"Ilona!" My father called from across the village square. His husky voice penetrated the slight breeze; carrying it across the distance to my ever patient ears. "Are the horses ready yet?"
I stared at the brush in my hand as I raked it lovingly over my horse's dark, glossy coat. I had been given the task of cleaning and grooming our most prized horses for this afternoons ride.
"Yes father, they just require their gear and they will be ready to go" I called back to him as I dug a fresh carrot from my burlap sack and fed it to the eager mouth waiting expectantly.
I could see a look of relief on my fathers rugged face as he approached me, sizing the 4 horses up proudly.
My father was the Lord of our village and the proud owner of our silver mine; therefore in charge of overseeing production of our most richest export - silver. Today involved a scheduled ride to my father's mine - Rupa Jumana - to oversee progress and for the first time I was allowed to join him.
"As always, you have worked hard my darling. Thank you" he beamed. He brushed tendrils of my long, black hair from my face and leant down to plant a kiss on my forehead. His rough beard scratched my skin, causing a faint giggle to escape my lips just as it always did.
With a smile on his face, he walked into the stables to grab the four saddles I had previously cleaned, polished and organised for him. Stirrups clanged against each other as he threw the pile onto the wooden work bench, quickly followed by a tangled pile of reigns on top.
"There we go" he muttered more to himself then to me as he beckoned for two young men dressed in rich brown leathers to join him. The first man had shoulder length, blonde hair and pale, green eyes that rested neatly in his pleasant features. He had a small frame but was quick on his feet, as he hurried over first. The other man bore muscles and a hefty frame that left him taller than the rest of us. His rough features and long plait of black hair contrasted nicely with his warm, blue eyes. Both men began equally distributing the pile of tack to each horse.
"Are you ready to leave now Sire?" The blonde man questioned as he finished buckling up the saddle on the fourth horse while the other man attempted to untangle the pile of reigns.
"Not just yet Quent, I have a matter I wish to discuss with Ilona first. Plus I think we will need an extra five minutes" he laughed, gesturing over to the other man with the reigns. "See if the horses are hungry while you wait for Tollen to finish up".
The man who I now knew as Quent chuckled slightly as he dug his hand into the burlap sack I previously had at my feet. "Of course m'lord, we will let you know when everything is ready".
With a quick nod of appreciation, my father placed his hand on the small of my back and beckoned me to walk with him. We strolled lazily, keeping pace with one another. Even through my fathers calm demeanour I could tell something was troubling him.
He took a deep breathe while stroking his beard - which he only does when in deep thought.
"Is something troubling you father?" I asked, watching him closely with concerned eyes.
He took a deep breathe before speaking. "As you know my sweet, Rupa Jumana has been mass producing pure silver for the better part of 20 years" he fiddled with his beard once more. "And as you know, we trade with distant villages as well as locally..."
"Yes of course father" I said, slight unease beginning to pool in the pit of my stomach. "It is our main source of wealth".
"Yes it most certainly is" he confirmed to me, his footsteps beginning to slow. "And you know of our best customer and how high his demands are..." He trailed off, worry and unease etching lines into his rugged features. "Well he required more and so our production output had to be increased".
I knew of who he was referring to. Even though we made fair profit locally, our biggest consumers were the inhabitants of the castle up in the mountains. Castle Corvinus, as I knew it, could be seen in the distance from any place in our small village although a quick ride could get you there in a day. I did not know much of this castle, only that those who occupied it were unusual and donned unusual habits. As a child my father had always told me to avoid the castle at all costs. I knew he was afraid. I could tell from the way his body tensed, how his jaw would clench and how he would choke his words out when talking about it.
I hated the affect this castle had on my father but I could understand. I had heard stories about the castle's lord and his ruthless ways. His name was Viktor. Viktor was a warlord in these lands, set on instilling fear into those beneath him. My father traded Viktor our silver in exchange for Viktor's army protecting us, our people and our land. But now I was being told Viktor had requested more, which put increased pressure on my father to speed up productivity.
"But father" I started, dread flowing from my throat to settle in the pit of my stomach. "How can he expect that with our limited resources and workers?"
My father looked tired. We had stopped walking and stood in place on the dark cobblestone, right in front of the village fountain.
"I am unsure my sweet, but we must find a way. That is why it is important we ride today and take inventory. Lord Viktor's men will be here tonight to check progress and I intend to give them what they want." He shuddered as he spoke, eyeing me carefully. "And this is why I feel it is in our best interests to have you accompany me on this ride. Learn the way of things, learn to be strong and most importantly learn what is expected of you now you are of age".
I nodded my head in agreement, knowing my place as the noble Lord's daughter. Since reaching my twentieth birthday a month ago, I wanted nothing more than to take my place at my fathers side as a strong and skilled leader. And it looked like my first trip to Rupa Jumana was the beginning.
My father had started walking back towards the horses while I was still lost in thought so I had to jog quickly to catch up to him.
"Sire, we are ready" A smile stretched across Quent's pleasant face, his blonde hair flapped in the wind. He was obviously pleased with their efforts to get the horses geared up and ready so quickly.
"And the reigns are tangle free" Tollen added humorously. "Let's get you both saddled up".