Fable: Shadows Among Us (Book 1)

Chapter 9: Abandonment

We had been walking for about a day and fell asleep in a hidden grove I found when Kylie in I were imprisoned at Greatwood George. So we walked there and set up a small camp. Peter and Jonathan got firewood while Kylie and I guarded the camp. Peter laid Mia down and Ben and Whitney watched over her and cleared the ground for where we would sleep at. So when Peter and Jonathan came back, we all went into the secret grove through the narrow passage.

Then as we laid down, I asked "So how old are you guys?"

"I'm nine, Peter is also nine because we are fraternal twins, Jonathan is 7, and Mia is 5. The 5 of us have been through thick and thin together and its not going to stop anytime soon! We call each other "The Pact" because our parents abandoned us."

"Well my mom might have some things to say and may get a little angry but she won't leave you guys. I promise! My mom and I are super close and I miss her every day of my life. Now let's get some rest, we need to have energy for when we walk to Bowerstone tomorrow."

"Lylli is right, we need rest."

So we laid down and went to sleep. I woke up the next morning holding Whitney in my arms and Kylie woke with Mia in hers. So we got up and grabbed our stuff.

Right after we exited the grove, Kylie asked "So Lylli, what on earth do you keep in that pack?"

"Just regular stuff."

"Like?"

"My diary, a hairbrush, a couple of apples, and I use to have hair clips."

My hair wasn't in a braid anymore. After I met Whitney, my only hairband I had brought snapped. So now my hair was down with my parting pieces behind my ears to keep it from getting in my eyes. So we kept walking and finally made it to the gates of my old home, Bowerstone. It was about midday which meant Robert was on his break were we usually talked in the tavern. I would eat some red meat and he would drink a beer. He bought it for me and I did him favors for it. So we entered and I ran straight into the tavern. The others came slowly behind me because they were immobilized at the cite of civilization.

I entered the doors and saw Robert slugging his beer down and I ran up to him.

"Robert!"

I hugged him and when I released, he said "Lylli!" then he hugged me and said "I can't believe your back! Are your parents with you?!"

"No, aren't they here?"

"Oh, then you don't know."

"Know what?!"

About this time, the others entered and stood behind me.

"Your dad came home about a month ago or a month since you left."

"Wow! Two months seems like a lifetime!" I mumbled.

"He invited me over for dinner with them and at the table, right after your mother told him about where you had gone, he told us that she had to leave. Your mom begged to wait for you but they couldn't afford their house anymore. They left that next morning and weren't sure where they were going. I'm so sorry Lylli."

"They... Left me..."

"It's okay Lylli, you've got me and it seems you made some friends. My name is Robert."

"I'm Kylie. Then there is Peter, Jonathan, Ben, Mia, and that's Whitney."

"Can I do anything to help you guys?"

"We need a place to stay. Anywhere will do." Kylie said while I was muttering and shaking.

"I think I can get the guards to let you stay in a barn in Bowerstone Quay... I'll have to take a few extra shifts but I will make it happen."

"Thank you mister Robert."

"Okay, right this way."

So he took us to the barn and we set up our camp. Around 3am, I got up and noticed Peter and Kylie weren't in the barn. So I got up and snuck out. As I walked, I passed the Fist Fighters Gang and saw a couple familiar faces. Quinn stood with her group of so called "populars" and that was about it. Peter also leaned against the barn, viewing the fighting techniques and probably strategizing how to counter attack an attack. So I hurried past that and saw Kylie leaning on a wooden poll on the dock.

So I walked up to her and said "Hey, you okay?"

"I've never known someone I could trust other then my siblings. Then I met you. I seem so rude because I have trust issues. I trusted my parents and then they abandoned me and my siblings. Mia was only 2 years. Peter and I took responsibility after that or else we would of all died. We learned how to fight and have been that way since. Then we were walking in Greatwood and were ambushed by bandits. So I told Peter to get the others out and I sacrificed myself. I thought I was going to die. Guilty because I may of given my siblings their death seats. Then you showed up and almost everything I thought about others slapped me across my face and showed me the light. I can't ever repay you for that."

"Hey, we have both been left. But I know where my destiny lies now."

"Where might that be?"

"The Guild of Heroes."