Across the room, silence deepened. Only the soft sounds of cloth and breathing remained. Outside, Micah stood sentry, unmoving.
Spud didn’t know what the man wanted—but right now, he had a bed, bandages, and breath. That was more than most.
Miluna’s voice broke the hush.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLTY8WpPvny
“Okay. I’ll need you to remove that shirt… or what’s left of it.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAzqFt7B2j8
Her eyes held a flicker of dry humor—light enough to feel like safety.
Spud nodded and peeled off the remains. The fabric dragged over bruises—a painful surrender—but her tone made it bearable.
Across the room, Lacard worked with quiet focus.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX7UUCzzED4
“Infection’s our first enemy,” he said, rinsing cloth in the steaming water.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyp70qh4qlv
“Comfort, the second.”
Miluna dabbed at Alexi’s wounds, her silence calm—not pitying.
Spud watched her, something shifting behind his eyes. He’d known rushed hands—pain disguised as help. But this—this was different. She saw them.
At last, Micah stepped inside. No longer a statue—now, a leader.
“Doctor Lacard,” he said crisply, “can I assist?”
Without looking up, Lacard replied,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQD1xzYfONQ
“They’ll need fresh clothes. And pillows, if any exist.”
Micah hesitated.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpr1J7hOJr
“Clothing, yes. Pillows… are not standard.”
“Then use mine,” Lacard said evenly.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpDro8Bq1Hp
“They need rest more than I need comfort.”
Micah’s jaw tightened. His gaze drifted, restless. Then he stepped closer, voice low.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3TrC6KcAo7
“You don’t understand. If Father hears I gave aliens more comfort than our own… he’ll tear down everything I’ve built. Mercy is dangerous under his gaze.”
His hand hovered, fingers twitching once before falling still.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSrWF0c86z
His breath hitched—not fear, but memory. Burden.
Lacard met his eyes.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamhbLscxZl
“It’s not just these two. They all need blankets. Real ones. Rested bodies recover. Recovered bodies don’t break. Compassion isn’t weakness—it’s strategy.”
Micah looked away. A pause. Then a breath. A shift.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4tg4pRN25
“You’re right,” he said quietly. Then louder: “We’ll begin distributing what’s needed.”
He turned toward the hall.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1VUbJZdEW
“Caltaus! Fetch Albion.”
Minutes later, Albion entered, arms full—blankets folded, cotton tunics faintly scented with cedar.
“Albion,” Micah said, steady now, “Every slave is to receive these. Clothing. A blanket. A pillow.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi8d4X8KAhi
He met Albion’s eyes. “When can it be done?”
Albion adjusted the bundle. “With my son’s help, three days. Half can be ready by tonight.”
“Good. Bring your son. Coordinate. I’ll settle your bill tomorrow.”
Albion nodded once and left.
Micah lingered, eyes fixed on the folded cloth—soft, out of place here. A breath escaped him. His shoulders loosened, as if some invisible cord had finally snapped.
He turned back.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSK4ajsquqQ
“Anything else?”
“For now,” Lacard said, glancing at Alexi, “we have what we need. But healing takes time. Rest. Food. Water.”
Micah nodded.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFD0TsY6gO
“Keep me informed.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgUdAYPP93f
Then he left, guards trailing behind.
The room quieted again. Lacard and Miluna worked in practiced silence—cleaning, dressing, soothing.
Spud and Alexi lay reclined in clean clothes, warmth wrapping bruised bodies like a promise.
“No broken bones,” Lacard said gently. “Rest is key. Stay in bed. This will help you sleep.”
He handed Spud a small vial.
Spud’s fingers twitched as he took it.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXR0YPTH5xn
“Thank you, Doctor.”
Alexi nodded faintly.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMp8n1TBsgt
“You’re a lifesaver. Really.”
As Miluna packed up, her hand brushed Spud’s wooden slingshot, knocking it onto the blanket.
“Oh—sorry,” she said, reaching for it.
Spud stopped her.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtCjZHJlE1
“No, it’s okay.”
He picked it up himself.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9BYJGV5Yy
“Actually… I want to keep it here. I want to sleep with it.”
Miluna paused, eyes lingering on the slingshot—a rough carving, unfamiliar in shape but well-worn. Lacard glanced over, curious, but said nothing.
They finished packing and slipped out, leaving the room quiet.
A soft rustle broke the stillness.
“Spud…” Alexi’s whisper was barely there.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtK316i3331
Spud didn’t look up, eyes fixed on the slingshot.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKeGbIFFNJq
“Yeah?”
“You shouldn’t’ve risked yourself.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQHkwJr36J
A pause. A breath.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMsperYcYuZ
“But I’m glad you did. I owe you everything.”
Spud’s voice came steady. Warm.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3aAyVcaIo
“Just rest, alright? We’ll heal. That’s what matters.”
Alexi’s whisper trembled with something unspoken.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFU3ZKJCSD
“I wish your family could’ve seen you today—how brave you were.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhF9NQDbZXR
A soft breath.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIkR0SGRXre
“Sleep well, my friend.”
Spud said nothing. The room pressed in around him—heavy with the absence of those who’d never see him again.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQDzfQnQaLz
He nodded once, cradling the slingshot to his chest—the only piece left of his brothers.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9gmyXk8A2H
The smooth wood pressed into his palm like a pulse of memory.
Then the scent of moss rose, and leaves stirred in a summer breeze.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaMJfcDLuzl
His grip tightened.
The worn wooden slingshot in Spud’s hand transported him back.
And suddenly—he was fifteen again.
*
The slingshot tensed in Timmy’s hand. Spud’s curls bounced as his brother took aim.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkavWjZURC8
The stone sailed—thwack—striking bark and scattering feathers like startled ghosts. Laughter rang out, light and unburdened.
“Still need practice,” Spud teased.
Timmy flicked a berry at him.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2YzhEw2r0E
“Your big head threw off my aim.”
Sunlight filtered through the oak leaves, dappled and warm on their skin.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVJ5jKnUDu
Midsummer. Safe. Untouched.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy5yryw0nsz
A day too long and golden to imagine ever ending.
Timmy crouched to grab another stone, eyes gleaming.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbJfk3VkFDz
Alderon Forest wrapped around Convota like a green sea, thick and endless.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtwOb65rsUl
To the north lay the Dark Scar Woods—where the trees grew twisted, and trolls were said to roam.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdJun8MYsI
They'd only ever gone near its borders when patrols passed close.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBxDEP457Mw
But this forest—this was their kingdom.
Half-filled berry baskets lay forgotten in the grass.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNKWyYnMF6r
Adventure always came first.
“Alright, little marksman,” Timmy grinned. “Your turn.”
Spud weighed a stone in his palm, brow furrowed in mock seriousness.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR0xkDNI3gL
He raised his sling, breath steady—just as a flash of yellow darted through the branches—
Thud.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNoyEeDOjZ
The stone clipped a limb.
The bird fluttered, fluffed its feathers, then resumed singing—completely unbothered.
The boys exchanged a look.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQdHx8G4UV
Two slingshots.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrhzY7jAeDa
One shared smirk.
“Luck,” Timmy chuckled, ruffling Spud’s curls.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnLdgEnKmV2
“Pure luck, shorty.”
Spud elbowed him.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmvVllzP0rK
“Jealous of my skills, you overgrown oaf.”
Timmy laughed—deep and familiar.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUV0OsWwp4
“Reckon that might be true. Soon you’ll be hittin’ bullseyes blindfolded.”
Their laughter melted into birdsong, drifting like sunlight through trees. Beside them, a berry basket tipped—mischief and motion spilling over.
Spud squinted.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDD9IlmNBrV
“Didn’t we pick more?”
Timmy frowned.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKgXL5byVAu
“Which ones did Mum even want?”
Spud rolled his eyes.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJmViZx5Au
“Does it matter? She just wanted us out of the way.”
The woods didn’t judge. They remembered.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36Y9gcYKfd
Every root curled like a knot in time, the midsummer wind whispering its approval.
Their mother, Magda, ruled Duke Farrad’s kitchens.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgyjV19JXGL
A glance could silence a pantry—then lift it into song with her ladle.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGd7AeBUEZ
Her meals weren’t food. They were magic—flavor wrapped in memory.
Their father, Claude, the quiet cornerstone, was all precision and patience.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0eE9ZfcRwQ
Where Magda led with fire and instinct, Claude offered calm hands and careful measure.
They weren’t just admired. They were loved.
Magda didn’t shout. She didn’t need to.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQ3OoO6AzH
One look, and the pantry boys chopped faster.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkFNLG6ImFD
But when her ladle hit the pot, the kitchen came alive.
Beside her, Claude stirred—sleeves rolled, brow damp, murmuring about balance and ratios.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJX7CK1De3
Cinnamon and care, side by side.
Every scraped knee found healing in her broth.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAROiFBUGS
Every victory, a feast shaped by his quiet hands.
But for Spud and Timmy, the real magic lived beyond the kitchen walls.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgA4ULVMrAH
It lived in winding halls and shadowed alcoves, in staircases curling like riddles and tapestries whispering when no one watched.
Even among noble children, the brothers belonged—not by blood, but by bond.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlpsMxArtLb
Their roots ran deeper than any title, stitched into shared bruises, kitchen disasters, and swordplay in dusty basements.
Their love wasn’t loud. It didn’t need to be.
The brothers moved between berry bushes and shafts of gold-slashed light, slingshots swaying at their hips, baskets heavy with reds and purples.
Their chatter danced between sunbeams—mostly of Path Day, when childhood split clean from purpose.
Across the kingdom, fifteen-year-olds prepared—each step a bid for belonging, each choice a future’s hinge.
“My first choice is Master Chum,” Spud said, feigning nonchalance, though a hopeful tremor betrayed him.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdtd9a63Tv
“Though I doubt he’s even noticed me.”
Timmy brushed aside a hanging branch with ease, his taller frame flickering in patches of light.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLzdapF4Fe
“Then he’s a fool,” he said simply.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJJrM8EbBqj
“You outmatch Gimmel already—still do, even after his apprenticeship.”
Spud grinned, nudging at a root with the toe of his boot.
Master Chum—the Duke’s elusive huntsman—rarely spoke, and when he did, it was only to the woods.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHpILex9zmz
His apprentice, Gimmel, walked like he already wore the Duke’s seal.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTysKk11JZt
But Spud’s aim had matched his for months now. Maybe even surpassed it.
The problem wasn’t skill.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ48QKUYntJb
It was being seen.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTLAFng9ah
And Path Day was their one chance.
Timmy’s jaw clenched, eyes catching fire.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQU4OpwMBGh
His fingers tightened around the hilt of his wooden sword, knuckles pale with practiced hunger.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDpMiZC0a2o
He didn’t just want it—he burned for it.
Spud had watched him train for years, that sword held like a sacred relic.
“Fronan’s noticed you,” Spud said, voice quiet but certain.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxVul37vjfi
“You’re probably already on his list.”
Timmy shrugged—but he couldn’t hide the small, sharp smile that crept in beneath it.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WbpDPYqrn
The kind that rose from deep beneath the ribs, where hope lived.
They walked on, their footsteps soft on loam.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRtzFwKM2Ss
Crickets murmured in the underbrush.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe77aPryIgY
A distant owl called once, then again—a forest benediction, old and knowing.
Path Day hung in the air like held breath.
Candles flickered behind countless windows, flames trembling like restless hearts waiting within.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl40yAQtWOg
Wooden swords polished to a mirror sheen.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXePSj9WjB7
Shoes laid by doors with care.
Spud pictured the others—nervous, bold, trembling.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYpgn0W7U4j
Some would be claimed at once—by craft, trade, or court.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ91OESzn6Gw
Others would stand silent, their dreams caught behind their ribs.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡokjRIoxzZd
A few would be passed over entirely, swallowed by the hush of unspoken futures.
He imagined the polished stone beneath his boots, the rustle of robes, the breathless pause before the first name was called.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjJj9WSzmY
Would his rise ring bright and clear, like a struck bell?19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5JddOt07n
Or vanish—lost to wind and silence?
He still remembered Elira’s face last year—how it crumpled when the final name was called, and hers wasn’t.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa4YkhQFNBo
How she never played near the lake again.
High above the city, the four towers of the castle—one at each corner—cast long shadows over Convota’s eastern edge.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsLbzO7rQX4
Their reach stretched across the square like a great hand—one that could lift him… or pass him by.
He swallowed hard.
But none were ever truly forgotten. That’s what they said.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpOxhpYTcnH
Because Path Day wasn’t just a choosing.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoxSBPMRtCa
It was a declaration:19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0I1NkIZnXs
I am ready to become.
“I wonder if Master Chum might choose us both,” Spud said at last, his voice edged with a child’s last flicker of hope.
Timmy glanced over, blue eyes catching the firelight like sparks.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU1ltzBDtBm
“That’d be something,” he said, grinning at the thought—two brothers stalking deer through sunlit woods, living their story side by side.
But Spud’s smile faltered, dimming like the last edge of dusk.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxpZfBeSzD
“He’s been gone a lot lately,” he said softly.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV5Dt2kCeUd
“Might not choose anyone this year.”
The silence that followed wasn’t heavy, but suspended—like a breath waiting to be exhaled.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7MZj19vfw0
As if the forest itself listened.
The trees began to thin, branches giving way to the open folds of land that cradled Convota.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNA1lOQOTem
Ahead, Castle Convota rose in the amber hush of twilight—its towers etched against the sky like solemn watchmen.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡifs7oWkkDU
But the boys paused, not for the stone, but for what lay beneath it.
The farms spread out before them like a worn patchwork quilt—stitched from golden wheat, coppery bean rows, and dark tilled soil still warm from the day’s sun.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjz9xr7vHi
Low stone fences snaked across the fields, half-swallowed by wildflowers.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIvJw9g1NJy
Cows meandered near the hedgerows. Chickens stirred in coops, clucking low and sleepy.
Spud breathed in deep.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKtTlR8Q1sH
The air carried everything familiar: peat smoke, turned earth, haydust, the faint salt of the river.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDhr2Mow1xO
This was home.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42G23osy6u
Not the castle. Not the square.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFyIv84e77
Here—where wind ran its fingers through barley stalks, where boots grew muddy in spring, and where every tree had a name whispered into it by children who’d climbed too high and laughed too loud.
He loved this land with the quiet ache of someone who feared they might one day leave it behind.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH6UpQcgpOP
Or worse—be left behind by it.
Evening gathered around them like a shawl drawn over tired shoulders.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsyRGPjx1C
Their footsteps whispered across the loam.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSXPq7Jjgu
A lone owl called—once, then again—offering the forest’s old, wordless blessing.
Ahead, Convota’s main gates rose where farmland gave way to cobble and forge.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzkYJHKXxTV
Above the arch, the royal seal caught the last of the light—fashioned from silver, bronze, and gold.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEF7Dx5fUk
Convota’s sigil was etched there: a boy in gold leading a second cloaked in purple. The purple, once carefully painted onto silver, had long since chipped and peeled away, leaving behind a ghostly figure, dulled and weathered.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbN5NdwNf53
The golden boy faced west—Convota guiding the royals.
Locals said the seal changed after Duke Farrad was sent here, exiled by a king who could no longer bear the sight of him.
The old seal had shown a snow lion sleeping—dignified, peaceful, proud.
This new one felt like a reminder of displacement. Of being sent away. The road bent gently toward the city’s edge, where torches flickered and laughter rose like smoke from a dozen cookfires.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVr9fr4gk9
Centuries of hands had worn the stones smooth around the gates.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7QOZbkwOm
Iron bands holding the gates, chipped and rusted, held fast the weight of triumphs, sieges, and long returns.
And now, as Path Day drew close, those gates held more than age.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWa1jDGXmqZ
They bore the breath of arrival… and, for many, the ache of being left behind.
Spud and Timmy stood still as dusk gathered—reverent.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG3Zcy8ePuR
The gates loomed, heavy yet inviting—a threshold between wild woods and everything they dreamed of becoming.
They passed beneath Convota’s towering gate.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb9bG8TG80k
Spud’s fingers brushed the rough stone, his heartbeat syncing with its steady weight—home, steady and sure beneath his skin.
Timmy nudged him with an elbow, voice low, a quiet promise.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDaNve6vo1a
“We’ll be fine.”19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh1y0UnQLUW
He didn’t ask if Spud believed it.
Spud said nothing—but walked a little taller.
Deeper into the courtyard, Timmy jabbed his shoulder playfully.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYX797zz4v
“So,” he teased, “still dreaming Master Fronan might poach you for swordsman glory if Chum snoozes through selection?”
Spud’s grin returned—sharper this time.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4uEzmMeOIN
“Dad says I’ll be stronger than you someday.”
Timmy snorted, clapping his brother’s shoulder.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZVhpsqpXk
“Then I better keep training.”
Inside, Convota pulsed with midsummer life.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KOAO8kW29
A baker’s whistle rang clear across the square. Meat crackled on iron grills.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhMNx83cfH
Spice merchants spoke in melodic cadence as saffron and smoke curled skyward.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbD0CMc5lTB
The scent of roses drifted from balconies, tugging at something restless within Spud.
Street musicians coaxed rhythmic joy from wooden pipes.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPmE2QjgwUh
Children darted between booths, their laughter spiraling through tapestry stalls and candlemakers’ displays—laughter that tugged at Spud’s ribs with a distant ache.
By contrast, Timmy thrummed with barely contained energy,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEXWXx700t1
his gaze sweeping the vibrant chaos like a scout awaiting orders.
The clang of a blacksmith’s hammer rang through the air.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVXVHeAhPYr
Spud stilled. That sound—strength and precision in every strike—gave him pause.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡodiBbw13dF
He felt the contrast deep in his bones: the craftsman’s power, the boy’s powerlessness.
Timmy closed his eyes briefly, imagining the blade—the weight, the future.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN1Y1kvezrW
A soldier in the Duke’s guard. A fighter by oath.
Street musicians chimed between booths.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTYGuKRcIm
The rhythm tugged a smile from Spud—a brief escape.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡush4OKLuri
He admired the utility of coarse-woven cloth,19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwjE2Gd7fQR
while Timmy traced vibrant threads of royal banners, imagining them stitched into the uniforms he might one day wear.
Pottery, rough against fingertips, grounded Spud in tangible reality;19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxSUpklOr4N
Timmy, meanwhile, saw art in imperfection.
Late afternoon draped Convota in burnished gold.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuYz25Hh6mj
Fishing boats bobbed at the docks, their lines taut with catch.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTTqEBVUg5
Seagulls wheeled overhead, cries mingling with distant haggling.
The city thrummed beneath their feet, and Spud and Timmy moved through it not just as residents—19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡutIJ8NeY4s
but as reflections of its pulse.
Convota was home.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpxKeAA4CAY
History.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡadjCzwZd5t
Inheritance.
Its streets spoke their names back to them—whispers of scraped knees and berry baskets, spilled soup and future dreams.
Three paths awaited: the taverns and trade routes behind them; the docks bustling to the left; and to the right, the noble quarter rising gently toward the castle—and within it, the kitchens, their destination and heart.
At the docks, chaos mingled with grace. Barrels of fish and spice were stacked like offerings to the city’s appetite. Sailors and merchants moved with practiced rhythm, their gestures honed by wind and salt and time.
Beyond the marketplace, the noise thinned. Serenity crept in as they entered the castle’s outer grounds, where the clamor faded into quiet recollection. Here, the world smelled different—richer. Roasted meats and garden herbs drifted through the air, softened by beeswax, clean linen, and the musk of stables. Beneath it all was a scent that spoke of ceremony—of riders and rituals poised for Path Day, now only hours away.
Castle Convota stood still and watchful.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWFlTRC6bAl
Its worn steps cradled echoes—childhood laughter, stubbed toes, and the footfalls of parents long gone, their paths pressed deep into stone.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4pzrErhYKE
The castle didn’t greet them, but it remembered.
Guards flanked the towering oak gates, armor freshly polished, faces drawn and distant.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqsCdXV6evc
Path Day weighed on them too—you could see it in the tightness of their jaws, the way their eyes didn’t stray.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRAWOarGdjI
As Spud and Timmy approached, the guards gave brief nods. Formal, yes—but not cold.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85ANi1dAZk
Even in duty, there was memory.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBsbjgZLrm
The boys were known here.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF3WIrIMON9
And on this day, reverence softened vigilance.
Just inside the stone guardhouse stood Captain Miclum.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4vfs9IIPR
He didn’t speak. He rarely needed to.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrX4CKKshVl
His eyes—calm, shadowed—met theirs.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUKve5GH1T
A small nod passed between them. Quiet, but full of recognition.
Beyond him, the courtyard unfolded like a bloom.
Color and scent came first.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5X7CboCJo
Cream-toned pavers curved into tidy mosaics, catching the low sunlight.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ54XFsXon65
Birdsong filled the air. Spring blossoms stirred on the breeze.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFA3UTyNDbk
Towering spires rose on either side—weathered, proud.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQ2Cm7Mwf4
Ivy clung to the lower stones, threading through carved sigils and faded heraldry.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6M3ZoQHc4r
Every step carried history.
Stone stairs rose ahead—welcoming, solemn.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4AIT0PgsGe
Vines etched into the stone twisted through noble crests and worn runes.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXcWFCEgLd
Spud ran his fingers over one—half-remembered from stories.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbbf1vY0j7e
A lion wrapped in flame. He couldn’t recall its meaning, but the touch grounded him.
Above, gargoyles glared from their ledges.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoNu27v87mu
Long-gone dukes watched in woven judgment from faded tapestries.
Then the scent found them—roasted meat, rich and smoky.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAEt76CxEIr
A promise of comfort wrapped in spice and memory.
The kitchens.
Heat. Motion. Order born of frenzy.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhyZoi1fCur
Steam curled in lazy waves. Pots clanged.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUCMXblo6o
Cauldrons whispered with simmering broth.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVRMrYg7ik
Root vegetables tumbled in buttered pans, glistening gold.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzRNPE5nC2C
Chefs moved in rhythm, tall hats bobbing like ships in formation.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfpzHAQDDFX
Sous-chefs chopped in time, stirred in tune, poured and plated without a word.
It wasn’t chaos.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN20Rcp3SGx
It was choreography.
At the center stood Magda.
Hair pulled tight in a perfect bun.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhNcppYsOW
Face calm, set—yet warm.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUEM3dt0AsS
She moved like a conductor, shaping a symphony with a glance.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmsC3oCbnBR
She didn’t shout. She guided.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu76YD9jobh
Her gaze could still a trembling hand, redirect a wandering ladle, or summon the salt.
Beside her, Claude danced through flame.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJoI9wthb1k
Sleeves rolled, a blade in one hand and a pan in the other.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPkxbGZZnhU
Tall, precise, unfazed—charm beneath control.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvHlxPntrYs
Together, they didn’t command the kitchen.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkd75d1CFl
They were the kitchen.
As Spud and Timmy stepped inside—cheeks warm, hearts quickened by memory and awe—Magda turned.
“Thanks, boys,” she said, planting kisses on their foreheads. Her cheeks glowed from the hearth. “Now off with you—we’ve work to finish before supper. But guess what? Something special’s coming tonight.”
Timmy’s eyes brightened, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips as he leaned closer. “What is it?”
Claude paused mid-stir. With a wink and a sly grin, he slipped two fresh-baked cookies from his apron.
“You heard your mum. Run along now.”
The boys stepped back, hands warm with sweetness, hearts full with something deeper. Through the kitchen door, they passed into the quiet hum of castle life. The aroma clung to them. Behind them, their parents spun meals for kings.
Ahead, Path Day waited. They had not stepped onto its stage yet, but they were already living its story.19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvZOx3dMrEM
and then Add to home screen.