County Wycliffe

Q watched from the second story window as Henry directed the estate’s staff while they unloaded several wagon loads of wooden crates . Nearly a month had passed since his grandfather’s return from the Gremelda and he had taken Q’s request to learn to fight seriously. Q wasn’t sure what his grandfather was working on now, but he knew it was for him.

As the only child of a noble family, Q had not been exposed to the harsh realities and hardships of life. Though the last few months shattered all of the childhood optimism he had been raised with. Torn from him, just like his parents had been at the whim of another. Q’s introduction to the dynamics of power within the kingdom was not a lesson he’d ever be able to forget.

A tear rolled down Q’s face as he looked out across the grounds. It was going to be a warm day, likely one of the last of the season. Soon enough the leaves would start to turn, and the air would gain that crispness only experienced in the Fall. It was also his mother’s favorite time of year. When she could pull out her scarves and enjoy a warm beverage without Q’s father making a joke.

Stop it. They are gone and remembering them like this will only make you weak. Q thought, his vision blurring and his hands turning to fists. I need to be strong, for Grandfather Henry, Ed, and Grandmother. For the people on my father’s lands, and for everyone else I may have to look after.

The boy’s thoughts were interrupted when his grandfather found him.“Q? Are you ready to get started? The livestock reports are in for this quarter and I wanted to get you started on them before I go help Henry with something.”

Q spent the next two hours reviewing dry reports, detailing the estimated weight gain of cattle within the county. Ed was having him compare this year’s numbers to previous year’s results to look for changes, trends, and inconsistencies. It had become a common exercise, one that Q was forced to complete across numerous industries, from crop yields in wheat, barley, and oats to wool production for textiles. It was overwhelming, trying to understand it all. Only made more difficult when Ed asked him questions about what it all meant. There was a lot that Q was still trying to come to grips with.

Dropping his head onto his desk with a thud, Q lost himself in thought. I understand why a drought two counties over would made grandfather want to increase the amount of grain planted come spring. But what does that have to do with selling off more heads of cattle in the fall?

A commotion from outside caused Q to look up from his toil. Rising from his seat, Q made his way to the window and pushed back the drape. Below, he could see several people working in the field behind the house, his grandparents among them. Bitting his lip, he looked down at the unfinished report. Q knew he should stay and complete it, but he also knew that there was no way he’d be able to focus with all the activity going on outside the office window.

Decision made, Q walked out of the office and made his way down to the ground floor. It struck Q then, just how long it had been since he’d left the house. He hadn’t intentionally stopped going outside. I’ve just had no reason to do so, he thought. The urge to go out and play had become all but non-existent. Shutting the door behind him, he walked across the field to where he could see his grandmother, Nadine, raise a hand. Q watched as a large mound of earth rose up well over her head.

One of his grandparents must have seen him, because they turned to look at him as he approached. With a grin spreading across Henry’s face he started in Q’s direction.

His curiosity getting the better of him, Q couldn’t resist asking, “What is that?”

“That, my dear boy,” Henry said as he ruffled Q’s head. It was such a familiar gesture that for a brief moment, Q could image it was his father’s hand he felt. Reality caused a lump to form in his throat as he focused on his grandfather’s words. “Is will be an earthen berm, six feet tall to start. It will have to be raised as you grow, but this will do for now.”

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Q’s raised an eyebrow, “And what exactly am I going to do with an earthen berm, grandfather?”

Henry let out a laugh, “Well this one you’re going to climb!” Taking a step back, he spread his arms to encompass the entire portion of the field being worked. “Welcome to the obstacle course. You said you wanted to learn to fight, and this is one of the best ways I know of to train you for it.”

“Uhh. Don’t I need a weapon to learn to fight?” Q asked, his brows drawn in confusion.

“That will come soon enough, don’t you worry. I’ve already sent out letters to hire several master-at-arms that I have worked with throughout my career. These are men I actually trust to train you correctly,” Henry said as he guided Q towards Ed and Nadine.

The latter turned in a whirl of skirts, and started brandishing her finger at Q, not dissimilar to when he’d done something wrong as a small child. “If you fall off one of these and break something, I will not be happy, do you understand me?”

Looking back and forth between his grandfathers, Q could only nod his head rapidly in agreement, “I’ll try not to, I promise.”

“Good,” she said with a huff, turning back to Henry and Ed she said, “Six feet tall, as requested. I transmuted the core and the very top to stone but left the outside non-compacted earth. It will need to be maintained, but that is something even you can do, husband.”

“The stars sent you as a gift, my dear. Though, they could have left off a fem of the thorns—” Ed’s mumble was cut off when he dashed behind Q, grabbing the boy’s shoulders, and using him as a shield from the blast of water his wife cast at him in retribution.

Their unexpected actions caught Q off guard, drawing out what, to Henry, was the boy’s first genuine laugh since his parents died. It was a moment Henry would look back on and cherish—the moment a small piece of the ice around Q's heart started breaking away.

Twenty minutes later, Q sprinted forward onto a raised platform. It was a foot taller than the surrounding dirt and too narrow to walk on comfortably without loosing his balance. Turning to the side, Q shuffled his way down beams length.

Smack!

A mud ball collided with Q’s shoulder, spinning him around and knocking him off and into the dirt. The breath was knocked from his lungs when he landed, and his lungs refused to draw air for a few seconds. He rolled to his side and looked over the top of the beam to where his grandfather stood, tossing another mud ball high into the air.

“Don’t look at me like that. This is just practice until your instructors get here. They’ve all done this in combat, and it wasn’t mud balls being shot at them. Now get up and do it again!” Ordered Henry.

Q had been excited to test out the course when he’d first seen it. Throughout the morning, his eagerness quickly diminished and eventually turned into a nightmare. As he completed the course, he was more physically exhausted than he could ever remember being. He was soaking wet, bruised, scrapped, and bleeding. In that moment as practically fell across the courses end, his dream of being a soldier didn’t look nearly as bright as hit had been.

“Could you have finished that as a child?” Asked Ed from where they watched Q cross the finish line.

“Maybe physically, but would I have had the drive too? Not a chance.” Henry admitted, a touch of pride in his voice. The obstacle course he’d built was one new recruits in the army would struggled with, had it been scaled to their size. To have even completed it at the age of 12 was indicative of great potential.

Ed exhaled deeply, “Physically gifted and just as smart as his mother. I remember the way she’d pick up on the lessons as I taught. He is much the same.”

“He’s the best of us all. We can make sure of that, my friend,” Henry said just as Q reached them.

He sat down in the grass, exhausted. Ed walked over to him and placed his hand on the boys head. A soft golden glow emitted from where they touched, “Now that you’re all healed up, and you’re hopefully done playing in the mud. Go get cleaned up, we still have lessons for today, and I know you didn’t have enough time to finish that livestock report I gave you earlier. ”

Q flopped onto his back. Unable to restrain a groan as he threw his arm over his eyes.