After leaving and burning house down, Richard told Gubo he should return to the city, with the body of the mother and continue his captain duties for kingdom. He also mentioned a place where he will stay for now. Gubo didn't want to go, but Richard insisted.
Richard was on the road for three days, mostly walking the woods. Child was attached with a warm blanket to his chest. Richard gave him name - Kaelen. Kaelen Darksteel.
After three days of no sleep and almost nothing to eat Richard finally stood near a bigger version of the house he burned three days ago. Woman and man came out of that house, both with red hair and blue eyes.
"General Darksteel!" said the man and they shook hands "And your daughter?" asked he, looking for the woman.
Richard just closed his eyes and shook his head. Man in front of him just nodded and almost whispered that he is sorry. They went inside the house, it was much prettier and well kept than the last one.
"You manage to keep this place clean" said Richard, standing near fireplace "That's already an achievement to be proud"
"Thank you, general Darksteel" said woman and bowed a bit.
"No need, Lyra, please. Call me Richard, you are here because I asked you, so I am the one who needs to bow" said Richard and smiled "I do have another request for you" he looked at the child on his chest "His mother passed away and I won't always be able to be near him, can you do me a favour and rise him as your own?"
Richard was ready to hear rejection, maybe even being scolded, but there was no other way. He didn't want to involve more people, didn't want other to know location of Kaelen. He raised his eyes to look at woman. She was smiling.
"That would be a pleasure, my lord" she slowly approached Richard and took off blanket "Our Jorvik is only one month and I have enough milk to feed both"
She looked at child, his unusually grey eyes. Kaelen laughed, looking at woman. She smiled back, then slowly took him from Richard.
"He is lovely" said she "Let me take him to Jorvik and in meanwhile you and Balthor and speak about next plan" she nodded to her husband and quickly left toward another room.
"You should have a seat" said Balthor, looking at Richard.
"No need, Balthor. I don't think there is any chair in your house that can survive my weight" said Richard with small smile "Don't worry, I'll start building another house soon, I need a small smith there, so that Kaelen could watch and learn our family tradition"
"And others?" asked Balthor, looking a bit worried "Did you find others?"
"Yes and no" said with sigh Richard, moving from fireplace to small window "I know that one of the child is from Whisperwind family" he closed his eyes and rubbed them with his fingers "And they are very stubborn family" said he with a bit tired voice.
"They don't believe you? Or just don't want to cooperate?" asked Balthor, pouring a bit of an alcohol to a glass and passing to Richard. Glass was big for a normal human but in Richard hand it almost seemed like a shot.
"A bit mistrust and they totally don't want to give away their only child" said Richard and gulped the alcohol "They need a heir, as they say and the only one who can teach their heir is them and only them" he looked outside "And if I tried to use force… First of all, I would come out very wounded and second, that would bring too much attention. And they know that" Richard sighed.
"You fear that Alaric will know about the prophecy?" asked Balthor, almost whispering, even though he knew that there is no one in this house who is not aware about prophecy.
"Our great king already knows about prophecy, I am pretty sure about that" answered Richard "If I got to know that, then I am pretty sure, that he did as well"
"Then.. what are your plans, general Richard?" asked again Balthor, slowly hitting his fingers on the table. He was a bit scared.
"Let me tell you the prophecy first. It says that there were a powerful humans before, yet that power was what brought destruction to them. That's why they created Terra and sent us there. But something went wrong and magic abilities that our ancestors possessed were damaged. Prophecy says that at some point our kind will regain the ability to use magic and that will be the start of the new era, which will bring us to a new catastrophe"
"Are you saying, that we are nearing a catastrophe?" asked Balthor even more nervous.
"We don't know, but in prophecy it does say that one man will regain magic abilities and teach everyone else. That does match with our precious king Alaric, don't you think so?" Richard switched his gaze from window to Balthor again "It also says that the man who will gain the power first, will become a king and drive a progress, but will also be the one who will halt it. With current stagnation on exploring and not moving past Nilfvar, I think this matches too"
"Always wanted to ask, why did you choose Nilfvar as hiding spot for us?" asked Balthor.
"First of all it's the farthest from Terra, second - Nilfvar is harsh world for humans and even if you go with best wayfinder, it's really hard to find exact place, if you haven't spent here a long time" answered Richard "Good for us, I was leading a war here for almost ten years. But anyway, Alaric knows that prophecy will come true, sooner or later, but he doesn't know when and how. Besides, he also has a lot of other things to be concerned about"
"That's a lot of information," said Balthor and rubbed his forehead "But isn't he searching for you?"
"Well.. he actually will. At first, I told him I need to be with my daughter, while she was pregnant, now I also have time, since she died and I need some time alone" his eyes were cold, he was clearly thinking about something "I was planning to say so from beginning, but now that I sent the real body with Gubo suspicion will be even lower"
Balthor was silent. He was looking at Richard with wide eyes, he was scared, amused and sad at the same time. He was looking at the man who just lost his daughter and was already applying that to his plan. It was disgusting and amazing at the same time for Balthor.
"I need to start working on another house" said Richard and stretched a bit "Let's continue talking about our plans at evening"
Balthor just nodded and Richard took out his sword, which quickly changed it shape into a big axe and then went out of the house and disappeared in the forest. Balthor was just sitting there, thinking to himself if he made the right choice. When he agreed to help Richard, he thought that he will be fighting against evil Alaric, but was Richard really less evil?