'Seriously, you've gone through this wardrobe four times. You've not going to find anything else you need.' Fergus' inner voice groaned as he sorted through a pile of old shirts. "Mother was right, you're still trying to pack" came a voice, followed by the sound of someone dropping to sit on the bed-frame. "And she sent you to hound me, no doubt… or are you here to size your brother's room up, for you to take?"

Shrugging, Aedan looked around the room in question. "I got sent upstairs – I guess Mother wanted me out of the way while they talk to the Howes." "Maybe she thought Thomas was about to start on you again?" "Or Delilah… she's apparently decided to hate me ever since she turned 10. I guess they just see me as being under-foot, and you're the friend."

"You're a little eager for their liking. The whole family are just… reserved?"

Stifling a giggle, the younger brother smirked. "Nan says it's because they all inherit a personality that could shrivel fruit on the branch."

Laughing, Fergus grabbed the errant shirt pile and dropped it onto the bed. "You might as well put those away somewhere for keeping, looks like they've been buried back there for years." On impact, the top half shifted and slowly fell onto Aedan's foot. While Fergus took another last look inside, Aedan leant down to restack the shirts and found a small book to be the cause of their imbalance. Staring at the unlabelled, simple brown cover, he opened the book to a page with a folded corner. Finally abandoning the wardrobe, Fergus turned to see his brother staring at the book in confusion.

"What have you found there? An old diary of mine?" Not even registering the question, Aedan turned a page. "Hello? I didn't think my journals were that interesting." The boy's eyes looked up, as he flicked back to the front of the book. "'Meserre Martine's third volume of Orlesian exotic verse', the title page calls it." Frowning, Fergus quickly walked over while his brother turned back to the earlier page. Snatching up the book, he spun through a couple of pages before stopping on an illustration. 'I guess it wasn't found by one of the maids back then…' "Shouldn't you be in your room, or running around with some friends?"

Shrugging again, Aedan still watched his brother in confusion. "The last time I met friends was last year in Redcliff, and I barely remember them, after the fever I picked up before we left. What's that book?"

"You shouldn't have run around in the driving rain, then. Those little friends of yours were smarter than that, of course. Couldn't you write them, or invite them to stay while I'm away?"

"Maybe… I'm still trying to remember if they said where to post something to them. Maybe if I send the Arlessa a letter first, and ask if she knows how to contact them."

"If not, you can always run around with Ser Gilmore's son when he visits. He seemed to get along with you, last time he was here."

"Yeah… that'd be easier than trying to get out of the castle, with Nan and Mother still keeping me inside once the winter winds hit. I'd rather you stayed, though."

"It's just the custom we all have to do, studying abroad for two years. You'll go, soon enough." Looking at a shelf, Fergus reached up for something. "This is another tradition, too." Handing over a large wooden carving of a Mabari, he continued. "It's been passed through the Couslands for years. It's meant to guard and provide bravery to the young in our family, until they can stand for themselves. Father gave it to me, which I guess means I pass it to you now."

Turning the figurine around in his hands, Aedan looked back to his brother again. "Thanks, Fergus. What was that book?"

Groaning, he stuffed it into a satchel. "The book…. Ask me again when you're a bit older than nine. If you promise to not mention it to anyone, I'll tell you when I come back from…. Antiva, I think, is the last stop I make."

"By anyone, you mean Mother?"

"Spot on, little brother." Ruffling Aedan's hair, he waved him out of the room. "I better join the guests too."

Fergus closed his door. Looking around the massive common room that adjoined the Cousland chambers, he let out a breath. "Don't grow up too much, while I'm gone, Pup."

"Don't you start with that… A pup wouldn't come back downstairs to put up with Thomas, would he?"

"I don't know… would you?"

Aedan simply stuck out his tongue in response, then took up pace beside his brother as they walked down downstairs in unison.