[Music Recommendation: Wicked Game ~ Ursine Vulpine & Annaca]
Early the next morning, Adric and his troops set out to continue their journey. As planned, Malcom led the soldiers on foot while Adric and Rowan left with the horses.
But before they could separate, a young scrawny-looking soldier ran after Adric, dragging his horse-skin bag that was latched on his shoulder.
"Step back and leave with the other soldiers," Rowan said, raising his sword to try to stop the young boy, his eyes looking at him suspiciously.
Adric turned, his eyes moved from the boy and settled on Rowan. "Let him be." Rowan bowed and lowered his sword.
"You, why are you not going with the others?" Adric asked, scanning the boy with his eyes. He looked like one who had barely enough to eat, not to mention leaving for war. This weighed on Adric’s mind, breaking his heart that the war had made young boys like this one go to the battlefield.
The boy bowed. "Your Majesty, my mother asked me never to leave the king’s side. I must protect you at all costs."
A small laugh escaped Adric’s lips; it was the only time he had laughed since they left Avon. Sizing up the boy again, he chuckled.
"Protect me? Your mother is really loyal to the crown, but you need more training in order to protect me. Name?"
"Marcus! My name is Marcus!" the lean boy replied with a smile.
Adric nodded, going to pat him on the shoulder. "Marcus, that’s a great name. You have all the time to protect me, but first you must learn to protect yourself. So follow the other soldiers quickly."
The boy’s smile faltered, his eyes now looking at his feet. "I only wish to do what my mother has asked. Please, Your Majesty, allow me to protect you."
"You dare disobey the king’s order?" Rowan barked, ready to shove the boy to the side, but Adric stopped him, pulling him back.
"Easy there, Rowan," Adric muttered. "He doesn’t look like a threat," his voice barely audible.
Rowan raised his eyebrows. "Your Majesty, they don’t always look like a threat. And his name, Marcus? No!"
The young boy stood at a corner, seeing that Adric and Rowan were contemplating. He ran to Adric’s horse and touched the horse’s mane gently. "I also know how to take care of horses!" he shouted, making sure Adric could hear him.
Adric was surprised by this. "See? He’s harmless. Kato doesn’t let anyone touch her, but she’s calm right now."
"Please take me with you, Your Majesty! Even if I die out there, I want to know I fulfilled my mother’s wishes," the young boy bowed.
Adric inhaled deeply, looking at Rowan, who was still shaking his head negatively against the thought of having the boy follow them.
"Marcus, nobody is going to die, and certainly not you. Now quick, let’s be on our way!" Adric waved for the boy to start coming.
Rowan exhaled. "You know, for someone who always has his guard up, you’re letting it down so easily."
"He is just a child, Rowan," Adric smiled, his eyes scanning the forest they were passing through. "We should walk faster. We are already behind as planned with the general. Marcus, walk faster!" he shouted, calling the boy’s name while nudging Rowan playfully. The boy nodded, running closely behind them.
As they continued to walk deeper into the forest, it became so cold that Adric took out his jacket and put it on. He remembered the look on Oriana’s face before she gave him the jacket, sniffing in the scent deeply. It made him feel like she was beside him.
"Achoo!" The loud sneeze of the boy behind them caused Adric to halt. He turned to see that the boy was still wearing his thin clothes with the flimsy armor that covered it.
"Marcus, if you have a jacket, now is the time to wear it. The forest gets colder from here," Adric advised, looking at the boy with pity.
Marcus touched his small bag. "I wasn’t able to take a jacket, Your Majesty. But I’m fine."
Adric hummed, looking at the boy, then he turned to look at Rowan.
"He said he is fine, let’s go," Rowan gestured, turning to continue walking when he saw Adric pulling off his jacket. "You wouldn’t-"
Adric raised the jacket. "Come, have this. It’s a privilege for you to wear this; my wife picked it out for me herself."
"Your Majesty, your grace is immeasurable," the young boy said, running as he stretched his hand forward to hold the jacket.
Adric ruffled the boy’s hair. "You need to stay healthy if you’ll protect the king."
"You know what they say when someone suddenly starts acting out of character?" Rowan asked, looking at the boy with a frown. Then at Adric, "They die."
Adric threw his head back in laughter. "Rowan, I’ve never believed you to be someone so ancient." His laugh finally died down, looking at the boy who was now wearing the jacket. Adric sighed.
"It’s already my fault he is away from the comfort of his mother’s warm soup and shelter. This is the least I could do, as king to-"
Adric was cut short when a swooshing sound of an arrow flew right past his ear as he was quick enough to dodge it. The arrow went straight and got stuck in a nearby tree.
"It’s an ambush!" Rowan shouted, unsheathing his sword. His eyes now alert than ever.
Adric took out his own sword, ready to take on any attacker, but the next arrow that flew went straight for the young boy.
"Marcus!" Adric shouted, but before he could reach the boy, someone attacked him from the side. Adric was fast enough to deflect the attack, jumping to the side with his sword aiming for the person’s neck, and with one slash, he cut the person down.
Soon, the attackers came out of their hiding places, running towards them with full force, but Adric and Rowan stood steady, their backs touching as they got ready for offense.
"Marcus, stay hidden and don’t move," Adric ordered the boy, and as the attackers got closer, he moved his eyes away from the boy and raised his sword, ready to send them all to hell.
Rowan’s movement was swift too, as he cut down the first two that tried to attack him. Moving to the side, he raised his sword, roughly piercing it deep into the chest of the first, and without taking it out, he joined the second, twisting the sword before taking it out.
When others saw this, they started retreating. Rowan noticed how unskilled and slow the assassins were.
"They’re running away. I think they’re just local thieves," he turned, but the sight in front of him sent a chill down his spine. "Adric!!"
Right there on the floor, Adric was covered in his own pool of blood, his eyes slowly closing.
"Who did this? How-" Rowan looked around and noticed that the young soldier who had been with them was no longer there. "THAT RAT!!" he gritted his teeth, his body seething with anger.
Adric coughed, touched the fatal side of his stomach where the knife was pushed in, and with a tired voice, he said, "I want to sleep, Rowan. Tell Oriana that I want to sleep." With these words, he closed his eyes.
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