Return of the one long gone

The nights

Scott was opposed to staying for the night at Joel's. 

It wasn't that the company or the place scared him with the unfamiliar feeling of comfort, although it was that as well. He had lived alone the majority of his life. Loosing his Brother and parents when he was young, too young to have distinct and clear memories of it; old enough to remember hazy snippets from his life before everything descended into cold and loneliness.

It was more the fact he didn't want to be found by the very thing he had been running from. He had made the mistake a few times, staying in one place long enough for it to follow his trail and find him when he thought he was safe.

He was never safe.

However, Lizzie had always had this persuasive nature about her. Unlike himself, who ordered; commanded and took the result within his stride, Lizzie was more stubborn, wouldn't take yes and no for an answer like he did. Although there was always a price to pay for giving Scott the answer he didn't want, Lizzie managed to get the answer she wanted every time, without fail, eventually.

- - - -

He had been given a guest room next door to Lizzie's room, Joel's slightly further down the hall. It was nice. Light green walls with yellow accents, a double bed with quilts he recognized were from Rivendell materials, a small bedside table with a lamp and a closet. It wasn't what he was used to, with the lack of plants and bookshelves and a carpet, but it was comfortable, better than what he had been using for the past couple of years.

- - - -

The letter was concealed in an envelope, the handwriting neat. It was nothing suspicious on the outside. In fact, Scott expected it to be an alliance agreement or a trade request. However, it turned out to be something much more sinister, more deadly.

The first words to him being, Dear Brother, even though he had no memory of a brother, no remaining one anyway. His parents had died when he was young; his advisors had brought him up and taught him the majority of the knowledge he had.

He read on, finding pages of threats and vicious words that were directed at his loved ones more so than himself. 

- - - -

The second letter was delivered by a bloody and bruised guard. Flesh mauled in a similar way to a wolf attack, words more of a warning than a threat this time. He hadn't complied the first time, and he wasn't about to abandon his kingdom for what could be a cruel hoax, a set up designed to leave his people unsupervised, vulnerable to attack.

- - - -

The third letter was flown to him by owl. It wasn't hurt, but it looked scared. It was these words that made him flee, that made his skin crawl and eyes water. Whoever this was. His apparent 'brother' had threatened everyone he loved, the person he was in love with, all the advisors and palace staff who had cared and protected him for years.

It was then that he decided that he had to leave. His team were competent, they could keep things in relative order until it was safe for him to come back.

- - - -

He was running. The sky was pitch back and dark, clouds covered it in patches. It had been like this for hours, stop and start. Almost like a game of tag, yet this one could be deadly. He wouldn't leave Scott alone, constantly hunting, searching, finding. He couldn't remember the last time he ate, drank or slept and it was slowly taking its toll on him. His running was sloppy and uncoordinated; he felt like he was going to faint, headache prominent and painful.

Then, a hand grabbed his arm, tugged him to the ground and-

- - - -

Scott was crying and screaming, sleeping fitfully. He had managed to wake both Lizzie and Joel up, startling them. They looked over the bed in shock. They had never seen Scott like that. Never seen anything but cold blankness over his face as he talked or argued. To see him so distressed was so unusual they had to wake him up even more so than if he was having a bad dream.