Sir Rhodri searched his son's face for several silent moments as a cloud of white steam rose from his visor in the frigid morning air.
In that face, he saw shadows of the boy who said he would grow up strong and ride to war so his father could stay home and guard the village. The same boy who had begged for stories of the bravest knights and listened solemnly at his father's knee while the elder knight explained that the bravest knights were the ones who sacrificed opportunities for personal glory in order to protect the soldiers they led and provide for the people of their villages.
Now, when he looked into his son's eyes, he saw the echoes of that young boy, striving to protect the people of his village, and turning himself into a heretic to do it.
"You understand what will happen if the village follows you?" Sir Rhodri asked. As both a father, and a knight, he felt like he had to know that his son had fully considered the consequences of what they were facing.
