Halfdan wiped his sweat while sitting on the rock, drinking some water from his flask. He felt the gentle wind blowing to his face, feeling intoxicated by the soft kiss of nature as he sighed with a calm face.
However, when he was admiring the scenario, a young boy crept behind him while carrying his sword. His bright blue eyes were focused on the defenseless back of his foe.
Without hesitation, he swung his sword toward him but before he could do that, Halfdan squatted down, dodging his attack like it was a normal thing.
He raised his eyebrows, looking at the young lion with a serious face while holding his sword in his hand. In a split second his sword hit the forehead of the young boy while the latter yelled in pain, holding his forehead which was turned red due to the impact of the sword.
" You, brat! Do you think you could defeat me with a such loose attack?!"
Arthur's eyes teared up when he heard his scolding as he puffed his cheeks like a child despite being a teenager. Despite their height difference, Arthur could defeat almost every teenager in the village, including Viking children but in front of Halfdan and his two best friends, he felt helpless because his friends were strong as bears while Halfdan was a beast in fighting.
His senses, techniques, and physical strength far surpassed most of the adults and he was proficient in many weapons. Especially he was good at archery, swordsmanship, and axe usage. Obviously, two of them came from his bloodline but swordsmanship was his pure gift from the gifts.
He not only learned imperial styles, Viking styles, and knight styles, he even developed some techniques that gave him all-around abilities in both defense and offense.
" Not fair. You know I only use knight swordsmanship. Your strength was like a wild hog's strength."
Arthur rubbed his palms with pain on his face, feeling rough calluses in his hands. He was constantly learning the sword, yet he wasn't able to graze his clothes much less injure him. He even doubted his talent, thinking he wouldn't beat this monster but he forgot one thing.
Halfdan was blessed with great genes from warrior lines that came from his both parents' sides while on the contrary his father was the only fighter in his family. Moreover, he was much more talented than Harold and Arne. His swordsmanship wasn't simple like theirs which only covered 6 basic techniques.
" Don't worry about trivial things, Arthur. You only lack experience and comprehensive knowledge."
Halfdan stroked his head while giving him his flask to calm him down. Both of them sat on the rock in silence, not talking for a few minutes before Arthur opened his mouth to express his worry.
" Brother Dan, recently I saw our knights and your people are preparing for something. Furthermore, I saw my parents and your parents in conversation many times. Do you think we are going to have a battle?"
Arthur's sad voice reached his ears while Halfdan didn't answer his words, thinking for a while before opening his mouth.
" I don't know, Arthur. But you have to remember our life is war. Whether at home or the field, people like us will be dragged into war because we are that talented. Perhaps, you are afraid of blood and death."
Arthur didn't deny his words at all, keeping his composure under his false expression. The light smell of water filled his nostrils, refreshing his mind but he couldn't shake off his nervous feeling.
" Don't worry about this war. We have been peaceful for a long time and you noticed something right?"
The continuous drought and harsh climate cut down the grain production, reducing the territory's food while the lord demanded more from them as a tax this year.
Arthur who was intelligent in many fields, could see the frustration of his family and others in the area. Especially for people who were struggling to live, 5 stacks per house was a death sentence in harsh winter.
" But he is my grandfather. I can't take his head."
Halfdan sighed with pity, looking at his young with a complicated expression. The lonely backs of two young men were painted in the pages of history as the beginning of the two monarchs.