A few hours later Humphrey sat at the heavy dining table, together with his whole family. The table was laden with food and drink, but Humphrey wasn’t really hungry. He listened to their apparently relaxed talk and knew that there was an unanswered question hanging in the air. An unanswered question directed at him – what had brought him home in the first place? After all, Humphrey did not visit often, and usually it was for a special occasion, like a wedding, or funeral, or baptism.

Finally, Hugo, Humphrey’s younger brother asked the question all were wanting to ask:

“So, to what do we owe the unexpected visit?”

Hugo was two years younger than Humphrey and they had never gotten along well. Hugo was a haughty young man, who always acted as if he had something to prove. Like Humphrey he didn’t like spending too much time indoors. But his favourite pursuit was hunting. Hugo was always hunting. Humphrey did not like hunting much. It was needed sometimes of course, but he took no joy in killing wild animals. For him a good harvest of grain was a much greater point of pride than shooting dead a deer or bear.  Yet another reason people thought he was boring.

But the real reason behind the brothers’ rocky relationship was quite different than opposed interests. When they were young boys, Hugo had once thrown a rock at Humphrey’s aged dog. The result was a damaged eye for the dog, and a serious fistfight between Humphrey and Hugo.

Time passed but Humphrey never forgave his brother, despite Hugo’s constant, and genuine, apologies. He just couldn’t. He always found it extremely hard forgive people who abused animals. And the words “it’s just a dog…” made him grind his teeth and wish he could slap the speaker.

Humphrey shook off the unpleasant memories and explained quickly: 

“They’re transferring me to Poitiers!” no need to stretch this out, he thought.

Silence. None of them said a word. And then they all started talking at once.

“But dear, why?”

“Wait, so are you getting demoted or promoted?”

“Who did you impress?”

“More like, who did you piss off?”

“Where is Poitiers?”

“How can you not know where Poitiers is, you doofus?”

“Is it permanent?”

“What did you do?!”

“When?”

“But that’s such a long way!”

“Will you be able to visit?”

The noise was growing unbearable and Jehan, Humphrey’s father, finally slammed his fist on the table to get a bit of quiet. The plates and glasses shook and clanked.

“Enough! Silence, all of you!” roared Jehan. For such a quiet man, he had quite the battle roar when needed. Humphrey had inherited that particular trait too. The shout was effective and most of the family quieted down instantly. All except for Matthieu’s baby girl, Amee, who began to cry. Her mother cooed and cradled her in her arms and finally even the baby quieted down.

“Now then, why don’t you explain? When, and why, are you getting transferred?” asked Jehan.

“They are reforming Poitiers commandery and need someone to lead it. I will be leaving in a few days.”

“Wait…you will be commanding a commandery?” asked Eustace.

Humphrey nodded.

“They sure must be desperate!” Matthieu jeered.

“Will make all your knights stop eating meat?” Eustace asked innocently. Then he and Matthieu burst out laughing.

Taunts and teasing were customary in the house. The brothers all did it to each other. They even joked on the expense of their parents – something unheard of in most noble families. Only Blanche escaped being teased. No one could possibly be mean to her. And nobody except for Hugo actually minded the teasing. It was just a game and usually didn’t go too far.

Blanche, who was annoyed at her brothers’ lack of seriousness at this troubling moment, began nervously carving doodles into the wooden table with her eating knife.

“Can’t you…. just stop being a Hospitaller?” she asked quietly. When he stared at her blankly, she added “I mean, you could still leave the Order…Come back home. Get married. I’m sure Lady Alis would be happy to marry you despite how you ran off last time…”

Eustace laughed. “Now you really convinced him to go to Poitiers!” he said chuckling.

“What? Why?” asked Blanche. “Lady Alis is really nice. And she was so disappointed when Humphrey decided to join the Hospitallers!”

Humphrey shifted in his seat uncomfortably. His escape from a marriage with Lady Alis was not a conversation he was about to have. He sighed.

“Blanche, I LIKE being a Hospitaller. It…feels right. I do something useful. Something good!” he said seriously. He was looking away now, at his hands. The confession embarrassed him. He hated talking about himself.  

His mother patted his hand. “Exactly!” she said, “he is doing what he believes is good and what he is suited for. Besides, if he quit now, it would bring shame to the family!”

And that, was that. Nobody questioned the choice more. Besides, at this point it wasn’t even a choice. It was duty.

***

Humphrey stayed with his family for one more day. It would be the last he would see of them for a long, long time.  All day they dined, drank wine, listened to Blanche play the lute, went on a ride, played Nine-Man’s-Morris. Everything to make that last day count. All in all, Humphrey was surprised to admit he had an unusually good time.

He rose the next day before sunrise. When he was ready to leave, his mother gave him a swift hug.

 “I know there is no sense in telling you to stay safe,” she said, “you never did care much for your own safety. But you must at least promise to write to us regularly!”

She held his hands, and Humphrey promised. They both knew he wouldn’t keep that promise. He hated writing letters.

When they had said their goodbyes, his father took him to the stables. 

“There is something I’d like to give you, before you leave,” he said, leading him to one of the large stalls in the main stable.

Inside stood a grey destrier. Large and muscular without being too heavy. The early morning sun coming from the window made the horse’s glossy grey-white coat glow. It stretched out its neck to look at them as they neared his stall.

“He’s for you!” Jehan said proudly.

Humphrey stared, first at the destrier, then at his father. Then at the horse again.

“Are you serious? He…he must be worth a fortune!”

“That he is. But I want you to have him. Consider him…a gift for the commander of Poitiers!” said Jehan with a small smile. “May he serve you well.”

Humphrey stretched out his hand and let the destrier sniff his open palm. Then he stroked the broad forehead gently. The horse snorted back at him in a friendly manner, pricking its ears forward. The horse’s large, brown eyes stared into his evenly and soulfully.

Humphrey entered the stall, running his hands over the horse’s powerful shoulders and withers. He inspected the hooves, and admired the glossy coat, and arched neck. The horse swished its tail, and shook its head, snorting at the Hospitaller. Finally it decided to gently nibble on his shoulder.

“Dad…” Humphrey said weakly, turning back to look at his father.

“His name is Frostbite,” his father interrupted. “He’s only two. He will still need training. Do it yourself. I don’t want some daft horse-boy to ruin him!”

“Thank you!” Humphrey felt a catch in his throat.

The last two days reminded him, vividly, of how fortunate he was to have a family such as his. Not only in terms of the money, though of course there was that.  But it was also the acceptance and encouragement he got from them.

They accepted his choices, and his quirks. They accepted his differences. They cared for him. And believed there was good in what he chose.

Sure, they could be annoying, obnoxious, and loud. But they cared for him and let him know it. Looking at the horse, Humphrey scratched his beard awkwardly, cursing his inability to express his feelings. His father didn’t mind the loss of words though. He was the same after all.

 He squeezed Humphrey’s heavily robed shoulder affectionately and went back into the castle. 

Authors Note:

1]I know this story is very slow and calm. My aim was to show Humphrey's normal side - his background which, until his placement in Poitiers, was rather uneventful and devoid of adventures. Yes there might have been a fight or two, but nothing serious. I hope that depiste the lack of action, the story can still be interesting. 

2] I might have mentioned it before but medieval horses were usually divided into categories rather than breeds. A destrier, which is the horse Humphrey gets from his father, was the most expensive type of warhorse available for a knight. Such horses were extremely expensive and usually served for heavy charges only. On a long journey a courser or palfrey would be used more often and Humphrey's other horse, Dragonfly, is a palfrey.