Chapter 523: Ollie’s Trial Begins
Ashlynn shook her head at the distinctly ’manly’ display between Ollie and Thane. Try as she might, she couldn’t understand why standing in place and allowing a friend to hit you was an important ritual, but the look on Ollie’s face told her that even if she didn’t understand, he did.
The moment shared between the old knight and the young one forged a bond unlike any other. It transformed Ollie from a simple kitchen boy into the latest link in a chain of proud knights stretching back to before the founding of the Kingdom of Gaal. Thane had once stood where Ollie did, receiving a painful lesson from his father and a reminder of his virtues. His father had once stood in the same place, receiving his lesson from the future Lothian Marquis who had in turn received a lesson from another knight...
The chain continued unbroken for generations, and even if Ashlynn couldn’t understand the ritual, she could understand the significance of carrying on such an ancient tradition. And so, even though it was uncomfortable to watch, it warmed her heart to see that it meant so much to Ollie.
"Sir Ignatious," Ashlynn said, turning to look at the fallen Inquisitor. "It’s time for everyone else to leave. Take the villagers away. What happens next belongs to witches alone."
"Your, your Dominion," Milo said, his tail drooping in anxiety when Ignatious approached him. "I thought that I would be allowed to stand with Ollie during his vigil. Do I, do I really need to go?"
"You care for him deeply, don’t you?" Ashlynn said, smiling at the cloaked archer. While Heila hadn’t hesitated to voice her concerns during Thane and Ollie’s exchange, the Heartwood archer’s tail had thumped the ground nervously each time the flame-haired youth was struck and his whiskers twitched with worry every time his human friend stood back up.
"I owe him more than a life can repay for what he’s done for my family," Milo said, lowering his head and casting a glance at Ollie that was filled with deep emotion. "Standing with him during his vigil is a small way of showing my respect, and since he’ll be defenseless while he faces the trial of the Cypress seed..."
"It’s fine that you stand over him during his trial," Ashlynn said warmly, reaching out and resting a hand gently on Milo’s shoulder. "But the ritual itself is a thing of witches. You can return once his trial has begun."
"We’ll watch over him together," Heila added, stepping up beside Ashlynn. "I hope Ollie doesn’t need as much time as I did," she said, looking anxiously at the tall young man. "But it will be good if we can take turns resting, and you can tell me all about him while we watch over him."