It had been long overdue, but I finally sat down for a dinner with Galdren. He made a stew in the fires of his forge.
"Is there anything that you can't do in a forge?"
"I don't believe so, but if I find something, I will tell you as soon as I do."
"That may be difficult."
"Why is that my boy?"
"I'm going to leave the palace and travel the Realm on my own."
"Why would you ever do that? The Mudwood has the Kingdom fully occupied, and they are spreading out as far as they can. This may be the only safe place left in the Realm."
"That is exactly why I must set out on my own. I want to push the Mudwood back, I want to drive them from the Realm for good."
"I can understand that, I want nothing more than to see them leave this land forever, but why do you want to go alone?"
"I can't watch anyone die because of me anymore. I will be better on my own anyway. I will be able to move freely and quickly. I can attack without notice and dwindle their numbers, so that when the final battle comes, the Target Knights and the King can ride in and finish this war once and for all."
"Those are bold statements. Have you ever heard what they say about bold knights."
"No."
"You can meet a bold knight, and you can meet an old knight, but you will never meet and bold, old knight. Pitre, I want you to be an old knight, and this isn't the course that one takes. I have heard of your deeds, and I do believe that no one man can stand against you, maybe even no ten men can stand against you, but you can't take on the entirety of the Mudwood on your own."
"I won't be Galdren. I will take them one scouting party, or one battalion, or one war party at a time. I will use caution, and take them when they least expect it, and I will send as many captured villagers this way as I can. Please tell the King to send out scouting parties to find villagers that I free, so that they can travel here in safety."
"You're not going to tell the King that you are leaving?"
"Would you? You know exactly what he would say, and he would forbid me from doing what I need to do, in order to keep everyone I care about safe."
"You are right. He would no want you to do. I don't want you to go, but I won't try to talk you out of it. That is one more thing you and your father have in common. You are more stubborn than I mule going up hill. I will wait a day to tell the King of your plans, so you can get all enough ahead of any troop that he sends out to search for you. Will I see you again Pitre?"
"I hope too, but I can't make any promises."
"Then this is not goodbye. I don't want to say that to you. I will see you when you return."
"And we will have a dinner of this fine stew again."
"That we will."
We ate the rest of the meal talking about my father. Galdren would tell me more stories about his accomplishments in battle, and the many times that he had saved Galdren's life. We drained the entire pot of it's contents, and I helped clean the bowls and pot before taking my leave. I already had my pack ready and had left it in the stable with my horse. I hid it under some hey so that no one would be wiser, and I went there directly after leaving Galdren. I wanted to get a head start on my journey and there was no better time that late evening. Everyone would be tucked away finishing off meals or laying down for their nightly slumber. The guards that would be on duty wouldn't bother to question what I was doing, because I was always running up and down the mountain, in training. I would simply tell them that I wanted to ride out to a different terrain to train for a few hours and would be back before the morning light.
When I went the the gate at the base of the mountain pass I began my gallop for the Kingdom. I had to get us much ground between me and the palace before Galdren would tell the King of my plan.
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