The Final Spar.
"Is that all you've got?"
Tove shouted, his blade whistling through the air.
"Yeah, stop holding back, Rune!"
Siggy added, lunging forward with a snap-kick aimed at Rune's ribs.
"How are we supposed to get better if you're taking it easy on us?"
Rune caught Siggy's foot with the flat of his blade and pivoted, a competitive fire igniting in his eyes.
"Fine. You asked for it. Prepare yourselves!"
He gathered a surge of ether, the edge of his sword shimmering with a faint, concentrated light. The morning air in the park was soon filled with the frantic clack of wood and the heavy breathing of three children pushing their limits.
As the sun reached its peak, they collapsed onto the grass, panting and drenched in sweat.
"Thanks for the pointers, man,"
Tove wheezed, wiping his brow.
"No problem,"
Rune replied, sheathing his practice sword.
"By the way, my seventh birthday is in three weeks. We're having a feast at the manor—make sure you're both there."
The playful atmosphere suddenly shifted. Tove and Siggy exchanged a long, heavy look.
"Rune... we need to tell you something,"
Siggy said softly.
"Tove and I have been accepted to Mjolnir Academy. We leave for the Central District in a month."
Rune froze. The silence of the park suddenly felt deafening.
"You... what? You guys are leaving too?"
"Yeah,"
Tove said, offering a small, sad smile.
"We just turned ten. It's time. But hey—you're already a Squire! In just a year, you can apply for a special early entry. You'll be right behind us."
Rune looked at his friends, a smirk slowly replacing his shock.
"A year, huh? I guess I'll have to work twice as hard here. I wouldn't want you two to get lazy and let me surpass you the moment I step through the gates."
"Just you wait!"
Tove shouted, his false bravado returning.
"Once I'm at Mjolnir, I'm going to rise through the ranks so fast you won't even see my dust!"
Siggy giggled at their predictable banter, but the underlying sadness remained.
"Kidding aside,"
Rune said quietly.
"I'll miss you both. Give my best to Amery and Thora when you see them."
The Seventh Birthday.
The morning of Rune's birthday was spent in a flurry of activity. Despite being the guest of honor, Rune insisted on helping Hilda hang lanterns in the garden.
"Young Master, please,"
Hilda laughed, gently nudging him away.
"You don't need to do this. Go find your friends! We can finish the decorations."
"Tove and Siggy are busy packing today,"
Rune said, reaching for another lantern.
"I'd rather be useful than sit around doing nothing."
From the balcony, Froyd and Ravina watched their eldest son.
"He has the power to be arrogant,"
Froyd whispered,
"yet he chooses humility. He has a good heart, Ravina."
"Rune, dear!"
Ravina called out.
"Let Hilda work. Why don't you come help me with Rorry instead?"
"On my way, Mom!"
Rune shouted. He gave Hilda a quick wave.
"See you at the party!"
Rune spent the afternoon on the nursery floor, patiently trying to teach a gurgling Rorry how to use the silver whistle he had gifted her. By the time he went to change for the evening, he felt a strange sense of peace.
The banquet was intimate, reserved for those who truly mattered: Erik, Scholar Hastein, and his two remaining friends. As the music played and the adults toasted to his health, the three children slipped out into the moonlit garden for a moment of quiet.
"I'm so full,"
Tove groaned, patting his stomach.
"Me too,"
Siggy sighed, leaning against a stone bench.
Rune looked at the stars.
"One week," he whispered. "In one week, you'll be in the Central District."
"Since this is our last night together,"
Tove said, his familiar mischievous grin returning. He reached into his tunic and pulled out a dark glass bottle and three cups.
"Tove! Rune is only seven!"
Siggy hissed, her eyes widening.
"Relax! It's just a fancy bottle,"
Tove laughed, scratching his head.
"It's only fruit juice, but it looks like the stuff the knights drink. Makes it more official."
Tove poured the juice with exaggerated solemnity. The three of them stood in a circle, their shadows long against the garden grass.
"To Mjolnir,"
Rune said, raising his glass.
"To the day we stand together in the capital, stronger than ever."
"To the promise,"
Tove added.
"To us," Siggy finished.
They clinked their glasses, the sound a clear, sharp note in the night air. They drank until the bottle was empty, sealing a vow that would carry them through the years of separation to come. When the party finally ended and the farewells were said, Rune stood at the gates of the manor, watching his friends walk into the darkness. He was the last one left in Norgke County, but his heart was already in the capital.