Author's Note: Just a quickie here, those of you that like Avatar: The Last Airbender, keep your eyes peeled for a humorous reference. ;P

Chapter 2: Kent's Arrival

The next day, Sain, Fiora, and both the children were up as early as eight bells. There was no telling exactly when Kent would arrive for his visit, and the family wanted to be sure things were ready for him. Sain prepared the couch in the living room so the knight could sleep on it. Their house didn't have a guest room since they couldn't afford a home any larger than a small one with four bedrooms. Sain placed a clean folded blanket and two clean pillows on one side so they would be ready to use in the evenings and he moved the decorative couch pillows to a closet. He also made sure that the cushions were clean and fluffy enough. Fiora went to the market to buy supplies, such as food to feed Kent's horse in case he ran out himself and so she could feed an extra mouth. Nick and Emily helped tidy up the house. Not that it was filthy, but it was good to make sure every room was spotless anyway.

Sain also gathered more wood for the fireplace, which thankfully was in the living room as well. He knew Kent was hardly used to a lot of cold weather, so he wanted his friend to be as comfortable as possible during his stay. While Fiora and Emily put groceries away, Nick helped his father stack the wood neatly behind the house where they kept all their firewood.

"Dad, I'm so excited! I can't wait to show Kent what you taught me about swords!" Nick blurted happily as he piled sticks and small logs. Sain stacked the heavier pieces of wood.

"I bet! And I'm sure he'll want to see," he replied with a large grin. "After all, you're a big kid now!"

"Yep, I sure am! And I'm gonna get even better with a sword! In fact, I might even get better than you and Kent."

Sain merely chuckled.

"Oh yeah? Well, that would take a lot of practice," he said.

"Hey, I can sure try!" Nick protested with a smile.

"Heh, indeed, you can. And if you put your mind to it, maybe someday, you will."

"Awesome!"

"Well, after we're done here, how about we go out and prepare the pasture? We'll need to fill up the water and food troughs completely if Sampson, Lilac, and Goldie are to all have enough to eat and drink."

"Okay, I can help with that!"

Sampson was the name of Kent's horse while Lilac and Goldie were Fiora's Pegasus and Sain's horse respectively. When Kent had named his steed, he felt that it deserved a knightly name because it was a warhorse and Sampson sounded perfect. Fiora had picked her Pegasus's name from a list of pet names she once found and decided Lilac was her favorite. Sain had always wanted a female horse due to his interest in women, as the steed's gender reminded him of the beautiful ladies he had been attracted to. The name Goldie sounded like a name of great value, just like those women. Sain only hoped that the pasture would have enough room for Kent's horse. Steeds needed plenty of space to run around and get exercise, after all. All Sain could do was hope for the best.

It didn't take much longer for Sain and Nick to finish with the wood. Within several more minutes, every piece was neatly stacked and organized. The two then headed back into the house to let Fiora know, so she could later get a warm fire going for when Kent arrived. Sain entered the kitchen, the smell of eggs and pancakes reaching his nose.

"Ahhh, that smells so good!" he complimented with a smile.

"Hee hee, I'm glad," Fiora replied, returning the gesture. "I'm not the best cook ever, but I'm glad I do well enough for us."

"I think you cook well too, Mommy!" Emily cried from nearby. She was placing dishes on the table for when everyone was ready to eat.

"Aw, thank you, sweetie."

"Yeah, we all think so, Mom!" Nick added. "Why wouldn't we? We've been eating your meals for a long time."

"Heh, that's true," Fiora agreed. "And I know pancakes are a favorite of Kent's, so this meal will be special for him."

"Ah, yeah, that's right," Sain realized. "Not that the rest of us don't like them, of course. We just want to show our appreciation to him!"

"Exactly."

"Well, anyway, Nick and I finished stacking the firewood, so you can light up the fireplace anytime you're ready," Sain continued.

"Oh, thank you, that's wonderful. I'll get to it soon then," Fiora decided.

"Alright, then I'll take Nick out back so we can make sure the food and water troughs are full so the mounts have enough to eat and drink while Kent's here. Gotta make sure the lanterns in there are going as well so the water doesn't freeze over."

"Okay. Oh, but wait, that reminds me. Sain, could you be a dear and run into town to get more water? I didn't have enough room to bring back much when I was out. And Goldie is stronger and heavier than Lilac anyway, so she can carry more weight."

"Ah, but of course. Anything for you, hun."

"I'll go along to help out! We've gotta bring back a lot of water," Nick added.

"Oh, you both are so sweet," Fiora commented. "Thank you so much."

"You're quite welcome," Sain replied with a loving smile. "Well, let's get going, Nick!"

"Alright!" Nick agreed. With that, the two headed back outside to saddle up Goldie and make the trip into town. Thankfully, the two didn't have to go very far. The nearest local water well was only a few blocks away from their home. This meant that they would likely be back before Kent arrived. After Sain strapped the saddle and reins to Goldie, he attached a small wagon to the belt of the saddle and placed four large canteens that were the size of small barrels on it as well as four smaller ones that were about half that size. He then lifted Nick atop the horse's back and then mounted himself. This wasn't the first time Nick had gotten to ride a horse with his father, so he was familiar with how to do so safely. He held onto the noose on the front of the saddle so he wouldn't fall off. Sain then took hold of the reins and navigated the horse into town.

"Hang on, Nick!" Sain instructed as he had Goldie go into a trot down two streets. When the water well, which was located at the top of a small hill at the side of a road, came into view, Sain slowed Goldie to a walk and had her gradually climb to it. The hill had a gentle slope, so it was no trouble for the mare, even with two riders. At the top, the keeper of the well had a small wooden shack, so those buying water could pay for it.

After Sain dismounted and helped Nick off of Goldie's back, the two removed the canteens from the wagon. Sain took the larger ones while Nick grabbed the smaller two. He then instructed Nick to fill the bucket attached to the pulley on the well and help pour the water into the canteens. The two would then haul one canteen each at a time back to the wagon. The water cost two gold per gallon, and each of the four large canteens could hold six gallons while the smaller ones held three. That meant that each large canteen cost twelve gold while each small one cost six.

"Now how much gold would we have to pay in all?" Sain quizzed. "Can you figure that out, Nick?"

"Huh, let's see…" Nick contemplated as he pulled up the first bucket of water. "Six times four is easy. That's twenty four gold total for the small canteens. Now twelve times four… Twelve…twenty four…"

Nick then began counting twelve four times on his fingers.

"Forty eight gold total for the large canteens!" he blurted out moments later and then poured water into the first large canteen.

"That's right! You're definitely paying attention to your education," Sain complimented. "Now just add twenty four to forty eight."

"Ooh, that's a toughie…" Nick replied. "I'd have to do it on parchment first."

"Heh, yeah, at first it seems difficult for a boy your age. But there's an easy way to do it. Try adding twelve to forty eight two times."

"Ah, I can try that. Let' see… Forty eight plus twelve…that's sixty! Then twelve more…seventy two! Seventy two gold total!"

"You got it! Your mother's been teaching you well, it seems!"

"Yeah, she teaches me and Emily something almost every day! She even says you should start teaching me more than just swordplay and outdoor stuff too. Haha."

"Ah, well…" Sain uttered in abashment with a guilty smile. "I guess there is more I can teach you both. Perhaps some history behind the Caelin knights someday?"

"Oh, that sounds fascinating! Just no more boring math and reading! I get that enough from Mom."

"Haha, sure. I'll leave that to your mother then. I didn't like that stuff either when I was your age. But it's a necessity for many things."

"Yeah, Mom told me that, but it's still way more boring than learning to use a sword!"

"Heh, I must agree with you on that one."

With that, the two continued to haul up water and pour it into the canteens. Once the first large canteen was full, Sain carefully carried it back to the wagon and reloaded it. Nick carried the smaller ones once they were full so his father didn't exhaust himself trying to move all of them. Of course, since Nick was much smaller, the weight of the canteens forced him to move slowly, but he was strong enough to do the job without hurting himself. Sain was sure to keep an eye on him as well.

Sometime later, Sain was working on the third large canteen while Nick hauled back the third small one, which was already full. As he was slowly moving towards the wagon, however, a bug whizzed right by his face, causing him to flinch and lose his balance. Nick tried to regain it, but he only tumbled to the ground, the canteen of water flying out of his hands. It went rolling down the slope, right towards a man walking by. By the time he had heard it, however, it was too late. The canteen slammed into him and knocked him to the road below.

"AAAUGH!" the man bellowed as the canteen struck the side of his torso. It also popped open during its tumble, splashing water all over his body. Sain and Nick gasped and quickly ran down to see if he was alright.

"Oh! I-I'm so sorry, Sir," Nick apologized shakily. The man was wearing slightly tattered clothing and had a rugged face, as well as a muscular build very similar to Sain's. A beard had begun to grow in and his brown hair was somewhat shaggy. A giant wet spot sat in the middle of his pale blue shirt. Water had splashed his pants as well.

"Are you okay?" Nick continued.

"Yeah, do you need a hand?" Sain added.

"Ugh…" the man moaned. He sat up and angrily threw the canteen off of himself, shooting Nick a nasty glare.

"You little runt!" the man spat, clutching his side as he got up. He then slowly approached Nick. Sain quickly stepped between them and growled.

"Hey! My son said he was sorry!" he shot back. "Now back off!"

"And let the snot-nosed brat get away with almost breakin' my ribs?!" the man retorted.

"He didn't mean to do it! You lay a finger on my boy, and you'll regret it!"

"Ha, I'm shakin'!"

With that, the man tried to approach Nick once more, only to be stopped when Sain drew back his fist and clocked him in the mouth. What looked like a molar went flying past his lips and blood trickled down his chin. The man growled again as he wiped it away.

"Ye'll pay fer that, you punk!" he shouted and charged at Sain. However, he moved so swiftly that Sain hadn't enough time to counter and was knocked to the ground. The man remained on top of him and rammed his fist into his face at least a couple times.

"AAH!" Sain bellowed loudly when the man's elbow struck his arm and his side.

"Dad! NO!" Nick shouted, tears building up in his eyes. He quickly threw his hands over his eyes, as he did not want to see his father get beaten. Unfortunately, he heard Sain's cries a few more times.

However, he was not finished. He quickly recovered from the blows and rammed his knee into the man's gut, forcing him to cry out in pain instead. Sain then shoved the bottom of his foot into his chest, forcing the man off of him. He quickly stood up afterward, despite the immense pain in the left side of his face and torso and the blood trickling from his nose. The man clumsily followed suit after and tried to swing at Sain again. Only this time, Sain was prepared and ducked to avoid it. He clocked the man one more time, and finished by going into a wheel kick. Sain swore he heard the man's jaw crack when his foot struck it. The impact was so strong, it sent the man tumbling back down the hill and crashing into a nearby vegetable stall that was part of a market. A table and tapestry covering fresh vegetables to prevent the cold from spoiling them was smashed to the ground.

"Noooo! My cabbages!" the vendor's voice shouted. The man did not get up this time, allowing Sain to relax. By now, he was panting slightly and still in great pain.

"Nick?" he called as he turned around. However, the boy was nowhere to be found.

"Nick! Where are you?!" Sain repeated frantically.

"Oh, I'm right here…" Nick finally replied, crawling out from behind the well. By this time, he had run to hide out of fear.

"Thank goodness," Sain uttered with a sigh of relief.

"Ah! Dad, you look terrible!" Nick cried fearfully. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay, I think. I'm real sorry you had to see that. I only wanted to protect you."

"I know… You were really brave, Dad. I was just afraid that man was going to badly hurt you."

"Heh, thanks. And don't worry, I understand. But we should finish up and get out of here quickly. I'm glad there's only one large canteen left. My face, my side, and my arm hurt so bad… And the blood on my nose is freezing up… Ugh, your mother is going to kill me."

"Oh no… But Dad, Mom will understand when we tell her what happened!"

"Augh… Yeah, well, I'm afraid it's not that easy with her."

"But she's just gotta. You weren't being bad, that mean man was."

"That's true… Let's just hope your mother agrees. Now let's hurry. This cold is hardly helping me and we don't want to be here when that guy wakes up."

"Okay…"

With that, the pair quickly got the last two canteens filled up. Since Sain was still in pain, Nick decided to help carry the large one back to the wagon. He took one end of the canteen while Sain picked up the other. It still hurt, but he knew there was nothing else he could do. Nick was nowhere near strong enough to carry six gallons of water by himself. Within the next minute, Nick finished the final small canteen, and the two were ready to go back home. Hopefully, Kent was not there yet, and Sain could treat his wounds before he did arrive. The only thing Sain hated was that he would have to greet his best friend with a black eye. The area around his left one was turning red and purple rapidly and it was swelling a little. And by now, the blood on his nose and lip hung from his skin frozen like icicles. He probably had bruises on his arm and side too. Sain was lucky that the man had missed his ribs.

After the wagon was completely reloaded and ready to bring back home, Sain and Nick went to the shack to pay for the water. No way was Sain leaving his son outside alone while the man from before was still lying on the ground nearby, and could possibly wake up at any time. Not long after they entered, the well keeper greeted them, and it didn't take long for him to notice Sain's blackening eye.

"Holy… Sir Sain, I thought I heard some commotion out there," he said. "What happened to your face?"

"Oh, a jerk threatened my son here after a little accident left the guy soaked and bruised from a runaway canteen," Sain explained. "I had to keep him from hurting my boy, so I fought him off. But I have seventy two gold ready for thirty six gallons of water, so here. I apologize, but I must get home soon so I can treat my wounds, and I'm expecting a friend to visit real soon."

"Oh, I see. And don't worry, I understand," the keeper replied and took the gold. "That eye of yours has gotten dark and swollen, so you definitely need to put something on it as soon as you can. Though, it's really a bummer that your friend has to see you like this."

"Yeah, true… But I have to deal with it. Thanks a lot for your consideration."

"But of course. Now hurry and help that eye!"

"Right!"

With that, Sain and Nick left and hurriedly returned to Goldie. Thankfully, the man from earlier was still out cold, and no other attention besides that of the vendor of the lost cabbages had been drawn to the scene. At least for now, there wasn't. The vendor was nowhere to be found, which meant that he could've rushed off to find some militia or mercenaries who would get the wrong idea. And Fiora would really chew him out if that happened. Sain could only hope that he could straighten things out with her before then.

Since Goldie was now pulling a heavy load, Sain chose to guide her back to the house on foot while Nick followed. It would take longer to get home this way, but it also saved Goldie energy as well as Sain the trouble of irritating his injuries by trying to mount her. As they headed away from the well and around a block, Sain's teeth began to chatter almost violently. The icy cold of the frozen blood on his nose chilled his face to the bone. And even worse, snow began to fall. Damn that stupid bastard… Sain vented in his mind, wondering why the man he had beaten couldn't have just left Nick alone. Fiora's going to go through the roof when she sees me like this… And I won't even get started on how Emily will react.

"Aaagh! If only I'd had a sword or lance with me! I would've crushed that guy in seconds!" Sain opined in frustration. "And I wouldn't be in so much pain right now…"

"Yeah, Dad, but… Nobody knew we'd run into a man like that," Nick pointed out.

"Well, that's true. Man, am I glad we're almost home."

By this time, the pair had passed by the second block and their house was in sight. Sain quickened his pace as much as he could and led Goldie to the pasture in back, where he could unhook the wagon and return the horse to her stall. He would have to unload the water later, as his wounds needed attention first. It would be too painful to lift one of the large canteens anyway. After Sain and Nick put Goldie away, they quickly headed into the house, embracing the warmth from the burning flames in the fireplace. Sain was glad to be inside a warm building again, but he loathed Fiora's inevitable reaction to his injuries. Unfortunately, the first person he and Nick beheld when they closed the back door was Emily.

"Eeeep!" she cried when she saw her father's face. "Daddy, you're hurt! Hold on, I'll get Mommy!"

"E-Emily, wait! I can tell—!" Sain tried to interrupt. However, Emily didn't pay attention and rushed to the kitchen. Damn it…

"Mommy!" the girl blurted frantically upon bursting through the door.

"Oh, Emily! What's the matter?" Fiora inquired, having just placed finished pancakes onto a plate.

"You gotta come quick! Daddy got hurt badly while he and Nick were gone!"

Fiora's eyes bulged wide when she heard these words.

"What?!" she exclaimed.

"His face got beat up!" Emily continued. "It looks horrible!"

"Oh! Quick, go get a wet cloth while I have a chat with your father."

"Okay! Poor Daddy…"

With that, Emily rushed off to the bathroom while Fiora quickly dropped her spatula and darted into the living room. She gasped when she beheld her husband sitting upon the couch. Just as Emily had described, Sain's face looked terrible. His left eye had become swollen and turned purple and blue while partially frozen blood hung from his nostrils and mouth. The warm fire was gradually melting the blood, however, and it had begun oozing down Sain's chin. He had attempted to wipe some away with his hands so as not to get any on his clothes.

"Oh no! Sain, what on earth happened to you?!" Fiora frantically wondered. "You look absolutely awful!"

"Well, I…" Sain began, but could not figure out how to continue.

"…You got into a fight with someone, didn't you?" Fiora guessed, some irritation in her voice.

"Please, I can explain…" Sain replied, though it almost sounded like a plea. "It's not what you think."

"Oh, it isn't? You know I don't like you getting into fist fights in front of our children! It's a bad influence!"

"I know, but I didn't just randomly start throwing punches!"

"Yeah, Mom, it was my fault," Nick stepped in, sniffling. "I'm really sorry."

"What? What are you talking about, Nick?" Fiora inquired, bringing her hands to her hips.

"Nick, that's nonsense," Sain added. "You know very well that you aren't to blame."

"But Dad, you were only trying to protect me! If I hadn't hurt that man—"

"Please, just be quiet right now, alright?"

"Sigh… Fine…"

Before anyone could say anything else, Emily entered the room again.

"Here you go, Mommy," she said and handed Fiora the wet cloth she brought. Fiora then practically shoved it in Sain's face, so he could clean the now-wet blood off of it.

"Sain, what happened?" Fiora asked again, this time in a more demanding tone. "Why would Nick hurt someone?"

"He didn't mean to," Sain countered. "He was carrying a smaller canteen back to the wagon when he tripped and dropped it down the hill. It slammed into a man walking by, knocking him over. The cork popped off and the water got all over him. He threatened Nick after he got up, and I told him to back off, but he didn't. I clocked him, and then…well, we got into it."

"What?! Are you serious?"

"Yes! I'm really sorry…"

"Ugh…Sain… You couldn't prevent the situation from getting violent at all?"

"No, I couldn't. Honest, I tried to. But that guy was going to hurt Nick, maybe seriously."

"I see… But I don't want our children to think that violence is always a valid solution to conflicts. Nor do I want them to be frightened."

"I know… I just…I couldn't bear the thought of Nick ending up in a clinic or something because of this guy, especially when Kent's on his way."

"I understand. And I guess you really didn't have a choice in this case. But don't forget what I've said."

"Don't worry, I won't."

"I won't either, Mom," Nick added. "I was scared, but I'll try not to fight someone unless I really have to, just like Dad."

"Yeah, me too," Emily seconded.

"Good. I'm glad to hear all of you say that," Fiora replied. "Now Sain, get some ice or snow on that eye as soon as you're done cleaning up your nose. I have to finish breakfast. I only wish Kent didn't have to see you like this after so long."

"Alright. And believe me, I hate that as much as you do."

"I bet."

With that, Fiora retreated back to the kitchen while Nick offered to start getting the water unloaded by moving the small canteens. Sain continued to rub at his painful nose, hoping the bleeding would stop soon. Thankfully, the bone didn't feel broken. The aching in his side had also subsided, meaning once he was finished treating his injuries, Sain could unload the large water canteens. He soon noticed that Emily had not left the room, however. She merely stood there, her large eyes filled with worry.

"Daddy," she spoke up. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Oh, yes, I'll be fine," Sain replied. "I know I must have frightened you. I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry, it's alright. I can go make you an ice pack, if you want. Mommy taught me how to do it with the ice and snow outside."

"Huh, is that so? Then that would be great, sweetheart. Thank you."

"Okay then! I'll be right back!"

With that, Emily rushed back into the kitchen to get a thin cloth. Fiora always made ice packs by placing a handful of snow and ice on it, then tying it closed with a string. It actually looked similar to a vulnerary, a gold pouch containing healing medicine, only smaller. Once the ice and snow melted, the cloth would be wet, but the cold water would still work just as well. Plus, Sain had more to worry about than getting his face wet. Having to greet Kent like this was bad enough. But what if he wanted to explore the town during his stay? Or go hang out at places besides the house? Sain detested the idea of going out in public with his eye as black as it was, especially with a friend as close as Kent. He'd not only draw attention to himself, but to Kent as well. And Sain would never live it down if this led to trouble. Kent was supposed to be relaxing and spending time with his friends during his visit, even if Ilia wasn't exactly the ideal vacation spot. Stress was the last thing Sain wanted to cause him at a time like that.

Damn it… I hope you'll forgive me for this, Kent, Sain thought to himself with a sigh. He removed his cloth from his nose again to find that the bleeding had finally stopped. He then made sure to wipe away whatever was left before going to toss it in the dirty laundry. Sain sighed again when he made his return to the living room, realizing that he can only hope for the best in the situation. Once he walked back in the room, he found Emily there waiting for him, holding the ice pack she promised.

"Oh, Daddy, there you are!" she spoke up. "I was about to go find you! Here you go!"

Emily then held up the ice pack for her father.

"Ah, thank you so much," Sain replied and took it. He then pressed it against his still painful black eye. The chill of the snow and ice soothed the damaged skin and instantly drove some of the pain away.

"You're welcome!" Emily replied with a smile. However, it soon faded into a frown and her gaze moved to the floor.

"Is something wrong?" Sain wondered.

"Well…"

Sain then lowered to Emily's level and smiled.

"Hey, if anything is still bothering you, you can tell me. I'm right here," he assured his daughter.

"Okay. It's just… I'm still afraid because of that man you talked about," Emily admitted. "The one that was mean to Nick."

"I can understand. I would be scared too."

"But what if he tries to get back at you? He might hurt all of us."

"I wouldn't ever let that happen. I already fought him off once, so I can do it again if I must. He won't touch you as long as I'm here."

"Well, that's true… But he could go tell the…mileesha?"

"Heh, militia, sweetie."

"Oh, yeah, them. That man could lie about you and make them take you away. Mommy told me and Nick that they fight off bad people or put them in prison."

"Well, she's right, but if that happened, I'd straighten it out."

"How? They could think you're the liar."

"Don't worry, they won't. I have people to back me up. Your brother saw almost everything, if you remember. He can tell them what he saw."

"Oh yeah…"

"And what's more, the well keeper heard the commotion and there are people that can tell them I'm not a bad man. That vegetable vendor that lost part of his stall after I sent the mean man back down the hill might not agree, but he's just one person compared to many people that would side with me. Oh, and Kent will be here too, so you'll have double the protection. So don't worry, everything will be fine, alright?"

"Well, okay. Thank you, Daddy. I feel much better now!" Emily decided, a smile returning to her face.

"Heh, you're welcome, sweetie. I'd give you a hug, but it would be difficult while trying to hold this ice on my eye."

"Don't worry, I know. I'll just give you a hug instead!"

With that, Emily threw herself into her father's torso, allowing him to use his free arm to return the embrace.

"I love you, Daddy," she said. "You always make me feel better when I'm scared."

"Well, that's my job," Sain replied, stroking Emily's back. "And I love you too."

By now, Sain also felt better about the situation himself. Even if there was more trouble due to what had happened at the water well, Kent would sooner give up his post than refuse to protect those he cared for. He and Sain had been through far worse situations in the past as Caelin knights and they always had each other's backs. Sain realized he was a fool to believe Kent might feel his vacation ruined just because his best friend mistakenly attracted a little attention from the wrong people. Just as Sain said himself, things would work out fine.

"So, why don't you go finish helping Mommy?" Sain said once he and Emily let go of one another. "I'm sure she's still pretty busy."

"Oh! That's right, she said she wanted me to do something else for her," Emily remembered. "I'll go right now."

Emily had turned around to go back into the kitchen, but before she could take more than a few steps, Nick came barging into the room. A big smile was strewn upon his face.

"Dad! Emily! Kent's here!" Nick announced.

"He is?! Oh yay!" Emily cried, jumping up and down.

"Yeah, I saw him going down the road on Sampson while I was coming back inside! He's here, he's here!"

"Ah shoot, I was hoping to have a little more time to treat this eye before he got here…" Sain admitted. "I guess I'll just have to grin and bear it. Does your mother know?"

"Yeah, I told her before coming in here. She says she's almost done cleaning the kitchen and will be out in a little bit."

"Alright, then let's go greet Kent in the meantime," Sain proclaimed with a grin. "He's probably waiting for us!"

"Yeah!" both kids shouted excitedly.

With that, Emily grabbed her coat and the three headed through the front door to meet their guest. As Nick had said, Kent had indeed arrived. The orange-haired Caelin knight was atop Sampson waiting in front of the house for them. He then dismounted to greet his friends. Nick and Emily rushed up to him first.

"Kent!" they both cried at the same time. They buried themselves in Kent's torso, who chuckled happily.

"Heh heh hey, you two!" Kent greeted, wrapping his arms around both kids. "I guess you really missed me!"

"Of course we did!" Emily replied. "You're our best friend!"

"You're the coolest besides my dad!" Nick added. "And you both are the best knights ever!"

"Heh, I'm very glad to hear that!" Kent commented, letting both of them go so he could greet Sain. Of course, the first thing he noticed was his friend holding the ice pack on his eye.

"Whoa. Sain, what happened to your eye?" he wondered, arching an eyebrow. "I can see a lot of purple and blue under that ice pack."

"Hey there, Kent," Sain greeted with a smile. "I'm glad you made it here alright. And it's a long story."

Sain then repeated what had occurred at the water well earlier before and how he fought off the man that had threatened Nick.

"The guy was tougher than I thought. I ended up with a bloody nose too, but I already took care of that," he finished. "I'm sorry you had to see me like this."

"Wow. Don't worry, I'm just glad neither you nor Nick ended up in a clinic," Kent replied. "But if that man causes you anymore trouble, you know I'm here to help stop him."

"Thanks. I'm glad I can count on you. Anyway, it's been such a long time. I'm so glad we could meet up again."

"Same here, my friend. There's nothing else I would've rather done with my vacation time."

"Really? Even though it gets cold as hell here and it's across the continent?"

"I'm serious. Sain, you and I are a team. It's like we're each half of a pair. Ever since we met, we've been partners and fought side by side in every battle we joined. And we always looked out for and supported one another. No distance or place can change that."

"Heh. It means a lot to me to hear you say that. And you know, you're absolutely right. We are a team and always have been. I was foolish to ask such a dumb question."

"Oh, it's fine, I know you were just concerned about how I'd handle this weather. But really, you might have irritated me on occasion with how many women you went after, but you were still a true friend and my best friend through and through."

"Aw shucks. Yeah, I was a real pain sometimes, I bet, but you stuck by me. And I'm forever grateful for that."

"Hey, what are friends for?"

Kent held up his hand, motioning for Sain to take it. Sain then responded by doing just that, joining his friend for a bent-elbow hand clasp.

"Right on!" he replied.

When they were finished, Kent returned his attention to Nick and Emily. He then knelt to their level.

"So, how have you two been?" he inquired with a smile. "Wow, you've both grown a lot since I last saw you!"

"Yeah, we sure have!" Emily replied. "Mommy measures us every month! And I still help her whenever she needs me!"

"I'm going to grow up to be just like you and dad!" Nick proclaimed. "In fact, Dad's teaching me to use a sword! I want to show you what I've learned!"

"Oh, is that so? I'd love to see, Nick!" Kent commented. "For now, though, I have to talk with your dad for a bit longer. Why don't you two go tell your mom we'll be inside shortly?"

"Oh, okay!" Emily agreed. "Just don't take too long, Mommy's got breakfast ready! She's just cleaning up."

"Yeah, and she made you pancakes too!" Nick added.

"Ah, then I'll try to make this fast," Kent replied with a big grin.

With that, Nick and Emily rushed back into the house. Kent turned his attention back to Sain.

"Gosh, Fiora didn't have to do that for me," he said. "But I'll have to thank her nonetheless. I don't get a pancake breakfast often with how busy I get."

"Yeah, I bet," Sain replied. "So, what's on your mind?"

"Well, firstly, I take you got my letter?"

"Yeah, it came yesterday, just as you suspected. We readied things for you for when you arrived."

"Ah, I'm glad. And thanks. But…there's another reason I came here."

"Oh? What would that be?"

"I need to talk to you about something. It's important."

"Oh, well, why can't we discuss it over breakfast? I'm honestly getting hungry."

"Well, it's…sensitive. I don't think Fiora and the kids ought to know just yet. We need to talk privately first."

"I see. Why wasn't this in your letter?"

"Because I actually didn't find out about it until after I sent it. I apologize."

"Oh, I see. It's alright, that's understandable. Now let's go put Sampson in the pasture and go eat, we'll worry about it later."

"Alright, that's fine with me. Fiora hasn't gotten to say hi to me yet anyway."

With that, the two led Kent's horse to the nearby pasture and stable where Goldie and Lilac were always kept. After unsaddling Sampson and closing the gate, Sain and Kent made their way to the back door of the house and entered, the smell of warm food wafting through the air. After Kent dropped his bag off in the living room, he and Sain headed for the kitchen. Inside, the table was all set with five plates and sets of silverware, though since it was small, it was somewhat cramped. Due to this, Fiora had to leave the food itself on the kitchen counter. Kent couldn't help but grin widely when he saw the high stack of pancakes on one plate, eggs on another, rice in a pot, and sliced bread on yet another plate. He almost drooled at the pancakes, as they were indeed a favorite of his. Fiora soon interrupted his thoughts.

"Oh, Kent!" she greeted and rushed over. "It's so good to see you again!"

Fiora threw her arms around Kent's neck and welcomed him with a hug. Kent smiled warmly and returned it.

"It's great to see you too, Fiora," he replied, letting her go moments later. "It appears everyone is doing very well."

"Oh, we are. Well, aside from the trouble Sain got himself into earlier, that is."

"Ah, don't worry about that. It wasn't his fault. And I really appreciate you making all these pancakes, and even keeping them warm. You didn't have to, but I guess you knew how much I love them."

"Of course! How could I not make any? You're not used to a place like this, so Sain and I figured we ought to make you feel as comfortable as possible."

"Yup, that's right," Sain added. "It is your vacation, after all."

"Aw, thanks so much. I did eat a small meal after I got up this morning, but it was a while ago, so I definitely have room for more!"

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Fiora replied happily. "Let's eat!"