The Crimson Bow: And the Eagle Insignia

Chapter 14

Chapter 14

" ... You know we cannot avoid it ... "

" Ice "

Year 700. April 12th. Evening [18:12]

Inondra. Ferndive Fields.

So says the Timekeeper

*

"The grass is so soft and it tickles my toes!" bright-eyed Warren cheers and does a belly-flop into the lush, green grass of the Ferndive Fields. The impact sends a jolt through his gut, and soon the black-haired boy doubles over, groaning and clutching his stomach. Albatross – she's no help – rolls into Warren, her tail wagging wildly while she buries her head in his hair and nips at his ears.

Sedgewick cocks his head and frowns at the two of them, unimpressed, "Not as soft as you anticipated, Scamp?" Warren only nods in response, his face twisted with pain. Albatross would not relent, because she jumps over Warren's crumbled body and prods him onto his back, setting her head on his stomach.

Warren burst to life, grabbing Albatross by the neck and wrestling her over on the ground, only hesitating whenever she'd let out a yelp or struggle to get out of his grip. Warren forces a devilish grin on his face and stares down at the pinned white wolf, "You just love to mess with me, don't you?"

This brings a smile to her face, "I can tell young Scamp has demons. I only try to fight demons away! I won't let them hurt Scamp!" Warren freezes, unsure what to make of her response. But the white wolf uses this to her advantage and wriggles out from under him, streaking over the grassy field to where Sedgewick stands, wagging her tail when she smugly glances back at the bewildered boy.

"I'm going to start setting up camp," Sedgewick announces and crosses through the grass to a spot that seems relatively flat with Albatross following close behind.

Warren stares at the two of them for a long time, sitting in the tall grass that brushes up and down his bruised arms. He hasn't spent a long time with the two wolves, but whenever he wakes up to see them nearby, something stirs in his heart. A sort of longing, he can guess. He's never had friends before, and they seem to have a healing effect on him. Sedgewick and Albatross, they aren't perfect. Sedgewick can be grumpy, especially in the mornings, and sometimes Albatross has a tendency to get on their nerves, but they both seem to genuinely care about him. They have good hearts. Warren hasn't had an attack since the night with the scary story, and it's almost like the two of them chase the darkness inside him away. He feels normal. For the first time in his life he feels in control of himself, because he knows he isn't alone and has two good friends there to support him. I know Sedgewick and I are supposed to be rivals, but I can't help it. It feels so good to have friends... I've never felt this way before. I don't ever want to go back to the despair I suffered in silence all those years. I feel warm, not cold and fearful, is this what others call 'living'?

"Hey, Scamp! You help out too, you stinking slacker!" Sedgewick's shouts snap Warren out of it and he stumbles to his feet, replying with a hasty 'coming!' The wolves teach him how to set up one of the tents they got back in Bluegem Town, where they'd been just a day ago. They got a good deal on two tents, so they got two, but Sedgewick and Albatross gave them both to Warren, assuring him that they like sleeping out under the skies. A 'roof' over his head, it's a luxury that Warren hasn't had since he was very young, so he'd accepted the tents with tears of joy in his eyes – to which Albatross promptly teased him for, especially when he had to wipe his running nose on the sleeve of his tunic.