121 AC
Two moons to the day after Alex disappeared from the tourney.
The Village of Silverhill.
Lord Serret took his usual stroll in the village as his own form of stress relief. The tasks were becoming dizzy. Many Lords kept bombarding him with letters, marriage proposals for his son and gatherings all to coax him into getting chummy with him. Lord Serret wasn't stupid. They didn't want him, they just wanted access to Alex. This was the plan though, finding concessions for the smallfolk in form of Alex helping out these fuckers to a degree anything Alex wouldn't bring a mace to their heads for. Lord Serret knew Alex was blessed by forces beyond his comprehension, but he always advised caution to Alex.
He didn't need to get himself visibly shunned from society by vicious rumors of devilry or magical powers.
He needed to gradually affect everything step by step. Its what Lord Serret has been trying to do and failing time and time again. Lord Serret didn't have the power to affect anything only doing what he could for those in his lands. He bought masons for a villager who had his house burned paying out of his own coin to fix his house. Every villager had a story like that with Lord Serret.
His men were undeniably loyal to the core, a fateful day in the past came where Lord Serret seeing one of his men drowning in a river after a horse was spooked throwing them into a rushing current. Leapt himself into the action, forsaking his own life to protect his own man from certain death.
Lord Serret only remembers these moments because he is human, sometimes he likes to feel a bit of pride in his actions. His men after that day looked at Lord Serret as a lord to protect with every fibre of their being. Only being fuelled once more by Lord Serret and his actions to the new orphanage he sponsored after the many children who lost their parents to the 'maneater'
Lord Serret would always find time to teach the children when he could. He was currently on his way to the orphanage when Jaimie his son galloped towards him. Jaimie was the light of his life. The last remnant of his wife, Betha. She was stubborn, willful and most importantly, kind. Kind beyond all comprehension. Lord Serret lost her to childbirth. And he swore he would never remarry, all his advisors were pleading with him to reconsider. Lord Serret would never. He had his love. And he will be reunited with her when it came time.
"Father, i think Alex mentioned today was the day he would return" Jaimie said excitedly.
"Don't get your hopes up too soon, my son. You must always prepare for the worst, harder to surprise you when you've envisioned all worst possibilities." Lord Serret reminded his son.
Alex did mention he was coming back today, that would explain all the activity in the village. It feels like everybody is preparing for a massive feast. Lord Serret saw tables and tables spread out on the road. Smallfolk were happy. Their sheer pride about Alex winning the tourney was clear for all to see. The smallfolk of silverhill deserved some good. Lord Serret remembering the sheer darkness that tore at the smallfolk, the terror in every walk they carried. It broke his heart.
Lord Serret remembered a time where he himself chased the lion endlessly, it evading his every action, it would smell poison on a dead body when acting as bait. It would out maneuver even the best traps. Lord Serret was losing hope for his smallfolk. Any other Lord wouldn't care. 'Smallfolk just multiply, let the animals balance themselves out' one minor lord said to him.
Lord Serret had few lord friends, but that didn't matter to him. Lord Serret had fierce men at arms and smallfolk that he could count on. The lords were just cunts.
Thank the Seven for Alex once more. Alex was a nice mental partner, Alex also showed him a new game called chess. And Alex specifically asked he would not show it to anybody else but him. Alex cited he couldn't be bothered rolling out to more people. The fine carving pissed him off. Alex was kind but also incredibly lazy sometimes.
Now back to the present, one deaf child was walking beside Lord Serret, Lord Serret held out his hands for the child to grab on, and now with SL, he learned from Alex was signing to the child.
'Would you like to become a knight when you are older' Lord Serret smiled at the freckled kid.
'Yes, my lord, i will become like Alex and defeat all our enemies' the deaf child bubbled.
Lord Serret boomed with laughter.
'You will become a fine knight, child' Lord Serret signed with as much gentle care he could muster.
The deaf child ran along to his buddies who were all signing back. Alex brought this simple lovely invention to the world. And for that once again, Lord Serret would once more be in his debt. Then he heard the villagers all booming.
"Alex has been sighted, he's coming into the village now!" A smallfolk man wheezing from running to tell the village.
Lord Serret made sure the villagers would be the ones to greet him first. Lord Serret was humble in himself to know Alex cared for the villagers more than him. He wouldn't want it any other way. Lord Serret with his sworn men flanking men went to the side of the paved road now facing the entrance to the village. Banners were erected all around. Jaimie was on Cadwyn's shoulder who now made an appearance. Popping out of nowhere.
'Welcome back Bloody Fowl'
'Glory to Silverhill'
'Alex forever'
Alex rode on a simple horse, his eyes misty from the welcome. Lord Serret saw something unusual though besides the massive sword he had.
There was a silver haired child same age as Jaimie in the saddle behind him. What the Seven?