Unprepared

Henry wasn't sure if he was supposed to witness what he had seen the previous evening.

It was after he had put away the horse and he could move around quietly. He didn't want anyone to think he was eavesdropping on purpose, but even the commander with his sharp senses didn't notice that Henry was there and able to listen to what he had said.

As he went through his tasks for the day, he tried to ignore the hushed whispers from other apprentices that the commander was in a bad mood today. He kept his head down and did his part in winterizing the knights' area.

Sooner or later he would see Sir Trenton and begin the work he did for him the second half of the day.

At least that's how things normally progressed.

As lunch approached, Henry noticed the place was unusually quiet. The training grounds were devoid of matches or drills. As he looked around, only a few seemed to be knights while the rest of the people around were apprentices or squires.

Once inside the dining hall, the lack of knights was far more noticeable.

Without the knights there, the room was quiet.

It was the first time since arriving that he hadn't seen Sir Trenton throughout the day and it caused his worry to grow worse once he realized.

Henry sat by himself and ate quickly. Even without guidance, he knew what he was supposed to do the rest of the day until he went to bed.

The horses ran in the mornings, but after lunch, he would make sure they had hay and water. After that, he would get the armory in order and do the general upkeep until it was time to eat again. After dinner he could relax but usually he would go to bed if nothing else was asked of him.

As the sun almost reached the horizon, it was starting to get colder. Henry rubbed his arms and gave off a shiver as he went towards the armory.

The wool he had worn the previous two winters was so small he had given it away. He couldn't imagine trying to wear it for the coming winter after the knights told him he had gotten bigger.

Where he came from, most peasants tried to stay indoors and close to the fire during winter. Since they weren't working, they would stock up all year and eat the bare minimum. Henry was always someone who had to continue working.

The knights were a class that didn't rest regardless of weather so the stable in the peasant village stayed in business whenever the knights came to take advantage of cheap drinks at the tavern.

The sunset lit up the fortress and Henry went inside it. He went down stone stairs and made it inside the armory, noticing that there wasn't a guard there either.

Normally an armored knight stood outside, verifying the identities of people so that not just anyone could access the weapons and armor.

Around a few racks and in the corner of the room, Henry approached where Trenton kept his armor and he jumped when he saw the knight sitting over one of his swords, cloth in hand as he shined it.

"Sir?" Henry immediately asked. "What are you doing? I'm supposed to do it for you."

The knight didn't respond for a moment.

Trenton sat on a wooden chair with the sword between his knees, he looked peaceful as the cloth went over the blade.

"I haven't been able to see the armory in a while," he finally said. "Doing something like this helps me sort through my thoughts. Plus, you still have an entire suit of armor to do."

Henry nodded and moved forward as usual. He knew Trenton hadn't been wearing the armor lately so all there was to do was make sure everything was coated in the rust-resistant oil.

His thoughts were eating at him as they worked in silence.

"Sir Trenton?" He finally gained the courage to speak.

The older man had finished with his sword and sat back on his chair with his arms crossed over his broad chest. One of his hands reached up and scratched his red facial hair thoughtfully.

"Yes?"

"I visited my mother yesterday and returned much later than expected," he said, wondering how much he should say.

"Is the house fixed for winter?" Trenton asked, remembering that it was a worry of Henry's before.

"Well, yes," Henry explained. "That's why I returned so late." The apprentice sighed and tried to continue working, but he could feel the expectant look from Trenton who knew the younger man had more to say. "When I arrived I saw a group of knights I have never seen before standing in front of Commander Lothian. He said they could stay here."

Trenton nodded, finding it not worth denying. Henry was sharp enough that he knew something was amiss.

"Remember what Alix and Maximus spoke about?"

Henry nodded.

"Those are knights from the north," he said. "They're seeking refuge because monsters took over the duke's tower where their weapons and armor are stored. They made it this far, only being able to get their horses and the weapons they had on them already." Trenton sighed and ran a hand through his wild red hair. "They have asked Commander Lothian to guide them through the situation while they seek another duke and commander for their knights."

Henry's eyebrows lowered as he considered his master's words. His worry about organized monster armies had returned.

"It also means we could be facing a battle," Trenton said. "Every knight was stuck in the fortress all day discussing the state of the north and how much we're willing to help."

But the news didn't stop there, as much as Henry wanted it to.

"If the monsters have the weapons and armor of knights, I can't imagine a battle like that will turn out well for us," he spoke honestly. "Not to mention the cold weather arriving in a matter of a couple of months."

There was silence in the room as Henry couldn't find it in himself to keep working. Trenton soon stood up and put his sword back on the stand.

"I think we have a month or so," Trenton explained, stroking his beard thoughtfully.

"Will it be enough time for me to train?" Henry finally asked.

It was his only worry. He had never been in a position to face monsters.

Trenton put a hand on Henry's shoulder.

"We'll train you for as long as we possibly can, but battles like this are unavoidable in our line of work," the knight said. "Sometimes experience is the best way to learn."

Henry nodded.

"Thank you, sir."

"First we need to find clothing more suitable for this weather," Trenton joked. "You haven't grown taller, only wider. Before long you won't be able to move in that old shirt without it tearing it. I can't imagine the seams of your pants will hold much longer either."

Henry only shook his head, uncomfortable with comments about his appearance once more.

Henry's heart felt heavy and light at the same time. This was the path to be the hero he always wanted, but it wasn't going to be easy.

If he thought it was difficult now, he wondered what it was going to be like when he was faced with a life-or-death situation. So far he had handled one goblin on his own, but what about an entire army?

Sir Trenton soon bid him goodnight, telling him he was awakened early because of the commander. Before he left, he told Henry not to worry.

He didn't know how to turn off his worries. The thought of going into a battle completely unprepared shook him to his core.

After cleaning, he went to bed, but didn't sleep as much as he would have liked to.