The Trouble with Brothers [Griff]

[lucan]

Lucan Aubert had risen extra early - not only to avoid everyone, but to actually prove to himself that he could work just as hard to achieve what he wanted. His Father Corenous had brought him up to be loyal, chivelrous and respectful, and that to die in battle was an honour. His father had many expectations of him, and being a Knight was one of them. Obviously Corneous didn't believe that his son would take this seriously. No - it was his duty to inherit the family estate, so as well as teaching him to fight (from a very young age and much to the annoyance of his first wife Amice) he began to mould all the qualities and knowledge that a future Duke would require. Lucan understood, he asked no questions but found he would rather spend most of his days learning different attacks with a sword rather than going over letters of importance.

Of course with his mother no longer there, and with only his stepmother Elaine (who chose to act as though he did not exist - unless it was of great importance) to 'fill' that role he had no other guidance and kept himself to himself. Lucan was all for privacy, and Elaine would only moan to his father that he was hacking at a tree again, rather than acting as a future Duke should. She could moan all she liked - he didn't care, Elaine would rather Griff - his brother - take over the family estate, which didn't seem that bad of an idea, unless his little brother stopped being such a brat and found that not everything in life would come at the snap of a finger.

Lucan didn't hate his brother. That was a strong word for a child that he didn't spend much time with. It was as though they led seperate lives, with Griff being tutored day in and out and Lucan being moulded into someone who he could not live up to. It would be nice for once to actually hold a conversation with Griff for more than a minute. Then again he was only nine years old and would much rather be off doing better things than talking to his older brother.

This morning, Lucan was choosing to hack at a self made dummy - if he was going to be a knight he needed all the practice he could get. He swung at it a few times, jabbing it lightly - then he would begin to wear himself out by going for an even harder stratergy. It would be easier to have someone to practice with, but a dummy would have to do for now. He would just pretend it was Elaine and have done with it, that alone made him swing at the dummy even harder. She was a hard woman to love after all.

Tagged: Griff Aubert
Setting: Glouchedon Manor, Glouchedon
Timeline: Pre S1 thread that shows how Luc and Griff were when they were younger, and before Luc left for Camelot.
Note: Posting layouts credit to Griff

[Griff Aubert]

Griff was bored. His brilliant plan had turned out to be not so brilliant, and although he was no longer stuck upstairs with Thomas, his tutor, being told why he should know about the "majestic history of their fine kingdom", he was stuck in a cupboard. This was bad thinking on his part. He shuffled over to the door and pressed his ear against it, trying to see if anyone was in the room. Hmm. He couldn't hear anyone...but grown ups were sneaky. Silences could not be trusted - he'd made that particular mistake too many times. He bit his lip. Opening the door was going to be quite the risk, but if he didn't he would just have to stay sat in the cupboard, and that was even more boring than his history lesson. Lucan was so lucky he didn't have to have them. He got to spend all day doing what he wanted, whereas Griff was always stuck with Thomas, usually doing stupid things.

He hadn't heard anything for quite some time now...he might just have to risk it...anything was going to be better than the cupboard. It took him a few pushes to get the door open, and then he scrambled into the room and into freedom! Or rather, into Thomas's leg. Griff just looked up at him, a rather unhappy expression on his face.

"What are you doing?"

The young boy didn't reply, he just remained on the floor, arms crossed against his chest. He'd stayed in that cupboard for...well...forever really and now all that time had been a complete waste.

"Come on, back upstairs with you." Thomas held out his hand, unsurprised when it was refused. He bent down so he was on the same level as the child. This was not the first time he'd lost Griff in the middle of a lesson. In fact, it was becoming quite the tradition. Unfortunately for Griff, he wasn't imaginative enough to find different hiding places, and so whenever he did wander off all Thomas had to do was wait next to the cupboard door.

"But Luc doesn't have to have lessons. It's not fair."

Thomas just smiled, a rather amused smile, "Lucan is older than you. He's already learnt these things."

"He's already done everything."

Thomas cocked his head, he'd come into the household five years ago - Lucan already had a tutor, it was decided Griff should have his own. Consequently, Thomas didn't know the oldest Aubert son all that well, most of his information coming from his young pupil. "Well don't you want to everything too?" He paused before adding, "Don't you want to do everything Lucan's done?" He raised an eyebrow. The quickest way to get the boy to do anything was usually through Lucan. He could see Griff thinking this over - trying to decide whether his desire to get out his lessons was greater than his desire to be better than Lucan at everything.

"Fine." Griff forced out.

"Good, I tell you what...why don't we do it outside? Lucan's out there, and then he'll see how clever you are." This time his hand was accepted but as soon as Griff was on his feet he was half way out of the house. Thomas just rolled his eyes and followed.

[lucan]

Lucan's eye caught his brother and his tutor Thomas coming outside. Obviously his brother's notorious escape plan from one of his lessons hadn't worked again. Lucan knew about these - whenever Griff got bored he would wait until Thomas wasn't looking (or make so excuse) and then sneak out to find somewhere to hide. Sometimes Luc would see a pair of eyes peeping out from behind a curtain but chose to turn a blind eye. If Griff didn't want to learn then that was his problem.
Lucan hadn't enjoyed tutoring himself, but had chose to grin and bear it for the sake of his sanity. Plus it meant he could stay as far away from his stepmother as possible. Lucan had been taught by a man called Cadby, who had practically shoved every book he could muster under his pupil's nose. Lucan had groaned and even considered 'losing' them, but knew that it wasn't going to last forever. He hadn't exactly been sad when Cadby had left and felt like he could finally have some freedom.

He continued to hack at the Elaine dummy, knowing full well that he wasn't going to get anywhere just standing around daydreaming all day. You couldn't daydream in battle, there was no time to stand and wonder. You had to think about tactics, the consequences, the skill. You had to be quick and agile on your feet, otherwise it was bye bye knighthood. Ignoring Thomas and Griff, he continued to practice - he would have to move onto archery soon before going to find his father.
Corneous liked his son to visit him every afternoon to test his abilities as heir to the estate - this got on Lucan's nerves somewhat, as though his father didn't believe he was capable of such a thing, but it was all for the best. Lucan wondered if Corneous was doing the exact same thing with Griff, after all if Lucan were to suddenly die now the estate would pass to him.

Lucan finally stuck his sword into the ground and gave himself a breather, now seeing that not only were his brother and tutor outside, but his father. "A fine skill my boy" he laughed clapping Luc on the back, "seems my teaching has paid off - every man needs to learn how to fight and die with at least some honour." Lucan smiled slightly, "I will see you this afternoon - don't be late." Corneous told him and headed back into the house, stopping to speak to Thomas and Griff along the way.

"Griff, why not have a go at sword practice with Lucan? Im sure you can allow him five minutes Thomas?"

[Griff Aubert]

Thomas was too slow for Griff's liking. He was the one that actually wanted to be outside and continue with their lesson, so why was he taking so long getting here? It was rather annoying. He looked back, Thomas was at least...a hundred feet behind. Well Griff couldn't be bothered to wait so he continued until he found the bench nearest to where his brother was. Lucan wouldn't be able to appreciate just how clever Griff was if they were too far away. While he was waiting for Thomas to eventually catch up, he watched Lucan. He didn't look to happy. But then Lucan was always grumpy. In fact, now that Griff thought about it, Lucan wasn't any fun at all. He never laughed or smiled and he never played with Griff. He was a rubbish big brother.

"Are we happy to proceed now?" Thomas asked as he sat on the bench, pulling Griff from his thoughts.

Now that they were actually outside, Griff was decidedly less enthusiastic about continuing his lesson. He'd much rather be climbing trees and then he'd be taller than everyone and wouldn't have to do anything he was told. That's what happened when you were tall - you got to do what you wanted. It was a fact. "Do we have to?" He asked, still desperate to get out of it.

"I thought you wanted to do everything Lucan did?" Griff just frowned and bit his lip. "But you want to be cleverer than him?" Thomas surpressed a smirk. He knew the boy well enough to know that he wanted to cleverer than everyone. He wanted to better than everyone in general. "Shall I take that as a yes?" When his pupil didn't reply he took that as an admittance of defeat. "Right...where we were? Oh yes, you were telling me all the kings of Glouchedon, weren't you?"

Griff began to list them off, albeit rather begrudgingly, arms folded tightly across his chest. He was naming them all correctly though, so he must have been listening to Thomas at some point. Just as we was coming to the end - with increasing speed, Thomas noted - his father, Corneous, approached.

"Griff, why not have a go at sword practice with Lucan? Im sure you can allow him five minutes Thomas?"

Immediatly the boy stopped, eyes lit up but only for a second before he realised the decision lay with Thomas. He looked at his tutor, bottom lip quivering. Of course Thomas wasn't going to say no, Corneous had not actually given the man a choice, but decided that his young son was going to have a go with a sword. "Of course, my lord." He said, inclining his head and looked at Griff. "Go on then. The kings will still be here when you are finished."

Griff didn't hear the last part of Thomas' speech, he was too busy running towards his brother. When he reached Lucan he looked up at him rather triumphantly. "Father says I'm to have a go at sword practice."

[lucan]

Griff was now on his way over looking quite pleased with himself. Obviously his father had been kind enough to let his youngest have five minutes away from boring books and theories. "Father says I'm to have a go at sword practice." Griff now stated. Luc had no idea whether his little brother had even picked up a sword before, but smiled all the same, pulling the sword from the ground and passing it to Griff.
"Father managed to save your mind from going crazy over naming every single King of Glouchedon then" he chuckled and stepped back, leaning back against a the trunk of a nearby tree to watch his brother. "Personally those lessons weren't my favourite either."

Lucan used to list of every King as quickly as Cadby could count them, just in order for them to move onto something more interesting. Griff looked relieved just to have five minutes away from Thomas, so obviously the lesson had been a total bore. Then again Griff found most of his tutoring boring, Lucan knew that much. He'd heard his father discussing about it with Elaine.

"Come on then, show us what you've got" he smiled and waited for his brother to take a swipe at the dummy.

[Griff Aubert]

Griff was staring up at Lucan, expecting him to argue or tell him that he didn't know what he was doing. It wouldn't matter if he did though. Griff was determined to have a go so Lucan was just going to have to accept that- which he did...he narrowed his eyes at his brother. Why was he being nice? Lucan wasn't nice. Lucan was...Lucan. Only he wasn't being Lucan right now because he was handing Griff the sword. The younger boy took it before anyone could change their mind about him having a go. It was a lot heavier than he'd been expecting and he almost dropped it but managed to hold it all the same. Right...now what? He hadn't thought this far ahead. He bit his lip and scratched his neck. Well, he wasn't going to ask Lucan, of that he was certain. Griff Aubert didn't need to ask anyone for anything, well, except when he couldn't reach things but that was different.

"Father didn't save me." Griff lied as he started swinging the sword slightly like a pendulum. "I...decided to do this. It's better." He was ignoring the fact that this would contradict his first words to Lucan but that didn't matter. He wanted Lucan to think that he could do what he wanted, not what their father or Thomas told him to do. After all, he was nearly ten. It was time they stopped bossing him around. Lucan was only seventeen and he got to do what he wanted. In fact, as long as Griff could remember Lucan was and as Lucan was eight years older that meant they'd stopped bossing him around then. It wasn't fair. His mother and father should have another son and then he'd be the one being told what to do all the time instead.

"Come on then, show us what you've got"

Griff was still biting his lip. This would be better if Lucan wasn't watching - he was putting him off. A quick glance behind them told him his father and Thomas were watching too. Even when he was allowed a sword they still wouldn't leave him alone. He was going to spend his whole life being watched and told what to do. Well as soon as he was big enough he was going to run away and never come back and do...anything, everything. He'd just go anywhere and it wouldn't matter where because his father wouldn't be there and Lucan wouldn't be there and...well, Thomas could be there if he really had to be but there wouldn't be any lessons. He'd do grown up things like...like go to taverns and talk to girls and actually find out what Thomas had meant when he said Griff didn't "know" Alice. Griff had thought he'd known her for six years, ever since her mother took a position in the household but Thomas was convinced Griff didn't. It was one of those grown up things he wasn't allowed to know about. Well, when he was older and he ran away he would know about it.

Anyway. His life plan wasn't important at the moment because Lucan, Thomas and his father were all still watching him rather expectantly. His lip was released from his teeth and he took a step towards the dummy. Lucan's legs were too long so where he had been standing, and where he'd handed the sword to Griff was too far away for the younger boy. He swung the sword with as much force as he could, but it missed the dummy by miles and he almost ended up falling over, the sword being thrown out of his hand and landed a few feet away from him. He looked at it for a moment before looking back up at Lucan. "Swords are rubbish."

[lucan]

Lucan rolled his eyes, Griff hadn't decided this - their father had. "If you say so" he shrugged it off as Griff took the sword. Lucan knew that this was either going to go very well or very badly. His suspicions were met when the sword managed to fly out of Griff's hand along with a statement that they were rubbish from Griff, as though it were some kind of contradiction. Lucan just shook his head at this. At least he'd tried, he himself hadn't a clue when he'd first picked up a sword, and had almost toppled over. If Griff wanted to learn then Luc would gladly teach him, but not if he wasn't going to stick at it. It hadn't helped that Griff had an audience either.

Lucan walked and retreived the sword from the ground, handing it back to Griff. "Take it slowly" he told him, "aim for the body, then the head and then back to the body again." Luc pointed out the different areas. Taking the sword from Griff he placed his hands on the hilt. "Grip it like this, that way it won't fly out of your hands and will be easier to hold." Showing him and then passing it back to his brother.

He looked over to where his father and Thomas were and nodded, Corneous nodding back and disappearing inside the house. Thomas would obviously stay and watch Griff, eagerly waiting for him to resume their lesson. "You know, you could always hide in the stables when you need to get away from Thomas. No one ever looks there." With that he went back to his place against the tree and waited for Griff to have another go.
"Try now" he called.

[Griff Aubert]

Griff had already decided he didn't much care for swords but he cared even less for his lessons. This was definitely the lesser of two evils, so with this in mind he stood there and tried to be interested in what Lucan was saying. Swords were stupid. When was he ever going to have to use one? Never. Therefore this whole excercise was pointless. He looked over to where Thomas and his father were still sat, and still watching him. How was he supposed to concentrate now? This wasn't what Griff had had in mind at all. The cupboard was becoming a much more favourable prospect, but, alas, he was stuck here for the foreseeable future. Rather unethusiastically he took the sword from Lucan - this time prepared for its weight. Well how was he supposed to be aim for the head when he couldn't reach the head? Or lift the sword up high enough for that matter? Lucan hadn't thought this through. And yes, this was entirely Lucan's fault. If his brother hadn't been practicing in the first place their father wouldn't have suggested Griff have a go and he could have just spent his time trying to get out of learning anything.

At Lucan's next suggestion, Griff looked up at him with a suspicious look. What did he know about hiding places? He was always far too sensible for that. Lucan, he had been told far too many times, had always been well-behaved when he was Griff's age. That's what his father told him - it didn't matter what age Griff was at the time, Lucan had always been better behaved. His brother didn't understand about things like running from lessons and hiding in cupboards. "How would you know?" he asked rather petulantly. Lucan was too boring for that sort of thing. No, he clearly didn't know what he was talking about, which was a shame really because Griff really could do with another, more effective, hiding place.

Try again? He didn't want to try again! He wanted to just be good at it. Wasn't that how these things were supposed to work? Practice was just boring. Griff had never been the most patient of people, but this was just silly. He was never going to be any good with a sword so this whole excercise was just pointless. Rather grumpily he stepped towards the dummy, glancing back to give Lucan a definite look before trying to hit it again. This time he managed to attack one of dummy's legs. It was too high for him - that was the problem, not his lack of skill of strength, but the height of the thing.

[lucan]

Lucan could see that Griff was struggling with the dummy - purely it was way too big and with his brother at such an impossible height for hs age, it wasn't going to work. "I could have one made for you so you can practice easier, I think this is a big too big." he smiled and tried to push the dummy a little more lower into the ground. Perhaps that would be a little more easier for Griff.

"How would you know?"

"Believe it or not, some boring brothers do hide away too you know." he retorted, "and when my mother died, I hid away a lot - so don't tell me I know nothing about hiding."

Giving his brother a light slap on the back, he headed over to where he'd left some of his arrows for archery under the tree. Had his mother have been there now things would be different. He wouldn't have Elaine on his case about matters of the estate and decorum. He wouldn't have her there at all. But life was usually unkind to him anyway, and Elaine was just one of these things. Of course Griff wasn't - Lucan barely saw him enough as it was, but they weren't close. It was just as though they were ships passing in the night.
Seeing his father standing with Thomas, he walked over to the pair of them. "I think he needs a smaller dummy for now, he's determind but still as stubborn as ever - could I arrange to have him made one if he's willing to practice with it?" he asked Corneous, who was now watching Griff.

"I don't see why not" Corneous shrugged at this, "Don't forget, we need to talk about..."

"Yes, yes I know" Lucan sighed, "Let me go and change and I will be right there."

With a nod from Corneous, Lucan turned back to Griff, gave him the nod of approval (given the fact that he was now doing rather well in actually handling the sword) and headed off in the direction of the house. Ths wasn't going to be a pleasant conversation with his father later - he could feel it.

[Griff Aubert]

Griff didn't particularly like the idea of having to have a smaller dummy made...but he did quite like the idea of having one for himself. Lucan wouldn't be able to use it, so that was obviously a good thing. He scratched his neck. The only downside he could see with having his own was that it would be smaller and he shouldn't have to have a different one in the first place. It just wasn't fair. He should have the same things as Lucan, exactly the same, or better, he'd like better things. What they shouldn't be was smaller. It was stupid. One day he was going to be old too, and then he'd have proper things but Lucan already had proper things. Every time Griff did something, Lucan had already done it. He hated it. He hated being the younger one. He pushed his bottom lip out, "It's not too big." He replied stubbornly but unfortunately had to retract that statement because despite himself he did actually want a dummy for himself. "Is that a promise?" Know that he'd come round to the idea, he was determined he'd have one, so he wasn't going to let Lucan out of it now.

Griff didn't like the idea of Lucan hiding. It was yet another example of how whenever he'd done something, it had already been done a hundred times before by his brother. He wasn't entirely sure what to say. Their father had never spoken to him about Lucan's mother, neither had Lucan, not to Griff anyway. There was a whole side of Lucan's family that he simply wasn't a part of. It wasn't the same the other way around. Lucan was still liked by Griff's uncle. Ector was his uncle, not Lucan's so he was part of Griff's family. It was the only thing Lucan shouldn't be allowed to be a part of, and yet he was, but Griff wasn't allowed to be a part of Lucan's other family. The young boy scratched his neck again. "What was she like? Your mother?" He'd never asked about Lucan's mother before, he didn't think his brother liked to talk about her. But Griff was curious so he wanted some answers.

He ignored Lucan's pat on the back - he was sure Lucan did it to annoy him. He didn't turn around either, his brother had lost his attention. Instead he was focussing on the dummy again because he was determined not to need a smaller one. He was Griff Aubert, and he might only be nine years old, but that was quickly becoming his motivation.