Alfred could hear the thunder rolling from afar. It seems as though his senses were just heightened, brought about by Banweald's questioning. He could feel the wind change as the storm was coming in. It started to feel cooler. Alfred liked that feeling. The goblet on the table seemed so much more intricate that he had initially noticed. The honeyed ham and fruit pastries suddenly seemed so much more appealing. The room they were in seemed so much more grander with so many wonderful items on display.

A memory quickly flashed through his mind of a time when he and Banweald were in a forest at night with a battalion of men. They were readying to launch a raid mission on an enemy camp. As they prepared to attack Banweald looked at Alfred and quietly says, "I think I can easily take out more of these ruffians than you can Alfred." Alfred smiles and whispers back, "You're on."

Alfred slowly looks down for a moment at his left mangled hand. Then looks slowly back at his liege.  As awkward as their relationship has always been, because of the difference in their personalities, the man standing in front of him is the closest person he has to a friend or even to a family. Alfred would never say that out loud, but on some level they both knew that to be true. 

He starts to speak slowly, being very careful with every word he is about to say, "My liege, years of war has left me with physical scars that are clear as day for anyone to see." He uses his left hand to point at the scar on his face. He then continues, "But I seem to have scars that even I can't see. These scars makes it hard for me to take pleasure in things in life as a civilian. I’m ready to give up coin, my stone manor, servants, everything, if I could be a soldier again."

It was at his last words that Alfred intentionally pulled his whole body to attention. His demeanour changed. From a man filled with uncertainty to one full of assurance. He was at that moment unmistakeably a warrior. He grasped his weapon tightly and like the nobleman he had become said, “But for war these same scars make me forcused, ready, and battlehardened. You can rest assured my liege that while I find it hard to live a life in the town sleeping in a bed, I would be very comfortable sleeping under the stars strategizing our enemy’s demise should they cross us.  You can completely be assured that your men will not land up in an ambush, because we are the ambush.” 

Perhaps Alfred’s personality was as complex as his liege’s was after all.