COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO!

A loud and unfamiliar noise woke Rowan out of his sleep, nearly making him jump out of bed.

Where is this?

It had taken a moment before he recognized the unfamiliar room. He was in Grandpa Rodan’s house for the duration of the punishment for starting a fight in the castle.

How long was the punishment again?

The king never specified a time.

The room was still covered in darkness  and he could see his roommate, Aaron Helmstrum covering his head with a pillow.

“By the gods what is that awful noise? Leave me alone. If I ever find out the source of that infernal sound, I will have it executed,” the young noble muttered through clenched teeth.

Rowan was still in a groggy state when the door burst open.

CLANG! CLANG CLANG!

It was Grandpa Rodan, using a wooden spoon to hit a metal pot.

“ Time to wake up lads! There's bread and soup on the table. Meet me out in the fields when you're ready.” With those words said, Grandpa Rodan left the room.

Rowan immediately got out of his bed and prepared to get ready. It wasn’t any different from what he did in the capital. Wake up early and train. It was earlier than what he was used to, but that was fine. Although he was curious what his grandpa had in mind as he never explained anything.

“ Are you not going to get up?” Rowan addressed Aaron as the young lord stayed in bed.

“No.” With the blunt refusal, Aaron returned to dreamland.

Rowan could only shrug and continue changing his clothes. It wasn’t his job to manage his roommate's behavior. 

Half an hour later, Rowan was on one of the crop fields waiting for Grandpa Rodan.  The fields were large and surrounded the house and barn. At the edge was a forest. 

Grandpa Rodan was already working on the fields. He had been plowing when Rowan arrived.

“Where is the other lad?” Grandpa Rodan asked without stopping. 

“He refused to wake up.”

“Did he? We’re going to have to fix that.” 

Grandpa Rodan said with a smirk. He then proceeded to return back to the house.

A few minutes later, Rowan saw Grandpa Rodan dragging a certain kicking and screaming Aaron Helmstrum out by the neck.

"“How dare you wake me up this early. Not even my father dares to wake me up this early. I’ll-”

Rowan could only roll his eyes at this point.

Doesn't his mouth ever get tired?

Grandpa Rodan apparently shared similar thoughts as he used one hand to grab Aaron's mouth.

“Look here. You were sent here to help me. Not the other way around. That was what your king ordered for you. But if you want to report back, go ahead. Do note that the nearest town is 2 hours by foot. For you, it will take longer. ”

The elderly man pointed to where the roads were with one arm.

“Go ahead. I won't stop you. There’s the road.”

Aaron glanced at the direction that Grandpa pointed, but remained still. Rowan swore he could see the wheels in Aaron’s brain turning, calculating if the boy could make it back to the capital on his own.

Aaron must have seen sense and thought it was impossible to make it back on his own two feet.

“Good it looks like you're not completely hopeless after all. If you go out on your own, you might not make it. Monsters from Forest of Death might get you.”

Aaron paled at that statement. “What do you mean by that?”

“Oh did I forget to mention that? You see where the trees start? That's where the Forest of Death starts.”

“Are you crazy? Living right next to the Forest of Death?” Aaron exclaimed.

Reluctantly, Rowan had to agree with Aaron on this. He loved his grandpa, but what he just said made him feel uneasy.

The Forest of Death was possibly one of the most dangerous places in the Kingdom. It was a nightmarish place that few dared to enter and was used to scare children to sleep.

And it was just past the crop field that they were standing on.

“It's not that bad. It only past the outer region that you need to worry about. Besides, a few life and death experiences help build character.”

Those words did not make the boys feel any better.

“Alright let's get started. You see these plows here? You're going to use them and work on the fields. Have you boys ever plowed a field before?” Grandpa Rodan gestured at the farming tools that laid near the edge of the field.

Both of the boys shook their heads.

“Let me demonstrate it once. When you plow, it should be deep enough for your hand to touch the bottom.” Grandpa Rodan stopped and looked at his hand then the boys.

He laughed and spoke again “An adult hand mind you. If we use your hand measurement it won't be deep enough. It has to be deep enough that birds can't get to the seeds, but not too deep that the sprouts can't break through the Earth.” Grabbing the farming tool, the elderly man showed the boys how it was done. 

After demonstrating, he said “ I already started on one part of the field, why don't you boys get started on the opposite part of the field?”

Rowan grabbed the farming tool and examine it. It looked ordinary, but was heavier than he thought. It was most likely made for adults in mind rather than children.

When he glanced over, Aaron was still prideful as ever. He refused to even touch the plow.

“It’s best to get started before the sun gets higher. It gets very hot when you are working.” Grandpa Rodan shouted out as he walked away.

 “I refuse to touch any of these tools. This work is for peasants. Not for a noble like me!” Aaron exclaimed.

Sick of his attitude, Rowan spoke up. “You can't do it. Just say that. No need to go on and on about nobles.”

Insulted, Aaron yelled at the other boy. “ How dare you speak to me like that. A noble like me can do everything better than someone with commoner blood like you.  I’ll prove it to you right now!” The young noble immediately grabbed the remaining plow and rushed over to the other side of the field.

Thank the gods the young noble was so easy to trick. As Rowan followed him, he saw Grandpa Rodan grinning and wink at him, knowing that he had tricked the other boy. Rowan could only scratch his head in embarrassment. 

Seeing Aaron already hacking at the earth, Rowan set a bit of a distance from him. As he began to work, he noticed the other boy glaring at him. Aaron had plowed more of the field already than Rowan since he started early. The young noble lifted any eyebrow and puffed up his chest when he saw Rowan looking at him, as if saying is that all you can do?

Rowan hadn’t actually planned to make a contest of it, but seeing the other boy's attitude angered him and he began to ferociously dig into the earth.