I Will Be the Greatest Knight

"The snow is worse than it was the last time I was here," Irene admitted. "The drifts are deep, and the buildings are buried more. I wonder if Chemois is facing the same issue."

Their footsteps crunched in the morning snow where the top layer had frozen a bit more than usual overnight. It made for slow movement, but they weren’t going too far.

"By the time we make it back, it’s going to be close to melting," Henry explained. "At least I’m hoping that’s the case."

"You really want to stay here that long?" Irene asked.

"I’m not completely unreachable here," Henry reminded her. "Either Sylaron, a messenger hawk, or even Siverly could send a message to me if they really wanted to. Since that isn’t the case, I don’t believe there are any emergencies we need to pay attention to."

"I suppose you’re right," she responded. "Winter really does settle for everyone."

However, they had stopped at a building Irene hadn’t visited the first time around. It was large, so she hoped that the chance of useful items being inside was higher.

"Shall we try this one?" she asked. "The front door is away from the snowdrifts."

"It’s your choice," Henry responded. "I will help you regardless.

The two of them had taken shovels from the village chief’s house where they were staying. Hopefully, it made their lives easier during their exploration.

Before Irene turned to the door, she looked in the direction the horses were walking. Since they weren’t too far, she deemed them perfectly fine.

At first, she brushed off the lightest layer of snow before testing the door.

"The top half gives," she realized. "I think this one will be easy."

It only took a few knocks with the pointed edge of the shovels they carried, being sure to mind the old wood and hope that their fingerprint left behind was minimal. However, it was unavoidable that they needed supplies.

The moment Irene cracked open the door with Henry lending her his shoulder the same way he did when they got into the village chief’s home, she saw him in a way that caused her heart to warm as he took in his surroundings so solemnly. She observed his every action, silently following along as he went.

Perhaps there was more feeling to the space because it was clearly the home of a family at some point in time, but Henry found himself unable to speak as he walked through the home.

At first, his attention was not on the supplies they could use but on the beds along the edge of the largest room and surrounding a hearth in the middle. There were three of them.

He walked forward some more.

There were four beds, he corrected himself.

The Commander’s hand brushed along the edge of what was clearly a baby’s cradle. Intact was still-soft bedding. It was as if the bed was waiting for its owner to return to it.

"I just hope whoever this was intended for is old in a far-off land now," he muttered.

He didn’t know why he had always loved babies. Perhaps it was because the peasant village was devoid of them as the population aged and little ones had low survival rates. They made him feel so hopeful.

To see an abandoned cradle made him feel worry over anything else.

As Irene observed Henry, she mused over his actions.

She knew that he would be an excellent father to any child, but she wasn’t so sure if she would be that good of a mother. The women were expected to stay behind and nurture, while the real action was left to the fathers.

She didn’t know if she could give up the years of tough experiences and hard work. If she didn’t, she would be seen as a selfish person.

The red-haired knight glanced away. It was a problem for her future self to worry about.

"I would like to see how the people here lived," Henry admitted. "How they kept their children warm, what each season looked like in a community like this. It’s somewhere near the peasant village and Central Hydrogia, but the natural aspect isn’t out of necessity but understanding of the world."

"I think the Sunstoians would be elated to hear that," Irene admitted. "There are many pieces of writing that underline the importance of working with rather than against the natural landscape."

Henry had looped around the table at the deepest part of the house before returning to where there were barrels and boxes of stored items.

"We ought to do what we came here to do," he insisted, pushing away the thoughts he was stuck on before.

The way he saw it, they had time to figure things out.

With canvas bags, the two took as much as they needed from the family home and each place after that. They made sure to leave enough behind in case other travelers came this far north.

As they made it back to their main residence, the two of them placed down their spoils on the table next to the stove.

"We’re prepared once more," Irene realized as she looked at all the things they had found. "We ought to give something to the horses. I made sure to bring enough to fatten them up."

"If Froid gets any larger, he won’t be able to bring me back to the south," Henry commented, glancing at his loyal animal.

Irene smiled at that.

"Froid is all muscle, make no mistake," she retorted.

Henry had already made his way over to the animals, and he scratched both horses’ cheeks as he said, "Don’t worry. I only jest."

Irene had been getting their spoils together to put away, but she found herself gazing at her husband and forgetting what she was doing.

"You know, I have enjoyed time here with you," Irene admitted. It feels... simple."

"I’m considering making this area a territory," he admitted. "Whenever we want to escape, we’ll just go here."

He was only half joking because the entire region was starting to grow on him. It were as if he forgot all the struggles it took to get there.

"I’m always willing to be your guide," Irene responded with a grin.

It carried over into the next day when they decided to keep moving north so that they could figure out the state of Irene’s family’s village.

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