Chapter 2-the first day
Walter pushed. He tried to hold his head up and walk at an easy pace.
Walter tried to say "Good speed" but nothing came out of his mouth. The lord's room was the best part of the castle. The lord, who was a tall man with brown hair, was sitting in a soft, fluffy, comfy-looking dark but extra-green chair. Walter tried to stand still, but he was trembling like an earthquake and his knees were knocking together like crazy.
Next to Lord Leo was a little girl with blonde hair around the age of 5, who was talking to him. Lord Leo looked up and said, "Hello!" The girl also looked his way, smiled, and left the room.
Next to Lord Leo was a little girl with blonde hair around the age of 5, who was talking to him. Lord Leo looked up and said, "Hello!" The girl also looked his way, smiled, and left the room.
She seems nice, thought Walter. I wonder who she is.
"Have a seat," said Leo.
"Thank you", said Walter bowing as low as he could go, and he took a seat at another fluffy chair, only this one was blood red. He sank into the chair a foot deep.
"How do you like my castle? Might be a bit bigger than your father's manor, eh?" said Lord Leo. "Also, there's no need to bow that low. Just make sure you do it in front of anyone else 'cause you've gotta make a good impression."
"Your castle is quite a bit bigger. And quite a bit greener too," Said Walter. "My father's coat of arms doesn't contain green."
"Well, welcome," said Lord Leo. "You'll be living with me for the next few years. When you become 15, guess what?"
"What?" said Walter, who had little left to say.
"You'll be serving as my squire after that. Isn't that great?" Leo said, sounding less strict by the second.
"An honor, sir."
"So I understand that your name is Walter, you are 8 years old, you're not specifically tall, and not too fat either. I also understand that you're most likely a boy, and you don't like to read because you can't yet, and your favorite animal is a dog. So, uh, why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself?"
"Unfortunately, there's not much left to tell, my lord," said Walter, racking his brain for any other useful information. Walter was quite surprised Lord Leo knew so much about him. He looked out the window and saw that the sun was going down and turning orange. In the distance, a trumpet sounded.
"What a dull page. Well, we'll just have to sharpen you and your skills up," said Lord Leo. And with that he got up. "It's time for dinner.That's what that random trumpet sound means. Gosh, time does fly when you're having fun. Follow me." Lord Leo got up.
Walter wasn't sure he was having a fun time, but at least he wasn't getting lectured about all the rules. Walter followed the lord of the castle through halls brightly lit with fiery torches, casting spooky shadows on the floor.
The great hall was huge. Tapestries hung off great stone walls illuminated with torches. There was a super-green rug with a red border leading to the dais, which was this raised platform where everyone important and the page, who was currently Walter, and the Lord's squire ate, but Leo didn't have a squire. The table was covered with a purplish linen cloth, and was all set up with pewter dishes, knives and spoons. No forks, of course, because they weren't invented yet (Now you're a little less dumb!).
Lord Leo took a seat at the high table. Also sitting there were Lady Loreena, the blonde girl, and whattaya-know! Sitting at the edges, very fine guests, Galandias Silverleaf and the dwarf guy!
Walter sat in the only space available, which was between the elf and the blonde girl. Everyone except the dwarf said a prayer. Every human was religious back then, but I won't even try to describe the Samravian religion because, well just 'cause I'm not. Servants came in from the kitchen with plates of food. They filled up the goblets with wine (just water for Walter and the girl) and took metal covers off the trays, revealing all sorts of food that would be delicious back then: soup, roast meat, stuffed birds of which no one knew what it really was, baked fish, and pies were all there. Walter inhaled it all as fast as possible without seeming impolite and tried hard not to make the sipping noise when drinking from his fancy goblet. The dwarf, who revealed his name to be Fain Stonehammer, burped loudly, but apologized immediately. Galandias Silverleaf the elf never dropped anything onto the table, and the servants didn't have to even wash his plate because it was somehow cleaner than when it arrived.
They were moving on to the main course when Fain the dwarf, who's beard was now encrusted with dropped food, started chatting to Lord Leo about something really important. Walter knew he shouldn't be listening, but he couldn't help it.
"Ahem," the dwarf said. "I've got really important news. The dragons have offered alliance with our people, but demand a bit of our gold. Having dragons on our side would help us in our war against the orcs, but it would mean that the dragons would be getting too much gold in their hordes, and everyone knows that once a dragon gets his hands on a gold coin, he never gives it up until death. On the other hand, if we refuse, the dragons may declare war on us. You know how unpredictable they are. What do you suggest?"
"Well, you wouldn't want a war with dragons, of course," Lord Leo said. "Just don't give them too much gold."
Then as the dwarf decided that it would be best to make peace with the dragons, Galandias, who had no beard, started talking about something else. Meanwhile, Walter started randomly talking to the girl next to him, who was Alice, Lord Leo's daughter.
After dinner, Lady Loreena showed Walter to his new bedroom.
After Walter said all his prayers to the Samravian gods, he went to sleep, thinking that being a page might not be so bad after all.
"Thank you", said Walter bowing as low as he could go, and he took a seat at another fluffy chair, only this one was blood red. He sank into the chair a foot deep.
"How do you like my castle? Might be a bit bigger than your father's manor, eh?" said Lord Leo. "Also, there's no need to bow that low. Just make sure you do it in front of anyone else 'cause you've gotta make a good impression."
"Your castle is quite a bit bigger. And quite a bit greener too," Said Walter. "My father's coat of arms doesn't contain green."
"Well, welcome," said Lord Leo. "You'll be living with me for the next few years. When you become 15, guess what?"
"What?" said Walter, who had little left to say.
"You'll be serving as my squire after that. Isn't that great?" Leo said, sounding less strict by the second.
"An honor, sir."
"So I understand that your name is Walter, you are 8 years old, you're not specifically tall, and not too fat either. I also understand that you're most likely a boy, and you don't like to read because you can't yet, and your favorite animal is a dog. So, uh, why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself?"
"Unfortunately, there's not much left to tell, my lord," said Walter, racking his brain for any other useful information. Walter was quite surprised Lord Leo knew so much about him. He looked out the window and saw that the sun was going down and turning orange. In the distance, a trumpet sounded.
"What a dull page. Well, we'll just have to sharpen you and your skills up," said Lord Leo. And with that he got up. "It's time for dinner.That's what that random trumpet sound means. Gosh, time does fly when you're having fun. Follow me." Lord Leo got up.
Walter wasn't sure he was having a fun time, but at least he wasn't getting lectured about all the rules. Walter followed the lord of the castle through halls brightly lit with fiery torches, casting spooky shadows on the floor.
The great hall was huge. Tapestries hung off great stone walls illuminated with torches. There was a super-green rug with a red border leading to the dais, which was this raised platform where everyone important and the page, who was currently Walter, and the Lord's squire ate, but Leo didn't have a squire. The table was covered with a purplish linen cloth, and was all set up with pewter dishes, knives and spoons. No forks, of course, because they weren't invented yet (Now you're a little less dumb!).
Lord Leo took a seat at the high table. Also sitting there were Lady Loreena, the blonde girl, and whattaya-know! Sitting at the edges, very fine guests, Galandias Silverleaf and the dwarf guy!
Walter sat in the only space available, which was between the elf and the blonde girl. Everyone except the dwarf said a prayer. Every human was religious back then, but I won't even try to describe the Samravian religion because, well just 'cause I'm not. Servants came in from the kitchen with plates of food. They filled up the goblets with wine (just water for Walter and the girl) and took metal covers off the trays, revealing all sorts of food that would be delicious back then: soup, roast meat, stuffed birds of which no one knew what it really was, baked fish, and pies were all there. Walter inhaled it all as fast as possible without seeming impolite and tried hard not to make the sipping noise when drinking from his fancy goblet. The dwarf, who revealed his name to be Fain Stonehammer, burped loudly, but apologized immediately. Galandias Silverleaf the elf never dropped anything onto the table, and the servants didn't have to even wash his plate because it was somehow cleaner than when it arrived.
They were moving on to the main course when Fain the dwarf, who's beard was now encrusted with dropped food, started chatting to Lord Leo about something really important. Walter knew he shouldn't be listening, but he couldn't help it.
"Ahem," the dwarf said. "I've got really important news. The dragons have offered alliance with our people, but demand a bit of our gold. Having dragons on our side would help us in our war against the orcs, but it would mean that the dragons would be getting too much gold in their hordes, and everyone knows that once a dragon gets his hands on a gold coin, he never gives it up until death. On the other hand, if we refuse, the dragons may declare war on us. You know how unpredictable they are. What do you suggest?"
"Well, you wouldn't want a war with dragons, of course," Lord Leo said. "Just don't give them too much gold."
Then as the dwarf decided that it would be best to make peace with the dragons, Galandias, who had no beard, started talking about something else. Meanwhile, Walter started randomly talking to the girl next to him, who was Alice, Lord Leo's daughter.
After dinner, Lady Loreena showed Walter to his new bedroom.
After Walter said all his prayers to the Samravian gods, he went to sleep, thinking that being a page might not be so bad after all.
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