Chosen Sister (2 page)

“I was there when my master Merlyn, the last Gold Wizard, uttered the prophecy, and I escaped.” The Gold Wizard looked sad, and Reina wondered if Merlyn had been like a family member to him. “I know the specifics of the prophecy, and I now have a way to tell which boy is the Child Warrior. I ask that all the boys come into the field and stand around me in a circle. I promise all you parents that, whichever child is the Warrior, I will guard him with my life and personally train him for his destiny.”

Everyone whispered in excitement as parents led their children toward the field. The older boys ran ahead, each yelling that
he
was the best and so would be the Warrior.

“Ooooh,” cried Lilia, grabbing Reina’s arm, “I hope it’s Bryan! This is so exciting.”

Reina stopped herself just in time from saying she found Bryan hopelessly dense. You didn’t talk to a girl about her brother that way.

“Or maybe…. “Lilia snickered. “Maybe it’ll be Kylen.”

“Yeah,” Reina said unenthusiastically. She hoped it wouldn’t be Kylen—she didn’t like the idea of him in a battle. What if another harpy attacked him and no one could save him? “Hey, don’t you wish girls could be warriors?”

Lilia giggled and shook her head. “I wouldn’t want to fight the Red Wizard! I’d be so scared.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Besides, the hero always marries a princess or a pretty village maiden. That’s how prophecies work.”

Reina wondered if Lilia was right. She thought of the harpy dropping from the sky. It had felt good to do something to protect her village. How hard could it be, becoming a warrior?

Ahead, the boys stood in a circle. Kylen and Ryan arm-wrestled. The older boys, the teenagers, folded their arms and tried to look tough. The Gold Wizard turned in a circle, looking them over.

“Bring out the younger ones too—don’t be shy.”

Reina smiled at the wide-eyed expressions of the younger boys as their parents marched them up to the circle and placed them there. How small four-year-old Davyd looked next to eleven-year-old Kylen!
Some warrior he’d make.

A familiar whining caught her ear.

“Oh no,” Lilia said, smirking. “Looks like your brother’s scared.”

“He is not!” Reina protested, although the way he clung to Mama and refused to join the circle showed otherwise.

“Hah!”

Reina’s face burned, and she scowled at Lilia. “He’s just nervous, like he should be! Unlike those idiots who think being a warrior is all fun and games, he realizes it could be dangerous.”

She marched toward Mama and Austyn.
I’ll show her. Austyn just doesn’t like crowds, but he’s brave too!

She grabbed Austyn’s shoulder, and he latched onto her with a death grip.

“Reina,” Mama complained, looking weary. “He needs to join the circle. Everyone’s waiting.”

“Don’t worry,” Reina said. “I’ll stand with him, to make him feel better.”

Mama sighed, but stepped back.

“I’m right here,” Reina said when they reached the other boys. “Don’t worry.”

“Don’t leave,” Austyn said.

“I’m not leaving.” Reina peeled his hands off her arm. “Don’t pinch. I’m staying right here.”

She ignored Bryan and Kylen, who made faces at them across the circle. She stood directly behind Austyn, her hands on his shoulders to steady him.

“What’s he going to do? Put a spell on us?” Austyn asked, looking over his shoulder at her.

Reina laughed. “No, silly. He’s just going to … uh…. “She glanced at the Gold Wizard. He held a medallion in his hand, a round disk on a chain. “Uh, give that medallion as a present to one of the boys.”

“Oh.” Austyn brightened. “Maybe he’ll give it to me!” He turned his gaze to the Gold Wizard.

“Maybe, but I doubt it.”
I hope not.
Reina’s stomach fluttered. What if the Red Wizard had secret magic that was too powerful? What if the Gold Wizard picked the wrong boy? Would one of her friends die?
If he’s the Child Warrior, he has to be safe, because the prophecy said he’d kill the Red Wizard.
But for some reason, she still felt terrified.

The Gold Wizard held up the medallion. “This magic talisman will reveal to us the Child Warrior.”

The Gold Wizard twirled in a circle, his staff in one hand, the medallion in the other. A cloud of gold and silver light surrounded him, making the air sparkle. Magic! Fascinated, Reina couldn’t take her eyes off him as he spun faster and faster. Rainbow colors streaked from him, and the air filled with heat.
It’s so beautiful! I wish I could do magic.

With a little explosion of color, the medallion whirled up into the air, high above their heads, still spinning. It zoomed around the circle and then flew downwards, like a shooting star with a rainbow tail.

And landed, sizzling in the grass, at Austyn’s feet.

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The crowd around the children gasped, and Reina stared down at the medallion lying in front of them. Austyn was the Child Warrior? He was going to learn magic, become a famous warrior, and save the entire country. A mix of pain and anger surged inside Reina. Everyone would look at Austyn, pay attention to him, shower him with gifts. No one would care about her.

“We have our child warrior,” boomed the Gold Wizard, pointing his staff at Austyn.

Austyn turned and ducked behind her, hiding his face against her legs. Reina felt a stab of guilt. Here she was, jealous, wishing she were the Child Warrior, and he was terrified. She pushed aside her own longing for magical power and recognition and knelt at Austyn’s side to look him in the face.

“It’s going to be all right, Austyn. Don’t worry about all those other people!”

“But they’re staring at me,” he whispered.

She thought of the strange electric feeling that had passed between them, right before she’d had the courage to stand up and throw the rock. “Remember when we killed the harpy?”

Austyn nodded.

“Remember how good it felt! Remember how we were heroes?”

Austyn’s mouth curved upward in a tiny smile. “Yes.”

“Well, getting the medallion means you’re going to kill more harpies and become a hero.”

“You’re going too, right?”

“Uhh…. “Reina stalled, doubting that anyone would want her to go with Austyn. “Let’s try this thing on you.”

She reached and picked up the medallion. As her hands touched it, a flash of heat went through them, stinging her hand. She almost dropped it, but didn’t because Austyn watched her. The heat of the magic faded, and she examined the medallion. Gold-colored, it had a rune engraved on one side, which made her wish she could read. She flipped it over and saw a star on the other side.

“Isn’t it pretty?” She slipped the chain over Austyn’s head, and the medallion thumped against his stomach. “You look like a warrior already!”

Austyn beamed and threw his arms around her, and a warm feeling filled Reina. Maybe she wasn’t the Child Warrior, but she was his sister, and he loved her. Then they were pulled apart as their parents and friends rushed to surround them with congratulations. Austyn clung to Mama.

The villagers frowned at him and gossiped. Reina’s face grew hot with anger; she didn’t like some of the things they whispered. She wanted to yell out at everyone that Austyn wasn’t a coward, that it wasn’t a mistake.

But at the same time, he did look scared, and she worried what the Gold Wizard would do with him. Surely he couldn’t think Austyn could defeat the Red Wizard! He was just a little kid.

Kylen leaned over and whispered in her ear, “The Gold Wizard got it wrong. Your brother’s the Child Weeper!”

Reina turned to punch him in the stomach, but he hopped away. “And you’re the Child Cow-pie!” she yelled after him. Tears started in the corners of her eyes, but she wiped them away. She’d get him back somehow, that stupid Kylen. She’d punch him right into the dirt when he least expected it! She’d—

“Attention, good men and women of the village,” called the Gold Wizard, interrupting Reina’s angry thoughts. “Now that the medallion has chosen the Child Warrior, we will defeat the Red Wizard very soon!”

The villagers gave a cheer, although many still looked skeptical.

“Now, I must talk with the proud parents about the education of the Warrior. Thank you for all your help.” The Gold Wizard waved his dismissal of the onlookers, and slowly, with many stares and much grumbling, they started walking away.

Mama, her arm still around Austyn, turned to the Gold Wizard. “Please come to our humble home and let me give you something to eat.”

The Gold Wizard hesitated for a second and glanced at the people still milling around, trying to eavesdrop on them. The Gold Wizard nodded. “I would be honored to visit the home of the Child Warrior.”

They turned to go to the cottage. Reina rolled her eyes.
It’s just Austyn. It’s not like the house is sacred or something.

She glanced at Papa. He put one arm around her as they walked home. “My brave children!”

Reina didn’t feel particularly brave. Everyone’s attention focused on Austyn. Not that she had done anything, anyway. But she appreciated Papa including her. He was the only one.

The Gold Wizard stepped into their house, wrinkled his nose, and then made a show of brushing the seat off before he stretched himself out in Papa’s chair by the fire. Both Papa and Mama waited on him hand and foot. Papa brought him a footstool and a mug of beer; Mama made him eggs and toast. Reina kept a stern eye on him. She didn’t like his self-satisfied attitude.

When he had eaten, Mama and Papa sat down, with Austyn on Mama’s lap, to hear what he had to say. No one paid any attention to Reina, so she stood leaning against the wall, anxious to find out what would to happen.

“With your permission, Austyn will travel with me, and I will train him in magic and sword fighting until he is ready to face the Red Wizard.”

Papa nodded gravely, and Mama sniffed. Reina glared at the floor. So often Austyn annoyed her, tagging after her, bugging her, getting in the way. She should be happy he was leaving. Instead, the thought of wondering where he was and what he was doing, of not knowing what might happen to him, felt like a rock in her stomach.

“But he’s so young,” Mama whispered.

“Don’t worry, my dear, I’ll train him very carefully. Think of all he’ll learn, the honor….”

The more the Gold Wizard continued to reassure her parents, the less reassured Reina became. He kept talking with his fancy words while his robe glittered in the firelight. She watched her parents believing him, wanting him to like them, admiring him. Reina realized with a nasty feeling in her stomach that she didn’t trust the Gold Wizard to take proper care of Austyn.

Her parents begged the Gold Wizard to spend the night, and since they only had two beds, they sent the children to sleep in the barn. She and Austyn lay in the straw that evening, Austyn curling up into her side.

“Reina, where will the Gold Wizard take me? I don’t want to leave Mama and Papa! What if the harpies come?”

Reina sighed. She couldn’t even reassure herself; how could she calm Austyn? She gazed up at the wood plank ceiling above them, wishing she could see the stars. As she held Austyn, her hand touched the medallion, and it felt warm, like a rock that had been sitting all day in the sun. Something about it comforted her. Perhaps it would take care of Austyn for her.

“The Gold Wizard will take you to magical places where there are no harpies.” She began telling him a story as she always did, although she knew she had to be careful, since she didn’t really know where Austyn was going. “He’s going to teach you to ride a beautiful horse, and he’s going to give you a special magic sword, and you’re going to become a great warrior.”

“Really?” The fear disappeared from Austyn’s voice. Instead, he sounded hopeful.

“Yes, and you’ll be the greatest warrior in the land. You’ll ride across the country, and at the sight of you, the evil things will run away, the good things will grow and live, and the Red Wizard will be so scared, he’ll…. “Reina stretched for an idea. “He’ll wet his own pants!”

Austyn giggled.

“And then you’ll stick him with your magic sword, and the stars will dance in the sky to celebrate, and all the people will cheer and wave flags at you, and never again will anyone have to hide in the woods, because the land will have peace.”

Austyn’s breathing slowed to a steady rhythm, and Reina realized he’d fallen asleep. She lay there for a long time, trying not to cry. This was the last night they’d sleep together, and she might not see him for years. She pictured the things she had told Austyn. Only as she drifted off, Austyn riding a white battle horse turned into herself riding the horse, brandishing the sword. In her dreams, it was Reina who rode against the Red Wizard, and Reina the name the people cheered.

Reina awoke—alone. With a gasp, she sat up, but she couldn’t hear Austyn anywhere. She jumped to her feet. What if the Gold Wizard had already taken him? What if she had missed getting to say goodbye?

Reina dashed from the barn.

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Reina rushed around the front of the house and almost cried out in relief. The Gold Wizard stood by the horse that pulled his cart, talking to the village elders. Next to him stood Mama, Papa, and Austyn.

Mama hugged Austyn and kissed him on the cheek. As Reina arrived, she heard her mother whisper, “I love you, son.” Tears sparkled in her mother’s eyes, and Austyn looked about ready to cry himself.

Papa tousled his hair. “Make us all proud, son.”

A lump rose in Reina’s throat. How could she say goodbye to him? She didn’t dare hug him because she knew she’d cry, so she just smiled and waved. Austyn looked back and forth between his family and the Gold Wizard. His face crumpled, and he grabbed Mama’s legs.

“I don’t want to go. Mama, don’t make me go!”

Mama flushed red with embarrassment, and a small chuckle ran through the crowd that had gathered. Reina glared at them. She could imagine the gossip spreading. Mama pried Austyn off her leg.