1. Small Beginnings

In the early morning sunrise, Raealle did her customary martial exercises. She had greeted the dawn in this fashion for years, yet now, it was different. She found that it cleared her mind, her body directing itself really as she went from guard position, to thrust, to parry, to riposte, to lunge, to recovery and over again. 

 

Her feet moved in an intricate dance. Her warsword seemed to be an extension of herself. Even exercising had now become a meditative experience. Raealle relished it. She found that she did not sweat, nor breath heavy, and her mind was more focused. It never ceased to amaze Raealle exactly how much had changed in her since the Tomb.

 

Finally, her exercises concluded, Raealle sheathed her warsword. She walked over to the tree where she had laid her pack and retrieved her canteen, taking a small sip of the cool liquid. She sat in the shade, enjoying the moment. She leaned her head up against the tree and shut her eyes. She had arrived in Southshore late last night. She had booked passage to Kalimdor on a ship leaving on the evening tide. She was excited at the prospect of meeting the Prophet Velen. Truuen, albeit in his poor Common, had said many wondrous things about him.

 

Raealle heard soft footsteps crunching on the grass. She opened her eyes to find two young boys looking at her, the smaller of the two hiding behind the taller and occasionally peering out from behind him.

 

“Excuse us, Ma’am,” the taller of the two asked, “we saw you earlier practicing with your sword. Are you a knight?”

 

“Why yes, yes I am. My name is Raealle. And who might you be?”

 

“My name is Rodrick Fletcher, and this,” he stepped sideways so that the smaller one was no longer hiding behind him but front and center, “is my brother Reynault.”

 

“Well, I am pleased to meet you… both of you. What can I do for you?”

 

“We were wondering… could you… you know… if you want…” Rodrick stammered, slightly embarrassed at asking a stranger for a favor and angry at his younger brother for convincing him to do so.

 

“Teach us to be great warriors! See!” The younger, Reynault, blurted out, his initial shyness overcome by the enthusiasm of youth. With that the two boys began play fencing with some sticks.

 

Raealle laughed and applauded the two children when they stopped their mock battle. “Very good. But, you said you wanted to be great warriors, huh? You know, a wise goblin once said wars don’t make a person great,” Raealle replied as she rose to her feet. “You know,” she said scratching her head in mock thought, “instead of great warriors I -could- teach you to be true warriors instead. Would you like that?”

 

“Yes!” The brothers exclaimed in unison.

 

“Very well then. Let’s see now,” Raealle clasped her hands behind her back and paced in front of the children as she lectured them, as her instructors at Stratholme had done long ago. “The first lesson of a true warrior is respect. A true warrior respects the people around him. Everyone. Even his enemies.”

 

The children nodded.

 

“Good. A true warrior is also calm at all times. He does not act out of hatred or anger or fear. A true warrior resorts to violence only as a last resort because he knows violence is not a perfect answer to a problem and a victory obtained by violence is not true victory. Do you understand?”

 

Again, the children nodded.

 

“Finally, a true warrior is not fearless, but is brave because he overcomes his fear. A true warrior understands that fear is his greatest enemy. Now, both of you sit.”

 

The children sat.

 

“Close your eyes. Relax. Breathe deeply. Empty your mind. All your concerns… all your worries. Imagine them falling out of your head and unto the ground. Think of a reed… swaying on a breeze. It does not fight the breeze, but bends with it. Imagine you are the reed. Imagine your body swaying in the breeze, bending, but not breaking. Can you picture that?”

 

The children nodded. Raealle picked a stick up off the ground.

 

“Good. Now open your eyes, stand and defend yourself.”

 

When the boys were ready, Raealle attacked at less then half speed. In their calm state, the boys deflected her blows. Their moves came instinctively. After a few seconds, she stopped.

 

“That was wonderful. Rodrick and Reynault, you have taken a first step into a larger world. And as a reward, how would you like to be junior knights?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Kneel then. Do you, Rodrick and Reynault Fletcher swear to be good knights, to do no wrong, to obey your parents, to respect the people around you, and to be brave, even in the face of adversity?”

 

They each replied with “I do.”

 

“Then,” Raealle said, drawing her warsword and touching it to their shoulders, “ rise a knight, Sir Rodrick and Sir Reynault of Southshore.”

 

Raealle smiled at the two boys, who were elated and couldn’t stop smiling at each other. Raealle then noticed a young brunette woman heading up the hill towards them.

 

“Rody! Rey!”

 

“Mom!” Rodrickexclamed. “Meet Raealle the lady knight. She made us junior knights just now. Isn’t that great!”

 

“Yes, Rody. It’s wonderful. Thank your new friend and head home. I need you and your brother to get ready to go to market.”

 

“Yes mom,” the two said as they waved their goodbyes to Raealle and ran off home. Raealle waved to the children and watched them run off. She then looked at their mother. She was young, early twenties. Mid twenties at the most. She likely had the boys when she was a teenager. Subtle lines creased the corners of her eyes and forehead. Signs of worry and weariness on a face that ought to have been too young to know such things. She was pretty, but there was a sadness in her features. Along with a strength.

 

“I hope the boys didn’t disturb you, ma’am. They’re good children. But they can be a bit much.”

 

“No… no bother at all, Missus…?”

 

“Fletcher, Celeste Fletcher.”

 

“Missus Fletcher. They are quite delightful. You and your husband are very lucky.”

 

“Thank you. But, it’s just me. My Martin died years ago… during the war.”

 

“Ah, I see. I’m sorry for your loss.”

 

“Thank you, ma’am. But, it’s okay. Really. We’re okay.”

 

Raealle gathered up her belongings and the two women began to walk back towards the town, continuing to chat.

 

“So, you are from Lordaeron then? So am I. Whereabouts were you from?”

 

“A small village. You’ve probably never heard of it. Browman’s Mill. So many had died from the plague. I still remember the day the soldiers came. We thought they would burn the village to the ground and kill us all, like the others. But they didn’t. Martin and I left with the children that night and headed south. We lost Martin along the way, but the boys and I made it here.”

 

“The ways of the Light are inscrutable,” Raealle murmured under her breath.

 

“I’m sorry, ma’am. I didn’t hear you?”

 

Raealle shook her head. “It was nothing. And please, call me Raealle. I never did like being referred to as ma’am.”

 

“As you wish then, Raealle. Are you staying long in Southshore? I don’t believe I’ve seen you before.”

 

“No. I’m just passing through. My ship leaves on tonight’s tide for Kalimdor.” Raealle thought for a moment then added, “I do not know when my path will come this away again but, with your permission, if it does I would like to call upon you and your children.”

 

“I think they would like that. But you don’t have to.”

 

“I insist. It’s the least I can do. But, for now, I must be off. Light bless you and keep you, Celeste Fletcher.”

 

“And you.”

 

Raealle then took her leave of Celeste Fletcher and headed towards the inn. She had to pack her belongings for the voyage and buy extra fodder for the voyage for Cinci. Celeste watched the knight walk off. But, she wondered what Raealle meant by “It’s the least I could do.” Shrugging, she began to walk towards her house, hopefully the boys would be ready to go to the market by now.

 

Suddenly, something struck her. A random thought. When the soldiers came to Browman’s Mill, their leader, the one who spared them, was a woman. A red-headed woman. Celeste wondered, “Could that have been her?”

 

“No,” she told herself, “ it couldn't be.  It’s just a coincidence.”