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Description
Chapter I

Thorn strode down the forested path with reckless abandon for someone in his condition. Zane crouched on his shoulder, his little head bouncing with each step. It was a beautiful day. The sun shone warmly on the forest, but under the tree canopy it was pleasantly cool. Birds sang happily; animals scurried through the undergrowth and meadows were scattered with the last of spring’s flowers. The morning’s dew had been scorched off the grass and bushes by the noonday sun, leaving the road through the forest dusty and barren. In truth, it wasn’t much more than a game trail used by hunters and animals to get through the forest while avoiding the busy highway between towns. Still, it was Thorn’s favorite way through the Jade Forest.
A rush of wings over head made him pause and gaze up at the cloudless sky with lime-colored eyes set over a snub, freckled nose. Zane rose to his hind legs and twined his small paws in Thorn’s wild red hair, also gazing skyward.
“Remedy, is that you?” Thorn called up to the small bird of prey circling in the sky. He raised his right arm, holding it level with the ground. The bird ceased its spirals and swooped down to land on the boy’s wrist. It dug its claws into his skin, drawing blood. “Hey,” he winced, “what’s up, girl?” He reached out to stroke its head, but was savagely nipped for his pains.
He promptly stuck the injured finger in his mouth. “Ow! Remedy, that hurt! Zane, what’s wrong with her?” He appealed to the rat. Zane studied the bird on his wrist and gave a shrill squeak of warning. Thorn threw up his wrist to launch it into flight, but it was too late.
“Sic ’im, Thunder!” a strident voice commanded. The bird launched off Thorn, but circled back to attack him. Its claws raked the boy’s freckled cheek painfully and snapped at Zane. The rat scrambled into Thorn’s shirt for protection as the boy whipped a slim broadsword out of the sheath on his back. He brought the blade up to a ‘guard’ position and listened hard for any sign of the bird’s next attack. Instead, he heard a rustle of leaves and footsteps on the trail behind him.
“That’s enough, come back!” the same aggressive voice ordered. The bird obediently returned to its master’s wrist. By this time, Thorn had come to the conclusion that this was not his beloved kestrel, Remedy. “Now, what’s a knight doin’ on a game trail in the Jade Forest? And how’d y’make Thunder come t’you? He only obeys me.”
“Listen, I don’t want any trouble,” Thorn slowly turned, keeping his guard up. “I’m just a guy who’s good with animals passing through because he doesn’t like busy highways. Back off if you know what’s good for you.”
“Oh, I’m so scared!” the bird-guy threw up his free hand in mock horror. “The rat-kid’s gonna chop me up from ten yards away!” He laughed nastily. Zane snarled and poked his head out of Thorn’s shirt.
“Why didn’t you tell me he was too far away?” the boy muttered to the rat. He inched in the direction he hoped was closer to his assailant. Under his shirt, Zane’s tail twitched four times. “Well, why didn’t you say so before I made an idiot of myself?” Thorn demanded.
“Is this guy talking to his rat?” a new voice asked, from behind him. Thorn jumped in surprise and whirled to face this new threat.
“Looks like he didn’t notice us,” a third person laughed from a position to his left. Thorn turned again, feeling like a top.
“What is he, blind?” Thorn spun a final time to face his right. True to his luck, all the spinning had hopelessly confused his sense of direction. He couldn’t tell where the dude with the bird was, or if he was even on the path anymore. A twig crunching under his boot seemed to confirm that suspicion. And he had thought that he was spinning in a circle, not wobbling around drunkenly, as the people circling him mocked.
“Zane, Rem, a little help here!” he cried in fear and frustration. Zane scratched his left shoulder and screeched in the best bird imitation he could do. Thorn turned until the rat stopped scratching. There was no reply from Remedy. She was probably still out hunting.
“What do you want?” the young knight demanded.
“What else? Your money and weapons,” the guy with the bird sounded bored. “We outnumber you, so hand them over and we might not kill you.”
“Might not,” another voice emphasized, followed by the rasp of metal. That was the sound of a weapon being drawn. That was a sound Thorn knew well. He tightened his grip on his sword, anticipating a difficult fight.
“Are these people bothering you?” a fifth voice spoke up. Everybody turned towards the sound of the voice. The new arrival stepped out of the trees, accompanied by the sound of cloth dragging through leaves.
“You here to rob me, too?” Thorn grinned crookedly.
“Nah, but Jace wouldn’t leave us alone until we helped you,” a sixth voice spoke from the fifth voice’s side.
“We’re the only gang of robbers around here,” a seventh voice said. This sentiment was echoed by voices number eight and nine.
This is getting ridiculous, Thorn thought despairingly. I don’t have nearly enough money to appease two groups of thieves! And I can’t fight both of them off, either. Not even I’m that good.
Amazingly, the first group of robbers backed off. They muttered something about not meaning any harm, and then the sound of footsteps reached Thorn’s sensitive ears. He turned to face his rescuers, gratitude warring with irritation at himself for being so helpless.
“Who are you five?” he asked. Zane emerged back onto his shoulder.
“And here I thought we were famous,” the sixth voice pouted. This comment finally broke Thorn’s already-thin patience.
“Ugh, Remedy!” Thorn yelled. “Where are you?!”
Tser! A kestrel’s cry rang out above the treetops. This time, the bird that landed on Thorn’s wrist was Remedy.
“And where were you?” Thorn asked, stroking his kestrel’s head. She nibbled his fingers affectionately. Who are these people, Rem?
A random-sounding string of noises rang through the knight’s head, reminiscent of the noise a fax machine makes. He knew from experience that no one else could hear the sounds, and as far as he knew, he was the only one who could interpret them anyway. He listened for a moment, then paled.
“Oh, no, not you people,” he groaned.
“I guess we are famous,” the voice brightened.
“Look,” the seventh voice sighed, “we don’t want anything from you. Jace made us help you and he won’t let us rob you now. So, just go on your way and we’ll go on ours.”
“Fine by me. C’mon, Zane, Remedy,” Thorn turned to leave.
“Just a moment. What’s your username?” Voice #8 asked.
“I’m Thorn Shea.”
“What’s your real name?”
“Thorn Shea.” There was a pause.
“Well, that’s… original…” voice seven drawled. Thorn rolled his sightless eyes and began to walk.
“No more original than Jackie’s!” he called over his shoulder. He could almost feel the shocked expression on voice six’s face. Before she could say anything, the young knight had disappeared into the forest.

Description
Chapter I

Thorn strode down the forested path with reckless abandon for someone in his condition. Zane crouched on his shoulder, his little head bouncing with each step. It was a beautiful day. The sun shone warmly on the forest, but under the tree canopy it was pleasantly cool. Birds sang happily; animals scurried through the undergrowth and meadows were scattered with the last of spring’s flowers. The morning’s dew had been scorched off the grass and bushes by the noonday sun, leaving the road through the forest dusty and barren. In truth, it wasn’t much more than a game trail used by hunters and animals to get through the forest while avoiding the busy highway between towns. Still, it was Thorn’s favorite way through the Jade Forest.
A rush of wings over head made him pause and gaze up at the cloudless sky with lime-colored eyes set over a snub, freckled nose. Zane rose to his hind legs and twined his small paws in Thorn’s wild red hair, also gazing skyward.
“Remedy, is that you?” Thorn called up to the small bird of prey circling in the sky. He raised his right arm, holding it level with the ground. The bird ceased its spirals and swooped down to land on the boy’s wrist. It dug its claws into his skin, drawing blood. “Hey,” he winced, “what’s up, girl?” He reached out to stroke its head, but was savagely nipped for his pains.
He promptly stuck the injured finger in his mouth. “Ow! Remedy, that hurt! Zane, what’s wrong with her?” He appealed to the rat. Zane studied the bird on his wrist and gave a shrill squeak of warning. Thorn threw up his wrist to launch it into flight, but it was too late.
“Sic ’im, Thunder!” a strident voice commanded. The bird launched off Thorn, but circled back to attack him. Its claws raked the boy’s freckled cheek painfully and snapped at Zane. The rat scrambled into Thorn’s shirt for protection as the boy whipped a slim broadsword out of the sheath on his back. He brought the blade up to a ‘guard’ position and listened hard for any sign of the bird’s next attack. Instead, he heard a rustle of leaves and footsteps on the trail behind him.
“That’s enough, come back!” the same aggressive voice ordered. The bird obediently returned to its master’s wrist. By this time, Thorn had come to the conclusion that this was not his beloved kestrel, Remedy. “Now, what’s a knight doin’ on a game trail in the Jade Forest? And how’d y’make Thunder come t’you? He only obeys me.”
“Listen, I don’t want any trouble,” Thorn slowly turned, keeping his guard up. “I’m just a guy who’s good with animals passing through because he doesn’t like busy highways. Back off if you know what’s good for you.”
“Oh, I’m so scared!” the bird-guy threw up his free hand in mock horror. “The rat-kid’s gonna chop me up from ten yards away!” He laughed nastily. Zane snarled and poked his head out of Thorn’s shirt.
“Why didn’t you tell me he was too far away?” the boy muttered to the rat. He inched in the direction he hoped was closer to his assailant. Under his shirt, Zane’s tail twitched four times. “Well, why didn’t you say so before I made an idiot of myself?” Thorn demanded.
“Is this guy talking to his rat?” a new voice asked, from behind him. Thorn jumped in surprise and whirled to face this new threat.
“Looks like he didn’t notice us,” a third person laughed from a position to his left. Thorn turned again, feeling like a top.
“What is he, blind?” Thorn spun a final time to face his right. True to his luck, all the spinning had hopelessly confused his sense of direction. He couldn’t tell where the dude with the bird was, or if he was even on the path anymore. A twig crunching under his boot seemed to confirm that suspicion. And he had thought that he was spinning in a circle, not wobbling around drunkenly, as the people circling him mocked.
“Zane, Rem, a little help here!” he cried in fear and frustration. Zane scratched his left shoulder and screeched in the best bird imitation he could do. Thorn turned until the rat stopped scratching. There was no reply from Remedy. She was probably still out hunting.
“What do you want?” the young knight demanded.
“What else? Your money and weapons,” the guy with the bird sounded bored. “We outnumber you, so hand them over and we might not kill you.”
“Might not,” another voice emphasized, followed by the rasp of metal. That was the sound of a weapon being drawn. That was a sound Thorn knew well. He tightened his grip on his sword, anticipating a difficult fight.
“Are these people bothering you?” a fifth voice spoke up. Everybody turned towards the sound of the voice. The new arrival stepped out of the trees, accompanied by the sound of cloth dragging through leaves.
“You here to rob me, too?” Thorn grinned crookedly.
“Nah, but Jace wouldn’t leave us alone until we helped you,” a sixth voice spoke from the fifth voice’s side.
“We’re the only gang of robbers around here,” a seventh voice said. This sentiment was echoed by voices number eight and nine.
This is getting ridiculous, Thorn thought despairingly. I don’t have nearly enough money to appease two groups of thieves! And I can’t fight both of them off, either. Not even I’m that good.
Amazingly, the first group of robbers backed off. They muttered something about not meaning any harm, and then the sound of footsteps reached Thorn’s sensitive ears. He turned to face his rescuers, gratitude warring with irritation at himself for being so helpless.
“Who are you five?” he asked. Zane emerged back onto his shoulder.
“And here I thought we were famous,” the sixth voice pouted. This comment finally broke Thorn’s already-thin patience.
“Ugh, Remedy!” Thorn yelled. “Where are you?!”
Tser! A kestrel’s cry rang out above the treetops. This time, the bird that landed on Thorn’s wrist was Remedy.
“And where were you?” Thorn asked, stroking his kestrel’s head. She nibbled his fingers affectionately. Who are these people, Rem?
A random-sounding string of noises rang through the knight’s head, reminiscent of the noise a fax machine makes. He knew from experience that no one else could hear the sounds, and as far as he knew, he was the only one who could interpret them anyway. He listened for a moment, then paled.
“Oh, no, not you people,” he groaned.
“I guess we are famous,” the voice brightened.
“Look,” the seventh voice sighed, “we don’t want anything from you. Jace made us help you and he won’t let us rob you now. So, just go on your way and we’ll go on ours.”
“Fine by me. C’mon, Zane, Remedy,” Thorn turned to leave.
“Just a moment. What’s your username?” Voice #8 asked.
“I’m Thorn Shea.”
“What’s your real name?”
“Thorn Shea.” There was a pause.
“Well, that’s… original…” voice seven drawled. Thorn rolled his sightless eyes and began to walk.
“No more original than Jackie’s!” he called over his shoulder. He could almost feel the shocked expression on voice six’s face. Before she could say anything, the young knight had disappeared into the forest.