C5 5

We journeyed with the other farmers for the whole afternoon without encountering any other mishaps. Along the way, I had fallen asleep at the back of our cart . I woke up when the cart stopped abruptly, it was in the late evening. The fiery sun was just sinking back in the horizon casting red rays across the camps that were being set up beside a small forest. Night was already starting to swallow the light from the sun's opposite side. Our cart had stopped beside a huge tree with no leaves for shade but it would still protect us from the other elements such as wind.

The campsite was beginning to get lively with a flurry of activities taking place. Jack had released the horses from their harnesses and he was feeding them at the moment. My father was starting a fire by the side with a pile of small branches. I stood up and covered our grain with a piece of cloth. It wasn't that I was trying to act responsible but looking at how other men were working , I felt really stupid by just sitting there.

My actions made my father look me up from the fire he was trying to start. He regarded me with a smile.

" You are up old man " Jack said coming over.

" Where are we?" I asked looking around

" Cyrin forest, at the middle of our small kingdom. We are still a day's journey away if you are wondering" he replied scanning me from top to bottom.

" Am I drooling?" I tilted my head

" No, I'm suprised. This is the first time since you were born that you didn't sleep talk in a language we don't understand"

" Come on lads…" our father called us by the fire. He was already warming our bread over the fire. He served us warm soup in small bowls before handing us the bread.

After our quick night meal, we got around the fire and chatted .

" Greg Kalder" someone shouted our father's name behind me. I turned around to see who it was and wow, the shortest of the men I've ever seen. I estimated I was twice his size when I stood up, he was extremely down. His head was full of beard and hair which made him seem old. I was just wondering who he was when my father stood up abruptly and headed towards him.

" Alexander Reisden" he said the vigorously patted the dwarf on the back. The man only smiled uncomfortably when each pat made him nod his head unwillingly. My father stopped when he realized he was overdoing the greeting.

" You have another daughter?" Alexander squinted his eyes at me. A smile grew from his lips after noticing me frown.

" Ooh, he's a boy" he chuckled weirdly

" He's my last born, Damien . Damien, greet your uncle from the North" father smiled

" Good evening, err , Alexander" I said with a slight stutter

" He really is a boy…" the man bounced his way towards the fire " the pretty face confuses me"

" We'll go for a small stroll" Jack stood up then held my arm. I was rather grateful that Jack thought of strolling at this moment, it was better than listening to the old men catch up. I would be bored to death.

We left them laughing and yapping about long time stories with occasional rough pats my father gave the dwarf. I gave Alexander a pitiful look behind my back, he would have a sore back by the time he left.

We manouvered the camps for some time commenting and laughing about every funny thing we saw. One particular male farmer didn't realize his pants had a large gaping hole at the bottom of his pants. His 'stuff' just as Jack liked to refer to them dangled innocently and sometimes hardened when he laughed. I was laughing my guts out loudly , the man thought that his jokes were making his friends laugh but it wasn't really the case. His friends also seemed to have noticed that and were dying of laughter.

We walked to the outer edges of the campsite where it was darker. From the forest beyond, I heard the sound of a woman crying weirdly. She sounded as if she was almost in pain. I paused momentarily to focus on the moving figures in the dark.

" Shouldn't we help her?" I asked Jack

" She is already being helped " Jack replied while dragging me away from the spot. Helped? I frowned looking even harder. I now saw those figures properly, the man was furiously holding the woman by her hair and he kept moving like he was dancing to some sort of silent rhythm. He reminded me of our male sheep back at home.

I was so mesmerized by the scene until Jack covered my eyes and lifted me to his back. He walked quickly off the edges of the camp.

" Put me down" I said in a muffled voice

" You shouldn't have seen that at all. That was their private thing, you should have some respect" Jack said

"I didn't peek or something, they were doing whatever rams do openly " I retorted. Jack put me down when we were some distance away.

" I'll report this to father" Jack said with an evil smirk.

" How sweet of you, I would really love that. And just so you know, I saw you last week with that girl behind your boat. I wonder what father would say about that…" I chuckled. Jack was dumbfounded for a while before he pounced on me playfully. I was quicker so I escaped before he could get a grip on me. I ran all the way to the camp . I arrived laughing hard at how I outran my older brother. I always loved doing that. He arrived later heaving and puffing like an ox. He smiled embarrassedly noticing how I wasn't even spent up like he was.

My father was setting up our sleeping places up in a tired manner.

" Jack, you have the first watch . I'll take the..." father grumbled then sprawled on part of the space he had just set up. He was snoring a short moment later.

" Go to sleep old man" Jack smiled then sat by the fire to watch over our produce. I was getting under the covers when I noticed how Jack was forcing himself not to sleep. He kept blinking his eyes tiredly. I on the other hand had slept all afternoon, I didn't even feel like sleeping right now at all.

" Just go to sleep, I'll stay on watch" I said

" No, you just sleep"

" I don't feel like it, come on. If someone tries anything I'll wake you up" I said standing up already then moving to the fire " I slept the whole afternoon"

" If you feel like going to rest just wake me up, okay?" Jack smiled gratefully

" Okay" I said wrapping my arms over my legs