It was night time and the air was clear. During the day the smell of dung and dry grass attacks you nostrils but when night comes the air turns crisp and cold. It's a refreshing thing and I have made it my daily routine to just stand on the porch and admire the country scene before I'm forced to go to bed.
I also use the time to reflect on my situation and to think about my past life, especially my daughters.
"May I join you?"
However, that night I am joined by someone else. She closes the door behind her and walks to my side and stands there with me. It was Romilla, my cousin. She struck me as the kind that didn't speak much, given how the two boys Acre and Ash had tried to talk to her and all. She wasn't rude to them but her actions of using one word responses and nods, and that shy awkward demeanor made the boys resign promptly.
"Of course, my lady."
I responded in the polite manner that she had asked, however, I also felt like adding a 'my lady' at the end. she stood upright and wore a calm expression, and not to mention she was the daughter of a knight. I heard once that Knights were lords and their female kin were ladies, so I uttered that statement of respect.
"Its quiet."
She said to me while looking at the country scene I had come to admire. Only the sound of night birds and occasional howling from a distance could be heard. Overall, it was peaceful.
"Is it not quiet in the City my lady?"
Ask the little girl out of curtesy. I call her little but physically she was a year older than I, and a few inches taller as well.
"No, its too noisy compared to the country, people rarely ever go to sleep."
She replied, albeit unexpectedly. Perhaps she was at that phase where gatherings made her feel queasy and awkward, but still it was good to know she was not as shy as I initially though her to be.
"I see."
I replied her, which was followed by a stiff silence. We both stood side by side, admiring the night time view. Your average country bumpkin would be sweating balls at the idea of standing nnext to a lady of such high standards alone at night, but I was both an adult and someone who came from an era of modern ways of seeing things. I was not perturbed at all.
"It must be nice to live in the city, with all the fun things I've heard that happen there."
I said to cut through the silence. I had never been to a medieval city before, before I had been reincarnated id only ever seen a medieval country scene through the big screen or on tv at home. Other than that, it was mere speculation at this point about what happened in the city.
"Of course, if you count the rat infestation and increasing number of brothels around the city then I suppose you can say that."
She replied to which I looked back at her immediately. She had cracked a joke, albeit something she probably heard an adult say, but still it was a joke. I started to laugh, both at how an 8 year old could say such a thing and that she of all people was capable of telling a joke. Romilla looked at me with her emerald green eyes as I tried to hold in my laughter, face full of puzzlement and astonishment. I saw her smile from the corner of my eye, albeit a slight smile. It was charming none the less.
"Wow my lady I had not known you could jest like that."
I said while wiping away a falling tear. I finally contained myself, cleared my throat and sat down at the edge of the porch. Romilla followed suit and sat down next to me.
"Do you find what I said funny?"
She asked while gazing up at the sky.
"For one thing, you can say that."
I replied her while also admiring the clear skies and bright crescents. For some reason, there was one moon in this world, but on some nights, especially crescent moon nights there were three crescents in the sky instead of one. I was guessing the other moons were either shaped like that or the light from the sun could only reach them on nights such as those.
"Are you fascinated by the sky as well, my lady?"
I asked seeing how she was looking at it intently. She did not respond, or perhaps her mind was else where.
"What are you looking at?"
I tried to ask again, but to no avail. She was probably looking at the 3 crescents up in the sky.
"Mother says the other two moons represent the sons of the moon goddess. It is believed that the two moons split off from her to signify how sons often end up splitting from their mothers when the time is right. Each son has their own kingdom on either moon."
I tried to explain to her using the analogy I got from Lilicia when I asked her about the subject. Of course I knew that scientifically that was not correct but it was better to not be labeled a witch or heretic simply out of stubbornness. I saw no point in trying to oppose a belief that was widely accepted, so I kept quiet on the matter.
"Did you, say something?"
Asked Romilla as she looked at me. I had finally gotten her attention, but I also found it too redundant to repeat all that. I was also feeling full both in my stomach and in my throat so speaking was also a chore. Speaking of full, I felt my bladder swell up, probably due to all the grape cider I had drank at supper. Another problem with my 7 year old body was the tiny bladder, but since I also got youth in return it was a minor problem. I stood up.
"I said can I be excused?"
I replied her. She nodded in turn and I wasted no time in rushing from the porch to the back of the cottage. Our home had no specialized toilet, not even a latrine. We either used the forest for the heavy stuff and the backyard for the water. I arrived as soon as I started to feel heat swelling up in my bladder. I dropped my brown shorts to the ground and unleashed the wave.
A wave of relief also came onto me as a result. I also took time to admire the other beautiful scene in the country side, an endless field of red, yellow and blue flowers. Even in the drought, these plants were resilient if nothing else. They maintained their beauty all year around even in winter when the snow covered the ground. They could have been artificial, but this world had no manufacturing process for plastic as I had come to understand.
I heard from Lilicia that the farm we live on was once owned by a Great Wizard from the King's court many years ago, supposedly he created these flowers using magic. Besides the wizard part I suppose the only thing that can make such plants would be magic, but at this point I can neither prove nor disprove that analogy. I looked in the direction of the pen, the horse sheep were awakened by the moonlight and going about the pen playing. Next to them on a tree and tied to it was our one and only Bull Pig.
Tumbleton was her name, a hybrid of a buffalo and a pig. She was the only one left, the others were either sold away or died from thirst and disease. I was reminded once more of how impoverished we were. Sure I was full then, but when Wile and Jain leave its back to scrounging for scraps. My face droops down due to that realisation while my Jon runs out of water.
I stood there, motionless and so immersed in my problems that I did not see when or how she had gotten behind me. The next thing I know was that I had my crotch being held by tiny child-like hands and those hands were stroking my little thing. My reaction time couldn't have been any faster, I immediately jumped away with my pants down. My pants tripped me and I fell to the ground.
Looking up from the dry grass I saw her, a blonde haired little girl of no less than my own age. She stood there with a mischievous grin on her face, both having the sweet innocents of a child and the cunning impression of a master schemer.
"Wha… what are you doing!!!??"
I almost shouted. My voice spread out across the dry field, prompting the horse sheep to start stirring and making noises that resembled both a bleat and a neigh. Even tumbleton mooed in her low bass and followed by a grunt.
"You laughed earlier."
Was all she said when I asked her that question. Realising how bad it looked, I quickly pulled up my shorts whilst still on the ground. I stood up and faced her, my mind running around with confusion and my eyes portraying my rage and disappointment. In that moment, I was no longer Alywick Herodson, but I had assumed my original persona, that of an adult.
"What??!! No that doesn't explain anything, why did you do it?"
I shouted at her. Not only were we related by blood but we were both children. How could she have known what was and what wasn't. the other problem was that I was a grown man inside, I wasn't about to go around spreading pedophiliac ideologies, I mean I actually marched against that in highschool. In that moment, I needed to teach Romilla about incest. I had to, otherwise she would grow up to be problematic if left unchecked.
"Earlier, you laughed at what I said. You expressed your interest in me, and I thought maybe you and I could do what the adults do."
She replied, this time a wicked smile had appeared on her face. All essence of her previous calm and gentle demeanor disappeared with it. To be honest, I was dumbstruck, I couldn't even find the words to say to her nor did I even know where to start. And that's including the fact that I was an adult, and yet this kid… she was definitely going to be a problem. However, when words did come to me…
"Alywick the protector, is that who you were named after? Hes a huge deal you know, a brave hero who first charted this unexplored region we now call our kingdom."
His voice was as boisterous as it was loud. It made a good companion for his huge stature too. It was Wile, and following behind him were father and Ash and Acre. Rickhart was holding a sword, the only sword in the house. It was made from a rare steel and father liked to hang it on the walls of our cottage. I had heard that it was gift from a knight that trained him in swordplay back in the day, I didn't think he could actually use it. Wile also had a sword in his hand, a great sword that also appeared to be a shortsword.
The blade was unsheathed, a nice piece of cold silver glean that shimmered under the faint moonlight. Father notice me and Romilla, and so did the two boys.
"Alywick, were you showing the lady around the land? I hope you were polite."
Rick addressed me in his usual monotone that he used when speaking to his sons. My guess was it was done to remind us that he was in charge, but this was a man who we called father and not dad. I placed my hand on my chest and tapped it thrice to greet the great knight, Wile as was required by custom when greeting those who have both higher status than yourself and were older males. It was two pats for younger males and those of the nobility. For father, I greeted him second. He was my father so I placed my hands on my crotch and bowed slightly.
"Indeed I was."
I replied him. I couldn't tell him what happened, it was Romilla's word, a lady from the capital against mine, a country bumpkin. It wasn't difficult to tell who would lose in that situation, and Romilla herself had reverted back to her charming calm and composed self. I guessed that other side of hers was something very few, not even her parents, knew about. Rick turned to Romilla.
"Is that so my lady? Was he a gentleman?"
Father asked Romilla in a manner that showed both respect for Romilla's status and her position as her niece. She smiled back gently and politely.
"Yes he was, its beautiful and peaceful out here and the air is so cool and clear."
She replied. From the corner of my eyes I saw both Ash and Acre become entranced by her gestures. For country folk this here was a jewel.
"hahahaha, well that's nice of you boyyo. Romilla is so used to city life that she doesn't know a whiff about how peasants live. Well anyways Ricky boy show me your best form, a real man should know how to sword play, well apart from satisfying his woman of course."
Wile interrupted the moment with his loud voice. I swear if he wasn't my uncle and a respected knight I would have called him out to keep his voice down. However, he was also technically older than I was and more high ranked too.
The night finished with a duel between Wile and Rickhart. Rickhart was incredibly outmatched from start to finish. The four of us, Ashford, Acre, Romilla and myself watched till the end. what started off as a duel between man became Wile humiliating father in front of his three sons. We couldn't walk away either, it was rude to walk away from a duel that you saw start off.
Mother and Jain remained in the house, talking about who knows what. Jain liked to here herself speak, and more than that she liked to brag a lot about her life to her sister. That one was a complicated relationship I assumed, but not more complicated than that of Wile and Rickhart. Well, maybe that one wasn't complicated.
The short story of that relationship was that Ricky boy did not like Wile, in fact I was sure that after that night he came to hate him even. So maybe it was simple. The night passed by, and Romilla seemed to be unaffected by what she had done. I decided to put it behind us as well, and besides they were to leave for the city the next morning. They had made a stop from their journey back from Romilla, the second largest city in the kingdom. Apparently that's where our grandparents lived, I had never met them and I wasn't sure I would ever be able to in that life.