Chapter Two

            The Earl of Little Wenham lived atop a tall hill in the western part of the village, the cozy cottage high enough to look down upon the entirety of the town. Walter De Bolbec had been much like a father to the people for almost forty years now, and as he reached his seventy-fifth birthday, he began the desperate search for a successor. He had no family to speak of, for his wife had died some twenty-odd years ago giving birth to his only son, Benjamin, who had died only two weeks prior to his birth.

            The old man lived almost completely in isolation, hardly ever leaving his house on top of Crescent Hill. His only companions were his cook, Muriel, and his three servants, Geoffrey, Isabella, and of course, Jane. Mostly his days were spent locked up in his study with his many books, examining each one as if they held some secret, long-forgotten treasure. To keep them out of his hair and away from his study, the Earl gave each of his servants a list of tasks to complete each day. Jane's duties were (to her relief) almost always outdoors, although at times they were tedious and time-consuming.

            Usually they involved running to the marketplace to fetch food or other necessities for the Earl, but on occasion she was given the lovely task of mucking out the stalls or feeding the pigs. However, no matter the jobs she was assigned with, the Earl granted her, as well as the other servants, an hour each day to themselves. Often times Jane could be seen out in the Forest of Coucy, stick in hand, jabbing and side-stepping with swift and precise technique, much like the knights of England.

            Little did anyone know that Jane's father had been a masterful knight, a true professional when it came to the art of sword fighting. Sir John Fenwick had been a hero in his time, more to Jane than to anyone. As a small child, she cherished the moments when her father would call to her to come and sit upon his knee, as he drifted into his big chair in front of the fireplace, and tell her tales of the battlefield, the glory along with the hardships (much to her mother's displeasure).

            Alas, Jane's dreamland ended abruptly when a fellow knight reported that Sir John Fenwick's life had been taken in battle. Although Jane was only about twelve years old at the time, her father had taught her to handle a sword well. She was no expert, but through years of self-discipline and practice, she became as swift with a sword as any knight employed by the king. But the intense heartache lingered each time she picked up a blade, and she vowed to avenge her father if it was the last thing she ever did.

            Her mother had passed away three years ago, and had lived a rather dull, dreary life ever since the death of Jane's father. She spent the greater part of her days sick in bed, with only little Jane to care for her. When Jane was completely alone at the age of fifteen, the Earl took it upon himself to provide a home for her, as no one else had the money to feed another mouth. Having been put to work since day one, Jane knew the quality of hard labor. But the longing to be among the knights in the English army was too great to be ignored.

            With the new arrival of this strange young knave in Little Wenham, Jane had a hunch that the war was spreading, possibly becoming fiercer with each passing day. This, she understood, would be her chance to finally prove herself to the world.

Author's Note

Sorry for this rather boring chapter, but I felt that the background info. was necessary :]

Reviews

[Tania Leigh]

Good exposition on Jane.....now we know that she has an axe to grind (or rather, a sword to weild) to avenge her father. Another great chapter, and I look forward to more :-)

[smiggle wiggle]

Interesting. Jane's past is very sad. I like how her father passed his skills onto her and how her goal one day is to be a knight just like her father! great job!

[Beth]

I like that we now have some history on Jane... interesting fact about her father being a knight, and that he passed on his talents to his daughter. I wonder where this will take her, and how it will involve that handsome knave :)