Kent Alfhard walked away from the leader of the neighbouring scouts. He went back to his men and talked with Deryk at the earliest opportunity.
"They were men of House Giraudus, we have drawn their attention amid the night." The Lord whispered to his adversary.
"Well?" Deryk asked with his eyebrow raised. "Anything we should be concerned about?"
Kent laughed. "A bit of money makes the world go round." The lord looked back at House Giraudus's men. They sat upon their majestic horsebacks with hoods covering their appearance. Their presence long fading as they dispersed into the distance, withdrawing their existence with the help of nature.
"We should set up a watch so they don't try something silly," Deryk added in caution.
Kent nodded, though his attention was not all on his commander.
The night passed in a silent manner, monotonous and soothing. Though on a closer inspection, all the men in the campsite had a weary expression on their face, with their encounter with House Giraudus still fresh in their memory.
Watchmen ate and kept awake until dawn, carefully respecting their commanders' orders with the highest of obedience. With time, the night moon was replaced with the morning sun, as well as replacing the slumbering snooze with energetic yawns.
Morning came before long, and all men are woken and prepared to set their way back to Hestanar, their home. But trouble arose as the watchmen that set up guard last night were heavily fatigued, with them in no conditions to march home.
Hence, it was not until mid-morning, when all men were rested, ate a good meal, and had adequate rest, that they began travelling back to Hestanar.
.
"I want to be a shepherd-o,
But I'm just a crackle.
I want to slay a dragon-o,
But there is no battle.
To light we go, our fate anew.
Destined goals, adventure brew…"
.
The high screeching voice of the group's self-announced bard sang loudly with pride. Though Kent had to cover his ears as the song turned more into a torture device than folksong. With the bard's voice, which had lost its charm after decades of yelling, sang the most atrocious song Kent has ever heard.
It was a shame, as Kent could clearly tell the lyrics had an alluring charm to it. Though one thing that Kent could be grateful for was the horses he rode on.
Even though the previous day's travel had taken a toll on the animal, they still had an unnatural vigour that kept it energetic along the travel. Coupled that with the clear roads that were clear in its direction, with great scenic viewing on both sides, Kent could console himself with the views he can enjoy.
Voices sang as palms clapped, half of the soldiers sang along the song, with some even humming to the tune in jolly good spirit.
But the lord's mood took a turn for the worse as his eyes nearly popped out when the singing grew in momentum, his mind almost couldn't take the horrible singing for a second longer. It's going to be a long journey home…
.
The group finally reached their home, Hestanar, and were welcomed home by their families and guardians. Kent took the chance to also visit Hot Diggerty and review the progress of the corset. The result pleased him, as the corset design largely followed his ideas and interpretation, Baxter certainly did an excellent job in his craft.
Though Kent was slightly regretful as he understood the payment for Leowe must be prepared, something that is difficult considering that Hestanar is only just breaking even with their expenditures.
With the lord's presence back in the castle, his first call of duty was to catch up with all he has missed, inspecting the Upper Plain's restoration progress, the replacement teacher he has organised, as well as figuring out where he could squeeze out some spare coins.
Talking with Sebastian was always a welcomed occurrence, as their talks often resulted in the lord identifying things he has overlooked, no matter if it was some oversight in his planning or just general conversation to distract him from the responsibilities the lord has.
The descendant of the Alfhard family wasn't alone for long, as some of the soldiers in the castle recognised him, so he stopped by to speak with them and find out more about his plans.
Though the lord only teased them and gave no definite answer.
.
In the library where the lord often spends his time, a knock travelled from the doors, followed by the creaking of doors opening and the soft entering steps by a fellow gentleman excluding manners of respect.
"Lord Kent," Sebastian greeted.
"Ah, it's good to see you." Kent then gestured to the window of the study.
"Come and meet the chosen few." Kent pointed toward the courtyard that is visible through the library window.
"Oh?" Sebastian's voice was full of curiosity.
"That's what your preparation was for? Those few individuals?" Sebastian stared at the few men still in the castle courtyard, standing beside the lord in front of a gigantic arching window.
In the courtyard, Beale, Redwald, Thormond, Rique, Roland, and Trent were posturing in the presence of their commander, Deryk.
"These gentlemen were chosen by me and Deryk, to become soldiers that are of strength. , they have all shown promise in their own way." Kent presented them to his butler.
"And with time, these men will be able to defend Hestanar from any threats that may come their way, each with their squadron of self-assembled men."
Kent felt a sense of pride in his choices, and the butler also nodded in agreement. The Lord turned to his butler, "I have a few more things that I need to get caught up with. The sooner I can finish these tasks, the better."
The butler excused himself and returned to his duty.
***
Deryk was on watch the following evening, and he was glad that they were back in Hestanar, as Kent was back in the castle. It was a relief having the lord with him, and he could feel the tension of the men originally from the Upper Plain, now stationed in Hestanar dissipate.
"Why don't I take you someplace more comfortable than this?" Deryk suggested.
"What a nice thought. How about a drink and some food?" Kent agreed.
"I'm not too fond of drinking. But sure, why not."
"Follow me then."
As the two men made their way down the main path, exiting the castle and making their way to the Old District. The sun had already begun its descent, and darkness was beginning to settle upon the land.
The pair arrived at a small tavern located near the edge of the city that wasn't frequented very much. It was a choice made for convenience, they don't quite want any company to interrupt their nice toast. And as for the food the tavern would provide, no would could it rival the food provided by the lord's family's cooks.
Even with the lack of customers, the tavern still had a comforting atmosphere to it, as it was warm inside the establishment.
"Shall we sit here?" Kent asked.
"Sounds good to me."
The two men sat and ordered a couple of glasses of ale. Once the waiter left, they began to talk about the encounter two nights before.
"House Giraudus... I guess they are also restless." Kent spoke in a hushed voice as he took a sip.
"So it seems. But I never expected them to be so vigilant."
"They are trained men, and most importantly, their tradition has been to serve. They wouldn't allow it."
"Well, relying on their traditions is a good way to get yourself killed in the wild. If they had no other options, I suppose they would be forced to rely on hunting." Deryk replied.
"But the hunt isn't a sustainable source of food, is it?"
"No."
"So what should we do? Should we continue to use them as our eyes and ears, or should we send our own in their stead?"
"It's a good question." Deryk thought for a moment. "I don't know. I don't think they would be much help, even if we could find someone trustworthy to replace them."
"What about those who are already spies?"
"I think it might be best to act on the former."
Kent gulped his glass of ale. "Is that wise? Couldn't we find someone else to do the job?"
"We can't afford to lose those men, and we have to consider that they are most likely to be successful, at least compared to anyone else trying to spy for us," Deryk whispered.
"They have mastered the art of the hunt, the forest is nothing more than their backyards. Allow them to do the grunt of the intel gathering."
The lord then edged closer to his commander. "Then, when we are needed, we shall send our men. Making them forever in our debt."
"Agreed. We shall prepare them for when the time comes, and trust that they will not betray us."
Kent finished his glass and signalled that they were ready to go back to the castle.
***
Leowe was feeling a little restless, it seemed that his men were growing tired of his command, and he couldn't blame them. After all, he was the one who gave them orders to avoid confrontation. But it was unnecessary to do so, as there was no need to fight those men, they too serve our king.
The problem was that his men wanted to prove themselves, and their refusal to follow orders was hurting his reputation. Worse yet, they were becoming a hindrance to the intelligence-gathering mission.
He had to act quickly, and he had to convince them to follow his orders. That was his only chance.
He had to act quickly, and he had to be firm in his effort.
He knew the men had no intentions of acting against Kent.
Nonetheless, he had to move fast. He had to convince his men to cooperate and help him in his quest.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at his tent, which was located as the very centre of a remote scouting camp.
"Enter!" Leowe called out.
The scout entered, dressed in a black robe, with a hood covering his face.
"My lord, I have news regarding the Hincks." The man spoke.
Leowe sat up straight. "What kind of news?"
The scout lowered his head. "Men inform me that they have seen shadows near the border. Though they weren't able to discern what the Hincks were doing."
Leowe's second in command stepped into the room. "What are you thinking?"
"I don't know. What are you thinking?"
"I think it's possible they could be scouting for an army, commander." The second in command spoke up. "They could have been scouting ahead for their army, my lord."
"Aye, that could be true. But if that is the case then our men should return to the camp immediately." Leowe spoke up.
But the scout shook his head. "They haven't left yet."
"What?" Leowe exclaimed, questioning what he has heard.
"I believe they are still scouting near the border, commander."
"What?" This time, both the first and second in commander were surprised.
This is a game in which perseverance wins. Reckless acts bare no rewards.
But Leowe then seemingly changed his mind, with the idea of losing his control still fresh in his worries. "No, we must stay vigilant. The Hincks could send their troops at any time, we must be prepared."
The scout nodded to himself. "Our men shouldn't keep a safe distance, instead they should remain where they are to act as guards."
Leowe stood up. "There is a high possibility that they are invading, so prepare our men. We shall attack as soon as they enter our territory."
The scout bowed his head.
"Very well, commander. Will there be anything else?"
Leowe nodded. "Yes, send someone to bring me some wine, and also send someone to Hestanar to meet the last of the Alfhard. That lord has something he still owe."
"Understood." The scout bowed once again.
Leowe then left the tent, as the scout exited and went on his rounds.