King Edward , Book III Summary . This book is part of a twelve - part series on King Edward , as follows : Content . The golden days passed swiftly . Edward spent most of his time in the company of his parents . He saw few other children . None at all lived in ' their ' tree , only their wood elf host and Moraelyn ' s six Companions , an oddly assorted , cheerful lot . Disrespectful , Edward thought . None of the Daggerfall court or servants would dared have addressed his father as these did Moraelyn and Aliera with their constant raillery . But these weren ' t servants or courtiers . Just Companions . Only one was a Dark Elf . There were a Khajiit woman , two wood elves , brother and sister , a Nord ic man , even bigger than Moraelyn and a strange looking lizardlike man , who spoke with such a hissing accent that Edward couldn ' t understand him at all . The Nord man was called " Slave of Moraelyn " or just " Slave " for short , although Moraelyn usually called him " Mats " of " My - slave . " Mats tended the group ' s weapons and gathered wood for the evening fires . But it wasn ' t unusual for the others to bring wood ; Moraelyn himself often borrowed Mats ' axe and fetched and split wood if there was need , or if he just felt like it . They spent much of their time roaming the woods and fields , hunting and gathering produce , in twos and threes . Usually Moraelyn , Aliera and Edward and Shade went off together . They carried bows for hunting . When Edward asked Moraelyn to teach him to shoot better , he was told to ask his mother , as she was the better shot . And it was Aliera ' s arrow that brought down a handsome buck , although both arrows had struck , and they quarrelled over who ' s arrow had killed as they ran toward the buck . " Bah ! " Moraelyn exclaimed as he pulled his black fletched arrow from the hindquarters . " I don ' t know how I managed to feed myself before I married you . " " You had the Companions . " " Aye . Mats , Mith and I starved together , before we met Beech and Willow . " Moraelyn pulled out his black dagger , Tooth , and began to skin the animal ' s body , calling Edward to come and watch . " You want to learn about animals , don ' t you ? " " Live ones . " Edward said with distaste . His dainty mother was ripping the skin away with enthusiasm . " Such make tough eating , " the dark elf said . " Give me your cloak ; I ' ll make a package for you to carry . " " I am a Prince , not a pack horse ! " " You ' ll carry your share or you ' ll be a hungry prince this night . " The elf had lost his good humor . " I won ' t . I don ' t want any . You can ' t make me . " Moraelyn stood erect and appeared to think this over . " Can ' t I ? " he taunted . " Edward , please . . . " Aliera appealed to him . " Tell me , Lord Prince , how then does one get the meat to one ' s table if one may not carry it . If Princes may not carry meat then certainly Kings and Queens may not , or do Princes grow out of the incapacity when they become Kings ? " " They have servants ! " " Serve ants ? What a clever idea . Only a human could think of that ! Ants are excellent at carrying , I have noted , although I have not the trick of commanding them . Perhaps you can teach me . " " Servants ! Like Mats here , " Edward shouted . He hated being teased . Mats and the other companions had come up , having heard their shouts over the kill . " Mats ? You think I cannot make you carry deer meat , yet I could command Mats to do so ? " Moraelyn stared up at the blond giant . " Well , one never knows until one tries . Mats , carry the deer . " The blond scratched his head and jaw thoughtfully . " Highness , nothing would please me more but it is a large deer and my old wound is troubling my back , perhaps if you kill a smaller one . " " Well , Prince , what now ? " " You beat him . " " At what ? I can outrun him . Mats , if I reach that oak first , will you carry the deer . " Mats shook his head slowly . " You beat him with a stick ! " Edward yelled . " What promise you show as a Healer , my Prince . You will forgive me if I refrain from consulting you until you have further training . It is my judgement that beating with a stick will not improve Mats ' back . Of course , I may be in error . " Silk , you carry the deer . " " Me , milord ? I am sorry , but I have just remembered that I am fourth cousin to the fifth house of Dibella , Queen of Heaven . My dignity forbids that I carry anything at all . " Willow and Beech claimed that a mage had forbidden either of them from carrying any part of an animal while the moon Jone was risen . " Prince , are you truly certain about this rule ? It seems to make life most inconvenient . We could bring the wood to the deer , which will take many hours and leave us benighted here . We could consume the meat raw on the spot , but I own my belly is not yet empty enough to make that option attractive . Aliera , can you help us ? How do the High Rock folk get meat to table ? " " Milord , when I lived there it was my firm belief that it appeared by magic . There were servants , but they were an irritating , lazy lot , more trouble than they were worth . Edward , my son , is it possible that this rule applies only in High Rock ? " " I suppose so . . . " Edward carried a share of meat that bent his back , but he did not complain . And so it was settled , and the meal that night was a merry one . But for several days after , if the Companions caught him carrying anything at all they would inquire anxiously as to whether a High Rock Prince might do so . " If Mats is not a servant , then why do they call him ' Moraelyn ' s Slave ' ? " Edward asked one drowsy afternoon . " Well , he is my slave . I paid gold for him , all that Mith and I had . We came on a man beating him near Reich Parthkeep . He looked near death ; when Mith and I tried to stop the beating , the man said Mats was a runaway slave , and he ' d do as he liked with him . So I threw down the gold and told him he could take it and leave , else I would kill him out of hand . He chose the latter , so I told Mats to take the gold as his master ' s heir and go where he would . He chose to come with us , so we buried the gold with his master and Mats has been with us since . " " Could he leave if he wanted to ? " " Of course . " " May I go pick some of those berries over there ? " Edward asked , and Moraelyn nodded . Aliera was sleeping curled on her side . Moraelyn sat next to her , leaning back against a tree , his hand playing with her long dark curls . His eyes and skin were sensitive to the bright sun . Shade slept stretched in the sun nearby , his dark fur glinting with silver in the light . Edward wandered over to the bushes and picked the bright glowberries , so called because they glowed at night , although right now they were a rather dull gray . But they tasted very good . If he ate enough , would he glow at night , he wondered . Or if he smashed them and collected the juice , the bushes caught at him , then he found a sort of tunnel through them and trotted along it , wondering where it led . It ended in a small clearing before a pile of rocks . There was a hole and something in it . Edward stepped back , making a small noise in his throat . The something heaved and presented a tusky snarling face and hooves that pawed at the earth . The boy backed away slowly . The beast ' s head went down , the shoulders heaved and the immense bulk lumbered into a charge . Edward tried to throw himself into the bushes - there was no room - and then , incredibly , Moraelyn was in front of him , between him and the beast . There was a flash and a crash , and the elf seemed to leap backwards for several feet , landing crouched just in front of Edward ' s face . The air whistled as his blade seemed to jump out of the sheath of its own accord . There was a sparkle in the air around him , and a burnt smell . Silence . " Get out of here , boy ! Now ! " Edward fled , yelling for his mother , who was running toward the bushes and calling him . She clasped him to her , and began shouting for Moraelyn instead . There was no answer , then , somehow the elf was there , unharmed , his blade sheathed again . But he was breathing hard . " Did you kill it ? Are you hurt ? " " No and no . I was shielded . Barely . You disturbed a sow in her den with her litter . Fortunately , she thought she ' d had enough after the first impact . I daresay she ' s unaccustomed to finding her enemies still standing afterwards . " " Why didn ' t you kill her ? " Edward demanded , feeling bloodthirsty after his fright . " A katana , even the Ebony Blade , is not the weapon I ' d choose against a mother sow . A spear , maybe . The longer the better . Besides , if we leave her be , there ' ll be six pigs here next year , with luck . " " You made a magic shield , " Edward said , wide - eyed . " Aye , barring the shield , she ' d have left a few marks even on a tough old dark elf . " " Edward , it would be gracious to thank your rescuer . " His mother prompted . " Thank you , " Edward said automatically , his mind busy with more questions . How had the elf known of his danger ? How did he get there so quickly ? " There is scarcely need to thank me for saving my son ' s life . Thank Shade , " Moraelyn said . " The cat told me there was trouble . " Edward knelt and hugged the smug purring cat . " Good old Shade . I can always count on him . " " My son " . " Our son " . The words rang proudly out at the least excuse . Edward puzzled over this for awhile ; it wanted an explanation . The one he favored was that Moraelyn simply didn ' t know him very well yet , and was prone to give the benefit of the doubt to strangers . Eventually , but in the meantime he might as well enjoy it . It was nice . Having a father that was proud of you , that liked being with you , took you places , talked to you , listened to you . And most remarkably of all , let you alone when you needed to be . Moraelyn only really liked being alone when he was composing a ballad . Edward told Beech and Willow about the mother pig . " I ran when he told me to . Would you ? Because he said to . I couldn ' t think of any way to help , but . . . " Willow and Beech listened carefully , exchanged glances , and said they ' d think about the problem . After supper around the evening fire , Willow took up her small harp and began to sing about the joys of an autumn afternoon and berries . . . except that Moraelyn sent the boy off to pick berries . They ' d got that part wrong . Moraelyn sat up sharply and looked around , but the others had slipped away into the darkness and Willow wasn ' t looking at him . Mith strolled into the firelight , taking mincing steps , picking pantomime berries and eating them noisily . Moraelyn put his head down and groaned . Mith pantomimed finding something then skipped along in delight . Mats ' head and shoulders lurched into the firelight . Mith reached a hand to pat him , then leapt back with a squeal as Mats tried to rip him with a tusk . Huge tusks and a pig nose adorned his face . Mith crouched , hands to his face in exaggerated horror . And Silk , clad in black , leaped between Mith and Mats with a shower of sparks , jerkin backwards , hose about its knees , shoeless . It reached for its sword , but Mats charged and knocked it flying ; it spun out of sight . Mats , scrambling on all fours , missed Mith , but tore his hose . Mith scampered around the fire with Mats after him . Silk , sword in one hand , the other tugging at the hose chased after Mats , beating him with the sword . Another figure appeared , clad in Aliera ' s blue gown with Beech ' s head sticking out above wearing a long dark wig . Mith cowered behind her skirts . She glared at Mats and he froze . Silk tripped and sprawled behind him . Beech tossed his hair back , patted Mith reassuringly on the head , wet one finger and smoothed an eyebrow , then leisurely picked up his bow , aimed and twanged . Mats leaped backwards , collapsing on top of Silk with a very realistic death rattle . Beech and Mith embraced , ignoring Silk , still flat beneath Mats . Moraelyn had begun laughing when Silk first leaped out . Aliera had waited for Beech ' s appearance . Now tears were running down her cheeks . Moraelyn was doubled over , pounding his fist against a tree . Ripples and giggles of silvery laughter sounded all around and showers of gold coins fell into the circle . The Companions gathered themselves together and bowed , as humans did . " Again , do it again ! " " Nooooo ! " Moraelyn gasped , still laughing . " Ah , you came nearer killing me than the sow did ! I beg mercy ! " " Another night , gentle persons . . . our king has had a very long day . We thank you all . " " Gods , had the entire town seen ? " Edward stared behind him , but they were all melting away into the dark . " That ' s not what happened . " he yelled . " You were a hero . They made fun of you . " " Yes , yes and yes . Especially the last . By Jephre himself , that was funny ! " " They all saw that ! And you ' re going to let them do it again ? " Edward was scandalized . They had all looked ridiculous . " Let them ? It ' ll be done all over Tamriel for centuries to come , I doubt not . But never again so well . " " But it didn ' t happen like that at all . " " It would have if Mats . . . I mean the sow had charged again . Ariana ' s bow would have been far more effective than my poor blade . And she ' d have seen Moraelyn leap like a khajiit ! " His finger smoothed an eyebrow in a gesture typical of Aliera and he went off again into a long laugh . " Aye , she ' d have slain the beast with a look , if she couldn ' t find an arrow . Mats , you were more like the sow than she like herself . Bigger , too , I swear ! Mith , you old rogue , only you could look so innocent . " " Buuut , it ' s not true ! " Edward protested . " Boy , you think there ' s only one truth ? Was what you saw today truth ? Did you see all the truth ? Even of what did happen ? What you saw here tonight will light up truths unseen , if you allow it , you could spend a lifetime reflecting on it and yet not see it whole , for it goes ever further and deeper , spreading like ripples in a pool , beyond us all and out into the deep stillness of forever . What happens is only a tiny part of truth . . . maybe the least part . And what you see is smaller yet . " Edward still thought that a king really ought to have more dignity . But he didn ' t say so .