An Invitation To Redemption

An

 Invitation

 To

Redemption

There were no candles lit in his room yet a faint glow came from his trouser pocket. They were hung over a chair in front of a table containing his wash basin. A basin that saw less use than the trousers which were going on three days of wear. Tom climbed out of bed but didn't immediately head for the glowing just five feet ahead of him. He yawned, stretched and then decided to see what the fuss was about.

Gently sliding his wallet out of the pocket he instantly dropped it and yelped from the burning he had received. Tom covered his mouth, eyeing the walls and ceiling, wondering if he had woken his parents or the castles servants. A long relieved breath came from his black bearded mouth. His parents were away on orders from the king. He returned his focus to the glowing, and apparently hot wallet by the stinging sensation on his fingertips.

An old pair of chain mail gloves with a leather inner lining lay on his shelf. Tom grabbed them and found they stunk of sweat before slipping them on. It was strange that his wallet would be glowing, and if it should be glowing at all, then opening it should create a portal to a better life. A life where he didn't owe so much coin to the crown. A life where his wife had not abandoned him for squandering her dowry and thus creating a great divide between two honorable houses. He picked up his wallet to find the gloves had eased the heat. Parting the wallets lips after unfolding it the glow faded until an invitation appear within. It was fold four times over but its silver lettering still remained solid despite age and mead droplets.

Tom unfolded it while scratching his mess of hair that had blended with his beard. The invitation read: To Find Glory You Must Look Beyond Your Failings. Tom clenched his teeth, readied to tare the fancy parchment in two, but a faint scratching as if some invisible quill were writing revealed more words, except in gold ink. To Continue The Path In Front Of You Will Not Bring Her Back. Go Forth And Seek Glory For It Is Not Within This Castle.

At first he believed the invitation to be a hint from his parents to move out from their castle. Tom had taken an interest in forging swords. And as he readied to tear the invitation in two, he stared at his swelled and scared up fingers. The invitation's heat was unlike any he had experienced in his apprenticeship.

"A tourney is coming soon," said Tom."And I could use the coin, but, I had to sell my armor to pay my debts."

He sulked back to his bed, desiring to fall upon it and sleep more of his day away. It would take many hours to forge new plating yet his master, Andrew, had favored him among all those in his service. But there was still a need of a horse, and his father had taken his sword away before beating him with it a year past.

"I must make promise of coin to father's horse master and either steal my sword back or forge another."

Yanking off the glove and tossing it on the bed, he sucked in a deep breath and snatched up his trousers. It always came to money. Always. But Tom was tired of his father's disappointment, his mother's repetitive words of finding another maiden to love since no great house wanted bother with him.

"I'll get my sword back first."

Tom flexed his fingers to try and remember its heft, the worn leather from gripping it so tight in tourneys from his youth.

"I will not win without it."