Work Text:
Hooves clattering on the floor, Henry bursts through the front door and practically flops to the floor in a sweaty heap of gangly limbs. Wiping her hands on her apron front, Jitka chuckles and walks to stand next to Henry, putting her hands on her hips. “Aren’t you a little old for the dramatics, my dear?”
Henry groans and wipes a hand over his face. “Ma, I’m dyin’ out there. Pa had me running some errands, but then Beran’s mare was having trouble foaling, so he asked me for a hand, and I had barely splashed off in the trough when Johanka told me she needed my help gathering herbs, and as we were about to leave, Janek told us about one of Old Jan’s sheep that got loose so keep an eye out for it, and–”
“Okay, okay, I get it! My little love had many tasks to tend to today!” Jitka laughs and raises her hands in a calming motion towards Henry, who is still splayed in a pile of limbs on the floor just inside the door to their home. She smiles and offers a hand to help him up. “Not to give you another thing on your list, but I think you’ll like what I’m about to tell you,” she says, with a twinkle in her eye.
Henry perks up, lifting his head off the floor. Gently taking her hand, he scrambles his hooves underneath himself and pushes himself off the floor, shaking out his coat and tail. “Wuzzat, Ma?”
“Well,” she starts, turning back towards the bread she was shaping at the table. “Bianca stopped by.”
Henry groans. “While I was gone? You didn’t say anythin’ embarrassing, did you Ma?” He hides his face behind one hand.
Jitka flaps a hand at him. “No, no, of course not, dearest. She was looking for you and I told her you were out for the day. But!” She continues quickly, seeing the dejected face on Henry. “She told me some exciting news! She heard from her father that a knight was coming to stay in town!”
Very intelligently, Henry stares at her and says, “What?” Shaking his head and swallowing, he follows up with, “Bianca came here to tell me? Really?”
Laughing again, Jitka says, “Yes, you silly boy! Get yourself cleaned up, I’ve got a fresh caparison I left on your bed and I’ll get you something to eat you can take with you.” She leans forward to look out the window. “If you hurry, you’ll have plenty of time before sundown to say hello.”
As if spurred into action, Henry bolts back out the door, heading to do a more thorough wash in the back. Shaking her head fondly, Jitka smiles after him. “My precious boy.”
After washing and hastily throwing on his new caparison and a shirt, Henry trots over to the tavern. Unsurprisingly, a crowd already formed around the few tables outside, a warm, welcoming voice rising above the general noise of the people around.
“I've had some time off from my studies, so I thought I would give traveling a try! Prague is such a large place, I did miss the humble nature you so often find in smaller towns in the countryside."
Suddenly nervous, Henry shifts from side to side, hesitating at the edge of the crowd of people standing and kneeling around the knight outside.
"Where else have you been, sir?" One of the younger kids near the knight pipes up.
Henry stares at the knight, clad in chain and plate shining in the afternoon sun, as the knight runs a hand through his hair. "A few others—I had just come through Rattay and someone recommended coming to Skalitz for the hospitality-" The knight stops abruptly, eyes catching on Henry's. Henry immediately drops his gaze to the grass beneath him, cheeks flushing bright red and shoulders hunching over. A million thoughts running through his head, Henry doesn't hear the jostle of armor as the knight walks over to Henry. Seeing armored boots come into his vision, Henry startles, looking back up directly into the knights kind face.
"Hello, lad! What's your name? I'm Bartoschek of Drahonitz, but everyone calls me Bartosch."
Frozen to the spot, Henry's mouth drops open in surprise. He clears his throat, swallowing roughly. "Um, Henry. Henry, sir," he quickly corrects himself.
Bartosch smiles warmly at Henry's nervousness. "Henry. A strong name." He claps a hand on Henry's upper shoulder, easily reaching when others struggle. "Good to meet you, lad. Come sit with me? You seem like a learner." He turns to walk back to the table he was at before, leaving Henry to carefully follow him back to the table. Bartosch sits back down on the bench and gestures to the open space next to the table. Henry carefully steps around the other people gathered, pausing only a moment to see Bartosch nod at him, and gingerly lowers himself down next to the table.
Taking a swig out of the tankard next to his helmet on the table, Bartosch turns again towards Henry. "Now, what would you like to know about? I can almost feel the questions ready to burst out of you."
A few children and a couple adults chuckle at this, and Henry feels his ears burning in embarrassment.
"Well sir, I um. What's training like for a knight?" Henry cringes a little as his voice cracks at the end of his question.
"My training has been a bit unorthodox, one might say. Not quite normal or a bit strange," he adds, seeing the looks of confusion in the crowd. "You see, I come from a noble family and my father wanted me to study, but I took much better to martial pursuits rather than academics, so when I had to take a break, I decided to put those skills to work."
As the sun continues its descent in the sky, Bartosch regals the crowd with varied stories of his escapades, from his travels to the many swordsmen he trained under to what Prague was like compared to Skalitz. Enraptured by his tales, Henry got comfortable and eventually leans his upper half against the bench opposite Bartosch, hanging on to every word from the decorated knight. Eventually though, the sun clinging to the very last bit of the horizon, Martin comes looking for him.
"Henry! C'mon lad, it's time for supper!" Martin calls out, waving to Henry from the back of the crowd.
"Coming!" Henry springs to his feet, nudging the table with his bulk and almost toppling the tankard over. Steadying it with a hand, Henry looks to Bartosch. "Sorry, sir, thank you for telling us so many stories, sir! I have to go, but will you be here again tomorrow, sir?"
Bartosch chuckles at the overeager boy and looks to the horizon, sighing. "Alas, I must be off tomorrow." He turns back to Henry, amusement in his gaze. "But perhaps we'll meet again someday, Henry of Skalitz?"
Clapping his hands together excitedly, Henry says, "Of course, sir! That would be wonderful!" He turns to leave and waves at Bartosch. "Goodbye, Sir Bartosch! God watch over you!"
Bartosch raises a hand and replies, "God be with ye," and picks up his helmet. Addressing the rest of the crowd still gathered, he says, "I shall retire as well. Thank you for the hospitality." He nods at Johanka and steps over the bench to turn inside the tavern. A chatter of conversation strikes up as he leaves, marvelling at the young knight and everything he told them.
Henry trots over to Martin and immediately launches into a retelling of everything Sir Bartosch just told him, practically bouncing on his hooves in excitement, eyes sparkling in wonder. "Pa, you just wouldn't believe! Prague! Sir Bartosch studied in Prague! But found that boring so now he's a knight, touring the countryside! Can you believe that?!"
Almost tripping over his son, who's darting back and forth across the road as they walk back to the house, Martin can't help but laugh at Henry's antics. "Henry! Calm down, my boy, you're going tongue tied at this rate! Plus, I'm sure your mother would like to hear what you've learned as well," he says, eyes crinkling as he smiles widely.
Henry skids to a stop, leaving tracks in the dirt. "Oh, of course! Ma would want to know!" He pivots on a back foot to race to the house and freezes again. "Oh no." He grabs at his face, hunching over as the color drains from his cheeks.
Martin catches up to put a hand on Henry's shoulder. "What's wrong, Henry? Are you feeling okay?" He moves his hand to feel Henry's forehead.
"I forgot to say hello and thank you to Bianca!" Henry whines, covering his eyes with his hands and stamping a hoof in frustration.
Martin smooths a hand over his hair. "Hal, it's okay. You can tell her tomorrow."
"But won't she be upset? Ma said she came over 'specially to tell me!"
Gently directing his son towards their home, Martin rubs small circles into Henry's back. "She'll understand, don't worry. Now, let's get you some food and you can tell your mother all about this knight," Martin says, looking up from their distraught son to meet Jitka's eyes as she stands in the doorway.
"Yes, Hal, tell me all about this handsome knight!" Her eyes glitter in amusement as Henry splutters.
"Ma! He wasn't handsome! I mean, he probably was, but he-he studied in Prague! Let me tell you-" Henry babbles away as Jitka ushers him inside, leaning up for a kiss from Martin.
"Handsome, hm? Did you get a look at this noble knight?" Martin raises an eyebrow at his wife.
"Did you?" She smirks at him, staring up at him knowingly.
Martin blushes a light pink and looks away from her. "I simply don't know what you're talking about, wife."
Breaking into a grin, she closes the door. "Ah yes, of course, husband. My mistake." They share another look and a smile as they tune back in to Henry.
"You should have seen his armor! Shiny and the pieces all match real pretty, did you see that, Pa?" Jitka stifles as laugh as she glances at Martin again. "Ma, I realized I hadn't even said hello to Bianca, do you think she'll be mad at me tomorrow?" Henry looks stricken again as he asks.
"Of course not, love, but maybe pick her some flowers just in case?" She smiles warmly at Henry. "Let's get supper on the table and then you can continue, aye?"
"Of course, Ma!"
As the sun fully sets, they sit down for supper and Henry tires himself out talking about Sir Bartosch, falling asleep at the table for the first time in years. Much too big to carry to bed anymore, Martin coaxes Henry awake enough to help him stumble to his sleeping platform and tucks him into his blankets. Watching from the doorway, Jitka smiles warmly. "Sweet boy. When did he get so big?" she wonders aloud.
Martin shakes his head. "Overnight, I think."
"So." Jitka's eyes twinkle mischievously. "Was the noble knight quite handsome?"
Martin sighs dramatically, a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. "To bed, my lovely, ridiculous wife." He pulls Henry's door closed and lowers his voice. "The noble knight was quite easy on the eyes, my lady."
"I knew it!"