Chapter 29
A chilly breeze blew past Orion as he stood on his balcony, leaning on the railing and staring at the sky. Unlike the past several days, there were large, gray clouds meandering through the sky, hiding the sun. He knew winter would be here soon. He had spent his last winter on Lunspae, where it didn’t get very cold, or even snow. He knew that this winter on Olhoe was going to be severe, like it usually was. He shivered, remembering how he would have to bundle up to go outside. Today, however, was just the beginning of autumn, and the first day of Olhoe’s harvest festival. Orion smiled to himself and rushed back inside to find Kelia. He found her in the guestroom she had been given, brushing her hair.
“Hurry up, Kelia,” he said as he crossed the room to where she was sitting in front of a mirror.
“What’s your rush, Orion?” she asked, “In a hurry to crash again?”
“No!” Orion thought about all the flying practice she had been giving Orion and his brothers, and about crashing more often than not. “It’s just that the festival begins today. I’d like to take you into the city for the festival.”
“Too bad your brothers have already gone back to Lunspae,” she said, “They could have come with us.”
“Oh, they’re probably enjoying Lunspae’s harvest festival,” Orion said, slightly annoyed. He had been looking forward to treating his brothers to Olhoe’s harvest festival, just like they had treated him to Lunspae’s harvest festival. Orion and Joshua’s birthday had been in the spring, and it took all summer for Kelia to teach them how to fly. They had finally got the hang of it less than two weeks before the festival, and had decided to go back to Lunspae. “Come on, we can enjoy ourselves without them.” Kelia giggled.
“I’m sure we can, Orion,” she said, batting her eyes at him, “I’m sure we can.”
“You didn’t think you’d get away without me, did you?” Alex said, catching up with Orion and Kelia as they headed out of the palace.
“Alex! What are you doing?” Orion asked, facing his friend, “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’m going to the harvest festival with you,” he said.
“Oh, no, you’re not!”
“Oh, yes I am,” Alex crossed his arms and blocked the door, “You know as well as I that you’re not allowed into the city without me. What if something happens?” Orion sighed, annoyed. He knew that Alex was telling the truth, and that it was unwise to be in the city without him.
“Alright, fine,” Orion said, pushing Alex out of the way. He had been looking forward to spending time with Kelia and nobody else, but he knew there was no getting out of the palace without at least one other warrior, and Alex had volunteered. “Let’s just go before my father finds me and wants me to be in that stupid carriage with him.” Until this festival, whenever Orion went out, it was with King Frederic in a royal carriage with several guards flanking them. Orion wasn’t able to fully enjoy the festival from inside. This year, however, he had been looking forward to savor every minute of the festivities as part of the crowd.
The harvest festival was the same every year, and very similar to Lunspae’s festival, only bigger. Since there were about five times more telblecs than lunimorves, the festival was about five times bigger. It lasted for two weeks instead of one, with different activities each day. Today, there was a contest to see who grew the largest pumpkin. Orion marveled at the largest pumpkin, weighing in at over two thousand pounds. It was placed on a special platform, with the second and third place winners beside it. They moved on to an area with several tables in neat rows. This was where the judging for the crafts made out of gourds would be. There were several neat ideas already there, including a small pumpkin that had been carved with a large hole in the front so that you could see a small fountain inside. There was even a pair of small goldfish swimming around the pool of water in the bottom of the pumpkin. The judging for this contest would be a people’s vote, and would take place tomorrow. There were more tables set up elsewhere for the art contest, stands for prize fruits and vegetables, and an area for a tasting contest, where the aroma of pies and cakes drifted from.
Everywhere they went, people were crowded in, making it difficult to get around. Orion briefly wished that they had ridden horses instead of walking. The three jisbae were smaller than the telblecs, so it was hard to see where they were going until they ran into a table. A clattering of horse’s hooves on the cobblestone streets caught Orion’s attention. The crowd parted as a large, white carriage, pulled by two white horses, rolled by. The carriage’s top was open, and it had gold trim all around it, and was flanked by several guards from the palace, each on white horses. Orion realized with a sigh that this was his father’s carriage, the one they always rode in during the harvest festival. Orion trotted up to the carriage, followed by Kelia and Alex.
“There you are, Orion,” King Frederic said, looking over at Orion, who was leaning on the door, “I was looking for you. I didn’t think you’d want to miss the harvest celebration.”
“I figured that, since I’ve been in the city before, I’d come on my own this time,” Orion said airily, hoping that his father wouldn’t make him ride in the carriage back to the palace.
“I guess, as long as you have warriors with you, you can be out without me,” King Frederic said, glancing at Alex and Kelia. “You’re right. You have been in this city before. I just want you to be careful, okay?” Orion smiled. “And I don’t want you to be out too late, alright?”
“Yes, sir,” Orion sighed, rolling his eyes, “I won’t stay out too late, and I’ll keep these two with me at all times.” That seemed to satisfy King Frederic, and he left with his guards trotting behind the carriage.
“I knew you wouldn’t be allowed out without me,” Alex said as the three of them explored more of the festival together.