After dinner, Maria had packed up and Quinn put everything away into her storage satchel. Theo said, "Shall I take the first watch?"
Aldric nodded.
Vincent said, "Then I'll take the second."
And he'd take the third at the early hours of the morning.
Quinn said, "So how do we arrange sleep? Is there a tent?"
Vincent chuckled. "There's no tent, my lady pipsqueak. We usually sleep out here in the open."
"At least with a blanket?" she asked. "And no pipsqueak after my lady."
Maria said, "Sir Vincent likes to tease Quinn, don't you?"
"Would you like me to shift my attention to you, my dear Maria?" he asked.
Maria flushed crimson and furiously shook her head.
Liam said, "Perhaps if the women sleep in the carriage, it's much safer and warmer."
"The carriage looks too small for that," Theo said.
"Actually, I have a better idea," Quinn said. "I'll make us a tent." She tilted her head to one side. "Or rather tents. We'll need two, one for each gender group."
Tents? Did she mean those simple makeshift small ones constructed with white fabrics and string tied to trees?
She turned to him and asked, "Aldric, can you show me the best place to put up tents?"
He scanned around and nodded in the direction where Vincent was sitting, indicating the field behind the man. "It has a nice clearing and on slightly higher ground." Which meant they didn't have to worry if the river rose during the night. Not to mention the ground was softer so it wouldn't be too hard on their backs. More specifically the women's backs. He himself certainly didn't mind sleeping on hard ground. He had slept in worse places, after all.
Quinn got up and walked about the spot, examining the site. Aldric, of course, found he couldn't take his eyes off her.
"Hmm..." She tilted her head to one side, as if she was in deep thought. Then she straightened up and retrieved something from her satchel. She placed those on the ground, separately and a good distance apart, and then she pressed her palm on the top of one. He saw a magic circle, glowing and moving, and immediately, that package-like thing unfolded itself and formed a tent, the likes of which Aldric had never seen before. This one was large, almost the size of a military tent the kingdom used, but the shape was different. There was no door or an opening either. At least he couldn't see one.
He got up, along with everyone else, to inspect the tent while Quinn started constructing the other one.
Aldric touched the fabric, noting that it was smooth yet sturdy, and he suspected that it was waterproof, too.
"Where's the door, Quinn?" Maria asked.
"Hold on," Quinn said, toddling over. "It's here." She grabbed a small metal handle and then pulled it upward, opening the tent. "You just unzip it. To close it again, just zip it up." She pulled it downward, thus closing the tent.
Aldric was amazed. He had never seen such a thing before. A tent that could be opened and then closed completely like an actual door.
"Aldric, can you please help me with nailing it down?"
He moved toward his bride and saw that she was hooking a long metal stake onto the small string of the tent.
"It's so it doesn't go flying away," she said.
"Yes, of course," he said and then took over the job from her.
When it was done, he unzipped one of the tents and looked inside, curiosity eating at him. To his astonishment, it was very spacious and there was a floor made of the same fabric as the wall and roof. Sleeping blankets were already laid out, too, or what he assumed were blankets. Since there were four of them, he also assumed this was the men's tent.
"It's a sleeping bag," Quinn said behind him.
"Sleeping bag?" Theo repeated.
"It's like a blanket, only it covers all of you, including your back. I'll show you how to get in." She slipped through between him and Vincent and demonstrated by unzipping the side of the blanket as she had done with the tent. "And you just slip right in," she said and wiggled herself into the sleeping bag. "It's very warm and cozy." She got out again. "Right, gentlemen, you can arrange amongst yourself who takes which sleeping bag. As for me and the women, we're going to wash up and get ready for bed."
As she headed out, Aldric followed her and said, "In case anything happens, I'll keep watch close by."
She looked at him and nodded. "But no peeking."
He felt the urge to chuckle. "No peeking," he said.
About fifteen minutes later, he found himself sitting on a boulder a distance away from the river, his back to the giggles and laughter that belonged to his bride and her mother and cousin.
"It's cold, Quinn," Maria moaned.
"Cold? It's freezing," Quinn remarked.
When they were done, they were shivering from head to toe and Aldric couldn't help but shake his head.
"Let's get you warmed up," he said.
"You know the water is freezing cold?" she said. "But it's worth it. I'm not going to bed uncleaned." She smiled and ran her tongue over her teeth. "Hmm. Feels clean. It's good to always brush."
Brush? Did she mean her teeth?
After warming up in front of the fire, Quinn scuttled into the tent, saying, "Good night, Aldric."
"Good night, Quinn," he replied. It looked like having her in his arms during the night would have to wait until they got to Norsewood.
With the women retired for the night, Liam turned to Theo and said, "Uh, Mr. Wakefield?"
Theo said, "Theo. Call me Theo."
"Um, Th... Theo, I know it's discourteous of me to ask since we've only just met, but I was wondering if you could give me a few pointers on how to become a knight?"
Theo raised a brow. "You wish to become a knight, Liam?"
Liam nodded. "Since I was a boy, sir. Unfortunately, I've never had the opportunity to join any sort of academy or become an apprentice."
Aldric said, "Then perhaps you'd like to join our academy? We have one at Norsewood. It's small, but it's one of the best in Athol. Theo is one of the instructors there."
Vincent said, "Once graduated, you'll automatically become a warrior knight of Norsewood and are tasked to protect the land. You'll get paid handsomely. When the kingdom calls during a war, you'll also join our troop to the battlefield."
Liam widened his eyes. "Oh, I see. Will I have to go through a sort of examination to enroll, sir?"
Aldric said, "As long as you pass the requisite fitness test, as knights require strength and stamina. Everything else, you'll learn during your three years of training."
Liam smiled, his eyes sparkling. "Then I'll join the academy. I'm looking forward to it."
Theo said, "I've judged young men most of my life as an instructor, but I must say, your body and the way you move is perfect as a knight. You seem to be bursting with health."
Liam chuckled. "I wasn't always like this. Not until Quinn came into our lives. I mean she was always in our life, but... it was Quinn that made me this way. I was weak and sickly, exhausted, and I always had what Quinn called a brain fog where I couldn't think properly, or I was slow in thinking. I thought it was normal, but Quinn made me better, and I realized it wasn't normal to be like that. I'm more alert now and surprised myself by learning things faster than I expected. I had never driven a carriage or ridden a horse before, but I learned and could do both within a short time frame. I can even read and write now, too, though I was illiterate before. Maria and Aunty Beth, too, Quinn made them better, healthier."
Aldric was stunned at hearing all that. Did that mean every one of the Fairchilds knew how to read and write despite they being commoners? Only nobles and those with wealth were educated since school was expensive, and for a child to enroll, one would need proof of their lineage and connection. Simply put, commoners were thwarted from learning anything other than the lowly, menial labor works as was their station in life.
Liam said, "I speak too much." He took out a small pouch, what looked like a storage space for one, and retrieved a basket, the type that Aldric had never seen before. He said, "I should wash up before retiring for the night."
"You, too, eh?" Vincent said.
Liam chuckled. "Quinn installed in us to routinely wash and clean. It's part of hygiene, she said, to prevent sickness and disease."
Theo said, "Is that so? Good hygiene prevents sickness and disease?"
"Quinn knows many things we can't even imagine exist," Liam said as he stood and then excused himself.
Chuckling, Theo said, "Perhaps I should start washing and cleaning myself more often."
"Perhaps we should," Vincent said. "Young women dislike uncleaned men, after all."
Aldric stood, leaving Vincent and Theo to converse about battle techniques, which they often did, and trailed toward the river. He supposed, like Vincent and Theo, he, too, should start washing and cleaning more often. But, of course, that sort of thing was not routine in Norsewood. In fact, it was certainly not routine in Athol.
At the bank of the river and a few feet away from Liam, he got on his knees and started washing his hands. Liam must have felt his presence because he turned, and Aldric widened his eyes at seeing white foam in Liam's mouth as he moved a small thing back and forth about his teeth.
Was he... brushing his teeth?
Liam moved away the toothbrush and started rinsing his mouth with a cup of water. Done, he said, "My lord."
Aldric asked, "What is that?"
"Uh, toothbrush, my lord," Liam said. "I use it and this paste,"—he showcased an odd-looking, squeezable tube—"to clean my teeth. We brush our teeth twice a day, in the morning after breakfast and at night after dinner."
"Is that so," Aldric said. It seemed the Fairchilds took their cleanliness to a higher level, he thought.
Though the night was cold, Aldric found it was warm and comfortable inside the tent and in his sleeping bag, having an unexpected restful sleep. By the time it was his turn on watch, he felt refreshed and ready for the day.
Sitting there by the fire and staring into space, he thought about Quinn and her quirky character and beautiful smile. It was dawn when the girl he had been thinking about emerged, looking undeniably adorable and grubby with bed hair and disheveled clothing, not to mention eyes half-closed as she slowly stumbled her way to him.
"Morning," she said softly, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
"Good morning," he greeted.
She plopped herself next to him and then leaned against him, her head resting on his shoulder. Aldric wrapped his arms around her, drawing her closer. They were both quiet, and Aldric thought it was nice, them sitting there and savoring the moment.
About twenty minutes later, Quinn stirred and said, "I think a cup of coffee will really wake me up."
Aldric raised a brow. "Coffee?"
She straightened and asked, "Would you like one? It's a little bitter, but I guarantee it'll really wake you up."
"Since you're having one, I'll try one," he said.
He expected her to toddle off to get her storage satchel and retrieved the things she needed, but not so. She simply did something that not only stunned him but raised so many questions as well.
She hovered her palm over the ground and summoned a magic circle. Within seconds, a jug and two mugs materialized, and Aldric had to control himself from gasping at seeing what he had just witnessed.
This... was a magic unknown.
He drifted his gaze to his bride, wondering how in heavens she could possibly use such a high-tier magic, one even a high priest of the kingdom couldn't even fathom.
She handed him a mug filled with some sort of dark liquid. He watched her taking slow, careful sips at the same time making a face, albeit an adorable one. It must be quite bitter, he thought.
He took a sip of his own, and indeed, it was bitter, although it had something that was rather sweet and creamy as well. This, he thought, could be quite addictive.
When Quinn finished hers, she got up and said, "Okay, I'm awake now." She rubbed her hands together in excitement. "Breakfast time. What do you think, Aldric, about bacon?"
He smiled. "I love bacon."
"Then French toast with bacon and fresh fruits it is."
He watched as she, once again, used that magic to create what she needed. A loaf of white bread, eggs, milk, butter, salt, and of course, bacon. Then she dashed off into the tent, and while he waited, he wondered if his wife knew she was absentmindedly showing him her magic she had been working hard on hiding. He knew for certain now that when she had retrieved all those ingredients, food, and other items, she had been creating them in the satchel.
But indeed, what type of magic was it? To create things out of thin air using only mana. Furthermore, the things she created were articles he had never seen before. It was possible they were the kinds that existed in other kingdoms.
She returned, clutching the satchel against her chest. Moments later, out came an iron pan and then a tong and some plates, forks, knives, and mugs. As he watched her cook, Aldric felt a sense of warmth and delight, and the smell of what she called French toast was divine.
That smell woke everyone else up, and they emerged. Like moths to a flame, they gathered around Quinn, waiting to be served breakfast.
The French toast was decadent and so damn soft, Aldric thought he could never get enough of it. The berries, something he had never eaten before, something no one in Athol had ever eaten before, were fresh and delicious, and he didn't know the reason why it was passed down that they were inedible.
After breakfast, the Fairchilds did their morning personal hygiene routine, and once Quinn packed the tent away, tossing the folded gear into her storage satchel, it was time to continue on their journey.
On his stallion, Aldric headed to Quinn who was about to climb into the carriage. He said, "Care to join me?"
She looked at him for a moment and then flashed him a lovely smile. "Sure," she said.
Aldric held out his hand, and once she laid her small ones in his, he easily lifted her up and positioned her in front of him.
"This is nice," she said, wiggling herself, her delicate backside brushing intimately against his crotch, causing a delicious heat to course through him. Ah, it looked like this was going to be a long ride.
He wrapped his arms around her, and then because he damn well couldn't help himself, he leaned his face in and searched her lips for a scorching kiss.
Quinn gasped at the unexpected turn of events, and Aldric felt her relaxing in his arms as she moaned. He wanted to go further, inserting his tongue into her mouth, but alas, he knew now was not the time. Hence, he drew back and noted that his bride's beautiful face was flushed and her green eyes radiant.
He said, "Let's get you to Norsewood."
"Yes, let's," she said. "I can't wait to see your home, Aldric."
He smiled, and as he nudged the stallion to start moving, he thought, yes, he couldn't wait to show her his beloved home.