There and back again - The continuing journey

CHAPTER 9 - THE PICNIC AND A NEAR TRAGEDY.

    Keeping three children occupied is not the most simple of tasks, as Guy discovered when he found himself responsible for keeping them amused, whilst the preparations for the picnic were going on in the farmhouse kitchen.  He took them on a long walk across the fields, so sure that they would greatly enjoy it, pointing out any wildlife that he saw, and the few plants to which he could put a name, but the little ones would have none of it, complaining that his adventures required far too much effort and telling him that they wished to go home to their mother.

    Then Ghislaine fell into some nettles, screaming loudly and blaming her brother for it, though he had been nowhere in the vicinity at the time. Guy managed to find some dock leaves, with which to cool her small legs, but she would not be consoled.

    Mordred dragged his feet and declared that he was tired of the younger children following him about and that he hadn't even wanted to venture out on the walk in the first instance. Then he added that if he was forced to be out, he would prefer to ride, especially now that they had a decent mount for him to try.

    Guy took note of the boy's comments and thought he would speak to aunt Gwyneth about schooling the boy in better horsemanship, if he could spare the time., and he thought it would benefit the boy to continue in his company, having no father of his own.

    Then he stood a while, scratching his head and declaring that he had never met such contrary children and that if they didn't buck up, he would make them clean out the henhouse on their return, a task hated by them all, though Ghislaine was always more than willing to take a basket and collect any eggs that her ducks and geese may have laid.

    They returned to the farmhouse eventually, after taking a brief detour, in an effort to find any berries that may be in season, but when that undertaking also failed, it became obvious to Guy that the care of ungrateful children was quite beyond him, and that enough was enough!

    When they fetched up at the kitchen door, the very morose Mordred trailing behind, Gheraint declared that he was ravenous and pushed past his mother into the kitchen, where he spied a tray of small meat pies cooling on the table and promptly stole one, shoving into his mouth all of a piece, which earned him a slap on the hand from his mother for his greed.

    Meanwhile Ghislaine was still grizzling about her "nettled" legs, and Guy was almost tearing out his hair, declaring that he would go to the tavern with Ivor, as it had been a very long afternoon and he was tired of it all. Then he started to mutter under his breath to himself about "women's work", which earned him a not so gentle slap behind the ear from aunt Gwyneth!

    When the baking was done and everything packed away for the next day, a scratch supper was thrown together from leftovers, much to Guy's disgust when he returned, a little merry, from the tavern. But when he saw the expression on his wife's face, he decided his complaints were better left unsaid, though he went to bed in an ill humour, quite forgetting to speak to aunt Gwyneth of young Mordred's remarks about horsemanship.

    The next day dawned warm and sunny, the smaller children being much excited, though Mordred feigned disinterest, as boys will do at that age, but he perked up somewhat when Guy asked him for help in moving the newly purchased horses from the stable to one of the meadows to graze.

    The boy was confident around the horses, though he was dwarfed by the great size of the larger mount. So Guy decided that it may be a good time to start the boys' instruction, showing him quickly how to bridle up the two horses and attach the short leading reins.

    He praised the boy for his quickness, ruffling his hair, and though the boy scuffed his feet in the straw on the stable floor, Guy saw that he was pleased with the compliment.