Paden awoke the next morning mentally exhausted.  He stayed up into the night telling the little terrors several different stories before they finally fell asleep.  The worse part of it, were the two used his arms for pillows during the night and he woke up with numb arms.  His stirring was not missed by their older sisters who poked their heads into his small room with wide grins, remarkably similar to their mother’s.

Leanna had made breakfast with Mary and Bea, so the whole house began to smell of cooked meat, potatoes, oatmeal and fresh bread.  The smell stimulated Paden’s stomach and it roared out making the sisters giggle as the little two awoke beside him.  He was partway off his bed when they awoke and saw him.  The two instantly darted towards him and grabbed at his sides in reluctance to part.  Their adorable actions made their older sisters laugh louder.

Paden walked into the kitchen clumsily, with the twins on both his sides hugging him while wrapping around his legs.  Paden wore an expression of helplessness that caused Leanna and the girls to look at him dumbfounded for a moment before laughing at his situation.  Axel walked in a few moments later and looked at the situation with mild amusement before sitting down to eat.

Paden pulled up three chairs and sat down with the twins again to eat.  Breakfast was a festive mood.  The girls still hadn’t asked about what happened in the forest and Paden neglected to tell them.  The twins went back and forth asking Paden to spoon feed them.  The twins were highly dotted on by the youth who they always saw as a brother. 

“When are we going back?” Paden asked.

“After breakfast.  Weillin and Marie are already waitin,” replied Axel as he dug into his meal of oats, eggs and sausage.

“What did you do at the Lord’s manor?” Bea asked. 

“Just some heavy lifting and grunt work,” interrupted Axel when Paden was about to speak.

“Liar,” replied Mary.  “Your left eye always twitches when you lie.  It’s why Mom always gets you,” Mary sung with a smile.

“I can always tell by how his brows furrow slightly,” replied Bea.  The twins giggled as Axel’s expression turned embarrassed at the conversation subject.

“His eyes always dart back and forth and his mouth slightly curls.  It’s why Eber and Gerard always beat him at cards,” Paden said as he trailed off remembering Axel wasn’t supposed to be gambling.  However, the man completely missed his wife’s expression at the moment.

“Damn!  That’s why they always beat me.  Lost an entire chicken to Eber too,” Axel muttered under his breath.  This wasn’t missed by Leanna who reached over and grabbed his left ear.

“What did I tell you ‘bout gambling?”  Leanna didn’t wait for him to reply as she lifted him up and dragged him by the ear outside. 

Paden listened to the man’s frightful cries with a white face.  It wasn’t often but when Leanna grew mad, nothing stood in her way.  She worked their small farm and the animals while Axel and Paden hunted so her strength was impressive.  The girls listened to their father’s anguished yells and giggled.  Leanna wanted Paden to settle with one of her girls but given their reaction he could almost foresee himself becoming a second generation Axel in that case.

Axel came in minutes later and brought Paden to the Lord’s Manor.  They were let in to the familiar sitting room where Weillin, Marie and the guard looking guy was once again standing vigilantly.  Axel stood off to the side where he could get a good view of Paden’s face.

Paden walked in nervously and sat down.  He looked to Axel for help but the man merely shrugged his shoulders and remained standing with a roguish grin on his face.  The look confused and somewhat pissed Paden off for some odd reason.  He turned his attention to his aunt and uncle who sat down with subtle smiles on their faces.

“Welcome back,” Weillin greeted Paden with a bright smile.  “Axel already informed us he spoke to you yesterday.  As you know, I am your uncle and this is your aunt.  She is your father’s sister and was very close with him before his disappearance.”

“Axel wouldn’t tell me.  Who is my father?” – Paden.

“Your father is the first son of Duke Vuthryn, commonly known as the Dark Knight of Callador’s Fort,” Marie said with a hint of pride and worship in her voice.  She had grown up pampered by her brother and worshipped him.  Weillin had once found a hidden trove of diaries filled with her brother’s exploits and old memories written in them.

Dark Knight of Callador’s Fort?!  The words spun in Paden’s mind.  He blinked and shook his head as if the words had sucker punched him.  How could he not know of the famed Dark Knight?  He couldn’t believe it.  That man, the one he idolized as a child with his friends was his father?  He finally opened his eyes and looked at his aunt and uncle dumbfounded.

Axel stood off to the side and looked at Paden with a wide grin.  He could understand the youth’s utter confusion and disbelief.  The man he grew up hating and the knight he grew up worshipping were one in the same.  He felt the slight need to chuckle at the reaction of the youth. 

“Where is he?” Paden asked after finally calming down.  However, there was an obvious tremor still in his voice. 

“We honestly don’t know,” Marie told a confused Paden.

They don’t know?  The famed Dark Knight disappears and no one knows?  In fact why hasn’t this been made aware to the people?  Paden was baffled by the honest reply.

“In fact, we were hoping you knew something.  We were hoping Luanne told you something about your mother and father that could help,” Weillin replied to a stunned Paden.

Paden repeated the words in his head.  Father and… Mother?  What did this mean?  Luanne was his mother.  Weillin’s words suggested she was not.  What did he mean?

Weillin noticed Paden’s look and sensed something amiss as he looked towards Axel.  The man looked at him grimly as he shook his head.  Axel didn’t tell Paden and neglected to inform them.  They would have to explain to the poor child.

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“What do you…?”  However, Paden’s words were cut off by an understanding Weillin.

“Sorry, son.  Luanne wasn’t your mother.”  Weillin saw the angry look in Paden’s eyes and quickly continued.  “What I mean, is that Luanne wasn’t your birth mother.”

"Luanne served as your father’s maid since he was young,” Marie continued.  “When your father went to the academy, when he entered military service, all the way up until his disappearance, she served him faithfully.  She had gone missing at the same time as your father.”

“We had some hope when Axel brought us news of Luanne and your father’s signet ring.  However, she passed away by the time we arrived in Avery and only had her letter which contained little on the identity of your mother and far less on where your father is,” Weillin sighed.  He had thoroughly exhausted all means he had to find the man. 

“Mom… mom never spoke much about Father.  All she told me was that he was a good man.  I didn’t even know about you all or who he was until now.  I grew up thinking she was my mother so I doubt I could tell you anything about my birth mother,” Paden replied weakly. 

Weillin and Marie looked at one another at a loss.  They had hoped to get some new information from Paden.  Alas, Luanne never told Paden anything about his father other than his good nature.  She did not tell him about his mother either.  They had thoroughly hit a dead end.

“Axel told us you wanted to learn magic,” Weillin mentioned, changing the topic.

“Yea, after the goblin attack yesterday, I think I should learn more.  Even if I don’t have much talent at the very least I should learn to control it.” – Paden.

“You don’t have to worry about talent,” Weillin chuckled as he remembered his words and the boy’s father.  “I am a light magician but your aunt is a skilled dark magician.  She can teach you as we head back to our territory.”

“How far is it?” – Paden.

“Three weeks travel.  Considering the size of the group, maybe a month or five weeks at the latest,” Weillin replied.  “Can you read?”

“Some.  Mom used to teach me.  After she died I didn’t really have anyone teach me.  Not much in the way of books to read out here,” Paden said with a shrug.

“We can pick up some books at Avery.  I can give you a refresher on reading during the journey,” Marie said joyfully.  It would give her some one on one time with her nephew.  The child looked so much like his father, albeit a little softer compared to his rugged looking father from her memories.

“Did Axel and them teach you anything besides the bow?” Weillin asked.  Paden was confused as to why he’d asked but replied.

“Mostly, taking care of the bow and my knives.  Gerard taught me some spear.  That and skinning and field dressing different game,” Paden told Weillin with some mild confusion in his voice.

Weillin looked up at Axel with a look of irritation on his face.  Axel returned the look, somewhat bashful as he shrugged his shoulders.  Axel was supposed to teach the bow some military arts like the sword, bow and spear.  The last two were covered but the first was obviously neglected as shown by the boy’s words.  He could only sigh.  Axel was an axe wielder, Eber was a bowman and Gerard was a spearman.  The three had some training with the sword but were by no means master.

“Is there a problem?” Paden asked worriedly.

“Not really.  You can start training later when we arrive in our territory.  You’ll be behind others who enter the academy though,” Weillin sighed.

“Academy?” – Paden.

Weillin nodded.  “The plan is to send you to the academy to learn.  Noble children would usually be instructed by their families and have no problems with the lessons.”

“Is there a need to go through the academy?” – Paden.

“Marie can only instruct you in so much.  Duke Vuthryn’s family could instruct you fully but seeking aid from them is a little…” Weillin trailed off as he looked at Marie.  She had a complicated look at the subject of her family.

“Is something wrong?” – Paden.

“It is unknown if they would even acknowledge much less help you.  Duke Vuthryn is a prideful man.  Very strict.  Our relations have been severely strained as of late and your uncle who will succeed him is even more antagonistic with our family,” Weillin informed Paden with a wry shrug.

“Why…?”  However, Paden was interrupted by Marie.

"Why wouldn’t they acknowledge you?  It shames me to say this but Father is a cold man.  He would sooner kill you than acknowledge brother slept with some woman of unknown origins.  After his disappearance, there were some talks among the higher ups that he eloped with Luanne.  It brought great shame and enraged Father,” Marie said with a sad look on her face.

They were a large reason as to why they kept Paden with Axel.  It saddened her to admit it but even she would not put it passed her father to kill the boy and silence anyone with knowledge to his existence.  Even her little brother had grown increasingly cold in his dealings with her.  It broke her heart that she thought she could not trust the two.

“When will I have to go to the academy?” – Paden.

“Eight months from now in mid summer.  You will enter as a first year.” – Weillin.

“What does one usually learn?” – Paden.

“You’ll enter under the magician’s course.  You’ll take some history and some military training alongside standard magic classes.” – Weillin.

“Are there other courses?” – Paden.

“Noble’s, Knight’s, Soldier’s, Government, Merchant’s, Healer's.  There are others but I suggest magician’s as they have wide use in varying areas of the kingdom.” – Weillin.

Paden, Weillin and Marie spent the rest of the time talking.  They asked some stories about how he was living.  They told him about the town they lived in and their children.  They continued to talk until it was lunch time.  Paden left with Axel to go home.  They still needed to load the wagon and prepare for their departure.  Weillin and his group would meet them near the edge of town and they would leave together.