Commander Braghaman Larethian

Campfire Memories

The young boy stared wide-eyed as his pony passed under the archway of the large goes leading to the abbey at Northshire. He looked at the stonework for a moment before turning his gaze back to his father riding in front of him on a fiery, winged lion.

“I’m really going to be a paladin.”

“If that’s what you want,” Braghaman answered, looking back over his shoulder at his young son. “If you want this.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll be as good a paladin as you someday.”

“Son, I expect you’ll be a greater paladin than I ever was.”

“Why do you think that? Wouldn’t I be just like you?”

“In some way, Banny. But there’s one big difference between you and me.”

“What’s that, father?”

Braghaman pulled on the reins and slowed Valiant to a stop. Banagan rode up next to him before he likewise reined back his pony and looked at his father. For only a moment, he saw something that he hadn’t seen on his father in a long, long time. The older paladin was smiling, but there was a hint of something else there.

“You got my drive, that’s for sure,” Braghaman said, crossing his hands and resting them on the pommel of his saddle. “Got that from your grandmother, I think. But you also have that fire in your eye.”

“I do?” Banagan asked, confused.

“Yeah. Got that from your mother.”

“Oh.”

Braghaman stared at his son for a moment more then nodded once. Clicking his tongue, the winged lion began walking again and Banny’s pony fell in behind as they made their way to the abbey.

———

“Wake up paladin.”

Banagan looked across the campfire at the person who had just spoken to him. It took a moment to realize that he had been daydreaming again. Sitting across the fire was his old mentor, clad in brown robes and mask, watching the young paladin.

“Sorry,” Banny answered. “Was thinking about when I finally went to the abbey to train.”

“To be a paladin?”

“Yeah,” Banny said, placing his hands on the ground behind him and leaning back.

“Why’d you become a paladin?” the robed man asked, his mask looking directly at the young paladin.

“I guess because of my father. You know how I told you he was one.”

“What about your mother?”

“I didn’t know her as well, my real mom I mean. I lost her when I was young. My other mom growing up was a priestess, though.”

“Oh,” the robed man replied.

“What about you?” Banny asked, watching his friend carefully. “Why’d you decided to become a.. well, what you are,” he asked quietly, glancing from side to side to see that no one was listening to their conversation. 

“I..  it ran in my family.”

“I think I can understand that.” Banagan looked at the fire for a few moments, then started speaking again without looking up. “You know you don’t have to wear the mask when we’re in camp. No one will care.”

“It makes me feel safe,”

“Safe? There’s no one here who wants to harm you.”

“Perhaps not. But I’m not like the rest of them.”

“So that’s how you keep apart from everyone else? How you keep your distance?”

“Something like that.”

“Then why do you sit with me?”

“You’re different.”

“Not really,” Banny smirked. 

“You are,” the robed man nodded. “I understand you. And I suspect that you would understand me.”

“I hardly know you. You’ve never told me anything about your past. You disappear for long stretches, only to reappear when I need your help the most.”

“And Light help me, I always will.”

“Thank you, old friend. But I always wonder why?”

“I guess I’m more like you than you realize. I just want to protect my family.. and friends. Just like you.”

“Ever since you saved me in that forest when I was a squire.”

“This is not exactly the path I envisioned for myself, either. But here we are.”

“Yeah, here we are.” Banny watched as his robed friend turned his head and looked away.

“One day I will take you into town for a drink. You do drink, don’t you?”

“I used to. Got so drunk once that I swam in the canals with my friends.”

“I can’t even imagine that,” Banny responded with a chuckle. “Well one day we’ll go to the city and have a drink. Maybe then I can see you without your mask.”

“Maybe some day, Master Larethian. But I believe you have more pressing matters to your future.”

“True. But one day,” Banny added with a grin. “One day.”