Harald
Harald brought the fish to the main building of the estate. He, and Brock were often up early to check the traps in the slow moving waters of the creek which flowed through the lands of Woodhearth. He enjoyed it, enjoyed the peace of the early morning, and the slight coolness of the air. He also enjoyed spending time with Brock, and the two would sometimes use fishing poles, and waste their morning doing nothing at all.
Lady Woodsmith would use their catch in one of their meals. If not it would be turned into feed for one of the many livestocks that they, and the rest of the kids would care for. There was a simple peace in doing the tasks that were normally left to bots. It also kept their minds busy, and Harald could see the kids begin to smile, and even laugh again.
Four weeks of peace, and not looking over their shoulder had done wonders for them. Most of them. Hyrum never let his guard down, even Iris, and Nena were guarded. Nena tried to pretend she were calm, ad relaxed, for the sake of the kids. That her ancient home was safe from the dangers they fled, but Harald knew she thought otherwise, and he knew why. Where could be safe from the forces of the Commonwealth Forces when they controlled the whole world. How could they know that they weren’t placing the Woodsmiths in greater danger.
Harald tried to play his part, some days were easier than others, and Brock was good company. There were other kids on the estates, cousins, and the like. Older, and younger, but Brock, and his sister Rosaleen were the only one other than his friends of the same age.
Echo was seen less, and less. Harald knew that he was out there. Saw him most nights in his room when the others were asleep. The Bot would roam the country side, and surrounding areas, but Harald knew he was always close. He thought that the Bot could feel how uncomfortable he made the others, but Harald missed him.
They all had chores on the estate that kept them busy though. When Harald wasn’t at the creek checking the traps, they were feeding, and taking care of the livestocks. Out in the fields tending to the corps, vegetables, or berries. They would clean, and they would take turns with one of the training pods to conduct their schooling.
Most days Harald found that he hardly had time to think, and he found that everyone was settling into their spots at Woodhearth. Quincey was at home in the kitchen with Lady Woodsmith, while Hyrum, and Iris fell into service with the local guards of Woodhearth. Harald could almost always find Nena with her uncle.
Nena, like the rest of them trued to keep Harald out of the loop of what was happening as much as possible. If not for Echo he might never know what the King’s Guard Hilda Grip, and other Commonwealth Forces were up to.
Harald learned of the battle in the Isca system, and the capture of the ‘The Frostfang’, and the destruction of the ‘Frost Dragon’. Most of the Isca fleet had already been captured, and those few that could fight, either fought, and were destroyed, or were able to escape the system like the flagship of his father, ‘The Frost’ itself.
Harald didn’t know how many starships from the fleet escaped, but he knew enough to understand what that meant. It meant that the Commonwealth Forces controlled the system itself, even if they didn’t have full control of the world of Isca, or the other worlds, and structures of the system. King’s Guard Hilda Grip had the only fleet in system, and that fleet had thirty three Ships of the Line, almost five hundred capital starships, and more than thirty five thousand support starships under her command. She had called in the whole Commonwealth Sector Fleet.
Hilda Grip’s forces outnumbered her father five to one in capital, and support starships even before the battle. With the fall of the system fleet, the sector fleet stood no chance, not that it had anyone to lead it, nor that Harald could confirm it to had not fallen as starships from the sector fleet had often made Isca it’s home. Harald tried to push the thoughts out of his mind. There was nothing he could do about that. He couldn’t change who commanded space above Isca. All he could do now was enjoy the peace and quiet, savory the safety of his people, and hope that he could find a way to keep them safe.
