Williams could be seen laughing uncontrollably, rolling on the stable ground, with many stable hands smirking and smiling. The name of a particular horse and its behavior towards a 10-year-old boy caused this reaction.
After a few minutes of laughter, Williams held his sides and panted heavily. "Al, you named him 'Trouble... Maker'?!" He burst into laughter again.
The horse snorted, seemingly uninterested in Williams. Alan shook his head ruefully. "I initially started calling him that when Captain Kevin owned him and lent him to me to ride. He was the most childish and possessive horse I had ever seen."
"When Captain Kevin gave him to me, he never responded to other names. He even acted proud of his name," Alan explained, shaking his head at the horse's antics.
"Can you understand him?" Williams asked in awe. Alan nodded, "Almost. Not only him, but I can understand many animals, provided we communicate sufficiently."
"You're one of a kind, Al," Williams shook his head in wonder. Alan smiled, and they started toward the mansion.
On their way back, they encountered Captain of the guards, Kevin. Williams and Alan both greeted him simultaneously, exchanged smiles, and Kevin reciprocated with a warm greeting.
"How are you now, Alan? Sir John told me you were not feeling well," Kevin inquired with genuine concern. "I'm normal now, Captain Kevin. It was nothing serious—maybe I was just exhausted," Alan replied.
Helen hadn't shared the reason for his unconsciousness with Alan, and he didn't press her for details, confident she would provide them when the time was right.
"Good to know that you're alright, Alan. Well, I almost forgot," Kevin took out a pouch and held it in front of Alan. "Here you go, there are 30 gold coins in it."
Alan shook his head, "Captain Kevin, it's for you—to get a war horse. Besides, I don't have any use for the gold now."
Kevin felt both awkward and touched by Alan's gesture. He bowed his head slightly, exchanged a few words, and then headed toward the training area.
"Al, why didn't you accept that gold? You know how many delicacies and snacks we could have bought with it," Williams expressed disappointment.
Alan laughed, "Don't worry, Wil. We'll eat whatever this town has to offer. Captain Kevin taught me many things and even gifted me his horse that costs a huge sum. So, isn't it right to return the favor and save him some time and effort to get a war horse? And that money is from the wolves' parts sold to the guild," Alan whispered, looking around.
Williams was truly impressed by Alan this time. Though he himself was a generous and upright kid, he had never seen someone in his friends' circle so thoughtful. They continued walking towards the mansion, with Williams deep in thought, and Alan contemplating the upcoming meeting with Jane after lunch.
They had their lunch together happily, chatting about the town's famous things—food and places. Williams did most of the talking, and Alan listened with wrapped attention.
William brought Alan to his parents' room, expressing, "I have to learn more about healing, Al. Grandma Helen will give me a test in three months, and I don't want to slack." Williams waved his hand to Alan and took off.
Alan smiled, shook his head, and knocked on the door. "Enter," he heard Jean's voice, and he stepped in. She warmly smiled, took a couple of books she had prepared earlier, and went to her study table.
Alan followed and sat opposite to Jean. "Let's first understand what you know about music and arts. We can decide on proceeding further later," she suggested.
Jane began asking Alan a few questions, and he answered truthfully. She nodded and handed him a book titled "Music Learning - A Beginner's Guide."
The book depicted music notes on each page with a few lines of explanation at the end of each. Alan looked up at Jane, eager to know more.
"Alan dear, these are beginner's music notes. You have to learn them in order to proceed further in the field of music and instruments. These notes are similar for almost all kinds of musical instruments except drums. Try to remember the notes. I will sing each note and will try to teach the differences in each musical note," Jane explained, with Alan eagerly nodding in understanding.
Thus began Alan's exploration into the realms of music and arts.
Jean initiated the learning process by singing the notes, prompting Alan to replicate them exactly. This routine persisted for nearly an hour, and by the end, Alan had successfully memorized numerous musical notes, discerning the subtle differences between them.
Jane marveled at the rapid pace of his learning. Despite Alan's voice not being particularly melodic, to put it politely, his astonishing learning speed impressed her. There was never a need for her to repeat herself.
Alan, however, harbored doubts about his singing abilities. As their music session concluded after a couple of hours, Jane began, somewhat hesitantly, "Alan..." But he interrupted with a determined expression, "Aunt Jane, I don't think I can please someone with my singing. I'll try to learn an instrument in the future. But from tomorrow, can we start learning more about painting and calligraphy?"
Jane was impressed by Alan's astute and honest self-criticism, nodding happily at his suggestion.