Flashback chapter - how Uncle Hebaron got his nickname.
As the warm summer sun set behind the mountains, the knight and young boy took a moment to rest on the hilltop.
They had spent most of the day repairing part of a livestock fence that they had "accidentally" destroyed while getting into a bit of trouble.
The boy asked why skilled workers had not been hired to do the work seeing as they could probably do the job better.
While the knight agreed that he and the boy weren't the most qualified, when you make a mess, you have to be the one to clean it up.
"You worked hard today," Sir Hebaron said proudly as he wiped the last of the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.
"We both did," Andrew huffed, still slightly out of breath.
A wide grin spread across the burly knight's face.
Without a word he scooped up the child and started walking away from the farm.
"Hey! Put me down!" Andrew protested.
"Not a chance." Hebaron replied with a chuckle. "We need to get there before dark."
"Where?" Andrew asked curiously. "Home is the opposite way."
"Patience little lord," he teased. "You'll see soon enough."
———-
They arrived at dusk to a large deep pond.
"I still don't understand what we're doing." Andrew quipped, still laid across the knight's large shoulder.
Without a word Hebaron put the boy down and began to remove his boots.
Still confused, Andrew copied the knight, removing his own shoes. The moment dragged on and Hebaron remained silent. The young boy's impatience began to flare.
"What now?!" Andrew blurted out, his patience at its peak.
"Now," Hebaron said with a wicked grin, "we can cool off."
He swiftly scooped up the boy again and launched him into the air.
The boy's scream was cut short as his body hit the water with a loud splash. His clothes were immediately soaked, but what did it matter if they were already drenched in sweat.
Hebaron gave a hearty laugh as he charged into the pond. He allowed the water to sooth his aching muscles and relax his overheated skin.
The knight let out a content sigh as he closed his eyes. The moment didn't last. He was soon doused with a large splash of water. His eyes flew open and he saw a very angry miniature version of his commander glaring at him a few feet away.
The knight simply raised an eyebrow at the boy and began to turn away pretending to be unbothered before quickly pivoting and moving his hand across the water to splash his attacker.
The two were soon in the throes of battle. Splashing, kicking, yelling and occasional cursing rang out in the early hours of the night.
The hour grew late and the knight decided it was time to head home.
"Time to get back," Hebaron said as he began to make his way to the shallow end of the pond.
"Just a little longer!" Andrew protested.
"The moon is getting higher by the minute. We've already stayed longer than we should have," said the knight with his back still facing the boy.
Hebaron heard a large splash behind him. And then nothing.
Thinking the boy was simply messing with him, without turning around he said, "No time for games, we need to get moving."
The silence stretched on, unwavering and uncomfortable.
Hebaron finally turned and saw that Andrew was nowhere to be seen. The water of the pond sat still and calm as though no one had disturbed it.
"This isn't funny Andrew." Hebaron said through gritted teeth, his nerves now on edge.
Still nothing. No "gotcha!" No splash. Just cold unnerving silence.
"Andrew!" Hebaron shouted urgently.
His eyes darted across the water looking for any sign of the young boy. His chest heaved as it became more and more difficult to breathe. Hebaron felt his heart clench in his chest with worry, not just because Andrew was the lord and lady's child but because Hebaron loved him. They all did. He would do anything to protect this family and right now he was failing all of them.
A small sputter of bubbles broke the calm surface of the water. Hebaron didn't hesitate. He dove back into the water swimming as fast as he could towards where he had seen that small sign of life beneath the water.
The clouds, which had covered the full moon, cleared away and allowed the knight to see somewhat of what was before him. It wasn't clear but what he could see nearly made him scream. A massive water snake, the size of a vanity, had wrapped itself around Andrew's helpless body, squeezing him. The snake's dark scales glistened under the harsh moonlight as it slowly twisted its body around its prey. The boy's eyes were wide with fear and his face was contorted in pain as he desperately tried to hold his breath. His little hands tried to pull the snake away but to no avail, alas his struggles only appeared to make the snake clutch him tighter.
The knight shook his head vigorously as he tried to overcome the shock of the dreadful scene before him. Rage rushed through his veins as his blood boiled. He let out a yell which was muffled by the water as he swam deeper towards the boy and the serpent. He grabbed the throat of the snake and pulled both the snake and the boy to the surface. Andrew gasped for air as they broke the surface but the snake would not release its hold. Hebaron dragged the snake, with Andrew in tow, to the shore. The snake writhed as it struggled, needing water to breathe. Hebaron yanked the dagger free from his belt and drove it into the snake's throat over and over. The snake soon went limp and no longer moved. Hebaron quickly discarded the dagger and began to untangle the snake from around Andrew.
Remarkably the boy seemed mostly unharmed, shaken up no doubt, but besides a few scratches he seemed fine. The knight embraced the child, holding Andrew's head against his chest.
"You're okay," Hebaron repeated over and over. Whether he said it to reassure himself or the boy, he wasn't sure.
After taking a moment to catch their breath, Hebaron went to the water's edge and began to try to rinse off the dirt and blood from his hands and face. Andrew joined him and tried to wipe off the muddy sand he had been dragged through. Not a word was said between them as they washed the blood from their clothes and tried to process what they had just endured.
The pair slowly began to make their way back to the castle.
The knight let out a heavy sigh, breaking the silence between them.
"I'm a dead man," Hebaron groaned as he buried his head in his hand.
"How so?" Andrew asked, confused by the knight's words.
"It was my duty to look after you and I failed." Hebaron said. "You could have been seriously hurt or worse and it would have been all my fault."
"Dad will forgive you," Andrew said cheerily, trying to keep the knight's spirits up. "He always does...eventually."
Andrew then added quietly almost under his breath, "You're like a brother to him."
Hebaron stopped in his tracks. Unable to move.
"What did you say?" he asked quietly.
"You and Dad are brothers," Andrew said, louder this time.
"No we're not." Hebaron said, brushing off the boy's words.
"You fought beside him and have stood by him for years!" Andrew argued.
"That doesn't make us brothers," Hebaron said flatly.
"Well then," Andrew asked seriously, "what makes someone a brother?"
"A brother watches your back," Hebaron said. "He encourages you, protects you, teases you to no end, and sets you straight when you're too angry to see reason."
Andrew was silent for a long time, thinking over everything the knight had said.
"Aren't you all of those things when it comes to my father?"
Hebaron stood there stunned by the small child's words. A small smile which widened into a grin stretched across the knight's face.
"Even though he may not always show it, don't you know that Dad would watch your back and do the same for you?" Andrew continued still trying to prove his point.
Hebaron reached out and ruffled the child's messy hair.
"You've made your point," he said with a laugh in the back of his throat.
They continued on their walk and eventually reached the castle. The Commander and the Lady stood with lanterns waiting for their return.
"Where on earth have you been?!" Maximilian scolded as she drowned them with questions. "We've been worried sick! Why are your clothes damp?"
"I'm alright Mother." Andrew groaned tiredly as she looked at him with worry and anger in her eyes. "Can we please discuss this tomorrow? We're exhausted."
As much as the troubled parents desperately wanted answers, they could see how utterly tired their son was. It would be better to ask in the morning when they are both more alert.
"We will discuss this first thing in the morning in my office," Riftan said a little too calmly.
The quiet calm tone of the Commander's voice caused both the knight and boy to flinch.
Hebaron began to make his way to his quarters while Maximilian and Riftan started to take their son to his room. The knight turned when he thought he heard the boy call out to him.
"What?" he shouted down the long corridor.
Andrew turned around and shouted with a happy wave, "Goodnight Uncle Hebaron!"