When Lysander couldn't smell the smoke in the air anymore, he decided that this was as good a place as any for a camp. He still had his pouch, with herbs and a fire starter. Yet, he doubted that the princeling would know anything about making camp.
"Stay in here, and don't move. If you get lost, I won't be able to find you, before the wolves do," Lysander didn't like the fact, that he had to threaten the princeling with wolves all the time, but they were some of the worst things in the forest.
"I can help," Erin said, yet, he did not stomp his foot.
"Oh, really? Do you know how to start a fire?" Lysander didn't know from where the pettiness has come, but he let it out, anyway. Erin frowned at him.
"I know you have to pick branches, and dry grass," Erin argued, and Lysander snorted.
"Knowing how prince-like you are, you will probably come back with wet branches," Lysander said. He saw the tell-tale water in Erin's blue eyes, and sighed. "Come on, I will teach you what firewood you can take, and what you should avoid."
Lysander took one last look at Erin's right foot, and then lead him deeper into the forest. The year had been dry, and so, there were many dry bushes. Lysander managed to get their branches and leaves with his pocket knife. Erin, he used like a pack mule. To the blonde's credit, he didn't complain.
"Chances are, we will have to go hungry tonight," Lysander said, as he kept on cutting the bush's branches. "I don't have any food."
Erin's stomach chose to grumble then, and Lysander sighed.
"How do you feel about mushrooms on a split?" Lysander asked. It will be a bit more effort on his part, but he knew how to tell apart poisonous mushrooms from edible ones.
He could bet that there were truffles in this forest. Seeing as it was the Republic's forest. If the officials knew that he was stealing their mushrooms, then they would tan his hide.
"I like mushrooms," Erin said and Lysander smiled.
"How is your foot?" By now, the bandages must be full of needles, from the forest floor. Yet, Erin didn't so much as complain.
"I am fine, Ly," Erin said, and Lysander blinked.
"Don't call me Ly," Lysander said, but Erin just smiled at him.
"You saved me. If I don't get to call you Ly, who does?" Lysander quickly found that Erin was trying to distract himself with just about anything.
"If you keep on calling me Ly, then I will call you Rin," Lysander promised. Erin smiled at that.
"Only best friends shorten the names of their best friends," Lysander snorted at that. Erin was indeed a princeling, with a head full of cotton. And yet, life was cruel even to such people.
"I wonder if you'd still call me such, after roughing it up for a couple of weeks," Lysander said. Erin gave him a beaming smile, which made the tips of the wanderer's ears heat up. The princeling was too precious for words. Lysander ran a hand through his own long black hair, and then continued on with the cutting of the kindling.
When Erin couldn't carry more, Lysander began to search for fallen branches. Just as all things happen to him, finding the truffles was also something he didn't try to do, and it happened regardless.
The wanderer took off his pouch, and began filling it with the mushrooms. They will eat like kings tonight. The only thing that Lysander would need, is some salt, which he still had plenty of, and some splits.
"Come on, let us go back to the camping site," Lysander said, and then Erin began to walk behind him. When they reached the camping site, Lysander made a circle with some stones, and then had Erin pile up the kindling over the ground, right between the stone circle.
"Ly, did your parents also die in the fire?" Erin's voice was small. Lysander shook his head.
"I am a wanderer. My father was a demon, and my mother a human. She died long ago, and he never bothered to raise me," Lysander felt the tightness in his chest, just like all the other times, when he spoke about his parents. Suddenly, he felt two arms wrap around him.
"I apologize for asking, Ly," Erin said, and Lysander allowed for the hug to continue. Hugs for wanderers were few and far between. He will not be the one, who broke something this precious. "But, do you know what? We can be a family. I won't leave you. If we end up adopted, it will be together."
"I can't raise you, you silly prince," Lysander said, but his tone was still soft. Erin was silly, and too good for this world. Yet, Lysander was one thing. And that was a realist.
"I can raise myself," Erin protested. "I am strong."
"You couldn't climb down the window," Lysander said, and then regretted it. For, Erin sniffs, and then let's go of him.
"You can be really mean, you know that, Ly?" Erin asked. Lysander sighed.
"And you are a princeling," Lysander said. For, how else could he describe Erin? Such a noble little boy, who tries his best to keep it together, even though it is obvious, that he can't.
"I lived in a village," Erin says with another sniff. "My father might be the lord, but..."
Erin lets out a sob, and falls to the ground. Lysander spares him a glance. He has seen children do so more than once. All the times, their parents rushed to get them up. Erin didn't have parents anymore. It won't do for him, if he kept on being this soft.
"Dry your tears," Lysander commands. For, the boy could sniff and cry all he wants, once they are safe behind village or town walls. Not a second before. "Before the wolves come."
Erin sniffs, some snot hanging from his right nostril. He looks so lost, that Lysander can't help but go to him, and hug him.
"I will see you with a nice new family," Lysander promises that which he never managed to get for himself, and feels a liar. "And if I can't, then we can travel together."
It is almost like a dam has been broken. Erin lunges at Lysander, and hugs him tightly. And the wanderers became two.
When Lysander couldn't smell the smoke in the air anymore, he decided that this was as good a place as any for a camp. He still had his pouch, with herbs and a fire starter. Yet, he doubted that the princeling would know anything about making camp.
"Stay in here, and don't move. If you get lost, I won't be able to find you, before the wolves do," Lysander didn't like the fact, that he had to threaten the princeling with wolves all the time, but they were some of the worst things in the forest.
"I can help," Erin said, yet, he did not stomp his foot.
"Oh, really? Do you know how to start a fire?" Lysander didn't know from where the pettiness has come, but he let it out, anyway. Erin frowned at him.
"I know you have to pick branches, and dry grass," Erin argued, and Lysander snorted.
"Knowing how prince-like you are, you will probably come back with wet branches," Lysander said. He saw the tell-tale water in Erin's blue eyes, and sighed. "Come on, I will teach you what firewood you can take, and what you should avoid."
Lysander took one last look at Erin's right foot, and then lead him deeper into the forest. The year had been dry, and so, there were many dry bushes. Lysander managed to get their branches and leaves with his pocket knife. Erin, he used like a pack mule. To the blonde's credit, he didn't complain.
"Chances are, we will have to go hungry tonight," Lysander said, as he kept on cutting the bush's branches. "I don't have any food."
Erin's stomach chose to grumble then, and Lysander sighed.
"How do you feel about mushrooms on a split?" Lysander asked. It will be a bit more effort on his part, but he knew how to tell apart poisonous mushrooms from edible ones.
He could bet that there were truffles in this forest. Seeing as it was the Republic's forest. If the officials knew that he was stealing their mushrooms, then they would tan his hide.
"I like mushrooms," Erin said and Lysander smiled.
"How is your foot?" By now, the bandages must be full of needles, from the forest floor. Yet, Erin didn't so much as complain.
"I am fine, Ly," Erin said, and Lysander blinked.
"Don't call me Ly," Lysander said, but Erin just smiled at him.
"You saved me. If I don't get to call you Ly, who does?" Lysander quickly found that Erin was trying to distract himself with just about anything.
"If you keep on calling me Ly, then I will call you Rin," Lysander promised. Erin smiled at that.
"Only best friends shorten the names of their best friends," Lysander snorted at that. Erin was indeed a princeling, with a head full of cotton. And yet, life was cruel even to such people.
"I wonder if you'd still call me such, after roughing it up for a couple of weeks," Lysander said. Erin gave him a beaming smile, which made the tips of the wanderer's ears heat up. The princeling was too precious for words. Lysander ran a hand through his own long black hair, and then continued on with the cutting of the kindling.
When Erin couldn't carry more, Lysander began to search for fallen branches. Just as all things happen to him, finding the truffles was also something he didn't try to do, and it happened regardless.
The wanderer took off his pouch, and began filling it with the mushrooms. They will eat like kings tonight. The only thing that Lysander would need, is some salt, which he still had plenty of, and some splits.
"Come on, let us go back to the camping site," Lysander said, and then Erin began to walk behind him. When they reached the camping site, Lysander made a circle with some stones, and then had Erin pile up the kindling over the ground, right between the stone circle.
"Ly, did your parents also die in the fire?" Erin's voice was small. Lysander shook his head.
"I am a wanderer. My father was a demon, and my mother a human. She died long ago, and he never bothered to raise me," Lysander felt the tightness in his chest, just like all the other times, when he spoke about his parents. Suddenly, he felt two arms wrap around him.
"I apologize for asking, Ly," Erin said, and Lysander allowed for the hug to continue. Hugs for wanderers were few and far between. He will not be the one, who broke something this precious. "But, do you know what? We can be a family. I won't leave you. If we end up adopted, it will be together."
"I can't raise you, you silly prince," Lysander said, but his tone was still soft. Erin was silly, and too good for this world. Yet, Lysander was one thing. And that was a realist.
"I can raise myself," Erin protested. "I am strong."
"You couldn't climb down the window," Lysander said, and then regretted it. For, Erin sniffs, and then let's go of him.
"You can be really mean, you know that, Ly?" Erin asked. Lysander sighed.
"And you are a princeling," Lysander said. For, how else could he describe Erin? Such a noble little boy, who tries his best to keep it together, even though it is obvious, that he can't.
"I lived in a village," Erin says with another sniff. "My father might be the lord, but..."
Erin lets out a sob, and falls to the ground. Lysander spares him a glance. He has seen children do so more than once. All the times, their parents rushed to get them up. Erin didn't have parents anymore. It won't do for him, if he kept on being this soft.
"Dry your tears," Lysander commands. For, the boy could sniff and cry all he wants, once they are safe behind village or town walls. Not a second before. "Before the wolves come."
Erin sniffs, some snot hanging from his right nostril. He looks so lost, that Lysander can't help but go to him, and hug him.
"I will see you with a nice new family," Lysander promises that which he never managed to get for himself, and feels a liar. "And if I can't, then we can travel together."
It is almost like a dam has been broken. Erin lunges at Lysander, and hugs him tightly. And the wanderers became two.
