Orbis

Chapter 6

The sun battled against the long shadows cast by the giant trees as it threatened to rise on the horizon. Lord Landon Barrington rode ahead of his entourage, leading the group of men through the forest. His greying hair and piercing blue-grey eyes were set in a face that seemed to have been carved out of stone. His large frame, draped in a bear hood, exuded menace and power, a testament to his heritage and battle prowess. Riding behind him was his eldest son, Sean, cut from the same cloth as his father - battle-worn, tough, and ready to inherit the Barrington name and title. The succession of Bjornveld was the least of Barrington's concerns, for men of his nature clung to power long after weaker men would have let go. Barrington's true concerns lay in upholding the respect and honor of the Barrington name, and he smiled as he imagined the family coat of arms in his mind - the bear wielding an axe. His father had proudly explained its significance to him as a child, regaling him with tales of the first Barrington, Borack the Bear. But his youngest son, Aldridge, who followed at the back of the men, seemed to show no interest in the ways of the Barrington men. The very things that had made the Barrington name great were lost on the boy of 14, who had yet to engage in a proper fist fight, let alone wield a sword against a challenger. Aldridge's interests lay in books, herbs, and the stars, and there were even rumors that he preferred the company of girls over that of his fellow squires. Barrington couldn't help but attribute this perceived weakness to the influence of his wife, Annabelle, who hailed from the Myerscough family of Wallingford, renowned healers. It was Annabelle's skill in the healing arts that had saved a young and reckless Barrington from certain death years ago, when she had served as her father's assistant on the battlefield at the Planes of Asher. Barrington had pursued her relentlessly and eventually won her heart. The Myerscoughs were known for their scholarly pursuits, healing abilities, and teaching, which Barrington respected, but he believed that the real world was not for men who buried themselves in books. The real world was for men who knew the ways of the sword. Against Annabelle's wishes, Barrington had decided that Aldridge would become a squire to one of the other lords of Menhelm. He had hoped that the boy would fare better under the tutelage of one of the other noblemen than he had under his own. There were seven noble families in Menhelm, including the Barringtons, but Barrington did not view them all as equals. He had in mind Lord Atterton of Battenport or Sir Colby of Waerlden, both of whom shared his own values and qualities. However, Annabelle had refused, much to Barrington's frustration. He could not understand his wife's displeasure, as both Lord Atterton, the navy admiral of Menhelm, and Sir Colby, a close friend and confidant who served as a cavalryman, were well respected. He consoled himself with the thought that the upcoming annual King's Hunt would provide an opportunity for him to find a suitable candidate to become Aldridge's mentor. "The boy may not be the ideal squire, but he is still a Barrington and deserves a chance," Barrington convinced himself.

Aldridge remained quiet as he focused on the sights and sounds of the forest, they would reach the campsite soon and then his life would change. He was tall and lanky, with a handsome face, dark blonde hair and green eyes, the looks of his mother, his father had always pointed out. His father had made it clear that he would not be going home after the hunt and that he would become the squire of one of the noblemen. At first, the notion of being forced to leave his home and beloved mother saddened him, but then the possibility of being allowed access to another nobleman's library became intriguing. He had read and re-read most of the few books his illiterate father owned numerous times and was keen for some new reading material. His uncles had often supplied him with the odd parchment here and there, but books were exceedingly difficult to come by. He had begged his father to send him to study further at one of the universities but to no avail. Aldridge had no delusions that becoming the squire of a nobleman would be difficult and tiresome work. In the case of a war, there was even a risk to life and limb. Aldridge believed however that access to a new library would be worth it. Besides there had been no large-scale wars in more than a decade and his mother had made sure that he would not become squire to Lord Atterton or Sir Colby at least, Aldridge consoled himself.