Me: This is one of my favourites thus far. I really like the atmosphere.
Seth: Hmmm... peaceful... *yawns*
Geoffrey: Yes... *yawns as well*
Me: I just hope the readers won´t fall asleep. Have fun with Seth and Kyle.
The sky was cloudless and therefore the night was cold. Freezing cold to be exactly but Seth didn´t mind. He lay on his back on the grass, his arms out-stretched and completely relaxed. A slight breeze ruffled his hair and pushed his bangs out of his eyes. A few strands of grass tickled his cheek but he ignored it; he liked the feeling. Seth sighed lowly and lazily sank into a ruminant state. After a while he heard footsteps. A few meters behind him the person stopped.
"General Seth?"
"Good evening, Kyle." Seth murmured. The green paladin stepped forward and into Seth´s range of vision. Seth couldn´t see much in the darkness but he guessed that Kyle frowned confused.
"May I ask what you are doing here?" Seth smiled slightly.
"I am star-gazing."
"Star-gazing?" Kyle asked confused and turned his eyes upwards. The million tiny dots glimmered back.
"Yes." Seth heard Kyle sitting down, his armour and sword slightly rattling. There was a short and strange silence. Seth closed his eyes and chuckled lowly. "That doesn´t sound like something I would do, didn´t it?" Kyle harrumphed caught.
"Well... yes." Seth chuckled again and half-opened his eyes.
"I think it is very relaxing to look at the stars." Kyle nodded pensively. The two of them fell silent again, Seth already sinking back in the ruminant state and Kyle keeping watch. Sometimes they heard a rustle in the nearby woods but nothing Kyle had to worry about. The small breeze returned every now and then and made Kyle shiver. The knight wondered how Seth could stand the cold. He was lying in the damp grass after all. But soon his thoughts wandered back to things concerning the war, his watch and how he could persuade Forde to train more.
"When I was a child..." Seth suddenly said. Kyle was startled out of his thoughts and looked over to the paladin. He couldn´t clearly see him but it looked like Seth was completely at peace. "When I was a child, I was afraid of the dark."
"A-ha?" Kyle was obviously confused by this sudden statement. He heard Seth chuckle.
"Yes. You know, there was a strange picture in my room. It was a portrait of my grandfather and he looked really angry. In the night I always had the feeling that he was glaring at me."
"I see..." Kyle said insecurely. Why did Seth tell him that? Seth sighed lowly.
"I told my father that I was afraid of the picture but he told me that I just should get over it. It was only a picture after all." Kyle blinked surprised and frowned.
"That´s..." He didn´t dare to voice his thought though. He didn´t want to insult General Seth´s father. Then he heard Seth chuckle again.
"You don´t have to be afraid that you could insult him or me if you voice your opinion. I am pretty sure that you have the same opinion as I."
"That´s a bit cruel." Kyle murmured. "As a father he should have helped you or console you. Most children are afraid of the dark." The grass rustled quietly. Kyle guessed that Seth shook his head or nodded.
"Probably. But my father was very strict. He always said that a boy, especially if he is going to become a soldier, has to learn to cope with something this trivial on his own."
"Hn." Kyle grunted. He didn´t like the thought of saying something like that to a child. The fear of the dark is not something trivial.
"Yes, but he sounds crueller than he was. My father had his moments where he was very loving and even doting. Just not... in this regard." Kyle changed his position slightly and crossed his legs. Sitting on the ground was a bit uncomfortable with his armour on.
"And what did you do about your fear?" Kyle leaned his head back and stared at the sky. It was nearly completely black, apart from the stars.
"Well..." Seth chuckled lowly. Kyle looked at him out of the corner of his eyes. He could detect a small smile on Seth´s face while he reminisced. "I just turned the picture around. That way he stared at the wall and not at me."
"So you tricked yourself?"
"Yes. After that I lost my fear quickly and now I love the night."
"Why?" Seth closed his eyes and took a deep breath, releasing the air slowly. A little white cloud escaped his mouth. In this second Kyle felt the tickling cold again and clasped his cloak tighter around himself.
"Because it makes everyone calm. The night is the time of quietude, rest and thinking. You can drop all pretence and be just yourself." Kyle wondered briefly if that was the reason why Seth told him about his childhood. "It is just..." Seth sighed relaxed. ".. refreshing."
"Yes. I know what you mean." Kyle murmured nodding. "The night is the time were all stress of the day disappears." Seth nodded. "But I still never liked the night."
"Why?" Seth asked, sounding a little sleepily. Kyle scratched his head pensively.
"Because it hinders my view. I can´t detect enemies as easily as in the daylight." At this statement he looked around. Their surrounding was still silent. "And if I couldn´t finish my work during the day I have to work at night. It´s more tedious."
"Hmm, I see. You can´t stop working. It sounds like you are too focused on your work." Kyle raised an eyebrow.
"But you are very dedicated as well. Aren´t you like that too?" He heard Seth sigh lowly.
"Well, I used to. But after I overdid it one time, my father forced me to take a break. He told me that only an average knight has to work all day and night to become better. A good knight works hard during the day and rests at night therewith he can give his best the next day." Kyle nodded thoughtfully and gazed at the sky again. A falling star flashed to his right. A small smile appeared on Kyle´s face. The last time he had seen a falling star had been shortly after his knighting ceremony. That night Forde had dragged him into a pub and didn´t let him go until he was completely drunk.
"That makes sense."
"Yes. My father knew what he was talking about. He had learned it from his father as well." Kyle cocked his head slightly.
"So your father and grandfather had been knights?" Seth smiled wider.
"Yes." There was a certain softness in his voice. "It is tradition in my family that the first-born son becomes a knight. It has been like this for centuries."
"Really?" Kyle asked slightly surprised. "Well, that would explain why you are so much ahead of the other knights. Your father probably taught you how to fight as soon as you could walk." Seth chuckled and nodded.
"Yes, that is about right." Seth stretched and sighed. "I learned from the very start how to act as a knight." Kyle gazed at his feet pensively. It was certainly strange to talk with his superior about his family. It was not disconcerting but strange.
"My father was a farmer." The words welled from him suddenly. "And when I was little I thought I´m going to be a farmer as well." Kyle was surprised of his own openness but it felt good, somehow.
"Hmm." Seth sounded a bit sleepy again. Kyle leaned back and propped himself on his hands.
"But then I met Forde and his father. Forde knew even back then that he wants to become a knight. And when his father said that I would be a good knight as well, I was surprised. I never thought about other options than being a farmer." He stopped shortly and thought for a second. "After that day I went up to my father and told him that I want to become a knight. I thought he would be angry or disappointed because I don´t want to take over the farm. But he was not. He was happy for me."
"If I had told my father that I want to be a farmer, he would have thrown a fit and disown me." Seth commented dryly.
"I thought so." Kyle answered somewhat amused. "But my father told me that I can choose my profession freely because I only can become good at it when I´m happy. Someone who is unhappy with his profession will always be average." Seth nodded.
"Yes, that is true."
"My mother and sister were completely surprised by my decision but they supported me nonetheless." A warm smile appeared on Kyle´s face. "And since that day I trained with Forde as often as I could."
"Mmh, sounds like you had fun." Seth slurred. Kyle nodded.
"Yes. But I´m sure that your childhood was fun as well."
Kyle waited for an answer but he didn´t get one. Frowning he turned his head to Seth. The redhead had closed his eyes, his breathing was deep and regular and he snored quietly. Kyle shook his head and laughed lowly. Seth had been right; the night is the time to rest.
Me: My view on Seth´s father. At least one version of it. I have several. ... Hey, I didn´t choose the crackish drabble!
Seth: Joy!
Geoffrey: Next time.
Seth: Blast!
Me: Oh yes. Well.... maybe I´ll forget it once more but eventually it´ll come.
Geoffrey: Just be a bit patient. Until we meet again!!
