Travellers

A Little Big Discovery

That night everyone sat at the large dining table, and Amber was shocked that there was enough room at the table for all of the villagers.  The large rectangular table seated face after uneasy face, with Jerred at the head.  People spoke in muted whispers, afraid to lift their voices too much for fear of their host hearing them.  Jerred sat in his chair with a contented grin plastered across his usually grumpy face as the few servants that he did have began to bring out some food.

Alex lifted one eyebrow as he sat next to his friend; Amber at his side.  "I take it that you don't find our company as bad as you were anticipating," he stated wryly.

Jerred turned to look at his friend, the grin becoming even broader.  "I must say, I'm quite enjoying myself.  Not one person has had the guts to come up and say even one word to me.  It's been very entertaining."

"If I may ask," Amber began with a bit of trepidation, "why don't you like having company?  Don't you find it lonely?"

Jerred turned his piercing gaze towards her as he shrugged carelessly.  "I have those whom I employ and that is all the company I need.  I don't have the time or patience to have to entertain countless people who I don't care for; I really can't see the point in it.  All the majority of the nobility care about is being seen with the right people and obtaining the right status.  That is something that I don't care for and I never will."

Amber nodded, agreeing with every word.  She was sure that the majority of nobility would not agree with him, but she could definitely see his point.  She looked down as a plate of suspicious-looking meat, some vegetables and bread were placed in front of her.  Gingerly picking up her fork, she prodded at it and watched it wobble a little on her plate.  Glancing around, she saw that the villagers were tucking into their food, no questions asked, probably grateful to have a hearty meal after their long trek.  Opening her mouth, she was about to ask what the meat was, and watched as Alex took a large bite of his.  Closing her mouth abruptly, she suddenly decided that she was better off not knowing.

"So tell me, how's life been since turning on the duke?" Jerred asked.

Alex relaxed back into his chair as he turned to look at Jerred.  "A lot more complicated, that's for sure."

"Ah, but you're loving it."

Alex's lips twisted into something that was in between a smile and a grimace.  "It's better than the life I was living."  Casting a quick glance at Amber, he continued, "my life is a lot more dangerous now, but it's a price I gladly pay for not having my allegiance tied to that murdering fool any longer."

"I can still remember the looks on your parents faces when they found out that you were going to be made up as a knight," Jerred laughed, and Amber blinked at his sudden change of subject.  "I've never seen anyone's faces so filled with pride.  I thought they were going to burst with it.  Your mother especially.  A peasant woman who had a son as a knight."

Peasant?"  Amber asked without thinking, and two pairs of eyes turned to her.  "I mean, I should have realized because your brother lives with these villagers.  But I thought that you had to be nobility to be made a knight."

"You are right," Alex answered.  "But though my mother was a commoner, my father was a noble and a knight.  It was because of him that I was allowed to become a knight."

Jerred pinned his eyes on Amber as Alex spoke.  "Alex tells me that you are not an ordinary traveller," he said conversationally, and Amber looked at him with a somewhat blank expression before answering.

"So I've been told."

"Do you not find that fascinating?  If you are not an ordinary traveller, then there must be something more that you can do that other travellers cannot."