ă€ŠSilverbloodsă€‹


 _I_

    Wren awoke to the howls of wolves. Laying unmoving in his bed, he focused on the noise, listening for the indication that he feared, that was hardwired into his brain from the earliest age. The silence of the night dragged on, no insects or night owls sounding off. He startled beneath his sheets as the howls came again, only much closer than before. The overlapping calls could easily be mistaken for ordinary wolves, but as the echoing cries died down, a deep gurgling snarl could be heard.

    Werewolves.

    As he contemplated leaping from his bed and running for his parents, he heard pounding footsteps within the house, and his father suddenly burst into his room. Age was beginning to show its strain upon his father, with his black hair shot through with streaks of grey, and many deep lines upon his face. Once a freelance scout in the kingdom to the south, his father used his earnings to purchase this land and settle down as a farmer and merchant. The years have been hard, but not unkind, working the land to produce food for the table, as well as enough to take to market. Wren loved going to the market. The day long journey to the city, exploring what each vendor was selling, and occasionally his father would give a few coppers to buy a sweet. It was a peaceful, idyllic life, until the werewolves became more courageous.

    The Silverblood Knighthood had always protected the kingdom from the darker threats. keeping things like werewolves, undead, and other terrifying monstrosities at bay. But during the last few years, something has caused the werewolves to become much more ferocious. Suddenly, the outer farms and small hamlets were not as safe as they used to be. Entire households would be targeted, and if they were unlucky, completely wiped out. The roads throughout the kingdom, casually patrolled by the mounted Horsehead Knighthood, were often scenes of grizzly carnage, with merchants wagons torn asunder. Wrens father had taken to fortifying a bunker under the farmhouse and practicing drills should the worst case happen. It seemed tonight those drills would be put to the test.

    His father stood in his doorway, a studded leather jerkin over his nightshirt, and his old short sword clutched in his hand. His eyes were wide, though he was clearly trying to control his fear. "Wren! We must go to the shelter, we are in danger!" The boy flung himself from his bed, thankful he decided to sleep in a light tunic and pants. He followed his father down the stairs to the front door, where his mother and younger sister stood, clinging to each other. The beasts could be heard, once again crying out into the night. His father opened the door slightly, looking into the darkened farmland. He then motioned to his family. His mother and sister went ahead of him, scurrying out the door. Around the back of the farmhouse, a cellar door lead to what one would think was a root cellar. His father yanked the door open, revealing stone stairs leading down into the darkness. Knowing his role, Wren grabbed a torch from the pile near the door, but his shaking hands made it difficult for him to strike the flint properly.

    His father suddenly cried out, and wren whipped his head around in time to see what he feared most. A beast, twice the height of his father, had emerged from the darkness. Long muscular arms covered in thick brown fur ending in savagely clawed hands. A massive head with a vicious snout full of glistening fangs and glowing red eyes. The werewolves have arrived. His father swung his short sword, futilely trying to keep the monster at bay. From his left came a second beast, lunging forward. His mother shrieked, watching as the second beast clamped down its wicked fangs upon his fathers forearm. Wren tore his eyes away from the nightmare, trying desperately to light the torch. Finally after several attempts, a spark leapt from the flint, igniting the oil soaked torch. He held the flame up high, knowing the creatures disliked fire, but also lighting the way into the cellar. He turned to call to his family, to lead them into the safety of the shelter. What he saw would haunt him for the rest of his life.

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.   He met his mothers eyes, a beautiful blue like a clear spring day. They were filled with both surprise and terror, for there, clamped on to her neck, was the maw of a third werewolf. Blood poured from her throat, soaking her night dress, her arms hanging limply at her sides. His father was a few feet way, on his knees. His left arm had been torn from his shoulder, and the claws of a beast clamped over the top of his head, like a man holding a small fruit. Wren darted forward, his heart pounding as he reached for his sister Lira. His head suddenly exploded in pain, and he was flung into the side of the farmhouse. He opened his eyes, trying to see through the daze and agony that split his skull. He saw his sister, running toward the cellar, suddenly tossed forward, down into the dark depths. He saw the torch that he was holding before he was tossed aside, now laying in a ball of fire, having landed amongst the other torches that were stacked by the door. His groggy mind was trying to spur him to flee, to scurry into the shelter after his sister. The flames from the torches, amplified from the oil, now hungrily ate at the side of the farmhouse. The light revealed several forms moving around the field.

    It''s a whole pack, Wren thought sleepily.

    He knew he was going to lose consciousness soon, as blood ran into his eyes, and he know if he didn''t make it into the cellar, the pack would eventually get bold enough to get closer to the flames, and then he would be finished. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, Wren crawled hand over hand towards the cellar doors. He could hear the werewolves yipping, growling, howling behind him. Using every ounce of willpower he had, Wren managed to pull himself over the lip of the entrance. He feebly reached up, grasping the cold iron rung on the inside of the door. As he did, he saw a hulking dark form rapidly moving towards him. With one final effort, he pulled himself forward with the rung. The weight of his body was enough to pull the door down closed, pulling him over the lip and dropping him down the stairs and into the darkness. He bounced and rolled down the stones, not feeling any of what he knew must be a painful descent.

    Finally, he landed on the packed dirt floor. With the thin beam of moonlight coming through the cellar door from above, the only thing he could make out was his sisters form. She was laying next to him, her head turned away, her hair caked in blood. He reached out to her unmoving form in vain, desperate to know if she was alive. "Lira..." The words crossed his lips at barely a whisper. Before his mind floated away into slumber, he thought he heard a new sound. Through the snarls of the monsters and the crackling flames eating his home, the whinny of horses could be heard. Then, thankfully, his eyes closed, and he knew nothing else.

 _II_

    Wren found himself standing in the main room of his farmhouse. The only illumination came from the moonlight shining dimly through the window by the front door. It was eerily quiet, and the soundless night seemed to press down upon him. Confused, Wren started towards the stairs to his room, thinking maybe he had taken to sleepwalking.

    The front door suddenly exploded inward. Wren spun around to see his father standing in the doorway. His old scout short sword was in his hand, dripping blood, and his studded leather jerkin was shredded, with large claw marks and gashes crisscrossing it over.

    "Wren! We must go to the shelter, we are in danger!"

    His father then dashed out the door, as the sounds of howling and snarls were carried through the door by the cold night air. Wren chased after his father, trying to keep up. By the time he got outside, it seemed his father was across the field. He was surrounded by figures. Giant shapes with hunched bulbous backs, giant snarling snouts, and horrifically long arms and fingers. Wrens heart thudded in his chest as he realized what was happening. He began to rush across the field, but as he got closer, the effort to move his legs became harder and harder. He struggled to lift his feet from the ground, agonized as he watched his father getting mauled by the grotesque beasts. He cried out, desperately throwing himself forward. The creatures in front of him shifted, their limbs stretching, their jaws opening unnaturally wide. Terror filed Wren as he watched them tear his father limb from limb.

    He fell to the ground, his hands sinking into the wet, soft dirt, his stomach twisting in knots.

    "WREN!"

    He jerked his head to the side, in the direction of the call. His mother was running towards him. Behind her pursued a monster. Giant red eyes burned in a massive head. Saliva dripped from fangs the size of pickaxes. Wren pulled himself to his feet and tried to run to his mother, but he seem planted to the ground. Tears streamed down his face as the evil thing tackled his mother. She wailed as it clamped its jaws around her whole waist, thrashing its head back and fourth.

    The ground suddenly trembled, and cracks spread across the earth. Wren lost his footing and fell, but instead of the dirt of the field, he found himself tumbling down into a giant fissure. He plummeted through darkness, screaming, before he landed hard on a compact dirt floor. He lifted his head and saw, lying next to him, his sister Lira. She lay on her stomach, arms splayed out in a disgusting manner. He reached his hand out, his fingers brushed he hair, caked with blood and dirt. Her body twitched suddenly and Wren withdrew his hand. Lira''s head slowly rotated, the wrong way, twisting backwards around to face him. Wren recoiled in horror. The flesh of her face was hanging off, as though it had been chewed on. Her eyes were dull and lifeless. Blood seeping from her mouth and nose.

    "Bro...ther..." She croaked. Wren screamed, pressing his hands against his temples. He screamed and screamed, until the world shattered, and he found himself laying on a cot, beneath a brown canvas tent.

    Pain lanced through his body. He groaned and tried to rise his hands to his face. His left arm however, was restricted. He looked down, and saw a crude sling holding his arm in place. Slowly, the pieces began to come together. Around his head was a bandage, slightly damp. His entire left side was in agony, and even the slightest movement was almost too much. He carefully looked around, groggily trying to figure out where he was. He rested on a cot, with a fur draped over his shirtless body. Across from him was another cot, and his heart skipped a beat when he realized Lira lay atop it. A bandage adorn her head like his, but she seemed in much better shape than him. He stared at her, watching carefully until he was sure she was breathing. Tears sprung into his eyes as he watched her sleep. His sister, likely now the only living member of his family. The horrible memories of his nightmare briefly flashed through his mind. He shook his head trying to clear the awful thoughts.

    His attention was caught by a scratching at the tent flap, and after a moment, it folded up. Wren squinted through the light as a figure stepped through. The flap closed, and Wren was finally able to lay eyes on one of his saviors. The man in front of him wore a sleeveless white tunic. His thick arms were swirled with light blue runes that Wren didn''t recognize. A sword swung from his hip. He had a bushy salt and pepper beard, and long grey hair that hung past his shoulders. His piercing silver eyes confirmed exactly who he was.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.Every member of the Silverblood Knighthood had sparkling silver eyes. Its said, upon initiation, wards are place upon their bodies, preventing them from being able to contract Lycanthropy, Vampirism, or from being turned into an undead minion after death.

    Wren laid his head back. Seeing a Silverblood Knight, while ordinarily would have been exciting, filled him only with despair. The only reason for him to wake up in a tent belonging to the Silverbloods, was because his family was dead. It is widely known that if any children survive an attack that would require the aid of the Silverblood Knights, they are taken back to their compound beyond the castle walls and reside in the orphanage. After the attacks had become so frequent, the King had been forced to address the rising population of orphaned children.

    "You''re awake." The knights deep gravelly voice was soothing. "I wasn''t sure how long it would take."

    Wren turned his head to stare at him with dull unfocused eyes.

    "I thought I heard horses," Wren croaked. "right before I passed out."

    The knight nodded. "We were tracking that pack, pursuing them for a couple of days."

    He hesitated for a moment. "I''m sorry we didn''t get to your farm in time to prevent the attack. Only you and your sister there were alive."

    Wren''s gaze flicked to his sister. She lay still, her chest barely rising and falling with shallow breaths. The dried blood caking her hair contrasted softly with her peaceful expression. The sight twisted something deep inside him.

    "How is she?" He asked, his voice cracking.

    The knight glanced over at Lira, his eyes softening. "Her wounds aren''t as bad as yours, but she hasn''t woken up yet. I''ve done all I can for the both of you."

    Wren swallowed hard, fighting back tears. "What happens to us next?"

    The knight eyed Wren carefully. "How old are you lad?"

    "Eleven. I''ll be twelve in the spring."

    Wren thought he saw a flicker of somethingˇŞpity? Concern?ˇŞin the man''s eyes as he nodded.

    "I figured about so. Next, we take you back to the Silverbloods Compound. There you will get some proper treatment, and time to rest. After that, you''ll stay with the other children in the orphanage. You''ll be safe, and cared after."

    "Orphanage." The word tasted bitter. "What about my family? The farm?"

    The knight grunted and stood up, not meeting Wrens eyes.

    "That''s up the Royal Treasury, and the book keepers. The land may go to you, once you''re of age, or it''ll be acquired by the crown. Seeing as how you''re farm folk, your parents will more than likely end up in the city graveyard."

    The knight turned to leave, lifting the flap of the tent. "Rest up lad, you''ve got a long journey ahead of you."

    As the flap fell back in place, Wren was left in the dim light, the weight of what the knight had said settled over him like a thick fog.

    Wren rolled his head back in the direction of his sister.

    my family...my home...gone. Its just me and Lira now. Wren fought back tears again, pressing his eyes shut. Imagines from his nightmare flashed behind his lids once more. He snapped his eyes open and tried to sit up, looking for a distraction. The pain in his shoulder and ribs was immense, and the sling bound his left arm tightly to his side. Air escaped his lips as he collapsed back on the cot. Outside he could hear the sounds of the Silverblood camp, floating through the tent flap like a faint dream.

    What are we supposed to do now? He''d only heard stories of the orphans in the Silverblood compound. Some grow up and join their ranks as warriors or healers, others go on to serve the crown in other ways. Some never leave, spiraling into despair and madness. Wren refused to let that thought take root any deeper in his mind. He didn''t have any desire to fight either, but looking again at his sister, he knew he''d do whatever it takes to keep her safe. His eyes stayed locked on her face, and with the sounds of peaceful camp life outside the tent, he allowed himself to drift off to sleep.

 _III_

    Wren watched the countryside roll away from out the back of the wagon. Two Silverblood Knights rode a short distance away on either side of the rode, their white armor glinting in the sun. He was resting on his cot, with Lira laying unmoving next to him on her own cot. He hissed through clenched teeth as the wagon hit a bump, jostling him from side to side.

    It was midday, and they had set out at dawn, the dozen Silverblood knights waking him before sunrise to carry him out of the tent. It had been a day and a half since the attack. His grief and the pain from the memories was still strong, but Wren had been able to keep his mind preoccupied. His injuries however, were a constant reminder. Sir Bailin, the knight who spoke to him earlier and also the parties healer, had given him a rundown of the damage. A broken collar bone, some cracked ribs, a good wack on his head, and many bruises. When Wren asked about healing magic, Bailin only chuckled. Apparently it is extremely painful, but besides that, it is quiet exhausting for the healer. Bailins priority was to his fellow knights, and since Wrens injuries were not grievous, he would have to wait until they arrive at the castle.

    At that moment, Sir Bailin appeared from around the side of the wagon, eye level with Wren, on the back of his horse.

    ˇ°It is about time for another dose lad.ˇ± The knight skillfully climbed from the back of his horse, into his wagon. His mount plodded along behind as if nothing happened.

    From a satchel, Bailin withdrew a bottle of tonic and poured Wren a measure, handing him the wooden cup. Wren crinkled his nose. The strong smell reminded him of the compost pit they had near the farmhouse. It tasted even worse, with Wrens stomach actually rejecting the liquid the first time he had it. Bailin assured him it would help his body fight off infection, which is very important if any marrow had escaped his fractured bones.

    After grimacing from the awful concoction and handing the cup back, he cleared his throat.

    ˇ°How much longer until we reach the city gates?ˇ±

    Bailin glanced out the back of the wagon as he secured the tonic.

    ˇ°we should arrive by nightfall. Though we wont be going through the city gates. We have a side gate that leads directly into the compound.ˇ±

    The knight placed his hand on Wrens forehead, checking his temperature. Then he rotated around and did the same to Lira. Wren met his eyes questioningly.

    ˇ°Still she slumbers. But she seems healthy otherwise. The shock of what happened is likely keeping her asleep. The attendants at the infirmary should be able to wake her.ˇ± He told Wren, his voice sounding reassuring.

    Bailin was the only knight of the group to show Wren any warmth, not that the others were unkind, they just seemed to not have any interest in the boy.

    ˇ°Will I see you again? Once weˇŻre in the compound?ˇ± While Wren didn''t necessarily like the knight, he craved some kind of familiarity.

    ˇ°Not likely.ˇ± Was the stoic reply.

    Wrens heart dropped slightly.

    ˇ°My duties are not with the sick or wounded orphans. You will stay in the infirmary as long as the attendants see fit, and once you are placed in the orphanage, you will be assigned tasks, and have youˇŻre own schedule. You may see us around, but that would be it.ˇ±

    Bailin rose from this seat next to Wren and climbed from the back of the wagon, resuming his place on his horse again.

    ˇ°That should be the last of the tonic you need. I left some rations for you there.ˇ± He indicated to a burlap sack on the bench, then steered his mount away again, out of sight.

    Wren sat up slowly and pulled the sack to his lap. The contents pleased him about as much as the medicine did. Inside was salted jerky, dried fruit, and hardtack. He had eaten like this before, but it brought him little joy.

    If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.At least I have that to look forward to. The food in the infirmary and orphanage must be better than this, right?

    The sun slowly drifted across the sky. Wren''s view from out the back of the wagon shifted from farmland, to woods speckled with color as the trees began feeling the onset of autumn, to plains. More and more homesteads began popping up, indicating their approach to Veilstone, the largest city in the province. Wren had been here many times in the past with his father, bringing their goods to market. The thought of those pleasant times squeezed at his heart. This trip would be much different.

    The wagon pulled off the main road, which led straight to the city gates, where Wren and his father always entered. Instead they bumped along a lesser road that wandered parallel to the city walls. The less-maintained path was hell on Wren''s injuries. Every jolt made his ribs flare in sharp protest, and soon he was begging for the trip to end.

    By the time the sun had dipped below the distant hills, the convoy had reached the side gate. Wren lay on his cot, delirious from the painful ride, unable to focus on what was happening around him. He heard the shout of guards from atop the walls, a reply from one of the Silverblood knights, then the clatter of a raising portcullis. Once again, the wagon jerked forward, causing a groan to escape from Wren. He teetered on the edge of consciousness. Eventually, the wagon stopped. Motion around the wagon caught his attention enough for him to raise his head. Through the darkness that had settled, he saw men carrying torches. Some led horses away, others were carrying gear and equipment. The gate on the back of the wagon dropped, and Sir Bailin stood with four other knights, the torchlight making their white armor appear a light orange.

    "Careful with the boy," instructed Bailin. "The lass is unconscious, but his injuries make him fragile."

    Resentment flared inside Wren as two of the knights clambered up to his side. They lifted his cot, gently lowering it to the other two knights outside the wagon. Wren tried to swivel his head around to keep an eye on his sister, but there was too much movement, too many people walking around.

    "Lira..." he croaked.

    One of the knights looked down at Wren, his steely gaze softening slightly.

    "Don''t fret, you''ll see her inside," he assured him.

    Wren was carried across the courtyard, where knights and squires scurried about. The pungent smell of horses and manure filled his nostrils. They came to a long squat building, the same off-yellow color as the city walls. Double doors parted to accept them in, and in moments, women in white dresses with aprons surrounded Wren. The cacophony of voices nearly overwhelmed him, his mind already suffering after the painful expedition. By the time he was moved from the cot to an actual bed, he was too dazed to appreciate it.

    Through the haze, he was vaguely aware of a woman holding a cup to his lips. He drank, then coughed, sputtering at the taste of the same vile liquid Bailin had given him before. A stern voice scolded him, and he cracked his eyes open to see an older nurse looking down at him.

    Great first impression, he thought to himself.

    He managed to down the concoction this time, and immediately noticed something different. A warming sensation spread from his chest. As it moved down his arms and legs, the soreness from the trip faded. Soon even the sharp pain of his injuries was reduced to a hollow ache. Before Wren could begin to even contemplate the first feeling of actual enjoyment in two days, the feeling reached his head. The room swam before his eyes, and within moments, he was in a state of euphoric slumber.

 _IV_

    IV

    A week dragged by at a snails pace for Wren. He spent the time restlessly laying in his hospital bed, staring out the tiny window opposite of him at the courtyard beyond. The food, while at least somewhat better than the trail rations he endured in the wagon, grew old very fast. Every day it was the same thing: an over cooked egg and thin oatmeal for breakfast, a watery stew with bland meat chunks and potatoes for lunch, and for supper it was a toss up between old smoked meat or dried fish, some wilted vegetables, and a day old piece of bread. It was enough to fill him, but provided no joy in eating.

    He rotated his left arm, feeling out the stiffness that remained in his shoulder. He had undergone three sessions of bone knitting from the healer, which had worked surprisingly well at returning his mobility. However, each session was the most painful experience of his life. As it turns out, healing magic isn''t at all like he imagined it did when he was younger, reading about in tales of mighty heroes. Essentially, a healer will cause the body to begin repairing whatever is damaged at a much faster rate than normally possible. what this means is that as Wrens fractured collar bone reset itself to where it should be, and the shattered pieces rejoined themselves like a puzzle, he felt every bit of it. The nurses had given him a mild numbing tonic, but even still, he dug his teeth fiercely into the leather bit they had given him, and screamed until his throat was ragged. Thankfully, he was finished. His ribs and collar bone were together as they should be, and no longer pained him, besides an occasional dull ache and some stiffness. They told him that by the start of the week, he could leave the infirmary, and take his place in the orphanage.

    The thought of the orphanage still plunged him into depression. He had spoke to a few other kids, although the nurses made sure to not let them linger. From what he was told, its not the happiest place in the kingdom. The kids are separated roughly by age, and are looked after by a caretaker, with a senior caretaker in charge of them all. Everyone is assigned jobs, except for the youngest. While the caretakers are there to keep order, and ensure the wellbeing of everyone, there doesn''t seem to be much of a family feel to it. Often, fights break out, and the oldest still living in the orphanage have taken to bullying everyone else. These things did nothing to brighten Wrens outlook of his new home.

    To make matters even worse, he had yet to see Lira at all. He frequently asked the nurses about his sister, but they more often than not had nothing more to tell him that what he already knew. She was being kept in a different wing. She was healthy, with her physical injuries completely healed, but she still has not woken. A special healer has apparently been assigned to her. One who''s trained in some kind of mental magic Wren knew nothing about. Despite this, they claim she will awaken. By this point worry had burrowed deep enough into his stomached it may as well be a parasite, sucking everything out of him. The frustration of it gnawed at him relentlessly.

    The squeak of the double doors announced someone had entered the wing, and the clack of shoes on the hard tile floor told him it was a nurse. Sure enough, a young women in a white dress and apron rounded the little cloth divider, carrying his supper on a tray. She set it across his lap, and gave him a smile that didn''t reach his eyes.

    Dried fish. Again. This time though, Wren noticed a little paper cube sitting next to his bread. Noticing his expression, the Nurse said," a treat, something we give all patience''s for their last night here."

    Wren thanked her, and completely forgot to ask about his sister as she walked away. He unwrapped the little cube and found something hard and light brown, almost golden. He gave it a sniff, then popped it in his mouth. His eyes lit up. Caramel! The last time he had some was a year ago, the last time they visited the markets. He closed his eyes and let the sweet flavor take him back. He could almost hear the busy market, and smell the food stalls. The memory was tainted with sorrow, but the sweetness was thankfully overpowering. He scooted the food tray off his lap, and lay it on the floor, near his bedpan. There was no way he could possibly eat that after such flavors. Perhaps, maybe, once he''s out of the infirmary, he could find a way to stash enough money to regularly enjoy such treats.

    He let this innocent thought carry on until once again the doors creaked, and a pair of nurses entered. They one by one walked down the wing, putting out the torches. Another nurse took his food tray, frowning at the uneaten food. Wren continued to lay there, cherishing his memories and childish fantasy, until the sweet was gone, and he peacefully drifted off.

    The next morning, Wren was awoken earlier than normal. The sky was pink but the sun had yet to rise above the hills. A tall wiry man in a white tunic and brown pants stood at the foot of his bed with a nurse. His hands were clasped behind his back, and he stared down at Wren past his hooked nose.

    He looks like a cranky raven. Thought Wren sleepily.

    "My name is Edric, I will be the caretaker in charge of you at the orphanage. Please get dressed and meet me outside the wing. And be quick about it, we need to get back before I can take everyone to breakfast."

    Yep, a cranky raven.

    The nurse set some folded clothes on the bed, then pulled shut the curtain. Wren scooted out of bed and looked at what he had been given. An off-white tunic, obviously a hand-me-down, brown pants, and worn soft leather shoes. Wren sighed, and began getting dressed.

    Although he didn''t take long at all, when he opened the doors at the end of the all, Edric let out a huff.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation."About time. I was wondering if you were even going to come at all."

    Wren mumbled an apology and scampered off after him, trying to match the tall mans pace. They hurried out of the infirmary building and across the courtyard. Opposed to the night he got here, the courtyard was devoid of life. The overcast sky and empty space seemed like a foreboding sign, as Edric led Wren between two buildings, and further into the compound. After zigzagging their way between buildings and down side streets, they finally arrived.

    What looked at first like a simple church, was in fact, his new home. A tall spire was in the center, with long, two-story wings coming out on either side, not unlike the infirmary. a few buildings sat off to the side nearby, as well as a stable with some rather drab, tired looking work horses. Edric produced a key from around his neck and unlocked the front door. A staircase greeted them, but the caretaker led him to a door to the left. Upon opening it, Wren was greeted to a bleak sight.

    The long room had bunk beds up against the walls, with a single storage chest on either side. In the center were chairs and a few tables. Near the front was a couple of book cases, stuffed with worn, moldy books. One corner was crammed with old, mostly broken toys. The room had an unpleasant musk to it, like mold, urine, and old mud. Kids around his age were milling about, getting dressed, tidying their space, and generally getting ready for the day. None of them looked particularly happy. Edric rang a bell mounted to the wall and all the kids stopped what they were doing and went silent.

    "Line up for breakfast!" Edric called. The kids scurried over into two columns, moving fast, as if to avoid punishment. They stood with their eyes cast down. Edric look at Wren snapped his fingers and pointed to the line. Wren quickly ran to the back of the line. As he passed by, many kids glanced his way, some with curiosity, others with sullen dull eyes. Once Wren was in line, Edric spun on his heel and led them out of the orphanage. The sun had finally crested the distant hills, but did nothing for the chill in the air. They followed him at a rapid pace, striding over mud and through puddles, zig zagging once again between buildings. The layout of the Silverblood compound made no sense to Wren, and he would likely get lost quickly. He was used to open fields and the woods, not navigating tight city streets like this.

    Within a couple minutes, the caretaker had led them to another large, long, low building. Smoke emanated from a large chimney set in the center. As they arrived, another column of kids, these ones older, stood outside the building. A large man stood in front of them with a deep frown on his face, his hands on his hips. The door to the building opened, and a tubby boy stumbled out, and got in line. The large caretaker, a vein in his neck visibly popping out, barked something out, and the boy stepped out from the line and hurried to the front. The caretaker Proceeded to berate the boy, cursing him for making them wait, swearing that he was going to punish the entire group for his tardiness.

    What the hell is this? Thought Wren, as his line started filling in to the mess hall. This seemed more like some kind of training camp than an orphanage.

    Once inside, they walked single file into a massive room, with a kitchen space right in the middle. A giant cooking stove was in the center, with cooks moving about quickly. The kids at the front would grab a wooden bowl, follow the counter that circled all the way around the stoves, and went to sit at a long table cordoned off to the side. When Wren reached the counter, he was disappointed to see the food quality was to match the infirmary. He held out his bowl and a ladle darted out from one of the cooks and plopped some lumpy steaming porridge into it. Moving on, a slice of bred was tossed right on top. Further on, a row of cheese slices was sitting out. Wren grabbed one and set in on the bread slice. He followed the boy in front of him and sat at the end of the long table. We wanted to talk, to finally socialize with someone, but everyone at the table was rapidly stuffing the steaming food into their mouths. Edric walked up to the end of the table.

    "Ten Minutes! Don''t keep me waiting!" he yelled, then disappeared into the chaos.

    Wren mimicked his peers, and started shoveling the porridge down, using the hard bread slice as a spoon. He couldn''t say much about the taste, it was hot, and the sense of urgency overrode any possible way to actually enjoy anything.

    About halfway through, someone approached his end of the table. Looking up he made eye contact with a boy, perhaps 16. His shaggy hair fell in front of a face covered in pimples, and a cruel smile was on his lips.

    "You must be the newest rat. You probably don''t know, but there''s a tax ''round here." He reached in and plucked the cheese slice out from Wrens bowl. Wren stood up. The kid might be older and bigger than him, but there was no way he was just going to let him take his food, as bad as it was.

    Wren stepped over the bench and reached for the cheese, but the kid stepped back and grabbed his wrist.

    "What the hell d''ya think yer doin?" Laughed the boy.

    Wren opened his mouth to say something back, when suddenly the boy whipped his other hand around, his knuckles catching Wren square in the nose. He tumbled to the floor as his vision went blurry.

    "Boy yer gunna learn real quick ''round here." The boy knocked Wrens bowl of half eaten porridge off the table, where it splattered all over the floor, then strode off.

    Wren picked himself off the floor, and looked at the table. The other kids didn''t even look up from their food. He wiped the blood from his nose and sat back down, staring at the table, tears moistening his eyes, fists clenched. This place was not his new home.

 _V_

    V

    After breakfast, the caretaker led everyone back to the orphanage. Edric released everyone for some time before weekly assignments would be handed out. Wren was given a bed towards the back of the hall, with his bunk mate being Sam, a small pale boy with jet black hair, giving him a haunted look. Sam greeted him with a wave, but his facial expression blank, reflecting many of the other kids living here, his dull brown eyes lacking the spark of joy that should be natural to anyone his age. Wren was surprised to learn that he had the top bunk, as most of the kids who had been there longer claimed the top. When asked why, Sam shrugged his shoulders, his gaze far away.

    "I had an accident. When my family''s wagon was attacked, the horses got spooked and took off. I fell, and hurt my back. The healers did what they could, but they said it''ll never be the way its supposed to."

    "I''m sorry. That sounds pretty rough." Wren said, feeling lucky his injuries hadn''t crippled him.

    "Its not all bad. I don''t have to do any of the hard work." Sam replied.

    "What is the work? What do we do here?"

    Sam sat on his bed, and patted next to him, inviting Wren to join him.

    "Mostly cleaning-here, the mess hall, the barracks. Some kids work with the horses, either in the stables or packing things to be moved round. Sometimes the knights ask for a bunch of us to help with special jobs, but I don''t ever get to do that." Sams expression darkened

    He changed the subject, pointing to the chests beside the beds. "These are for our things."

    Sam hopped off his bed and lifted the lid. Inside was a few changes of clothes, all of them the same off-white tunics and brown trousers. A small coin purse sat in one corner, next to a pendant on a leather string.

    "That belonged to my mother. Its the only thing I have left of my family." Sam lifted the necklace, letting the pendant slowly spin and catch the light. It was an intricate silver circle, inlaid with a beautiful blue gem. Wren didn''t know much about jewelry, but it looked nice, maybe even worth a gold coin or two.

    Wrens gaze dropped. " I don''t have anything from my family. I think... I think we lost everything in the fire." The words tasted bitter, like ash in his mouth.

    Sam looked at him for a long moment, then without saying a word, he placed the necklace back in the chest, and gave Wrens should a small pat. It was the first real comfort Wren had felt in days. His heart warmed, and he gave Sam a smile.

    The door to the hall opened, and Edric strode in.

    "Assignments!" He called.

    Everyone ran to the front of the room and stood in a semi circle around the caretaker. Wren followed Sam, sticking close. Edric quickly cast his eyes around the group, then looked at the parchment in his hands.

    "Johnathan and Owen, privy duty." A pair of curses were heard from the side of the room. Edric paid them no heed.

    "Rebecca, Kat, Malcolm, Roland, Mess hall. You''ll be under the cooks all day."

    The caretaker continued like this, calling out names and jobs. The tasks were mostly menial things, like sorting the equipment room, cleaning one place or another, or helping somewhere.

    Finally, "Sam and Wren, Knights stables. Report to the Horse Master."

    Wren glanced at Sam, hoping to gleam insight if that was bad or not, but his friends face was emotionless.

    After a few more assignments were called out, Edric spun on his heel, and left.

    The other kids fanned out, several going to their chests, others immediately followed the caretaker out the door. Sam motioned for Wren to follow, then headed to the door. The day was gloomy and overcast, and the chill was a reminder that winter was on the way.

    Wren rubbed his arms, shivering. "Do we get coats, or cloaks?"

    Sam snorted. "Coats? Not unless you buy one. Some kids save up for them, but they usually get stolen."

    Wren stared up at the sky. "What if it snows? There''s no way they''d let us freeze out here....right?"

    Sam stopped walking and looked at him. "Look, they don''t really care about us here. If it gets bad enough, sometimes the head caretaker might come by with extra clothes we can make into something, but we don''t get to have nice things here. Even if we did, the older kids would just take it."

    Wren rubbed his nose, thinking about his encounter at breakfast. This was turning out to be even worse than the stories he had heard.

    Sam led him away from the orphanage, winding through he bleak, dreary buildings that all looked the same, an off-yellow stone, often with barred windows. Puddles and mud were unavoidable, so by the time they got close to the stables, their feet were caked. The stables sat up against the the wall, towering high overhead. The smell of horses hit him like a wave, pulling him into memories that stung. Joyous times when he and his father would work the fields, head to market, or even just ride through the woods, wind blowing though his hair and the sun on his neck. Their tired old work horse wasn''t fast, but to Wren, she was the quickest thing in the world.

    These horses were much different. Tall and lean, with muscles rippling beneath their sleek coats, these animals were clearly superior. Wren watched as they galloped around their paddock, kicking up mud clumps as they raced each other. A large man stood in the middle watching the animals. He turned when the gate opened. One eye was covered with a large black patch, but the end of a scar peeked through onto his cheek, and up on his forehead. His bald head was tattooed with blue swirls, and a neat grey beard wreathed his face. He wore a sleeveless white leather chest piece, with the Silverblood sigil emblazoned across the front; Two silver swords crossed over a black moon, outlined in red.

    Sam put his hands behind his back as they approached the knight. "Good Morning Sir Cale." He said respectfully. Wren mimicked Sam, placing his hands behind his back.

    The knight crossed his arms, looking down at the boys.

    "I asked for strong lads and they sent me frail boys." His gruff voice sounded like a landslide.

    Wren raised his hand. "I was a farmhand, uh, sir."

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.Cale waved his hand in front of his face. "No need for that, boy. Besides, I was being harsh. I need an extra set of hands shoeing some of the horses, as my apprentice broke his wrist, the fool."

    "We can do that." Said Sam. "I helped my father with that before."

    The knight nodded, then led them into the stable. The scent of hay, both fresh and soiled, assaulted Wrens senses. Bales three times his size were stacked against one wall. As they walked further in, horses poked their heads out of the stalls, their giant round eyes staring at the boys curiously. Wren reached out and gently brushed his fingers against ones nose. The touch sparked a flood of warm memories. At the end of the room was a small forge. A horse was already tied to a post nearby, its snout deep in a bag of grain. Cale affectionately patted the animals flank as we walked around the animal.

    Cale bent down and hoisted one the of horses hooves, tucking it between his legs.

    "One of you, hand me the tools. The other go into that room there and get me the shoes on the table."

    Sam was the closest to the tools, so Wren headed into the storage room. The walls were lined with tools of all sorts, even more than he was familiar with. Sitting on a small table were a set of four horse shoes, much larger than he was used to. Carrying them back into the main room, he saw Cale picking at the hoof with a tool. After a few minutes he held out his hand, and Wren passed him a shoe. Sam then passed him a small hammer and some nails.

    They had just gotten the first shoe on when a commotion sounded from outside. Cale lifted his head and frowned as several horses started whinnying.

    "Ballocks." He muttered, "It better not be those damn boys again. Lately there''s been trouble around the compound, but I haven''t identified who it is. Stay here, help with the shoes if you think you can, I''ll be right back." The knight briskly set off. Wren looked at Sam, who just shrugged.

    Wren bent over and grabbed the other front hoof, when they heard laughter from the entrance. Two older boys jogged in, cackling to themselves.

    "That''ll keep that blind old fart busy!" One was saying. He sneered as he reached out and slapped a horse on the nose, making it stumble backwards, its eyes wide with alarm. They broke out laughing as they got closer to the forge. Sam backed away, keeping behind the horse. Wren however, stepped out into the light. The older boys stopped dead. They stared at Wren for a minute, then the one who slapped the horse said," Hey, aren''t you that rat I smacked to the floor this morning?"

    Wrens stomach dropped.

    Of course it''s him. He thought. The boys approached. Standing next to the bully from earlier, The other kid was a tall and scrawny, with bright red hair that suck up in all directions.

    "ha! I thought so! Scoopin shit today, rat?" Asked the first boy.

    "You shouldn''t be in here." Wren said. his voice shaking despite trying his best to sound tough.

    "an ''os gunna stop us, you?" pipped the tall read head.

    From behind the horse, Sam whispered to Wren, " Thats Zane, with the red hair, and Mason."

    Zane tilted his head to the side. "''os that there? ''nother rat?"

    Sam sheepishly stepped out from the horse, standing slightly behind Wren.

    "Oh its the twig!" Said Mason, his eyes lighting up. "We better run Z, they hired the tough kids to stand guard!"

    They laughed, but approached. Zane started to head for the storage room, but Wren cut him off. "You should leave, Zane."

    The ginger took a step back and put his hands on his hips. "I''ll tell you one time rat, move, or I''ll knock you on yer ass."

    Wren clenched his fists, but didn''t move. Their eyes locked, and Wren could see the cruel pleasure in his hold eyes.

    Suddenly, the horse let out a pained neigh as Mason smacked its hindquarters. The animal backed, sending Sam sprawling to the ground. Zane jumped forward and tried to shove Wren to the ground, but the hay underfoot caused him to slip, causing Wren to slide back instead. The two boys leapt at each other, colliding and tumbling to the floor. Wren punched and kicked, and took an elbow to the face. They rolled around, becoming tangled in mud and straw, both struggling for dominance.

    Wrens back exploded in pain as Masons boot connected, sending him sprawling. He kicked again, this time striking Wrens injured ribs. Searing pain exploded behind his eyes, and he felt himself scream. He tried to roll away but Zane got his arm around his neck, holding him in a headlock. Mason laughed as he kicked Wren again, deep in his stomach. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sam pulling himself to his feet. He wanted to call out, to tell him to run for help, but Zanes arm was almost squeezing the air out of him. Mason leaned down and smashed him in the face. Wren felt blood explode from his nose. He could do nothing.

    Masons laughing suddenly turned to shrieking, and he collapsed to ground clutching his knee. Sam stood behind him with the horseshoe hammer in his hands. Mason was screaming, crying, and Zane was shifting his weight, trying to climb on top of Wren now, when a thunderous voice pierced the air.

    "ENOUGH!"

    The room went silent, except for Masons crying. Sir Cale stood behind them, his arms crossed, his gaze like hot iron. He crossed the room, staring down at the boys. Sam dropped the hammer.

    "So, you must be the bloody pests causing the havoc. I should have known." He bent down and lifted Mason up by the collar with one hand. He pointed to Zane, who slowly stepped forward.

    "Take your fool of a partner and get him to the infirmary. I''ll be sure to talk to your caretaker later. This kind of behavior will NOT be tolerated in the compound."

    Zane put his arm around Mason, and helped him hobbled towards the exit. Cale stared at the remaining boys.

    "That''ll be quite a black eye lad. Your nose might be broke too."

    Wren gingerly touched his face. It stung, but the pain wasn''t nearly as bad as his ribs. "I''ll be ok sir, I''ve had worse." He spit some blood onto the ground.

    The knight sighed, and shook his head. "I still need help here. If you don''t want to see a healer."

    The last place Wren wanted to be was in the same building as Mason, no mater how much he hurt. He reached down and scooped up the hammer, then met the knights one eye.

    "Well, there might be a future for you yet lad."

    The compliment meant more to Wren then the knight could have thought.

 _VI_

    VI

    Wren found himself standing in Head Caretaker Ivara''s office, with Sam nervously fidgeting next to him. The office was the nicest room Wren had seen so far. Dark hardwood cover the walls and celling, with a massive bookshelf lining one side. A large but simple desk stood in front of him, and seated in a deep red winged chair, was Head Caretaker Ivara. The older women had a sharp, pinchy face, with skin stretched across, giving her a skeletal look. Her grey hair was pulled back into a tight bun, and her ice blue eyes pierced straight into Wrens soul. Simple wire frame spectacles sat upon her nose. This did not look like the sort of kind gentle caretaker he was hoping she''d be.

    For several minutes she switched between reading the report on her desk, and staring at the two of them. In the long silence, Wrens stomach let out an embarrassed croak. They were missing lunch right now. Ivara finally removed her glasses, interlaced her fingers, and set her gaze on the pair.

    "As you should know already, I do not tolerate fighting like this amongst those under my care. Obviously squabbles happen among children, but shattering the knee of an older boy with a horse shoeing hammer? That is beyond unacceptable." Her shrill voice filled the room, and just as fast, Wren wished for the silence again.

    Sam gulped loudly. He had always tried his best to keep his head down, and this was the first time anything like this had happened. He had already pleaded his case to the Horsemaster when he escorted them here. But he did make the choice to pick up that hammer, and swing it as hard as he could at Zanes knee, and for that he knew there would be trouble.

    "Ma''am," Started Wren. "He was protecting me. I''m still weak and-"

    Ivara raised her hand to silence him. "Yes I''ve read the report, thank you. Horsemaster Cale was quite detailed, and did in fact make a solid point as to WHY you decided to engage in this behavior. I have taken that into consideration, but I cannot simply let you two off with a warning. The other children might start getting ideas."

    Wren felt a pit in his stomach form. He hadn''t even been here a day and he had already made enemies, gotten in a fight, was about to receive some kind of punishment. What a great start.

    Ivara lifted a sheet of paper from her desk, replacing the glasses on her face.

    "Some from of menial labor is typically what I prefer. It looks like you two have lucked out somewhat, as the infirmary is requesting some hands for cleaning."

    Wrens emotions went from despair to excitement. The infirmary! Maybe he''d actually get a chance to see his sister!

    "Your shift," Continued Ivara. "Starts tonight, after the staff leave, and will go for the rest of the week. You will have access to the rooms as needed, and naturally there will be an escort with you."

    Sam let out a breath and Wren nodded vigorously.

    "Count yourselves lucky, and in the future, refrain from striking other students with hammers. I don''t want to hear about anything like this again. You are dismissed."

    Sam bowed his head, muttering his thanks, then retreated from the office, with Wren following closely. Outside the office, Sam stared straight up at the ceiling. Wren placed a hand on his shoulder.

    "I''m sorry for getting you into trouble Sam."

    The boy looked at him.

    "I had to do something. Mason is cruel, and he''s crippled kids in the past. Besides, I''m too fragile to do anything by myself. The hammer was my only option."

    Wren remembered the older boy mocking Sam, calling him "twig". It was a fitting name, unfortunately. Sam looked just shy of being called sickly, with his slender build, small arms, and ghostly pale skin. If he had tried to help with his bare hands, it was almost certain he would have ended up in the infirmary.

    Upon returning back to their room, they were greeted with a surprise. One of the other boys, maybe about a year older than Wren, handed him something wrapped in a small cloth. He unfolded it to reveal a block of cheese! Wren tried to recall his name. Tobar perhaps?

    "We heard what happened at the stables, and why you missed lunch." The boy said, offering a faint smile. "Not very many people stand up to the bullies, so, thanks."

    Wren didn''t know what to say. After all, he only did what he thought was the right thing to do. Were the kids here that broken? The boy wandered away before Wren could properly thank him. He broke the cheese in half, and handed some to Sam.

    "Have you worked in the infirmary before?"

    Sam shook his head, his mouth full of cheese.

    "I''ve helped sweep up messes during the day, but never at night. That''s not something I''d ever want to do."

    Wren cocked his head to one side questioningly. Sam finished his measly meal, then sat on his bed.

    "Some kids say they''ve seen strange things in there, after dark. People walking the hallways, only to vanish. Voices that dont come from anyone. They say its haunted." His eyes got wide as he looked off in the distance.

    "Ghosts?" Wren asked cynically. "People think there''s ghosts haunting the infirmary? I stayed there and didn''t notice anything."

    Sam shrugged, clearly trying to brush it off. "That''s just what they say. If there is, I don''t want anything to do with it. You''ll see for yourself, weird things happen around here. Its almost as if having the Silverbloods around actually attracts things."

    Wren had never heard that before. The knights were always sent to were the trouble was. Although, now that he thought about it, he didn''t think he ever heard about an area being cleared of monsters and the knights leaving. Bad things would happen, they would show up and usually set up a garrison like this one, and become permanent to the region. This thinking was starting to lead Wren down a very dark rabbit hole. Before he got too far in his thoughts, the door opened, and caretaker Edric stalked in. His scowl swept the room, causing the children to stop what they were doing and wait in silence. His eyes met Wren''s, and he pointed.

    "You two, come here now."

    Sam and Wren scampered to the front. Edric handed them each a thin, shabby wad of cloth.

    "Head Caretaker Ivara thinks you might need these, although I don''t know why she cares. After we march to supper, you two will remain at the mess hall, and an escort will take you to your appointed place. Do not cause me any more trouble, or you''ll regret it." he sneered at the boys before swiftly leaving the room. The wad of fabric turned out to be a sad excuse for a cloak. Stained and patched, Wren could almost see his hand through it. But it would be better than nothing, especially since the nights were becoming bitter cold.

    *********************************************************************

    Caretaker Edric marched the children to the mess hall, through the mud and twisting alleyways. Sam and Wren carried their cloaks in their arms, rather than wearing them. Edric said it was "unfair" for the other kids to not get them, so they must match everyone else, as if at some half-hearted excuse to enforce uniformity. It was petty and made Wren resent the man even more. It''s as if has doing everything in his power just to make them all miserable. The evening meal was arguably the best so far. A meat and vegetable stew, not-too-stale bread, and more cheese. Upon Sam''s recommendation, Wren stuffed some extras in his pocket for later. There was no telling how late they''d be up tonight. After a thankfully uneventful supper, the two boys watched as their caretaker marched everyone away, back to the orphanage. Wren threw the cloak over himself, and it drooped limply across his shoulders. The wind cut right through it. The sun dipped below the hills, and dusk spread across the compound. Men hurried to and fro, carrying torches to light the lanterns that hung around the area.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.A cough from behind them caused them to turn, and a man in brown leather armor stood a short distance away. He carried a lantern of his own, and a short sword swung from his side. Between his basic clothing and this brown eyes, Wren was surprised to see this was not a Silverblood night. He appeared to be just a regular soldier.

    "Evenin'' boys." He said. "I''ll be your escort for tonight. Takin'' you over to the infirmary for some cleanin''. Please follow me, if you will."

    He set off, and they quickly moved to follow. Back through the ever confusing paths between the buildings, Wren was surprised by the lack of night sounds. No insects chirped, no owls called. True winter was approaching, but there should still have been something. The only sound was the squelch of the mud beneath their shoes. The silence was unsettling. The infirmary loomed out of the darkness ahead of them. The empty dark windows stared back at Wren, and a shiver ran down his spine as he recalled what Sam had said. The soldier lit the lanterns beside the doors, then used a key get a door open. The boys followed him in. Cold dark stone greeted them. Through the eerie quiet, light could be seen from one of the wings.

    "Now, you''ll have this whole place mostly to yourselves." The soldier said. "There''s a nurse here or there, lookin'' after a few of the patience, but pay them no mind. There''s a broom closet just down the hall, and I''ll be in this room here. Don''t be causin'' any trouble, and lets have us a quite night. "With that, he opened a side door and disappeared. Obviously his escort duties for two young boys weren''t that much of a concern to him. The silence seemed to push down on them as they made their way down the hall, their soft shoes making only the faintest of sounds. Sam opened the first door they came to, and found it was filled with brooms, mops, and other cleaning items. Grabbing a broom Wren said,

    "Why don''t you start down there, where we started? I''ll head to the other end of the hallway. Then we can meet each other in the middle. "

    Sam nodded. "Good idea. "

    Wren planned to do as much snooping as he could. He didn''t know where his sister was at, but just knowing she was in the same building as him got his heart racing. The took longer than he expected. He passed by several doors leading to wings full of beds, some of them lit faintly, but most totally dark. When he finally reached the wall at the end, He saw a staircase going up, the cold stones leading deeper into the darkness. He could just faintly see the doors they came through, lit by one sputtering torch, and the movements of Sam. Wren got to work, scraping the firm broom across the stones, dragging dirt around more than anything. Frustration grew in him as he Immediately realized this was going to take all night. He worked as quickly as he could, making little piles of dirt as he moved.

    Halfway between the back wall and the last wing, a footstep sounded behind him. He froze. The sound was faint but unmistakable. Expecting to see a nurse descending the stairs, he whipped around. No one was there. He stared into the darkness as the hair raised on the back of his neck. After a few moments, he turned back to his work. He put any thoughts of the source out of his mind, but his eyes were wide, and he felt chills on his arms.

    Reaching the first door he peeked inside. At the very end of the ward, a light gleamed. He opened the door as quietly as he could, and padded inside. Rows of vacant beds filled the room, identical to the place he stayed his first week. At the very end, a thin curtain blocked his view of the last bed, but the dim candle was coming from behind. He moved it aside to glance in, hoping to find his sister, but instead found a man. His face was wrapped in bandages, and he slept soundly. Disappointed, Wren stepped back. He turned to leave, as the ward was actually cleaner than the hallway, but stopped suddenly.

    A face peered at him through the window of the door. His breath caught in his throat. Soft brown hair framed a delicate young face, and familiar deep blue eyes locked onto his.

    Lira.

    "Lira!" Wren shouted.

    He sprinted down the ward and yanked the door into the hallway open. Nothing. Panting furiously, Wren whipped his head from side to side, but she was no where in sight. Sam was still far down at the end of the hallway, working his broom back and fourth. Wren turned and ran to the stairs.

    That had to be her!  He thought. That footsteps...that face!

    Wren reached the stairs and hesitated slightly. The darkness was foreboding. He swallowed, then bound up the steps. He reached the second floor and found a hallway just like the first, only with doors on either side. Candlelight shone faintly through some of the windows and under the frames. Not a soul was present in the hallway.

    Where was she?

    Wren came to the first door he found with light spilling out from under it and opened it slightly. He found what appeared to be a private room. An empty bed sat in the corner beside a dresser. He closed the door and moved on. Finally, after checking two more doors, he found a ward with candlelight illuminating the far bed. He quietly hurried inside, anxiety welling up in his chest. Once again a curtain blocked his view of the occupant, and he carefully shifted it aside. A small girl lay in the bed, her eyes closed. It was her -- his sister!

    "Lira!" He said, his voice breaking.

    He ran to her side and clutched her hand. She appeared to be asleep, just like the last time he saw her. He brushed his fingers on her cheek, and gently called to her. Her eyelids fluttered. He called to her again, tears springing to his eyes, his heart swelling. Her head turned, and finally her eyes opened. The deep blue that reminded him so much of his mother stared back at him. Wren cried, and wrapped his arms around her. Lira slowly placed her arms around him, gently hugging him back. Wren broke the embrace.

    "Lira I''ve missed you so much! I''m so happy I found you!" Tears ran on to his checks and all the emotion pent up can crashing out.

    But Lira just stared at him. Wren sniffed and wiped his eyes, his joy faltering.

    "Lira? what-what''s wrong?"

    She stared back at him unblinking, her eyes wide and her mouth a straight line, her face an unreadable expression. She didn''t speak, just...stared.

    Something was horribly wrong.

 _VII_

    VII

    In the cold quiet darkness of the infirmary ward, Wren stared into the wide, deep blue eyes of his sister, her face, barren of emotion and pale in the feeble candlelight. It felt like minutes before finally, she blinked, and Wren pulled himself from her gaze. Something was horribly wrong. He hesitantly reached out, his fingers brushing her cheek.

    "Lira, what''s happened to you?"

    His sister was only a year younger than him, but sitting in the hospital bed, she looked like a small child. He always did his best to protect her, make sure she was safe and happy. Seeing her like this, it left a deep pain in his chest.

    She reached her hand out to Wren, and like him, gently touched his face. Her fingers were cold and caused a chill to run through his body. Her fingers moved up, from his cheek to the side of his head. She closed her eyes and suddenly, a bright searing light filled Wrens vision.

    He was back in the farm house. He stood next to mother, and father was coming down the stairs. There was fear etched on his face, and for some reason, he was also trying not to panic. He heard running footsteps, and a boy came hurrying down the stairs, behind father. It was him. Confusion filled his mind, and he tried to look around before realizing he couldn''t. His head turned without him doing so, and he watched as father opened the front door and peeked out. Everything went blurring, like paint running down a portrait. Now he found himself standing outside, behind the farm house. The boy, him, was reaching for a stack of torches. A howl cut through the air, and his head turned to the fields. Father was standing face to face with a monster. Understanding shot through Wren. He was watching that night through his sisters eyes! Everything progressed as it did that night. He watched himself struggle with the torches, he saw his father mauled again, he watched as he, in Lira''s body, tried to run for the shelter, only to be flung down the stairs with great force. His sight became blurry once more, and then he was lying in a bed. A nurse stood over him on one side, and a man stood on the other. His long white robes were different than anything he had seen before. His bald head reflected the candlelight, and his silver eyes gleamed. The nurse turned to speak to him, her voice far away and echoing, like she was talking at the entrance to a cave.

    "She''s awake, what more do you need to do?"

    "We have an opportunity here, for the good of the kingdom." The bald man said sternly. "She is now more important than just another orphaned girl."

    The nurse was frowning, but did nothing as the bald man closed his eyes and reached down towards Wren, towards Lira. The man''s hand covered his vision, and a stabbing pain pierced behind his eyes. The searing light returned, and suddenly Wren was in his own body again, stumbling backwards from Lira. He was covered in a cold sweat, and his stomach felt queasy. He leaned over trying not to throw up, and looked at Lira, still staring at him blankly.

    "What did they do to you?!" He panted. He had to get her out of here. They were doing something terrible to his sister, and he couldn''t let it continue.

    A sharp clack sounded in the hallway, announcing someone approaching the ward rapidly. Wren looked for a place to hide, and dived behind the curtain of the bed across from Lira''s. The door opened right as Wren hit the ground.

    "-totally unnecessary!" a nurse was saying.

    "I''ve said it before, I''ll say it again. This is bigger than you. I will continue my work, and that''s final. This decision is coming from someone in the knighthood you had best not anger, so you should leave me to this." Wren recognized the voice immediately. He slowly peaked around the curtain to confirm what he already knew.

    The bald man was back. His long flowing white robes indicated that he was likely a healer, or some kind of magic user. The crest of the Silverbloods glimmered on the back of his robe.

    He stopped in front of Lira''s bed, blocking Wrens view of his sister.

    "Fine." The nurse said next to him, crossing her arms. "I will leave you to conduct whatever experiments you''re doing, but I''m going to write a formal complaint. As a medical practitioner, I cannot simply let this go."

    The bald man said nothing, just waved his hand at her, shooing her away. She hurumph''ed and made her way out of the ward.

    The magic user slowly walked around to the side of Lira''s bed, looking down at her. Wren could now see her now, her eyes locked on the man''s face.

    "Hello my pretty. Ready for another session? We''ve made excellent progress thus far. I am expecting great things from you."

    He leaned down, his hand reaching for her face. It took everything for Wren not to dash forward and tackle the man, but he had to see, had to know what they were doing.

    As his fingers made contact with her forehead, Lira opened her mouth. Pure white light burst forth from every opening, like the fire from a Jack-o-lantern. The bald man had his head tilted up, and Wren could see the same light beaming from his face as well. A wave of energy suddenly flooded the room. Wren felt like he was standing in a thunderstorm, his scalp tingling, his hair moving as if in a blustery wind. He shut his eyes as the energy pressed down on him, like an invisible wave coming from the bald man. When he opened his eyes again, they were no longer alone.

    Figures stood around the room, and occupied every bed. But not people like him, his sister, or even the Silverblood magic user. These figures were faint, almost transparent, flickering like fading memories, and they were horribly wounded. The ones who were standing were swaying in place, bandages covering various parts of their body. Some had crutches or canes, and their clothes were ragged and coated in blood. Many were missing limbs. Groans and cries filled the room, overlapping each other in a cacophony of anguish. A moan came from directly behind Wren, and he jerked his head to see someone laying on the bed next to his hiding place. His face was entirely covered with a blood soaked bandage, and both legs were missing. He reached a hand out towards Wren, and let out another moan, as if beckoning. Terror filled every fiber of Wren''s body. Panic flooded his mind, and he rose to his feet, his brain telling him to flee. Before he could, another wave of energy swept through the room, knocking him down.

    Wren lifted his head from the floor, and saw the bald man stepping away from Lira.

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author."Yes, very good, very good my dear. Soon you will be ready. Perhaps another session, and I will take you from this place." He began shuffling back towards the doors, his robes sweeping across the floor. "We are lucky indeed to have located someone like you. The knights work is paying off wonderfully." The door creaked shut as he exited the ward, leaving Wren and Lira alone.

    He leapt to his feet and darted to her bed. Her head rested on the pillow, her hair fanned out around her.

    "Lira! Are you ok? What did he do to you?!" She didn''t respond, her eyes were closed with a peaceful look on her face. Wren tried to wake her, but even gently shaking her did nothing. Wren was panting heavily, as if he just ran a mile. He had to get his sister out of here before they took her. He was not about to lose her again, not like this. Wren wrapped his arms around her and lifter, but she was totally limp, her arms flopping limply and her head dropping back. He wasn''t going to be able to get very far with her this way, he had to wait. Anger and frustration filled his mind as he thought about leaving her here for another night. He gently laid her back down and brushed her hair aside.

    "I''ll be back little sis. I swear, I''ll get you out of here."

    With that, Wren left his sister, his heart crying out.

    ****************************************************************************************************************************************

    Sam hummed a tune to himself, chasing a dust bunny with his broom. He heard sounds down the hall, shuffling, doors opening and closing, but he did his best to not think about it. Wren was down that way, and he seemed much more capable to deal with spooky things in the night than him. Sam was doing his best to keep to the light, taking as much time as he could with this area. Movement from the little dirt pile he just made caught his eye. He stopped humming and started at it. It was like a gentle breeze was stirring the dust around, but Sam felt nothing. Suddenly, the dirt flew away, and Sam was knocked to the ground by an invisible force, his broom flying from his hand. He groaned and rubbed the back of his head. Today had been very rough. He raised his head, and his breath caught in his throat. Ghostly figures filled the hallway. Half see-through people, mangled and bloody, stood everywhere. The sides of the hallway were blocked by people on their backs, their distorted bodies reaching into the air. Moans and cries of pain filled Sam''s ears, their agony was palpable, and the heavy air became suffocating. He screamed and scrambled to his feet. He dashed to the door where the guard was, wrenching it open. The soldier was in a chair, his feet kicked up on a desk. An empty bottle sat on the table. His head was tipped back and a loud snore escaped his lips.

    Are you kidding me?! Sam scampered towards him in panic, intending to wake him, when another blast hit Sam, throwing him to the wall. The soldier rocked back in his chair, but didn''t seem to notice at all. Sam pulled himself up, feeling bruised all over.

    What the hell is going on?!

    Sam looked back out the door, and to his relief, saw it was empty. He cautiously crept back into the hallway. Empty. No horrible specters roaming around any longer. He let out a breath he didn''t realize he was holding, put his back to the opposite wall and slid down, sitting on the floor. Several minutes later, he heard footsteps pounding down the stairs at the end of the hall and prayed it was Wren. His friend did indeed appear from around the corner, and sprinted down the hallway. Sam looked up at him from the floor as he approached, seeing his wide eyes and soaked in sweat, he said, "Told ya it''s haunted."

    "no...I mean, yes but..." Wren put his hands on his knees to catch his breath, panting heavily. "That wasn''t just ghosts."

    Sam eyed him curiously. Wren slowly lowered himself to the floor next to Sam and took a few moments to gather himself, then launched into detail about everything that had happened. Sam looked at him in disbelief a few times, but stayed silent the whole time. After saying how a nurse had told him a special healer was attending to Lira, Sam shook his head.

    "That wasn''t any kind of mind magic I''ve ever heard of. Normally, when a kid needs help from a psycho-mage, it''s because they''re so messed up from the things they''ve seen that they can''t stay with us at the orphanage." Sam told him. "They go in and sort of help soften their memories, remove some of the trauma. What you saw sounds like something else entirely."

    Wren mulled this over in his mind for a while. Then he remembered something.

    "Something else is bothering me. The mage, when he was talking to Lira, he said they were lucky to have located someone like her, and that the knights work was finally paying off. That''s a really weird way to talk about rescuing someone whose family was attacked by werewolves, and lost their parents."

    Sam frowned at this. "yea your right. It''s pretty common for kids to get recruited into the knighthood, as warriors, mages, or something else. But that makes it sound like...well almost like they were looking for her."

    The thought chilled Wren to his core.

    "I have to get her out of here. Tomorrow night, before the mage comes back." Wren spoke with a determination in his voice that Sam hadn''t heard before. He placed his hand on Wrens shoulder, expressing his desire to help.

    The two of them spent a long time sitting there, trying to come up with a plan.

    Hours later, they heard a cough from the guards room, and the scrap of a chair. The boys grabbed their brooms and darted down the hall. Morning had come faster than Wren had expected.

    The guard emerged from his room, stretched, and looked around.

    "All right lads, you''ve done enough. let''s get you back."

    They cleaned up the piles of dirt that dotted the hallway and returned the brooms. Stepping out into the early morning, Wren finally realized just how exhausted he was. The sun had not yet crested the hills, but judging how close it was, they were probably going to arrive at the orphanage right in time to go to breakfast. He doubted they would get any rest. This was sadly proven true, as the orphanage came into view, with two lines of kids outside the door, and Caretaker Edric standing at the front. Looking impatiently at them, he snapped his fingers and pointed to the back of the line, where the boys went. After removing their almost useless cloaks (because it''s not fair the other kids don''t have them of course), they set off to the mess hall. The start of Wrens second day at the orphanage had begun.

 _VIII_

    VIII

    Wren and Sam marched along behind the rest of the kids, exhaustion weighing heavily on them. The events of last night felt like a bad dream.

    They passed a line of kids heading back to the orphanage. It was the older group. Wren''s eyes, glazed over from lack of sleep, suddenly caught the glare of Zane. As they passed, the boy raised his hand to his throat, slowly moving his thumb across. The threat would have likely meant more if Wren wasn''t so beat. For now, it just came off as annoying, another facet of this life he had to deal with.

    Breakfast passed in a haze, with the boys silently eating like everyone else. Stepping out of the mess hall, a light rain had started. The mucky ground became a quagmire of deep puddles and clinging mud. Returning to the orphanage, Wren padded over to his bed, climbed up the ladder, and collapsed. Thankfully, they had some free time before Edric would storm back in. Wren slept dreamlessly for the first time in days. He awoke to the bell at the front ringing, bringing him from a hard slumber. Drool coated the side of his face as he stumbled down the ladder and trotted to the front. Edric tasked out the kids to various places, and Wren was delighted to hear he was assigned to work in the stables just out front of the orphanage.

    Wren, Sam, and a lanky girl called Milly met at the stables. The hours passed as they brushed the horses, cleaned out the soiled hay, and fed them. Sam and Milly passed the time by talking about possibly going to the markets on Sunday, the only day they don''t get tasks. Thinking of the markets just pushed Wren further into his dark thoughts, reminding him of his shattered past.

    After getting cleaned up, Edric marched the kids to lunch, where once again Wren ate without a word and hardly a thought. A second nap helped prepare him for what was to come after supper. Finally feeling energized, Wren and Sam quietly went over their plan to break out Lira. Getting out of the infirmary should be easy, especially if they got another guard who likes his drink. The hard part, the part that worried him the most, was not getting caught afterwards. Who knows how the Silverbloods would react to a girl, who apparently is important to them, disappearing. Sam assured him he would do what he could to make sure they would have a clean get away. His overall plan was to get away from here. Flee Veilstone completely, maybe even the region. It was a bold idea, and one he didn''t have a ton of confidence in, but he refused to just accept that their future lay within these walls.

    They finished supper, and waited outside for their escort to the infirmary. The cold rain had soaked them through, and the icy breeze hurt. Snow should be arriving soon, possibly in the next few days. The two boys shivered under the lamplight, anxious to escape the weather. Finally, they saw a soldier emerge from the maze of alleyways. Not waiting, the boys made their way to him. It was the same guard as last night, something that bolstered Wren''s motivation. The small group set off through the rain, meandering through the labyrinth of deep puddles and slippy mud. Wren was actually happy to see the ominous infirmary hunched in the darkness. Shaking the rain off, they hung their cloaks to dry, although the chill inside was unlikely to do much. The guard said his bit about being here if they needed him, then slipped into the same room as before, likely eager to find the bottom of whatever bottle he brought.

    The boys wasted no time. Creeping through the hall, they kept an eye out for any late night nurses. Silence filled the cold building, so the sounds of their wet boots squelching on the stones was painfully loud. Wren quickly found the ward his sister was in, lit only by a single candle at the very end, by her bed. They approached, Wren''s heart hammering in his chest. Pulling the curtain aside, Sam met Lira for the first time.

    "She looks just like you." He chuckled. "Well minus the long hair."

    "Not for much longer." Replied Wren, holding up the sheers he had pocketed from the stables earlier.

    He placed his hand on his sisters shoulder, gently squeezing. Calling her name, her eyes fluttered open. She met his gaze with the same expressionless stare as before. It broke his heart. Would he ever see her smile again? He had no idea.

    "We''re here to get you out. But there''s something I have to do first. Please don''t be afraid, ok?" He held up the sheers in one hand, and a strand of her hair in the other. If she understood, she gave no sign.

    Sam brought a bedpan over to collect the hair, and Wren started snipping. He wasn''t skilled at this, but he had help cut his fathers hair in the past. The sheers snipped through her long brown hair, and Wren struggled to not tear up. Her hair was like one more piece of their past, now being forcibly removed from their lives. Before long, they had filled the bedpan with hair, and the girl sitting in the bed looked more like Wren than ever before.

    Wren helped her from the bed, where she teetered unsteadily. Sam sat the bedpan down, and passed over a wad of spare clothes. He then turned away as Wren helped her remove the hospital dress, and into the clothes. When he turned back around, he gasped.

    "Its like looking at twins! I mean, besides her blue eyes. Even with shaggy hair though, its crazy!" Sam said.

    "Well, hopefully its enough to keep her from attracting attention." Wren glanced at her, and agreed, it was odd, like looking in a mirror.

    "Come on, time to go. We probably don''t have a lot of time."

    They slowly made their way out of the ward. Lira couldn''t move quickly. She seemed weak, her steps shaky like a baby deer. The time it took them to get back downstairs took twice, maybe three times as long. If the mage found her gone before they got out, it would make this whole thing a lot harder.

    When they reached the first floor, Lira stopped. Her eyes wandered the hall like she was looking at something. Wren felt a chill in the air and shivered.

    "Come on sis, we need to-" A sharp whisper cut him off. They froze. A hiss came from behind them, and Wren whirled around. Only darkness filled the space.

    "Wren, we need to leave, now." Sam struggled to keep his voice low.

    The two boys, one on either side of Lira, slowly made their way towards the front door. They were a stones through away when Lira froze again, and a second later, a woman stepped from the darkness ahead of them. For a split second, Wren thought it was Head Caretaker Ivara and his throat tightened. But this was worse. As the woman approached, he saw she was covered in blood. She limped forward, and her left leg dragged behind her uselessly. She flickered for a moment, and Sam let out a whine like he was about to start crying. The ghost reached her hand out, and the group took a step back. From behind them came more whispers, and Lira squatted to the floor, her eyes shut tightly and her hands covering her ears. Wren felt a cold wave of air press on him from behind, but didn''t bother to turn around. Instead he grabbed on of the brooms they left sitting against the wall and swung it at the ghost. It passed through her torso harmlessly, but she stopped coming closer. She slowly rotated her head around to fix her eyeless skull on Wren. Dread creeped through him, as she opened her mouth. A piercing shriek rang through the hall, disorienting the boys. Wren went to one knee and clamped down over his ears, while Sam stumbled off to the side. The ethereal voice stabbed into their minds like a hot needle. The whispers, once behind them, were now inside his head. He couldn''t think. He had to do something but he was totally paralyzed.

    Suddenly, Lira stood up, one hand outstretched. Her now shaggy hair moved as if in a breeze, and her blue eyes lit up. The ghost stopped shrieking, looked at the girl for just a moment, then burst into flames. Despite being just feet away, they felt no heat. The phantom screamed, sounding more in anger than pain, then vanished, with no trace of the fire. The Whispering had ceased, and Wren stood up, mouth agape in shock, looking at his sister. Sam was the first to react, grabbing Lira by the hand and pulling her to the door. "Let''s go!" He said, trying hard not the shout despite what just happened. Wren snapped out of his stupor and followed, lending his arm for his sister''s support. They creeped past the guards door, where they heard a loud snore, and stopped at the door. The boys draped bother their still damp cloaks over Lira''s shoulders, hoping to offer some protection from the cold and wet outside.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.They carefully pushed a door open, holding their breath as it let out a creak. They couldn''t have asked for a better escort than the one they were assigned. They stepped out into the frigid night. The rain had picket up, coming down much heavier than it had been all day. The sound of water was so loud, Sam was almost shouting as he pointed towards an alleyway. "This way!"

    If the slow progress from the second floor to the first was slow, their progress through the mud was painful. Lira was struggling to force her way through the muck, often needing the boys to help her pull a foot out of the sticky goop, and occasionally slipping, leaning hard on them. The rain came down in sheets, making it seem like they were moving through a swamp, rather than behind castle walls. Wren would have been totally lost if it wasn''t for Sam.

    They rounded a corner and the alley opened up into a small courtyard.

    "We''re nearly there. Just through this alley here, and through the big courtyard." Sam pointed down a shadowy path between two buildings, looking much the same as the others, snaking away deeper into the city.

    The rain was starting to let up, just a little. As they moved forward, a voice called out from the shadows.

    "Well look who we found!"

    They turned, and saw Zane stalking out of the darkness, with three other boys following him.

    Wren couldn''t believe it. This was the LAST thing they needed right now. "What are you even doing out here?"

    Zane laughed. "Me? Whaddabout you?"

    The boys who followed Zane fanned out, half surrounding the group. They each carried weapons. One boy had a bat that looked like an old table leg, another had an actual club, and other had a wooden board. Zane didn''t appear to have anything.

    "Actually," The red headed boy said. "We were coming to find you. I knew you rats were stuck cleaning, but instead you came to us!"

    Wren and Sam moved to stand in front of Lira.

    "Just let us go Zane, we can deal with this tomorrow." Wren countered.

    "Oh no," The bully replied. "We''re doin this now." He signaled to his friends and they stepped toward the boys.

    This was bad. They were outnumbered two to one, and had nothing to fight with.

    "Lira, you need to run." Wren whispered. "Get out of here as fast as you can."

    He glanced back, but she remained in place, here eyes locked on his. He didn''t know if she didn''t understand, or didn''t want to, but she was in danger.

    The boy on the left, with the makeshift table leg bat took a step towards Wren and swung low. Wren sucked in his gut and threw his butt out, the bat just missing his ribs. He responded with a quick right hook, striking the older boy in his face. He stumbled back, but the swing didn''t have much force.

    "OK were not here to play you stupid brats! Get them!" Shouted Zane.

    Zane and the boy with the board moved in towards Sam. Wren knew he was in trouble, but he couldn''t do anything about him. The table leg bully and the club bully both leapt at Wren. He dropped to the ground, the bat whooshing above his head harmlessly. The boy with the club swung down, forcing Wren to roll through the mud to avoid it. He heard shouting from where Sam was, and cast a quick glance in his direction. His friend had somehow managed to get on the back of the boy holding a board. Seems like he was doing alright.

    Wren got to his feet quickly, right as a club was coming for his face. Instead of dodging this time, Wren reached out and grabbed the club with both hands. The two struggled, slipping around in the mud.

    "Hold ''em still!" called the boy with the bat. Wren waited half a breath, then ducked. He heard the table leg swing through the air, but instead of hitting Wren, there was a sickening crunch as it broke the other boys nose. Wren pulled the club from the wounded boys hands and turned to face the bat wielding bully. He was distracted by his friend, who was clutching his bloody face and cursing. Wren stepped forward and swung, making contact with the boys shoulder. He cried out, but didn''t drop the table leg. Instead he turned quickly and lashed out, the bat knocking the weapon from Wren''s hands and throwing him aside. He swung again, and Wren felt pain explode in his left arm. He cried out, and scrambled to get away. He heard a cry and looked over at Sam.

    Sam was no longer on the kid''s back, but that didn''t seem to be a problem, as that boy has clutching the side of his head. "That rat bit my ear off!" He screamed. Zane meanwhile, was approaching Sam, and in his hand glinted a knife. Sam was laying on the ground, holding his stomach and didn''t see Zane coming closer. "I''m gunna gut you like a fish."

    "Sam! Get up! Get up and run!" yelled Wren, his voice cracking in fear.

    Sam looked over his shoulder, saw Zane, and scrambled to get away. Zane swung the knife and Sam wailed in pain. Wren''s vision went red, and he screamed, trying to stumble towards his friend, only for a swinging table leg to intercept him, knocking him down again. The boy strode away from Wren, and headed towards Lira. Her wide eyes were locked on Sam, seemingly oblivious to the new threat.

    Lira...Sam... He thought frantically. I''ve failed you.

    He tipped his head back, looking upside down at what he thought would be his sisters death.

    The bully strode toward her, dragging his bat through the mud and rain.

    "Lira!" Wren''s voice was raspy, and he couldn''t catch his breath.

    Lira finally turned to face the boy with the bat. He raised his weapon. Lira''s eyes suddenly lit up, shining like two blue beacons in the night. She thrust her hands out in front of her and snapped her eyes shut. An unfelt wind stirred her hair, and the air tingled, charged with electricity. A burst of energy erupted from her hands. The bully was picked up and tossed through the air, flying clear down another alleyway. The other boys who were a little farther away were thrown back, colliding with the buildings behind them. They slumped into the muck, not moving. Lira dropped to her knees, and sunk into the muck.

    Wren tore his attention away from his incredible sister, struggled to his feet and ran to Sam. His friend was holding his arm, a wicked gash ran the length of his forearm.

    "I''m ok...I''m alright" he gasped, out of breath. "Just, lets not make a habit of this. I''m not cut out for gang fights."

    Wren grinned, glad to see his friend was okay.

    "Are you ok?" Sam asked, pointing to Wren as he cradled his arm.

    Wren looked down. A massive knot was already starting to form, and a ugly bruise was sure to follow.

    "I don''t THINK it''s broken." He replied, grimacing as he opened and closed his fist repeatedly.

    He felt a touch on his shoulder, and looked up to see Lira. She looked absolutely exhausted, but she seemed ok. Wren rose to his feet and embraced her. She hesitated, then put her arms around him.

    "I''m so glad you''re ok sis!"

    "What did she even do?" Asked Sam, looking at the boys slumped against the walls.

    "I have no idea, but I''m damn glad she can."

    Lira pointed to the alleyway, the way that Sam said was the way back.

    "Yea, we need to get back, before that mage comes looking for us." Said Sam.

    The trio wearily gathered themselves up, and headed into the shadows. From the darkness behind them, a feeble voice called out.

    "This isn''t over Rats!" A cough, "yer gunna pay!"

    Sam and Wren traded concerned looks, and tried to pick up their pace through the storm.

 _IX_

    IX

    The guard sitting behind the orphanage lobby desk awoke suddenly. He cocked his head to the side, wondering what had woken him. It was pitch black outside, and rain still pelted the windows. He was about to close his eyes again when a feeble banging came from the front door. He rose out of the chair, letting out a grunt. Who could be knocking at this hour? He fumbled with his key ring, still shaking off his slumber, and finally unlocked the door. He creaked it open and his mouth opened in shock. Three young boys stood on the porch, absolutely soaked, and covered in mud. The guard pulled the door all the way open and the kids stumbled in and collapsed on the floorboards.

    "Please, we need help..." croaked the boy with short brown hair.

    The guard knelt down, inspecting their wounds.

    "That''s nothin'' too bad. Stay put, I''ll get a bandage."

    The guard disappeared up the stairs. Wren sat on the floor, trying to get his thoughts together. Tonight didn''t exactly go as planned, and with the sudden storm, venturing out of the city was a bad idea. They''d have to figure out how to lie low for a while still.

    The guard thumped down the stairs, Head Caretaker Ivara following him closely, wrapped in an evening cloak. She cast her gaze around the room, lingering on Lira, who stood silently behind Wren. The guard began dressing the knife wound on Sam''s arm.

    "Tell me, what happened?" Ivara asked softly.

    Wren raised his head to look up at her.

    "I...we..." He glanced at Lira, took a breath, and tried to conjure up their planned story.

    Ivara knelt by Wren and placed her hand gently on his shoulder. She looked over at Lira, who stared wide-eyed back. Wren felt a shiver run through Ivara.

    "I need to know. Why are you injured? Who is this boy?"

    "Sh-" Wren hesitated, almost slipping up. "He can''t speak. Sam and I, we were cleaning inside the infirmary. There was a banging on the door and he was standing there. He needed help, Zane and his gang were chasing him." Wren''s thoughts suddenly came together, as a new lie spun from his mouth.

    "There was a fight. We managed to get away, but it was close."

    Sam was nodding his head vigorously as Ivara rose to her feet.

    "I see." She said, her voice once again hard. "Tonight, get cleaned up, and head to bed. Tomorrow we will talk about this more."

    With that, she turned and headed back upstairs. The guard finished patching up Sam, and opened the door to their hall. After cleaning the mud off in the wash room, Wren led Lira to an empty bed towards the end of the room, but still close to his area.

    Keeping his voice low, he said, "We''ll have to stay here tonight sis. Tomorrow we''ll figure out what we''re going to do." He embraced his sister, then headed to his bed.

    He was exhausted, but his mind was racing, and his body was very sore. His arm throbbed painfully, and it still hurt to breathe. He wanted to sleep, but it wouldn''t come easily.

    "Sam." He whispered.

    His friend poked his head out from his bed, looking up at Wren.

    "We need a new plan."

    Sam was silent for a moment. "Tomorrow, try and hide away as much food as you can. Hopefully the storm will pass soon, and you can take a horse tomorrow night."

    Wren didn''t like the idea of just staying in place for another day. Any moment, the mage from the infirmary could sound the alarm. He didn''t know what would happen then, but he wasn''t confidant they could keep Lira hidden for long. People were going to talk, and a hair cut will only help so much.

    "I don''t want you to get into more trouble Sam. You should stop helping us now."

    Sam scowled from his bed. "I''m thinking about running away with you, actually. Besides, Lira saved my life tonight, I can''t just let that go."

    Sam''s words surprised Wren. He was grateful for Sam of course, and since he was his only friend here, he would miss when when they leave. But he hadn''t expected Sam to want to come with.

    "I''d like that Sam." He said softly.

    Wren lay in his bed deep in thought, until sleep finally took him, but his slumber was restless. In his dreams, he was running down an endless hallway, lined with cold hard stones. From the darkness behind him, spirits whispered and called out, begging for his help and crying for blood. From ahead of him, his sister was yelling his name. He could see her, being held by Zane, his knife pressed to her throat. Behind them stood the mage from the infirmary, laughing as Wren sprinted towards them. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t get any closer. The floor seemed to stretch out in front of him, faster than he could run. The voices behind him got closer, and he saw ghostly hands reach for him from the walls. Long cold fingers wrapped around his arms scrapped down his back. He screamed, thrashing to get away. The mage and Zane were laughing together now, their faces masks of insanity. Dead fingers brushed against Wren''s face, trying to pluck out his eyes, and worm their way into his mouth. His sister screamed.

    He awoke panting, cold sweat soaking his blanket. Caretaker Edric was ringing the bell at the front. Wren groaned as he flopped from his bed. Sam was already getting dressed, and he looked just as haggard as Wren felt. Lira silently walked over to them, fully dressed and seemingly wide awake, although it was hard to tell, as her face was still devoid of emotion besides her wide blue eyes.

    The Caretaker scowled as the trio finally joined the group at the front.

    "You two will not be returning to the orphanage with us after breakfast."

    Fear instantly seared the drowsiness from his mind. Had they been found out already?

    "Head Caretaker Ivara will meet you at the mess hall after we eat." Edric continued.

    The boys nodded, his cold gaze piercing them.

    Wren''s thoughts took off as he tried to think about what to do about Lira now, when Sam pulled a girl over. It was Milly, the one they had cleaned the stables with.

    "We need a favor Milly." Sam said, keeping his voice low. "And please, don''t ask any questions."

    She looked at them curiously but nodded, her curly, light-brown hair bouncing.

    "That''s Wrens sister." He started, tipping his head to Lira. Milly''s eyes got big as he met Lira''s gaze.

    "She''s not supposed to be here, and we need to keep her out of sight. Can you help us?"

    "Yea, I can help I guess." Milly said, here eyes moving back and fourth between Wren and Lira.

    "Also, we need you to pretend she''s a boy. Oh, and uh, she doesn''t talk." Finished Sam.

    By this time, Edric had formed the children into two lines and began heading out the door. The weather had improved, although only slightly. A light rain was still coming down, but it felt like it was freezing. Wren''s escape plan was falling to pieces in his head. If it started to snow, it would be plain stupid to try and venture out of the city. With basically no warm clothing, they were sure to freeze to death. Despair was starting to burrow its way into his mind once again.

    Wren kept his sister close as they entered the mess hall. The older kids were here as well, but he didn''t spot Zane, Mason, or any of their henchmen around. They quickly grabbed their sloppy porridge and sat down, surrounded by their peers. Lira stared at the bowl, totally uninterested in its contents.

    "Come on sis, you gotta eat something." Wren said softly.

    She picked up a small, wizened apple and gave it a nibble. Wren had stuffed his pockets with bread and cheese. They had just finished eating when Edric shouted for them to get out. Milly came to stand next to Lira. Wren wanted to give her a hug, but not here. No one could know who she was, and it would be odd for him to embrace a strange new kid in the mess hall. instead, he settled for a pat on the shoulder. Her eyes followed him, as he and Sam parted from the group to go wait for the Head Caretaker.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.Ivara seemed to simply appear behind the boys out of the crowd, startling the boys.

    "I hope you ate well. We are going to see the Captain of the Watch, he requested to speak to you." Her shrill voice cut through the mummer of voices.

    The boys exchanged a look.

    "Did we do something wrong Ma''am?" Wren dared ask.

    She glared at him. "Besides failing to follow basic directions and expectations two days in a row?" Sam cringed.

    "I''m not exactly sure what he wants, but I suspect it has to do with last night."

    The food in Wren''s stomach was threatening to come back up.

    Head Caretaker Ivara led them out into the cold, pulling her cloak around her. The boys clutched their arms, wishing they were allowed to bring their meager cloaks.

    Ivara steered them in a different direction than Wren had been before. Rather than meandering through a maze of back streets and alleys, they followed a wider path, less clogged with mud. There was more activity in this area. Horses pulled carts loaded with gear, guards and watchmen marched around, and occasionally Wren would spot a Silverblood knight. The buildings looked much more upkept in this part of the compound. Part of that was likely due to the orphans Wren noticed, scrubbing scum off the walls and cleaning windows. Around a corner, they approached a large building. Three stories tall and with a fenced area out by one side. Men in leather armor practiced swordplay, the sound of ringing of steel filling the morning air.

    They were led through the door at the front into a wide reception area. The room was busy, with men walking around everywhere, voices overlapping each other, and a few regular looking folks talking to someone behind a big desk. A guard gave Ivara nod as she entered, not stopping to talk. They headed deeper into the building, rather than going upstairs. A fancy dark wood door met them at the end of a hallway. A sign on the wall indicating this to be the Captain of the Watch. Ivara rapped her knuckles on the door twice, and a voice inside responded with a curt "Enter." A simple but large desk occupied most of the room, with paperwork stacked messily across its surface. A small name plaque poked through the mess, with the words "Watch Captain Brenner" barley visible. Behind the stacks sat a man who looked nothing like what Wren would expect of a Captain of the Watch. His brown and grey hair was balding rapidly, leaving a shiny bald spot on top. His beard was unkempt, yet somehow seemed too small for his round rosy cheeks. The buttons on his uniform bulged, struggling to contain the body within. It was clear he enjoyed the benefits of his job title. He mopped some crumbs off his face, leaving a few in his beard, and indicated to the chairs that sat in front of his desk. Wren and Sam accepted the chairs, but Ivara remained standing.

    "I''ve brought you Wren, and Sam." She said, her shrill voice never failing to fill the whole room. "As you''ve requested. These are the two boys who were at the infirmary last night."

    Brenner leaned over his desk, his massive girth causing the chair to groan in protest.

    "Excellent, thank you Ivara." His deep voice sounded like it was struggling to make its way out of his swollen lips. "I need to know exactly what happened last night. I need details and names please."

    Sam and Wren took turns recounting the story they had settled on. How they had been cleaning the first floor of the infirmary, as they were tasked to do. Later on in the night, someone banged on the door. When they opened it, another young boy stood outside in the rain.

    The Watch Captain stopped them often to ask for clarification on things. Why didn''t they just bring the boy into the infirmary instead of to the orphanage? Why didn''t they wake the guard? What was the names of the bullies? What was their motives? He fired off questions frequently, and the boys did their best to answer without seeming suspicious, or contradicting the story or each other. After they finished, he told them to go back to the beginning. They retold the story two more times, each time with different questions coming from Brenner. It was clear he was trying to find out more about who Lira was, but the boys purposefully had few answers. Finally, he asked what Wren had been expecting, and fearing.

    "Did you ever go up to the second floor, or any of the wards on the second floor?"

    Wren shook his head. "Not last night. We were still cleaning the first floor."

    "What about the previous night?"

    "Yes, but I didn''t go into any of the wards. We took a few breaks, and ran out of time." Lied Wren.

    The Watch Captain squinted, as if trying to see through Wrens words.

    "Did you see anyone on the second floor?"

    Wren paused, giving himself time to think of a good answer, and appearing like he was trying to remember.

    "I saw a nurse once, through the window to one of the wards, but that was it."

    "No other children? No other adults?"

    Wren and Sam both shook their heads. He didn''t know if it made them more suspicious or less that they claimed to see no one else.

    Brenner leaded back noisily in his chair and cast a glance at Ivara.

    "I can bring the new boy in, however as they have said, he is mute." She said to him.

    "Let me get back to you on that one. I need to look at my schedule, but the Silverbloods are on my arse about this." He rubbed his eyes with his meaty hands wearily. "So much huff over one runaway girl."

    Wren suddenly saw an opportunity.

    "A runaway girl sir?" He asked, trying to seem only mildly curious.

    "Indeed. Some sickly welp in the infirmary. She disappeared from her bed last night, and the knights are making it out to be a big deal. No idea why, but I was hoping you two had seen something."

    Sam and Wren quickly glanced at each other.

    With the interrogation concluded, Ivara led the boys out of the office. As they approached the front door, it swung open violently, and in strode the mage from the infirmary. His brow was furled over his silver eyes, and the ends of his mouth were pulled down. He quickly made his way back towards the Watch Captains office. The boys avoided his gaze, his presence carrying an air of menace through the building. Once they were outside, Sam looked up at the Head Caretaker.

    "Who was that Ma''am?"

    She frowned at him, as if annoyed by his simple question. After a moment of silence during which he thought she wouldn''t answer, "That was Sir Orin, the senior psycho-mage for the Silverbloods here. He''s investigating the disappearance, so I wouldn''t be surprised if he called for you too."

    Sam gulped loudly, and Wren cursed under his breath. Ivara noticed.

    "He is a powerful man, and as I''m sure you felt, he was in a terrible mood. Just know, you cannot lie to him. If you try, he won''t hesitate to tear apart your mind to find the truth."

    She smirked as Wren blanched.

    They absolutely had to avoid talking to him. Why was Lira so important? Sure she has these new powers, but there''s no way that''s the only reason. Once they got back to the orphanage, Sam, Wren, and Lira sat down together in a corner. Milly joined them, apparently interested in helping, although Wren was hesitant to involve anyone else.

    They came to a decision. They would leave the orphanage and strike out into the city, and they would do it tonight.

 _X_

    X

    Wren and Sam breathed a sigh of relief when they stepped back into the orphanage. The walks to the mess hall were becoming brutal, with the winter wind blowing harshly now. Snow was expected at any time, which was just another reason for them to make their escape tonight.

    Upon returning to their areas, the boys emptied their pockets of bread and cheese, stuffing them into the chests that sat by the beds. They had just a few minutes before Caretaker Edric walked in, his gaze colder than the winter breeze coming through the cracks in the floor. The children scampered to the front of the room, awaiting their daily tasks. Wren held his breath, hoping he wouldn''t be assigned something outdoors.

    "Sam and Wren," snapped Edric. "Sweep the stairwell of the orphanage."

    A sigh of relief.

    When the circle of children broke, Milly caught up with them in the lobby.

    "Good news!" she said cheerily. "I''ve got linen duty. I know the kid whose there right now, and he''s from an older group. I''ll talk to him and see if he can get some warmer clothing."

    Wren grinned, happy to see her, and even more happy to hear her news.

    "That''s great Milly, thanks!" Sam replied. "You remember that kid who gave us some food when we missed lunch, Tobar? Well, he''s got a couple knapsacks stashed away. After supper I''m going to give him the rest of my coins for them."

    So far, so good. All they had left to do was make it through supper, successfully sneak out, not get caught in the compound, and make it past the wall into the main city. Although they still haven''t figured out exactly how to get out of the compound, as they couldn''t just walk out the gate. Milly, who was going to meet with an older girl, said apparently the older kids knew a way to sneak back and forth, which they would use to smuggle in things to trade or sell.

    The boys hiked up the four flights to the top floor of the orphanage, where the oldest kids were. Wren had no desire to linger here, in the off chance they came across any of the bullies. They quickly swept all the dirt and dust down the stairs, going from one landing to the next. It was taking longer than they liked, as the brooms they had were pathetic little tools, worn from years of use. By the time they made it to the ground floor, their stomachs rumbled. They chased the last few dust bunnies out of the corners, returned the brooms to the closet, and waited for the supper bell. Milly was already waiting for them. She gave a double thumbs up when they walked in.

    "I have to go back for the last of the linen after supper, and I''ll pick up the goods then. It cost me most of my coin, but he said It''ll be worth it."

    "Looks like everything should be taken care of nicely by tonight." Wren said.

    Sam slugged his arm. "Don''t jinx it man! honestly though, we really can''t afford for this to go wrong."

    Wren rubbed his arm as the Caretaker barged in. The bell was rung, the kids filed up, and off they marched to the mess hall.

    "How you doin'' sis?" Wren asked quietly, his sister walking beside him.

    Lira looked up him, her blue eyes like two ocean colored saucers. She still didn''t seem to be able to talk at all, and her behavior was still...off. At this point, the best Wren could hope for was that maybe she''d get better over time.

    Once they reached the mess hall, Wren separated from his sister, sitting a couple kids away. He didn''t want to risk anyone seeing the two of them sitting side by side, and notice how similar they looked.

    The food tonight was actually not half bad. That, or maybe Wren was just getting used to it. Either way, he was happy to find a tiny shred of carrot floating in his stew.

    A boisterous laugh was heard across the hall and Wren glanced over to see none other than Mason. The boys moppy red hair easily noticeable from where Wren sat. He had a slight limp, favoring the left leg. His right leg was noticeably stiff after Sam had smashed him with a hammer. He sauntered his way around the hall with a few other older kids, plucking food here and there from younger kids plates. Wren turned his attention back to his food and hunched over as the boy got close to his table.

    Sam, sitting next to him, tensed as the bullies voice got closer.

    "Well well well, look who I found."

    Mason dropped a hand on Sams shoulder, causing him to spill a spoonful of soup.

    "Come to apologize?" Wren said, pulling Mason''s attention away from Sam.

    "Ha! apologize? I should be thankin'' you!" Smirked the bully. "I had a great time! kicked up inna soft bed, the nurses treatin'' me real good. At least till they started freakin'' out about some missin'' brat."

    Wren and Sam shared a quick glance.

    "Plus the guard on duty and I are good pals. So yea, thanks for that little vacation!" Continued Mason.

    His face darkened though, as he returned his attention back to Sam.

    "You though, you should be apologizin'' to me."

    The boy sitting across from them pointed a fork at the bully.

    "Come on man, stop bothering us. Go back to your own table."

    Mason''s eyebrows shot up, and he smacked one of his friends on the arm.

    "You hearin'' this? I get put up fer a couple days and now these rats think they can tell me what to do!"

    He suddenly leaned forward, his face right next to Sam''s ear.

    "If you think yer gunna just get away with breakin'' my knee, imma bout to ruin yer whole world."

    Wren stood up, and to his surprise, so did Tobar, who was sitting on his other side, between him and Lira.

    The boys all exchanged silent stares at each other for a moment, before Mason reached towards Tobar.

    "Sit the hell down rat, no one asked for yer-"

    He cut himself off as he looked past Tobar, staring instead into the wide deep blue eyes of Lira, who had turned to look at him. His eyes cut back and fourth between Wren and Lira, a look of genuine shock on his face.

    A voice sounded from the other side of the table, drawing everyone''s attention. Caretaker Edric was rapidly approaching.

    "I said, what are you doing here, boy?" repeated Edric, shoving Mason away from the table.

    "Get back to your group, and don''t let me catch you over here again."

    Mason stumbled off, his friends guiding him away. His head was turned over his shoulder, his eyes squinted, darting between Wren and Lira still.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon."Hurry up! I want everyone outside in two minutes!" The Caretaker shouted.

    Wren look at Sam, alarm in his eyes. This was not good. Clearly, Mason was connecting the dots, if he hadn''t already figured Lira was Wren''s sister. It wasn''t safe to assume he wouldn''t put the pieces together completely, with what he said about his time in the infirmary.

    As they filed outside, Milly bounded over to them, but her smile dropped when she saw their faces.

    "What happened?" She asked gravely.

    "Mason showed up. He got a good look at Lira, and I think..." Wren started.

    "We think he''s going to figure out she''s the missing girl." Finished Sam.

    Milly frowned. " I mean, that''s defiantly bad, but that''s not really a problem for us tonight, is it?"

    "He also mentioned how he''s close to one of the guards." Sam replied. "And knowing him, there''s a pretty good chance he''s going to say something."

    The kids started their march back to the orphanage, the three of them silent in thought.

    "Well hey," started Milly, keeping her voice low. "I do have more good news. According to the girl from the older group, there''s a hole in the wall leading to the city. It''s hidden by some thick bushes behind the stables!"

    That did bring some relief to Wren. With that last bit of knowledge, all they had to do now was make the escape.

    As soon as they got back inside, Milly disappeared down the stairs to the linen room, and Sam headed off to speak with Tobar. Wren followed Lira back to her area. The chest by her bed held only a single set of spare clothes. Packing her things should be quick.

    "You ready to get out of here Lira?" He asked looking at her with concern.

    She looked around their hall for a minute, then gave a single curt nod.

    Sam walked over, two canvas knapsacks in his hands. Like everything else around here, they were a faded, worn out item. The material just short of wearing through completely in some places. He tossed one to Wren.

    "I could only afford two, but I figured that wasn''t really a problem."

    "Thanks Sam, we really couldn''t have gotten this far without you."

    Sam gave a half smile and waved his hand in the air.

    "You reminded me that I still have a choice in my life. I don''t have to keep living like this."

    Wren stuffed Lira''s spare clothes into the sack, then headed over with Sam to begin packing their things. Milly popped up next to them, a ball of brown clothing in her arms.

    "He was right when he said it would be worth it!" She dropped two on the ground, but kept holding on to one. It unfurled in her hand to reveal a cloak, thicker and better made than the ones they had been given for working in the infirmary. The cloaks were a little longer then their previous ones, falling to the top of Wrens foot. They looked almost like something he''d have worn in his time before all this.

    Milly grinned seeing the boys'' faces light up. "He said he got them from an older group of kids."

    "Milly, this is great!" Wren said, reaching out and giving her a hug.

    But when he pulled away, she wasn''t smiling anymore.

    "There''s something else." Her voice lost it''s pleasantness. "When I got back up to the lobby, Caretaker Edric was leading a Silverblood knight and a couple guards up stairs. he was taking them to go talk to the Head Caretaker."

    Panic lanced through Wren.

    "It was Mason! it had to be!" Sam said, struggling to keep his voice low.

    "They have to be here for us, here for Lira. We have to go, now!" Wren stressed.

    The boys quickly filled the packs with their belongings, then dashed over to Lira. She was sitting on her bed, staring across the room. Her eyes seemed to follow the movement of things Wren didn''t see.

    "Come on sis, it''s time to go!" Wren grabbed her hand, but she hesitated. Her eyes flicked to him breifly, then returned to the spot in the room. Wren glanced in that direction, frowning. Seeing nothing, he knelt in front of her.

    "Lira." He softly spoke. "Guards are here to take you away. We need to get out, right now." She finally faced him, and Wren thought he saw a flicker of sadness in those eyes. Finally, she nodded and rose from her bed.

    Wren took her hand again ran to Sam and Milly, who waited by the last window at the end of the room. Milly cracked it open, letting the winter evening spill inside. The window opened up behind the orphanage, into a dark corner. Wren threw a cloak over his sisters shoulders, tying it around her neck before putting his own on.

    "Out you go!" Milly said, dragging over a chair. Sam went out first, then caught the knapsacks as Wren tossed them through. He helped his sister through the window, then turned to Milly.

    "Thank you so much Milly. You risked a lot doing this for us."

    Milly shrugged, then leaned in and gave him a quick peck on his cheek. "Good luck Wren. Hopefully I see you guys around."

    Wren''s face burned as he stumbled out a goodbye, then he climbed through the window as she pulled the chair away.

    Landing on the hard ground outside, Sam gave him a questioning look. Wren mumbled under his breath, then snatched the knapsack Sam held out for him. They heard the window close above them, and then they were alone.

    Wren looked out into the darkness, towards where the stables were, and at the wall behind it. The idea of freedom called to him, pulling him. They took a few cautious steps around the side of the orphanage. There, waiting in the yard outside the front door, were two guards, sitting on horses. Three more riderless horses were nearby, one of them taller, sleeker, and wearing much more elegant tack than the others. Clearly, that one belonged to the knight. The trio carefully crept through the shadows, moving with painstaking slowness through the yard. Wren was concerned Lira might not understand what was happening, but she mimicked their attempt at stealth well enough. As they made their way towards an alley, Wren glanced back. Through the lit windows of the orphanage, he saw several adults walk through the hall they were in only minutes ago. He could see the gleaming white armor of the Silverblood even from here. Sam was right, they had come for them.

    Wren turned back, looking into the darkness beyond. The call of freedom only slightly muted by the panic of their soon-to-be pursuers. He took a deep breath, then fell in step behind Lira, following Sam as he guided them into the labyrinth of alleyways.

 _XI_

    XI

    Three shadows hurried from one alley to the next. The mud, now frozen from the recent rain and drop in temperature, crunched beneath their feet. They stopped to peek around every corner, often pausing when a sound echoed off the buildings. So far, no one knew they were there. They stopped in a small square between a few buildings, the windows dark and silent. Sam, who was guiding the group, looked between two different alleyways, seemingly unsure. Wren looked around, trying to see the city walls, but the buildings towered around them, blocking his view.

    "One of these will spit us out near the mess hall, I just don''t remember which one. I''ve never gone to the stables this way before." Mumbled Sam.

    Lira, standing between the two boys, turned to look back the way they had come. She stared into the darkness for a moment, then hastily pressed her self against the nearest wall. Wren met her eyes, and recognized the distress.

    "Sam!" he said, his voice a harsh whisper. "I think Lira heard something!"

    No sooner had he finished his sentence than the sound of a hoof catching on a stone echoed into the square. The boys immediately flattened themselves next to Lira.

    This isn''t a hiding spot at all! Thought Wren desperately.

    Beside him, Lira took a deep breath, and covered her eyes with her hands. Wren''s heart ached, seeing her attempt what a young child might consider as hiding. But as he turned his head back to the alley, he noticed the shadows had gotten much darker...and closer. He looked down and was shocked to see the darkness appearing to wrap itself around him! The corner where they crouched had become shrouded, as if the moonlight we being blocked from shining on their specific spot.

    A horse snorted to their left, and out rode three mounted guards. The first guard held a weak lantern, swinging from his grasp. The feeble orange light did little to lighten the square, let alone the trio''s corner. Wren held his breath as the rear guard slowly rode past him, less than an arms length away.

    "This is bloody ridiculous." Cursed the second guard. "If they came this way, we would have come across them by now."

    "Shut it!" Barked the guard with the lantern.

    Sam was slowly reaching down, his fingers wrapping around a stone. Ever so slowly, he raised his hand, preparing to throw.

    The guards were circling around the square, peering down the side streets. A sharp clack sounded down an alley, followed by a few thumps. The guards wheeled their steeds around, hurrying to track down the culprit. As soon as they were gone, Lira let out her breath. The shadows that had blanketed them retreated, as if a breeze had blown them away.

    Sam raised his eyebrows. "That was you?!"

    She stared back at him silently. Wren was shaking his head in disbelief, but moved in the opposite direction of the guards. "C''mon, even if this isn''t the right way, we need to put some distance between us and them."

    Nodding, Sam took the lead once again, with Lira following, and Wren bringing up the rear. They continued snaking their way down the side streets, sticking to the darkness whenever possible.

    Finally, when Wren was starting to think they had in fact gone the wrong way, they turned a corner and saw an open field. A main road ran between them and a fence, on beyond the field, the city wall stood. Sam glanced back at Wren, raising a clenched fist in victory.

    Careful to make sure no one was watching, they hurried across the dirt road and climbed over the fence. The grass, white from frost, crackled as they moved across. Wren cringed, feeling like the sound could wake the dead. Why was it always so quiet at night around here?

    They quickly reached the Stables. No lights shone from within, but they could hear the sounds of a few horses.

    "Milly said there was a hole hidden behind some thick bushes. That''s pretty vague." said Sam, looking up and down the length of the wall. Small trees, shrubs, and bushes were growing against the stones almost all the way down on either side. In some places, vines had slowly made their way up the wall.

    The group began poking around, moving aside branches and trying to peer through the gloom.

    This is taking forever!  Wren through in frustration. They were so close!

    Several minutes of futile searching later, Sam gave a cry. Wren, thinking he''d found it, ran to him, elated. The boy had stumbled back, tripping and landing on his rump. Wren almost laughed, until a figure emerged from the bush Sam had ben inspecting. It was taller than Wren, but skinny like Sam. It limped out of the blackness, seeming to favor one leg. It wasn''t until a beam of moonlight fell on moppy red hair that Wren realized it wasn''t some horrifying specter, but Mason. The bully grinned coldly as he fully emerged into the light.

    Wren skidded to a halt and glared at him. "what the hell are you doing here?"

    Mason turned to face him. "What, you think I wouldn''t realize where you''d be? There''s only one way besides the gate to get through the wall!"

    He took a step back towards Sam, who still sat on the ground a few feet away. "There''s no way I was gunna let you stupid brats just escape. Not after what you did!" He shouted the last few words, spit flying from his mouth. A maniacal rage burned behind his eyes. Wren quickly moved to intercept the brute as Sam started crawling backwards.

    "Not so fast!" came a voice from behind Wren, and a deep burning seared through the back of his leg. He cried out and fell to one knee. Zane had appeared behind him from the bushes, his wicked knife in his hand, now with Wren''s blood coating it.

    Wren pulled himself to his feet, slowly. He could stand, although it hurt like hell. Out from the bushes came two more thugs, one walking straight toward Lira.

    "Careful!" barked Zane. "She''s a tricky one!"

    Zane turned back right in time to see Wren''s fist, colliding square with his jaw. The younger boy kept moving forward, bringing his other fist up into Zane''s stomach. The boys began grappling, Wren trying to keep Zane from swinging his knife.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.Sam meanwhile, had risen to his feet. Mason pulled out his own knife and moved to attack. The small boy leapt aside, easily keeping outside of Mason''s reach. He danced around the bully, who swung wildly. Looking past Mason, Sam could see the two other boys moving to restrain Lira. One reached out, painfully grabbing her upper arm.

    "C''mon now pretty thing, don''t do nothin'' to make me ruin that pretty face." He said, grinning.

    Lira reached up, placing her small hand over his face. Her eyes lit up brightly, and suddenly the boy was screaming. The sickly smell of burnt flesh permeated the air. He threw himself away from her, whisps of smoke trailing from his face. Wailing in agony, he fled into the stables.

    The other bully looked at her in shock, his eyes wide.

    "What-" He was cut off, as Lira''s stern gaze turned in his direction. The boy raised his hands up defesively and backed away. "They didn''t tell me you was a mage!"

    Lira took a step forward, he eyes blazing. The bully quickly looked around for help and seeing none, bolted.

    Distracted by the screaming, Sam swore as Masons knife slashed through his cloak, cutting open his shirt and grazing his chest. The gang leader followed the attack, swinging back around. Sam tumbled to the side, moving closer to the bushes. His previously injured back cried out at the sudden and dramatic movement. Mason stalked closer, grinning as he saw the pain on Sam''s face. He raised his hand, the blade pointing down, but before he could plunge weapon into Sam, something darted out from the shrubs, snaking around Masons wrist. The two boys stared at it in silent confusion for a moment, then Mason was yanked off his feet, yelping He was pinned against the wall, vines wrapping around his limbs.

    Sam''s mouth dropped. He looked over and saw Lira, her eyes glowing, one hand extended towards Mason. She was panting heavily, and looked exhausted, but she had one again saved his life.

    Wren had actually managed to knock the blade from Zane''s hand, and had brought the boy to one knee. For all of Zane''s fury, he turned out to be not much of a brawler. Wren brought his knee up, crunching into his opponents face. Zane sprawled out on the cold ground, where he stayed, moaning faintly

    Wren looked around, panting.

    "Wow, sis...looks like you didn''t need much help after all."." he said in disbelief.

    Lira teetered where she stood, looking like she was about to collapse. Wren hobbled over, placing her arm around his shoulder to help hold her up.

    "Let''s find this hole and get the hell out of here." he grunted, slowly walking Lira closer to Sam.

    "Well, since Mason was hangin'' out around here, I bet we''re close." replied his friend.

    The injured siblings slowly moved over to where Mason was pinned to the wall. He struggled against the plants, swearing and cursing at the younger boys. Wren gently set his sister down to the grass, then began helping Sam dig through the foliage.

    Mason started screaming, but not at the trio. "Hey! They''re over here! Help!"

    Sam whirled around in panic to see multiple horsemen galloping across the field, rapidly approaching.

    "Oh shit. Wren! we need to go, right now!"

    The boys dug through the vegetation in panic, Mason cackling all the while.

    Finally, Wren shoved aside a prickly bush, heedless of the thorns, to see near the ground and almost invisible, a hole in the wall. He shouted in joy, and turned to tell Sam.

    The lead horseman was nearly on them now, a weighted net trailing in his fist. Lira had once again risen to her feet. She outstretched her hands, and her cloak billowed out behind her, her hood knocked form her head. A blast erupted from her hands, passing through the first rider and spreading out. The guard was thrown from his saddle, the horse rearing up on it''s hind legs. The other horsemen struggled to control their mounts, who began bucking and kicking wildly. Lira slowly turned around to stare and Wren, then collapsed to her knees.

    "Lira!" he cried, struggling to detach himself from the clinging thorns.

    Sam started to move to help her, then cried out in panic, and started sprinting. Wren looked up to see the now riderless horse, running full speed right at Lira. Sam had removed his cloak and knapsack, and was moving fast, but he didn''t know if he would get there in time.

    "Lira move!" he shrieked. She feebly started to rise to her feet, but much to slowly. Sam put his head down and pumped his legs as hard as he could. He closed the distance, but the horse was practically right on top of her.

    Sam leapt forward, knocking Lira off her feet and out of the way. The crazed animal charged on seemingly unaware of it''s surroundings. Sam tumbled beneath it''s hooves, rag dolling along with it. His arms splaying out it horrible directions. Wren screamed his name in horror. His friends body came to rest not far from him, as the horse continued to gallop past them, rounding the corner of the stables.

    Wren fell to his knees and crawled to Sam. The boys broken body lay in a pool of blood. Bones protruded from his chest, and a hoof had clearly come down on the side of his head. Wren''s voice broke as he wailed, pulling on his hair and beating the ground.

    This is all wrong! It''s not supposed to happen like this! Wren''s thoughts spiraled in his head.

    He felt a touch, and looked up to see his sister. She looked ragged, with heavy bags under her half closed eyelids. She swayed in place, using Wren''s shoulder to stay up as much as comforting him. He rose, embracing his sister and squeezing her tight. From behind them, he could hear the guards, who seemed to have recovered.

    "Nobody bloody move!"

    Wren pulled himself away from his sister. "Lira, go, through the hole! I''ll be right behind you!"

    She darted into the bushes, while Wren snatched up Sam''s dropped rucksack. He glanced one more time at the mangled remains of his friend, then dropped to his belly and squeezed into the hole.

 _XII_

    XII

    Watch Captain Brenner shuffled through the passage, his gait made awkward from a bad knee and wide girth. He was going to be late. Again.

    These sodding knights need to plan these meetings not so close to lunch. He thought, bitter he had to skip dessert. His mood was further darkened by the paranoia that this meeting was going to be more of an interrogation. After the events of the escape two nights ago, the Silverbloods had been grilling his men constantly.

    He followed the hallway to the right and approached a large set of gilded double doors. The Silverbloods crest, two crossed swords over a black moon, decorated one door, the Dreyamere city crest on the other. Brenner stopped just short of walking straight through. He glanced down at his ruffled uniform, frowning at the sight of the buttons fighting to stay fastened. He''d need to find another size soon. Doing his best to tidy up his appearance, he pushed the doors, which swung open without a sound. A large meeting room greeted him. The stained glass window depicting a Silverblood knight slaying a werewolf let a pleasant afternoon light in. Seated at a rectangular table in the center were several of the knights, who all turned to stare at the Watch Captain.

    "Sorry I''m late gentlemen." He said, his voice sounding strained, obviously uncomfortable.

    The knights said nothing, but waited in silence for him to cross the room and take the only empty seat.

    "Now that you''re finally here, we can move on to business." Stated the man at the head of the table. His sharp silver eyes stared intently at Brenner, a hint of irritation noticeable.

    "My ''pologies, Knight-Commander." Muttered Brenner.

    Knight-Commander Roderic cast his gaze around the room. His short cut hair and full beard had turned almost entirely grey, with only streaks of the original brown visible. His left ear had been mangled, and a horizontal scar ran around the side of his head. He gave off an air of confidence and authority that left no question of who he was; The senior Silverblood knight of this region. He leaned forward, dipping his head slightly in the direction of another knight.

    The other knight turned to face Brenner and cleared his throat.

    "Brenner, Captain of the Watch." He began. "We''ve read the reports of course, but we would like to clarify some things about that night."

    Perspiration had already broken out across Brenner''s forehead.

    "We''ll start from the incident and work backwards." The knight casually shuffled the papers in his hands. "Your men failed to apprehend the girl or her brother, there were several injuries, and one fatality. I understand there were some... unexpected complications." He flicked his eyes across the table, where Orin, the psycho-mage, sat. "But why did it go so wrong?"

    Brenner squinted to see the rank insignia on the knights white leather uniform, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

    "Well...I wasn''t there sir. But as was stated in the reports..."

    The knight waved his hand, cutting off Brenner.

    "I''m not asking what the reports said. We want to know why your men seemed so incompetent. The group sent to the orphanage couldn''t track them down through the compound, and the patrol that spotted the fight seemed ill prepared to handle some rowdy children, gods forbid if it had been an actual threat."

    The Watch Captain''s eyes darted around the room. Every knight was staring directly at him, waiting for his response. He wiped his brow, his mind racing.

    "We uh, we had no warnings about the girls abilities. My men were expecting a scared orphan, see? Whatever you did to her-"

    "What I did, is of no concern to you, Watch Captain." Orin cut in, saying the last words slowly. "You and your men are supposed to have an understanding that this post is not a mundane assignment. They should be prepared to handle things outside of the ordinary. I see that failure as a blatant oversight from their leadership." The mages eyes bored into Brenner.

    The Watch Captain gulped. "I''ll um, I''ll review the training plans. Their Sergeants should be handling that better."

    "See that you do. A loss in confidence of the senior leadership is unacceptable." Orin let the threat hang in the air.

    "What of the brother? We know you interviewed him prior to the escape. Did you have no suspicions then?" Asked the knight who first addressed him.

    Brenner shook his head, his flabby jowls shaking . "At the time, we had no reason to think he or his friend were involved. We hadn''t yet learned that the new boy who showed up was actually a girl, let alone his sister."

    "You didn''t find it a little odd that the night she goes missing, a new child appears at the door of the orphanage? The plan was concocted by children, Watch Captain. I''d be afraid to assume they are more clever than you."

    Brenners face turned beat red. He had absolutely been out-witted by children, and part of it was because at the time, he simply didn''t care about a missing orphan. He knew that they knew, even if it went without saying. He suddenly became aware of just how precarious his position had become.

    "Ah, w-well you see sir, we...what I mean is-"

    Knight-Commander Roderic raised his hand, signaling for the flustered man to stop.

    "That is all Brenner. We only wanted to confirm a few things, which we have done. You may return to your office now."

    The Watch Captain raised from his seat, muttering his thanks and apologies, then hobbled out the door. Orin watched him go with a grimace on his face.

    "That man disgusts me. His blatant disregard for anything but himself is pitiful."

    Roderic let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.

    "We''ve been over this Orin. We need someone like him to fill that position. We cannot risk having someone who pays too much attention."

    "We need someone like him." Repeated the knight who had interviewing Brenner. "Perhaps it is time we replace him."

    Orin sneered at this comment. "I would happily arrange the early retirement of our dear Watch Captain."

    Roderic frowned at the psycho-mage. "We do not need more attention on the compound or the knighthood. Not like this."

    The senior knight placed his elbows on the table and steepled his fingers. "Orin, what kind of a threat exactly is this girl to us?"

    Orin leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms.

    "Besides her uncanny grasp of her new abilities you mean? It''s her memories. When I was inside her mind, I left behind remnants of myself, key moments of my past. My experiment has proven successful in that I have created a powerful magic user from someone with very little innate talent. However, I was not finished with the procedure before she escaped. I didn''t get the chance to remove those remnants, nor was I able to scrub her memory."

    Another knight a few seats down banged his fist on the table.

    "Do you mean to say she could have knowledge about the inner workings of the knighthood?!"

    "Calm yourself Roland. I am sure Orin did not make such a dangerous mistake." Roderic said, raising an eyebrow at the mage.

    "I am no such fool." Spat Orin. "Its unlikely she even knows she has these memories. Secondly, she is mute--a convenient side effect of the attack. The real issue could be if another psycho-mage interacts with her. Someone from the outside looking in could, at best, find it extremely suspicious. "

    "And at worst?" Asked Roderic.

    Orin sat for a moment, letting silence fill the room.

    "At worst, they could put some pieces together and possibly determine our involvement with recent events."

    The men in the room exchanged silent looks. The Knight-Commander stared hard at the table, lost in thought.

    "We''ve gotten too careless." The man named Roland said, breaking the silence. "Setting this aside, there''s been a lot of complaints about the specters living in the infirmary. They''ve gone from a security system, to a nuisance for the nurses, sometimes harassing them even during the day. I''ve heard some talking, wondering how we''ve let it become so haunted. Then there''s the village to the east. The minor lich in the swamps has gotten a big head, sending out more raiding parties than we can rightly deal with!"

    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.Several of the men started grumbling. The knight with the paperwork started flipping through his pile, frowning.

    "I haven''t heard about him getting so bad." he muttered.

    "The report''s still on my desk, Luke. I wasn''t done reading through the details." Replied Roderic. "But Sir Roland is not wrong. As I''m sure some of you are aware, our numbers are lacking recently. We need more initiates to tackle some of these problems directly."

    "If you''ll allow it," said Orin. "I have a much firmer grasp on my projects methods. Let me hand select a few orphans, we can arrange something to justify their injuries and-"

    "No." Interrupted Roderic. "The project is still too risky, and you''ve only tried it with the younger children. We will continue to find magic adept initiates like we normally do. In the mean time, I will speak to the city council about boosting recruitment efforts. We also need to become more preemptive about these attacks."

    The Knight-Commander pushed his chair back and rose to his feet. The other knights quickly followed his actions.

    "The meeting is dismissed. Thank you all for attending. Please keep me updated on anything regarding the girl. Sir Luke, come to my office, I will give you the reports on the most recent raids."

    <hr>

    Knight-Commander Roderic let out a sigh as Sir Luke left his office. He rose from his desk, walked to a shelf lined with bottles, and poured himself a drink. He eyed the stacks of paperwork on his desk wearily as he took a sip. Public relations were giving him a headache. Even with the transfers from other regions, the Dreyamere sect was struggling with numbers. The old knight returned to his seat and leaned his head back.

    The public image of the knighthood is weakening, and I am partly to blame. The thought brought a frown to his face.

    He looked back at a report on his desk. In recent years, the peasants, farmers, and normal folk outside the city walls had started to become proficient at fending off threats. He picked up another ledger. This one listed the number of attacks over the past six months, almost triple that as before.

    It is troubling, He thought. When the number of attacks increased in the past, the support for the knighthood would rise. What''s different now?

    He set his empty glass down, contemplating his options. A curt knock at his door caused him to stir.

    "Enter."

    A young man poked his head in.

    "Sorry for the interruption Sir, a courier came."

    Roderic motioned him over, and he came forward, a small folded square of parchment in his hand. The wax seal identified the sender as the Ministry of Civic Administration.

    Finally, some good news.

    He cut the seal and unfolded the parchment, reading the message quickly. The Ministry had scheduled him, per his request, to meet with the Warden of Public Affairs in a few hours. Sir Roderic immediately started getting his things ready. Before long, he left his office, a satchel of papers at his side.

    <hr>

    Sir Luke rode beside the Knight-Commander as they approached the ministry building. An enormous square of white stone, it rose into the sky several stories tall. Snow had been falling for two days, and the roads were choked with wagons and buggies unable to move. The steps of the Ministry had been swept clean, but would quickly be covered again soon. The knights dismounted, tying their horses to the hitching post beside the stairs. Upon entering, they were greeted by a cheerful young women behind a fancy looking desk. Roderic handed her the message he had received, and she led them up a flight of pristine marble stairs, and to a very large door, with a plaque that read "Warden of Public Affairs". They knocked, and received a quiet "Come in, please."

    The office was filled with dark wood furniture, and massive bookshelves lined the walls on each side. Three elegant chairs had been set up in a small open space to the right. In one sat a very strange looking man. He was small of stature, with a very round head. Unusually small black eyes peered out from below sharp black eyebrows. His night black hair was cut very short, but seemed to grow standing straight up, rather than lying flat in any direction. A dark blue tunic trimmed with gold hung loosely over his shoulders, as though his body was starved. He motioned with a smoking pipe in his hand to the other chairs, where the knights sat, thanking their host.

    "Good evening Vyran, Keeper of Whispers." Greeted Roderic, a slight grin on his face.

    The strange man waved his hand in irritation. "A made up title by silly people." His voice flat and lacking expression. "How have you been, Knight-Commander?"

    "Busy, as I''m sure you know."

    "Yes, I''ve heard about your recent... developments." Vyran took a pull from his pipe, filling the room with a pleasant aroma.

    The knights waited as smoke rolled around them, floating to the ceiling.

    "You have the latest reports?" He asked.

    Roderic passed the satchel of papers over. "All the information about the most recent orphans. This includes the siblings, however you''ll find the sisters medical files a bit lacking."

    Vyran opened the satchel, leafing through papers. "Another one of Orins pet projects I surmise. Perhaps that had something to do with the escape?"

    The knights said nothing, but shifted uncomfortably.

    "And now," continued the Warden. "You''ve come to me for information." He set the satchel aside, and turned his beady black eyes to the knights.

    "I''ve heard rumors," confirmed Roderic. "Some kind of underground movement, spreading slander about the knighthood. I need to know about this, and whether or not it is a threat. If the girl becomes involved in such an organization, things could become much more complicated for us."

    Vyran rose from his seat and walked to his desk. He carefully lifted a sheet of paper and returned, handing it to Roderic. The knight scanned the page. It appeared to be some kind of advertisement. "New to Dreyamere? Lost everything? The Kindred Enclave are here to help!"

    The advert went on to talk about family, food, shelter, and other things that would appeal to escaped orphans or survivors alike.

    Roderic passed the paper to Sir Luke. "So, The Kindred Enclave. What are they, a charity group?"

    "At first, it may appear so." Vyran Answered. "However, my sources have discovered they are in fact gathering information against your knighthood."

    Roderic frowned. This was turning out to be as bad as he feared.

    "What''s their manpower like? Resources? Do they have influence?" Asked Luke, brining out a writing pad.

    "As of right now, I have very limited information." responded Vyran. "There are indications of a benefactor lending aid, but their identify has yet to be uncovered. Their numbers are likewise still a mystery."

    A knock at the door interrupted them.

    "Ah, supper has arrived."

    A man in chefs attire wheeled in a cart, loaded with food. Much better quality than either of the knights were used to. They moved to a small table set in the corner, as the chef set out plates. Luke raised his eyebrows when the chef placed a whole roasted piglet in front of Vyran.

    "Avert your gaze. Do not stare." Whispered Roderic.

    The group quickly consumed their meals, with Vyran devouring the entire piglet, even cracking open the bones to suck the marrow. Luke felt queasy at the whole experience.

    After supper, they were brought danishes and fine liquor, and as the sun fell, the knights gave their thanks and departed. Once outside, Luke looked at Roderic, frowning.

    "Sir, I have a question. About the Warden."

    The Knight-Commander glanced at him with the corner of his eye.

    "You''re wondering about his odd appearance and behaviors."

    Luke nodded.

    "Let''s just say, the knighthood isn''t the only organization in this city to employ non-humans. There is a very good reason he is more than just a Warden of Public Affairs. His given title, "Keeper of Whispers", is more fitting than you could know."

    Luke shivered, glad to be out of the strange mans gaze.

    "Now," continued Sir Roderic, mounting his steed. "We must make haste back to the compound. I need to discuss what we have learned with Orin."

 _XIII_

    XIII

    The morning sun rose over Dreyamere, the weak rays illuminating the snow that coated every surface. The clouds had finally blown by, and for the first time in three days, no flakes fell. The beams of light crept up the bricks of an abandoned workshop, shining through the holes where windows used to be, and into what was left of roof. Inside, two siblings huddled together for warmth. Snow covered most of the inside of the shop, but they managed to find a small space where the planks overhead provided some protection. They had lit no fire, for fear of discovery, leading to punishingly cold nights. Lira slept soundlessly, her head resting on her brothers shoulder. Wren however, once again found himself beset with nightmares. Over and over he relived the night of the escape. Each time he tried to stop the charging horse, but each time he watched as his friend was trampled to death. The gruesome scene had been seared into his mind, and the nightmares provided examples of how it could have been worse. Sometimes Sam didn''t get to Lira in time, and they both get ground to a pulp beneath the fiery hooves of some awful devil horse. Sometimes they try to run, but the horse chases them down, as if seeking out their blood. Once, Mason had been riding the steed, and laughed like a mad man as the beast trod upon Sam.

    Finally, Wren awoke with a cry. His bloodshot eyes swept their meager shelter for threats that weren''t there. Panting, he looked down at this sister. She still slept, her cheek pressed against his shoulder, her soft brown hair matted and dirty. Wren tipped his head back, resting it against the crate they leaned on. His stomach rumbled. He glanced at their packs, sitting in a shadowed corner nearby. If he continued to ration their food, they should have enough hard bread and old cheese to last another day or two, then he would have to come up with a plan for food. They had decided to wait out the snow, hiding in place rather than going out to forage.

    Wren shifted slightly, thinking to sit up and wake his sister, when he realized a woolen blanket had been draped over them. Fear lanced through his mind. Someone had crept in and placed a blanket over them while they slept! His eyes darted around, his heart once again hammering in his chest. There were no signs anyone had been here, but obviously someone had. Trying to remain calm, he gently shook his sister. She woke quickly, her wide blue eyes meeting his questioningly.

    "Look" he whispered to her, gently lifting the blanket. " Someone came here in the night."

    Lira scanned to room, just as he had. But unlike him, she seemed to notice something. She stood quickly, letting the blanket fall. Wren watched curiously as she walked across the room, her eyes closed. Somehow, she managed to step perfectly between the debris of the fallen roof, her feet finding the right spots to step. She navigated to the other side of the small workshop, to the opposite wall which was made of wooden boards, rather than bricks like the rest of the building. She reached out, her fingers gently brushing the surface. Then, she found purchase between the planks, and effortlessly swung one aside. Wren came over to inspect her find, and saw in the snow just outside, one single boot print, leading inside. Wrens breath hitched in his chest.

    "We need to move sis. Someone knows we''re here. They helped us, we don''t know why. We''ve been here too long anyway." Wren said, his eyes not leaving the print in the snow.

    They broke their fast, then cleaned up their sad excuse for a shelter. Wren balled up their gifted blanket and stuffed it in his pack. Lira carried Sams old pack, which had his extra clothes and the pendant from his mother. Wren wanted to wear it, but he was afraid it would catch unwanted attention, so he buried it under the clothes.

    They exited the workshop through the newly discovered slot in the wall. Wren hoped maybe there''d be more indications of who had helped them. They crunched through the couple inches of snow, walking along an alley way of abandoned buildings. Many had been burned out, and some were boarded up, with no way inside. On the other side of the buildings was a dirt road, but Wren hadn''t seen any foot traffic, which is why they choose this spot. Despite the lack of people, they still crept from building to building. This part of the city seemed mostly desolate, but he was taking no chances. They could hear the occasional sound of habitation from beyond the second row of buildings across the street. The occasional shout of a neighbor greeting someone, or the creak of a wagon. For now, Wren just wanted to get his bearings of the city. They had spent the entire night of their escape creeping away from the wall, past some slums and into a more empty industrial like area. He could see buildings rising up deeper into the city, but had no plans to venture in that direction. For safety, he was assuming there were guards looking for them, and that the local populace might not be trustworthy.

    While Wren was lost in thought, Lira had come to a halt beside him. She reached out and grabbed his arm as he kept walking.

    The touch brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked back to see her head tipped to the side. Wren focused, listening intently. The snow seemed to hush everything around them, bringing with it an eerie silence. Wren was about to keep moving when they heard the crunch of snow, and the huff of a horse. He met his sisters fearful gaze. The building they were next to was boarded up, with no viable hiding spots. Instead they dashed to the next building, some sort of small two story house perhaps. Oddly, the glass windows were fully intact. The backdoor had boards across it, but when Wren tried the handle it swung open. Muttering his thanks to the gods, he squeezed under the lowest board. He turned back to see Lira staring with wide eyes at the house.

    "Sis come on!" He whispered harshly, waving her over. Lira opened her mouth slightly and gently shook her head, as if trying to warn him of something. From frighteningly close by came the bark of a dog, and mens excited voices.

    They brought hounds! Thought Wren in a panic. Lira seemed to share this mindset, as she glanced once in the direction of the commotion, then dived under the board and into the house.

    They stood in an old kitchen. The stench of rot was strong, and everything was covered in a thick layer of dust. They crept through and into what appeared to be the main room. A rotten carpet covered the warped floor. Moldy furniture was scattered around the room. A bookshelf lay on it''s face, and decrepit books were strewn about. Strangely, this placed seemed in good condition. It was as though it''s occupants simply left, and looters hadn''t realized it was abandoned. They slinked through the darkness, finding a closed door on one side, and stairs leading up. Wren placed a foot on the first step, but felt Liras'' hand on his shoulder. She was looking at him with her big blue eyes, a look of concern etched into her face. She shook her head slightly, glancing up at the ceiling. Whatever she was trying to tell him, he decided it must be important.

    Voices could be heard from outside the windows of the main room, and several dogs yipped.

    "Ah not this place again!" Said a gruff mans voice.

    "Every time were in this area the dogs go nuts for this house." Agreed another.

    A pounding sounded on the front door.

    "This is the city watch, if anyone''s in there, come on out!"

    Wren looked around wildly for a place to hide, and focused on the room with the closed door.

    "Come on!" He whispered to his sister, then quietly scampered to the door. He tried the handle and it turned, but the door seemed stuck in its frame.

    The banging sounded on the front door again, so Wren shouldered the door hard, bashing it open. He stumbled through, and into an old bedroom.

    "I think I heard somthin'' in there, should we check it out?" A voice from outside asked.

    Lira followed him into the room, then swung the door closed.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it."Ha! not a chance in hell I''m goin'' in there! Probly just scared a racoon." replied another voice. "Lets move on. Get those hounds under control."

    The siblings hunkered down behind an old wardrobe that had fallen, listening as the men outside moved past, the dogs still barking. Wren let out a long sigh, not realizing he was holding his breath.

    The room stank badly. A small bed sat in the middle, horrible moldy and decayed. Disgusting curtains covered the windows, preventing much light from getting in. Wren was just getting his heart rate down when a small voice made him freeze.

    "Who are you?"

    The siblings spun around, and a small child of four or five stood by the door, which was still closed. They stared at the child in shock.

    "Can you help me?" the child asked.

    Wren glanced at his sister. She was frowning at the child, her blue eyes glowing faintly.

    "Who... what are you doing here?" Asked Wren.

    The child turned his eyes to him. The boy was very pale, with skin that seemed too smooth, almost waxy. Its eyes seemed black in the low light, but its clothes seemed remarkably clean. A small stuffed bear was clutched in its hands. Wren couldn''t tell if it was a boy or girl.

    "I live here. But I need help. Mamma and poppa, they won''t wake up." The child''s voice was feeble, and Wrens chest tightened, an overwhelming sense of pity filling him.

    Looking back at the bed, Wren said, "Where are they?"

    The child raised it''s eyes to the ceiling. "Upstairs."

    Wren frowned and looked at Lira. She was still staring at the child, not moving at all.

    "Sis, we should help, right?" She said nothing, of course. But she didn''t move either. In fact, she gave no indication she had heard him at all.

    "Please, can you help me?" Begged the child again.

    Wrens heart ached. Hearing this poor child, living in this awful house, they had to do something.

    "Take me to them, I''ll see what I can do." He finally said. He turned back to his sister, who still seemed entirely focused on the child. "Just uh, wait here I guess sis, I''m going to see what''s going on." Still no acknowledgment.

    He turned back around and the door was open and the child was gone. He stepped into the main room and noticed he could see his breath. It had gotten a lot colder since they had been inside. Something in his mind was trying to tell him that this was wrong, he should get out, but the thought of leaving the child alone here without helping was too much to bear. Once again he placed his boot on the first step, and glanced back into the room. Lira still stood motionless, her blue eyes glowing faintly in the dark.

    As he stood there, he could feel something compelling him to climb the stairs, a strong urgency to help. Without another thought, Wren climbed the stairs. The second floor was in even worse condition. There were holes in the walls, and debris cover the floor. A putrid smell lingered in the air, causing Wren to gag. The childs voice called out from the open door of a room to his right.

    "Please, they''re in here!"

    Wren forced himself through the heavy air, holding his hand over his mouth and nose. He stuck his head around the door frame, and saw the child standing next to a massive bed. Wren could see shapes laying under the rotten covers. A voice was nagging in Wrens mind, trying to cut through the daze that had settled. He forced the distraction away, and stepped towards the bed.

    "Please, I can''t wake them up. I''ve been trying for so, so long." The child begged.

    When Wren looked down, his vision shifted and his mind bent as he met the decaying face of a long dead woman. Her skin was rotting away, and brown dried blood stained the pillows and sheets. her mouth was open in a silent scream, and he could see cobwebs within. Her skeletal hand grasped the handle of a knife that was deeply embedded in the side of her throat. The shape laying next to her was male, but the face was gone. Something had pulverized the head, reducing it to a lumpy mess. Wren let out a scream of horror and stumbled away. He backpedaled, tripping over something and falling on his back. He turned his head from his place on the floor, and was face to face with the empty sockets of a skull. He screamed again and shot to his feet, realizing the floor was covered in bodies. Many of them were nothing more than skeletons, but several still had rotting flesh clinging to the bones.

    "A lot of people have come to help, but no one actually has." The child says, stepping closer to Wren. "They come inside, but then try and leave. But I can''t let them leave, they said they would help me! You''re not going to leave me, are you mister?"

    The room darkened around the child, as though it was sucking in the light. The temperature dropped even more, piercing into Wrens bones. He saw dark spots forming at the edges of his vision. He turned, trying to find the door, but he couldn''t.

    I have to get out! I have to find Lira! we must escape... His thoughts started to float away from him. He felt himself getting tired, like he''d been awake for days. He sank to his knees, heavy fatigue weighing him down. He closed his eyes, and felt his consciousness begin to drift away, when suddenly a voice tore through his mind.

    "WREN! GET UP AND RUN!" It was like a windstorm whipping through a forest, the haze in his mind blown away like dead leaves blasted from their branches. It was his sisters voice!

    He snapped his eyes open and saw the child floating above him, mere inches from his face, as he now lay on the floor. Its eyes too big for its face and pitch black, not even the whites visible. It''s mouth was an open black void with no teeth, black ichor dripping from the hole. Wren cried out and flung himself to his side, scattering bones. The child-thing shrieked, rattling the windows and causing Wren to clamp his hands over his ears. He rose to his feet and stumbled out of the room, trying not to trip over the bodies that now littered the floor and hallway. He felt the cold presence of evil behind him, and heard several overlapping voices cry out from the putrid corpse room.

    "YOU CANNOT LEAVE! WE NEED YOU!"

    Wren flung himself down the creaky stairs recklessly. Lira was still in the small bedroom, but she was on her knees now, her hands on her head and eyes closed. Ethereal shapes blinked in and out of sight around her, looking like the ghosts of men and women reaching out. Wren scooped her up, throwing her over his shoulder and charged into the kitchen. The door was closed, and no matter how hard Wren struggled it wouldn''t open. Panic filled his mind as he heard the entity moving down the stairs, the maddening cacophony of voices filling the house. A cold wave of despair washed into the ground floor, bringing with it the nearly overwhelming impulse to simply give in, to throw himself to the ground at the creatures feet.

    Wren looked around, hoping to find something, anything to help, when he heard glass shatter from the front room. He hurried back through the kitchen and saw, to his delight, the front window had been smashed. Glass crunched underfoot as he ran towards safety. Behind him, the monstrosity disguised as a child approached. It was now floating several feet off the floor, its hair sticking out in all directions. Its limbs bending in an otherworldly way, the fingers on it''s hands grotesquely long. Wren let out a long shout and hurled himself through the open window, landing hard in the snow outside.

    His heart was hammering in his ears and he was breathing heavily, but he heard nothing else. He lifted his head, looking around cautiously. The street was empty, no guards with dogs or evil beings to be seen. Behind him, the broken window of the house showed only darkness within. He clambered to his feet, sore from the impact, his hands shaking uncontrollably. Compared to the house, it was pleasantly warm outside. Taking several deep breaths to try and calm himself, Wren looked down at Lira who was sitting with her legs tucked to one side. Thankfully, she seemed ok. She looked up at him, and for the first time in too long, she smiled.

 _XIV_

    XIV

    Wren stood in the snow outside the house, his breath rising in small shuddering clouds. The cool air bit at his skin, but he didn''t feel it. His pulse was quick, but not because of the terror they had just experienced, but because of Lira. She sat on the ground, her legs tucked under her. She was looking up at him, smiling! Barely more than a curve of her lips, but to him it was a blast of sunshine. He bent down and scooped her up in his arms, holding her close. Tears fell from his eyes as he squeezed her tightly. She embraced him back, and Wren felt more joy than he had in a long long time. He wanted to hold her forever, savoring the happiness he felt, but something bugged him.

    He finally broke the embrace, glancing over at the house. Its broken window showing only darkness beyond, the feeble sunlight unable to pierce the menacing shadows. His eyes swept the area in front of the window. No glass littered the ground, it had been broken from the outside. Wren hadn''t questioned it at the time, but now he could clearly see that it was no coincidence. Someone knew they were trapped inside, and broke the window to help them escape. He turned his head, looking for any sign of life on the deserted street. There were prints in the snow from the guards and dogs, but nothing that indicated someone had approached and broke the window.

    "Hey sis," He said, turning to look at her. "You can''t like, feel if there''s someone nearby can you? Like if someone is watching us or something?"

    She cocked her head to the side and gave him a funny look.

    "No, no of course not." He mumbled to himself. He let go of his sister and scooped up his pack. "Come on, we should keep moving. Lets find somewhere less... haunted."

    The siblings left the main road, and returned to the alleyway behind the buildings. With guards on the prowl, it would be stupid to just be walking down the street. They slowly made their way along, keeping alert for anything.

    As the sun reached its zenith, Wren''s stomach reminded him yet again, they''d had very little to eat. He picked out a building that more resembled the old workshop they stayed in before, rather than the haunted house. No windows remained intact, the roof was caved in, and junk littered the floor. He glanced at his sister, double-checking that this place was suitable. She simply shrugged, then slipped through the doorless entryway.

    They sat down and Wren emptied out his pack. There was little food left, only three pieces of cheese and two heels of bread. He sighed. He would have to forage today, or risk going hungry tonight. He didn''t want to steal from the locals, but he wasn''t sure what else to do. As he started to divide the remaining supplies, he heard a thump outside. At first, he thought it was snow falling from the roof, but it sounded a little heavier than that. Pulling his cloak around him, he stood and cautiously approached the doorway. Looking outside, he saw no one. On the ground, not far from where he was standing, a burlap sack lay in the snow. Wren dashed outside and looked around, whipping his head from side to side. He looked up at the roof, and between this building and the next, but found nothing.

    "Who are you?! Why are you helping us?!" He cried out, secrecy be damned.

    No reply came. Still, he felt the back of his neck prickle, like someone was watching.

    He approached the sack and nudged it with his toe. Several apples rolled out. He leaned down to inspect them. They were slightly wizened, but nothing worse than what they would find in the mess hall. They seemed totally fine, so he brought them inside. Lira was looking at him curiously. He showed her what he found, and shrugged.

    "Someone is helping us. The blanket, the window, now this. I don''t know why, but we would be foolish to turn it down, right?"

    Lira inspected an apple, then bit into it. She closed her eyes in delight as juice ran down her chin. It was settled then. They gorged themselves on the apples which were slightly bitter, but compared to the stale bread and old cheese, they were amazing. Afterwards, they lay back, heads resting on their packs.

    "Hey sis", Wren said slowly. He heard her turn her head towards him. "I''m going to be honest. I have no idea what to do next."

    He sat up on his elbows, looking at his sister with an apologetic look.

    "I know escaping the compound was the right thing to do. The Silverbloods are doing things, things they shouldn''t be. But...I don''t want us to just be surviving out on the streets."

    Lira sat up, crossing her legs. Her blue eyes staring intently at him, as if she was trying to tell him something. She definitely seemed to be getting better, acting more like her old self. But he was still concerned, especially since she still couldn''t talk.

    "We need to find you help. But I can''t think of anyone we can go to. I doubt regular doctors could help, and I''m afraid the knights would find out if we went to any kind of official magic user." He felt defeated. He had barely been holding back his emotions as it was, trying not to think about everything that had happened. His family, the experiments on his sister...Sam. He felt his eyes get watery as it all started to flood his mind again.

    A sudden voice startled the siblings, causing them to jump.

    "What about an un-official magic user?"

    They scrambled to their feet and spun around. From a dark corner of the ransacked building stepped a woman. She wore a dark grey cloak, and beneath it, plain looking clothes. She looked completely unassuming. Her blond hair was up in a ponytail, and she had slightly almond shaped hazel eyes. She was maybe just out of her teenage years. She took a few steps towards them, and Wren could feel the air tingle slightly. He knew his sister was getting ready for anything.

    "Don''t come any closer! Who are you?" Wren said firmly.

    The woman, girl really, put her hands in front of her, non-threateningly.

    "Easy, My name is Sophie. I''m here to help you."

    Wren glanced at the burlap sack that held the apples.

    "Was that you?" He asked.

    "It was. It was also me at the house, and who gave you the blanket."

    "Why? What are you doing this for?"

    Sophie slowly reached into a satchel, and removed a sheet of parchment.

    "Have you seen these around?" She asked, holding it out.

    Wren cautiously moved closer, getting a better look at the paper.

    "The Kindred Enclave? Are you some kind of orphanage?" He squinted his eyes, still suspicious.

    She chuckled softly. It sounded genuine and innocent.

    "Hardly. We know you two escaped from the Silverblood compound. After we heard about the breakout, I tracked you down. The Enclave helps orphans, like you. Sometimes, they''re escapees from the compound. Others are survivors from attacks who make they''re way here, looking for help. But the city doesn''t really care. If they find orphans, they''re taken into the compound. We don''t do that."

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.Wren looked at his sister hesitantly. Her eyes weren''t glowing, and she seemed to be studying Sophie.

    "We also know about your sister, a little bit at least. We can help her."

    Wren was torn between wanting to immediately trust her, and still being suspicious.

    "But why not help us right away? Why wait? We could have been killed in that house!" Wren shouted.

    "We had to wait." Sophie replied. "I can''t tell you exactly why, not here. But it was for a good reason."

    That puzzled Wren, but it also piqued his curiosity.

    "Okay..." He said, his thoughts rolling around in his head. "Let''s say we go with you. Then what?"

    "Well, we can provide you with food, clothing, shelter, even find you work to make money. The Enclave is full of others like you. I was an orphan too, once. We want to know your story. I can''t really tell you anything else, but I promise, we aren''t part of the Silverbloods, the guards, or anyone else."

    Wren turned to his sister. "What do you think sis? I think...I think I want to trust her."

    Lira pulled her gaze away from Sophie to look at him. She stared into his eyes for a moment, then gave one firm nod.

    Wren exhaled, coming to a decision.

    "Okay Sophie, We''ll come with you."

    <hr>

    Sophie led the siblings out of the abandoned section of the city, which made Wren very nervous. They didn''t navigate down the main streets or walk among large crowds, but he still felt very exposed. The side streets and business roads they walked still had many people. They passed by beggars, workers, kids playing games, and general townsfolk. Homes and shops with people visible through the windows populated the area. After a while, Wren felt his unease drop as he became distracted by the sights and sounds around him. People here seem generally content. Most of the paths were clear of snow and not choked with mud, people nodded as they walked by, rather than scowl, and no one yelled or threatened them. The scent of freshly baked bread and simmering meat wafted through the air.

    Finally, they came to a storefront. A large window displayed various clothing on wooden displays. A child slightly younger than Wren swept the walkway out front. A cheery light blue sign over the door read "Aunt Belles Loomworks"

    Sophie led them through the door and into a large, sunlit room. Shelves with clothing filled the front half, and in the back behind a counter, girls of all ages worked on looms and spindles. A couple townsfolk lingered about, inspecting the items for sale or talking to someone behind the counter. A large older woman sat behind the front desk, her eyes glued to a ledger. Sophie approached the counter, and the woman looked up, a merry look on her pleasant face.

    "Hello Sophie dear! How nice it is to see you!"

    "Hello Auntie Belle. I''ve got a couple new employees." Replied Sophie.

    The woman leaned over the counter and adjusted her glasses, inspecting the siblings.

    "Mhmm, I see." She said, nodding knowingly. "Why don''t you take them back and get them all sorted, eh?"

    "Sure thing Auntie. Thank you!" Sophie cheerfully waved, and led them back around the counter, past the rows of busy tailors. She opened a door in the back, and they walked into what appeared to be a large storage room. Heaps of thread, yarn, needles, and many other items were carefully stacked everywhere. Wren glanced at Sophie questioningly, wondering why she had brought them back here.

    Sophie paid him no mind, simply walked to the back of the room. A stack of rugs covered the floor here, and she went about moving them. Beneath them, to Wren''s surprise, was a trapdoor. Sophie placed her hand flat upon the door and quietly muttered a few words. Nothing happened, but after a moment, she pulled the metal rung, lifting the door silently.

    "What was that about? Magic?" Questioned Wren.

    Sophie winked at him, "Just a little something we have to do."

    The trapdoor revealed a ladder going down into darkness. Many yards below, a lantern lit the ground where it ended.

    "Come on!" She said, swinging herself over the edge.

    Wren glanced at his sister, but she just shrugged and moved to follow. The siblings carefully followed Sophie, moving hand over hand down the ladder through the dark. At the bottom, they found themselves in a short tunnel, leading to a branching intersection. Lanterns chased away the shadows every few feet. Sophie led them to the intersection, then into another tunnel. They wound their way through several different tunnels, and quite quickly, Wren was hopelessly lost.

    Eventually, they were spat out into a large chamber. A man stepped from the darkness, stopping Sophie in her tracks.

    "Rats scurrying in the dark?" He asked gruffly.

    Wren was instantly on edge when the first word left the man''s mouth.

    "Nay, rabbits hurrying home." Sophie replied nonchalantly.

    The man patted her shoulder and said "Welcome back Sophie." Then stepped aside.

    Wren raised his eyebrows, realizing it was just a call-and-answer passcode.

    Inside the chamber, men and women hurried about, carrying boxes and supplies. Children ran around, laughing. Seats had been carved into the stone in the center, giving the space almost a peaceful town square appearance, minus the lack of sunlight or trees. They continued down another hall, and passed another sentry. Here, they stopped at a door. The sentry unlocked the door with a key, and stepped inside to light the lantern. The siblings followed Sophie inside. It was one big room, with three bunk beds on one side, a table and chairs in the center, and a small bookshelf on the other side. The room made Wren feel uneasy. He turned to ask her what was going on, but she started talking before he could speak.

    "I know what you''re thinking, but don''t worry. Until we know for sure that you won''t cause problems for the Enclave, you''ll have to stay in here. We''ll bring you food and water, but you can''t leave yet."

    "What?!" Exclaimed Wren. "You spent all that time following us, taking us through those tunnels, just to lock us in here?"

    "Calm down, please!" Sophie retorted. "It should only be for the night, I promise. It isn''t up to me anyway, this is just how the Enclave does things. You''ll have to talk to someone to get cleared before we can let you just roam around. For all we know, you could be spies. I''m sorry, but it''s a precaution they take very seriously."

    Wren was fuming. It made sense, but how it suddenly happened did not sit well with him.

    "Supper will be soon. Try and get some rest, in the morning someone will come to get you. Again, I''m sorry about this, but it''s done for a good reason." With that, Sophie left the room. Wren heard the guard lock the door behind her. Once again, it seemed like they were prisoners.

 _XV_

    XV

    Wren paced back and forth in the small room provided by the Kindred Enclave. Last night he did not sleep easy, and he woke up restless. Being underground, he had no idea what time it was, but his stomach rumbled and breakfast had not yet been delivered. Lira sat on the edge of one of the bunk beds, watching her brother trace the same path over and over. So far, the Enclave had not been unkind, and had in fact been very welcoming. But Wren hated being locked in a room and told to wait. For all he knew, this was all some elaborate ruse to attract runaways before cycling them back into the orphanage. His frustration only grew as time dragged on. Oh how he wished his sister could speak! He longed to have someone to share his thoughts with. Lira did what she could with her comforting touches and looks, but she couldn''t provide him with any advice, or retort the fears that haunted his thoughts.

    Finally, a knock sounded on the door, and Wren spun around. The door opened, and a guard stepped in, different from yesterday, followed by Sophie.

    "Finally! Are you letting us out of here?" He asked impatiently.

    "Not just yet." She said, holding out a tray of food. "Breakfast first. The interviewer is almost ready."

    On the tray was an assortment of foods--muffins, fruit, and cheese--all of it looking much more appetizing than the mess hall food. Wren wanted to complain, but the pangs in his stomach made him hold his tongue. He took the tray and thanked her, carrying it to the small table in the center of the room. The guard closed the door again, locking it with a sturdy click. Wren was anxious to leave their confinement, but a good meal wouldn''t hurt. Lira came over, her eyes sparkling. They silently ate, and Wrens'' mood was temporarily improved by the delightful breakfast.

    Once again a knock sounded on the door, only shortly after they had started eating. The guard entered, but instead of Sophie, a tall older man in a long brown cloak followed in.

    "Good Morning! I hope your stay hasn''t been too bad." He said, a slightly foreign accent in his voice. "I apologize for these precautions, but it is a necessary step."

    "Necessary how?" Questioned Wren.

    The man came in and took a seat in one of the chairs. Under his cloak he brought out a blank parchment and stationary.

    "Well, we had to make sure you weren''t being followed. If knights or guards were ever led to our location, it could ruin everything we''ve worked so hard to do. We also need to make sure you aren''t working for them, even if it''s without your knowledge."

    Wren raised his eyebrows. "Do you plan on reading our thoughts?"

    "Not exactly." Replied the man. "You will tell me your stories, and I will ask you questions. While I am not a proficient psycho-mage, I have enough talent to detect a lie, and can feel if there is some underlying pressure if you do."

    Wren glanced at Lira. "Sophie said you know a little about what happened to my sister. Can you help her?"

    The man dipped his head slightly. "Alas, I am not here to help with whatever mental conditions the knights may have incurred upon her, nor would I be able to. I am here simply to collect information, and make a recommendation. Help will come after, should we deem it necessary."

    Wren frowned at this answer.

    "Oh how rude of me! I never introduced myself!" The man stuck his hand out. "You may call me Keel. It''s a much shorter name than the one from my homeland."

    Wren and Lira took turns shaking his hand. It was firm, but not rough.

    "Let''s get started, shall we?" He said, leaning forward.

    The minutes passed as Keel interviewed Wren, starting with his childhood, going all the way to the moment Sophie approached them. He asked details about the compound, how he was treated, the behavior of the staff and the other orphans, plucking every detail he could from Wrens story. When the time came to talk about Lira and her condition, Wren made sure to be as clear as possible in his retelling. By the end of it all, He had written on several pages. Keel leaned back, looking over his notes.

    "So I didn''t detect any dishonesty from you, nor any strong impulses during any of your answers. As for your sister, since she cannot answer me I''ll have to use alternate methods."

    He turned his chair so he faced Lira directly, and held out his hands, palms up.

    "Please, place your hands in mine."

    She did as she was asked, laying her small hands in Keels.

    "Now, I will ask you to think of things, and I want you to picture them in your mind as clearly as you can. Ideally, this shouldn''t hurt."

    "Shouldn''t?" Wren repeated, slightly alarmed.

    Keel didn''t answer, but lowered his head and closed his eyes.

    "Now, I need to see the night of the werewolf attack." He asked.

    Lira closed her eyes. The two sat in silence. Keel continued to ask questions, to which of course she didn''t reply. The whole ordeal seemed rather strange to Wren. The two of them just sitting, heads bowed, eyes closed, hands together.

    "Okay, now, the infirmary. Show me everything you remember." Asked Keel.

    A frown slowly made its way onto Liras face. Wren saw Keels jaw clench and a vein stand out from his neck. A tingle of energy wafted through the room.

    "Steady...breathe slow...just picture his face." Keel said quietly, his teeth clenched tight.

    His sisters hair began to stir, and the hair raised on Wrens arms. He took a step back, not sure what was going to happen.

    "Lira...focus on the room! Pull yourself out of--" Keel was cut off as a grunt of pain escaped his lips. Keel''s cloak lifted, and the air began to take on a shimmery appearance, like heat waves over cobblestones on a hot day.

    Lira suddenly gasped and lifted her head, her blue eyes wide open and glowing. Keel seemed to curl in more, tucking his head almost to his legs. A burst of energy erupted from the two of them, knocking Wren against the wall. Keel wrenched his hands away from Lira, panting heavily. His sister slumped in the chair.

    "What happened?! Is she okay?!" Wren said, scrambling to her side.

    Keel leaned over, his hands on his knees. When he looked up at Wren, his face was red, and sweat dripped from the tip of his nose.

    "Yes...yes she''s fine." The tall man wearily placed his hand on his chair and lowered himself down. "Sir Orin, the senior Psycho-mage within the compound, he has been inside your sisters mind."

    Wren placed a hand on the side of her face, carefully watching her breathing. "What did he do to her?" His voice was almost a whisper.

    "That, I don''t know. I was unable to glean much information. The reason for the sudden appearance of mage-like abilities seems to have been intentional. He somehow imbued her with his own magical energies. I saw...well I''m not sure what I saw. Glimpses of things that didn''t make sense." Keel said carefully.

    "Wait, he gave her his powers? Why would he do something like that?" Wren asked, turning his head to look at the man.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.Keel shook his head. "No that''s not what I said. It''s more like...he transferred some of himself, some of his own will he uses to access his own abilities, into her mind. As I said, I couldn''t see much, and what I did see was confounding. What I will suggest," he said, leaning forward to look at his notes. "Is that you two are no longer kept here in isolation. I cannot confidently say she is not a danger to us, but I am not currently concerned with it. I need to go finalize my notes, and you two should be allowed some level of freedom before too long."

    Keel rose slowly, and walked to the door.

    "What about Lira? Will she be okay?" Wren asked, standing up.

    Keel rapped his knuckles on the door, and the sentry pulled it open. He turned to look at Wren as he stepped through the door. "Right now, she''s simply exhausted, and should wake up soon. As for the long term? Well, I need to speak to some colleagues, but I believe we can help."

    He stepped away, and the door was once again closed and locked.

    <hr>

    The siblings were enjoying roast chicken, berries, and bread when a knock came at the door. This time, Sophie walked in by herself, a small box in her arms.

    "Good news! You''re free to go!" she said, energetically. "I told you it wouldn''t be for very long."

    Wren leapt to his feet, knocking his chair over. He sheepishly picked it up, then turned to Sophie. "So does that mean we''re part of the Enclave?"

    Sophie sat down the box and opened the lid, revealing clothing.

    "Sort of. I can explain more in a little bit, but for now, I''ve brought you new clothes. Well they aren''t new, but we can''t have you running around in Silverblood orphanage clothes. Change into these, and place your old stuff in the box. Cloaks too." She set out two sets of clothing, then walked back to the door. "Just knock when you''re done!"

    Wren held up an olive green tunic. beneath it were light brown trousers. They were in much better condition than what they currently had. The siblings changed, Wren into his tunic, Lira into a simple darker green dress. They fit well. Wren knocked on the door and Sophie opened it.

    "Great! just leave that box there, someone will come for it." She turned and began walking down a corridor. "Come on, I can take you to your living quarters now."

    Sophie led them through the communal room they first saw, and passed more rooms. Despite being in an underground tunnel, the lighting and size didn''t leave Wren feeling all that claustrophobic. The Enclave had done a fair job trying to make it feel like a home. They laid out rugs, hung simple tapestries, and added potted plans. The extra effort went a long way, and he appreciated it.

    As they walked, Sophie spoke.

    "For now, you two will reside here, in this shelter. Depending on what happens, you may be moved to another location. But don''t worry about that right now. You''ve already been assigned a job, which is great! It will act as a cover for you, help out the Enclave, and earn you some money!"

    "A job?" Asked Wren. "Like cleaning out the tunnels or something?" His experience at the orphanage lurking in his mind.

    "No, like an actual job. You''ll meet the man you''ll be working for shortly. There''s also one last thing we need to do today for you''ll be allowed out."

    As they approached an intersection on passages, an older man with huge arms stepped out. Sophie stopped and held out her hand, indicating to the siblings.

    "Marco, this is Wren and Lira, your new workers."

    The big man eyed them up and down. His bald head glinted in the lantern. A smile cracked his short kept beard. He reached a giant hand out his skin a copper color, engulfing Wrens forearm completely.

    "Glad ta meetcha lad. You look tough enough. Farm hand I assume?" His gravelly voice was gruff, but friendly.

    Wren nodded. Marco daintily touched Liras hand with his fingertips and bowed his head slightly.

    "How d''ya do lass? I''ll have a nice job for you in my shop to keep you busy, but nothin'' too rough." Lira nodded, her blue eyes never leaving Marcos face.

    "Marco here," Sophie started, smacking the big man''s arm. "runs the smithy in this district of town. He does all kinds of work, so he''ll keep you plenty busy. Anyway, one last important issue."

    Sophie led them down the left-hand tunnel and through a door with a sentry standing idle. On the other side was a ladder leading to another trap door. She led them up, rapping on the door a few times with a specific rhythm of knocks. After a moment, the hatch popped open.

    The light coming through absolutely blinded Wren, who had gotten used to the tunnels. He blindly climbed up and out of the hole, and found himself in another backroom. A shape moved to his left and he gave a shout, jumping. A very short, hunched old woman in a dark green hooded cloak giggled.

    "No need to fret deary, it''s just old Agret." She said, her voice croaky. Her face was crisscrossed with many lines, and her eyes were cloudy, yet a twinkle still remained.

    "This is Agret, the local apothecary." Said Sophie, amusement in her eyes.

    The crone hobbled out through a door disguised as a wall and into her shop. The walls were lined with shelves, and absolutely packed with all manner of things. Plants, potions, books, jars, and a plethora of other things. A myriad of scents assaulted Wren, making his head spin.

    "We need to do something about your appearances." Stated Sophie. "I can tell you''ve already had your sisters hair trimmed. With...what, a dull knife?" She leaned closer to Lira, inspecting her hair.

    "Uh, sheers, from a horse stable." said Wren, only slightly offended.

    Sophie nodded. "Well at any rate, Agret here will fix you two up."

    The old woman brought out two sacks, plopping them on the counter.

    "I''ve got walnut husks and indigo for a darker color, and chamomile for a lighter shade. Who wants what?"

    Wren looked at Lira and tried to picture her with something other than the soft woodsy brown. The idea brought an unexpected pang of sadness. Their mothers hair was the same color, and changing it would be just another reminder of how displaced they had become.

    "Well...I don''t think I really care that much. What about you sis?" Wren said.

    Lira walked to the counter, opening each sack and inspecting their contents. After a moment of contemplation, she slid the bag of indigo and walnut husks towards Agret.

    "aah, a darker tone for the lass. Once I stained my hair black too. Fancied myself as quite the seductress back in my day." Agret cackled.

    "Guess that means sun bleached for you!" said Sophie, ruffling Wrens hair.

    "This will take some time, some go ahead and get comfortable. You can peruse my shop all you want, just don''t break anything!" Agret said, leading Lira over to a chair.

    Wren stepped further into the shop, trying not to contemplate how his life was getting another unexpected change.

 _XVI_

    XVI

    The wagon rolled solemnly down the dusty road. Riders in gleaming white armor flanked the road, but their shoulders sagged. A gentle rain fell from a gloomy sky, pinging off the metal. Behind the wagon rode the patrols healer, Sir Cael. He kept his eyes on the back of the wagon, watching for movement. Inside lay two of his fellow knights, both with grisly injuries. Cael had stabilized them, but just barely. One would lose his arm for sure, the other may never walk again.

    They had been tracking what should have been a small pack of young werewolves. It was known for a while that a pack was operating outside of a nearby village, and reports indicated it was only a few small ones. However, when the knights followed the pack to a large farmhouse, they quickly realized how wrong they were. Over half a dozen of the monsters were assaulting the house, most of them older and bigger. The entire family of six was slaughtered. The Silverbloods killed only four werewolves, but in return took two heavy casualties. Cael was bitter about how the night turned out.

    The convoy was heading away from the decimated farmhouse now, en route to the village it belonged to. They needed to rest, and nobody wanted to camp off the road after the recent events. Especially because the werewolves didn''t so much run away, but seemed to regroup within the trees. Cael had never seen that kind of behavior before, and it disturbed him greatly. More and more lately, Cael found himself bitter, jaded by the way things were going. He grew up watching the Silverbloods march through the city streets, cheering for them as they rode out to defend the people. He had longed for the day that he too, might bear their crest. Now, many years later, his silver eyes had lost that passion.

    He noted to himself silently that as the patrol rolled into the village, not a soul was out to greet them. They plodded into the village square, bringing the wagon to a halt next to a fountain packed with snow. As Cael looked around, he saw faces in windows, briefly, before they closed the shutters, or walked away. The few lanterns that were still lit, barley illuminated the area around them.

    Sir Isaac, the patrol leader and the only knight here above Cael, dismounted. The blond haired man walked past the fountain, removing his gloves and looking around.

    "Did we ride into a ghost town? Where the bloody hell is everyone?" He said, as Cael walked up to him.

    "They don''t want to come out. I''ve seen a few shutter their windows." Replied Cael, shaking his long greying hair at a feeble attempt to dry off.

    Isaac approached the town hall building across from the square. Before he got to the steps, a short stout man emerged from the doorway.

    "What can I do for you gentlemen?" He asked, his voice echoing across the empty space.

    "Are you the village Bailiff by chance?" Countered Sir Isaac.

    "That I am. You''ve come to sort out our problem, I assume?"

    "I am Sir Isaac, patrol leader." Isaac approached the man as he spoke, wishing to get out from the rain. "We''ve come from the farmstead about an hour down the road. I regret to inform you that all the occupants have been slain."

    The Bailiff scoffed. "What use are you then? you didn''t happen to load the bodies into that wagon there, did you?"

    The knight scowled. "No, we did not. We have our own wounded that need the space. We came in search of shelter and warm food."

    "Bah." Retorted the man on the porch. "The tavern''s closed up. Folks don''t stay out after dark anymore these days, for obvious reasons."

    "My good sir," Isaac said, raising his voice slightly and taking another step forward. "We are the Silverblood knighthood. We have come in the pursuit of the creatures that did this. The least you could do is offer us a little hospitality."

    "My good sir," the Bailiff fired back. "The beasts you''re lookin'' for, aren''t here. last I heard, they were about an hour down the road. Perhaps check there." With that, he turned and strode back into the town hall.

    Isaac was fuming as he spun around, red-faced and muttering to himself.

    Cael however, went up the steps and knocked on the door. It cracked open to reveal the Bailiffs frowning face.

    "What, does Sir Isaac think he can send one of his lackeys to come bully me?" He said through the crack in the door.

    "No," started Cael. "Sir, please. My superior can be quite full of himself. We will leave the town square, but I must ask, Why the harshness? We used to be more welcome in these parts, what''s changed?"

    The Bailiff eyed the knight up and down, his frown unwavering. Finally, he pulled the door open a little more.

    "Aye, we used to greet the Silverbloods with open arms. But over time, the attacks have become more frequent and deadly. We''ve called for aid till our voices were hoarse, but when a patrol would finally come, it would be either just before or just after a slaughter. Then they would pack up, leaving the bodies to rot in the fields, and taking the children that survived back to the city. Never once were we asked if we wanted the poor souls. But it just kept happening." The mans'' voice became mournful, and his eyes watery. "I lost my only son to an attack. An attack we knew was comin''. He was helping to evacuate folks when the beasts came. They ripped him apart, not even leaving a body. By the time the patrol showed up, the monsters were gone."

    Cael lowered his head, his heart aching from the story.

    "Since then," Continued the Bailiff, his voice sharpening once again. "We''ve tried to do more for ourselves. Everyone--and I mean everyone--took up arms. Every man, woman, and child that could has been training. We knew they were coming back, but we didn''t expect them to attack on that side of the village."

    "I''m so sorry." Said Cael, his voice a soft whisper. "They''ve been getting harder to track. We didn''t even expect to find as many as we did."

    The Bailiff scowled. "Then it sounds like someone didn''t do a very good job. I don''t know how you handle things, but if I were you, I''d start demanding answers. Now please, leave us in peace."

    He shut the door, leaving Cael standing on the porch, crestfallen.

    The knight slowly trudged back to his mount. The convoy was ready to move out of the village, so he saddled up and plodded alone behind the wagon, lost in thought.

    He''s right. Thought Cael. We need answers.

    The patrol stopped along the road several minutes outside the village, in a field near a clearly forsaken house. The knights dismounted, and quickly began setting up camp. Snow was shoveled, tents sprung up in the grass, and a bon fire was started. Cael wandered into the freshly erected command tent, where he found Isaac and two other senior knights. They were looking at a map, quietly arguing. After a minute, they finally noticed Cael standing solemnly nearby.

    "What''s gotten into you?" Ask one of the knights.

    Cael raised his eyes to look at them.

    "This isn''t right. Between what we thought we knew, and how the wolves behaved, there''s something going on." He said.

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.They started at him for a moment, their silver eyes occasionally flicking to each other.

    "These things happen Cael. Sometimes we''re too late, none of the orphans survive."

    Anger flashed through Cael''s eyes.

    "They aren''t orphans, they''re children, with families. They died because of us! I''ve seen this happen too much lately, and I want to know why."

    The other knights withdrew, startled by his outburst. Isaac stepped towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

    "Your passion to the knighthood is commendable, but no need to take it so hard. We know of other packs in the area, we can track those. There''s still time to for us to find some survivors and--"

    Cael shrugged his leaders hand off aggressively.

    "This isn''t about finishing our assignment! Innocent people are dying, and I''m sick of it! No longer are we heroes of the kingdom, returning to cheers and praises. People are afraid of the things in the night, yes, but they are also afraid of US now. This isn''t why I became a knight."

    He stormed from the tent, leaving his shocked peers behind. He heard laughter, and saw men gathered around the fire. Joking and laughing like nothing had happened. He used to be like them once. Even after his many promotions. Now he felt sickened. His feet carried him to his tent, but he stopped just outside the flap. A myriad of emotions swirled inside him. He wanted space, he wanted silence. He turned on his heel, returning to his horse. Mounting up, a junior knight approached.

    "Do you need a partner sir?" The young man asked.

    Cael glanced at him.

    "No. I''m not going far." With that, he turned his steed, and galloped away from the tent. He thundered down the road, head down, no destination in mind. The rain had picked up a little, seeping into his armor and through his clothes underneath, but he didn''t care. He rode into the night, pushing his horse, as if he could escape his thoughts.

    Finally, he slowed his mount, and lifted his head. Through the gloom, he spotted a farmhouse. It was the one they had left earlier. Without a second thought, he nudged his horse off the road and into the snowy field. He stopped by the front door, which had been ripped off its hinges. Cael dismounted and stepped inside. It was eerily quiet, and little light made its way through the windows. He closed his eyes and focused for a moment, muttering an incantation. When he opened them again, his eyes shimmered slightly, and the world around him was lit up, like a soft full moon had pierced the clouds and roof. His magically enhanced vision allowed him to see the full detail of the slaughter. The entryway was slick with blood, and the fathers body lay a short distance away, his throat torn out completely. Cael stepped carefully over the corpse, walking deeper into the house. Pieces of viscera lay scattered about the living room. A hand, that of a teen, lay near a broken chair. The eldest son. The entire first floor was wrecked. Furniture was destroyed, windows broken, food, clothing, and toys scattered everywhere. Cael said a brief prayer before moving upstairs. At the top, he had to avert his eyes. The body of a headless child was crumpled in the hallway, blood pooling beneath it. The second oldest son. He followed the bloody trail into a bedroom, where the remains of a bed sat in a corner. Blood and gore were splattered all over the walls around the broken bed, even dripping from the ceiling. Only a few traces of hair were left to show that this was the third oldest, and the only daughter. Cael hurried from this room, but hesitated when he got to the broken door frame at the end of the hall. He needed to see. He hadn''t been here to save them, so he had to see his failure. Inside, a large bed sat against the wall, its legs on one side broken. The body of what was once a woman lay curled on the bed, an arm missing and coved in blood. Clutched against her chest, was the mangled remains of a small child, just a toddler. Cael stared at the horrible scene, letting it burn into his brain.

    They had worked fast, catching the father and oldest son by surprise, and not even waking the daughter. This was unusual. Normally the beasts made a big commotion, howling and growling as they approached their prey. Cael stepped back outside, breathing the frigid winter air in deeply. The rain had stopped, finally. He peered through the gloom, trying to locate where they had done battle. He wandered around for a bit, finally locating the trampled snow and spots of blood. The bodies of the slain beasts lay still, slumped in the snow. They were all small, like they had originally expected to find. The patrol hadn''t managed to take down any of the larger ones.

    Cael knelt next to one.

    something feels...off... He thought. He looked towards the tree line, but even with magic enhanced sight, he couldn''t see into the deep gloom. It felt like something was watching him from those shadows. Suspicion growing, he closed his eyes and focused. He was exhausted from healing his comrades earlier, so he had to dig down a little deeper, pulling magic from deep within himself. A swirl of energy shimmered around him, like leaves blowing in the wind. He opened his eyes, but was disappointed. He could see no traces of magic among the trees, at least from here. Then he looked down.

    The body of the werewolf was glowing a soft blue. Cael rose quickly and took a step back.

    "This aura...it''s strong..." He muttered in shock. Someone had done something to them, but he didn''t know what. Even if he wasn''t exhausted, he didn''t have that kind of magic in his arsenal. He knelt by the corpse again, moving his hand above it, feeling the residual energy like heat from a fire. He closed his eyes again, trying to feel the arcane flow. It wasn''t just lingering magic, it was dormant. His curiosity piqued, he reached deeper, trying to pluck at the mystical aura.

    Suddenly, the corpse at his feet shuddered. His eyes snapped open. He stared at the body, his eyes wide. His ears filled with the silence of the night, but nothing moved. Slowly, he closed his eyes again. The aura had definitely responded to his prodding. He reached out again, his energies brushing with that of the body. The ethereal weave quivered, and the mass he knelt by shifted again. This time he was sure. It was like the slight movement of someone sleeping, only this was a werewolf with a massive sword wound in its neck.

    Cael stood, feeling the strain of magic use tug on his mind. He needed to leave, to get rest. As he backed away, he eyed the shadowy tree line once more, still feeling like he had an unwanted audience. A shiver ran down his spine. He''d seen enough.

    Mounting his horse again, he galloped back towards the camp, his mind buzzing. He had a hunch, but no way to confirm it. The thought briefly crossed his mind to talk with Isaac about it, but he quickly scoffed at that. Isaac likely wouldn''t care. No, he would keep this to himself, for now. Once they made it back to the city, he had questions, and damn it all, he was going to get answers.

 _XVII_

    XVII

    Two days had passed since Wren started working at the smithy. He helped Marco at the forge, quenching hot metal, working the bellows, and running things around the shop. Lira worked the books, tracking orders, taking inventory and after just the first day, she had taken it upon herself to develop a more efficient sorting system. Wren would occasionally spot her around the shop and have to do a double take. Agret, the apothecary, had trimmed her hair a bit and dyed it a deep dark brown, almost black. His own reflection was equally surprising. His hair had been cut slightly shorter, and was now a much lighter shade, like the color of wheat. With their new looks, the Enclave said they were free to roam the city, although they should stick to this district for now. Wren was eager to get some real time out and about, but so far they''ve been kept busy. Marco had no shortage of work.

    Wren was putting the bellows away after helping Marco, when the bell of the front door jingled. Wren turned and felt his chest tighten. Stepping into the shop, dressed in white leathers, was a Silverblood knight. Wren ducked behind the wall in the forge room, looking at Marco with wide eyes. Marco glanced curiously into the main room, then grinned when he saw the knight.

    "Stay back here, but keep your ears open--you might learn a thing or two." Whispered the blacksmith, walking past him.

    "Welcome back Tyrus!" Greeted Marco.

    "Hello old friend. You''ve finished the sword?" Asked the knight.

    Marco reached under the counter, revealing a gleaming longsword. Even from the back room, Wren could see the amazing quality of the blade. The light caught the metal, revealing a strange cross hatch pattern. Marco handed the weapon over.

    "I''ve wrapped the hilt in fresh white leather, and the guard has the new etching you asked for."

    Tyrus inspected the work, nodding happily. "Once again Marco, excellent work. Honestly, you should be working somewhere better than back in this little shop!"

    "When my family left the Sun-Kissed Isles to start this shop," replied Marco. "They wanted to provide the common man with high quality work and reasonable cost. If I relocate to the compound or deeper into the city, that wouldn''t be possible."

    Tyrus looked at Marco knowingly.

    "Your respect for your family''s legacy is admirable. Well no matter your station, You''ll always have my money."

    As the knight began fishing for coins out of his belt satchel, Marco leaned forward on the counter.

    "So what''s been going on with you my friend? You''ve got quite a few more wrinkles since the last time we talked."

    Tyrus glanced up at the smithy, a slight grin on his face.

    "Ah you know me well. I''m sure you you''ve heard about our recent problems?"

    Marco chuckled. "Which ones?"

    Tyrus shook his head. "Right again friend. Well with the recent recruiting troubles, our patrols have become...exhausting. Going out longer, farther, with less knights, more often."

    "I''ve seen the newest posters, aren''t those working?" Asked Marco, pointing to one of the fliers he had pinned to a wall.

    "If only it was so easy!" Replied Tyrus. "Even with uh, you know, the orphans," The knights eyes flicked around cautiously. " We''re barely meeting our quota."

    What about the orphans? Wren thought, listening intently from the backroom.

    "But it''s different now." Continued the knight. "High command is working on a new initiative. Focusing more on those with low latent magical talent, rather than just trying to fill boots."

    "Oh?" Said Marco. "That seems a strange direction for the knighthood."

    "Indeed." Tyrus agreed. "And you didn''t hear it from me, but rumor is our good old Psycho-Mage, Sir Orin, even has some new method of identifying even the lowest of talents. I can''t tell you the details of course, but it''s almost like he can unlock hidden talents."

    Wren''s ears perked up at hearing this.

    "What? Like giving people abilities who''ve never had any before?" Probed Marco.

    "Something like that." Tyrus answered. "I''ve met a couple of these new projects of his, and let me tell you, I don''t know if I like it. They all seem to be young kids, and while they do posses remarkable talent, they seem...hollow. Like whatever he''s doing is taking away from who they are as a person. As someone with absolutely no magical talent to speak of, I find it a little unsettling."

    Marco was silent as he counted the coins the knight had laid on the counter. Tyrus sheathed his new weapon and shook Marcos hand.

    "Well it was a pleasure doing business with you old friend. I hope things work out for you." The smithy said.

    The knight waved as he turned and exited the shop. Wrens thoughts swirled in his brain. Lira stepped out from the other room, where she was taking inventory. She looked at Wren with wide eyes.

    "What about the orphans, Marco?" Asked Wren, stepping into the main shop. The big man turned his hazel eyes to Wren.

    Sighing, he raised his eyes to the ceiling.

    "Well you were bound to find out sooner or later."

    Wren stepped closer. "What is it Marco? Please, we need to know."

    "As I''m sure you know, the Enclave is very interested in the goings-on of the knighthood. Hence why I sell to knights, it allows me to collect information. Plus I''ve spent a long time building rapport with him. Something we''ve been keeping track of for a while now, is how the orphanage operates. Did you notice anything odd about how things worked when you were there?"

    Wren immediately recalled several things, like his perception that the older kids were being treated like recruits.

    "I can see it in your eyes." Marco commented, looking at Wren. "You''ve seen the signs. The orphanage may have started with good intent, but very quickly the knighthood started using it to indoctrinate kids. A lot of the older kids, when they come of age, either volunteer to become initiates, or get drafted. We aren''t sure how effective it is, but more and more of the young knights recently haven''t come from within the city. The Enclave is concerned about just how effective the orphanage has actually become, and now hearing what Sir Tyrus has told me, we have an extra reason to be concerned. Speaking of which, I need to report what I''ve learned."

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.Marco went to the front of his shop and flipped the sign on the door from "Open", to "Closed".

    "I still have work that needs doing, but this is important. Follow me." He told Wren, then hurried to the storage room.

    Inside, Marco picked up a small box. After double checking its contents, he closed the lid and drove a few nails in the top, then handed it to Wren.

    "A dozen horseshoes. I need you to deliver this to Mister Humphrey, who owns the book store down the street."

    Wren took the package excitedly. His first delivery, and his first chance to go out!

    Marco poked his head around the door frame. "Lira, can you stay here? If you can keep working on the inventory I''d appreciate it."

    Lira looked up from the ledger she was working on, nodding.

    "Excellent. I shouldn''t be very long."

    Wren grabbed his fur lined cloak, graciously provided to him from the Enclave, and stepped outside. Marco locked the door behind him.

    The cold wind stung his face, and he pulled the cloak around him tightly. A light snow fell gently, but people still ventured out, walking along the street. The sky was overcast, but it wasn''t dark, and despite the chill it was a good day to be out. Wren headed down the street, taking in the sights around him. Folks were coming and going from local shops, running errands or just strolling up and down the snowy avenue. He peeked through windows as he walked by, looking in at people looking for clothing, buying food, for having work done. He''d only ever been to the main market with his father in the city center, but there seemed to be places of commerce through the city! He couldn''t wait until he had a real day off to venture around. For now, he headed straight down the street, looking for the bookstore.

    After a few minutes of walking, he saw the sign. A large wooden cutout shaped like a book, with the words "The Bookworm" written in fancy script. Wren pushed through the door, making a little bell jingle pleasantly. An older man at a desk looked up, adjusting his glasses to better see Wren.

    "What can I do for you lad?" He asked, his voice soft and grandfatherly.

    Wren stepped forward, placing his delivery on the desk.

    "I''m supposed to give this to Mister Humphrey? Its from Marco the blacksmith."

    The old man pulled the crate towards him, fumbling with a tool to try and remove the lid.

    "Can I help?" Wren asked politely.

    The man looked up surprised, then handed the tool to Wren.

    " I''d be grateful for that lad. These old hands aren''t so good with tools anymore."

    Wren slid the tool under the lid and wrenched, popping the lid off. Inside were two neat rows of shiny new horseshoes.

    The old man inspected them. "Very nice! His work is always superb."

    He reached below the counter, handing Wren a small bag.

    "Here''s the payment, and here''s a few for you lad. Thank you again for the help."

    Wren accepted the coins happily, staring at them in his hand.

    Four whole silver! Just for a delivery! He thought, elated.

    Wren left the book store with a spring in his step. Recalling a store he saw on the way over, he quickly made his way back towards the blacksmiths. He stopped in front of a colorful sign out side a storefront.

    "Treats, Pastries, and Breads!" it read. Wren stepped inside, breathing in deeply.

    A kindly woman behind the counter was tying a ribbon on a box for a customer, and she looked up as Wren walked in.

    "I''ll be with you in one moment, love!" She called.

    Wren looked at the big sign by the counter, admiring the colorful paintings of all the things the shop offered.

    When the customer left, Wren strode over the the lady.

    "can I get two honey cakes please?" He asked.

    The lady went to fetch the treats while Wren pulled two silver coins from his tiny purse. She placed them in a brown wrapper, and thanked him for his coins.

    Wren left the shop and bounded back to the blacksmiths, excited to share his new treasures with his sister.

    Arriving at the shop, he saw the closed sign was still flipped. He knocked on the door and tried to peek through the darkened window. The lock clicked and Wren hurried inside.

    Instead of seeing Marco, Keel stood by the door.

    The tall man smiled at Wren. "Good to see you Wren! How are you doing?"

    Wren, surprised to see him here, stumbled on his words, holding the coin purse up Mister Humphrey had given him.

    "Ah, Marco had you running a delivery I see. That''s a little sooner than we would have recommended, but he did have an important matter to attend to."

    Lira poked her head from around the backroom, her eyes immediately locking onto the wrapped goods in Wrens hand.

    "And what''s that? You did a little shopping for you and your sister?" Keel asked, also taking note of the treats.

    "Um, yes sir. Honey cakes." Wren replied meekly.

    "splendid! I''ve heard those are very good. However they will have to wait. I''ve come to collect your sister."

    Wren looked up at Keel sharply. "What do you mean? Has something happened?"

    Keel chuckled softly.

    "Fret not lad, it is good news in fact!" He replied. "An associate of mine wants to talk to your sister. Well, he wants to learn more at least."

    Lira stepped forward, looking at keel curiously.

    "He is more talented than I at the magic of the mind, and was very interested when I described our interview to him."

    "Can he help her?" Wren asked, unable to keep excitement out of his voice.

    "It''s not my place to say if he can or cannot do anything for her, but rest assured, he will do what he can." Answered Keel, placing a hand on his shoulder.

    "Marco asked me to have you stay here, while I take her myself." Wren''s heart dipped when he heard this. "So save your treats, and tonight the two of you can enjoy them, hopefully with some more good news!"

    Wren hated being separated from his sister, especially after everything they had been through so far. But he knew he had to trust Keel and the Enclave, so he nodded, trying not to let his emotions get the best of him.

    He hugged his sister, and watched sadly as the two of them exited through the hidden door at the back of the shop, the honey cakes still clutched in his hand.

 _XVIII_

    XVIII

    Keel walked with Lira through the streets, crunching through the snow and dodging icy puddles. He watched her from the corner of his eye, as she looked at the city around them. She was so young, yet so much has happened, and he knew her life was about to get a whole lot more complicated.

    "So, Lira," he began. "I am taking you to a friend of mine. Have you ever been to church before?"

    She shook her head. Her memories of leaving the farm were mostly of the markets, with her father and brother.

    "I thought not. Most orphans from outside the city only experience the faithful if they reside inside a village with a church, of which there are few." Keel pointed up the road, which was beginning to wind its way up a small hill, to a large majestic building. It had a tall pointed roof, with a large star on top. Many stained glass windows decorated its walls, and a large golden bell hung halfway up the tower.

    "My friend is the Elder Didact. He is more of a teacher than a preacher, and has acquired much knowledge from outside these city walls. He also possesses many unique talents, which is why we are going to see him today. I am confidant he can help us with your...situation."

    The two of them continued to hike up towards the cathedral, following the road as it narrowed. The afternoon sun was at their backs as the approached the gates. Keel placed his hand on his chest, fingers splayed out, and bowed his head as they walked through. As he stepped towards the doors, he realized Lira wasn''t next to him. Turning, he saw her standing just inside the gate. Her head turned in the direction of the small cemetery that sat beside the building. Keel watched as her eyes moved back and forth, as if following things he couldn''t see. Walking back to her side, he knelt down. He turned his head, to look where she was looking.

    "Lira, what do you see?" He asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

    She glanced at him, then frowned, looking back at the cemetery. She raised a hand, pointing toward some gravestones-then let if fall limply to her side. She slumped her shoulders and dropped her chin to her chest, hunching forward. She then took a few shambling steps forward. It brought a striking image to Keels mind of a patient solemnly wandering the halls of a hospital.

    Just as I suspected. Keel thought excitedly. She can see spirits!

    Keel rose to his feet, tapping her on the shoulder. She stopped her ghostly act, and looked up at him.

    "Thank you for the demonstration Lira. Let''s head inside. I am very interested to hear what my friend has to say."

    Together they walked to the tall double doors of the cathedral, pushing them open silently. A red carpet invited them in, running down the center of the building all the way to an altar at the back of the room. Rows and rows of pews filled the space, and several large chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Colorful light filtered the afternoon sun, sending colors shining in all directions. Lira lifted her head, gazing in awe at the massive vaulted ceiling, decorated with artwork of all different kinds. Paintings hung from the walls, depicting divine entities in all different ways. Lira quickly realized she had no idea what the church taught.

    At the sound of their foot falls, a man appeared from a doorway off to the side. He had an elegant white robe that ran all the way to the floor, with big open sleeves. A sash of gold and purple hung across his chest, decorated with several symbols she didn''t recognize. He had a full white beard that hung down to the center of his chest, and sparkling green eyes peeked out from the white hood that covered his head.

    "Ah, good afternoon, my dear friend!" Said the man cheerfully.

    "Hello Ruben. I''ve brought you Lira, as we previously discussed."

    The Elder Didact shuffled forward, holding out his arms invitingly. He placed his hands on both of Lira''s arms and squeezed gently.

    "Delighted to meet you, my dear. Come, let us go somewhere comfortable."

    He quickly turned, and began shuffling towards the doorway he came from. Keel motioned for Lira to follow, then stepped behind her. The room they were led to had several poofy looking chairs, seated around a small fireplace. Ruben sat, then indicated for Lira to sit across from here. Keel sat between them.

    "So my dear, I''ve been told about your tragedy, and first off I want you to know I am so sorry. You are never alone, and if you ever need a safe place, you can always find me here." Ruben said, sincerity filling his eyes. Lira nodded, feeling immediately at ease.

    "I also understand this would be a very one sided conversation if I simply asked you questions. Instead, if you allow it, I would like to wander your thoughts with you."

    Lira tipped her head slightly, and glanced at Keel.

    Smiling, Keel leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "Ah, I have neglected to explain. You see, Ruben here is a Psycho-Mage. This however, is not publicly known."

    The Elder Didact nodded. "Those who attend my gatherings would likely feel uncomfortable if they knew. Not that I invade their privacy in any way, but those with my skill set are supposed to register with the government. I use my talents when people come to me in private, asking for help when grieving, or require additional help."

    Lira nodded, understanding dawning. Ruben held out his hands, palms up. Lira hesitated slightly, looking at his hands, then up at his face. Slowly, she reached out, placing her hands in his. She closed her eyes, and took a breath.

    A tingle started in her fingers, slowly working its way up her arms, her shoulders, her neck, until her head felt like it was buzzing.

    She waited, curious how this would feel compared to when Keel peeked into her mind. Suddenly, she felt a jolt. Not painful, but as if she had been tapped on the head.

    ''Hello Lira.'' Came a voice. It was the gentle voice of Ruben, but it came from within her own thoughts.

    ''I can hear you?'' She asked in her head.

    ''Indeed! I am with you in your thoughts. Imagine, it is like we are together in a dark room. You can hear me whisper, but you cannot see me. I won''t pry into your mind, so I will only see what you want me to, unless there is something I can see that you cannot.''

    ''What do you mean? There might be things in my mind I cannot see?'' She inquired.

    ''If Sir Orin imprinted his will into your mindscape, it is very likely they are hidden, or else you would find yourself experiencing his memories. An extremely uncomfortable thing, so I''ve heard.''

    Subconsciously, Lira began reaching back into her mind, wanting to find these possible hidden memories.

    ''Wait!'' Rubens voice cried. ''Do not go looking yourself. Let us venture deeper together. Now, please show me the first memory you have of Orin.''

    Lira cast her thoughts back, remembering waking up, groggy and disoriented, in the infirmary. Through her daze she saw the bald head of Orin looming above her. The memory was much clearer than ever before, almost as if she was reliving it.

    "Yes, she will do nicely." Orin said, his sharp voice clearer than ever before. "I can feel it, the smallest seed of magical talent."

    Orin reached down, his fingers brushing her face, and a blinding light flashed before her eyes. There was a stabbing pain deep behind her eyes, causing her to mentally recoil.

    ''There!'' Came Rubens voice. ''That pain is a mental barrier, placed inside your mindscape to prevent you, or anyone else, from stumbling into whatever he did. Lira, I won''t lie to you, this will hurt. But I want you to bring that moment back, right as he touches your face. I will be here with you, helping you break through. If it''s too much, I will pull you out.''

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.Lira swallowed, afraid, but also curious. Again, she reached back into her mind to that moment.

    Orin appeared above her again, reaching his hand towards her. The blinding flash came again, along with the deep stabbing pain. Lira wanted to pull away, to hide from the pain, but she felt a tug. She could feel Ruben, holding her there in that moment. She mentally gritted her teeth, and pushed back, like trying to walk though a biting wind. The pain filled her head, and suddenly it felt like she was on fire. Every inch of her skin screamed at her.

    ''It hurts!'' She mentally wailed. ''It hurts so bad! Please, make it stop!''

    ''Stay strong Lira! We''re almost through!''

    In the room of the cathedral, Keel was thrown from his seat. It was as if a storm had suddenly blasted through. He found himself on his back, up against the wall, his chair landing on top of him. Blinking rapidly, he turned his head. Lira and Ruben still sat in their chairs, hand in hand. The room around then however, was in disarray. Books had been blown off the shelf, the small table overturned, and the fireplace extinguished. Keel went to push the chair off, when another blast rocked through the room.

    Perhaps I''ll just stay here for now. He thought.

    Mentally, Lira was in agony. She could feel Ruben pulling her along, like dragging her across a floor covered in broken glass. She could feel her mind spiraling, and she felt as if she would go insane. Then, suddenly. it was as if she was floating. There was nothing. No pain, no light, nothing.

    ''Lira.'' Came Rubens voice again. ''Open your eyes Lira.''

    Confused, she slowly did as he asked, feeling like her eyelids had been glued shut. Finally, her eyes snapped open, and she found herself outside. It was sunny and warm. She was sitting cross legged on the ground, surrounded by small rocks. Only, those weren''t her legs. She tried to physically look around, and started to panic when she couldn''t.

    ''Calm down. Use your mind, not your body.'' Rubens voice said, echoing around her.

    Instead of trying to physically move her head, she imagined her head turning. To her shock, her point of view changed completely. She was no longer looking through the same eyes, but was instead looking at the side of a boy''s head. He had scruffy hair, and a long thin face. He was shirtless, and sat cross legged like she just was. Realization shot through her.

    ''I didn''t actually open my eyes at all! I''m in...a memory?''

    ''Correct! Specifically, this is the memory Orin imprinted into your mind. Let us watch and learn why.''

    The boy on the ground breathed deeply and closed his eyes. His face crumpled in concentration, and the air tingled with energy. The stones that surrounded the boy began to wiggle, vibrating back and forth. Slowly, they rose up off the ground. They hovered a few feet in the air, rotating slowly, before dropping back down. The boy let out a breath. He turned, grinning, at an old man in a filthy robe who sat on a boulder.

    "What are you smiling at me for, boy? All you did was pick up a few rocks! Try again."

    Lira felt a shock of disappointment, as if the old man had spoken to her directly.

    The edges of her vision suddenly got blurry, and she felt herself become horrible dizzy. He closed her eyes again, and felt like the world around her was spinning at an impossible speed. She began to feel sick, as the spinning got even faster. She cried out, and just like that, she was back in the poofy chair in the cathedral. She fell from the chair, crawling to a corner, she emptied her stomach violently.

    "Oh, you''re back!" Keel called from the side of the room.

    Ruben kneaded his eyes with his hands, then looked around and chuckled, finally noticing his friend.

    "Perhaps next time we will go somewhere less furnished." He said.

    Keel crawled out from under the tipped chair and brushed himself off. Lira looked over from the corner she had just used, looking shameful.

    "Oh fret not my dear! I''ve had worse kinds of people do worse kinds of things in this room." Ruben said, rising from his chair. He walked over to the girl and gently placed his hand on her back.

    "I am sorry. I know that was probably a terrible experience. But, we have confirmed what we thought. Orin has placed his own memories inside your mind."

    "what have you learned?" Keel asked excitedly.

    Ruben shook his head. "Nothing of importance yet. We saw Orin as a child, learning to control energy. The remarkable thing is, somehow he has instilled the training he received as a child into Lira, through his memories. It would be quite incredible, if it also wasn''t so bleak."

    "It isn''t just energy control and arcane tricks either." Replied Keel.

    Ruben frowned. "What do you mean?"

    Keel explained what happened outside the cathedral, and his suspicions. The frown darkened on the Elder Didact''s face. He turned back to Lira, who had stood up, wearily leaning against the wall.

    "One last thing my dear girl, please tell me. Can you see the spirits of the dead?"

    Lira opened her mouth to answer, then frowned, annoyance crossing her face. She nodded instead.

    Ruben gave Keel a sidelong glance.

    "Do they know you can see them? Do they try to interact with you?"

    Lira thought for a moment, then wobbled her head in a ''sort of'' manner.

    Keel noted that Ruben looked worried, something he rarely did.

    "What bothers you friend? So she can interact with spirits, so what? Do we not have seers and oracles who can do the same?"

    The old man looked gravely at Keel.

    "That is not the same. Our Seers were gifted their abilities at birth, destined by the Gods to be a conduit between us and those through the veil. This I fear, is the work of necromantic magic."

    Keel''s eyebrows shot up. "Which would mean, from what we just learned, that Sir Orin also is skilled in necromancy. That is a serious claim, and one we should not speak loudly."

    Ruben knelt by Lira, looking into her eyes.

    "Listen to me closely. People cannot know of this. Necromancy is a forbidden craft, its use violates laws older than the kingdom itself. But more importantly, it is know to corrupt the mind of the user. Simply seeing spirits through the world should bring you no harm, beside perhaps from the spirits themselves, but if anyone finds out, they may take action against you."

    Lira looked at him with wide eyes, tears starting to form.

    "oh, my dear girl!" Ruben said, the frown dropping from his face. He embraced her, holding her head against his shoulder.

    "I did not mean to upset you. I simply want you to be safe. Terrible things have been done to you, and unfortunately, we must learn what they were. But we are here to help you."

    Lire cried, for the first time since that awful night on the farm. She sobbed into Rubens shoulder, feeling herself breakdown. After a few minutes, she pulled away, wiping her runny nose.

    "You see? A good cry is needed now and again. Now, Keel will take you back to your brother, and we will meet another time."

    Despite how painful and exhausting the experience had been, Lira found that she did want to come back. She liked Ruben, and she trusted him. More than that, she honestly believed he could help her, and that was something she hadn''t felt in a long time.