A Time of Tigers - From Peasant to Emperor-Chapter 726: Ferdinand - Part 9

"Huh… Is that it?" Judas said, scratching his chin.

"Well, you’re probably going to have to do more than that, to make up for that scary look you always have on your face, but I’m sure even you can’t mess it up… right?" Nila said, turning to Oliver for confirmation.

"I have no idea," Oliver said. "When it comes to bringing up children, I have less of an idea than a baker in a smithy."

"I don’t know enough about it either," Greeves said, "but I’m pretty sure your little simple worldview is neglecting people like me, girl. Being there for them to talk to isn’t exactly going to be enough if you’re a complete degenerate. I’ve seen that first-hand more than a few times.

Some of these rats that lend my coin without an intention of giving it back – you should see the state of their little runts."

"Not in front of the children, Greeves," Nila said. David and Stephanie were running around, though they were still in earshot.

"See?" Greeves said. "People like me don’t have a clue."

"Here you are!" Mrs Felder announced. She came back bearing four bowls in her arms, and in the crooks of her elbows, managing to balance all four of them without spilling a single drop. It did help that the bows were deep, rather than wide, but still, Oliver was sure that he’d certainly have been unable to manage it, no matter how skillful in martial arts he was.

"For me as well, Mrs Felder?" Greeves said, as he was handed a bowl. "You shouldn’t have."

"You had a greedy look in your eye, Greeves," Mrs Felder said. "I didn’t want to leave you wanting for some. A big pot of stew is made for sharing, you know?"

"That’s just how he looks, mother," Nila said. "He’s always got his eyes filled with greed."

"Felly wanted to send some jam and cheese your way too," Judas told the woman, as he took a bowl of her.

"My, really? That would be wonderful if she could. We’ve meat aplenty, but our cupboards are lacking the more farming-based goods," Mrs Felder said.

"I’ll send some over with Nila, the next I see her," Judas said. "The stew’s delicious, by the way."

It was a strange thing to see Judas interacting with women politely. Oliver had seen from experience that he had a way of getting on with people – even Lombard’s soldiers had accepted him quickly enough, despite him being of considerably lower rank than them.

But there was a manliness to him that suggested women would find him difficult to deal with… yet here he was, dealing with them more deftly than most men that Oliver had seen.

"Thank you," Mrs Felder said. "Here’s yours, Ser Patrick – I’ll have to remember to call you that from now on. Ser Patrick, Ser Patrick, Ser Patrick… Ah, it does suit you. I’m sure it’ll stick in my mind eventually, if I use it often enough. When do you expect I’ll next be seeing you? I’ll have to cook something special for the occasion."

"I’m unsure," Oliver told her meekly. "Lately it seems that I’m better off not planning, with how much changes week by week. I’m hoping that I can come again in the next two weeks, at least, but that depends on everything else going smoothly."

"I see. Not to worry! I’ll have something prepared regardless. There are things that can be made quickly – I’ll just have to keep the food cupboards well-stocked…. Ah, here I am, keeping you again – you’d better hurry off, before I think of something else to ask you. There’s too many questions that keep popping up," Mrs Felder said.

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"C’mon, quickly then. She’s given us an escape. Let’s get moving before the sun starts dropping in the sky," Nila said, grabbing Oliver’s arm. "And don’t any of you dare spill that soup."

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"Gently, Nila," Mrs Felder called after her, as she dragged him along. "You’ll pull someone over if you drag on their arm like that."

"I know! I’ll see you later, Mother!"

"See you tonight, Nila."

…

…

Soon enough, they found that statue.

It was a familiar one. The image of Claudia, carefully etched into stone, with the familiar dictum underneath it "YOUR SUFFERING SHALL BE REWARDED".

The statue was as beautiful as it was eerie. The woman had a stern look on her face, and her flowing robes depicted a shapely body, with long straight hair flowing down her back. Any man would look at it and remark that it was the figure of a perfect woman, and few would disagree with him.

At one time, that was likely all it was. The statue of a beautiful woman, depicting Claudia, as best they knew her. But now, after so long standing there, it had taken on a different form. What the stone masons had begun, the weather had continued. The finer features had been weathered away, reduced to vague impressions of what they once were.

They too added little dips and dimples all over, work that was purely their own.

Rather than beauty now, it was more the air of mystery that the statue carried. Even the words – if they hadn’t been recently rechiselled – would have been unrecognizable. Any man’s guess. As vague as the progress itself that the Goddess was meant to represent.

Oliver studied that statue for longer than he should have. That was where it had all begun, after all. Looking up at the statue of Claudia, on his way home from digging, one day out of many days, and in a single snap, it had all changed. One instance of misfortune – a lick of fire in his house – and his whole life had violently changed its course.

That was one excuse for gazing for so long at the statue. The real excuse, however, was building up the courage to look at what stood next to it – the statue of Dominus Patrick.

Though not yet finished – apparently, there was still more detail to add – one could tell that it was definitely him. It was impressive. Beyond impressive. To have done that without source material to work on. Or was there source material? Oliver didn’t know.

Maybe there had been paintings of Dominus somewhere… Or maybe not.