Chapter Text
"What's got your head cloudy? You get another letter from Imogen?" Xaden asked when he and Garrick finished sparring. They'd been doing Garrick's extra trainings for a few months now.
"I get to see Ma again," Garrick told him. "I'm leaving after breakfast."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Xaden whined.
Garrick shrugged. "Dad said I knew but I guess I forgot the day. I'm not good about thinking about things in the future." He didn't like to dwell in anticipation; it felt like he might jinx the thing he was waiting for.
"You're future hero boy! You're like the expert on the future." Xaden frowned. "It'll be boring-er without you."
"I know, I'm the best." Garrick took Xaden's sword to put them away. "We gotta go eat."
Xaden held the armory door shut while Garrick locked it. "Is your mom okay? In the future? I dunno what I'd do without my mom."
Garrick froze for a minute, but pushed past it. He could answer Xaden's question without lying, and he still had ages before Xaden turned ten, and he couldn't do anything right now anyway because he was about to leave Aretia. Xaden's mom was a summer problem.
"I just haven't got to see her in forever," he answered as they made their way to breakfast. His father was already there, bent over some letters or something with the duke, probably talking about whatever was going to get done while they were gone. Xaden swapped plates around so he could sit next to his own mother and put Garrick's plate next to his own, in the space between his seat and Bodhi's.
"Move down, Bodhi, I'm sitting next to Garrick today."
"You're always busy with Garrick an I'm already eating," Bodhi complained.
Xaden just scooted Bodhi's chair over a few inches with his shoulder. "Garrick's leaving today so he sits by me."
"You're leaving?" Bodhi's eyes went wide. "Like to–"
"To winter with my Ma on the farm," Garrick jumped in. He didn't know what Bodhi had been about to say but better safe.
"All winter? That's so long it's basically forever," Bodhi adjusted his plate so it was in front of his new location while Garrick slid a chair into the space Xaden had made for him.
"It's just til spring. I'll be back before Xaden's birthday."
"That means you'll miss mine."
Bodhi's mother leaned over to him. "Buck up, kiddo. We'll make sure your birthday is special. And remember, riders don't whine."
Bodhi straightened. "I know, Mama. I'm not whining."
Garrick spent the meal leaning over against Xaden, talking quietly about what Xaden should focus on while he was gone. "I know you don't like throwing stuff as much but hitting a target's super-duper important. And keep looking in the library if you want."
After breakfast, Garrick hurried to use the lessons room to write a quick letter to Imogen, letting her know where to write him for the winter, and left it with the post before his dad dragged him back to their house.
"What do you mean you haven't packed yet, Garrioch? We're supposed to be leaving right now."
"Sorry! Packing now!" Garrick stampeded up to his room and threw some clothes and the notebook with his and Imogen's history notes and his bear and his favorite wooden sword in his rucksack and almost fell down the stairs in his haste to get back to the wagon. As he came out the door, his brother Dom and his father were sitting up at the front of the wagon, ready to go and waiting on him.
Dom looked him dead in the eye and started the horse moving. Rory looked back, a hint of a smile on his face even as he said something to Dom that Garrick couldn't hear.
Garrick groaned and ran after. The wagon wasn't moving that fast, but he wasn't going to give Dom the satisfaction of him complaining, either.
Man, he missed lesser magic sometimes.
He flung his rucksack up into the back of the wagon and then launched himself like he was trying to get a running mount on Chradh. The muscle memory wasn't perfect, but it was enough to let him get a grip on the back wall of the wagon and then pull up his feet to get onto the running board, then hoist himself into the back.
"Oh, well done, Garrick," his father said, and Garrick gave Dom his biggest shit-eating grin before sitting down to get comfortable for the long ride.
–
Hi Imogen,
I'm writing from Ma's family farm now! It might be a little slower for letters because they have to go into the village before we can post them out an we don't go into town but twice a week sorry. I'll just write lots longer to make up for it.
I've got lots of cousins but right now we're all busy with harvesting stuff and getting ready for winter and it's probably super boring if I tell you I spent a whole day threshing (with WHEAT and NO DRAGONS).
Hey I was thinking like remember the um how far ahead do you have to think about it to have enough sheep to feed a whole riot anyhow?
Garrick
–
Garrick,
Dragons fly pretty far so they can just go where the sheep are I guess? I'm studying with the Mairis out in Mairghdelle now so make sure you write me here. Lady Mairi said my runes are real good so there! And I'm gonna learn so many more while you're playing with sheep.
I miss my Mama and Papa and my sister though. How were X + B when you left? How's your mom? Do you have any ideas what we need to work on fixing yet? I guess learning is good but I dunno.
Imogen
–
Hi Immy,
I'm gonna learn how to ride a sheep. I think it's good practice. I might ask to go up the road and see Lacie, her family has horses. I bet you'd like her. I don't have like a gauntlet out here for practice so I gotta kinda make it up. The other kids're all older than me out here so I gotta work hard to keep up.
I think X was sad but B was like feeling left out so maybe it's good they have time together. Are you worried about B? He'll be fine. None of that bad stuff's gonna happen so we don't need to worry about it.
Garrick
–
Dear Bodhi,
Do you remember me? I came with my mama. I wonder how you are. Does it get boring up in Riorson House?
We played that game when me and Garrick sleeped over. Can you help with a secret mission for it?
Sincere,
Imogen Cardulo
–
Dear Miss Cardulo,
It is my most honor to asst. I no wut you mean. Me and Xaden talk abowt it some. I can be diskret. 1 futur rider to anothr.
Yrs,
Bodhi Durran
–
Bodhi,
I know you are good at being quiet and not being paid attention. When the grownups are ignoring you, listen to what they talk about. You can learn a lot and tell me if you hear what the riders are scared of. So we can plan.
Imogen
–
Dear Imogen,
Riders dont hav scared. I wil heer and tel you wut my mama toks abowt. And we can plan and be the bestest riders.
Yrs,
Bodhi
–
Hi Immy,
I can't wait until I see you again and I'm gonna show you all the cool weapon tricks I remember. Have you been trying anything like beating people up or knives? I bet you remember it too. I got to ride horses with Lucie a little bit and it wasn't as awesome as dragons but it was pretty cool.
Winter's really really boring and we're snowed in so I don't know when you'll get this letter. Now'd be a good time to have a dragon burning up all the snow. but! My great uncle knows lots of stories and some are venin stories so I'm gonna collect them just in case. Maybe other folks know some too.
Garrick
–
Garrick if you call me Immy again I'll practice so many knives for you.
I can fight some with Liam. Sloane's still too little but she gets mad if we tell her that. Liam's tall as me so he's good practice. Mostly I do archery and Lady Cel says its the best for my focus for doing more better runes. So I do lots of that. I know its a flier thing but its still good against bad guys.
Thats neat you found someone with venin stories. I'm as far from the barren as I can get I think and its not even an eat your veggies story here. When I'm a bit bigger maybe I can use the library Ser Isaac keeps and find something usefuller. I remember V looking so hard for books and there wasn't any much but maybe there's still some now. I kinda wish we had her helping.
In spring you better go to the liberry when you get back. Now you have homework haha.
my name is,
IMOGEN
–
IMMYGEN,
Aw I think you miss V don't you? She grew on you after all ha.
I don't want to be stuck in the library doing reading but I'll do it because it's important and maybe if I'm lucky X found something already and I won't have to anyway. I'll do anything to save him even extra homework.
I've got pictures and stories from gruncle Rick for you to read and also I asked when we finally got in town and like six old people were super super excited to tell stories and they gave me sweets too so that was fun. I like listening to old people when they're not boring.
G
–
See how you like it Garri,
Mostly I just spend my time with Liam and Sloane and they don't know many stories I don't know but that's okay. Sloane likes it when I tell her stories. I'll see you soon now since it's almost spring. Kinda already spring. Everything's green already here like moss, like V growing on me, ha.
I M O G E N
–
Mimsy,
You gave me a nickname! You DO like me! I guess I'm growing on you too.
Garri
–
Idiot.
–
It was the definitely the slowest argument they'd ever had, tucked in between talking about mundane stuff like what their older siblings were doing, the trouble Garrick was getting up to on the farm with his mom's side of the family, and semi-coded references to things they wanted to remember to discuss in the spring.
The mail in the countryside was slow, especially when winter came on properly. It could take weeks for the letters to make their way back and forth from the countryside to Mairghdelle. It was a rough trip, Imogen remembered. Sometimes she got a second one before she finished replying to the first, or Garrick was in such a hurry to send them they arrived with the flap open.
Soon enough, though, it was spring. The roads would be passable again, and Rory and his sons would be needed in Aretia when it was possible for diplomatic travel. Garrick was looking forward to Xaden's birthday party, and resuming training with his best friend and his aunt, and when he'd get to see Imogen again.