They ate together, laughing at the stories Judite told about her magic training.
"I tried to make a bigger fla!" she said, her mouth full of bread.
"But smoke ca out! A lot of smoke! The whole room turned gray!"
"What did your father say?" Aurora asked.
"He said to do it outside next ti."
"Wise advice."
"He also said that if I burn the curtains again, I’ll have to pay for them with my savings."
"Fair."
Lukas laughed, watching his sister gesture excitedly. Tilbo, on his shoulder, also seed entertained by the movent of Judite’s hands, her antennae moving along with the gestures.
"Today we’re going to have a picnic in the forest behind the mansion." Aurora announced, wiping Judite’s mouth with a napkin.
"Just the four of us. A family day."
"In the forest?" Judite’s eyes widened.
"But Dad always said I can’t go into the forest alone!"
"That’s why you’ll be accompanied. By and your father."
"Is it safe?" Lukas asked, with a skepticism that did not hide his curiosity.
Clavor answered while biting into a piece of cheese.
"The forest near the mansion is safe. We patrol it regularly. There are no large beasts there, only small animals and insects. Nothing that can harm a child accompanied by adults."
"What if a One-Horned Tiger appears?" Judite asked, still traumatized.
"It won’t appear. And if it does." Clavor placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.
"I’ll take care of it."
Lukas felt a wave of excitent.
He had never gone very far into the forest. His parents had always forbidden it for safety reasons, and the only tis he had left the mansion were to visit the wheat fields, the nearby grove, or the road leading to the city.
But now, with nearly a year behind him and the strength he possessed, it felt like the perfect adventure.
’Forest. Trees. Animals. Insects. Unknown plants.’
After breakfast, they left.
Clavor walked in front, carrying a large basket filled with food and blankets. The basket was woven from wicker, handmade, with a leather lid. Judging by the sounds it made whenever Clavor moved it, it was full.
Aurora held Judite’s hand with one hand and adjusted the straw hat on her head with the other to protect her face from the sun, or so she said.
Lukas walked beside his parents, with Tilbo on his left shoulder and Prata on his right. Both were hidden beneath a small light cloak made of fine wool, which Aurora had sewn the previous evening, "so they won’t scare anyone," she had said.
The path to the forest was short but beautiful.
They crossed the inner garden, passing flower beds that Lukas already knew by heart, the red roses, the white lilies, and the small blue flowers that blood only in the morning.
They passed the empty stables, where the scent of dry hay and animals long gone still lingered in the air.
Then they entered a narrow trail between tall trees.
The air was cool, filled with the scent of damp earth, decaying leaves, wildflowers, and sothing else, a sweet and delicate fragrance that Lukas could not identify, perhaps from so flower that grew only in the forest.
Birds sang above them, hidden among the treetops. Their voices varied, so high-pitched, others deep, so in rapid sequences, others in long, lancholic notes.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating golden patches upon the earth and moss-covered ground.
"What is this forest called, Father?" Lukas asked, looking around with curiosity.
Clavor chuckled softly.
"It isn’t really a large forest. It’s just a small woodland that belongs to our family." He pointed at the trees surrounding them.
"All of this land belongs to the Dmond family. The woodland, the wheat fields, the villages, the mountains in the distance... all of it is ours."
"Then why don’t we build a bigger mansion?" Judite asked.
"If we have so much land?"
"Because we don’t need one. The mansion is large enough for our family. And maintaining land costs money. Every square ter you build, you have to watch over, protect, and maintain. It’s not for nothing that we call it the ’noble burden.’"
Lukas absorbed the information.
’Being a noble isn’t only a privilege. It’s a responsibility.’
’Taking care of the land. Taking care of the people. Taking care of security.’
...
They arrived at a large clearing after about twenty minutes of walking.
The place was perfect.
A wide circle of soft green grass, so well maintained that it looked like a velvet carpet. It was surrounded by tall trees that ford a natural wall, protecting the space from stronger winds. Sunlight illuminated the center, creating a golden blanket that invited rest.
A small stream murmured in the background, water flowing over smooth stones, producing a gentle and constant sound, like a lullaby sung by nature itself.
Clavor spread the blankets on the ground, two thick wool blankets, padded to protect them from the cold earth.
Aurora arranged the food. Whole-grain sandwiches filled with creamy cheese and thin slices of smoked at.
Fruits, apples cut into slices, green and purple grapes, and the small Lirium fruits, which Lukas could no longer live without.
Small cakes that Helga had prepared especially for the occasion, honey and walnut cakes covered with a thin layer of crystallized sugar.
And a pitcher of mixed fruit juice, fresh and chilled, with pieces of ice floating on the surface.
Judite ran around the clearing, shouting with happiness, her arms spread wide as if she wanted to embrace the sky.
"It’s beautiful! Why have we never co here before?"
"Because you were too little." Aurora replied with a laugh.
"And because your father is paranoid."
"Cautious." Clavor corrected.
"I’m cautious."
"Cautiously paranoid."
"My love..."
Lukas sat on one of the blankets, observing everything with a serene smile.
’For the first ti...’ he thought.
’For the first ti, I’m in a forest in this world.’
’The air. The sounds. The scent.’
’It’s different from Earth. But it’s just as beautiful.’
The day passed lightly and happily.
They ate, talked, and played.
Judite demonstrated her small magical flas, making sparks dance through the air. The fla flickered in the palm of her hand, no larger than a candle fla, but Lukas noticed that it was more stable than it had been in previous weeks. Judite was learning.
"Look! Look!" she shouted, throwing the fla forward.
The fla flew a few ters, three, perhaps four, before dissipating into the air with a soft puff.
Clavor and Aurora applauded, laughing.
Lukas applauded as well.
"That was amazing, Judite."
"It’s still pretty weak." she replied, blushing.
"But I’ll get better! The first mage of the Dmond family!"
"You will."
Lukas looked down at his own hands.
’Will I be able to do sothing like that one day too?’
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