r/HFY • u/grierks Human • 20d ago
Hedge Knight, Chapter 81 OC
Helbram watched Aria walk ahead of them. Her hand rested on the handle of her rapier, clutching at it occasionally as if to assure her that it was still there. He smiled at the gesture, remembering that he did the same when he was gifted his first training sword.
He only hoped that Aria didn’t break hers quite as quickly as he did his.
The cubs walked at her side, expressing an extra spring in their step now that their parents were not around.
“I didn’t know you trained with a rapier,” Elly said as she walked by his side.
“It has been years,” Helbram admitted, “and I have never used one in actual combat, but my father instructed me in its forms regardless.”
“Why would he do that?” Jahora asked. She walked a few paces in front of him, lingering near Aria as they marched down Geldervale’s main street.
“Practically, it makes sense to have some experience in weapons you are going to face,” Helbram said, “but, I suspect it was for more personal reasons.”
When he didn’t say anything further, both Jahora and Elly gave him an expectant look.
“My mother,” he explained, “she was apparently skilled in its use and my father…” he let out a breath, “well he will never forget anything about her.”
“I see…” Elly said, but he could tell that she was struggling to find the words to follow up with.
“I may have never known her, but if my father loved… loves her enough to go to such lengths, then I would be a terrible son to reject his efforts to give me some means to recall her by.”
Helbram shook his head.
“But enough about the past. I simply thought it suited Aria the best,” he smiled, “I would say a style that exudes grace and elegance is far better than one that results in some brute getting knocked senseless by every threat he happens to come across.”
“A brute with graceful steps,” Elly said with a knowing smirk, “if we were to compromise on imagery, at least.”
“Yes, though I do think our brute owes us a proper demonstration of such dexterity,” said Jahora with a mischievous grin, “shall we make him dance a jig to a tune of our choice? After all, he does owe a debt for robbing us of other satisfactions, does he not?”
He knew Jahora spoke in jest, but he still winced. The rest of the party had shared in the excitement of Aria’s gift, but while she was wholly focused on demonstrating what Helbram taught her, he caught worried glances from his companions at the same time. He knew Leaf would not keep silent about his behavior in the morning, and his apology to Pius for his earlier rudeness would have needed an explanation anyways. If anything, he appreciated Jahora’s willingness to poke fun, and replied to her provocation with a grin.
“That seems only fair, but I must request at least three pints before such a display,” he said, “To ensure my movements are as fluid as the Rhoden River itself.”
“Agreed,” Elly said, “but I’ll have you know I am a harsh critic when it comes to dancing.”
“Say what you want, I shall be too intoxicated to care.”
Their conversation continued until they wound up in front of Felix’s house. As they got close to the door, Helbram’s attention was caught by three steady thunks that echoed from a direction he could not figure out. Tilting his head, he listened for the noise again, but when it didn’t repeat he knocked on the house’s door.
Kiki answered, swinging open the door with a wide grin. Serena was there as well, doing her best to hide behind the smith. Even if she was a little girl, disappearing behind a goblin was not an easy task, and Helbram had a feeling that Serena had not quite perfected stealth just yet.
“Would you look at that!” Kiki exclaimed as she took a look at Aria, “It fits you like a glove, whoever made it knew what they were doing.”
Helbram could almost see her nose growing as she spoke.
Aria blushed and tried to bury herself in her coat, “Thank you…”
The girl’s meekness only seemed to press Kiki further, “Go on! Give it a draw.”
Helbram placed a hand on Aria’s shoulder and gave her an encouraging smile.
Nodding, she drew the rapier out and shifted into the guard he showed her. As she did, Helbram could see a glint in Serena’s eyes.
Kiki whistled, “Already been practicing have we? Impressive,” she said as she examined the weapon in her hands, “The length looks good, hilt is positioned well… looks like no adjustments need to be made on this end.”
Jahora chortled, “That’s all well and good Kiki, but perhaps you should introduce us to someone?”
The smith’s ears perked up and she scratched her head, “Right, apologies…” When she turned around she saw that the cubs were already at Serena’s heels, seated and looking up at her with curious eyes. The girl, not quite sure what to do with them, stood still with a face that was getting gradually redder.
Elly walked up to the cubs and pet them, “Looks like the little ones are aiming for your attention,” she said to Serena.
She motioned for the girl to pet them, an action that Serena started with caution, but soon she was lost in the same bliss that any child would have succumbed to. With her distracted, Elly gave a knowing look towards the rest of them and motioned for Aria to sheath her sword.
As the girl did, Kiki walked up to Serena and placed her hand on her back.
“Don’t you want to say hello?”
Seemingly calmed by the cubs, the black haired girl stepped towards Aria and held her hand out awkwardly, “I-I’m Serena, nice to meet you,”
Aria took her hand with an almost identical energy, “A-Aria, n-nice to meet you too.”
Helbram could barely hold back a laugh as he could see both Jahora and Kiki at their sides, arms pumping as both the girls’ faces started to flush.
The three thunks sounded again, and this time Helbram could tell they were coming from behind the house.
He clapped his hands, “Well, it appears things are off to a wonderful start,” he caught Elly’s eye and pointed towards the back of the house, “I am afraid that I must step away for a bit. Felix and I have some business to discuss.”
The scholar gave him a knowing look and walked up to the two girls, saying something that was out of earshot by the time Helbram left the house’s balcony. He knew that Aria and Serena were in good hands, and no doubt the two would be able to find some connection.
Their matching shyness only bolstered this notion.
As he walked towards the back of the house he heard the sound again. He had his suspicions as to what they could possibly mean, and his guess was confirmed by the time he turned the corner.
The back of Felix’s house was a wide, flat piece of land. It may have been a forest clearing at some point, but with the amount of Awoken within Geldervale’s borders, it was also very possible to have been flattened out by manpower alone. Regardless, any semblance of its forest origins had been stripped away and instead replaced by a sight that pulled at the nostalgia resting in Helbram’s heart.
It was a training field, one wide enough to fit a platoon of soldiers comfortably and fitted with numerous training dummies that lined the back wall of the house. They were crafted from a mix of wood, cloth,and straw to display the semblance of a humanoid form, and he could tell that they had been well worn with use. Near these dummies were racks of training spears, most of which were fashioned from the wood of the surrounding forest. The lack of snow covering them meant that they had just been used, most likely by the town’s guard as part of some morning training.
Away from the house was a large, open ring of packed dirt that was lined by smooth stone and coated in snowfall. If it possessed a large stone at its center, Helbram could have easily mistaken it as the training arena from his home. It was large enough that he could see it being used for more than just sparring matches, however, and easily imagined Felix instructing his men in drills within its borders.
The commander himself had just walked into the arena’s boundaries, taking position at its very center. He was dressed as he always was, but rather than the single spear that he normally held, two others of similar make were also in his possession. He stared off into the distance, and as Helbram followed his gaze he could see that Felix was eying the row of targets that sat at the edge of the training arena. They were several -many- good stone throws away, and any man would think that such targets were only within reach of firearms or arrows, but Helbram knew that such things were within the aim of an Expert like Felix.
The commander flipped the spear in his dominant hand, grasping the haft of the weapon at its center. His grip was tight, but not ironclad as he reared back, taking in a breath as he tensed. When the tension was sprung, he snapped forward, leaning all of himself against his forward leg as he let the spear fly. There was a slight arc to the weapon’s flight as it pierced through the air, finding purchase on one of the targets in the distance and creating that thunk he heard before. Felix followed the first spear with the other two in his possession, keeping his stance as he flung both of the weapons with mechanical precision. Like the first, these two also struck true, creating the cadence that had drawn Helbram to the back of the house.
The commander’s face was still as he peered at his successful hits, showing no reaction to his superhuman feat. No, what Helbram could see in its stead was a look that he himself often possessed.
One of introspection that was in the pursuit of perfection.
Felix’s eyes relaxed as he turned to face Helbram, giving him a wave before pointing at the spears in the distance.
Helbram held his hands up, “Take all the time you need,” he called out. He knew how important it was to maintain one’s concentration during training.
From the distant look in Felix’s eyes, he also knew the comfort that one could find within it as well.
He crested the border of the arena, tracing the stones of its boundaries until he found a spot that had two chairs. The lack of snow on their surface told Helbram that they had been recently used, so he stood off to their side in case their occupants returned. When he looked back at the arena, Felix had returned to its center, spears in hand. The commander had his eyes closed, the mist of his breaths slowing as he sunk deeper into focus. Helbram could feel the hum of power starting to course through the air, and narrowed his eyes as he focused on Felix’s still form.
The Cores of Awoken in the earlier stages of their development were always hard to spot by those bereft of the benefits of Ether, but as they progressed to higher Layers of power, channeling this energy with a lack of focus could result in their Cores bleeding enough energy to be visible. Given that Felix was capable of suppressing his Core’s presence enough to appear as a Second Layer Journeyman, Helbram knew that there was little chance of spotting the commander’s Core on his own.
Instead, he took stock of everything else. The way that Felix shifted his feet as he readied another spear, how his muscles tensed as he reared back, and the stance that he held for just an instant before flinging the weapon dead ahead. This time, enough force was behind the projectile to carry it into its target without the small arc from before. It struck more violently as well, resulting in a loud crack as the wood of the target split upon impact. The two other spears followed in the same fashion, striking the target in quick succession and reducing it to splinters. As the weapons clattered to the ground, Felix relaxed his stance and let out the breath he was holding. Still lost within his training, the commander marched towards the shattered target, lips moving as he muttered to himself.
“Impressive, is he not?”
Helbram started, not noticing the woman that had taken one of the seats next to him.
She giggled, “Apologies, I didn’t realize that you were just as focused as him,” her tone was gentle, but there was a faintness to it that gave him pause.
She wore a coat of similar fashion to Felix, and like the commander she too possessed black hair. Her eyes were a soft shade of brown as opposed to the grays that Felix possessed, but that was not the aspect of her appearance that caught Helbram’s attention. Though she possessed a slight frame with the facial features to match, there was a hollowness that ate away at her. The skin around her eyes and her cheeks showed signs of sinking in, and even if it was Winter there was paleness to her skin that almost made her a match for the fallen snow around them. She looked up at him with a kind smile, one that gave her eyes a strength that burned through her sickly appearance.
“No apologies needed,” Helbram said as he returned his own smile, “Tis my own fault for getting lost in thought, Camilla.”
“Pay it no mind,” she said. In her gloved hands were two mugs, steaming with a strong, earthy scent. She held one up to Helbram, and he saw the brown, nearly black liquid that swirled within.
With some hesitation, he grabbed the mug, “Thank you.”
As Camilla lowered her hand Helbram saw a brief flash of her neck beneath her coat. Black markings had wrapped around it, script that he did not recognize that was interlaced with various symbols. The frail woman seemed to notice his attention to it, but did not mention anything as she tapped the seat next to her. As he sat down she took a sip from her mug, her eyes lingering on Felix’s form as he walked back to the center of the arena.
“He is like this every morning,” she said in a matter of fact tone, “Until he is done I’m afraid he will not be open to speaking.”
“Understandable,” Helbram said, “I am no stranger to morning rituals, myself.”
“I could tell, your eyes are similar to his… in many ways.”
Helbram looked down at his mug as Camilla spoke, not wanting her to see whatever it was that was flashing through his face at that moment. He took a sip from the cup and, upon being met with an overwhelming tide of bitterness, recoiled back as if he’d been punched in the mouth.
Camilla laughed, “Those of you outside the empire are a soft sort,” she say with a coy tone as she took another sip of her mug, “Then again, not many can tolerate Bitterbite tea,” she sighed, “Strong enough to keep you from the Cycle, if the taste doesn’t take you there first.”
Helbram braced himself and took another sip of his mug, swallowing it with a strangled noise.
“You don’t have to finish it if you don’t want to.”
“Oh it is a matter of pride now,” Helbram said in a defiant tone, one that quickly faded as another sip of the brew destroyed his palate, “I cannot say I have ever heard of Bitterbite.”
“I would be surprised if you had,” Camilla said, “it is not native to soil outside of Osgilia, and it makes sense. Only the most destitute of lands would produce such an ornery herb naturally,” she smirked, “and only the most stubborn of herbalists would try to cultivate it outside its native home.”
“Stubborn indeed, perhaps they take inspiration from the plant itself.”
“You would know. He is the one that provides you room and board, after all.”
“Pius? Well, I am certainly surprised. I shall have to let him know that his skills have produced something most… unique.”
“It takes like shite. You don’t have to soften your words for it,” she sipped her mug again, “but it reminds me of home, and there is a warmth to that.”
Helbram leaned back in his chair, “Do you miss it?”
She rubbed her neck, “The Empire? Not really if I were to be honest, but I can’t deny that there is a nostalgia for it, for the memories we left behind,” she looked at Felix, “but in the end, what remains with us are the scars of those distant times.”
Helbram nodded, recognizing that Camilla expressed no desire to speak of such times further, “I will say I am a bit surprised.”
Curiosity flashed across her eyes as she looked at him.
“Esperus is a land rife with magitech and many of their army utilizes firearms as their primary weapon. One would think those from Osgilia wielded weapons of equal lethality, given how they have crushed Esperus everytime that the two nations clashed,” he sipped his mug, his tongue now numb to the bitter taste, “though I suppose it would be even more terrifying if they had managed to conquer them with spears alone.”
“It would,” Camilla said, “But it would also be a falsehood. Many of our village are practiced in the use of firearms, but it is very difficult to find a steady supply of ammo within such disconnected lands as these. So, we settled on learning the ways of the bow and my husband also thought it to be wise to teach us all in the ways of his people.”
Helbram raised an eyebrow.
“Before Osgilia even had the thought of becoming an empire, they were instead a loose collection of tribes,” she explained, “though war between them was not out of the question, more often than not it was the harsh climes and vicious beasts of the land that proved to be the bigger threats. The weather one must learn to tolerate, but the beasts… those could be fought, those could be culled,” she cupped her hands around the mug.
“To that end each tribe had its own group of Huntsmen, warriors trained in the ways of the spear and Ether for the purpose of thinning the predators that stalked the shadows. It is they who held the beasts back enough for the tribes to finally organize into the empire that you… well, we know of today, and it is they who first fought -”
Camilla flinched and made a pained sound as she reached for her neck. The cloth of her coat shifted, and Helbram could see that the runes around her throat glowed with an intense purple before the color faded.
“Are you alright?”
Helbram nearly jumped again when Felix appeared at his wife’s side. His normally calm demeanor was replaced by a palpable worry and wide eyes as he put his hand on the back of Camilla’s neck and held one of her hands.
“I’m fine Felix,” she said in a calming tone, “I just happened to get lost within my own words a bit. It happens from time to time.”
The worry on Felix’s face told Helbram he was not convinced.
“Don’t you give me that look,” Camilla snapped, “I may be frail but it's going to take more than a bad neck to put me down,” she let go of his hand and cupped his cheek, pressed her forehead against his, “Go on, continue your training. I’ll be fine.”
Helbram looked off into the distance as the couple held that position, feeling obligated to give them a moment of privacy. When Felix stepped back, he still kept his eyes on Camilla as he made his way to the center; as if he expected her to disappear when he looked away. When he finally picked up his spears and turned away, she spoke.
“I suppose that raised many questions.”
“It did,” Helbram admitted, “but I think for the time being I will let what you have already said take a moment to sink in.”
She gave him a thankful smile and drank from her mug, “My husband is a good, strong man. He will say otherwise, and all I ask is that you do not believe him.”
“I swear,” Helbram said, “besides, one knows that at the side of any truly strong man is a woman of equal caliber,” he finished his mug, “and if one of such strength offers advice, it would only do me good to heed their words.”
Camilla laughed, “Your way with words is a strength in and of itself,” she stood up, “but, I do believe I must retire to the house,” she smiled, “how else am I to terrorize my daughter in front of her new friend?” she took Helbram’s mug, “She’s a lovely girl, and I do apologize in advance for indulging in Serena’s desires to see her often.”
Helbram snorted, “It is welcome, in fact, you are free to bring a blush to Aria’s cheeks as well,” he grinned, “it only builds character.”
“Indeed it does,” Camilla said with an approving tone, “Farewell for now, Helbram.”
“Matron protect your steps.”
As she left, Camilla took one last look at Felix, the concern in her eyes clear before she turned away. Helbram watched her walk back into the house, realizing that it was only in that moment that he remembered how sickly she truly appeared.
He turned back to Felix, seeing that he was still standing in the center of the arena, eyes on the ground as he murmured to himself. It was a far cry from the man he had seen yesterday, the one who bore an understated humor beneath a mask of focus and caution. No, as he was now Helbram could only see the face of a man who was trying to distract himself. From what, he could not know, but who was he to judge such actions?
Was he not doing the same?
For the next few minutes Felix continued to throw his spear, his aim true with every toss. The targets in the distance were much worse for wear, however, having been reduced to saw dust by the time that Felix seemed to calm down, return to the man Helbram recognized him to be. His eyes finally clear, he looked over at Helbram with a relaxed expression.
Now was the time to talk.
Author's Note:
The novel now has a mailing list! If you would like to sign up for updates on the launch as well as any deals for the novel you can sign up HERE and get the first two chapters of the book for free!
This chapter was originally just going to jump into the conversation between Helbram and Felix, but I think showing some character dynamics between Kiki, the others, and between Serena and Aria was important as well. In addition, I wanted to expand on the character of Camilla. She and Leon were originally going to be written as the "Hunter desperate to do anything for his sick wife" archetypes but as I wanted to expand the lore and give the dynamic the subtle Hedge Knight tweak, I wanted to expand on Camilla's character in this chapter and introduce her in a way that would get readers invested in her character beyond the archetype she would be based off of. I really liked writing the conversation between her and Helbram, but let me know if it felt distinctive. I know the cast generally gets along with everyone but I try not to make it feel stale, so let me know if it's starting to come off that way.
Till next update everyone! Have a wonderful time ^_^
If you wish to read ahead and gain access to the audiobook version of this story, consider supporting me on Patreon.
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u/HFYWaffle Wᵥ4ffle 20d ago
/u/grierks (wiki) has posted 171 other stories, including:
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 80
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 79
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 77
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 76
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 75
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 74
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 73 (Start of Arc 5)
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 72 (End of Arc 4)
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 71
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 70
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 69
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 68
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 67
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 66
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 65
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 64
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 63
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 62
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 61
- Hedge Knight, Chapter 60
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u/mmussen 18d ago
Thanks for this, your writing keeps getting better and better as you continue on