*Untitled*

                                                   CHAPTER 1

          The young child knew the castle was there. He had know that looming shape since he was born, he was never really AFRAID of it, more awestruck and curious than anything else. He had been told stories about that castle and of the people in it ever since he was 8 months old and still, they never ceased to amaze him. The people in that castle sounded wonderful and wealthy and powerful, almost god-like in the young boy's mind. Those white walls, dirtied by years of wind, dust and the usual old wear and tear that comes with a castle that old., held magnificent secrets inside them. Of course, he had never seen the inside of those walls, he was far from being noble and wealthy enough for that! One thing he did know though, was that there was a boy his age in that castle. When he had been daring, or maybe stupid, enough to venture closer to the castle walls and farther from his home to play, he saw the other boy out with his father. Uusally on horseback, sometimes practicing swinging a sword with one of the castle guards, clad in a mass of chain mail and holding a fit-to-his size shield. The child had watched in awe, he did know how to use a sword but not with as much finesse as this boy did. He had also seen something that was fairly new to him that day; the sword-wielding boy's father strode outside at one point to assumingly watch his progress. It went alright at first but then the boy fell, and his father immediately got very angry. The child watching this from a distance stared and his eyes went wide when he saw the other boy's father strike him with his gloved hand, HE had never been treated like that! The boys and girls in his village were quite well behaved aside from some of the more rambunctious times that they had and still have now, but never serious enough to warrant a hit, at least not in public. Through this child's eyes, falling over was not the type of offense he would have ever imagined deserved a punishement. Leaving quickly in case anyone noticed him, the boy went back to his village, recieving a stern talking to about how dangerous the castle guards could be with "intruders" from his father. Now, this boy was only at the young age of 9 at that point, so he didn't really understand what could be so dangerous about it, and he continued to sneak away to watch the other boy train so he himself could become a better swordsman when he grew. Eventually, as he got older, his father taught him how to fight with various weapons, though not as intensely as the boy at the castle. He was a quick learner, and with his father helping him he saw no need to visit the castle anymore. The child still snuck up to the walls now and again, but slowly his visits became less and less frequent...