Meeting the Count

As soon as Gato and the mysterious new girl walked over to the farm that his family called home, it was already High Noon. However, that didn’t seem to bother the two of them that much. Indeed, due to it being in the late stages of fall, the temperature was not as hot as it could’ve been in, say, the middle of Summer.

Well, at least this proves that this girl is a hard worker that has no problem being out in the weather… or so I think, at least.

“So, Gato, aren’t you even the least bit curious about who I am?” the girl asked him. “I mean, I know who you are, but I’m unsure if you know who I am.”

“What brought this on?” Gato turned to face the girl. “I mean, yes, I’m curious about who you are, but I only need to look at what you’ve done so far to know that you are someone who can’t hide what you are for very long, unless there are a lot of extenuating circumstances involved.”

This had the consequence of causing the girl’s face to flush. “You’re right,” she said. “I wish I could say more, but I can’t, not while there’s a search party going on for the Princess.”

O… kay? “I’ll be honest, miss,” Gato said. “Unless there’s a good reason I should care about the Princess having a search party looking for her, I’m going to assume that she’s doing alright. Nobody will force her to do what she doesn’t want to do, near as I can tell.” He turned to face his family’s farm again. “Now, then… wait, whose horse is that in the stable?”

Indeed, there was an unfamiliar horse in the stable on the property. It was especially strange because nobody in the family that he knew of used a horse for travel or anything. Normally, though, the horses that would stay in the stable belonged to known entities in Alfheimwood. To see what had to be an unknown horse in his family’s stable was an oddity.

“I wonder that, too,” the girl said. “I have to look at the coat of arms on the cloak covering the horse, but I’m pretty sure that this is a warhorse.”

“A coat of arms?” Gato asked. “What does it look like?”

“Hold on, let me get closer to it,” she said. “I think I know who this horse belongs to, but I don’t want to say it without having solid proof.”

“Okay,” Gato said, even as the girl walked closer to the horse by a few paces. When she stopped, it took Gato a few seconds to speak up again. “Well?”

“It has a portrait of a winged man on it,” she said. “The background is a crescent moon, and the man has a halo on top of his head.”

Okay, this is not someone I’m familiar with, Gato thought. “Are you familiar with the coat of arms, by any chance?”

“Actually—”

“Ah, Gato, perfect timing!” Delaz called out from the house. “Mom and Dad need you for something important!”

Figures…

“Excuse me, good sir, but who are you?” the girl asked Delaz. “You’re Gato’s older brother, are you not?”

“Huh?” Delaz turned to face the girl. “Yeah, I’m his immediate older brother, Delaz. Who are you, though?”

Gato felt a bead of sweat fall down the back of his head. Urk… maybe I should’ve asked for her identity before we got here.

“Pardon me,” the girl said. “My name is Abby, daughter of Laliel. I am here because I need to work and stay hidden from people pursuing me.”

Hey, wait a second. Abby, daughter of Laliel? I think I know who you are now, but how is that the—?

“Ah, okay, so you plan to work as a way of staying hidden from kidnappers?” Delaz nodded. “I can see that. Alright, I’ll let our parents know you wish to help around here, Abby.” Turning to face Gato again, he said, “I think you should head inside the house for now. Mom and Dad have a visitor who requested you to help him out.”

“Wait, what?!” Gato exclaimed. He then rushed into the house. After barreling into the house, he sped-walked into the kitchen area, where he saw an obvious nobleman speaking with his parents. The nobleman was wearing a high-quality white wool tunic over his cuirass. He had a powerful build, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. What really got Gato’s attention, however, was the nobleman’s face: his face had a lot of jagged scars, which his full brown beard and mustache tried to cover, and his eyes were a weary green.

Is this who wants me to help him? I don’t know this guy…

“Ah, there he is,” the nobleman nodded to Gato. “Perfect timing, young man. I need your help.”

“Okay, what do you need my help with, sir?” Gato asked. He then looked at the man’s coat of arms on his shoulder. The coat of arms matched what was covering the horse in the stable. “Also, who are you, sir?”

“Could you not tell from the coat of arms?”

“No, sorry. I am afraid your coat of arms is not from around here.”

This caused the nobleman to chuckle. “I am not surprised, young man,” he said. “My name is Conrad Engelsen. I am the Count of Lavendash.”

Gato hurriedly bowed to the Count. Uh-oh… better be careful with how I treat the man. “Pleased to meet you, your excellency,” he said.

“None of that, now,” Conrad said. “I’m not here on official business. A simple handshake will suffice.”

Okay, that’s good to hear. I guess my best behavior will have to slack off for a bit. Gato stood up straight and walked over to the Count. “Of course, sir,” he said, offering his hand. “With what did you need my help?”

“I need stronger material for making a better suit of armor,” Conrad replied, shaking the youth’s hand. “I don’t know who else to turn to in order to get the materials I need.”

Wait, back up a bit. What did he just say?! Gato blinked rapidly, surprised at the request. I hope he’s joking. “Are you sure that I qualify for this task?” he asked. “I mean, isn’t there someone else in the area who could assist you?”

“Actually, I’ve thought carefully about this,” Conrad said. “All the other farmsteads in the area have smaller families, and they committed their children to activities or are way too young. As for your family, Jeremiah is the one inheriting the farm, and is very busy with that and can’t leave the land. Cima is serving at the temple in town, and thus cannot travel very far. Charles, or rather Chuck, is a member of the Hunter’s Guild and helps with local law enforcement and hunts animals for game control and food. Cynthia’s skills lie in the loom, and I’ve already asked her to make a tapestry for me. Jack’s role as jester is very important to the mayor of the town, and he would not want to see him leave. The twins are busy helping Jeremiah with the farm: your older brother cannot operate the farm by himself just yet. Finally, Delaz is in an apprenticeship to your local blacksmith and cannot abandon his training. And that leaves you. You’re the only one who is able to travel and leave the farm and help me find the materials I need. Will you please help me?”

Deep breath in through the nose, long breath out through the mouth, me. I need to stay calm for this opportunity to not pass me by. “I would be more than happy to, sir,” Gato said. “Could you please tell me what these materials are like and where they can be found?”

The Count of Lavendash gave a smirk at Gato’s reaction and his response. “I am looking for naturally occurring material that is tougher than the most refined steel,” Conrad said, extending a finger as he spoke. “This material is ridiculously hard to find, even for someone like myself. All I know about how to find it is that it is somewhere around here in this region.”

Gato felt the color drain from his face. That is… not a lot of info to go on, I am afraid, but who am I to say that to your face?

After all, it wasn’t like he knew what he was supposed to look for in terms of this precious material. How was he supposed to look for this in the first place?

“Is something the matter, young man?” Conrad asked. “Your face is saying something that you don’t want to say out loud, correct?”

“Er…” Gato trailed off. After all, what was he supposed to say? “I really don’t know how you knew that, sir,” he finally said. “What am I supposed to say to that?”

“The truth,” Conrad said. “After all, the truth is the most valuable currency of the world, regardless of what the rest of the world says.”

What in the world…? What is he even talking about?

“It is?” Gato’s father asked. “This is the first I have heard such a statement, your lordship.”

Old man, you’re not helping.

“I have to agree with Alexander, your lordship,” Gato’s mother said. “I have never heard such an expression before in my life, and I consider myself a fairly experienced learner of these things.”

What are you doing, Mother?! Don’t make this worse than it has to be, please, for the love of all that is Divine and righteous!

“See what I mean?” Conrad asked, shaking his head with a sigh. “I have to be careful to educate everyone with the truth more than ever these days.”

Gato felt a lot of sweat drip down his face. “Well… how do I best get this to work out so that I can tell you the truth and nothing about it without punishment?”

“What do you mean?” Conrad asked in return.

“What I mean is,” Gato said, looking the Count in the eye, “I cannot search for such materials without more clues that you seem unable to give me right now. How big is this region you want me to search? I do not have access to this information right off the bat.”

“Are you not a native of the Alfheimwood Barony?” Conrad asked.

What’s he going on about? “I have lived here for… my whole… life… oh, so that is what you mean!” Gato facepalmed. “I’m such an idiot!”

“Exactly. That is what I was going with,” Conrad said. “No, you’re not an idiot, Gato, just someone who needs to look at things from another angle.”

With exact wording like that, I can understand what he means, at least. “Very well, I can do it,” Gato said, removing his hand from his face. “I just need to search the region for naturally occurring materials that would work in this fashion?”

“Correct,” Conrad said, nodding. “You have three weeks to find the materials needed and bring them back here. However much you find depends on you and your tracking skills, mind you, but I have faith in you.”

Wow… no pressure, right? I hope he means that, at least. “I will be on my way,” Gato said. As he was about to walk out the door, however, he remembered something. “Oh, right, we have a possible new resident on the property. I know it is sudden, but she wishes to help around here, Mom, Dad.”

“Eh?!” Gato’s parents stood from their seats in the kitchen. “When did this happen?!”

“It just happened today,” Gato answered, looking at his parents. “I know this is sudden, but please, help her out by letting her help around the farm.”

Gato’s father sighed before he gave off a weak chuckle. “With a request like that, how can we refuse?” he asked. “Okay, Gato, we will do it.”

“Thank you,” Gato said, before walking out of the house.

As he was a few steps away from the house, however, his father came rushing out. “Wait, son,” he said. “You’ll need some supplies to go on this trip for today.”

“Some supplies?” Gato asked. “Like what?”

“Well, like some food, for instance. Can’t have you go out on this trip on an empty stomach.”

“Oh, right, that’s a good point.”

Gato’s father walked back into the house and pulled something out from within. Walking back out, he produced a red apple. “Here, take this as a way of keeping yourself healthy, son.”

“O… kay…?” Gato looked his father in the eye at that. “But why an apple?”

Gato’s father chuckled. “Because apples are still growing strong here at this time of the year.”

“So it’s because of an excess of apples,” Gato said. “I got it now.”

“Good. Now, you’re probably going to need a weapon to protect yourself with, so be sure to pick one out.”

Gato blinked rapidly for five seconds. Wait, when did we even get extra weapons on our farm? I don’t remember… oh! I can’t believe I forgot that part! “From the pile of weapons that the bandits left behind, right?”

“That’s the one,” Gato’s father said. “Be sure to choose a weapon carefully, will you?”

“Don’t worry about me,” Gato said. “I will.”

“I’ll unlock the storage shed where we have them,” Gato’s father said. He walked back inside the house briefly before he pulled out a key ring that had a few keys attached to it. “Okay, let’s get you a weapon.”

“Thank you for this,” Gato said, walking with his father over to the storage shed.

“You are most welcome, Gato,” his father said, before pulling out the correct key for the storage shed. “Let’s see what weapons would best fit you in this situation, shall we?”

Gato nodded before he placed his hand on the handle of the door. “Lead the way, please, Father.”

Gato’s father unlocked the door to the shed. “Now, here goes the weapon selection for you.”

Gato opened the door and peered inside. The weapons were still in the cart, though he could swear that something wrong was about to happen. “Are there any thieving critters that can steal weapons lying in wait around here?”

Gato’s father turned to look at him, eyebrow raised. “What are you talking about, Gato? Thieving critters that can steal weapons?”

Gato faced his father and shrugged. “It could happen, Father. You never know with how we’ve nearly been robbed twice by now.”

“Sheesh, son, don’t rub it in like that, will ya?”

“Sorry, but this is rather important to have cleared up.”

Gato’s father put his face in his hands. “Let’s just get you a weapon to go out with.”

“Certainly, Father. Let’s do this, then.”

The two of them walked into the storage shed, looking at the different weapons on the cart that had yet to be sorted through. When they reached the cart itself, they saw the weapons laying about there as if untouched.

“Father, if I may ask a question of you?” Gato asked.

“Fire away, son.”

“Do you think I can get some time to feel which weapon is right for me before I go on my way?”

Gato’s father nodded. “Go right ahead.”

“Thank you for that.”

As Gato walked over to find an appropriate weapon, he couldn’t help but see just what sort of gear the bandits had left behind, all things considered. He had barely grabbed one weapon, a quarterstaff that was made primarily out of wood with some metal adornments on the tips, when he saw another box in his field of vision. Oh, for cryin’ out loud!

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Y/N

Gato put the quarterstaff down, causing the box to vanish from his view. Okay, let’s see if it will do it again if I pick the weapon back up off the wagon. He picked the weapon back up.

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Y/N

He felt a pulse in his forehead. Of course it would do that, wouldn’t it? He put the weapon back down. What weapon should I get for myself at this rate?

Gato turned to look at all the weapons still on the cart. He saw a bunch of daggers, a crossbow that had some bolts of ammo next to the weapon, and some weapons that he couldn’t recognize off the top of his head. With a sigh, he was about to stop the weapon gathering process when he saw something that he recognized. A longsword? What’s something like this doing in the possession of a bandit, anyway? He picked it up, getting another box in his sight.

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Y/N

Gato pulled the sword out of its scabbard, giving it a few test swings in each hand, before giving it a two-handed swing for the benefit of seeing how likely he’d get better with it. I think I’ll take this as my weapon.

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He pinched the bridge of his nose when he saw the message, before he felt a surge of some sort enter his body. What the…?!

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Er… what did I do that resulted in this?

“Gato? Are you okay?” his father asked.

“Perfectly fine, Father,” Gato said. “I’ll be headed out rather swiftly.”

“Don’t forget to put the sword back in its scabbard,” his father said, “and don’t forget to put the sword around your waist or something like it.”

Gato nodded. “I’ll do that right now,” he said, sliding the blade right back in where it was supposed to go. He then took his belt off to attach to the scabbard, before tying it back on around his torso where the leggings stopped at around his waist. “Okay, I’ll be headed out now.”

“Don’t forget your apple, Gato,” his father said.

Oh, fer… “Is there anything else I’m missing, Father?” Gato asked.

“No, not off the top of my head,” the family patriarch said. “Take care out there.”

“I will.”