Gasper welcomed another morning at the door of his new cabin. He watched the wooden palisade that has gradually been rising around the newly established camp. He'd moved his crew north of the forest almost a fortnight ago. And an appropriate camp was finally coming into being.

He ran his hands over his new leather armor. The Viscount had gifted him this set. Recent experience had taught him that iron armor was more likely to slow him down than help him during combat.

He spied Erick hurrying towards him from afar. Erick was a reliable man compared to others in the crew. Master Rudolf had depended on him to arrange most of the patrols when Gasper had still not returned.

"Has it happened again?" Gasper sighed.

"Yes," Erick said, panting. "Riders have grazed by our territory again."

After Gasper had moved his camp north of the forest, the bandits of the north had gotten restless. They had constantly sent scouts to make sense of what was happening in the east. The news had spread faster than he'd anticipated. It had only taken a few days for the two bandit crews of the north to realize that there was a new crew establishing itself in the east. "Avoid conflict," Gasper said. "Let them scout us as much as they like. When they realize that we outnumber them, they will think twice about seeking trouble."

"Yes, chief," Erick nodded then he strode away.

Master Rudolf came next, his copper mask still attracting dubious gazes from the new recruits. Everyone respected his strength, but they still had their doubts about him. "Trouble?" the old steward asked.

"Same old," Gasper shook his head. "Our fellows in the north are still restless."

"It is as expected," Master Rudolf said. "Aside from making sure that we aren't a threat to them, they will also want to know how the Viscount will act upon knowing of our existence. If he doesn't attack us, then they will either be greedy for the east or suspicious of us. It will depend on how clever they are."

"They aren't fools," Gasper said. "That I'm sure of. The two crews of the north aren't united but they've always been patient. At least that's what Black Dog used to say. The first of them is a nameless crew that mostly avoids conflict. I once heard a Black Dog bandit call them the mud riders or something. They don't recruit and their numbers have always been the same, about 800 men. The other crew, however, is the one we should be careful of, The Nest. Their chief is called Viper, and his name is deserved."

"Deserved?" Master Rudolf asked.

"Yes," Gasper said. "He wasn't the chief of The Nest when he joined. He pretended to be an ordinary bandit. Then he ended up killing the previous chief and taking his place. That's just what I've heard among the Black Dog bandits though. I don't know a lot of what really happened. Among the other bandit crews, he's the only chief who isn't a Sky Warrior. He is like me, an Earth Warrior."

"He is like you in more than just that," Master Rudolf quipped.

Gasper chortled. They had both killed their chiefs. Though Gasper hadn't done it for power, nor had he done it by choice. Whenever he remembered that day, he would thank all that was holy for his luck. Black Dog had been wounded before their fight, which made him less of a threat. Aside from that, the hail of arrows that Ard's army had loosed on the camp that night had helped Gasper distract his opponent. In the end, he'd survived and Black Dog had died.

"We have to begin soon," Gasper said. "I doubt the Viscount likes waiting."

Master Rudolf nodded. "I agree," he said. "We should act now. Would you like me to pass some commands?"

"Yes," Gasper nodded. "Tomorrow we begin collecting coin and goods from the nearby village and the surrounding hamlets and farmsteads. I would like you to stress my next words to members of the crew as well. No one is to harm the peasants. We are only going to collect wealth. We won't take any people by force and we won't kill a single man even if there is resistance."

"I understand your sentiment," the old steward said. "But your subordinates would need an explanation. Bandits aren't supposed to be kind."

"I don't care," Gasper said icily. "These are my commands for them. I won't harm honest people during this act of ours. It's enough that we will be robbing them."

Master Rudolf sighed. "Very well," he said. "I suppose we can just say that we don't want to scare the peasants into fleeing to Ard."

"It's better than not having an excuse, I suppose," Gasper snorted. "How are the troublesome people?"

"Djark and those like him have been trying to amass others into supporting them," Master Rudolf said. "Most of our men have been busy recently though. They don't have the time to listen to them."

"All dissidents will be gone soon," Gasper said with a sneer. "Let them scheme as much as they wish."

?---------------------------------------------------------------?

Gerald was whistling in his study when Harrid announced the arrival of the physician. "Let him in," Gerald said. "And go bring Yanna."

"Yes, my lord," Harrid nodded.

After Harrid left the study, the physician entered hurriedly. He was an aged man who seemed to have seen no less than fifty winters. He smiled kindly and bent his stiff back. "Greetings, my lord."

'You had to bring me the oldest physician out there, didn't you, Arthur?' Gerald waved for the man to straighten his back. "Arthur has told you why you're here, right?"

"Yes, my lord," the physician nodded. "Please let me see them."

There was a knock on the door then Harrid entered. "Yanna is outside, my lord."

"Alright, let her in, and you should come too," Gerald said.

"Me, my lord?"

"Yes," Gerald nodded.

Harrid nodded and hurried outside. It only took him a moment to come back inside with Yanna. She hastily bowed to Gerald once she entered.

"Them, my lord?" the physician asked.

"Yes," Gerald answered. Then he looked at the two children. "Let him check you."

Harrid and Yanna nodded in response.

The old man approached Harrid first and checked his hair and eyes. Then he ran a small copper tool over the boy's teeth. Once he finished checking Harrid's teeth, he moved on to his joints. He bent them, knocked on them with a wooden tool, and pressed them with his fingers. Gerald didn't find any signs of pain on Harrid's face though.

Soon, the physician moved on to Yanna and did the same. However, while he was checking Yanna, he stopped and looked at her dubiously for a moment. Then he checked her twice more than he did Harrid. When he was done, he wiped some sweat off his forehead and looked at Gerald.

"Are you finished?" Gerald said.

"Yes, my lord," the physician said.

Gerald cocked his head expectantly.

"Well," the physician inhaled deeply. "The boy is 12 years of age, my lord."

Gerald nodded. "And the girl?"

"She is 14 years of age, my lord."

"What?" Gerald widened his eyes. He pointed at the frail Yanna and said, "her?"

"Yes, my lord," the physician smiled wryly. "She looks younger than she truly is. I assume the reason is malnourishment in her earlier years. Her real age will be more visible as she grows older."

Gerald shot Yanna a dubious look, not unlike the physician's earlier one. The girl seemed as surprised as him though. "And you're certain?" Gerald asked the physician.

"Yes, my lord," the old man nodded.

"Very well," Gerald sighed. "You may leave now."

The physician quickly bowed then left the study.

Gerald eyed the two children. Harrid was staring at Yanna. She looked back at the boy with a grin, which almost made him chuckle.

"You're older than I expected, Yanna," Gerald chuckled. However, her age didn't matter that much to him. He just wanted them to know their own age. "How is learning to read going for you two?"

Yanna smiled and said, "it is going very well, my lord. The head maid has taught me a lot."

Gerald nodded and looked at Harrid. "And you Harrid?"

The boy scratched the back of his head, his eyes shifting in embarrassment. "I train with the sword most of the time, my lord," he said. "My master said that I'm a very good learner."

Gerald smirked. "I'm asking about your reading, silly boy, not your training," Gerald said, shaking his head. "Regardless, I'm glad you two are doing well. Do you still sleep in the maids' quarters, Yanna?"

"Yes, my lord," Yanna said.

"You shall have your own chamber from today," Gerald smiled. This was her delayed reward. He couldn't think of a better one for her. He wouldn't give her coin, as she could do nothing with it. And learning to read wasn't much of a reward, as Harrid had already begun learning once he'd arrived at the keep.

"Thank you, my lord," Yanna said. Then she hesitated before speaking again. "Can I help you again, my lord?"

"No," Gerald shook his head.

"A guard could come with us when we leave the keep," she said.

"You told me before that it would scare your friends in the streets," Gerald said, cocking his head. Then he suddenly thought of something. "Why don't you let those people of yours come to you, instead of you going to them."

The girl tilted her head, puzzled. "How, my lord? Should they come here to the keep?"

Gerald chuckled. "No, not to the keep. I will give you a house in Ard. There will be a guard hiding in the house with you, and several others around it. The homeless ones that know of you could visit you there every once in a while to deliver news. They already know that you can give them coin."

"I'm not sure if they would come, my lord," Yanna said.

"Try," Gerald smiled. "Let's hope it works. You can begin tomorrow after I arrange a place for you to receive those people."

Yanna nodded.

"And you," Gerald shot Harrid a stare. "You better learn to read soon. I need someone to arrange these scattered parchments. That's what attendants do."

"Yes, my lord," Harrid nodded quickly.

"Very well, you two can leave," Gerald smiled.