Finally, after two long years of militia service, New Year’s Day came. All of the talons that were recruited two years ago were assembled on the marshalling grounds outside the castle. We were all armed and armored and had our belongings packed in bags on our shoulders. Our barracks were cleared out and after a few stoic words from General Holdfast, we were officially citizens again able to pursue whatever interests we had. It was a really good feeling, and my talonmates began to drift apart while saying our farewells.

  “Mira Porter!” I heard Myhan Porter cry out. My good feeling from a moment ago disappeared in a puff of smoke and was replaced by dread. Suddenly, I knew what was coming, and it was not good.

  Mira flinched behind me as the talon broke apart. She knew her father’s voice all too well. Myhan was walking towards us with a magistrate who was holding a scroll. The magistrate was a city official who judged petty crimes and married common folk, and they wore long black robes when performing in their official capacity. The magistrate was wearing those robes now. Mira wilted in her armor when she saw him, and anger blazed in me when I saw them. Myhan grinned unpleasantly as he reached us. Many of our compatriots in the militia hung around to see what was happening. The magistrate locked eyes with me and paused.

  “Jeron Smith?” the magistrate asked me.

  “Yes,” I replied. I guessed what was coming and my anger turned to nausea.

  “Mira Porter?” The magistrate asked Mira.

  “Yes,” Mira said with a small voice.

  The magistrate spoke loudly. “Mira Porter, you are now wedded to Jeron Smith by the providence of God, the authority granted to me by His Highness Prince Kimorel Mithram, and by the will of your father, Myhan Porter, for better or worse, in sickness or in health, until in death do you part. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Smith!”

  The magistrate finished and with a flourish, handed me the scroll. I felt like he had just handed me my mother’s head. I looked in Myhan’s eyes and saw the glee there. He had done all of this on purpose to hurt his daughter and screw up our lives. I was aghast at the selfishness of what he had just done, and I could actually feel little lightning bolts forming between my fingers as I considered lashing out. With difficulty, I dispelled the gathering lightning before anyone took notice. The magistrate turned to leave.

  “That was the best sale I’ve ever made!” Myhan said with a smile aimed directly at his daughter.

  Myhan turned and walked away, laughing loud and long as he went. I turned to Mira, who stood next to me, red-faced and trembling. Our former talon members saw our reactions and turned their heads, averting their gaze.

  Mira turned to me, and I could see the tears in her eyes. “You purchased me?”

  “It wasn’t like that…”

  Mira held up her hand in my face, signaling a stop. My mind went completely blank. I was so shocked at what had just happened and how badly it went that I didn’t know what to say. There was so much to the story, I couldn’t think of a way to explain to her what had really happened. Without waiting more than a second, Mira fled. I didn’t know what to do, so I just stood there staring as she ran down the road to the gate to the lower city. Finally snapping out of it, I started to go after her. Bran caught my arm in his gauntleted grip, stopping me. I could have easily knocked him on his backside, but as I looked up at him, I saw the pain and concern in his eyes.

  “Let her go for now, Jeron. You’ll just make it worse,” Bran said softly.

  “But I didn’t plan this wedding at all! I saved her!” I said emphatically.

  “I believe you, and I know you’d never hurt Mira this way, brother. Give her some time to think, and then you can find her and tell her what was really going on,” Bran said.

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  The other talon members had the good grace to leave without commenting. The marshalling ground emptied of troops as I thought about it, and then the new recruits started to arrive. Bran gave a little tug on my arm, and Elle took my other arm.

  “Come on, Jeron. Let’s go back to the house,” Elle said.

  I stumbled a bit, then walked back to the smithy with Bran and Elle, my head downcast.

  -----

  When we got to the house, Nora, who was happily working in the kitchen on a huge brunch, saw our demeanor and knew at once that something bad had happened. I went up to the room Bran and I stayed in as children. I used the magic I had recently learned that moved things with my mind to undo the straps and laces of my armor and let the pieces fall to the floor. Then I sat on my bed with the scroll next to me and my head in my hands. I could hear the muffled voices of Bran and Elle, who were probably telling everyone what had happened.

  I unrolled the scroll and read the short proclamation that was written there. Yep. We were married, all right. They even spelled our names correctly. I reached into my pack and got out the crystal scrollcase that had contained my birth mother’s letter for all these years. I unscrewed the cap, slid the marriage certificate inside, and closed it up again. Then I opened my footlocker to put the scrollcase inside with fumbling movements, and found that a small animal had relieved itself within. Bandit’s work, undoubtedly. Despite the smell, I couldn’t even summon the will to use magic to clean it out. I let the lid close by itself and set the scrollcase on the bed beside me. I heard someone coming up the stairs and heard a knock at the open door. I looked over to see Dortham standing there.

  “Why don’t you come downstairs and eat something, son,” Dortham said gently.

  “I’m really not hungry right now, dad,” I said.

  “Well, the rest of us are wondering what really happened, and maybe telling us would give you a chance to get it off of your chest. Maybe we can help.”

  I sat there for a moment as I considered. “May as well. It couldn’t get much worse.”

  Bran and Elle were still helping each other out of their armor when I came downstairs. The others were milling around close to the table, a bit unsure of what was going on. The table was already set and loaded with food.

  “Everyone sit. This meal isn’t going to eat itself, you know,” Nora said.

  We all took our seats. My eyes lingered on Mira’s empty chair. At a stern look from Dortham, I told the whole story as my family loaded their plates. I told them about Myhan Porter’s deal with Lorond Washman, Lorond’s demand, the Arboreans’ quest, and what happened when I returned. By the time I reached the part about Lorond actually apologizing, I was actually feeling a little better and started to nibble a little bit at the food my mother had put on my plate.

  “I think Mira knew something,” Elle said. “There was a change in her behavior that Bran and I noticed last Sevenday. When we got here from the barracks without you, Mira left suddenly before breakfast was served. When Mira came back later in the day for dinner, she was changed.”

  “She couldn’t have known about everything, or she wouldn’t be so hurt,” I said.

  “Maybe she only heard a little of what you and her father discussed. If she knew the fate that waited for her with Lorond, she’d be singing your praises right now,” Elle said earnestly.

  “Thanks, Elle,” I said. At least they understood.

  “There’s no easy way to say this, Jeron,” Dortham said. “but she ran to the docks.”

  “She sailed away,” I lamented, suddenly understanding. “Great.” I looked at Bran.

  “She didn’t mention anything about it to us,” Bran said, his hands held up defensively.

  I began to think things through, but I didn’t know what I should do without more information. “Do you think the prince gave her a cargo order or something?”

  “I don’t know, but I can ask. The prince won’t look favorably on an interruption today, but I’ll speak with him tomorrow,” Dortham said. “At least he’s not in Mithram currently.”

  I didn’t want to wait, but I knew I had to be patient. I went through some possibilities in my mind and didn’t like what I came up with. I had to distract myself with something, so I went to my old room and retrieved the notebook that Charles Golemgear, the Pirate King, had written for us detailing the workings of the forges in Stonekeep. I planned to use those forges soon to make a better suit of armor. The forge down in our smithy was inadequate for the task, and I thought the foundry in Kurgh Rhamot would be just as unsuitable, despite its advantages. Adamantium was the hardest metal known, after all, and special armor required a special forge. If the Thickbeard foundry couldn’t smelt mithril, which the crucible was made of, then how could it smelt adamantium? Though I could use the expertise of the Terrans in Kurgh Rhamot, I would have to do this myself. Stonekeep’s secret smithy was the only place I could forge the arms I wanted, so I was going to have to figure out how to use it, and fast. It was high time I began being proactive.