Bandits { dreamnoblade }

4

"Techno, where are you going?!" Wilbur ran after him into the village stables, his coat draped over his shoulders.

"You're such an idiot," Techno said as he put a saddle on one of the finer horses and mounted it, the tiredness visible from the way he talked and moved. "You know that, right?"

That was the least of Wilbur's problems. He had to know what was wrong.

He grabbed on Techno's leg and tugged on it, harder and harder, making the younger lose quite a bit of balance.

"What are you doing?" Techno asked, hopping off of the horse and standing in front of his brother with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I should be asking you the same thing," Wilbur rolled his eyes and grabbed Techno's wrist roughly. "You're the one who's leaving to whoever knows where."

"If you aren't going to help, then leave." Techno got onto the horse again, staring ahead.

"Help with what?"

"Phil's in danger and it's your fault." He moved the horse out of the stables, delicate fingers traveling over it's mane.

Wilbur did not know about anything that he was talking about. But being accused of something like this hurt him not because he thought it was false, but because it was his brother saying those things.

"Then let me go with you! I'll fix it!"

"No. I'm not letting you go with me."

"I got him into this, Techno! At least let me-"

"Wilbur," Techno shot a glare at him. The tone of his voice was so serious, almost threatening. "I've said it once. Don't make me repeat myself."

With that, he rode off, not even sparing another glance for Wilbur. Sometimes he wondered which one of them was older and such.

"Be safe." Was the last thing Wilbur said before heading back to Fundy's house, more than disappointed on what he might have done.

- - -

The ride to the east was going to take Techno longer than expected. It was a 3 days ride and he couldn't complain more.

He needed to find places to stay and sleep in the middle of his travels.

They had only reached a large clearing, by them, it was Techno and the horse.

They passed by an old cottage in the middle of the woods. It seemed to have been abandoned for ages.

He carefully made his way near it. The walls made of wood were being eaten out by bugs, and the door was practically torn to pieces.

"That's weird." He walked closer. There was a foul stench coming from inside the house. It smelled of a rotting corpse.

He decided to investigate further, walking into the house like he wasn't intruding. Technically, he wasn't. The house was abandoned already.

"Excuse me," A soft voice erupted from behind him. A crossbow was pointed at him dead on the neck. "You have the wrong address."

Techno breathed heavily, turning around to meet eyes with this woman. She squinted at him.

"Techno?" She dropped her weapon to the floor with a loud thud following after it. She looked at him dumbfounded. "What are you doing here?"

"You're Wilbur's girl?" He chuckled, resting his arms at his sides.