Chapter One of "The North"

Chapter One – Family Outing

‘Barbarians they call us. The North men savages beyond the river, their river’ said Broderick. ‘Why should we bend our knee to those in the south?’ he shouted followed by a roar of cheers. ‘Those damn fools in their long, clean halls under the sun who never have seen the drop of their own blood let alone an enemy’s! Like they know what life is like up here in the north’? Broderick stood atop the toppled wooden cart, sword in hand and raised high answering to the cheers of the crowd. The city of Curtelen was the seat of power in the north. All clans bowed to its leader, of this generation was Broderick McAllan of house Leron and his family. The people adored him. A strong, powerful yet just ruler. ‘If you ask me, I say we don’t need those in the south. Telling us how to live out our lives! Their nobles and barons in their high towers telling us how to run our own country, my people!’ The crowd erupted and shook their fists in agreement. To the side stood his wife Hevel and their three children. Peter, the eldest stood by his father in the finest armour gold could buy, in the north at least. He was seventeen and after his first coming of age at sixteen he became greatly admired in the land for he was to be the next king of the people. In the north there are two comings of age. The first when you become a man at sixteen and the next when they first kill a man. Peter was one of the few who passed the second coming before the first. Killing his first man at fifteen. The second child was also a son Duncan, he stood by Peter, yet in his shadow. Head lowered, for he was a shy boy even at fourteen. The final child stood with Hevel’s hand on her shoulder. Lira was Broderick’s only daughter; and he loved her dearly, all seven years of her life.
Broderick finished his speech and stepped down to his family. Every week or so he would come out and address the crowds, more for their entertainment but it kept them happy. Broderick’s advisor approached the family as the crowd dispersed.
‘My lord’ he said bowing briefly. Broderick eyed him musingly and cocked his head. Broderick towered over the timid advisor as he stammered. ‘My king’ he corrected himself. Broderick laughed at how scared he was.
‘Come now, mate! Nothing to be feared of now. What is it?’
‘It’s just I can’t help but suggest you take your speeches from the castle balcony, or at the very least from the courtyard gates!’ Nithron was a small man, about the same height as Hevel.
‘Ah, come now what is there to fear?’ he asked, ‘They love me, they love my family. And we love them. We have nothing to fear. Besides!’ he began turning to Peter and Duncan. ‘I’ve got my boys to look after me!’ he punched them softly on their shoulders and beckoned them to follow. Broderick kissed Hevel on the cheek before kneeling down and kissing Lira on the forehead. ‘See you back at the castle. Sir Alavor!’ He spoke. A knight stepped forward from behind the family, in shining armour and closed visor. Concealing a face of stern yet solemn history. ‘Yes, my king?’
‘Take them back to the castle’ replied Broderick firmly. He still wondered why they even needed an escort. But his advisors insisted for their safety.
‘Yes, sir’ he said. He turned and started walking with the girls. ‘Come along, little flower’ he urged to Lira. Alavor was the brother of Broderick yet was still even closer to the family than anybody else in the whole world. He was especially close to Lira. Being her personal guard, in secrecy, assigned by Broderick. ‘Look after her’ he said, many years ago. ‘Don’t let anything happen to her’.
Lira took Alavor’s hand in her right and her mothers in her left and she skipped down the street giggling and smiling.
‘Come on boys! What do you think we should do then, huh?’ It was midday and the sun was now high in the sky looking down on the stone and wooden city. It was built upon a small hill, which arched into a cliff edge on the far side facing west. Upon the cliff sat the castle and its many, old walls; high and proud.
‘My king I must insist. The council demand your presence for the weekly meeting’ said Nithron scurrying after his king.
‘Ah screw the meeting, lad! Take the day off, my friend you are going grey’ said Broderick turning away from Nithron smiling. ‘Don’t want to end up like me do you?’ Broderick referred to his grey hairs that lined his head and short beard. Weaving through his black hair like seams of iron in a mine.
‘Why thank you, my king!’ he laughed running off up the hill to the castle.
‘Right boys, what do you say to a speck of hunting, eh?’
‘Aye!’ They cheered, agreeing. The three walked on down the hill away from the castle.
‘You going to change out of that?’ asked Broderick nodding at Peter’s armour. ‘Deer would see that from a mile away’ Broderick knocked on his metal armour. ‘Come on, son dress a bit like Duncan here’ he patted his youngest son on the back. He dressed like his father, often copying him. Leather vambraces and greaves and padded overcoat and tunic. With a long black cloak.
The trio got to the gates and entered a large stone building just to the right within the walls. Broderick knocked on the door a couple of times as Peter went to a side room to change. A guard stood outside his room. Out to greet Broderick walked a large man, so alike to Broderick one could mistake one another from behind. They laughed and hugged.
‘Ah Brod’ it’s been a while! Out hunting are we?’
‘Aye James! With the boys’ he smiled gesturing Duncan forward and embracing him in a strong handshake. They let go and Duncan nursed his hand behind his back. ‘Wondering if you want to join us, mate?’
‘Aye! Would be an honour, my king!’ he said. ‘Let me get the spears!’
‘Bow for me, please sir!’ shouted Duncan after James. As James disappeared into the game house Broderick bent to speak to Duncan quietly.
‘You don’t need to call him “sir”, Duncan. You are a Prince of the North’ said Broderick, sounding like a stern parent teaching table manners.
‘I know that, father’ he said. ‘It’s just, well, if they have been bestowed by you the honour of a knight I think they should be recognised as such. Regardless by who’. Broderick chuckled at his son and beamed. Immensely proud of his son. James returned and tossed the bow through the air to Duncan.
‘Like to kill from a range do you?’ he scoffed happily. Duncan, however, was too preoccupied staring at the sky. Duncan then whistled roundly and held out his arm. Out from above, from nowhere dived a great eagle that perched upon his wrist, letting out a loud, friendly caw at her master as Duncan stroked her feathers. Broderick looked down at the bird disapprovingly.
‘An eagle is no hawk, lad’ said James closing and locking the door behind him, just at the same time Peter returned handing his armour to the guard who took it away back up the hill.
‘I like her’ protested Duncan feeding the bird with a small piece of meat from a pouch that hung from his side. The bird’s name was Frost, Duncan saved her egg when it fell from the nest from a tree, catching it and taking it home to the castle many years ago.

The four left the city gates and went to the stables in the outer wall, for the city of Curtelen was of such. The castle on the hill with its second wall surrounding the courtyard. Then the wall surrounding the city spreading out from the castle walls. And the second wall outside the city. Smaller yet contained more towers for the watchers. With the river running through the centre of the city west to the sea. At the stables the four retrieved their horses and banked right when outside the final gate. After a ten minute ride down the slope they passed a little gate with a small man sitting in a little booth to the side. Around the area spread a high fence. They had entered the king’s ground, and so their hunting began. Their horses broke into a trot, the men readied their spears and Frost took flight.