Cedric awoke as the deep blue of the night sky was beginning to brighten. He sat up, rubbed his eyes, and roughly combed his fingers through his tousled hair. Blessedly, the night terrors hadn't afflicted him this time. He'd put his hosts through enough trouble already.

Freya was the first of the family to awaken. She quietly descended the stairs and nodded to Cedric in greeting.

"Morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Aye, surprisingly."

"I'll get started on breakfast. Thomas should be up soon."

Freya took the grain from a rough canvas bag slumped in the corner, a heaping handfuls' worth. Cedric wondered how much longer those supplies would last them, and how much harder Thomas would need to work to keep his family fed in the coming months. Unless the kingdom's fortunes miraculously improved, he was well on his way to simply collapsing of exhaustion someday soon.

Cedric wished that he could help them in a more substantial way than a mere afternoon's worth of labor, but staying would merely endanger them further. Ultimately, it was still better that he left.

And so, after a quick breakfast and face-splashing, he stepped up to the head of the cart beside Thomas and bid farewell to Freya and Bree.

"I wish I could repay you properly," he said.

"You've done your part," Freya said. Her tired brown eyes crinkled a little. "Anyone with a scrap of decency would have done the same, even in times such as these." She looked to Thomas, who pointedly stared ahead at the road before them. They hadn't spoken since the quarrel. "Be safe. Return before sunset, all right?"

Thomas simply grunted. Cedric was painfully reminded of what had turned out to be his last moments with Grace, of how angry and unpleasant he'd been.

Bree tugged at the ragged hem of Cedric's shirt. She was holding up a flower, a delicate little thing with light blue petals.

"It'd go nice with your hair," she said, a light blush creeping up her cheeks.

Oddly moved, Cedric tucked it behind his ear. Bree blushed more deeply. Freya put an arm around her shoulder, stifling a knowing smile.

"Best of luck to you, Cedric."

Thomas flicked the reins, and the cart began trundling forward along the well-worn road.

*

The dry countryside crawled leisurely past them beneath another empty, cloudless sky. A warm breeze hailed the approach of the day's rising heat.

"Seems you've successfully wooed my sister," Thomas said. "Any ideas for the wedding?"

Cedric flushed a little, but he studied Thomas's face to confirm that he was joking--no use in leaping to the defensive and making a fool out of himself as was his habit. And while he would have liked to respond in kind, he couldn't think of anything remotely clever to say.

"What changed your mind about me?" he asked instead.

"Who says I have?"

Cedric considered. "You didn't seem as hostile after… the first meeting."

He didn't respond for many long seconds. There was only the steady clop of the donkey's hooves, the occasional rustling of dry leaves, and the swiftly rising sun.

"I was born not long after the Madness," he said. He spoke slowly, deliberately. "Father and mother… even as a young child, I could see these… shadows in their eyes. This haunted emptiness, like a bottomless well. I was seven when I learned of my older sister, and what had become of her."

He glanced at Cedric. "You have that same air about you. Pain, the kind that digs its claws in. Whoever you really are, that is real."

Cedric swallowed, and hoped that whomever he happened to encounter next wouldn't be so dangerously perceptive.

"I… am sorry about your sister."

He grunted. "Not much for me to grieve, really. I never knew her."

They spent the rest of the journey in silence.

*

The sun had fully risen by the time they caught sight of Laetera, a settlement that dwarfed Methodosia three times over. At the town's front entrance--a lofty, half-crumbled archway of white stone--a pair of men wielding spears stood guard.

"That's new," Thomas observed. He pulled the reins and stopped the cart before them. "Morning, Trent. Morning, Fergus."

"Well met, Thomas," Trent said. He was a stout older man sporting a full mop of graying red hair, and he held his spear in an uncertain grip. Fergus, a lanky, balding sort, glared at them with substantially less warmth.

"What's with this new posting?" Thomas asked.

"Goddess, merely the biggest bounty the kingdom's ever seen! A young lad worth three thousand shiners. The whole town's buzzing." He jerked his head. "We've even got a Blade here, ordering us about like she owns the place."

Cedric's heart dropped, and he fought to keep his face impassive.

Trent scrutinized him. "And who would this be, Thomas?"

"Rafal, my cousin." He lied so quickly and easily that Cedric nearly shot him a look of surprise.

"Visiting, then?"

"Aye. He's been helping me with the firewood. With Dad's affliction, you see…"

"Ah, of course..."

"Rafal doesn't talk much. A quirk since childhood." Thomas elbowed him good-naturedly while Cedric remained as stiff as a board.

"Aye, that much is clear." Trent chuckled and stepped aside. "Well, best of luck with your goods."

Fergus, who hadn't said a word, watched them pass with a hostile eye.

The streets of Laetera were already busy. Chattering townsfolk strolled in groups of two or three, immersed in the latest news and gossip. Children laughed and chased each other, dashing across the paths of oncoming carts and ignoring their drivers' curses. A wealth of aromas thickened the air: sweat, filth, animal musk, roasted peanuts and chestnuts. Cedric vaguely remembered his first time here; he'd been half-starved, exhausted, slumped over Clover's neck while Jana had hurriedly gone to purchase additional supplies.

And he was again rendered incapable of enjoying the sights and sounds, for his head now churned with the news of the unprecedented bounty placed upon it.

Three thousand nobilis. Even I know the astonishing value of that. He stole a glance at Thomas, whose profile seemed carved out of immovable stone. He hadn't hesitated to lie for Cedric, even knowing that he was most likely the priceless fugitive.

"There's a tavern nearby," he finally said through clenched teeth, and flicked the donkey's reins.

*

Despite the early hour, there was a respectable patronage of about fifteen customers at the Silken Hog. Cedric and Thomas took their ales to a rickety table near the corner, where they were least likely to be overheard.

Cedric drank, and immediately disliked it. He pushed the tankard aside. "I… uh… am grateful for what you and your family have done for me."

Thomas' gaze hardened, and Cedric shifted in discomfort.

"What did you do?" he asked after a stiff pause, sipping his own ale.

Cedric said nothing.

"All right, don't tell me. What's your next step? You can't pose as my cousin forever, but you'll look more suspicious if you travel alone."

"I'll… I'll find work first," Cedric floundered. "If you could introduce me to someone…"

"Aye, I could," he said. "Plenty of townsfolk could use that freakish strength of yours. But you're headed to Borne, correct?"

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"I am."

"You'll need food, cookware, a mount, a map, preferably a weapon, too. That would take time to earn. And with this Blade prowling about…"

Cedric shuddered at the thought of confronting another like the Ice Blade. This one would no doubt see right through him as well.

"The sooner you get a move on, the better." He dug through his pockets and brought out a handful of marks and one splenden.

Cedric balked. "Your family--"

"My family is not currently running for their lives." Thomas held out the money, but Cedric didn't take it.

"No, you mustn't--"

The tavern's front door burst open, startling them both. A pair of large, scowling men stepped in. Between them hobbled a frail, elderly man clothed in fine silks and glittering jewelry, and trailing the end of the procession were Trent and Fergus.

The ambient chatter immediately died down, and several patrons paused mid-gulp to ogle the Silken Hog's unexpected new visitors.

"Who is that?" Cedric whispered.

Thomas chewed his cheek and took a long draught. "Theodore Caelum, the Lord Enforcer. Don't stare."

Cedric's breath caught in his throat, and he hurriedly gulped his own ale to hide his face, at least for a few moments.

The elderly man whipped his head about until he caught sight of them.

"Thomas," exclaimed Trent in forced joviality. "Good, you're here. I was explaining to milord that this is all a silly misunderstanding--"

"Shut it," Fergus snapped. "Orders were clear. Any stranger of age was to be reported."

"Quiet, both of you," the old man wheezed. He shuffled toward them as his hulking attendants kept pace on either side. "Good morning, gentleman. Thomas, is it?"

"Yes, my lord." He inclined his head.

Lord Caelum turned his cold, watery eyes to Cedric, who quickly averted his own. Perhaps he could again come off as dumb and stiff, intentionally this time.

"This is your cousin, you said?"

"Aye, my lord."

"He's never mentioned other family before," Fergus piped up. "And this boy's been coming into town with his father ever since he could walk."

"My lord, I know Thomas," Trent protested. "A good lad, as honest as they come--"

"But our concern is not Thomas, now, is it?" The Enforcer hadn't broken his gaze on Cedric.

He felt heat slowly rising in his neck and up his cheeks. He was trapped, soon to be confronted by a question he couldn't answer.

"Look at me, boy," the man commanded sharply.

Cedric did so.

"Unusually dark, indeed," he mused. "I don't believe I've ever…" Lord Caelum trailed off as a terrible comprehension seemed to dawn upon him.

Cedric bolted for the exit, cleared barely a step before one of the Enforcer's attendants caught his right arm as the other grabbed his left. They forced him to his knees, twisting his wrists painfully behind him.

Thomas rushed forward, but Trent and Fergus were quick to restrain him.

"Are you mad?" Trent exclaimed.

"Don't interfere, fool," Fergus hissed.

Stop, don't touch, don't hurt, get away! Cedric's belly roiled in revolted terror at his captors' bruising grip as his mind churned with waking nightmares of greedy hands and foul, panting breath. His limbs had turned to stone. Stay still, wait until it's over…

Lord Caelum regarded him with an unfathomable expression. "Take him to my residence," he said quietly.

Cedric's captors pulled him roughly to his numbed feet and began to march him toward the door.

But something else was nudging insistently at him, a miniscule but steady pulse of energy and power. He turned his head behind him, and the pulse strengthened incrementally. It was coming from the Enforcer--no, from the elaborate silver brooch pinned to his silks. Embedded within the delicate metal were three glittering gemstones that seemed to pulsate like tiny hearts.

Armed with pure instinct and no experience, Cedric closed his eyes and drew upon them.

What flowed into his body was muddy and unrefined, like water laced with pollutants, far inferior to the pure, dark power of the black diamond in both quantity and potency. He sifted among the tangle of useless energies and eventually settled on a single, flickering spark that resonated with his mind and flesh in a way that the others did not.

Cedric willed the spark into purposefulness, and let it spread from his body to his steel-gripped assailants.

For a handful of seconds, nothing happened. Then, they both stumbled and fell, dragging Cedric down with them. The wood floor collided painfully with his knees, but he forced himself to remain upright beneath their considerable weight.

"What's wrong with you two?" demanded the Enforcer behind them.

"My head, I--I can't…" one groaned. He blinked, then whipped his head around in confusion. "Wh--where am I? What--"

"What's happening?" the other said. "How--"

Both their grips had loosened. Cedric gathered his strength and yanked his arms forward, breaking their hold.

"Stop him!" Lord Caelum barked.

They obeyed out of instinct. But Cedric was ready this time.

He dodged their clumsy lunges and struck one of them on his exposed right side, sending him tumbling across the room into a pair of occupied tables. The patrons leapt up with shouts of anger and splattering ale.

The other attempted another half-hearted grab. Cedric dodged again and tripped him. The large man's momentum carried him straight into the wall, where he slumped half-conscious, clutching his head.

Trent and Fergus had released Thomas and backed away. He and Cedric met eyes.

Before doubt could sink in its petrifying claws, Cedric stepped forward and seized Thomas in a chokehold. He cast his gaze across the tavern's frozen clientele.

"I'm leaving," he called out. "Don't follow me."

Thomas was putting on a show of resistance, but there was little genuine struggle in him. He'd caught on.

Cedric sidled clumsily toward the back door of the tavern, kicked it open, and stepped out. As soon as it swung shut on the stunned onlookers inside, he released Thomas.

"Sorry," Cedric said at once.

Thomas gasped and massaged his throat. "I'd hate to be the unlucky bastard you try to choke." He blinked and shook his head. "You've bought yourself perhaps three minutes. Start running." He again took the coins from his pocket and shoved them at Cedric.

"No, I--"

"For Eris' sake, take the bloody--"

A sloppy rope of knotted sheets, blankets, and clothes unfurled from the second-story window to dangle at their waist height. They looked up and saw a dark head peeking out from the windowsill.

"Up here," the stranger hissed. "Hurry."

Thomas and Cedric stared at each other, nonplussed, before the latter took hold of the rope. What did he have to lose?

He ascended using only his arms, one assured hand above the other. Thomas shimmied with both hands and feet, and considerably slower, but soon joined Cedric through the window and into their new sanctuary.

They'd found themselves in a small, cramped room. An old cot and a large basin stood in the corner, a chipped mirror hung on the wall, and a small wooden chest lay open to reveal a few sets of ragged clothes.

The rescuer was about their age, dark-haired, gray-eyed, slender and olive-skinned. As disheveled and unkempt as he was, a spark of shrewd intelligence shone from his steady gaze. He pulled the improvised rope back up through the window, closed it, and grinned at them.

"The name's Adrian," the boy said to Cedric. "Would you mind answering a question?"

"Er… all right."

"At what age did your mother's arms fail?"

Cedric blinked. "I--I don't--"

"Surely your ears weren't crippled along with your intelligence."

Despite everything, Cedric's anger flared up at once. "I wasn't--"

"You simply stroll into town with a three-thousand-shiner bounty on your head… what did you think was going to happen?"

Thomas poorly suppressed a snort, more surprised than amuseed.

"I--I didn't know!" Cedric blustered.

"Quiet down."

Thomas crept to the room's closed door and put his ear against it. The two of them fell silent as they waited for his report. "They're arguing about whether they should pursue you. Lord Caelum is especially eager."

Adrian smirked. "They certainly won't be searching up here."

Thomas crossed his arms. "Why'd you help him?"

He spread his hands. "What do I look like to you?"

Thomas shrugged. "Some filthy town brat. Overworked, underfed. Unless…" His eyes widened. "Hold on, you're not noble-born, are you?"

Adrian inclined his head. "One of many casualties of the Purge of the Dark Apostles."

Cedric's stomach flipped. This boy Adrian had saved his intended master without even knowing it.

"I would have grown up in the capital," he said. "Basking in the light of the Divine Heirs as their devoted servant, lived amongst the kingdom's most elite and renowned. Yet here I am, scrubbing the floors of some filthy tavern, serving the same pack of boorish, ungrateful dolts day after day. If they're not whistling for me like a dog, they're hurling insults or blows." His jaw clenched. "You think I want any of this rabble to get their grimy paws on three thousand nobilis?"

If it was a performance, it was a very persuasive one. Thomas nodded, though he also seemed rather offended. "What's stopping you from turning in Cedric yourself?"

"Cedric, is it?" Adrian stole a glance at him. "I saw what he did to the Enforcer's thugs. I rather value my bones intact."

Coming off as even more dimwitted was the last thing he wanted, but Cedric couldn't resist. "What I did to them… that was unusual?" Both Adrian and Thomas stared at him, and he felt his cheeks grow hot again.

"Put it this way," Adrian said. "Even Lord Caelum's thugs have never launched a man with one blow."

"Really? But they were so… large."

Thomas snorted again.

Adrian cleared his throat. "Onto important matters, then. Bigby won't notice my absence for another few minutes." He turned to Thomas. "You should leave now, to avoid suspicion. Cedric, we'll have to find something to obscure your face. I'll get you out of town as soon as--" His eyes lit up. "Wait, it's perfect! The Mourning is tomorrow night, and most of Laetera will be deserted."

"Aye, that might work." Thomas looked at Cedric, almost regretfully. "This is goodbye, then. I've still got a cart full of wares to sell, and my family…"

"Right." Cedric wanted to express the full extent of his gratitude somehow, with more than just words. He settled for taking Thomas' hands with his own. The latter blushed a little, but didn't protest. "I didn't mean to hurt you back there. I'm… sorry."

After a few seconds, Thomas reclaimed his hands and awkwardly patted him on the shoulder. "Good, well, I'd better be off…"

After confirming the coast was clear, he left the room the same way he'd come in. He would then burst back into the tavern with a thrilling tale of his escape, of how "Rafal" had threatened his family and forced him to lie so that he could gain entry into town to steal supplies. Goddess willing, that would be enough to deflect any potential suspicions of his part in this mess.

Cedric watched him go with no small amount of regret. He'd been a true ally, and Cedric would likely never see him again.

"I'll return when I can," Adrian said. "Don't make a sound."

He left Cedric alone with his contemplations.

*

Only several hours later did Adrian manage to slip back upstairs with some cheese and jerky under his shirt. His new guest had diligently stayed put and sat cross-legged on his cot.

Cedric hungrily accepted the food and consumed it within seconds. He chewed his final bite more slowly, savoring the taste.

Adrian wasn't sure what to make of Cedric. He was oblivious as a newborn in some ways, while he seemed burdened with terrible knowledge in others. And despite his unnatural strength, his manner was akin to that of a timid child. This is the enemy of the kingdom? Him?

"How is it down there?" Cedric asked.

"Utter chaos," Adrian laughed. "The tavern's been a madhouse ever since Lord Caelum and his thugs gave chase. Soon, the whole town will know about the crazed boy who vanquished the Lord Enforcer's brutes."

Cedric didn't seem to like the sound of that. He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on them. His unsettling dark eyes were distant, unseeing.

Adrian couldn't resist the question any longer. "What did you do to deserve such a bounty?"

"Nothing," was Cedric's response, though his expression contained unspoken multitudes. Adrian didn't push the matter.

He returned downstairs once again. He barely noticed Bigby's insults, admonishments, and rough hands this time--his mind was solely preoccupied by the three thousand shiners hidden away in his room. Everything he had ever wanted had miraculously come within his grasp.

You're mine to claim, Cedric. All mine.