Uncharted Territories

After the kid left the shop, Thordin kicked his chair across the room. He was frustrated. The king had ordered him to take time from his duties as the Head Royal Guard. It was a position that he had worked for his entire life, but he was also the castle's blacksmith.

Rather than dwell, Thordin headed to see the king. Aldrich would be in his office, and the dwarf needed to tell this to someone, or he was going to explode. The kid was out of control.

"Come in," King Aldrich called when Thordin knocked and then entered. "What brings you to my office? Things with the boy going well?"

"You mean the wolf in the sheep's skin that you brought in?" 

"Oh? Is he really that bad? Lydia was telling me before that he wasn't normal," Aldrich smiled as Thordin sank down into the chair before his desk.

"I fought him today. I had to stop him, or he would have overtaken me with a bloody wooden sword! I wanted to teach him a lesson, and I even used my damn ax! Metal ax vs a wooden sword! Not even a nick in the damn wood! How can an 8-year-old do that?!"

Reaching below to a drawer in his desk, the king pulled out a bottle of clear liquid and two cups. Rather than answering right away, Aldrich poured two drinks and handed his guard captain a drink. "Gideon is not normal, but I can see your worry. Do you think we have to worry about him turning on us in the future?"

For the first time, Thordin laughed, but it was a bitter sound. "That is why I came. No, I am not worried about us, but God help anyone who points their ire our way, especially your daughter. He seems to have grown fond of her quickly," he said with a faint smile, but then it darkened. "The boy jokes, but I can feel a dark fire inside him. Must be from that dad of his, but maybe his past life as well. Regardless, the boy plans on taking over the underworld of the kingdom... What does the king of said kingdom think about that?" 

King Aldrich's brows furrowed, forming deep creases on his forehead as he considered Thordin's words. The cheerful atmosphere of the room suddenly became stifling and tense. Leaning back in his chair, Aldrich took a long sip from his glass, pondering over the revelation.

"He wants to...turn the underworld out?" He finally broke the silence with an incredulous chuckle, though the glimmer of amusement quickly faded from his eyes. "I am not sure if I should be surprised or just laugh it off."

The king was silent a moment longer, his gaze aimed at the deep mahogany of his desk, lost in thought. Thordin, understanding his lord's need for silence, waited patiently, swirling the strong-smelling liquor in his glass.

A minute later, Aldrich straightened up. When he raised his eyes to meet Thordin's, his smile was nowhere to be found, replaced with a look of stern, kingly resolve.

"We have come to rely too much on a peaceful domain and overlooked the rats breeding in the dark," he began, his gaze steady. "Gideon's intentions may be wild, nay, bordering on lunacy, but somehow...it fills me with anticipation. I am a king, yet tethered to bonds that limit my actions...but he - he is a prince, bound by duties but unchained by societal norms or political courtesies".

"And frankly," Aldrich continued, the glimmer of a smirk returning to his face, "I want to see what my son can achieve."

"While I might agree that we have become complacent, do you really think we should just turn a blind eye?" Thordin asked, but that made the king sigh and smile at the dwarf.

"Is this really about the boy, or are you worried that he is unintentionally making you look bad?" The king asked, and Thordin froze.

As the head guard, it was Thordin's responsibility to keep the king, his family, and the kingdom safe from threats. He had done an exemplary job so far, the kingdom had known peace for years. He had successfully repelled petty bandits and hooligans and handled any minor disputes within the kingdom. But the underworld? That was something dark and chaotic. A territory he hadn't needed to tread until now.

"Nay, my King. That boy is like a breath of fresh air," Thordin admitted, finally shaking off his shock with a sigh. "But you can't deny he's reckless. What if things go wrong?"

Aldrich's lips thinned into a thoughtful line. "I trust my son's judgment. His... uniqueness... makes him unpredictable. He can handle this."

"Honestly," Thordin grumbled, half to himself. "It's like you've completely forgotten he's not even ten years old."

Aldrich blinked, the silence stretching long in the room. "Maybe, Thordin. Maybe. But isn't it rather interesting to see him trying to bite more than he can chew?"

With a shake of his head, Thordin finished his drink. "Everything about that boy is... interesting, my King. Unsettlingly so," he muttered.

"That's my son!" Aldrich exclaimed. The cheer returned to his eyes and the room. The storm had passed, their worries set aside for now. Almost.

Thording laughed heartily, shaking his head. "Is it too early for me to retire?"

Aldrich chuckled, raising his glass for a toast. "To interesting times, Thordin. To these... very interesting times."