Free Ossendar: Book Two of the Resoration Series by Christopher Williams Page A

vegetation. The other three sides of the field had trees and thick bushes which made a natural fence around the field. The trees gave the soldiers some privacy as they practiced. The other guardians were already there and they watched him as he approached.
    “Has sitting in the castle made you soft, Flare?” Derek asked smiling at him.
    Flare pointed to the sun just starting to peek over the horizon, “At the very least I am on time, the sun is just now rising,” he responded jovially.
    “You're right, but there was a time not so long ago when you would have been the first one here and it still would have been dark when you arrived.” Trestus said good naturedly.
    Flare feigned surprise. Pointing to himself, he said, “I'm still recovering so you had better take it easy with me.”
    “On no! You have fussed and badgered me to give you permission to come out here, and now that I have, you're on your own.” Kara retorted, smiling as she did so.
    He tried to look crestfallen, but he couldn't quite pull it off.
    “Now that you are well, let's see what kind of shape you're in.” Atock said. He pointed to the opposite side of the field where a narrow path led through the trees away from the field. “We're scheduled to do a ten mile run first, so let's get started.”
    Flare groaned, but he followed the others as they ran off.
     
     
    It was late in the afternoon as Flare left his room heading to study with Dagan. He had spent the daylight hours training with his fellow guardians, just as he had for the past several weeks. He was late, which he knew would not please the old man. He had hurried back from training, but the training itself had lasted longer than he had expected, and then he had to change clothes. He rushed down the hallway, a route that he had traveled many times over the last several months. He hurried past the tapestries that had caught his attention when he first started making this trip, but now he didn't glance twice at them.
    At first, he was exhausted by the return to the physical exercise, but it also felt great to stretch his muscles. His body ached every evening, but the next morning he was ready to go again. He would partake in the training each day, and then spend the evening working with Dagan. This arrangement did not satisfy the old sorcerer at all. Dagan grumbled about how much their training had slowed down and Flare would nod and keep his mouth shut. When the old man was in a complaining mood, it did no good to argue with him; that only made his mood worse.
    Flare rounded a corner and almost bowled over a lady walking the opposite way. “I am so sorry!” He said as he grabbed the lady's arm to keep her from falling down. “Are you okay, my lady?”
    “I'm fine,” the lady said without even seeming ruffled by the near accident. She appeared to be about forty, with shoulder length curly black hair. She was slim but was showing a little weight around her middle. Her eyes were brown, and she had a smooth face and high cheekbones with only some small lines around the creases of her eyes to tell her age. She was wearing a full length light green dress. “You're prince Flaranthlas, aren't you?”
    “Yes, I am. And you are?” Flare asked. As he spoke, he backed away a step so as to give the lady some room. She surprised him when she took a step closer to him.
    “I'm Hannah of house Greentree. I have only been in the capital for a week, but I have been looking forward to meeting you. I was told you were young, but I was not told that you were so handsome.”
    Flare flushed at her praise. He hoped she didn't notice, but judging by the mischievous smile on her face, he was pretty sure she had. “Th-Thank you, Countess.” Dagan's teaching was paying off. Countess Hannah Lells was the head of the Greentree family since the accidental death of her husband almost a decade ago. Numerous lords had sought her hand in marriage, but Flare knew that she had rebuffed any and all suitors. The