Bren was fed a plate of cold meat then led to a small room in the attic of the building. The room was dusty and looked as if it hadn’t been used for a long time. “Most our part time workers live in a small bunk house at the other end of the field, but I think this room would fit you best and it’s not like the prince would do something untoward to my family or my daughter,” Clair said stressing the word daughter.
“I wouldn’t…,” Bren started to say but was quickly silenced by Clair’s laugh.
“You do remind me of your father. He had the same quiet charm. When he was here I used to follow him around and spy on him, but I don’t think he ever really noticed me,” Clair said looking at him with the same look that his mother got when she talked about Thad. “You know this was his room. I used to pace on the stairs trying to work up the nerve to talk to him.”
“What was he like?” Bren asked after Clair drifted off into silence.
“I guess he died before you really got to know him. It was the same with Faye’s father. She asks the same question as well, though nothing I tell her ever seems to be enough,” Clair said, her face suddenly saddened. “Your father was always quiet and he didn’t laugh much. He was a hard worker and my first love. He quickly became part of the family. After he left we wondered what had become of him until my father happened to be in the capital for his weeding to the queen. He changed his name, but he knew who it was.” Clair stopped and gave Bren a warm smile. “Not much help was I. It’s hard to put a person into words. My best advice is to look in a mirror and in yourself. That would be the best way to get to know your father.”
Bren watched as Clair shut the door as she left. Looking around the room, he wondered if his father had been the last person to sleep in the bed that was now covered by more than an inch of dust. Picking up the outer cover, Bren gave it a hard shake then coughed as the room was filled with light brown dust. The smell of dust tingled his nose the whole time. He tried to sleep, but the most pressing thing was the thought, that years earlier his father had been right where he was at.
No one really talked about his father when he was Bren’s age. His mother would make a few passing comments, but Bren got the idea that his dad had very few people who really knew him when he was younger. Even Thurman only knew his father from after he had become the hero at Southpass Fort, but what about when he was a child or just coming into his own. It seemed as if those parts of his father’s life were still shrouded in mystery.
“Time to get up,” A soft voice said as Bren felt a light pull on his shoulder.
Opening his eyes Bren saw Faye standing above him. Instinctively, Bren pulled the covers tight around his chest getting a light giggle from Faye. As his eyes focused, he noticed that the small window still showed no light coming in from the outside. “The sun isn’t even up yet,” Bren declared groggily.
“Is that so?” Faye said before yanking the covers hard, threating to expose him. Bren looked desperately at his trousers that lay a few feet away, casually thrown over the back of a small chair. “If you don’t want me to see your bits and bobs, then you better promise that you will be down for breakfast as soon as I leave,” Faye said with a wry grin.
“I promise,” Bren pleaded, his face turning a dark red. He let out a sigh of relief as Faye released her hold on the covers and headed for the door. Before leaving, she turned her head around and gave him a sly wink. “You better be awake tomorrow or I might just uncover you before I wake you.”
As soon as the door shut, Bren jumped out of bed and grabbed his trousers. He wasn’t sure what Faye really meant by her parting words, but his heart was pounding incredibly fast and he was sure that he wasn’t quite ready to find out either. Bren had met plenty of ladies his own age in the capital, but they had all been reserved daughters of nobility who acted refined and more than a bit entitled. Faye on the other hand showed no reserve in her actions. She was frank and all too free with her words, but Bren still couldn’t help smile when he thought about her.
When Bren was fully dressed and reached the dining room, he found that it was filled with new faces. Upon his entrance, everyone looked at him and he could see a wide array of smiles and smirks from the gathered family.
“Boy, you look like you’re dressed for the mid-summers dance. If you wear that to work, not only will they be ruined your body will be covered in blisters that will leave you laid up for a week if not more,” A large man with a grisly beard said with a chuckle. “Maggie, think we can spare a few of Joseph’s clothes? Might be a bit big on him, but it will be better than sending him out in what he’s wearing,” The man said to the woman sitting at his right.
“I am sure we can find something. That boy has out grown more clothes than I have been able to sew. After we eat, I’ll see about finding you something dear, and don’t mind that old blowhard. My husband Peter loves to pick on anything and anyone,” Maggie said, pinching her husband on the back of the arm.
“I guess we might as well get the introductions out of the way,” Doren said, offering Bren a seat next to him. “You already met Clair’s brother Peter and his wife Maggie. The house sized boy next to Maggie is their sixteen year old son Joseph. Dang boy eats more than the cattle. There used to be a lot more of the family, but the war was hard on everyone.”
“Doren that’s enough,” Mercy said sternly. “I’m sorry Bren, Doren lost a lot during the war and he likes to remind everyone about it when given the chance.”
“I have heard numerous stories about the war,” Bren replied humbly. “When I was younger I spent a lot of time staring at the monument in the center of the palace gardens with the names of those who died during the war.”
“I got to see it once. Doren took me there and pointed out my uncles and other granddad’s name. He said they fought with the army until they were pushed back to the palace,” Faye said proudly.
“Well enough of that talk,” Clair said, placing a large plate of sliced ham on the table. “The foods going to get cold,” she said, patting Bren on the shoulder as she took her own seat next to him.
As soon as Bren finished his meal, Faye grabbed his arm and hauled him out of his chair. “I’ll show him around the farm,” She said, as she pulled him from the room.
Bren could hear the laughter coming from the house as he was herded outside by the forceful Faye. A loud rumbling bark caused the lithe girl to jump. Bren laughed as he reached down to pat Avalanche hard on the head. Still laughing he turned back to Faye who was holding her hand over her chest. “Did he scare…” Bren started to say, but the words and the wind was knocked out of him as a large heavy object bore him to the ground.
Twisting and turning, Bren was able to get on his back and wrap his arms around Avalanche’s thick neck. He pulled as hard as he could, but moving the rock hound when he was in a playful mood was like trying to move a mountain. After a few seconds, Bren was able to get out from underneath Avalanche and swing on the dogs back where he once again pulled hard. The muscles in Bren’s arms bulged as he pulled and finally Avalanche toppled to the ground where she rolled hard and easily shook off the strong young man. Before Bren could make his next move, Avalanche butted him hard in the chest with her head, sending him onto his back where she stood over him and gave a loud bark declaring her victory.
As Bren’s head cleared of the sharp pain, he could hear Faye’s laughter coming from beside him. Propping himself up on his elbows, Bren looked to Faye and laughed. “Faye I would like you to meet Avalanche the most stubborn and hardheaded animal ever born.”
“I don’t know about that,” Faye said with a hint of laughter still hanging in her voice. “I think my granddad still has him beat,” Faye said as she leaned down and ran her fingers across Avalanche’s back. “Her skin is so smooth,” she said admiringly.
Bren had hoped that Faye would allow him a few moments rest after his tussle with Avalanche, but he was disappointed. Before he even had the chance to dust off his trousers, he was once again being pulled around the f
arm.
By midday Bren had seen most of the farm and found himself once again back at the large farmhouse where he found Clair and Maggie waiting on them. “I see that my daughter has finally decided to bring you back,” Clair said with a slight giggle.
“Here are some of Joseph’s old clothes. I think most of them will fit you just fine, but were going to need you to try them on so if they need adjusting we can get it done in time for you to start your work in the morning,” Maggie said, holding out a large bundle to him. “I am sure that Faye explained what you were expected to do on the farm during your escapades,” She added with an odd look toward the small girl who quickly began to whistle as she moved toward the door to the house.
“She just showed me around,” Bren said honestly.
“Drats,” Faye said as she made a break for the door.
“Faye Ann Bergeson,” Clair said, her words stopping Faye in mid stride. “Young lady none of us minded that you hauled the young man away after breakfast, but we expected that you would have enough sense in that head of yours to at least tell him what he would be doing for the next few weeks.”
“Yes mother,” Faye said, hanging her head slightly though Bren could see a small smile still teasing at the corners of her mouth.
Clair must have seen it too as her scowl deepened. Walking up to her daughter, Clair grabbed the young lady by the ear and promptly pulled her inside the house.
Bren grabbed his own ear in shared pain as he watched Faye being led away. Seeing the look on his face, Maggie gave a short laugh. “Don’t worry, her mother isn’t really that mad. Now come with me so we can get you fitted into your new clothes.”
Bren quietly followed behind Maggie though his attention was drawn to the raised voices from a nearby room. He could hear Clair and Faye arguing, but he could only pick out a few words. When Maggie closed to door to his room the only thing that he could hear was raised muffles, just enough to know that the two were still arguing.
“Ok, strip down and try these on first,” Maggie said, handing Bren a pair of trousers. When Bren took the clothes and looked around the room, his face turned a rosy pink Maggie laughed. “Don’t mind me. I promise you that you don’t have anything I haven’t seen before child.”
Still furiously blushing, Bren did as he was told and stripped down to his small clothes and tried on the trousers. They were a bit loose around the waist and a good few inches long in the legs. “Ok now try on these,” Maggie said handing him another pair of clothes after making a few marks on the pair he now wore.
Bren was subjected to trying on different clothes for the better part of two hours. Thankfully, his embarrassment eased after the first few times, but each time he had to disrobe, a small spark flared back up.
Once his torment was over, Maggie fixed Bren a hearty lunch and called Doren to come in from the field. Maggie explained that Bren would need to be shown what his job would entail during his stay and Doren seemed all too pleased to be the one to do it.
“Joseph will be plowing the field so you don’t need to worry about that,” Doren said as Bren followed him to the field. “Your job will mostly be feeding the livestock and sowing the fields. Not hard work, but under the heat of the sun, it can still be draining,” Doren said with a sly smirk. “Make sure you drink plenty of water boy. I don’t know how we would explain to your mother should you die of the heat.”
Doren continued to show and lecture Bren over what to do on the farm until late that evening. Bren had never been so happy to see a place then when Doren finally showed him back to the farm house, well after the sun had set.
That night as Bren sat in his room, he looked out his small window to the stars. He had never taken much time to look at the night sky when he lived in the palace. They were always there, but he just never thought about looking. Now that he was miles away from home he felt lost and for some reason those distant points of light seemed to ease his troubled soul.
A loud bark let Bren know that Avalanche was off causing some sort of mischief. He hoped that the dog didn’t cause too much trouble.
Don’t worry about avalanche, that beast is smarter than you give it credit for. I wager that she knows and sees more than even you or I do. What you should really be concerned about is that little girl that keeps dragging you around all over the place giving you those dopey eyes. Trust me Bren, a girl like that will only cause you trouble in the end.
Rolling his eyes, Bren looked to where the staff sat in the corner of the room. “You think any woman means nothing but trouble,” He said, pulling back the covers to his bed. “How did you know about that anyway? I left you in the room all day.”
Just because you don’t have me with you doesn’t mean I don’t know what you are doing. I can see just as well through your eyes as you can Bren.
“I told you before to leave me alone about your issues with women. I think she’s a nice girl… and pretty,” Bren added, smiling.
Thurman continued to rant, but Bren paid little heed to the staff. The time he had spent with Faye had been far more fun than his time with Doren. Laying his head on the pillow, Bren fell asleep thinking about Faye and what he imagined the next few weeks would be like.
CHAPTER IV
For the first time since his arrival at the farm, Bren woke without Faye’s aide. It wasn’t that he didn’t like to see her face in the morning, but she had started finding more humorous ways to wake him. The previous morning she had even poured a bucket of water on him and he had been forced to hang everything out to dry. His sheets had dried well before nightfall but his mattress was still slightly wet and after a few hours of laying down that wetness started to sleep through to his night clothes.
Bren had been on the farm for a little under a week and his body was starting to grow accustomed to the harsh work. His muscles still ached and were still when he woke, but most of the pain was gone. His hands were blistered and raw and he had a few sunburns, but overall he was enjoying his time on the farm.
The field was almost planted, but Bren planned to stay on for a few days more to help make sure that the seeding took root. He knew that he was just trying to find an excuse to spend more time with Faye, but it wasn’t like the Mage’s Tower was going anywhere.
Bren made his way to the dining room where he was surprised to find only Clair cooking. “Did I wake up too early?” Bren asked, slightly confused.
Clair gave him a warm smile. “I guess no one told you,” She said handing him a fresh glass of milk. “Today is Fallensday. It is a day of rest and celebration for the farmers. I thought Faye would have told you. She has been anxious of late, maybe it has skipped her mind. I thought it was because she was hoping to dance with you during the festivities.”
“Festivities?” Bren asked, slightly confused.
“Yes every Fallensday we and the other local farmers all go into Tillman and eat and dance. It would be a good time for you to wear the clothes you wore when you arrived.”
“Those are hardly fit for a celebration,” Bren said skeptically. “I wish I had brought some of my dress clothes from home,” Bren continued, wringing his hands nervously.
Clair gave a slight giggle that sounded as if it had come from a young girl and not a woman in her mid-thirties. “Bren maybe in the royal court those clothes might not be the best choice, but we are talking about farmers. We don’t spend money on clothes to simply wear to fancy parties. I promise you that if you simply wear what you brought, you will still be the best dressed in Tillman tonight,” Clair said, patting Bren softly on the cheek. “Now Bren, why don’t you go get washed up. Breakfast will be ready shortly, though most everyone won’t wake up for a good while. Fallensday seems to be one of the few times they can sleep and most of them take advantage of that fact.”
Bren did as Clair suggested and headed for the well to pull up some water to clean himself. Outside he found Faye already turning the crank to the well, still wearing her nightgown. When she turned around, Faye quickly covered herself and
blushed a deep crimson. “Bren I didn’t expect you to be up yet,” She said sheepishly.
“You weren’t drawing the water to dump on me again were you?” Bren asked, taking a cautious step away from the girl.
“No, I was getting ready to clean myself,” Faye said embarrassed. “Today is Fallensday so I thought I would let you sleep in.”
“Well I wanted to thwart your inventive ways to wake me by beating you to it today, but it seems as if my efforts were in vain. Your mother already told me about the holiday and the visit to town planned for this evening,” Bren said chuckling.
“That’s good, but if you would excuse me I think if mother or granddad were to catch us talking while I was clothed in such a manner, you might never make it to the festivities,” Faye said, hurrying back toward the house.
With a faint smile on his face, Bren went to the well and started turning the crank. When the bucket was almost to him one of the new blisters on his hand popped sending a surge of pain through his body and causing his grip on the rough iron handle to slip. Bren cursed as he heard the bucket hit the water below. As he looked at the raw wound on his hand Bren’s temper flared with his focus on the well as if it had caused the injury. Suddenly a large bright light blinded Bren and a loud noise deafened him. Bren felt as a rock flew into his head knocking him down.
Bren forced his eyes open and looked at where the well had once been, now reduced to rubble. Bren tried to stand, but he found no strength in his legs and his vision began to grow dark. As the darkness rushed in around him, he could hear concerned shouts coming from around him, but he couldn’t find his voice to answer them. As a strong arm wrapped around his shoulder, Bren lost his fight and drifted off into unconsciousness.
Slowly opening his eyes, Bren found himself back in his small room surrounded by three very worried looking women and an even angrier looking Doren.
“Bren dear are you ok?” Clair said worriedly. “You took quite a knock to the head so don’t try and move around too much.”
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