-= 8 =-

                                    

                                          
Cassius sat in his giant wooden chair in the middle of his room, elbows resting on the armrests. His hands were folded together for his head to lay on top of them as he thought. A young boy hurried forth into the room, laughing and playing with his other brother. "Cassius! Hey, Cassius!" the boy exclaimed as he blocked another sword hit. 
                          
The man in the chair didn't move, entranced by the fire or just right out ignoring the boys. One of the boys had burning red hair and buck teeth. The other was dark-skinned with short black hair that came off of his head in soft curls. Both were holding crudely-made wooden swords in their small fisted hands. 
                          
"Cassius!" the bright-haired boy exclaimed once more. 
                          
"What?" Cassius snapped, his head finally turning. It was true, he was the most handsome man in the small village of Vell. His deep blue eyes and naturally curling brown hair were attractive to nearly every single female of the village. All except for one, Annelie. 
                          
He had been thinking through how to improve himself, already muscular with defining and striking features. She didn't want him even when he talked about himself to her, which was an anomaly. It only made him want her further. 
                          
"Missus Circe threw us out of the living room for roughhousing! Would it bother you if we fought in here?" the boy exclaimed, sweat on his forehead but a bright grin across his face. Cassius groaned lowly. 
                          
"I'm surprised you haven't killed the woman yet," he muttered under his breath. With a growl, he rose from his chair and walked over to the boys. "Since you obviously have need of improving your skills, I shall be your foe. Ernest, you take a seat for the moment being. I'll take on Kingsley here," Cassius explained to the young, dark-skinned boy. 
                          
He nodded his head, eagerly moving to the seat in which no ever really got to sit in other than Cassius himself after handing over his wooden sword. The boy, Ernest, snuggled into the warm pelts that covered it, enjoying the ready warmth. His dark eyes were on Kingsley, the red-haired boy with not a freckle covering his face, and Cassius. 
                          
The big man cracked his neck and swiped the sword through the air a few times to get his body ready. He spun, cutting the air in a single hard movement. A chuckle left his throat. I haven't done this since I was a boy, he thought. 
                          
A smirk was on his face as he turned to his foe, Kingsley. The boy had a bright flush on his face, already excited to fight the one, and the only Cassius. They swung at each other, passing the time with the play fight. 
                          
Every so often, the boys would switch out, each getting more exercise than they usually got. Fighting Cassius took a lot more energy than fighting each other. Even though Cassius fought for several long hours in the evening, he didn't tire. Instead, he spun and fought, taking it easy on the two boys, until Missus Circe herself came into the room. 
                          
She stood in the doorway of the masculine room. Her eyes moved over the pelts on the chair from an assortment of forest animal. Pride flared in her chest as she looked at the walls where trophies sat on ledges or hung in heavy wooden frames. Circe cleared her throat, an old woman with white hair and a short pudgy form. Her eyes were a soft powder blue that was alight with merry emotions she felt pouring through her chest. 
                          
"Well... I see the boys took refuge with you then? Hope they weren't too much trouble Cassius," she murmured, voice soft. 
                          
Cassius blocked a final strike from Ernest before the boy let go of his sword, sweating heavily. His eyes were on Circe and a wide smile curled his lips upward. "Of course they weren't any trouble. You would have to send the whole pack before it becomes troublesome," Cassius replied with a low chuckle.