Brothers [Forum Challenge: Aksel]

"You fiendish ogre! Meet the steel of my blade!"

With a mighty roar, the youth dashed forward across the lazy Zsongrill meadow, the breeze causing ripples to sway through the weeds and blooming wildflowers. Clacking a thick wooden stick against another, his siege met his foe but the larger opponent chuckled as he deflected blow after blow from the younger, "You'll have to do better than that, lad. Stop leaving yourself open. And use your body, not just your hands. You're going to pull something." The advice apparently met deaf ears as the boy just howled another battle cry and tried to flank him from a different side.

Not far away, a well dressed boy in age between the other two was sprawled out under the canvas of a tall oak, the ruffled and pastel gowned tomboy of a girl rested with her head in his lap and a book in her hands. He watched the action with idle amusement, calling out to them, "I think someone pulled his ears. You know he doesn't listen very well, Aksel."

A renewed valiant charge was put asunder with a side step and a swat of stick against the youngest's butt as he fumbled past. "Haha. That's enough, Basil. You're exhausted. Go get some water." The stick dropped and a harsh pat batted the boy's shoulder, attention slowly turned toward the other sibling, "At least he tries to act like a man. Not just sitting around watching other people do the work."

"I'm a lover, not a fighter. Isn't that right, love?" He winked down to the girl engrossed in her book, stroking his knuckles across her grinning cheek.

"I'm talking about the family business too, Martine." some of the playfulness disappeared from Aksel's voice, flicking his attention toward the gasping youngest trying to down his water too fast and choking a little in the process. It was as good a time as any. "They accepted me. I'll be a knight soon."

Martine's eyes bulged, sitting up rather straightly from his recline against the tree, "I thought you weren't serious about that? That you said they wouldn't possibly accept you because of your position as head of the Marillion estate?"

"That ended up a blessing." Aksel smoothed out his shirt, both boys staring at him in shock and even Martine's young girl friend's attention was broken from her tale. "I'll be employed as Lord Jezek's squire. And then, if all goes well, I'll be knighted before the winter after next."

"This is pure selfishness, Aksel." Martine's brow was furrowing all the more, "You're just running away and you know it!"

"Mother's not any happier than you are. But it's done. And to answer your accusation, I can do more out there than I ever could counting numbers for a pack of fat wolves." Self-assurance brimmed from him like he were on a joint mission to save the world from oppression and mythical monsters alike.

Had the sandy-haired girl not grabbed him by the collar, Martine looked as if he were going to storm up to his elder brother for a good decking. "So you're leaving me and mother to fend for ourselves against them?"

"I was younger than you when I got it dumped in my lap. At least I tried to teach you what I learned. I wish father could've done as much for me in the day." His eyes directed to the girl's with an appreciative nod, "And you have Shaune's father, no better an adviser could I recommend. You'll be fine as long as you use your god-given head. All of us know you are sharper than I ever was, you just hide it behind that whole lazy act of yours."

"You're still just making excuses?!"

Shaune's hand gently curved at his elbow, "Shh. It is what he wants, Martine. He's not abandoning anyone, he's just doing what he feels is right."

"He has a funny way of showing it." angst huffed through bitter reddened cheeks.

"I'll make you a promise." Askel was ever the deal maker, taking risks was part of business but he knew how to prepare his losses." If I don't make knighthood by the winter after, I'll come home. And I'll never speak of it again."

The mood was calmer but more somber as Martine finally volleyed one last thought, "And if you get your foolish ass killed?" There was always battles flinging about. Always someone after the others territory; city-states to thegns to Ealdormen to the very throne itself.

Aksel made no rush to answer, especially not in front of little Basil, but when he did so, it was worded full of confidence, "Marillions don't fall in battle. They fall with a pen in their hand and a book under their face."

Martine just rolled his eyes before the soft chuckle crept through his grin, arms folding around his girl while muttering under his breath. "Bastard."