𝚂𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚒𝚛𝚕(𝙰𝙲𝙾𝚃𝙰𝚁)

𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔢𝔢

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾　　☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

age 8

"Rhysie!" I shouted as I ran to my brother's side.

He was sitting by the window while our mother patched up his bleeding back. I froze, my eyes widening.

"What happened?" I demanded, staring at my mother.

"Rhysand got into a fight and received three lashings," Mother replied, irritated.

"Are you okay?" I wondered, turning my attention back to Rhys.

"I'm fine, Eve," he promised, patting me on the head. I scoffed and ducked away from his hand.

He chuckled and continued to toy with me until something caught his attention. His eyebrows furrowed and he narrowed his eyes, staring out the window.

I sat down beside him to see what he was looking at. There was a little boy walking toward the tents, shivering and all alone.

"Where is he going, Mamá?" Rhys wondered.

"He's a bastard, mi tesoro," she replied. "Bastards get nothing. They are to find their own food and shelter. If they survive and are picked to be in a war band, they'll be bottom rank forever, but they will receive their own tents and supplies. Until then, they stay out in the cold."

"But he's just a kid," I pointed out. He couldn't have been much older than me.

"I know," she sighed. "It's terrible." She finished up with Rhys's wounds and stood up, brushing her hands off on her skirt. "I'm going to bed. I want you both asleep in an hour."

"Yes, ma'am," we both said in unison.

She went to her room and I pressed my face against the window. I could barely see him now, he was so far away.

"We have to help him," I told Rhys.

"I know," Rhys nodded and pulled on his shirt. "Get your coat."

We both put on our coats and stalked out into the snow. I jumped onto Rhys' back and wrapped my arms around his neck, and he grabbed my legs.

I hid my face from the cold as he walked towards the tents. It took us a while to find the one the boy was in, but when we did, Rhys lowered me to the ground.

We both stared at the messy, dilapidated tent before we crawled inside. Rhys shook him awake. He groaned and turned to face us.

"What the..."

"Shut up and come with us," Rhys spoke in Illyrian. Rhys was fluent since he had to train with them, but I understood it better than I spoke it.

The boy stared at both of us for a few seconds before carefully sitting up. His hair was a tangled, dirty mess. His face was smeared with dirt and dried blood. Though, he was wearing Rhys's new training clothes, which looked fine.

Rhys let me jump on his back again as we made our way back to the house.

He followed us without saying a word. Rhys and I exchanged a few words in our heads, but we didn't speak to him or give him an explanation.

Rhys carefully opened the front door as quietly as he could. He entered silently and I followed. Just when I thought we had gotten away with it, Rhys froze.

Our mother was standing in the living room with her arms crossed.

"What do you two think you're doing?" she scolded. "I was worried..."