"Sammy," called Daniel, stepping forward slowly, keeping his twin brothers behind him. "Who's your friend?"
Sammy looked to Katelyn, asking her without words what he should do. As much as he wanted to keep her identity a secret, he couldn't lie to his brothers. And somehow, after watching him closely, Katelyn knew how he felt. So, nodding with a smile, she turned to the boys again and approached them with caution.
"I'm Katelyn," she said, holding out her hand. Daniel narrowed his eyes at her, trying to decipher her motions and intentions with his elder brother.
"Daniel, don't be rude," scolded Sammy, crossing his arms with warning. Grudgingly, Daniel let out a heavy sigh and shook her hand stiffly. The twins skipped past Daniel suddenly and smiled up at her, snatching up her hands and shaking them forcefully, so much Katelyn feared they would fall off.
"We're twins," they chimed in time. Katelyn laughed as they introduced themselves separately and marvelled in how to tear them apart. They looked the same, right down the chin and straight nose. They were skinny and each had a smear of dirt under their left eye. Had they done that on purpose?
Sammy came close and whispered in her ear, "Lewis has a different colour eye."
Katelyn looked then, closely and saw that he was right. William had a pair of green eyes, deep like the forest. Lewis has one green, one brown like tree bark.
"Hey, why did you tell her?" shrieked Lewis, running to his big brother and punching him in the gut. It didn't look like it hurt, but Sammy pretended it did; groaning and falling back in play. William quickly joined in, leaping on his back and strangling Sammy with his arms under his neck. Daniel rolled his eyes and went over to Harry to take him out harm's way. Cecil stepped forward, watching his family with a smile.
"I'm Cecil, by the way," he said, reaching out for Katelyn. She smiled at him, shaking his hand. "Are they always like this?" she asked.
"It's gotten worse, since our mother died," he replied with a sigh, pushing up his glasses by the rim.
Katelyn stared at him. "What?"
"Oh, I assumed you knew," he stuttered, scratching his arm nervously. She shook her head and looked to Sammy, his brothers on either side of him; smiling and playing rock, paper scissors. Their smiles came so easily, she never would have guessed they lost the most important woman in their lives. She felt her throat close and her heart tightened. How are they keeping themselves together? Katelyn knew she would be an emotional wreck, if anything happened to either one of her parents. But seeing Sammy smile, the sparkle in his eyes as his brothers laughed at him when he lost, Katelyn knew how he hadn't broken down. The answer was in the five boys around him.
Sammy looked up then, catching her eye. Her lips trembling, she smiled at him. He frowned slightly, wondering why she looked distressed. So admitting defeat, he got to his feet and walked over to her; Daniel watching them as he stroked Harry's cheek. Cecil nodded to Katelyn and went to replace Sammy in the twin's game.
"What's wrong?" he asked softly, his hands in his pockets. Katelyn looked around the room at the boys and sucked in a breath.
"I'm sorry about your mother," she whispered. Sammy opened his mouth to speak, before Harry started crying. He turned to see Daniel shushing him and rocking his cot slightly, but he was still crying. Shadowing him, Katelyn followed Sammy over to the baby and looked inside to Harry's face bright red and small tears running down his cheeks. Sammy reached in and placed Harry over his shoulder; rubbing his back.
"Hey, it's okay" he whispered. Lewis and William had their hands over their ears and their eyes closed tightly. "Did you two feed him today?"
The two boys shook their heads, frowning. Cecil rushed over to the supply closet, collecting a bottle of milk and returning hastily. Sammy walked over to his bed and sitting down, placed Harry in the nook of his arm and asked for the bottle. Although he knew his baby brother preferred warm milk, cold will have to do. Harry fought the bottle for a moment, his wailing intensifying. From the forge below, Katelyn heard their father yell. "Will you keep him quiet! I'm trying to work here!"
Perhaps you should come up here and look after the baby yourself, she'd wanted to shout down to him, but seeing the boys flinch at his voice, she decided against it. She would only make things worse. The cries dead slowly, Harry finally accepting the bottle and drinking deeply. The twins removed their hands from their ears and hunched forward, their heads resting on their hands; watching the baby. Katelyn sat down beside Sammy and watched him coax Harry into drinking more and calling him a good boy.
Slowly, he looked up at her and sighed. "Have you ever lost someone so important, someone so irreplaceable, my Lady?"
Katelyn had lost her father, but not in the way he'd lost his mother. She shook her head and glanced round at the sombre looks on the boys faces.
"We lost our mother, when Harry was born," Sammy went on. "That was three months ago."
"I'm so sorry," she stammered. "I can't even imagine-"
"No one can," snarled Daniel suddenly, walking from the cot to sit beside Cecil on a bed. "They can be sorry all they want, but that won't bring her back."
"Daniel, that's enough," Sammy sighed, for the first time sounding exhausted. "You and Cecil better get back to work."
The elder boys nodded and pushed themselves up from the bed. At the trap door, Daniel turned as Cecil ascended the stairs. "I'll try to get some food for tonight."
Sammy only nodded, looking to his baby brother who was holding the bottle with his little, fragile fingers. Katelyn pressed her lips together and got up to find her saddlebag. The boys watched her with curiosity. When her hands closed round a leather pouch, she smiled; looking over her shoulder and urging the twins over to her. They ran to her immediately, their eyes widening in anticipation.
From a far, Sammy watched Katelyn whisper something to his brothers, putting something in their hands. Lewis and William nodded and suddenly darted out the room with a giggle. Katelyn stood up, looking rather proud of herself and scrolled back to his side.
"What did you give them?" he asked. She smiled without a word and nodded to the baby. "I think Harry's sleepy."
Sammy looked down then and saw his brother's eyes drooping. He smiled, taking the bottle away and returning him to his cot. Katelyn watched him, seeing a completely new side to Sammy. He may present himself as a strong, cocky and unyielding boy, but in his heart she saw him as a caring man, deeply devoted to his family, protective. Those boys were lucky to have him, more than they realised. Although she couldn't quite believe it, it seemed his father raised him right. Or maybe it was his mother's influence, she wouldn't ask until Sammy was ready. She owned him that much.
"When are you planning to leave?" he asked with his gaze on Harry. Katelyn stood, hugging herself. "I'll be leaving shortly before dusk. I only have eight days to reach the castle. After that...Belran and my father will be at the Justice's mercy."
Sammy stared at her. "Eight days? It's gonna take you about seven to reach the Grey Mountains. And Gods know how much longer to penetrate a path through them, unless you wanna be Vexx food."
"How do you-" she started, Sammy's laughter cutting her off. "I told you. There are things about me that will surprise you, my Lady."
She chuckled. "So it would seem."
"Well," Sammy sighed, standing up straight. "Before you go, you should stay and eat with us. If you're riding for the next village, it will take about four hours at best, depending on your horse."
"You've really thought this through, haven't you?" she clued, crossing her arms with a smirk.
"What? You think you're the only one who's dreamt of going places, having adventures? I've near enough mapped the entire kingdom in my mind. I know where I'll be going and how long it'll take me."
"What about your family?" she asked timidly. "What about the forge? I gather that you are the eldest and will inherit it, once your father passes."
He grunted, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes to the floor. "Yeah, I'm my father's heir but it doesn't mean I like it. If I had a choice, I would be out there right now, chasing down monsters and making a name for myself-"
"You really have thought this through, haven't you?" she laughed, walking round Harry's cot and looking in. Across the way, Sammy gazed at her until she looked back; her silver eyes shining again, distracting him greatly.
"All my life I've wanted an adventure," he admitted softly. "To just go...and see the kingdom before this life, this duty takes over and I'm stuck here."
She nodded. "I understand that very well. I'm not only saving my father, but I am living out every dream I can along the way. I want to see things, wonderful things and meet people, just as me not a princess. Not someone people have to bow to and respect." She sighed, looking to Harry. "So yes, I understand you very well."
Sammy smiled, nibbling his lip when Lewis and William returned; their arms full of bags, both panting and sweating.
"What's all this?" he asked, rushing toward them and unburdening them of their goods; Katelyn followed him with a smile.
"Did you get everything?" she asked sweetly, looking to William who nodded with the brightest smile she'd ever seen. Sammy stared at her. "Get what?"
Katelyn turned to him and beamed. "Food. Enough to last you for a month or two. All of you."
"Your Grace-" he started, then remembering the twins, changed his line of thought. "This is too much-"
"Think of it as a thank you for helping me," she smiled, holding his arm and squeezing gently. "Just take it, Samuel."
He sighed. "It's Sammy, your Grace."
"Very well, if only you call me Katelyn," she countered with a grin. Sammy watched her carefully, unsure of whether she was jesting with him. A peasant should never call a noble by their first name. It was a clear distinction between the two classes of people and for him to cross that line, even with permission, was...well unheard of, ridiculous and treacherous.
"Are you sure? It's not very appropriate," he reminded her, but Katelyn snorted loudly; the twins giggling behind their hands. "I don't care about appropriate. I've lived with appropriate for nineteen years. I'm rather tired of it."
He chuckled in his throat. "Very well...Katelyn."
She beamed and then turned to the twins. "Right, are you two gonna help me prepare your supper?"
They nodded franticly and as she began discussing their plans, Sammy slipped away; intending on an afternoon nap.
"Hey!" Katelyn called suddenly, making him start and stare at her. "You're gonna help too."
He rolled his eyes and scrolled over to join them. Descending the stairs, leaving the forge and heading into the forest, Katelyn told the boys to search for a rabbit or two or anything that took their fancy. The boys ran off into the forest, their second home with Katelyn's small dagger in Lewis' hand. As she scrolled away, conducting her own search Sammy watched her; stroking the trees and looking to the canopy with wonder in her eyes and face. For a reason he couldn't understand, he felt his heart begin to race and stutter within his chest. His thoughts turned to useless mush.
Gods, what is happening to me? He asked himself, shaking away the feeling and turning in the opposite direction, away from Katelyn and her obviously distracting beauty. After all this time, Lady Fate still had a few tricks up her sleeve. Good or bad? Sammy knew, only time would tell.