Alan came back to his senses a couple of seconds later....
"Captain Kevin, I didn't knew you had spend so much to buy this fool here. How am I going to repay you. Alan genuinely asked feeling extremely guilty. "
Kevin smiled at Alan and shook his head with a fond look in his eyes. "Kid...." Kevin started to say and suddenly he realized whom he was conversing to...
"Beg you pardon Master Alan..." He smiled embarrassedly.
But Alan didn't mind it at all. He simply waved his hand. "Please don't be so formal with Me Captain Kevin. You can call me by my name." Alan insisted.
Kevin noded happily. "As I told earlier. If you had not alerted us and took action, our situation would have been entierly different. Besides, what would you say is the worth of all these horses and my people here?" Kevin asked Alan.
"It is priceless... " Alan blurted out without hesitation....
"Exactly..... I had presented you with a horse worth less than 10 gold coins for all the priceless life you have saved. Don't think too much about it." Kevin said Proudly
"And now, about your "Trouble Maker"... He is still young. He had just entered his 3rd year when we started our journey. And it will take 4 more years atleast for him to reach his adulthood. By the time you complete your Academic education, he will be fully grown..."
"Are we allowed to take our horse into the Acadamy?" Alan asked.
"Of course. You can take him with you. As a matter of fact they will insist you to get your own horse in your second year. Horse's age ranging between 3 to 5 years. So that you can train them and develop trust between each other from the early age itself."
Alan left, expressing his gratitude to the captain with a sense of joy.
While travelling through the mountain and rocky places, they encountered many types of snake species that Alan had never seen before.
Captain Kevin gave Alan the names to all the snake they came across. Showed how to identify the snakes. He also pointed out from the deadliest to the least venomous snake.
At night, they even experienced a handfull of snake bite incidents.
Helen while treating, showed Alan different typer of ingredients used to cure different type of Snake bite. And even showed Alan how to create an anti-venom using the snakes venom.
Alan started collecting venom from various kind of snakes. And began to prepare anti-venom with Helen.
By the time they left the mountain area Alan was proficient in crafting Anti-venom treating snake bites.
They lost one horse during this period of time due to a deadly snake bite.
Alan, while carrying out his routine horse grooming found a horse slightly foaming from its mouth and was struggling to stand still. Upon closer inspection, he found the bite mark. By the time they started the treatment it was too late and the horse went limp after convulsing a few times....
Alan along with the owner of the horse personally prepared a small pier for the horse and lit a fire to it.
They were about to enter the forest area again when Alan asked John... " Uncle John, where are we now?"
"This is called Green Wood forest my boy. We are less than 15 days from Green town now..."
The journey continued without any further incidents.
Alan dived into studying poisons and their remedies. The topic which was not covered extensively and he had only basics knowledge about it.
Now Alan realised, no mater what it is Knowledge is the power. And he can utilize it to save himself and others whenever necessary.
Determined, Alan chose to gather knowledge indiscriminately, regardless of its immediate necessity.
Helen and John both felt happy to know about Alan's eagerness to learn.
One evening while the Three of them were having there dinner, John spoke " Alan my boy, you are the most responsible, smart, knowledgeable and the strongest child I have ever met. You even outpaces many of the adults in various fields."
Helen noded agreeing with a proud smile. And John continued...
"I know you grew up in a isolated place and Helen here, was the only one you looked upto while growing. Truth be told she is not someone to make a role model as a child..."
"SMACK.... " A loud slap was heard and John started rubbing his head looking at Helen sheepishly.
Alan started laughing, spitting the food in his mouth uncontrollably.
Helen looked murderous and was preparing to give one more round of beating.
"Alright.. alright... I am sorry, it came out wrong from my mouth. I didn't mean it in that way." John put up both his hands in a pleading justure and tried to placate Helen.
"What I mean to say is,... " John again turned to Alan and spoke... "Kids usually grow up with other children of their own age. Which, given the circumstances you were in, you were not able to."
"You had only your grandmother as a reference and learn from. This is why you act so matured, that sometimes it feels like I am talking to a 40 years old man. Rather than a boy of 10."
Helen begrudgingly had to accept John's assessment and relaxed her first. John Sighed inwardly....
"Once we reach Green town, you will meet many boys and girls of your own age and even those who will be older than you by many years. Their behavior or their actions might seems silly or even unnecessary to you. But remeber, that is what childern and young ones do."
"They are silly, will be shameless many a time, naughty, irresponsible most of the times and the most important thing is, they will be weaker than the adults."
Alan was listening and nodding intently to John's words.
"What I want to convey is...., Try to be like them when you are with them. Have lots of fun. Run around the town aimlessly making mischief. Try to steal a fruits or a meat stick or a candy with them. Play pranks on the adults. Get caught while doing a mischief."
"As we grow older the things most of us miss are the times we had as a child. So cherish it for next couple of years. Have fun my boy. Don not try to compare or try to make sense of what other childern do. Especially by your standards."
Alan was nodding but he had a doubtful look.
"Don't worry my boy. You will learn these things as you start spending time with other kids."
"I am not asking you to stop practicing your skills or combat techniques. But... "Be a child when you are with a child." Keep this in mind my boy...."
"Be a child when you are with a child"... Alan repeated the saying softly as if he was memorizing it.
Then he looked at John with a serious gaze and nooded his head.
"Ok uncle John I will remember your words...." Alan said firmly.