Wondrous Master | boyxboy | (Book Three: The Master Collection)

XVII - A Place To Call Home

The city was just as Broderick remembered it when he was younger. Though it was not an island or located off the coast, Banemount was a city that thrived off of the river that traveled directly through it. It was a waterway that helped transport goods much faster than if they moved by land. Towering romantic architectural buildings rose several stories into the sky, creating a network of streets and alleys that made the city into one settled labyrinth. The ether of Banemount was far calmer than many other places in the English lands, and skies overhead weren't as plagued by bad weather. Today the sky was blue, open with few white clouds, and the sun provided what warmth it could even through the chilly winds.

Broderick moved the coach down the road running along the central river, Neville trying to contain his excitement as he watched small boats and ships go by. The boy was sitting beside Broderick at the driver's seat, having removed his coat now that the heat was getting to him. He couldn't believe he would soon call this place home, especially given he'd be able to share this home with someone he loved so truly. Nearly the entire night before, he'd sat awake, trying his best to thank Broderick in every way he could think of for doing all of this for him. When he was a small boy growing up in the clutches of Erin Cross, Neville would have never imagined to be in the place he was now. Here, sat beside a young man who lived and breathed to take care of him, Neville no longer saw himself as the poor unfortunate boy trapped in a hell with no escape. Now, he was free.

When he felt the locket Broderick had given him dangle against his chest, Neville untied the charming red satin from around his neck and looked over the golden ornament. He touched across the dove shaped engraving, shortly wondering why Broderick had picked this one in particular. Was there something special about this type of bird that he didn't understand and the other boy did? Or maybe it had just caught Broderick's eye.

Before he could think to ask, Neville glanced up at the other boy when he began to speak. "We will have to find shelter in the city for now," he said. "There must be some vacant homes available for purchase on the outskirts. After all, this has always been a very popular place to live, where people prefer the inner city more than the lands around it. Is that alright with you while I look for a place?"

"Yes, of course," Neville nodded feverishly. "I will be happy with anything you find."

And so for several days as they spent their time in three different hotels, never staying in one for longer than four days to dull down the possibility of curious owners. When all seemed hopeless in Banemount, Broderick had finally been able to find the right kind of land proprietor to buy from. He was a man with a family looking forward to moving further west towards the seaboard of the kingdom. In need of someone to buy out the entire parcel instead of renting it, Broderick and the man bargained on the amount this property would cost him. Given the man was in a hurry to get out of the city, it hadn't taken too long when Broderick was able to come up with an amount on his own.

With present knowledge of the actual costs of different variations of acres, Broderick provided the man with the guinea he owed in return and called it a day. If there was anything he could ever think to thank his father for, it would be for inadvertently giving him the understanding one required to conduct civil business. Given it would be a necessary skill to have now that he was on his own and without the fortune of his noble surname, Broderick was glad to have what it took to handle most types of people out here in the world, especially those who would think to wring him dry.

The cottage he'd purchased was one far off a beaten path. It was surrounded by a seemingly endless valley and tucked away beneath elm trees and willows of all sizes. Just one story high, it was made entirely of pale gray bricks with a steeply slanted roof, tall rectangular diamond glassed windows, and a dark red four panel door. The greenery of the cottage made Broderick even more pleased with his purchase. Given the man's wife had been adamant about keeping her home beautiful during the summers, springs, and autumns, she made sure to keep up with her gardening. On one whole side of the cottage, the wall was engulfed by house vines, vibrant shrubs down at the base surrounded by a fenced in woodland of many flowers, all of which Broderick could not name but appreciated their colorful splendor. With a now empty farming plot in the rear of the property, Broderick kept in mind the idea of having their own animals and perhaps even gardening their own vegetables instead of having to seek many things from the market. He'd also have a place for his horse to wander without the need for a confining pen.