Wielder's Awakening Read Online Free
into the burn. He couldn’t figure out where the burn had come from. It had only been a dream. You could not be hurt physically in a dream. It had only been a dream! But what else could account for the burn on his chest?
“Don’t look so worried,” Traven’s grandfather said. “It’s just a little burn. Don’t think it’s going to get you out of helping me haul the lumber down to Hand’s mill.” He chuckled as he rose from the table and went outside to get the horse hitched to the wagon.
Traven slowly rose from the table and went into his room to put on a shirt. He still did not understand how he could have been burned. Once he had buttoned up his shirt, he pulled out the stone and dangled it in front of his eyes, studying it. It was the same as it had always been; it was still just a deep blue gemstone. There were no changes to the stone at all, and it was cool to the touch as usual. Confused and still troubled, Traven went outside to help his grandfather load up the oak that they would be taking to the mill.
* * * * *
From the kitchen window, Traven’s grandmother gazed out at her grandson. He had grown up too fast. Tomorrow he would turn eighteen and enter full manhood. He would no longer be her little boy. She had always thought of him as the chubby, light haired boy with freckles that had always followed her around. Staring at him from the window, she realized that he had grown up a lot. He was not little anymore. She recognized for the first time just how tall he had grown. He had to be over six feet tall, taller by far than most of the men in the village. His hair was still slightly blond but now closer to chestnut brown, and his freckles had slowly melted away. He had finally shed his baby fat and was actually well muscled from all of the hard work he had been doing for his grandfather. The only things that had not changed were his bluish-green eyes and his boyish smile. He had become a rather good looking young man. She had always thought he was handsome, but of course she would because she was his grandmother. She knew that young women would now notice what she had always known.
She was going to miss him greatly. Still, she knew that she needed to let him be free of the village and follow his dreams. He could become so much more than just a simple woodcutter. As much as she wanted him to stay, the only way he was going to become something great was with an education, and the only way he could get an education was if he left to go to one of the big cities. She just wished that he did not have to go so far away and that it did not have to happen so soon. As Traven finished loading up the wagon and climbed up next to his grandfather, she turned away from the window and went back to cleaning up the breakfast dishes.
* * * * *
As they started down from the farm toward the mill, Traven’s grandfather was unusually quiet. Their trips to the mill were usually full of jokes and laughter. However, this morning he seemed resigned. He talked a little but mostly kept silent. Traven wondered what had brought it on. He had been fine this morning at breakfast. Traven wondered if it had something to do with the fact that he was turning eighteen the next day. He would be entering manhood, but why would that upset his grandfather? Nothing would be any different. He would still be the same as he always was and would continue helping his grandfather cut wood through the fall and winter.
Traven soon fell into silence as well. He watched the trees run by on either side of the road. The first traces of fall were finally beginning to show in the forest. There was a crisp breeze in the air coming from the east off of the mountains and some of the trees had just begun to change their leaves. Soon it would be cold enough that he would need a cloak, but as for now, he enjoyed the refreshing breeze. After several
“Don’t look so worried,” Traven’s grandfather said. “It’s just a little burn. Don’t think it’s going to get you out of helping me haul the lumber down to Hand’s mill.” He chuckled as he rose from the table and went outside to get the horse hitched to the wagon.
Traven slowly rose from the table and went into his room to put on a shirt. He still did not understand how he could have been burned. Once he had buttoned up his shirt, he pulled out the stone and dangled it in front of his eyes, studying it. It was the same as it had always been; it was still just a deep blue gemstone. There were no changes to the stone at all, and it was cool to the touch as usual. Confused and still troubled, Traven went outside to help his grandfather load up the oak that they would be taking to the mill.
* * * * *
From the kitchen window, Traven’s grandmother gazed out at her grandson. He had grown up too fast. Tomorrow he would turn eighteen and enter full manhood. He would no longer be her little boy. She had always thought of him as the chubby, light haired boy with freckles that had always followed her around. Staring at him from the window, she realized that he had grown up a lot. He was not little anymore. She recognized for the first time just how tall he had grown. He had to be over six feet tall, taller by far than most of the men in the village. His hair was still slightly blond but now closer to chestnut brown, and his freckles had slowly melted away. He had finally shed his baby fat and was actually well muscled from all of the hard work he had been doing for his grandfather. The only things that had not changed were his bluish-green eyes and his boyish smile. He had become a rather good looking young man. She had always thought he was handsome, but of course she would because she was his grandmother. She knew that young women would now notice what she had always known.
She was going to miss him greatly. Still, she knew that she needed to let him be free of the village and follow his dreams. He could become so much more than just a simple woodcutter. As much as she wanted him to stay, the only way he was going to become something great was with an education, and the only way he could get an education was if he left to go to one of the big cities. She just wished that he did not have to go so far away and that it did not have to happen so soon. As Traven finished loading up the wagon and climbed up next to his grandfather, she turned away from the window and went back to cleaning up the breakfast dishes.
* * * * *
As they started down from the farm toward the mill, Traven’s grandfather was unusually quiet. Their trips to the mill were usually full of jokes and laughter. However, this morning he seemed resigned. He talked a little but mostly kept silent. Traven wondered what had brought it on. He had been fine this morning at breakfast. Traven wondered if it had something to do with the fact that he was turning eighteen the next day. He would be entering manhood, but why would that upset his grandfather? Nothing would be any different. He would still be the same as he always was and would continue helping his grandfather cut wood through the fall and winter.
Traven soon fell into silence as well. He watched the trees run by on either side of the road. The first traces of fall were finally beginning to show in the forest. There was a crisp breeze in the air coming from the east off of the mountains and some of the trees had just begun to change their leaves. Soon it would be cold enough that he would need a cloak, but as for now, he enjoyed the refreshing breeze. After several
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