Orn was not quite sure what to make of the plan the older boys came up with. They assured him the barracks at large would be a bit awkward but time would wear that down.

“That said the plan only will work of those close to you can warm up to you. Otherwise expect a lonely four years,” Tack slapped him on the back and walked away.

This left Orn alone at the closed door to his room. It was trivial to walk through the door only a couple hours before, but now a sense of dread seemed to hang over it. Orn tried to push the fears of being ostracized down, and mostly succeeded as he opened the door.

The three boys stood between the bunks, huddled together. Whatever they were talking about was replace with silence when Orn entered. Three immediately turned to face him, with pained looks on their faces.

Lonely four years it is then. Orn thought seeing the other boys expressions. Even as the thought crossed his mind, his chest tightened slightly.

Bloom suddenly bowed stiffly a the middle. “I am sorry for…” he trailed off and looked at the other boys. “Hey I thought we were all going to bow?!’

“When did we agree?!” Travers objected. “We were trying to decide what to say when you started talking about apologizing and bowing. We did not get a chance to say anything.”

Bloom stood and turned to the other boys, “what else were we supposed to do? He is a noble and we are what? The sons of a tailor, a jeweler and a village blacksmith.”

The descent into bickering was sudden and reminded Orn so much of when he walked into the room he could not help but laugh. At the sound of his laughter the other boys went quiet. “I think you three are losers,” the three boys flinched a the word, “who failed to guess my background.”

All three boy’s eyes widened as Orn’s words sank in. “None of you guessed, my father is a noble.”

“That is not true. Travers guessed that,” Bloom blurted out.

“Actually he did not,” Jack commented. “He suggested it but never actually made it his guess.”

“Yes that was right before you said Orn could not be one,” Travers added. “Something about he did not look at us like something he stepped in…” the words trailed off a the end and all three boys focused on Orn’s reaction.

“I thought you were joking,” Orn replied thoughtfully. “They looked at me the same way. I guess not being a complete horses rear is a pretty good way to hide my background. Right Bloom?” Orn gave his biggest smile, threw his arm around Bloom’s shoulders and hoped for the best.

Either the smile did not show any of the fear he felt, or the gesture was all they needed. The tension dissolved instantly into a barrage of questions.

...

“My father is the Count of Blackthorn.” Orn sat on his bunk looking across to the other bunk where the other boys sat.

Before an hour passed, they were bantering again like they had been when Orn first entered the room.

“I swear,” Orn replied lifting his empty hands in mock surrender. “My great grandfather was a common village headman.”

Travers, laughed at Bloom’s shocked expression, and shoved the other boy. “No wonder Orn is different, his great grandfather’s path was just a bit higher than our parents.”

“But to go from a first-generation knight to a Count, and so fast,” Jack asked clearly confused, “How did that happen?”

“The war,” Orn replied, “the count and other nobles in the area died. And since we are on the border with the empire, none of the other nobles wanted anything to do with the territory.”

“I bet some of them do now.” Travers commented darkly.

“It is still on the border with the empire,” Jack commented. “Why would they want it now?”

“The peace treaty,” Travers and Bloom replied together.

When Jack continued to look confused Travers explained. “The peace treaty means the empire will not attack. So they could rule the land without having to worry about fighting for it.”

“How many nobles are there now? I am sure a few moved in after the war ended.” Bloom commented.

“It is just my family.” Orn replied with a shrug. “Most of the territory is forest and the hunters take care of it so there it not much need for a large group of nobles.”

The three boys were incredulous. “You mean your dad has no vassals?”

“No, there is little need for them.” Orn shook his head. “The forest is dangerous and only the hunters can come can go through it. That only leaves one village.”

“Seems he has already been warned about knights like you, Bloom.” Jack commented and elbowed the boy next to him.

“I did not mean it like that!” Bloom yelled but a bit of color rose in his face.

“Lets put that aside for now,” Travers said. “We are all in the same boat. Besides Orn is not the count yet and could not accept anyone until he has lands to actually give. He may also have to give a few to the relatives to the girl he marries.”

“Actually, how did your father avoid that?” Bloom asked. “I am sure your mother had relatives who needed lands to govern. Every noble family seems to have at least one relative that needs lands and gets sent to the boonies.”

“Do not remind me,” Jack groaned. “I grew up in the boonies, and we had one of them appointed as our lord for a while. He finally ran away when he realized how poor the area was, and that it would require work.”

“My mother is an orphan,” Orn shrugged. “Her family were farmers from the high hills, so there was no one to ask.”

“Wait!” Bloom interjected, excitedly. “You mean your mother is not a noble! That is amazing! How did that happen?”

“She was working in the king’s camp, and found my father injured in the woods,” Orn motioned for the other boy to lower his voice. “She got him back to camp, and keep him alive until the king came. He ordered her to take care of father since he had brought the dead king’s last words.”

“Wait! Wait. wait,’ Bloom interrupted, and turned to Travers “there is not way.”

“It has to be,” Traver’s replied slowly, and stared at Orn. “You said the king visited your father, who carried the old kings message?”

Orn shrugged, “Yes. My uncle said he delivered the message that the army under the king’s father had been defeated. Uncle talked about it as if…. Why are you looking at me like that?”

Travers cleared his throat “Is your mother perhaps a healer?”

“Yes,” Orn stared at Traver’s and Bloom’s shocked expressions. “What is the big deal?”

Travers looked at the other boys. “How can he not know?”

Bloom’s head was in his hand s mumbling, “Of course those are Orn’s parents.”

“Care to explain?” Jack asked clearly as confused as Orn

Traver’s cleared his throat, “I cannot believe you do not know. Minstrels love the story.”

“We did not get many in the village, and they certainly do not go around singing in remote blacksmiths’ shops.” Jack responded shrugging

“Anyway,” continued Travers, “His parents are famous. His father is a hero! I should have remembered when he said his father went from a knight to a count. A knight so loyal that he carried a message to the king through the entire empire’s army. The minstrels say he had tied himself to the horse so he would not fall off as he fought off all of the empire’s cavalry. Then after being raised to a lord for being a hero, he steals the heart of the healer so beautiful the king considered marring her.”

Jack was looking back and forth between Orn and Travers. “Really?”

“It is a bit different from the version I heard.” Orn replied, flatly. “And I have never heard anything about the king being interested in mother. In fact, mother said the king sent her with father because he was so accident prone.”

The three boys were about to pounce on him for details when there was a knock as the door. Orn turned to the opening door and had a feeling he now knew why he had never seen a minstrel before.