Since becoming a squire, Rafin had been living busily at Barad Castle. How to check the knights' equipment, how to mend clothes and quilting, sword training, and today he had even gotten on speaking terms with the mage, Lord Stormmond.
He remembered Mera Sirasi, whom he had met at the victory banquet. Rafin had promised to write her letters, but he still hadn't written one.
They would be leaving on the expedition soon, and writing letters on the road would be impossible. He had to write the letter right now.
Rafin sat at the table, took up a quill pen, and began to write the letter.
'To Mera.
I should have written sooner, but I'm only writing now. It's not that I forgot. Don't get the wrong idea.
As you know, I've only just started life as a squire at Barad Castle, and there was a lot to learn, and I had to pay my respects to everyone from the knights to the various vassals, so it's been hectic. So I didn't have time to write.
You didn't wait for my letter so hard your eyes fell out, did you?
Are you doing well? It must be warm in Nigate. It's cold here. Barad Castle's knights are going on an expedition to the north soon. As the Knight Commander's squire, I'm proudly joining the expedition.
I'm better at sewing than most women now. I mend the clothes of the vassals as well as the knights. It may look trivial, but this is an important job for a squire too.
My senior squire's name is Rewad Forlinde. Rewad and I have gotten quite close, and thanks to him I'm learning all sorts of skills a squire needs.
Of course, I'm better than Rewad with a sword.
Writing this letter reminds me. At the jousting tournament, you hung a flower garland on my lance. You acted like it was nothing, but your fingertips were trembling slightly. Thank you for hanging that garland on me back then.
Take care of yourself. If I hear you got hurt riding around Nigate however you please, I'll come find you myself and give you an earful.
Just send your reply before I get back to Barad Castle from the expedition.
Then, I don't know when it'll be, but see you next time.
From Rafin.'
When Rafin finished the letter, he realized quite a lot of time had passed. Still sitting in his chair, he stretched.
Just then, Rewad came into the room.
"Rafin, what were you doing?"
"Writing a letter."
Rewad came close to Rafin and stole a glance at the letter.
"Who's Mera?"
"Why are you so curious about everything?"
Rafin told him about Mera Sirasi, whom he had met at the jousting tournament's victory banquet.
"Well, look at this rascal. Is this any time to be writing love letters? Sir Lancis said today that we're going on an expedition to the north."
Lancis Lorestir was the knight Rewad served.
"I heard that too. I should have written this letter ages ago, and I'm only writing it now in a hurry. She even put a garland on my lance at the tournament. I should at least write her a letter."
"House Sirasi is one of the most loyal of the vassal houses. For a young lady of House Sirasi, her marriage will be decided for political reasons."
"I know that much."
Rafin had never thought about marriage with Mera. They were only exchanging letters because she had put a garland on his lance and they had met at the victory banquet. She was frank and easygoing, and he thought there was nothing to lose in keeping her as a friend.
Rafin didn't know what position he would come to hold in House Rosrad later, but it was good to build good relationships all around.
Getting on speaking terms with Stormmond this time over the mending could also be seen as building a relationship for the days ahead.
"Rafin, this is no time for that. Let's go to the workshop. The other squires are in the workshop getting ready for the expedition."
The workshop was bustling. The squires were each checking the equipment of the knights they served. Some were grinding swords on whetstones, and some were putting armor into sand barrels to scour off the rust. Others could be seen stitching places where the leather of a saddle had worn through.
The workshop was noisier than usual from all the equipment checks, and a lot of dust was flying about. One squire, who couldn't stop coughing, had wrapped a scrap of cloth around his face to cover his mouth and nose while he sewed a cloak.
Some squires were in the stable with the stablehands, checking the horses' shoes.
Rafin and Rewad went to the workshop. Rafin looked at the squires hard at work.
Rafin spoke.
"Everyone's busy. We'd better check our equipment quickly too."
Rafin and Rewad were also checking the equipment of the knights they were each in charge of for anything lacking.
A little later, the workshop door opened, and a woman with long red hair tied back and a knight's cloak over her shoulders strode into the workshop. Intense green eyes swept the room.
Rewad had once told Rafin that there was a red-haired woman knight at Barad Castle, talking about Sabel Noriton. It was the first time Rafin had actually seen Sabel.
All this time, Rafin had wondered what a woman knight would be like.
Sabel came into the workshop and spoke in a loud voice.
"I know you're all busy checking the knights' equipment. Sir Anies is busy, so I have a message to pass on in his place. Attention."
With a woman's voice ringing out loud in a workshop full of men, the squires' ears pricked right up.
Rafin was watching Sabel with eyes full of curiosity.
"On this expedition, your main job is attending the knights, but when things get urgent, you'll have to take up swords too.
That's why Sir Anies has trained you hard in swordsmanship all this time. So once you finish checking the knights' equipment, collect the swords and leather armor you'll use from the storehouse at the training ground. Get your own equipment and check it yourselves. That's all."
Sabel delivered only what she had to say, quickly, and left the workshop.
To Rafin, Sabel might have a woman's voice, but the way she acted was manlier than anyone's. Rafin and Rewad had finished checking the equipment of the knights they were each responsible for and were on their way to the storehouse at the training ground.
A few other squires had finished checking their knights' equipment and were heading to the training ground too.
Rafin asked Rewad.
"Dame Sabel is a woman, so how did she become a knight?"
"Dame Sabel's uncle, Lipierre Noriton, was a knight of House Rosrad. He was a valiant man. He isn't with us anymore; he died on the battlefield. Dame Sabel may be a woman knight, but she's stronger than any male knight."
"She's impressive. House Noriton is fairly far south, isn't it?"
"Yeah, that's right. A region called Hiham. House Noriton has a rather unusual tradition."
Rafin only knew roughly where House Noriton was.
"What's unusual about it?"
"Hiham is the southernmost region among House Rosrad's vassal houses, so you could call it the strategic point between the North and the South. People and information flow freely between the two sides there. They use that advantage of their region to stay well informed."
While Rafin and Rewad walked and talked, the stablehands inside the castle were carting full loads of hay to the stable, and servants were carrying wooden crates of cheese, meat, vegetables, and other foodstuffs. Many of the people working at Barad Castle were in the thick of preparing for the expedition.
Hearing that they were well informed, Rafin grew interested in House Noriton. Whether to make a house prosper or to bring down a house you had targeted, information could be very useful. And such information could lead on to other secret activities.
Rafin wanted to know whether such activities really existed.
"If House Noriton is well informed... they could do spying and assassination too."
Rewad suddenly stopped walking. Then he spoke in a low voice.
"Hey, you can't go around saying things like that."
"From how quiet your voice just got, House Noriton must do that kind of work too."
Rafin lowered his voice as well.
"I don't know the details. But it's true that every house uses its strengths to its own advantage."
Rafin thought that, not now but later, he should build a relationship with House Noriton too.
The storehouse at the training ground was well stocked with swords and leather armor. The squires were busy picking out the equipment in the best condition.
***
Well ahead of time, servants had thrown open all the windows of the great council chamber in Barad Castle's main keep, swept the floor, and wiped it down. Then they set out cups of water, paper, and quill pens on the round table.
When they finished cleaning, the servants reported to the steward, Gauwin.
Soon Anchin Rosrad, his vassals, and the knights gathered in the great council chamber. Everyone sat down and waited for Anchin.
When Anchin came into the great council chamber, everyone rose from their seats to greet him. When Anchin went to his seat and sat down, the rest sat as well.
Anchin spoke.
"Is everyone here?"
The Treasurer, Edmer, answered.
"The Assistant Treasurer isn't yet...."
The moment Edmer spoke, the door of the great council chamber opened and a blond middle-aged man came in. His eyes weren't as intense as Anchin's, but his face resembled Anchin's.
Anchin's younger brother, Willan Rosrad, sat in the empty seat beside the Treasurer.
"I apologize for being late."
Anchin shot his brother a sidelong glare.
The scholar Varter, in the seat to Anchin's right, spoke.
"Everyone is here."
Anchin spoke.
"You all know why I called today's meeting. This expedition is a more important mission than anything for House Rosrad. For some years now the winters have been getting colder and colder. Soon the barbarians will come over the Grimhall Mountains to plunder. The expedition's first destination is Orpul, in the northwest. The matter I want to ask you about is deciding how many troops to send with the expedition and how many to leave in the castle. Then we can set the size of the baggage train accordingly. And unless it's a dire emergency, the mage Stormmond is to stay in the castle."
When Anchin finished speaking, there was a moment of silence.
The Assistant Treasurer, Willan, rose from his seat.
"If we send too many troops with the expedition, it will cost a great deal. The barbarians haven't attacked yet, so we should send only a somewhat smaller force with the expedition, and if the barbarians do attack, we can quickly dispatch a team of messengers and send reinforcements from Unton."
"Hm. I see. If anyone else has an opinion, speak up."
The Knight Commander, Gerhardt, rose from his seat.
"I expect that on this expedition we will certainly run into barbarians. Then we should send enough troops with the expedition from the start and join forces with the troops of the local vassal houses to smash the barbarians in the very first battle.
If the damage on the ground grows while we wait for reinforcements from Unton, it could become a reason for the vassal houses' loyalty to drop."
The Treasurer, Edmer, offered an opinion similar to Willan's. Since the two of them handled the finances, they tended to try to cut the expedition's costs as much as possible.
Anchin was listening to his vassals' opinions, but no proposal he liked had come up. At times like this, he wanted to hear what the scholar Varter thought.
Anchin looked at Varter, on his right.
"What do you think, Varter?"