𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐎𝐑 || 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑾𝑯𝑰𝑻𝑬 𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑬𝑵

𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑋𝑋𝑉𝐼𝐼𝐼

~Thoughts that Wander~

Penn hill was always land to be conquered, a vast mound of grass covered, rocky dirt that towered high above the rest of the valley. It's presence was imposing, the prospect of climbing it; legendary.

Though it was two or three miles away from Middleham, directly opposite its neighbour, Bolton Castle, it was visible from the highest points of the Northern fortress. It's flat peak touched the clouds in a morning, playing host to the mist that turned the delicate water droplets resting on grass to fields of frost. In summer it was a beacon of light, one that basked in sun and highlighted the beauty of the Wensleydale valley, while in winter it was a cold land to be invaded, climbed.

And so, upon Catherine's fifteenth birthday, that's exactly what the small party that rode out from Middleham did.

꧁꧂

7th of November 1467....

"Everything is so white!" Catherine exclaimed as she dragged Margery behind her, their skirts and cloaks heavy with melted snow that seeped into the heavy fabric "I can't even see the castle anymore!" The wind grasped at their hair, at their faces, turning their cheeks pink; their noses red, but they did not care.

It was an adventure!

"I know!" Margery called, looking down to where the boys followed behind, hats crammed onto their heads while their boots fought through the drifts of snow they encountered "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"Beautiful!" Francis agreed "But this is a long walk, Cat!" The young Duchess merely laughed, securing her woollen mittens while she hoisted her skirts ever higher, running through the snow like a small child, eager to reach the top of the hill.
"Well, it's my birthday, so what I wish comes true!"

Rob snorted at that, looking back to the small patch of woodland where they'd left their horses to graze.
"I didn't know your birthday wishes included me freezing my cock off!" He called over the howl of the winter wind whipping around them, stirring their damp cloaks and the warm laughter that echoed from their bellies.

"That wouldn't be difficult considering how small it is!" Francis yelled back, earning a snowball to the back of the head and an icy trickle of water down his back.
"And yet its still bigger than yours, Francis!"

"Oh shut up!" Catherine demanded over her shoulder, keeping her eyes trained on the ground ahead, the very peak of the hill which she had sworn that day to climb. Rob stuck out his tongue and Richard chuckled, slapping him on the back before he ran to his wife's side, taking her small hand within his own.