A/N: This fic is dedicated to homesweethomicide13. I hope it lived up to your expectations. XD It's just a little snippet of what I imagine they would have been like. I know he's not that young, but he's far younger than he was in the series. :)
This is probably the last post for a few weeks, as I'm going on holiday. :D
Disclaimer: Well, I own any mistakes, but not the series.
"I was the grown son of their nursemaid, Min, but they did not know me, or I them. While they were at their lessons I was already training to be a palace guard." – Barda, page 69-70, 'The Forests of Silence'
A Nursemaid's Pride and Joy
At the age of sixteen, Barda had been acknowledged as one of the trainee palace guards, destined to protect the royal family with his life. He was very young to be accepted to train for such a dangerous task, but he had proven himself worthy, and Min could not be more proud of him. She was a nursemaid, and of a rather small stature, important to the royal family but not doing anything life threatening (though she did sometimes worry that taking care of young Endon and Jarred would send her to an early grave, as looking after them was a stressful task). Min was pleased to know that Barda had taken after his father, tall and muscular and very intimidating, but with a kind heart.
She smiled as she saw him sitting at the table in her quarters, calmly awaiting her arrival. At eighteen years of age, Barda had nearly completed his training, and she knew he was looking forward to beginning to work. He had been training so hard for two years.
"Hello, mother. You seem tired," he said quietly, standing and kissing her cheek as she reached him.
"I am indeed. The little boys ran off again, and I had a terrible time trying to find them, though I did have a rather interesting conversation with the chef. They have been wreaking havoc in the kitchens as well, it seems," she replied, kissing his cheek while it was still near her. Her son really did tower over her.
"Mischievous little things," Barda shook his head.
"Well, come and sit, dear. Tell me about your day. How is my boy doing?" she asked affectionately, chuckling at the disgruntled look that came over his face.
"I am not a boy anymore," he muttered. Min chuckled again, brushing off his jacket in case any dust was on it.
Barda sat back down again, his arms folded, looking quite relaxed. "Well, today we were practicing sword fighting again. We were working with the newest trainees, and some of them had very little idea what they were doing. I was quite lucky. When the bell rung for us to stop, the one I was working with decided to get in a final blow. I dodged most of it, though he did manage to cut me a little. I will be surprised if he is allowed to come back, as he broke two very important rules. He used a sharp sword, and continued even when we were commanded to stop," Barda told her.
"Where were you cut?" Min demanded, instantly worried.
"It is just a scratch," Barda said, and then rolled up his sleeve after receiving a sharp look.
"Young hot-heads," Min muttered, immediately bustling around the room and coming back with ointment and a cloth. She began tending to the cut, small though it was.
"Mother, there is really no need to fuss-," Barda started, but was cut off.
"Be very careful to watch those inexperienced ones next time. And when was the last time you washed your jacket, young man? It is filthy. And have you been eating properly? You are looking a little pale. All that exercise must be wearing you out, make sure you get plenty of sleep as well," She said firmly, now bandaging the little cut.
"Mother, it does not need bandages, really," Barda said, regarding her with a fond but exasperated look in his eyes. "You really do fuss too much."
"Nonsense. You would probably lose your head if it was not attached to your neck, what with training so much that you would not have time to find it again. Always too busy to care of yourself properly," she muttered, tying the bandage and gazing at her work in satisfaction.
"Thank you, mother," Barda said gruffly, slipping his sleeve back over his arm.
"Yes, yes," Min said absently. Going over to the bench, she chopped up an apple and handed it to him, oblivious of his amused look. She really did fuss too much, not that he really minded, though it could try his patience sometimes.
Finishing his apple, Barda said, "May I be excused? My jacket is dirty, and I could use a clean set of clothes."
"Of course, dear. Leave your dirty things on your bed and I will wash them for you," Min said, waving Barda's thanks away as he walked off. Min had insisted that Barda was to live with her still, as she did not deem the guards' quarters at all suitable. At her nagging, his superiors had eventually allowed him to, having her speak of her own loneliness and lack of a husband too many times. Barda's father had died in an accident when he was only very small, so he did not remember him, and he was willing to continue to live with her if it kept her happy. He could hardly leave his mother living all by herself in the palace.
Min smiled again as she begun to prepare dinner. Barda was a brave boy, and she was certain that he would be truly great when he finished his training. She was certain that he would accomplish a lot in his lifetime, and she was proud to be his mother. She often wondered about when Barda would meet that special girl, and what his children would be like, but she was content to let him marry in his own time. She had her little boy all to herself for the moment, and she could not love him more.