Gil swept the shavings from his carving over to the side of the table. Having finished the last little detail, he marveled at the quality. The finished toy figures Gil had promised Roland were finally done. Reaching down, he picked each one up and thoroughly examined it. Testing the articulation points, Gil began to smile.
The movement of the figures was better than he had planned. The proportions were also more balanced than the original prototype. Those details made the figures much more life-like. It was hard for Gil to even comprehend he was the one who had made them.
Cam looked up and saw his brother staring at the small figures. Gil had poured all his ability into them. Using every trick he had learned from his father to make the characters sturdy. Cam came over to the table to take a look.
“All done?” Cam asked.
Gil nodded his head proudly, “I did, and I think they look great.”
It had been well over two weeks since Gil had seen Roland, and he was starting to get worried. Roland had been checking in practically once a week while he had been designing the figures. While those visits had been anything but fun for Gil since the sculptures had been finished Roland was nowhere to be seen, which caused extra anxiety for him.
Cam had seen the figures multiple times in various stages while Gil had worked on them, but this was Cam’s first look at the finished product. The figures were no longer lumps of wood; they were real things. Cam grabbed the knight figure first and held it close, admiring the details.
“You really captured the knight’s helmet,” Cam said.
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” Gil replied. “I had no idea there were so many different styles of helmets.”
“Yea, I think the one you went with is perfect, though. It’s supposed to protect the throat and top of the head more than the others,” Cam said.
Gil nodded his head and smiled. Thanks to Cam’s knowledge of armor and weapons, he had designed the figure more accurately. Gil reached up and rubbed his sore shoulders. The figures had taken him a whole month to complete. There was nothing left to do but deliver them and see if they would meet Roland’s strict standards.
It was early summer, and outside, the weather had only begun to warm up. William could see the boys had matured over the last winter and were ready for more responsibilities. Looking over at his oldest son William thought about how best to prepare Cam since he wanted to be a Royal Knight.
Cam’s ambition, which William had thought he might grow out of, had only grown stronger. Due to this, William decided it was time to help Cam develop his skills to make it through the academy. Putting some new rules for the boys into practice, he started with Cam.
“Cam, I feel you are old enough now to take on some more responsibilities,” William said.
“Like what?” Cam asked.
Having seen Cam’s sword prowess, William decided he might have what it takes to follow his dream. If that was the case, he needed more interaction with people. After all, should Cam ever go to Kingstown, William didn’t want his boy to be overwhelmed.
“Well, you have been saying for some time now that you want to go to the Royal Knight Academy,” William said.
“Yes, I do,” Cam answered.
“Well, the first time I set foot in Kingstown, I thought I was prepared for the big city. But truth be told, I wasn’t. I had seen cities like Braxton and Goldhill but compared to Kingstown, they were tiny dots,” William said.
Cam had heard of the cities William had mentioned, and he knew they were much more extensive than Brighton village. However, he felt ready to see the big city. Cam had never been one to shy away from new adventures or back down from a challenge.”
“Life there is different from what you have been used to. You will run into elves, dwarves, and beastmen daily. It’s a huge city and full of life all hours of the day and night,” William added.
Although it was meant to be a lesson, how William described Kingstown made Cam even more excited. Since turning eleven, he was ready to escape the simple life in the country. Cam’s dream was to receive the accolades and fame he felt sure were waiting on him.
“To start getting you prepared, I’m going to take you into the village to show you how to complete the tasks I normally do,” William said.
“Okay!” Cam said excitedly.
“Pick up the bag and carry it. That’s your first mission. Its contents have to arrive safely,” William said, pointing to his makeshift bag. “Even the smallest quest needs a knight’s full attention.”
“But, it’s the bag you carry to the village,” Cam protested.
“Not anymore,” William said. “Now, it’s the bag you carry. Gil, this means you will be left here on your own. I expect you to be on your best behavior.”
“I will,” Gil said, trying not to sound too eager to be left all alone.
Cam gathered up his things and grabbed his wooden practice sword. Soon William and Cam were walking down the trail, as they had done multiple times before. Gil watched from the window until they disappeared from view.
Cam tried to see his new responsibilities as a proud honor and made sure to be on his best behavior for the trip. Reaching the point where the path joined the road, they continued until passing the Holms’ house. Cam turned towards the house and waved as they passed it by, wearing a big enough smile to show his teeth.
The journey ahead of them was to Cam, not just another trip to the village. It was, as William had put it, a quest. Remembering that, Cam changed his expression to one of seriousness for the trip.
“While you are traveling the road, you need to make sure to keep to your side of it,” William said.
“Yes, I will,” Cam answered, remembering the incident with Gil vividly.
“The journey to and from the village is a safe one, but still, it is good practice to keep your eyes and ears open,” William added.
The two of them walked along quietly for a distance. Cam looked around, taking in all the sights and sounds the summer provided. Birds could be seen flying overhead, and the occasional rabbit would poke its head out of a passing clump of trees.
William and Cam had reached the point where the village church came into view. It wouldn’t be much longer, and they would be in the village itself. William paused here, looked to his left, and motioned for Cam to look the same way.
“See how the tree line comes up to the road here?” William asked.
“Yes,” Cam said, nodding his head.
“It’s is a perfect spot for an ambush. While I don’t expect one, it is good practice to pause here and take a long look at the end of the trees. Knowledge like that is what they will teach you at the Knight Academy,” William said.
The thought of an ambush to William was second nature, having been an adventurer. Bandits and the like were common outside larger towns and cities, where they lurked waiting for nobles. However, to Cam, the idea of an ambush was exciting, and he secretly hoped there would be one.
To his disappointment, the tall trees were just that and nothing more. William began moving forward again. Cam, disappointed, followed him after lingering for a couple of seconds longer than he should have. Shortly after, William and Cam entered the village. As usual, they made their way over towards the Carpenter’s Guild.
The bag of the family’s woodworking was beginning to weigh on Cam’s arm. Because of that, Cam switched hands as they entered the building. Mr. Brooks was running the front table, and he looked up and smiled. Waving his arm, he motioned for William and Cam to come over. William patted Cam’s shoulder as they walked.
“This will be one of your tasks from now on,” William said.
Moving closer to the table, the reality of the situation caught up to Cam, and he realized he would have to do the bartering for the money. A pain in his stomach hit him, and he felt weak. While he had experienced bartering when he sold apples with Gil, he hadn’t enjoyed it and continued to be against the idea of it.
“Are you going to help me?” Cam asked.
“No, it’s all on you, Cam,” William replied, giving him an encouraging smile.
Cam gritted his teeth as he thought over what he would need to do. They were up to the table by then, and he was already putting the bag down. The pain he was experiencing in his stomach moved to his head.
Cam reached over and took hold of the arm carrying the bag. With his other hand, he began to massage the muscle. The load was a lot heavier than Cam would have thought it to be, having never seen William with a sore arm from carrying it. Cam was about to complain, but it dawned on him he had never seen his father do that either.
Cam crossed his arms and scrunched up his nose. The next part coming had him worried. Bartering was not a skill Cam was good at, and he felt he was being put on the spot as if it were a test.
“Hello, William. I see you brought Cam with you,” Mr. Brooks said.
“Yes, I did. If everything goes as planned, you will be seeing a lot more of him than me,” William said.
“Oh, going on a trip?” Mr. Brooks asked.
“No, nothing like that, just time the boy went to the village himself,” William said.
Cam’s head ached as he unloaded the bag of wooden items. William took one step back, leaving Cam at the table to conduct the business himself. Cam’s arm began to shake as he placed the last item on the table.
William had already pre-planned the day. After the Carpenter’s Guild, he would take Cam over to the food shop to buy the family’s weekly food order. It was another task William knew Cam would need to do if he was away from home.
Each of these was as important as the sword training the boys had undergone to William. With Cam’s newfound freedom came trust and responsibilities. Things future adults and knights would need to know.
Mr. Brooks turned his attention to items on the table. Picking one up, he began the usual process of looking it over. Once satisfied with what Cam had spread out, he looked back up at William.
“Cam’s doing this one,” William said.
“I think one silver and one copper would be good,” Mr. Brooks nodded and looked over at Cam.
William patted Cam on the shoulder again. Cam looked at Mr. Brooks, realizing he was expected to barter for more coins. Though Gil had tried to work with him, he had never really taken to the concept.
William being directly behind him didn’t help. Cam had no other alternative but to try and do his best. Opening his mouth, he had trouble producing the words.
“One silver and two copper?” Cam asked, stammering.
“Sure, we can do that,” Mr. Brooks said.
While Cam had gotten the family an additional copper, there had been the opportunity for more had he started with a higher counteroffer. William saw it, but he was determined to remain out of the business transaction. After all, such business was only a tiny part of Cam’s lessons that day.