The Secret

 

Finally he arrived at the Secretkeeper Clan grounds. He sighed. After such a long way… he made it! Now he was here… and he hoped that the mighty Clan leader would accept his request. Since he had been a child, he had had the dream to join the Secretkeeper Clan one day. Rekith fell to the ground.

Rekith was a young man, living in a big castle near the border to the clan lands. His special secret forced him to leave his home, because he wanted to avoid the truth. So he chose this land to start a new life. The clan grounds were seminal and green, there were a lot of rare animals and plants. He looked around and saw that a horseback riding man approached him. The man dismounted and watched Rekith calculating.

“What do you want?” he asked at last.
Rekith smiled and answered politely: “I’m here to meet the clan chief. Would you take me to him, please?”
“You need an audience. But I might organise you one. Come with me, you can stay in the embassy” , he said, now his voice warmed up.
He mounted again and hold a rough hand out to Rekith. “Here, sit up!”
Rekith took the hand and the rider put him behind himself on the horse.
“Where do you come from? “ the knight wanted to know and glanced to Rekith who said: "I’m from the East Kingdoms, Raven’s Shire."
The rider made a hmm noise and rode trough a small forest before he got to a stony path.
“Look”, he said and pointed at the silhouettes of a town. The sharp tower of a building rose to the air.
“This is the embassy and the guild hall. There the high lords of guilds and other clans stay to visit the clan ground”, the man explained and stopped in front of a wooden gate where two guards stood. They watched the two observantly. 
“Ah, our honourable former leader”, one of them said sarcastically and Rekith gasped for breath. Former leader?! He stared at the back of the man in front of him. The man sensed Rekiths reaction and turned to him, mildly smiling.
“Yes, I’m the former chief of this clan, because this dumb Seekith stole my role one year ago”, he grumbled disappointed. To the guards he snarled: “Have you nothing better to do? Let me in or you will live to rue it!“
The other guard ignored the man and reckoned calm: “Who is this?  Where does he come from? What is his business here?”
“Don’t be so curious! But, ye, what is your name, lad?”, the rider asked Rekith. But Rekith was stunned. Seekith. His brother was called so. But he was dead. This was a misunderstanding. Nothing to mind.
“Uhm, what did you say just now?”
The guard shook his head.
“Your name”, he snarled.
“I’m Rekith of  Raven’s Shire”
“Uh, someone of the royal residence… What do you want here?” “I want an audience with Seekith to ask whether I could stay here…”
“Humm… good luck then… okay you can pass…”
“Next time don’t steal our time, newb!“
The man looked snappish but both guards let the riders through. “Rekith, so? Nice name… reminds me of someone…” Rekith turned white.

But the other went on: “Hmm… never mind… you want to stay here? Forever?”
“Yes, because I always wished for living here” , he grinned, his companion smiled, too.
“Oh, I beg your pardon! I didn’t tell you my name! I’m Blacky the Avenger.”

Both remained silent for the rest of the time until they reached a huge building with wide opened doors. Blacky ceremonially said:
”Here we are, the guild hall and the embassy. I head to Seekith and ask for an audience. Sure you will get one, because you know the ex-leader”, he smirked.
Rekith dismounted. Casually waving Blacky dashed away.

The young man swallowed and turned his gaze to the great building. Then he went in. There was a counter at which an elf stood smiling politely.
“Hello, how c?” he asked Rekith.
“No, thanks, I’m waiting for Blacky. I want an audience with Seekith to ask whether I could live here.”
“Oh, then I wish you good luck, Seekith will test you whether you are worth to stay here or not. Only the honourable and honest persons pass.”

After this silence fell upon them. Soon Blacky came back and grinned cheerfully.
“Hehe, your audience was granted, Re! Come, follow me to our great clan leader Seekith!”
Together they rode all the way to the chief’s hill and stopped in front of a house. Outside the house stood a tall man, wearing a black blindfold, beside him a huge dark wolf with bloody red eyes.
“Welcome” he said calmly and waved. The wolf whined and blinked. Rekith trembled. The man was intimidating. But he pulled himself together and answered:
“Greetings, Leader Seekith”, and knelt in front of the chief. Seekith laughed.
“Nice act. Come up. Tell me who you are and what you want.”
He held a hand to Re who caught it and stood up. To Blacky the leader murmured smiling:
”This one is nice. He reminds me of someone…”
“Yeah, me too.”
“I’m Rekith of  Raven’s Shire. I wanted to ask you whether I could stay here forever.”
Seekith clapped his hands, the wolf growled and showed his fangs. It looked like a sneer.
“I don’t let everyone live here, sonny. Eye, check him.” The wolf looked at his master, then moved quickly to Rekith and sniffed at him. Suddenly he snarled and snapped at the astonished visitor. The young man stayed unaffected and tried to stroke the nervous pet. Eye laid down. He closed his red eyes and whined softly. Seekith approached them, patted the wolf and bowed at Re.
“You are clear. Eye  likes you, and so do I.”
Rekith was confused.
“Huh? What? I only calmed the wolf down…”
“Yes, and that’s the point! You didn’t fear him, so you passed the test. But now, before we accept you as member, you have to tell us a secret.”
Those words went inside Re like sharp blades. This was the moment he feared since he has been here. Now he had to tell  the truth. The bitter truth, and he didn’t even know whether they would hurt him then. But he could lie! No… the wolf would detect a lie… Damn. He breathed deeply. “Okay. I tell you a secret.”
He paused, pulling himself together and focusing his mind. After a short pause, he finally spoke.
“I've killed my brother. He died one year ago… Killed by my sword. It was a mistake… a fatal mistake.”
Seekith gasped for air. Could it be? So similar... Then he realised it.
“Rekith? Really, it’s you! You didn’t kill me, brother… You raped my sight, but I survived… Why did you run? There was no reason to.”
Re cried. All the guilt that lasted upon his shoulders were gone suddenly. He hugged Seekith. Now the secret was aired.