Leerhill Estate (1)

Leerhill Wood was an open woodland that lay in Fulster, the westernmost Duchy of Everen Kingdom. Though the woodland started within the Kingdom's borders, it spread far to the west. As the trees grew older and the foliage denser, Leerhill Wood gave way to the Great Western Forest which was out of the Kingdom's sphere of influence and spread into the unclaimed territories in the far west of Golad continent. Whilst Leerhill Wood and the outer zones of the forest were safe, the deepest reaches of The Great Western Forest were known as a forbidden zone, filled with all manner of monsters. Despite this lurking danger, there were many adventurers who would forge into the outskirts of this great unknown, as the forest was full of resources. Famous for the rich soil, wild animals and robust trees, the woodland and the forest were sources of herbs, lumber and game that made Fulster a trade centre and one of the richest Duchies in the Kingdom.

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Lucian crouched in silence, using a large rock as cover. He wore a typical hunter's tunic, breeches, and boots. At his belt, he had a pouch strapped to one hip, and several loops running across the other hip. In the largest hoop there was a hunting knife, with the several smaller hoops hosting small throwing knives.

He peered around the side of the rock, focusing on a young buck that was grazing at the base of a tree. He raised his hand over the top of the rock, holding up three fingers. He counted down his fingers.

Three

Two

Whilst he was counting down on one hand, the other reached into his belt and pulled loose a worn looking throwing knife. As he counted to 'One', he sprung up from behind the rock and threw the dagger.

"Now." He whispered, under his breath.

Swish!

The dagger sunk into the thigh of the beast.

CRASH!

Before it could even bellow, a crashing sound came from came from the trees to the other side of the buck.

The creature screeched in pain as it jolted forward, bolting away from the direction of the noise, running towards a small clearing.

Whooosh!

As it entered the clearing, it skittered forward, then collapsed, an arrow buried in the side of its head.

Lucian smiled to himself and walked towards the clearing.

Luke emerged from the forest, a wide grin on his childlike face as he came walked towards Lucian. His childlike laughter seemed out of place when compared to his gangly frame.

Just touching six foot tall with wide set shoulders, he was not exactly muscular, but one could tell he was solidly built under his hunting attire. He was dressed much the same as Lucian, the only difference being that he had no throwing knives, and instead had a single hunting knife on one side, and a pouch on either side of his belt. He had a round, wooden shield strapped across his back. He wore his sandy blonde hair in a short ponytail.

Were it not for his baby face, Lucian thought to himself, it would be hard to believe that he was only fourteen.

"We got it!" Laughed Luke.

"Of course, when do my plans ever fail?" Lucian replied.

"More like do I ever miss?"

Lucian turned to Alice, who walked into the clearing, hefting her bow, her loosely curled red hair swayed behind her. Lucian couldn't help but notice that at almost fifteen, she was on her way to womanhood, as could be seen despite her hunter's attire. Her red hair contrasted her sky-blue eyes that were the same shade as Luke's. She had a quiver strapped across her back, and like Luke, had two pouches and no throwing knives, sporting only her bow, arrows, and her hunting knife.

"Twice this morning, for starters." Chimed in Luke as he knelt by the buck and unsheathed a hunting knife.

Alice rolled her eyes. "Those were to scare the birds into the sky! It's not really practice if I hit them whilst they're roosting, is it?"

"Sounds like excuses to me."

Alice walked towards Luke, deciding to not answer him.

"Step away from the buck big boy, it'll lose value with your brick hands skinning it."

Luke frowned but stood up and stepped back.

Lucian couldn't help but agree with Alice, they needed all the money they could get from this buck; it wasn't the time for Luke to be practicing.

"How confident are you about the news Lucian?" Alice asked, turning to Lucian as she got down beside the buck.

"It should be accurate. It's already public knowledge that there are nobles visiting the estate, though the exact entourage is unknown to most, Clarice let me know that Count Rinlow is leading the party." Lucian recounted, collecting his throwing knife, and sitting down to clean it.

Luke whistled "Count Rinlow of the pig three?"

"Big three." Chimed in Alice, correcting him.

"You're both correct. Officially he's one of the big three western Counts, who directly serve the Duke of Fulster. However, they're known to some less-courteous circles as the pig three, on account of their reputation for wine, women, and food".

Lucian spoke as lifted the knife to the light, turning it to ensure it was properly cleaned.

"And what less-courteous circles have you two been interacting with to know them by that name?" Asked Alice.

"When Lucian and I train with the estate guards they sometimes talk about knights and nobles." Replied Luke, scratching his head bashfully.

"They say Count Rinlow, Count Greyhold and Count Glenn hold the best feasts when they host tourneys."

He smiled to himself dreamily as he spoke, thoughts of opulent meals crossing his mind.

"In any case, this works to our benefit." Said Lucian

"According to Clarice, Count Rinlow particularly likes venison from Greenback Bucks. They're a notoriously rare catch, usually they're found deeper in the Leerhill woodland and closer to the Great Western Forest. If we sell this to the kitchens of the estate, we should get a sum above market price."

Lucian put his knife away, stretching after standing.

"Clarice sure knows a lot." Observed Luke.

"She works in the kitchens where she heard of it form Roland, and if anyone would know, it'd be the head Chef Roland." Said Lucian

"I did hear from Clarice that apparently the kitchens are in uproar because Count Rinlow is famous for his appetite." Chirped Alice as she gutted and skinned the Buck.

"Does Clarice talk to everyone but me?" pouted Luke.

"HA!" Alice snorted. "The real question is if you talk to anyone but Lady Emily?"

At the mention of Emily, a flush crept up Luke's cheeks.

"I-I don't only talk to Emily! We just happen to be good friends… besides, I'm friends with all the guards too!" Protested Luke.

"Regardless" cut in Lucian "with the money we get from this, we should finally have enough to start".

There was solemn silence as Alice and Luke both grew pensive before Luke broke the silence.

"Are you sure we're ready? Shouldn't we prepare a little more before setting out?".

"What? are you worried about leaving Lady Emily behind?" asked Alice, prompting another blush from Luke.

"We're just friends, it would be sad to leave a friend behind, but I just mean shouldn't we save a little more and maybe get a little stronger before heading out?"

"No" said Lucian in a firm tone.

"We have enough saved to pay for our awakening ceremonies, and to get us from here to Redbridge town. It's been great here, but there's no use in delaying further. By the end of the month the three of us will be fifteen, we'll go to the temple for awakening, and then head to the Redbridge." He looked at Luke and Alice.

"It's sad to leave it behind." Sighed Luke. "But move on we must." He said, clenching his fists.

"For us … for them… and for Grandpa Borim." Said Alice, as she looked up at the sky.

"Well, first things first." Said Lucian.

"Once Alice is done skinning the buck, Luke and I will take it to the estate and sell it to Roland."

He turned Alice.

"You head back to the house and finish up the latest batch of potions, see if you can get started on a larger than usual batch, there's a chance some of the visiting Lords and Ladies will be interested."

Alice nodded in affirmation.

"Sounds like a plan, we should probably process all the herbs we have left – whatever we don't sell we can use for ourselves when we leave."

"Good idea, we'll lend a hand once we get back, it would be difficult to stay after the awakening anyways, even if we do pay for a private result." Said Luke.

"Besides," said Lucian, a slight smile on his lips "being the commoner you are Luke, you'll have to make your way up in the world to be able to propose to Lady Emily."

"Right!" Luke said slapping his cheeks and setting his brow in resolution.

"... Wait!" He cried, realisation setting in.

"… NO! we're just friends!!"