* * *
Weeks passed by and the brothers soon forgot the incident at The Smiling Trout. Thibalt promised his brother that he would take greater care with his words and they found the memories of their life in Miirvk creeping up less often. The rough and lively Feldonian city had fully enveloped them into its rich and vibrant soul.
They continued to frequent the many taprooms in the city, mingling with the men and women of Andron. Thibalt found himself talking frequently to the off duty guards and soldiers, begging them to tell him more about the fight against Dargon to the east. And though Christill sometimes joined in on these discussions, he was drawn to other things. At times they spent days apart, Christill exploring the city and Thibalt loitering around the barracks to catch a glimpse of the army's training drills. They became firmly aware that now that they had settled in Andron, their lives were headed down different paths.
The months spent at the Ranch also gave them the opportunity to learn more of their true father. Some nights, before they retired to their room, Oswald would tell them of their grandparents who had founded the Steelfist Ranch. With little more than a rotten barn and three young foals they had become one of the largest horse breeders in the west.
Growing up Oswald had received little attention from his parents, until his father passed away. Oswald had been only fourteen summers old, but was forced to fill in for his absent father on the Ranch. This burden had strained his already frail relationship with his mother and after two years he fled Andron and moved to Carlor, where he could hide from his responsibilities. There he met Iara and soon found himself married and at peace.
Yet when it came time to tell the brothers of the infidelities that brought them into this world, Oswald initially found himself lost for words. He talked briefly to them of the night that he had taken too much drink and been unfaithful to Iara. The visible pain in the old man's eyes as he spoke showed the brothers the heavy remorse that he felt. Despite the situation, Thibalt and Christill found they could harbour no anger or resentment towards their father. Not after the support that he had shown them since their arrival in Feldom.
The shame that Oswald had felt after his actions in Carlor proved too much for him to bear. He could not bring himself to face Iara or Christill's mother Lissi again and thus he fled once more. He returned to Andron where he found his grief compounded by the knowledge that his mother had also passed from this world. His cousin, who had remained at Steelfist Ranch, blamed him for his mother's death and before long also left, once again leaving the Ranch to him.
Oswald had then retreated into his work and spent the last eighteen years turning the Ranch back into a reputable business. His tone as he spoke of these years was laced with a despondency that unsettled the boys deeply. They suspected that the last years had been ones of great loneliness for the aging farmer who had abandoned or lost all of his family.
Their suspicions were aided by the certain spark that filled Oswald's eyes when they joined him in the evenings. Although he made no mention of it, they noticed that Oswald was taking a greater interest in their lives as the months drifted by.
Eventually they reached the day that marked close to a year and a half since their arrival in Feldom. They were well aware that the Duke's blessing had long been provided to Oswald, freeing him of his responsibility towards the two brothers. But, the topic had been avoided by all of them for as long as possible.
Despite this they all knew that the time had come for them to leave. Oswald's Ranch, though busy, did not provide him with enough profit to continue to pay the brothers sufficiently for their work. Thibalt and Christill understood that their father had struggled to find the extra coin to pay them in the last year and did not wish to prove a further burden to their father. In addition, they realised that a life at Steelfist Ranch was not something for them.
Late in the evening the brothers found themselves in the stable that they had originally slept in upon their arrival in Andron.
"What do you think? We have been here for a lot longer than I thought we would," said Thibalt. He moved up to Esree, and began to brush down the chestnut coloured hair on her neck affectionately.
Christill walked up to the spirited mare and handed her a handful of oats. "You know she reminds me so much of Jin," he said. "I can see why you wanted Oswald to keep her."
Thibalt smiled, "Yes. I do miss him. He is about the only thing that still comes to mind from Miirvk. Though there are many things I am happy never to see again."
"Cathan," mentioned Christill.
"It should have been him on that chopping block," Thibalt returned, his tone still laced with hate.
Christill let out a long breath. "We have been avoiding this for much too long, Thibalt. It has made the choice all the more difficult I fear. I think it is time we leave."
Thibalt continued to run the brush over Esree carefully, scraping away the loose hairs, unsure of how to respond. He had come to accept that they would leave the Ranch, but knew his own plans were not something that Christill would wish to follow.
Moments later Oswald walked through the stable door with his filthy apron wrapped around his waist and a forced smile on his grime covered face. He was carrying a small bundle wrapped in a cloth. "How is she?" he asked, after an awkward silence.
"She is the pride of Steelfist Ranch," replied Thibalt.
Oswald chuckled. "Always knew you were right about not selling her," he said. Oswald paused, as always struggling for words, and then clumsily continued, "I have…um, I mean…uh I." He stopped embarrassedly and handed over the bundle to Thibalt. "This is for you two."
After that he headed straight back to the stable door, but as he reached the entrance he turned and looked once more at them with a sorrowful expression. "I am no good with words. But I want you both to know how truly sorry I am for not being there to protect you in Carlor. I was a coward back then. I hope that one day you will find it in your hearts to forgive an old fool," he finished. He then turned and left the boys standing in the stable.
"What's in the cloth?" queried Christill, after a time.
Thibalt opened the bundle and found two polished daggers and a scribbled note. He unravelled the note and read it out, "For the coming journey."
Thibalt turned to Christill and said, "I agree. It is time we left."
Dawn of the Valiant (The Valerious Chronicles: Book One) Page 30