Oh, bother.
Yet another celebration of sorts I say.
Well, I suppose I shouldn't be displeased.
Nay.
Why, 'tis yet another joyous occasion, I should say.
... (Uh... huh...)
Why, do say my dear reader, how have you been?
... (Fine. It's snowing by the way.)
Snowy, you say?
Why, the very best things of the cold of your world find themselves in the snow I would imagine.
... (Yeah, I guess you're right. I could make a snowman.)
Yes...
Yes of course.
Why, the very idea.
Indeed.
... (You make snowmen in your world?)
Hmmm...
No.
That remains a thing of the children to worry over, I would say.
All the same, would I argue...
That it remains a brilliant pastime for many.
Why, did the young lad once upon a time make a snowman of his own.
Yes, yes...
Ah, childhood memories...
Ah well...
Of that perhaps I shall speak later.
Even so, why...
Should I say...
A good morrow to you, my dear reader...
A good morrow indeed.
... (Good morning.)
Ah, 'twould seem you have finally learned some good manners...
... (What?)
Well, I suppose the time would come...
Eventually...
... (Oh, brother...)
Oh, never mind you me...
Simply making nonsense out of sense...
Why, it has only been over 100 chapters, I say.
... (Ok, ok... jeez...)
Yes, yes...
Very well then.
I shall continue.
And of the very same, why...
Shall I begin with the very place from which we stopped.
Yes.
As Madam Hathaway was observing the young lad...
As he ate ever so quietly and unmovedly...
Well I should get started, wouldn't you say, my dear reader?
... (Yep. Let's boogie.)
I...
I am going to assume that...
Hmmm...
No. Do say, what does that mean?
... (Something something... let's get on with it.)
Very well then...
And of the very same, do take note of this.
Madam Hathaway was observing his odd silence...
Why, to many, one would ask...
Do tell, my dear reader, who amongst men and women can say...
That they remained silent amongst praise?
... (Huh? Yeah...)
Yes, a most mysterious ordeal, I should say.
All the same, must I go along with this all.
Indeed.
As Madam Hathaway did observe the young lad, did Reginald Walterson soon come to her as well...
Reginald: Why, Madam, you have barely drank a thing.
The very man was merely jesting...
Although, perhaps he was honestly asking...
... (Don't you know?)
Oh, bother.
Have I not told you that I do not know everything?
Fail to assume such, my dear reader...
Why, there are many mysteries in life, I say.
Hmmm...
Well, I suppose I shall leave that thought for later.
... (What thought?)
Oh, never you mind.
Now then, did Madam Hathaway simply say...
Victoria: No, no, Mr. Reginald. I have plenty.
Reginald: Oh come now, we can afford to take our time, I say. Why, we are several an hour ahead of our plans, I should say.
An exaggeration on his part, I should add.
They were a mere few hours away, I should say.
Why, he had no right to say such, I would argue.
All the same did he do as so.
Moving along...
Victoria: Oh, no. I insist. I am quite fine.
And thereof did the man simply turn, not failing to lower his head a bit...
Reginald: Oh, very well then.
He did take his drink back with him.
And that and many more would he take that night...
All the while failing to be drunk, I say.
... (High tolerance?)
To more than merely mead?
Indeed.
All the same, did Madam Thornberry soon say loudly...
Nancy: Why, we should manage to make it there say... perhaps in the morning!
Fren: Indeed.
Nancy: We shall have much time to prepare!
Yes, yes...
They all preparing for the day on and upon which they would trade and trade with the peoples...
Yes...
A most bountiful treasure they found in such.
All the same...
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Fren: Oh, ho, ho.
Was their night simply as such...
Why...
Did Fren Chavalier give the young lad yet one more piece of meat...
Which he did simply place upon his hand and eat.
Fren: For you, my young lad.
A very thing that Madam Hathaway did also take note of.
Yes...
And of the young lad, with a simple tone...
Jake: Thank you.
Did he partake of it also...
And thereof, why...
Did Madam Thornberry consider giving him more...
But thought against it...
Yes...
'Tis foolish to overtly serve a guest, one should agree.
And then and there, why...
Did yet one thing happen that night.
Indeed.
A very thing that finds itself to be oh-so important to this tale.
Why, 'tis the very reason for the name.
... (The name?)
Why, yes...
The very name.
Indeed.
Do take your time to reread the title should you require it...
However, I shall and I will tell you of as much about it...
When and should it just occur...
For it is indeed for the very consideration that Fren Chavalier did soon give...
That such and such a thing did soon occur.
Indeed.
... (Ok.)
And thereof...
Was it as they all were still chatting...
Reginald: Why, do consider this, my good man... Meat dipped in mead... then dipped in honey. And thereof dipped in salted water. And thereafter cut, and once more, in mead.
Fren: Why, Reginald, my good man. Are you sure you fail to be drunk?
Just a simple joke between friends...
All the same...
Nancy: It may be cold this night. Do either of you pair require anything warm or anything of the such?
Florian: No. I shall be quite fine.
Victoria: Worry not, my dear. We shall be quite fine.
And as the conversations went back and forth...
The very young lad simply silent...
Staying there...
Why, did...
Hmmm...
Well, I suppose I should simply tell you immediately.
Indeed.
'Twas as Fren Chavalier was upon the subject of meat...
The very thing he sold to whomever would buy...
Why, was it then and there...
That the very young lad was asked a question...
All by the man simply and suddenly coming upon the idea...
That something could yet be done.
And of that thing, I say...
Reginald: Why, we have many preparations to make. It shan't be long now.
Fren: Indeed. I shall have to sort everything... Even so, I shall have to prepare what to sell on the first day, and then also, on the second...
Reginald: Yes. Selling of meat is quite the arduous thing, I should say. Why, for all the preparations, I would argue.
Fren: Indeed.
A sigh did escape his mouth, before he did turn to the young lad...
The very one seeming somewhat bored...
Before...
All of a sudden, a sudden thought did occur to him...
One that perturbed him slightly...
But also, one that he did indeed properly consider...
For...
Indeed...
'Twas not all that foolish.
And of the very same, why...
Fren: Dear lad, would you like to go for a walk yet once more?
Why, did the young lad simply nod.
He was there to guard them, most obviously...
Fren: Very well then.
And of the very same, did the man consider it more and more...
Why, I do suppose you can take a guess and imagine what it is he was to ask of him.
... (Hmmm?)
Yes, yes...
Yet another question it is.
All the same, do I believe it should be fully obvious to you given the circumstances.
... (Huh?)
Oh, come now...
... (Wait! To get more meat!)
Indeed.
A very good answer.
And while the young lad did say...
Jake: I shall... but only once you are finished with your meal and also... are inside.
Yes, yes...
A guard must remain a guard.
'Tis the way of guards.
... (Obviously...)
Hmmm...
Yes...
Well never mind that.
Indeed.
'Twas as they had all finally been done with their meal...
That the very young lad did find himself getting up and preparing to leave for this...
"Walk."
... (Huh?)
Why, have you forgotten so quickly?
Hmmm...
No, I do believe I am at fault here.
Why, it has not happened yet, has it?
... (Yep.)
Very well then.
Fren Chavalier did somewhat meekly ask the lad...
As they all found themselves collecting their plates...
Washing hands...
Drinking their very last sips...
Yes...
Did the man by the name of Fren Chavalier soon tell the young lad simply...
Fren: Dear lad...
And of this, why, was the young lad already with his feet towards the carriage...
Ready to jump over and thereof walk to the way.
Indeed.
However and even so, why...
Did Fren Chavalier halt him.
Why, did the young lad turn around immediately...
Fren: I do ask this of you.
The young lad did turn to the man and walk towards him...
And the pair then shared a conversation.
Fren: A smashing job you have done with our travelling. Why, without you, would we be several a step lost, I say.
And of the very same...
The young lad simply remained silent...
Fren: But this I do ask of you, my dear lad... when and as you do go for your walk... should you find something worth slaying... would you do me a kindness and bring it back to me in the morning?
And of that, did the young lad merely consider but for a moment...
Before...
Jake: Alright...
Fren: Very good then. Alright. However, do make sure to bring it in the morning. Any later and I would be quite... Hmmm, no, no, any earlier and you may bring with it something other wild beasts shall come for.
Yes...
A wise choice in his eyes...
And of the very same, did the young lad find himself leaving the very Fren Chavalier...
Why, all but for the very last words was most everything heard by none of them.
Indeed.
Why, Madam Hathaway merely looked...
The very woman was busy sorting things out herself, I say...
Watching the very pair talk...
Before the young lad did eventually jump over the coil...
Landing upon the ground...
All for the simple reason that remained...
To hunt.
Indeed.
Converser at hand...
The very forest before him...
And thereof...
A mission of sorts...
Yes...
... (Nostalgic, huh?)
Hmmm...
No, that would fail to be the best word...
Perhaps...
Reminiscent...
Yes...
A thing that did remind him of the things that did occur prior...
A thing that did remind him of...
The very sort of Knight he did once used to be.
The very sort of Knight.
All the same, I say...
Did the young lad prepare himself as best he could...
Which was simply...
To one such as...
Hmmm...
'Twould seem that time is up.
... (Huh? Now?)
Well...
Yes...
... (But... but...)
Hmmm?
... (It's too early!)
Hmmm...
Well...
In any case...
Where was I?
... (Huh?)
Ah, yes...
The very way the young lad did prepare himself was to simply...
... (You're ignoring me?)
Why, of course.
Well, I do suppose I was being be bit cheeky there.
I do apologise.
... (What was that all about?)
Hmmm...
Well...
I should say little of it now.
'Twould waste time, I say.
All the same, do I continue...
... (Wait. But what about...)
Hmmm...
Alright...
Should there be a sort or necessity for it, shall it be revealed.
Is that well by you, my dear reader?
... (Ugh. "Indeed.")
Oh, ho, ho, ho...
Very well then.
'Twould seem your spirits are still up.
Alright then.
Begin I shall.
Ahem...
'Twas as the young lad...
No...
I already said all this.
The only preparation one such as he required...
Was his nose in the air...
His ears to the air...
And even so, his eyes to what lay before him.
Indeed.
... (Just to sense them.)
Yes...
Fail to assume that mere eyes are the very best when it comes to hunting for prey.
... (Well, yeah, I guess so.)
Indeed.
Even so, did the young lad enter the groves a mere few moments later...
Walking upon twigs and branches...
... (What about stealth?)
Hmmm...
Why, I suppose I should say this...
Stealth is indeed of the many things of battle...
However and even so, does it fail to find itself in the repertoire of the many skills held by the Knights.
At the very least I should say, is it not a well-studied one.
... (So Knights are not very good at stealth?)
Why, indeed.
Fail to assume that they are not able, however...
Yes...
The very many of them would rather not...
To say little of those poorly trained in the same.
Why, do many a Knight pride themselves in facing a foe head on...
Rather than diving under the mud and waiting patiently for the beast to pass by.
Cowardice and deceit some would call it...
Why, there are many debates about the very same...
Others would call it strategy...
... (And the shinobi?)
Why, their very state of things finds itself to be quite the opposite.
Should you use the very cunning and stealth to win...
Indeed.
Should you be praised amongst your fellow warriors...
And of the very same, amongst your own family.
Indeed.
Ah, now where were we...
Ah, yes...
... (So Knights just chase the beast and hunt it down?)
Why, of course?
... (Wouldn't it just run away?)
Yes...
Indeed.
... (So aren't traps necessary sometimes?)
Why, of course...
... (So, why all the focus on facing them head on?)
Why, context, my dear reader...
Context.
... (Huh?)
Oh dear, very well then.
I shall tell you of it all.
Do consider a man who desires to hunt a beast that would flee and also, a beast that would not.
... (Ok?)
Do ask yourself all this...
What is it of...
... (Ohhhh.... I get it now)
Really?
... (Yeah. It's the intention behind it.)
Yes.
'Tis very good that you are clever, my dear reader...
Otherwise I worry that this writing would take many a time.
Why, I would outlive the young lad and then return to my place serving my king and queen.
... (That's what happens when Jake dies...)
Yes...
Whenever any one of us loses our partner...
Yes...
... (Is there something you guys do to try to stop it?)
Why, my dear reader, explaining everything to you would likely turn this book into yet another book, I say.
Indeed.
Even explaining all that...
A mouthful, I should agree...
... (Sheesh...)
All the very same, do fail to worry...
I should and shall find myself on my way...
And thereof, where was I?
Ah, yes...
As the very young lad did begin to hunt for a meal...
And thereof, do I say...
Did the young lad sniff the air...
And of it, a bevy of beasts...
The very sorts of which he was well familiar with.
Why, did he only require one to tell what was there...
And another to tell where oh where.
Yes...
Rubberits by the many.
However, no one would like to hunt those...
Lest a father would like a pet for his child...
Likely a little girl.
The scent of bastions...
Yes...
However, 'twas a passing scent...
The very beasts had long since left...
Yes...
'Tis not in their nature to hunt in the dead of the night.
Indeed.
Even so, the very scent of more Iceman's Buffalo...
Yes...
Several passing scents as well...
Why, the very beasts had also returned to the mountains...
Quite the hurry they must have had.
And even so, why...
Did he continue to sniff in the air.
Grave-tails...
Yes...
The very monsters with their tails out...
Why, had the young lad long since learned how to hunt and how to avoid capture by these beasts.
And of them all, I say, were they about three of them in his general direction...
Yes...
A simple catch, one would argue...
Even so, one fitting the very sort that Fren Chavalier would require.
However, that was not all...
... (People eat grave-tail meat? Wait... no... I shouldn't be surprised.)
Indeed...
And thereof, is time truly up now.
... (But... huh...)
Well, I suppose I should apologise for wasting your time earlier.
... (Yeah. But... wait. Don't you think you should make up for that?)
Oh!
Oh, dear, you are absolutely right.
And of that, I shall.
Indeed.
Moving along...
Ah, yes...
Now thereof...
Indeed.
The very grave-tails...
Yes...
People do eat their meat...
Why, there fails to be oh-so many a beast that these lands give to man...
That they have failed to consume at least once.
Why, do some even say that there is a market for the meat of legendary dragons...
Even so, as no one has the courage to bother hunting such.
Yes...
All the very same, did the young lad sniff fail to stop there...
Indeed.
The scent of many a beast remained there...
Dire wolves as they were...
Why those beasts are always in direct combat with bastions, I should say.
... (Huh?)
Yes, yes...
A most interesting thing I should say.
Dire wolves are fond of hunting in the evening and at night...
And bastions in the morning and at noon...
And yet, should these pairs find each other, does a bloody massacre often follow.
.. (Sheesh)
Yes, yes...
All the same, now...
Is time truly up.
... (Alright)
Hmmm...
Well, not really...
... (Huh?)
Fail to assume that this is the end of the celebration, my dear reader.
Fail to assume.
Indeed.
