Chương 22: The Starboy And The Goldhand

The banners with the golden hand continuously flowed into the gates of Widow's Wall. Children ran beside the wagons, staring at the painted banners and pointing at them.

"Look! It... it looks similar to the lord's hair!"

"Do you think they made it using his hair?" The children were all saying nonsensical things, but the adults who were chasing after them or looking up above the banners weren't any better. Most of them had their mouths agape, confused as to who these people were—their confusion, however, was completely washed away as soon as they saw what their wagons brought. Grain, cloth, timber, iron, barrels, crates, even livestock.

A goat bleated from one of the wagons, and several children once again pointed and laughed at how weird they looked. Weird, as that was probably the first time they were seeing that sort of animal. The caravan stopped in the square, or at least, what passed for one in Widow's Wall. Everyone gathered around it cautiously at first and quickly took several steps back as soon as they saw the Blackwood family approaching—they all bowed and lowered their heads, but their eyes were still keen on the wagons.

"M'lord..." Tiny whispered behind Enel.

"Is that not the man you saved?" Tiny pointed at someone who stepped down from the coach leading the caravan. Lamb, who was walking beside Enel, scoffed when she saw an old man wearing a coat so fine it glistened almost as bright as Enel's hair. The rings on his fingers caught the evening light, and his boots seemed to have not touched mud at all, though they touched Widow's Wall's ground without any complaint.

"That's... Ulric? He looks... soft." Lamb smirked, lightly hitting Enel with her elbow. Enel also nudged her, motioning for her to quiet down. Tiny, however, laughed at her words. Lamb, however, didn't appreciate that and even glared at him.

"So, when are you going to tell me who this little tit is?" She scoffed once more. Tiny reacted wildly at that, but she already looked away.

"He's called Tiny."

"Tiny?!" Lamb raised her voice and was about to laugh, if not for Mira clearing her throat. She quickly straightened her back, lightly hitting Enel on the arm again as if it were his fault. Ulric looked around. He saw the cracked walls, the thin people, the manor with a poorly remedied gate at the end of the square, and the roots they had not finished scraping from the ground. Then he saw Enel, and his face changed immediately.

"Lord Blackwood," he approached, bowing so deeply that several people gasped. Enel blinked at that, then he stepped aside and gestured to his father.

"I am not Lord Blackwood. My father is." Ulric paused for less than a breath before turning smoothly and bowing again, this time to Robert.

"Lord Blackwood. Forgive me for coming unannounced." His bow went deeper.

"I have owed Lord Enel and your house my life since the road, and I wished to pay that debt properly." Robert looked at Enel for a moment, his eyes widening. Enel looked back, confused as to why his father looked at him at all. Robert... was trying his best not to turn his smile into a grin.

"There is nothing to forgive, Master Goldhand," Robert said.

"House Blackwood welcomes you." Mira, on the other hand, watched the merchant carefully.

"You have come far."

"And gladly, Lady Blackwood." Ulric bowed to her as well.

"Your son saved my people from feralfolk, and from what my men have heard on the war road, he did not stop there." The people of Widow's Wall began murmuring. Ulric turned, raising his voice slightly so the crowd could hear.

"I heard the young lord of Widow's Wall broke the raid on the West Camp. That he slew a barbarian of great renown known as Tibay the Mountaincrusher. That he rescued captives from the northern camp alone, and returned with barbarian prisoners bound alive behind him." Ulric looked at the crowd... but none of them reacted at all. Most of them just shrugged, while some sighed in relief. There was, however, one who reacted—Lamb.

"You think that was impressive? It's Enel." She crossed her arms.

"And it is quite convenient you got here a few hours after his arrival."

"You... noticed that, too?" Tiny leaned closer to her.

"Look at the dirt on their wheels. That's not road mud. They'd been waiting somewhere close."

"What—who asked for your opinion?" Lamb waved him away.

"And what dirt are you talking about?" Mira glared at her, and Lamb felt it and immediately stopped talking. Ulric didn't really know how to respond to that, and he didn't have to.

"Please." Robert smiled, stepping forward as he placed a hand on Ulric's shoulder.

"Tell us what you have brought, Good sir. Meanwhile, I shall have my people prepare a feast for you." Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

"Please, My Lord. I insist that you butcher one of the cows I have brought." Robert looked at Gregor, and Gregor immediately worked with Ulric's men. Ulric gestured for his people to start moving the wagons, bringing some of the crates down in front of Robert. And as soon as they pried one of the crates open, the smell of grain, dried fruit, salted meat, and oil filled the air. Widow's Wall did not cheer immediately. They... almost seemed like they didn't know what they were actually seeing.

Then a child near the front saw something being unloaded. Cheese. Actual blocks of cheese wrapped in cloth—one of the men grabbed a small piece that had separated from the rest, giving it to the child. And soon, most of the children gathered. It started small, but soon the whole square broke open. People rushed forward, but to Ulric's surprise, none of them grabbed food for themselves, but instead helped with unloading. Tiny stood frozen in front of a crate of dried fruit.

"Touch it, and you lose a finger," Lamb said as she passed. Tiny pulled his hands behind his back.

"I was not intending to do anything!"

"You look like a thief." Ulric's people tried to organize the unloading, but he watched as Widow's Wall... all brought the contents into the Blackwood manor without being ordered or told to, at all. He expected some of them to bring some to their own homes, but no. Robert stood beside Ulric while Mira began directing where supplies should go. She sent grain to the storehouse, timber to the western wall, iron nails to the carpenters, cloth to Ansel's mother, and medicine to the healers.

"Lady Blackwood," Ulric said after watching her for several minutes.

"These... people seem to trust you and your family."

"They trust my husband," Mira said. Robert's smile thinned.

"And I trust them. But as you may have already known... that very same trust had led Widow's Wall to what it is now."

"... The Crown is not sending you supplies?"

"Not since the time of my father." Robert sighed.

"The Dark Forest had been silent for decades, and they did not see it fit to bring arms to us.

"But that... should not be the case."

"We can talk about unpleasantries and the dreaded history of Widow's Wall." Robert pulled Ulric away.

"But for now, let me introduce you to its people and the reason for its still existing."

"Of course, My Lord. And while we are at it—where can we set up trade in the city?"

"Trade...?" Robert's eyes widened.

"You wish to bring trade to our city? In Widow's Wall? We... have naught to trade."

"Of course. I believe Widow's Wall has a lot to offer." Ulric motioned to the crowd.

"And you have an empty square, and a lot of trusted hands to help build it. Trust, My Lord... is the greatest commodity in Aldwyn."

"I—""I owe my life to your son, Lord Blackwood." Ulric bowed.

"I would lie if I said I would not gain anything from this. I would. Because I believe Widow's Wall is about to be the center of everyone's attention." Robert glanced at his son, who was doing... something foolish with Lamb.

"But anything that I will gain," Ulric continued.

"Anything that I had would not be here if it were not for your son. I am here to ask that House Goldhand be accepted as sworn merchants of House Blackwood, henceforth, My Lord." Ulric once again bowed his head, much deeper this time. Robert stared at him for a moment, then also bowed. And for the first time in many decades, Widow's Wall had started to rise once more. The days that followed were busy. Everything felt almost festive.

Well, not quite—they all just had something to eat every day, but it was festive enough for the people of Widow's Wall. The craftsmen finally had supplies to argue about, too. What they didn't argue about, however, was repairing the manor to its glorious condition. Even the children helped. Tiny had also been officially hired by Robert... as Enel's hand. Of course, Lamb had something to say about that.

"What?! But... I was supposed to be Enel's hand, M'lord. My Lady...?"

"You are Enel's sword, Lamb. That is different."

"His... sword. Heh." And once again, she looked down on poor Tiny. But just like that, Tiny became part of the manor. The repairs continued, but Ulric was shocked as to how fast everything was moving—and it was because of one single person. Enel. He helped where he could, and that was almost everywhere. He lifted beams for the walls, even carrying entire wagons filled with barrels.

He even watched as he carried a boulder the size of an entire house without even taking a breath—he'd seen a lot of Blessed children during his many travels, but none came close to what Enel could do. He wasn't just blessed by the gods—he might be one of them. That thought made Ulric tremble. And it wasn't only his strength that reminded him of them. It was also how he was loved by everyone in Widow's Wall. He laughed with them, and they laughed with him.

An entire week had passed, and colors returned to Widow's Wall. Even the manor now had a new set of curtains, as the old one was already tattered, and the other... was used by Enel as a cape. All the roots that had crawled from the Dark Forest were also cleared, and no vemon had been seen on site. Robert noticed. Mira noticed. Lamb noticed too, and unlike the other two, she almost said it.

"My Lady, do you not think it strange that as soon as Enel arrived—""Lamb," Mira said. Lamb closed her mouth, glancing at Enel, who had been helping Axe gather the roots. Afterward, however, he approached them.

"What about the forest?" he asked.

"I had been waiting for the vemons to come, but none did."

"The forest had just woken up, my son." Mira shook her head.

"Lamb and Axe had scouted the forest, but most of the vemons are still moving idly as usual. Only a few sought it fit to attack."

"Why... do you think so, Mother?" Enel squinted.

"Should I go with Lamb to scout again?"

"There is no need, son." Robert joined in, holding a ledger.

"You are more needed here."

"Hm. As you say, Father." Enel looked up at the walls, staring at the dark clouds above the forest. The work continued, and truly, Widow's Wall had finally... become an actual barony again. No, with Ulric and the new market being constructed, it would grow even more. And yet, through all this, the one who made it possible was always looking up at the bells on the walls from time to time, his breath frozen each time. Every morning, Enel helped rebuild the wall. Every afternoon, he trained with Lamb.

Every evening, he sat with his parents and answered questions about the war without truly answering them. And every night, he looked at the bell.

"M'lord..." Tiny asked one evening while carrying a basket of laundry too large for him.

"... Have you told them yet?"

"About what? And who?" Enel quickly looked away from the bell.

"About..." Tiny's grip tightened around the basket.

"Lord Commander Duncan." Enel stared at Tiny for a moment and gazed down.

"I will." He closed his eyes.

"Tomorrow."

"I have only known you for weeks, M'lord—but I know you are a terrible liar." Tiny had heard him say that yesterday. And the day before. And soon, several more days passed... and Enel still did not say anything about Duncan to his parents. And one day, while they were having a meal... the bell rang again. Enel walked away from the table, rushing toward the newly rebuilt terrace. Robert and Mira looked at each other, then rushed to follow him. Tiny was also there, holding a broom.

Lamb was far away, on top of the wall above the gate, one hand already on her sword as she watched riders approach from the distance. And when she saw the banner of a Black and Crimson Wolf, she quickly rushed to the manor. Black and Crimson Wolf. The insignia of His Majesty's military. And leading them was the Sword of the First Hour. Lord Commander Duncan had come to collect.