Hopeless Night: Day 3

Word Count: 18,006

Summary of Events:
Chapter 5:
Georg spent some time thinking about the rumours that Magnus was going to inherit their grandfather's farm. Emma got up after bedtime and met her little newborn brother Jochen. Magnus went for a ride with his gelding after the farrier came to trim all the horses' hooves.
Chapter 6:
Emma helped in the kitchen glazing cinnamon rolls and was told by Herr Reiter that starting as young as she was she could well become one of the king's cooks. Magnus was invited to go hunting on the weekend with Georg. Coming home late for supper, Emma told her parents about her day.

Excerpt of the Day:
""In fact, Magnus," Georg went on — seeming to not even notice Magnus' confusion — "Being as it is now getting into the peak of hunting season, would you like to go out for a hunting excursion?"
"I wouldn't mind doing so, no," Magnus replied.
"Is there any time in particular that works for you best?" Georg asked.
"You are the man, you ought to be the one who would more likely have some kind of engagement hindering you from going on the excursion," Magnus replied. "I'm a young man, even a boy, I should have anything hindering me from my participation."
"That doesn't answer my question," Georg said.
Magnus sighed. "No, I haven't any hindrances to joining you whenever it is that you would wish to go hunting."
"Excellent!" Georg exclaimed — his exclamation and the expression on his face almost seeming too bright — Magnus felt an uncertainty within himself about this whole thing all of the sudden.
"Georg," Magnus said.
"Yes?" Georg asked, startling.
"You seem to be forcing yourself to do this," Magnus said. "Really, don't force yourself to do this if you don't want to. I will admit that I am somewhat puzzled by the sourness of your countenance of late, but if you really don't want to do this, please, don't make yourself do it on my account."
"I am not forcing myself to do it," Georg said. "I want to spend some time with you my brother."
"But you seemed overly exuberant at the fact that I don't have any specific obligations hindering out excursion," Magnus said.
"Ah, that was only because I have an excellent day in mind for us to go hunting on, and I'm pleased that you are a lot freer than you've seemed to be of late," Georg replied. "I was afraid that we wouldn't be able to go hunting until the snow had set in because of you so frequently being at the home of our grandfather, that was all."
"Oh," Magnus said.
"I was so pleasantly surprised that I couldn't help but be so exuberant," Georg said.
Magnus nodded.
"So you'll be free to go hunting on this Saturday?" Georg asked.
"Yes," Magnus replied.
"I want to set out with the dawn," Georg said.
"Alright," Magnus said, nodding.
"I look forward to seeing which one of us will kill more game on Saturday," Georg said.
Magnus nodded, determination coming over his face. "And I hope that you do not think that it shall be easy for you to kill more game than I," he said.
Georg returned Magnus' determined gaze with one of his own. "Oh I don't, but I am quite sure that I shall come out victorious either way."
Magnus smirked and shook his head. Just wait until Georg saw his accuracy — both in shot and in tracking. He'd so markedly improved that even he himself had noticed. Georg would be the one heading home effectively vanquished after their hunting excursion come Saturday."

Jochen: johkehn