It's my fault. Everything's my fault.

  We walked back to camp in silence. My feet dragged while Fern walked at a brisk pace down the road. He stopped once in a while until I caught up, but he never once scolded me for my slow pace or told me to hurry up. After a while, he slowed his pace to walk beside me. The only sounds hanging in the air were our footsteps and the irritating chirping of birds.

  Bored and annoyed, I picked at the cloth bandage wrapped around my arm. My forearm itched, and I hated the slimy feeling of the cloth rubbing against the cream the healer used on my wound. Fern would lightly tap my shoulder. I sheepishly glanced at him. Disapproval radiated off him as he slowly shook his head. He made me feel even worse.

  Back at camp, Peanut gleefully trotted over to greet us. After headbutting me, Peanut sniffed around Fern’s pockets until he pulled out a large apple, holding it in his palm. She took it hastily out of Fern's hand and happily trotted away, singing in my head.

  “You're welcome, Peanut!” Fern yelled, shaking his head while arranging logs for the fire. He glanced at me with curious eyes. I shook my head and slumped over.

  I sat, with my head in my hands, watching the log pile slowly growing larger. The small pouch I bought at the market dug uncomfortably into my hip.

  “Fern,” I sighed. I should tell him about the herbs. He might know how to use them. Then again, he won't approve. I am certain of it. I'll just have to be careful.

  “Yes, lad?” The shuffling with the logs briefly stepped.

  “Can I mess around with a bow?” I needed something to distract me from my thoughts before my mouth betrayed me to Fern. Not telling him about my pouch clawed at my consciousness along with other things.

  Fern didn’t look up from his work. He fumbled with the flint and steel trying to light the fire with no success. I motioned for him to hand them over, and without protest, he laid them in my hand. Within minutes we had a healthy fire.

  “I hate that you can do that so easily.” Fern said, crossing his arms over his chest. “And my answer is no. No bows. I saw how much you winced starting that fire.”

  I couldn’t argue with that. Even petting Peanut with my arm still hurt. I couldn’t imagine the pain shooting a bow would do. I pulled my knees to my chest and watched Fern poke at the fire.

  He glanced at me through the growing flames. His eyebrows were drawn tight in confusion. What’s the question he doesn’t want to ask? I wouldn't know. I've somehow done nothing while managing to mess up everything. The dark cloud of self-pity weighed heavily upon me. I buried my face between my knees. I don't want Fern to see me. He too can read me like an open book.

  “Why don’t you grab your knife and the soap. Go shave, lad. It’ll make you feel better, I promise,” Fern said, through a small laugh.

  I curled up tighter trying to hide from him. My stomach felt like a deep pit thinking once again about how he used our precious coins on a healer. I had to fix this. I had to get the money back somehow.

  “I can’t, Fern.” In that moment, I figured out how to get the money we needed. “Can you take my knife and comb to town tomorrow? Maybe you can find someone to buy them for enough coin for the boat.”

  Fern's hearty laughter filled the evening air. The echo of him slapping his knees filled the forest with its energetic energy.

  “Is that what’s been bothering you this whole time!?” He ran his fingers through his hair, releasing his stress with a deep sigh. His whole body relaxed. Mine, it only tensed up more.

  “Son, I’m more worried about the healers comment about New Janderus. What if she reminisces with the wrong people?” Fern carelessly threw another log on the fire. It angrily spit a plume of smoke and embers in the air. “What bad luck we have.”

  I sat up and looked at Fern. “So. You’re not mad at me?”

  Fern jumped to his feet and patted me roughly on the head before walking over to the saddlebags slumped next to our tent.

  “Of course not, lad! These things happen! I just wish you'd ask for help instead of trying to do everything on your own.” After a few curses under his breath, he tossed a small bag my way. I flailed with my arms, nearly falling over trying to catch my things. I joyfully cried out when I caught it in my numb hands.

  “That’s my boy!” Fern cheered, slowly clapping his hands with long, drawn out movements.

  But my joy was short-lived. The sachet of herbs fell out of my belt into the dirt around the edge of the flames. I quickly glanced at Fern digging in the saddlebag before looking at the bag half covered in dirt.

  My heart dropped in my chest and invisible hands twisted my gut around. Fern smiled at me through the dancing flames.

  “Fern, can you heat some tea water for me while I shave?”

  “Not a problem, lad.”

  I swiped up the herbs and hid them under my shirt before trudging over to the brook. Fern set the mug of hot water on a stump beside me. Twice I looked over my shoulder before slipping a few of the thin twigs into the steaming water.

  ──── ? ────

  “Boy! Wake up!” A hand hastily tapped my cheek. Fern's panicked whispers pounded in my ears. “Come on. Wake up, boy!” I desperately wanted to, but I couldn't. Sleep held its paralyzing grip on me.

  “Good gods, what the hell is this?” Fern's quiet cursing pounded in my ears as he shuffled around my bedspread in our tent. Rough hands shook my shoulders again. The iron grasp of Fern’s fingers dug into my stiff shoulders.

  “Damn it, boy, wake up. You have to go.”

  I can't, Fern. My parched lips moved, but no sound would come out. Fern's muffled voice grew softer as he left the tent. The soft clopping of hooves on dirt grew steadily louder.

  “State your business.” That was all I heard before sleep pulled me back into its dark world.

  I found myself slumped over Peanut’s neck. Saddlebags poked painfully into my backside and thighs as they shuffled with her uneven walk over the dirt path. Next to me, Fern held me steady while he struggled to breathe under the heavy load he carried on his back.

  Slowly, I opened my eyes. Fern's tight lip wavered next to me as my eyes watered, irritated by the stabbing sunlight.

  “Fern.” I choked out through my dry mouth. My throat burned at the effort to speak.

  Fern's side-eyed glance at me sent a shiver down my stiff spine. He mouthed something, but whatever he said wasn't worth the effort of saying it loud enough for me to hear.

  “Fern,” I weakly swatted at his hand on my thigh. “I'm sorry.”

  Clop. Clop. Clop. Peanut and Fern walked together. Peanut was oddly quiet and Fern seemed to only focus on his labored breathing and shuffling footsteps. I flinched when he finally broke the heavy silence between us.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “I wanted to be furious with you. Hell, I still want to be, but I just can't. When the king's guard wanted to ransack our tent, I couldn't wake you.” Fern roughly patted my thigh. He glanced at me, angered eyes with tightly drawn eyebrows. He found it. That stern gaze said enough. “But, he refused to enter it fearing he'd be possessed by whatever gripped you. Thank the gods that they are a superstitious bunch.”

  I only nodded, even that small movement sapped what little energy I had. Peanut's head bobbed up and down after I adjusted my grasp on her neck. She snorted, but my mind remained awfully numb and quiet.

  “You've been in and out of it for about a day now.” Fern removed his hand. A shock coursed through me as I slowly slipped off Peanut. I quickly sat up and gripped her tighter with my thighs.

  “Now, look alive, boy. We’re in the riverlands now.”

  We followed the river east along the paved pathway. Despite being deep into the autumn, the sun's rays beat down upon us without the towering canopy of the forest. In the riverlands, trees didn't bunch together. They spread out through the rolling grasslands and prairies that hugged the rivers. The soft ground forced us to keep to the roads.

  We passed more travelers as we made our way. Fern dyed my hair every morning with the charcoal from the fire of the previous night and I made sure to keep clean shaven. It was all we could do to hide my identity. So far it seemed to be enough for any random encounters on the way.

  Unfortunately, we were north of the Jander River and crossing it was going to be our biggest issue. It was too wide to wade and building a bridge was impossible with the brisk current and soft shores. The public ferry near Zudrugen was our only way south.

  The morning we were to take the boat across the river, Fern took extra time to make sure my hair was thoroughly colored the dusty black I’d gotten used to. To prevent any chances of a traveler noticing my peculiar eye color, I would lead Peanut onto the ferry. With a little luck Peanut’s mane and neck would conceal most of my face.

  As we walked, the throngs of travelers around us swelled in numbers. I gripped Peanut's lead until my knuckles turned white and my fingers cramped up.

  Little master, calm down.

  I patted Peanut's neck in thanks. I didn't dare to respond being surrounded by so many people on the road. Her constant chatter in my head distracted me from my pounding heart and heavy legs.

  Fern, Peanut, and I took a secluded spot in the back corner of the flat-bottomed barge. A sharp, piercing whistle echoed across the expanse of the river. In the distance, two similar high-pitched whistles answered the call. The barge jerked before gently gliding across the smooth surface of the river. I looked into the water and I caught a quick glimpse of a thick rope pulling the barge effortlessly over the water.

  A little while into the journey across the water, Fern cursed under his breath. He looked intensely to the southern shoreline slowly coming into view. I scanned the shoreline looking for the spot that shocked Fern. When I found it, my blood ran cold.

  At the anchor point of the ferry stood a group of six guards. The sunlight reflected off their metal chestplates and helms. I watched the guards behind Peanut's mane. They stood casually chatting, glancing toward the ferry once in a while during their conversation. I looked wide-eyed at Fern.

  “They are city guards,” Fern whispered in my ear.

  “How can you tell?” I inched closer to Peanut. She shifted her weight, steadying herself.

  “Royal guards have an aqua pennant hanging from the captain’s spear. His is maroon. We should be okay.”

  A few minutes later, the ferry anchored on the southern shore. The city guards sprung into action checking passengers one by one as they left the ferry. I tried to listen in on the conversations between the passengers and the guards, but it was impossible to understand anything over the chatter and noises of travelers waiting to disembark.

  “If we get split up, meet me at the market in Zudrugen. There is a tavern called the River’s Edge. I have a good friend that works there. He’ll help you until I get there.” Fern laid an assuring hand on my shoulder.

  I nodded and shuffled closer to Peanut.

  Little master. Too close.

  Fern left the barge first and the guards checked him over without giving him a second thought. He stopped a ways away from the anchor point and turned to watch us. His arms hung lazily at his side. I took a deep breath, wishing I could be as relaxed as Fern.

  I closed my eyes and patted Peanut’s shoulder, trusting she knew where to go.

  “Wait a minute, boy. No need to rush off. We won’t hurt you,” one of the guards said with a raspy voice. I stopped and leaned into Peanut as much as I could.

  I heard grumbling as hands roughly pulled me away from the horse. Peanut snorted as her hooves clopped on the cobblestone as she briskly moved out of the way.

  Peanut safe with big master.

  “Stand up straight, boy. We have to get a quick look at you. Then you’ll be on your way with your horse and father.” This guard sounded kinder than the raspy voiced man but he still spoke with the harshness associated with his profession.

  My heart was trying to flutter its way out of my chest and I forced myself to breathe normally. I kept my head bowed and my eyes clamped shut. My clammy skin stuck to my shirt despite the cool air blowing across the river. I felt naked standing on that path without Peanut’s warmth next to me.

  “He don’t look like the boy we been ordered to find, sir. His hair be too dark,” said one guard next to me.

  “You know,” the raspy voiced guard interrupted, “I ain't likin’ how he just standin’ there lookin’ at the ground like it gonna jump up and bite him, sir.”

  A rough, calloused hand scratched my chin as it roughly yanked my face away from my chest. I didn't hear him coming over the sound of my own thoughts. “The boy ain’t looking at anything at all you fool,” he gruffly chastised the raspy-voiced guard. “Lad has had his eyes shut the entire time.”

  He forcibly jerked my head to one side. The moment of silence before the man spoke felt like an eternity. His words twisted in my stomach like a dull knife.

  “Open your eyes, boy.”

  I felt my whole body begin to tremble. My hands shook uncontrollably under the thick cloth of my mantle. I don’t know how the guards didn’t notice the fabric flapping.

  Little master, run.

  Peanut’s command pulled me out of my nervous trance and I sprung into action. My shoulder drove into the chest of the guard gripping my chin. He stumbled backward, falling to the ground with an ugly cry.

  I bolted down the path running as fast as I could. Behind me I heard cursing and the metallic clanking of armor as the guards took off after me. Their panicked shouting startled the passengers of the ferry who added to the commotion with their own shouts and screams.

  Run! Little master! Run!

  Peanut urged me on. I ran and ran until my foot slipped out from under me. I fell hard on the cobblestone path. The tender scab on my forearm reopened. Blood slowly dripped onto the slick stones below me. My knees and palms burned along with my arm.

  I struggled to my feet, slipping on the wet stones. The clanking of metal drew closer.

  Hurry, little master! A horse brayed loudly above the cacophony of the voices.

  Too late. Rough hands grabbed my elbows and forced my arms painfully behind my back. My shoulders screamed in pain as the guards dragged me across the cobblestone. A foot knocked my feet out from under me. My face fell into the wet grass, poking my eyes with its sharp blades.

  “It’s him. I’m almost sure of it. The man probably dyed his hair hoping the boy wouldn’t be recognized.”

  “Fern!!” I cried out.“Fern! Help!” I struggled against the guards freeing my arm from the smaller one. The bones of my hand met his nose with a sickening crunch.

  My ribs exploded in pain as the guard's boot made contact, knocking my breath and all desire to fight back out of me.

  “Mot! He may be a bastard, but there's still Ramseas blood in him.”

  “Sorry, sir.” Mot pulled his bloody hand away from his face. He turned over his shoulder. Blood dripped onto his breastplate. “Get me some irons! This one is going to Zudrugen. The damn royals can pick him up there.”

  Each short, sudden breath that forced its way into my lungs sent a shock of pain through my sore ribs. I couldn’t breathe under the armored guards pushing their weight into my back. I tried yelling for Fern, but I could only softly gasp his name.

  Behind the guards, Fern's bellowing voice rang out, but I couldn't make out his words.

  Fern have message. Little master. I sobbed hearing Peanut’s voice.

  He save you. He figure it out. He safe.

  Fern's yelling grew louder and louder.

  “Get a move on, sir, or we’ll be forced to remove you.” I heard the one guard sternly say to Fern. “We only want the boy. This doesn’t need to get ugly for you.”

  The cold, heavy iron of shackles clicked into place tight around my wrists and the guards pulled me roughly to my feet grasping my elbows. My legs buckled underneath me, but this time, the guards were prepared. There was no escaping them or the bruises their fingers drilled into the soft flesh of my arms.

  Fern stood helpless on the other side of a wall of metal armor. Tears rolled down his face and Peanut stood a few paces behind him with her head hung low.

  “Go, Fern,” I yelled. “Don’t get yourself hurt fighting them!” I started sobbing. My breath came in ragged gasps. “I’ll be okay! I’ll have to be okay.”

  Son, no worry. I get you out.

  The guards dragged me down the cobblestone road. My boots scraped against the stone and I stumbled often, only to be pulled roughly to my feet again.

  I love you, my son.

  That was the last message Peanut managed to get through to me before the guards dragged me far enough down the road to Zudrugen that my magic could no longer reach Peanut.

  I closed my eyes and let myself fall limp in the grasp of my captors. If they were going to take me, I wanted them to work for it.

  “Can’t hide them pretty eyes of yours could you boy?” One of the guards sneered. Tears rolled down my cheeks while I silently prayed to gods I was pretty sure didn’t exist.