Chapter 5
Roland was having sword practice and instructions. Now that spring had arrived, and the snow was but a memory, it was too nice a day to practice indoors. They were in the practice yard, and Roland was being hammered by his swordmaster.
"Again! You're letting your point sag too low. If you keep giving me openings, or worse, give an enemy these openings, you're going to wind up dead!" the swordmaster said quietly.
"I know. It's just my arm is tired. Can we halt for the day?" Roland asked a bit breathlessly.
"Of course. Roland, you need to work on your strength and stamina. Sword work is very serious business. If you're serious about becoming at least competent with the sword, you're going to have to make a choice.
"I can train you only so far, if you do not work to overcome your weaknesses. Your right hand is weaker than it should be, you become tired too easily, and you keep forgetting that you can move around. If you wish to over come these problems, you need to train your strength and right arm," Swordmaster Ellers finished.
Roland escorted master Ellers to the gate, where his horse was waiting to take him back to Frontek.
"One more thing, Roland. I hear you are going to be ennobled at the conclave of lords during mid-summer. I also hear that there might be a challenge to your elevation to the peerage. While it has not happened in over a hundred years, there is something called the right of challenge, and it usually ends in a fight to the death. Most nobles have had sword training since childhood. You have come to it, late.
"While you are improving, you still lack the coordination and strength that comes with having had years to practice. You have come a long way in the year since I started training you, Roland. You can hold your own against the average swordsman... for a time. Do yourself and me a favor. Train your strength, and practice with a guard. Most guards will be able to give you a good workout," Ellers said, then with a nod he was out the gate, cantering down the long hill to the Frontek Road.
Roland sighed. He'd had every intention of practicing his sword work more; but when duke Taft and his lady arrived, his schedule had been thrown off. The duke had personally started training Roland in magic for the short time he had visited the castle. Even after that storm had ended, they had waited another two days before the duke and his lady had left. That gave Roland time for some important lessons in elemental magic.
He had been shocked to see he was sadly lacking in that particular magic. He started intensively practicing his new magic, as well as what he had learned from before. Which, of course, meant his sword practice slipped. Now he wished he had kept up with it!
Mid-summer was only a little over two and a half months away! He would work hard to strengthen his arm, he promised himself grimly. He did not care for the thought of being challenged and coming up short.
In the meantime, he was going to go to the Kings Inn. He had finally gotten a chance to go back to the Inn, and he had missed not being able to go during the time he was cooped up in the castle.
During his first visit, Tam and the others brought him up to date on what they had been doing, and he had told them his news. He had been bursting to tell someone, and who better than his three friends?
They had been thrilled and wide eyed when he told them that Duke Taft was sponsoring Roland to the rank of baron. Tam had gotten up from their table, and thrown her arms around Roland in a hug. The others hand pounded him on the back or shook his hand after she let him go.
Roland watched as she blushed a bit. She had hugged him! He still got a thrill every time he remembered that, and he recalled it frequently! He still had a couple candle marks before his friends got out of classes for the day. He sighed.
Roland was sitting at his normal table at the Kings Inn mooning over Tam. He was not usually so oblivious, but ever since she hugged him, he could not get her out of his thoughts.
"Roland!" Cally exclaimed.
Roland snapped back from his watching Tam. "What?" he asked confused.
Laughter followed. "I said, when do you go to that valley that your family owns, next?" Cally asked with exasperation.
"Oh, we go in two weeks. We want to give the spring rains a chance to blow over before we go," Roland answered with a slight flush.
A discussion followed of the crops, lands and the winter storm that had taken so many unprepared. Even in the city of Frontek, the death toll had been surprisingly high. Every winter the old or inform died due to the harshness of the weather. It was a fact of life.
This winter had been particularly harsh, and almost three times the usual deaths had occurred. What was really sad, were the very young that were numbered in with the elderly and infirm. This winter had taken six times the normal death rate, for the little ones.
Roland and his father had decided to do something in their valley, to protect their tenants. It was a huge valley and a lot of it was still not cleared for farming. Roland and Berandal had decided on a keep and storage sheds and granaries. The sheds would be within the walls of the keep. They did not want their people lacking for food or shelter, if this harsh of a winter should happen again.
They listened as Roland outlined what had already been accomplished on this particular project, which was not much, as they were just starting out. A couple sites had been checked out by the previous owners; and once the king had looked around for possible fortification positions. So, armed with this information, and the trip they were going to make, they would make a decision as to a location that would best serve the people of the valley.
Soon the conversation moved on, and Roland could relax and take in Tam's beauty. A young girl of 18, she had red hair, and eyes that changed from blue to green depending on her mood. She was just a bit over 5 foot tall, but was very energetic and ready to argue her point to the death! She was also a good student of magic, if what was said by his friends was even half true.
As it was getting late, and people were filtering in for the evening meal sold by the Kings Inn, Cally and Luka rose and left. Tam, on the other hand, was staying.
"Father and mother are coming to pick me up, but they will stay for evening meal. If you're here when they come, I would be glad to introduce you," Tam told Roland, lowering her eyes a bit bashfully.
Roland quickly agreed to stay. He talked a bit more about the visit of Duke Taft and his Lady wife; but Roland was more excited right now about his upcoming trip to the valley with his father.
Twenty minutes later, Roland rose to his feet. Tam, who had been watching the door nervously, had leaped to her feet. She ran to a couple who had just entered the Inn. Roland, following behind more slowly, pulled nervously at his cloak.
"Father? Mother? This is Roland. Roland, this is my father, Nigel Straford, and this is my mother, Lyn Straford," Tam said, performing the introductions.
Roland shook Nigel's hand and took Tam's mothers hand in his, bowed over it and gently brushed his lips across the back of her hand. The effect was ruined by Tam's giggle.
"Tam! Roland was performing an old form of greeting, and it was nicely done. Now you have embarrassed him," Nigel said scolding his daughter, but with a twinkle in his eye.
"Well, I think it was very nicely done," Lyn told Roland.
Roland looked at Tam's parents closely. She obviously got her red hair from her mother. As a matter of fact, she was an almost exact carbon copy of her mother, just a younger version. Tam was going to age gracefully if her mother was any indication. Both were short in stature.
Morlan came out from behind the bar and escorted Tam's parents to his best table. Roland was about to take his leave when Tam asked him to eat with them.
"Please do, Roland. Tam has spoken about you so much, that I feel I almost know you," Nigel said.
So it was that Roland found himself seated opposite Tam, and to the left of her father and to her mother's right. They enjoyed a lively conversation. Then the meal was served, and it was very good. There were choice cuts from swine, boiled potatoes with a large dab of butter, fresh baked bread with a small plate of butter, and boiled cabbage. After the meal, everyone sat back, and Roland ordered the best wine that Morlan had to offer.
"So, Tam tells us that you are going to be ennobled this mid-summer. What will this do about the land you and your father own up north?" Nigel asked curiously.
"Well, since the land is located within another lord's boundaries, I have been told there was nothing Duke Taft could do about that. However, the Duke has lands to the south, and I have been told he will bestow these upon me at the ceremony," Roland replied.
For the next half hour, Roland answered questions about his life, how he and his father had lived before Roland had discovered his fortune in jewels. They were also interested in his personal training with the wizard, Gorman Tantleman. He also told them of all the classes he took every day. He moaned that the only breaks came during weekends.
All too soon for Roland, the meal and discussion came to an end. He got up, and escorted Tam and her parents to the door. Nigel waved to someone, and shortly a coach drove up.
"Roland, if you wish to call upon my daughter, I would have no objection. You're a fine young man, and you have my daughters affections already," Nigel told Roland.
"Father!" Tam squealed.
She fled to the confines of the coach in embarrassment. Both of Tam's parents laughed and Roland turned a very dark red indeed.
"Seriously, Roland. You would be welcome to visit at our home almost anytime. Just ask Tam how to get there," Lyn said.
Her husband handed her up into the coach, and followed her. With a tap on the roof to signal they were ready, the coach drove off.
Roland and his guards returned to the castle via teleportation. His restriction on teleporting had been lifted. He sought out his father. He told his father of his time with Tam and the dinner with her parents. Berandal listened with amusement.
"I have no problems with you seeking out this girl. Do you plan on marrying her?" Berandal asked his son.
Roland opened his mouth, and then paused.
"You know, I have not thought that far. I really like her a lot, and I miss her when we are not together. But then, I miss Cally and Luka, just not the same way," Roland responded.
Berandal nodded. "It was like that between your mother and I," he said with a sigh.
"I don't remember her anymore. I used to vaguely see her face in my mind, but now even that is gone," Roland replied sadly.
"I want you to know that since you are about to become a member of the nobility, you will be sought after by families wanting to marry their daughter off to a noble. I won't say that Tam's family is this way. I'm just cautioning you," Berandal told his son in a serious tone of voice.
They talked well into the night; making plans for the upcoming trip to their valley, and their survey for likely sites to build the granaries and the Keep. Already the project was taking on major overtones. Since the king had a fortress a little farther north, in the mountains, most of the food grown in the valley wound up going to that very same fortress.
A little over two weeks later saw Berandal, Roland, and an engineer gather to talk about site locations, and of course the ever-present guards. They were going to stay at the alehouse, which doubled as an inn, and also sold supplies to the farmers. It was a very small village, with just eighteen buildings.
The valley was not a small place. It took them a day and a half to get to the first site they were visiting. After looking it over, Berandal said he would not cut down that many trees. While it was in a good area with plenty of water, there were a lot of trees that would have to come down if they were to build the Keep there. That offended Berandal's forester upbringing.
The second site they looked at, took two days travel to get to. It was rejected, as the engineer saw evidence of frequent flooding, and the ground was soft, and very poor for foundations and footings.
A day later they looked at the third site. While it would be difficult to build on; it was almost perfect. They kept it in mind, and spent another two days making the trek to the final site.
The fourth site was perfect! The engineer said there was natural drainage. There was also a natural artesian spring, which would keep a tank constantly filled.
Edited by TeNderLoin