My Father is dead.

Pyps body had went numb when he first heard the news. Father dead he thought as he stood staring at the small farmhouse. Els had moved off to talk to the farmer taking the water pots with them. Soon the only two left in the courtyard were him and Arthur.

"Sire you should go oversee the trade" Arthur said from behind him.

Pyp didn't flinch as Arthur spoke, I don't want to oversee some pointless trade next to a run down well.

He felt a hand grip his shoulder firmly. "Pyp the trade".

Pyp wanted to turn around and snap Arthurs head off, but he couldn't find it in himself to do it. Fathers dead.

He forced himself to step forward and move off in the direction Els and the others went in. The small farmhouse smelled of decay, a similar to the smell of Finepoint. They caught up to the rest of the group quickly and found Els and the farmer in a heated discussion.

"Jamis there is no way I will give you that much" said Els.

The farmer Jamis had an annoying grin on his face, "that one said he was the son of a High Prince so I reckon you can afford it".

"We carry no gold or silver with us, I have told you we are willing to trade a number of weapons and pieces of armour".

"What use av' I got for weapons and armour, on one round here's going to buy them from me" said Jamis.

"You will trade the water for the weapons" said Pyp as he stormed over to the well.

Jamis snorted, "I will bloody not".

Pyp looked over at Arthur and locked eyes with him. Yes you bloody will, he thought hoping his man at arms understood the slight nod.

Arthur reached down to the sword on his belt and noisily pulled a fraction of the blade out of its sheath.

Jamis whipped his head around to the sharp sound.

"I have no reason to pay you anything but I will due to the sorry state of your land, but don't presume to haggle with a prince farmer" said Pyp pushing himself away from the small semi circle of people.

I need to get away from them thought Pyp as he stalked off into a patch of trees.

"Alright then the swords for the water" said Jamis as he backed away from Arthurs intimidating frame.

Pyp kept walking as he heard them begin pulling water up. He was alone in the forest when he drew his sword, picked the thickest tree he could find and swung his sword into the bark. The sword stuck fast and Pyp struggled to pull it back out.

"Taking your anger out on trees" said Arthur from behind him.

Pyp kept struggling to pull the sword out of the tree, he lifted his foot to get more leverage before finally pulling his sabre free. He turned to see Arthur stood in front of him, Pyp cried out as he swung the sword at Arthur. The stalwart bodyguard drew his sword in a flash and easily deflected the sloppy swing. Pyp went on the offensive, he used all the teaching he had received to get past Arthurs defences. As he twirled his arm in intricate patterns Arthur stood unmoving only using his sword to push Pyps own aside. Pyp landed a heavy swing on Arthur sword, his loose grip on the handle bent his wrist in the wrong direction. He dropped the sword with a squeal of pain, stumbling back he grabbed his wrist.

"You done" said Arthur.

Pyp roared as he charged toward Arthur his fist raised. Arthur dropped his sword and caught Pyps first punch before twisting his arm around his back. Pyp struggled to get free. He swung he free arm around furiously, trying to connect with Arthurs exposed head but he soon tired. Arthur pulled him to the ground and spoke quietly into his ear.

"You done" said Arthur.

"Yes" replied Pyp through gritted teeth.

Arthur let him go. They both lay there, on the hard ground, for what felt like hours. Pyp could only think of his father and the immense disappointment he felt now that he was dead.

I'll never be able to show him, who I could become though Pyp bitterly on the ground. Finepoint had been his awakening as a man and Pyp was eager to show his father. Now that was impossible. Why now father. Why did it have to be now. I have suffered fathers ire for my entire life and now that I have a chance to gain a modicum of respect he dies thought Pyp. He could feel his jaw clenching painfully again.

"Sire we shouldn't stay here for much longer" said Arthur reminding him that the High Princes son was lying on the ground. He pulled himself to his feet and brushed the dirt from his jerkin and hoes. His hand throbbed to remind him of the pitiful display of swordsmanship. Arthur stood and picked up his sword, Pyp did the same.

"We need to resume your swordsmanship lessons sire" said Arthur.

"Yes, Yes" Pyp mumbled grimacing at the thought. More long hours getting whacked with heavy sticks until I'm black and blue.

But he knew it needed to be done, he couldn't rely on others to keep him safe forever.

They made their way back to the horse and cart. Els and the water pots had arrived before them and the farmer had brought some members of his family to take the arms promised as payment. Pyp hoisted himself up onto his seat on the cart and sank back in a mood. He listened in on the conversation between Els and Jamis.

"You ought to be careful out there, since the High Prince died there's been chaos in the Southlands. I don't know where all these bandits came from, seems there's bloody thousands off them, well armed too would put the state troops to shame some of them" said Jamis.

"How well armed" butted in Arthur.

"Some of them had guns, pistols and the like" said Jamis.

"Surely you misremember" said Els, "any musket would be far too expensive for even the most wealthy bandit".

"I know what I saw, friend on mine lost his arm to a shot from one of them" said Jamis.

"Anyhow, there passed through here days ago, but they were headed in the same direction you are" he said before whistling at his brood.

Pyp watched the small man head back to his home with his family, Els called for them to be off and the wheels on the cart began bumping along the road once more.

Els bored him with the story of her and Arthurs journey through Finepoint, Pyp didn't retain any of it as the hours rolled on. He found himself recounting his old memories of home. It felt like a lifetime had passed since he traveled on this road with Arthur after being banished from his home.

Father would never tell me why I was sent away, and now I suppose I'll never know thought Pyp. He remembered his father promising him safety at Finepoint with the Baron. What danger had there been at Heartford, I had seen none, heard of none thought Pyp, even if there was, father would never had told me.

Pyp nodded at another undoubtedly thrilling chapter in Els's story.

Baldwyn is High Prince now, Pyp thought about his elder brother, he was a capable man but his birth had been cursed, a twisted leg meant he would never be able to walk without cane and required a special horse to ride.

Edwyn won't be pleased, the middle brother of the family had more to prove than Pyp did, he constantly vied with Baldwyn for his fathers, but by law Baldwyn was the only one who could succeed his father. So Edwyn went unnoticed and the harder he tried, the more frustrated he became. Now with father dead perhaps Edwyn and I will be given real responsibility.

Pyp knew his uncles were men with large estates and important offices in the Southlands. It hardly made Pyp feel better about his fathers death, he wouldn't be able to stand confidently face to face and tell him all the things he ahd been to afraid to say when he was a child.

I killed a man Father, I withstood a siege from horrors you cannot imagine, I faced down a witch without feeling any fear Pyp said in his mind. His father swelled with pride, I can see my son.

Pyp shook the fantasy from his mind, his father was dead and nothing would change that.

"I wouldn't lie to you my lord Arthur and I really managed it" said Els.

You are still talking? Pyp thought to himself, "I have no doubt it just seems so audacious" said Pyp.

Els nodded vigorously "it was just that my lord, audacious". She launched back into her story with added gusto. Pyp rolled his eyes as he looked out at the falling sun.

Pyp hadn't left the cart as the other busied themselves with setting up camp. They had pulled off the road an hour ago and had hidden from the main road behind a hedgerow at Arthurs insistence. Tents were quickly erected and the tired followers collapsed into their bedrolls. It was shame they didn't find anymore pack animals when they first left Finepoint. The march to Heartford had been hard on the women of Miras company. Joth was inspect feet for any signs of rot, Arthur was sat on the back of the cart sharpening his sword and Els was stood talking to Mira by the hedge. Pyp wasn't in the mood to speak to anyone, but it had yet to get dark and Pyp needed something or else he would go mad. He reached into his bag and wrapped it around his flute case. Should I play here thought Pyp, he doubted any of them would complain. It feels wrong, Pyp was a new man the flute was a symbol of his past, when he was weak.

"Shall we practice" said Arthur.

Pyp looked up and saw him standing by his side. "Yes" said Pyp pulling his hand away from the flute.

They found privacy on the other side of the hedge rows. Arthur started by making him go through the basic stances and guards he had learned years ago.

"We will need to speed up your training if we are going to improve quickly, I assume that's what you want" said Arthur.

"It is" said Pyp.

They practiced until the sun set in the sky, Pyps arms burned form the intense effort. Arthur had sparred with Pyp mercilessly, he didn't hold back when Pyp misstep on a swing Arthur would knock him over. He was quick to pull him back to his feet and begin sparring again, Pyp had little time to think about his mistakes when Arthur came swinging at him.

"I think that's enough for the day" said Arthur.

Pyp was bent double with exhaustion, Arthur seemed to be barely affected by the hard training.

"You were eager to get me training Arthur" said Pyp as he finished catching his breath.

"I still am, we are only stopping because the sun is gone" he said.

"Why the urgency" asked Pyp.

"I'm worried" said Arthur.

"Worried?" asked Pyp, "I thought you'd be happy, I've changed since we last walked this road".

"The change is what worries me sire" Arthur said a frown forming on his face.

"Why would that worry you, I've become a man, I'm ready to fight" he said.

"You're not ready to fight, these lesson will show you that" said Arthur.

Pyps heart hammered in his chest, "not ready? I survived Finepoint when you couldn't protect me, I lied and fought my way through legions of people trying to take my head, I slammed a dagger into Erits chest for killing my friend" he was nearly shouting.

"And none of that matters when you can hardly swing a sword" said Arthur.

"I can swing a sword!" shouted Pyp.

Arthur shook his head, "we will continue tomorrow" he said before marhcing back to camp.

Pyp stood behind the hedgerows waiting to summon the courage to pace through the camp which just heard his outbursts.