Harlan went through the next day like normal, he did his chores, played with his sisters, convinced Autumn that he didn’t need to take a break from training after the attack, and then night came.

Aida had been sleeping more lightly, Harlan had to try and dampen his noise when he snuck out, he wasn’t silent, but he was a bit quieter. Then came the training, he read the scroll, a series of exercises to build muscle, improve reaction times, improve what the scroll called sixth sense, meaning to get a feeling for a threat that you don’t know about, and finally a few more mundane pieces of advice about keeping to a schedule to develop an internal clock and lifting with his legs.

He started with muscle training, 20 rock lifts, jumping up and down from a stump 20 times, 20 pull ups from a branch, running for 5 minutes. Repeated until he couldn’t do it anymore, then rest for 15 minutes.

Harlan was too sore by the 10th rock lift to keep going so he tried to jump to a stump, but his small size had him unable to find a stump at the right height he settled for just jumping back and forth, he could run for the 5 minutes but he was huffing and puffing, he did 5 pull ups before he couldn’t do anymore.

Harlan hadn’t thought training would be so hard.

Harlan thought 15 minutes just doing nothing was a waste of time.

“Maybe I should try that internal clock thing.”

He didn’t have a clock to check if his idea of a second was right but Autumn had taught him the ring of light spell, he just had to put the same amount of magic into the spell every time and count in seconds with his eyes close, if it was already faded away he was slow, if it was still there he was fast.

He would need a lot more work on that one.

As soon as the sky started to lighten he headed back inside, hoping Aida wasn’t awake to catch him, not as tired as he thought he should be, those 15 minutes always had him back in perfect shape afterwards, he still didn’t sleep, just laid in bed waiting for the others to wake up.

The next day was mostly the same, but since Redmond’s leave was almost over Harlan asked to help put a swinging log in a tree.

“What would you need a swinging log for?”

“Uh, training.” Redmond didn’t get it but helped him anyway, using a bit of magic to grow a vine around a round log and letting it swing back and forth.

“Oh, can you make me a little stump too?”

“Alright, now you gotta tell me what you’re up to.”

Harlan opened his mouth before thinking about how much he should say.

“I got the guard captain to give me a training scroll so I can be strong but dad said I shouldn’t tell mom.”

He realized he should’ve maybe left a little bit of that out.

“Why would…” Redmond realized why Harlow wouldn’t want Aida to know, she had reacted… poorly to his joining the army. And realized Harlan might be a little more like him than he thought.

“Alright, I’ll help, and I’ll give you a few more things, just don’t let you mom know or she will be mad at me.”

Redmond shaped a few rocks into balls and darts, he then put a layer of clay on a tree and put some runes on it to draw in ambient mana to reform itself.

Here, a target and some things to throw at it.

“Your sisters can use this stuff too, it’ll help with some hand eye corodination, don’t want to miss with spells, you can’t do fireballs and stuff yet right?”

“Autumn said Amber will teach me when I’m a bit older and have enough mana to not pass out from a couple of them.”

“Good.”

Harlan continued his nightly routine for the rest of the month, on top of Autumns training and Redmond helping them all out before his leave finally ended he improved by leaps and bounds, he didn’t know how long getting strong would take, but he felt like he had time, he couldn’t really feel more muscles on his arms but he could do the repetition of exercises completely.

And then the month was over, and it was time to say goodbye to Autumn, the carriage was supposed to pick her up in the morning so she could get started on her training to be a noble lady as soon as she got to Count Redwall’s manor, Harlow kept back the best vegetables from the fields, bought nicer bread and fruit juice, and even slaughtered the best sheep for the farewell party.

“Its not like I’m going to be gone forever you guys, its… its going to be just fine” Autumn was excited and terrified in equal measure, it was like a storybook, the kind farm girl marrying the prince, well, count at least. But Redmond also said he was willing to kill him if Jaramis treated her poorly, only stoking her fears about ending up as a baby maker after he gets bored of her.

“I know, you’ll just be a quarter days travel on the ox.” Harlow kept his worries out of his voice far better than her.

Ava and Aida cried and hugged her in equal measure, Harlan getting in when he could.

Amber was silent, she was happy for her, but felt like Autumn was going to live a better life and leave them behind, only after Autumn gave her a little pep talk did she clear away her fears.

Harlan trained the entire night, waiting for the carriage to come in the morning to take his sister away.

And then it did just before dawn, one carriage in bright red with white trim the Redwall crest boldly placed on both doors, followed by a smaller one made with a duller red and a smaller crest. A servant's carriage.

Harlan walked inside to wake everyone up, surprised at how early they came.

Autumn made herself presentable as soon as she could, fretting over her every item, making sure she brought with everything that mattered to her, leaving all but a few dresses, they would give her more once she got there she thought.

Then she stepped into the main room, everyone ready to give her a farewell hug, everyone held in their tears this time.

Then she stepped outside followed by the rest of the family, the driver stepped down from the carriage and opened the door.

Jaramis was snoring so loudly he ruined the moment, waking up after the driver cleared his throat for the 3rd time.

He bolted awake and stepped out from the carriage as if nothing happened.

“Greetings my betrothed, shall we spar? I brought training weapons.” the driver barely jolted, knowing how impulsive the heir could be.

“Of course” Autumn expected something like this, she knew from the first meeting how he was.

They moved to the open area near the treeline, not wanting to damage anything.

Autumn with spear in hand, Jaramis sword drawn, they stared at the other, waiting for them to make the first move.

Autumn started with a thrust, Jaramis countered by deflecting with his blade, dodging into her instead of away, Jaramis closed in and stopped the blunted blade before it contacted her neck.

“I need to learn more.” Autumn was dejected, but Jaramis had far more time to hone his fighting style.

Harlan asked to spar next, before Aida and Harlow could stop him Jaramis had already said yes and brought over a dagger sized for him.

Harlan barely got started when he realized there was a blade already in front of him.

“I like your spirit but you’re a bit young to be fighting anyway.” Jaramis ruffled Harlan’s hair and walked back to the rest of the family.

Harlan was frozen, much worse at losing than his eldest sister, he realized how much farther he needed to go.

Jaramis whispered something to his driver and went back to chat with the family, the driver gave some sign to the driver of the servant carriage who climbed down and opened the door.

Out stepped an Ibexian stood 7 feet tall.

The first thought Harlan had was how long would it be before he was stronger than that person.

Jaramis began “this here is Kass, he was a farmer back in the confederation before he moved here. We found him selling himself for a good price and we confirmed he has a good record.”

Harlan knew what the word slave meant, but didn’t really understand how a person could sell themselves or be sold to someone.

“Pleasure to meet you… I am Ar’kassivirum of the White Horns, you may call me Kass…” the Ibexian had a voice deeper than anything they had ever heard before, Ava hid behind Harlow. “Worry not manling, I like children.” Kass flashed a smile having the exact opposite effect, it was Ambers turn to hide behind Harlow, Ava would’ve started crying if she could see passed her father.

“Whoa… can I touch your horns?” Harlan had a very different view of him, all he saw was a giant goatman, and he was enamored by him.

“Hahaha yes manling, I don’t mind.” Kass had a laugh that you could feel in your bones, he lifted Harlan onto his shoulder and let him hang on his horns.

Harlan couldn’t be happier.

“I do believe it is time for us to go then, since I assume you have no issues with your slave.” Jaramis smiled at Harlow, who was just looking at Harlan hanging onto Kass’s horns.

“Yes, yes… I think this should be fine. And I do hope you treat my daughter well.” Harlow technically didn’t have the right by law to threaten the boy, but implied should be fine.

“Of course, and I don’t mind the threat! She is your daughter after all.” he was strangely happy to be threatened.

He took Autumn’s hand in his, told his driver to secure her trunk and then drove away, leaving the rest of them standing there.

Aida finally let herself cry.

“Worry not, my mother cried for me when I came here, and look at me now.” Aida was taken aback at how friendly the Ibexian was.

“Yes, I guess I know she will be fine. And we’ll see her for the wedding…”

The rest of the day passed normally, with Kass having no objections to the work he did, humming a tune from his people all the while, answering any question Harlan had to ask of him.

Meanwhile Autumn was in a fight for her life, the air was being squeezed out of her lungs, her ribs felt like they would break, and the count's tailor was not impressed with her, and demanded she slim down as he wouldn’t make the dresses for her any larger.

Jaramis in turn was unhappy with the tailor insulting his betrothed, they argued in circles stopping only when Autumn flexed and ripped the seams on her dress.

Finally, the tailor relented, mumbling something about women being dainty instead of barbarians.