Chapter 2: What is left

Lysander tugged the blonde boy behind him. Ever forward, ever towards the Gold Road. The road was outside the village walls. Those were nice walls, stone ones. Used to be white, when Lysander started to live in the forest. Now, he supposed they will blacken. Yet, they will keep the fire in. Maybe, it will even manage to burn itself out. 

"Wait, where are you taking me?" The blonde boy sounded afraid. 

"Are you hurt?" Lysander asked. He didn't know much, bar the basics of healing spells. Just something that the hag, Anna, had taught him. A kind deed, which he couldn't even return. He had to leave her in her bed, for the beasts to find. The fever, which took her, had nearly claimed him as well, yet...

"My foot got burned," the boy said, with a whimper. Lysander kept on tugging him. There was no telling, if a house wouldn't collapse on them, or a tree, for that matter. "Wait, it really hurts." 

Lysander wondered, how come some people got to be able to complain about their pain, when he never got anywhere, by doing so. He whipped around, and saw that the right shoe of the boy had blood on it. The fire burned around them. An inferno, which they had to escape. 

"Climb on my back," Lysander said. He didn't know why he was helping the princeling. For, how could someone who lived in such a lavish house, be anything but?

 Lysander knew that for him, this village was like a town. And why shouldn't it be? It had everything. A market, parks, houses which were warm, even during the winter. This had been the best winter in his life. Now, it was all gone. 

"Won't you tire?" The boy had wide blue eyes, filled with water. Anna had told Lysander more than once, that such people never lasted long. Life chewed them up, and spat them out. Lysander narrowed his golden eyes at the boy. 

"Don't you dare cry. You will attract wolves," Lysander snapped. The scavengers will be upon this village, as soon as the fire stopped. They needed to be on the Gold Road, as soon as possible. Long before the wolves came to feast. 

The boy snapped his mouth shut, and then limped around, so he can take a hold of Lysander's shoulders. It was an awkward climb for the blonde, but soon, Lysander was running around, with the boy clutching at him. 

"My name is Erin," the blonde boy whispered from behind Lysander's back. This nearly startled the wanderer into dropping him. 

"Now is not the time for names," Lysander said. There was no telling if the boy would survive the trek to the next village.

If he would find a family which would take him in, there. As for Lysander, he would call the forest, pasture, whatever was outside the next village, really, home. Nothing will change for him, and...

"My name is Erin!" The boy yelled, and then clutched at Lysander like a lifeline. "And I will survive!" 

Lysander stopped for a while, trying to catch his breath. 

His name is Erin, huh? 

"My name is Lysander," the wanderer offered. "And I will see you safely to the next village. More, I can't offer." 

Lysander heard a sniff, and then sighed. 

"Don't cry, Erin," he mumbled, and then continued to run. "Kids like you always find a home." 

This didn't calm Erin down. If anything, it made the waterworks continue even more so. Lysander finally managed to get to the broken gates, and then ran outside of them.

 This wasn't good. If the gates were broken, then the fire might spread. The wanderer didn't stop running, until they reached the Gold Road. There was a sign there. Once more, Lysander thanked Anna, for teaching him how to read and write. 

"Do you have a family at Crystargar?" Lysander asked. Erin buried his face into the nape of Lysander's neck. 

"No," the boy sniffed. Lysander sighed. Well, Erin was the type of kid mothers wanted. All cherubic, and from a well to do family. If he didn't have family in the town, then he could still get adopted. It wasn't like he was a wanderer. A bringer of bad luck. 

"Let me see your foot," Lysander said, and then lowered Erin to the ground. Soon, he managed to get the remains of the shoe and the socks from the ruined foot. The burns were severe, but didn't look like the fat layer has also been burned. Lysander coated his hands with mana, and began to gently heal the other boy. 

The wanderer saw, as the princeling bit his bottom lip, to keep from crying. Good, then he had remembered that his cries could bring their death to them.

 When Lysander was done, there wasn't even a blemish on the foot. He looked down at how fragile the little foot was, and sighed. It won't be the first time, when he would go without shoes, or socks. 

Lysander took off his right shoe, and then his sock. Yet, just as he was about to place them on the princeling's foot, the blonde boy placed a hand over his. 

"I won't take your shoes," the boy said. "Do you have spare socks?" 

Lysander shook his head. 

"Then I will go barefoot," there was determination in the boy. Too much, for Lysander to argue. 

"I can carry you. Your leg will end up a ruin, if I don't," Lysander said. The boy must have breathed in the smoke, and must also be tired. If Lysander managed to carry him for an hour, they could get away from the burning village. 

"No, I will walk!" The princeling stood up then, and offered his hand to Lysander. "Come on, put your shoes back on, and then we can go." 

Lysander didn't know from where this bravery came from, but he rather liked it. This boy has lost everything, which Lysander has never had. A family, a home, friends.

 Yet, he still tried to keep it together. Lysander put his sock and shoe back on, and then got an idea. He looked at the bandage around his right arm, and then began to untangle it. 

"Wait, no, you are hurt," the princeling said, but Lysander wasn't listening. 

"I keep some of this around my arm for emergency. It is not socks, but it will still protect your foot," Lysander said. Then, he took a hold of the shoeless foot, and wrapped it in bandages. He would need to catch a colorful bird, to trade its feathers for more bandages. Bards always liked putting them on their hats. 

Hand in hand, the two boys began to walk briskly down the road. In the direction of Crystargar, the Azure Town. 

Chapter 2: What is left Lysander tugged the blonde boy behind him. Ever forward, ever towards the Gold Road. The road was outside the village walls. Those were nice walls, stone ones. Used to be white, when Lysander started to live in the forest. Now, he supposed they will blacken. Yet, they will keep the fire in. Maybe, it will even manage to burn itself out. "Wait, where are you taking me?" The blonde boy sounded afraid. "Are you hurt?" Lysander asked. He didn't know much, bar the basics of healing spells. Just something that the hag, Anna, had taught him. A kind deed, which he couldn't even return. He had to leave her in her bed, for the beasts to find. The fever, which took her, had nearly claimed him as well, yet... "My foot got burned," the boy said, with a whimper. Lysander kept on tugging him. There was no telling, if a house wouldn't collapse on them, or a tree, for that matter. "Wait, it really hurts." Lysander wondered, how come some people got to be able to complain about their pain, when he never got anywhere, by doing so. He whipped around, and saw that the right shoe of the boy had blood on it. The fire burned around them. An inferno, which they had to escape. "Climb on my back," Lysander said. He didn't know why he was helping the princeling. For, how could someone who lived in such a lavish house, be anything but? Lysander knew that for him, this village was like a town. And why shouldn't it be? It had everything. A market, parks, houses which were warm, even during the winter. This had been the best winter in his life. Now, it was all gone. "Won't you tire?" The boy had wide blue eyes, filled with water. Anna had told Lysander more than once, that such people never lasted long. Life chewed them up, and spat them out. Lysander narrowed his golden eyes at the boy. "Don't you dare cry. You will attract wolves," Lysander snapped. The scavengers will be upon this village, as soon as the fire stopped. They needed to be on the Gold Road, as soon as possible. Long before the wolves came to feast. The boy snapped his mouth shut, and then limped around, so he can take a hold of Lysander's shoulders. It was an awkward climb for the blonde, but soon, Lysander was running around, with the boy clutching at him. "My name is Erin," the blonde boy whispered from behind Lysander's back. This nearly startled the wanderer into dropping him. "Now is not the time for names," Lysander said. There was no telling if the boy would survive the trek to the next village. If he would find a family which would take him in, there. As for Lysander, he would call the forest, pasture, whatever was outside the next village, really, home. Nothing will change for him, and... "My name is Erin!" The boy yelled, and then clutched at Lysander like a lifeline. "And I will survive!" Lysander stopped for a while, trying to catch his breath. His name is Erin, huh? "My name is Lysander," the wanderer offered. "And I will see you safely to the next village. More, I can't offer." Lysander heard a sniff, and then sighed. "Don't cry, Erin," he mumbled, and then continued to run. "Kids like you always find a home." This didn't calm Erin down. If anything, it made the waterworks continue even more so. Lysander finally managed to get to the broken gates, and then ran outside of them. This wasn't good. If the gates were broken, then the fire might spread. The wanderer didn't stop running, until they reached the Gold Road. There was a sign there. Once more, Lysander thanked Anna, for teaching him how to read and write. "Do you have a family at Crystargar?" Lysander asked. Erin buried his face into the nape of Lysander's neck. "No," the boy sniffed. Lysander sighed. Well, Erin was the type of kid mothers wanted. All cherubic, and from a well to do family. If he didn't have family in the town, then he could still get adopted. It wasn't like he was a wanderer. A bringer of bad luck. "Let me see your foot," Lysander said, and then lowered Erin to the ground. Soon, he managed to get the remains of the shoe and the socks from the ruined foot. The burns were severe, but didn't look like the fat layer has also been burned. Lysander coated his hands with mana, and began to gently heal the other boy. The wanderer saw, as the princeling bit his bottom lip, to keep from crying. Good, then he had remembered that his cries could bring their death to them. When Lysander was done, there wasn't even a blemish on the foot. He looked down at how fragile the little foot was, and sighed. It won't be the first time, when he would go without shoes, or socks. Lysander took off his right shoe, and then his sock. Yet, just as he was about to place them on the princeling's foot, the blonde boy placed a hand over his. "I won't take your shoes," the boy said. "Do you have spare socks?" Lysander shook his head. "Then I will go barefoot," there was determination in the boy. Too much, for Lysander to argue. "I can carry you. Your leg will end up a ruin, if I don't," Lysander said. The boy must have breathed in the smoke, and must also be tired. If Lysander managed to carry him for an hour, they could get away from the burning village. "No, I will walk!" The princeling stood up then, and offered his hand to Lysander. "Come on, put your shoes back on, and then we can go." Lysander didn't know from where this bravery came from, but he rather liked it. This boy has lost everything, which Lysander has never had. A family, a home, friends. Yet, he still tried to keep it together. Lysander put his sock and shoe back on, and then got an idea. He looked at the bandage around his right arm, and then began to untangle it. "Wait, no, you are hurt," the princeling said, but Lysander wasn't listening. "I keep some of this around my arm for emergency. It is not socks, but it will still protect your foot," Lysander said. Then, he took a hold of the shoeless foot, and wrapped it in bandages. He would need to catch a colorful bird, to trade its feathers for more bandages. Bards always liked putting them on their hats. Hand in hand, the two boys began to walk briskly down the road. In the direction of Crystargar, the Azure Town.