Lord Arim tapped the baby on his nose, laughing as it swung its short arms around before putting it down.
Then Gilles moved on to the children. "You've become a man, Mayne." He laughed as he firmly shook the boy's hand. Mayne was a tall boy, sixteen years of age, just barely older than his sisters. His hair curled around his scalp, shaded a dark black. The hairs on his face and arms were shaven clean, fit of a noble. He smiled at Lord Arim as they shook hands. "It's a pleasure to meet, m'lord." Mayne growled. "The pleasure is mine kid." The lord tapped him on his shoulders before moving on to Lexie.
"My my, the Aecor blood has done you well." The lord complimented the girls' looks. "Thank you very much, m'lord." She blushed. "Call me Gilles." He kissed the back of her hand.
The lord sighed as he saw Lexie, her hair tied back in a haste, her joy left at the shoreside.
"Pleasure to meet." Lord Arim smiled, reaching for her hand. "Hi." She pulled her hand back, donning a vaguely annoyed grin on her lips. Gilles gazed into the girl's eyes, miffed by her ill manners.
"Bradyn!" He turned to the lord of Lion's Cradle. "We ride out, the two of us." Lord Durham scurried over to Gilles. "I need to pay respects to your brother." Gilles spoke.
"It's a day's travel Gilles, we can't." Bradyn grabbed Gilles by his shoulder.
"Half a day. We can, and we will." He gripped Bradyn's wrist and took it off his shoulder. "We'll be back 'fore sundown. 'Fore the festivities begin." He said, gazing into Bradyn's eyes with a palpable look. The lord of Lion's Cradle sighed. "Saddle two steeds!" He shouted. The formalities of greeting had ended, urging Gilles to ride for his old friend. Bradyn respected him for that, for remembering his brother still after all those years. Lady Arim responded with a lack of enthusiasm around their trip. They had ridden since the sun fell, surely they would refresh themselves first before going off on a plan to return by night. The dead have plenty of time at their disposal, she thought. But she loved Gilles, and she knew he cared greatly for Bradyn's brother. She said no more.
So the men rode off into the sunset, Bradyn and Gilles, same as they used to all those years ago. They rode for hours past gorgeous fields of tall green grass and magnificent blue lakes of water, discussing all but nothing with one another. "There he is." Lord Arim spoke, slowly galloping towards a short hill. The hill was just positioned so the grave was pointing up towards the sun. The sepulcher lay on the crossroads between kingdoms, their lifeline; the three way split of the road between Clifshiel, Lion's Cradle and Drakenward. Nature seemed to flourish on that specific spot of land, the flowers held more color, the blades of grass were greener, the damp raindrops on the ground shone brighter. As if he was still there, nourishing the life around him.
Atop the grave stood a statue of him, of Brinley Durham, the old lord of Lion's Cradle. "Looks just like him still." He whispered under his breath.
Lord Arim kneeled and nodded silently. He missed Brinley, everyone did. Even after all those years the grief had not left his heart, no one's heart he thought. The war had taken Brinley with it, along with many others. His loved ones moved on, his lordship transferred to his twin brother; Bradyn, his wife married him too.
Everyone seemed to have moved on, leaving Brinley's legend to die along with the memory of the continental war. But Gilles couldn't, he couldn't move past the loss of his endeared brother in arms.
Gilles and Brinley were brothers more than Bradyn and Brinley could ever be. They were bound by some force ordained by god, stronger than blood. Stronger than anything, yet it failed them when Brinley died by Gilles' side.
"He deserved more." He sighed. "He had fought a war, Gilles. 'T was to happen." Bradyn said.
"No man was 'posed to die like this, got by a stray arrow as he took out an army of men." He clenched his fist. "The bastard kept on going though, dart in the neck didn't matter to him."
"He was brave as much as he was a fool." Bradyn said, sticking a blade into the grass beside him. "Might need this should ye commence a second life." Bradyn walked over to the statue, stood atop the grave and gave it a tap on the shoulder.
"Rest well." Gilles stood up from his kneeled stance and threw himself onto his horse's back. "Thank you, Bradyn."
The lord of Lion's Cradle had no response.