The Prince's Captain

Chapter Four

Walking in the sun with black armour on was not a good idea and Theo was cursing himself for saying they'd walk until they found somewhere to stop that night, though Tristan wasn't complaining like he thought his friend would be. Instead his friend was staring off into the distance with a frown covering his face, jumping when Theo's hand lands on his shoulder.

"What's got your head in the clouds?" Theo asks and his friend shrugs.

"Just... Did you feel the ground shake before those others guards came to fight you too?" Tristan counters and Theo tilts his head.

"Nope."

They're silent after that, continuing to walk and looking for anywhere they could spend the night; they stop when they see a house in the distance. They glance at each other before setting off at a run, getting closer to the properties fence and squatting while they watch to see if anyone's home. They wait until its dark before they move towards the house, seeing a barn behind it they head for that and pulling the doors open. Theo cringes at the loud noise it makes as it opens, Tristan shrugging and moving inside and letting Theo pull it closed again. The inside was exactly what they were expecting; hay everywhere, so the boys get to work of making mounds of it that they could hide behind. They were only just getting it partway done when the door is slowly pulled open, Theo throwing Tristan to the ground behind one of the mounds and flopping down on top of him with all his weight to hide the both of them since he didn't have time to get to his own mound. They ended up face to face, with Theo looking off to the side and focusing on listening while Tristan studied his friends face; he's never been this close and he could see the small freckles that covered his face. They're not noticeable unless you're this close, Tristan realises.

"I know you're still in here, you might as well come out," a sweet voice says and Theo meets Tristan's eyes with raised eyebrows.

"What do we do?" Theo asks and Tristan frowns, trying to slow his racing heart.

"We don't have much of an option here, Theo," the blonde thinks for a moment and sit back off his friend, standing from their spot and reaching to help Tristan to his feet both of their eyes going wide when they see an older woman standing in front of them with her hands clasped in front of her body.

"Now, tell me why you've come into my barn?" She asks and the boys share a look before Theo takes a step closer.

"We're on the run, from who we don't know. All we know is that they slaughtered our family and is after us." Theo speaks calmly but truthfully and the woman's face contorts into sympathy.

"Who could do such a thing?" She mutters before holding out her hands with a smile. "Well, no use staying out here. They'd probably come looking in here before looking in the house, common. I've got a bed or two you can have for the night."

Theo slowly follows the woman as she walks out, Tristan reluctantly going after his friend; he studies the older woman. She's got brown hair that's greying at the roots and she's thick around her curves, and she's small in height. She's smaller than Theo; Tristan smiles.

The three enter the house and look around, seeing a small kitchen beside a living room and some stairs leading upstairs where the bedrooms and bathroom probably were.

"Now, sit. When did you last eat?" She asks and they shrug, sitting at the table in the middle of the kitchen. The woman sets out some bread, meat and cheese for the boys and they hesitate for a minute before starting to eat; they were very hungry. "Why was your family killed?"

"We don't know." Tristan says over a mouthful of food and Theo glares at him for it; he's a prince he should know better. Tristan just rolls his eyes and continues eating.