. She quickened her steps and had to suppress the urge to just break into a run.

Wyan though didn't and he raced towards her, picking her up and wrapping her into a bear hug. "See, Princess?" he called out to Alannah high-spirited. "I told you I could still do that!"

"Let me down, you big oaf," Leigh gasped. "I can't breathe."

Wyan did as he was told. Then he cupped her cheeks and pressed a kiss on her forehead. "It's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back. Just refrain from trying to kill me again, okay?" she replied, taking a few deep breaths. "Hey, what's up with the bush on your face?"

He just grinned.

Ranib joined them and was far gentler with his hug. Having heard her last question, he answered for his brother, "Wyan is trying to grow a beard. He thinks it will make him more handsome. I'm glad you're back, Leigh. We missed you."

"I missed you too, guys," she said, before turning her attention to her best friend that kept to the background.

"We will tell King Zaylan that you are back," Ranib said, grabbed his brother's arm and dragged him along, inside the castle.

'By the Spirits, she is so beautiful,' was the thought that run through Leigh's mind as she looked at the Princess. During the three years of her absence, she had kept a picture of Alannah in her mind. It had given her strength to make it through the rough times. But now that she saw her again that picture didn't do her justice at all.

"My Princess," Leigh said and bowed.

Alannah laughed, bridged the distance between them and hugged her. "Welcome home."

Leigh closed her eyes and held on. 'Yes. Now, I'm truly home.'

After a long moment, Alannah let go and scrutinized the younger woman up and down. Ruffling the short blonde hair, she wanted to know, "What happened to your hair?"

Leigh blushed. "You don't like it?"

"You look like a twelve year old boy," the Princess said, keeping up a serious face. It was hard because as the pout formed on Leigh's face, she almost broke into loud laughter.

"Gee, thanks. I guess that's the reason why Leander didn't recognize me right away and the stable boy thought I was a man."

Alannah made a declining hand motion. "Don't worry about it. I think it's cute."

Leigh felt her face flush once more and another wave of warmth traveled through her when Alannah took her hand.

"Come on now. Father and Loreen are dying to see you. You have to get ready."

Frowning, Leigh inquired, "Getting ready for what?"

"The ceremony."

"What ceremony?"

"The 'Welcoming Home The Knight' ceremony. You know, like the feast we had when Wyan and Ranib returned from their training with Master Yan," Alannah explained patiently.

"Oh... that ceremony," Leigh stated, beginning to feel nervous and a bit uncomfortable. "Do we really have to do that?"

"It's tradition."

"I know, but..."

"You will do great. And maybe, I will finally get you to dance with me," the Princess added.

As Leigh looked at her face, she swore she saw a trace of an almost evil smile. 'Dancing? With Alannah? Oh, mighty Spirits, help me!' Not having much of a choice, since Alannah had her hand in a strong grip, Leigh followed the Princess inside the castle.

*****

Restlessly, Leigh was pacing in front of the throne room. To say that she was nervous was putting it mildly. She crossed her arms in front of her chest. Closing her eyes once in a while, she took deep breaths to calm herself, praying that the food she just had would stay down. The thought of emptying her stomach on the floor, or worse, directly into King Zaylan's lap, during the ceremony was more than unpleasant.

"Just what is taking so long?" Leigh muttered under her breath. It felt like several hours had already passed since Alannah had left her here, instructing her to wait until she was called into the throne room. It had only been a couple of minutes though.

What really made her nervous was the fact that she had no idea what to expect. Alannah didn't think it was necessary to tell her anything. She had just smiled at her and reassured her that she shouldn't worry. Everything would be fine.

Leigh thought back to the ceremony that had been held for Wyan and Ranib when they returned from Master Yan, but try as she might, she didn't remember much of that. She had still been very young then and aside from a few flashes nothing would come to her.

Exhaling sharply, she shook her head. "It's of no use. I have to calm down and just wait what's going to happen." Calling up a technique that Yan had told her, she slowly relaxed and found her inner calm.

Then the high wooden doors before her opened. "Leigh of Chitaan," a voice called out. "Step forward and kneel before our King."

Leigh's eyes flew open at that.

Drums began to pound.

Taking slow steps, the young woman entered the throne room. She kept her face expressionless so that nobody of the present crowd could see just how nervous she was. As she saw all the men and women in their fine clothes, she wished she had not abandoned her armor, but Alannah had told her to get comfortable. Somehow the Princess must have forgotten to mention that there would be the whole court present. Now in her brown leather pants, knee-high, brown boots and simple green shirt with the dark green sash around her hips, Leigh felt clearly underdressed.

Praying that she wouldn't betray her emotions by blushing, she walked on towards the black ebony throne.

Bagpipes were added to the hypnotic drumbeat. Then, a choir of beautiful female voices joined the instruments, creating a dreamy melody.

Putting one foot in front of the other, Leigh finally arrived at the throne and climbed the three steps until she stood directly in front of it.

Alannah was on the right side and winked at her. Wyan and Ranib were nowhere to be seen but left to the throne Loreen stood, smiling like a proud mother.

Leigh thought she could detect some unshed tears in her eyes. Giving her a brief smile, the young woman went down on one knee and lowered her head, paying respect to the King.

Zaylan rose and cut off the music with a hand motion.

Silence fell.

Leigh was still kneeling, trying to keep her fingers from trembling and her palms from sweating, while her heart pounded out of control.

"Leigh of Chitaan, it is a great honor to me to see you."

"The honor is mine, my King," she replied, grateful that her voice didn't show any of the nervousness she was feeling inside.

"Yan, Great Master of the sword, sent me a message. He told me that you have been one of the best students he ever taught the art of wielding a blade."

Her eyes fixed to the floor, she responded, "Master Yan has been a great teacher, my King."

"You may rise."

Slowly, Leigh got to her feet and looked at the King.

Zaylan smiled and put his hands on her shoulders. "Therefore, I am proud to officially declare you a Knight of Chitaan."

Loud cheering erupted in the throne room.

Leigh stood there, thunder-struck. One of her dreams had just come true.

"So, I have to ask. Do you accept?"

"My King?" she croaked through a suddenly dry throat.

Zaylan's smile widened. "Do you accept being a Knight of Chitaan like your parents were?"

"Yes."

Thundering applause rang out.

Then the King did something, which completely surprised her. He pulled her into his arms and gave her a hug. "Shonara and Marnoc would be so proud if they could see you right now," he whispered into her ear. "The whole Kingdom is proud of you."

"Thank you, my King."

He let go of her and clapped his hands twice. "Of course, as is tradition, you will be given three special gifts."

Wyan and Ranib came into the hall. Each of them were holding a silver object in their hands. They knelt in front of the King.

Zaylan took the shield from Ranib's hands. "This shield belonged to your mother, Shonara. From this day on it shall protect you." He attached it to Leigh's left arm and turned to Wyan, taking the sword that the young man held up. "This sword belonged to your father, Marnoc. From this day on it shall defend you," Zaylan said and placed the polished blade into Leigh's right hand.

"Thank you," Leigh choked out. She couldn't say anymore for fear she would break into tears

Loreen stepped forward, tying a cloak to the young woman's neck. The green color of the fabric matched that of Leigh's eyes perfectly. Silver threads had been used to embroider a swan with spread wings on it. Loreen's smile was blinding as she announced, "From this day on, this cloak shall aid you in your quests. It has been blessed by the Spirits, but its magical powers will only be revealed to you."

"Thank you."

After pressing a quick kiss to Leigh's forehead, Loreen retreated to the left side of the throne.

Again, Zaylan placed his hands on her shoulders, turning her around so that she was facing the other people. "May I present... Leigh, Knight of Chitaan!"

For a third time the gathered crowd cheered.

Leigh was completely overwhelmed. Unable to say anything, she just stood there, looking at all the smiling, proud people that honored her.

If she would have turned around in that moment, she would have seen that Alannah was watching her closely, with a most loving look in her brown eyes. 'Welcome home, my little Knight.'

*****

Continued...