-Break-

Location: Fíodóirí house

As I knit away at the clothes in front of me, I make sure to keep a constant eye on Charles beside me who is sleeping.

Due to the lax attitude, they have taken with us because of their celebration no one is currently monitoring us as we are preparing the clothes but when the day finishes someone comes to check we have met our quota.

So I have decided to let Charles sleep while I do his share of the work. If this was any other form of work, this would essentially be impossible for me, but since I am rather skilled at this it is no problem at all!

And this rhythmic process helps me think about what the hell happened last night! I am still as confused as I was when it happened, why would he help us, the beastkin go out of their way to bully us whenever possible so this is incredibly strange.

But another thing I noticed is that the guys who usually attack us had some bruises on them, almost as if someone else struck them. That can’t be a coincidence.

Wait but maybe this is all just his duty. To my knowledge, we aren’t allowed to be killed in this specific campsite, so maybe he thought Bricriu or someone else would be angry and take it out on them.

You know what, that makes the most sense! This means that after Charles gets better we might even get punished for our actions. Our crimes were enough that people even got killed for them, so what kind of torture are we going to get?

Suddenly someone taps me on my back, which snaps me out of my thought process and moments later, I look around me and notice that all the boys in the room are gathered around me.

“Umm is everything ok?”

The boy named Ogier asks, “How did you finish so fast?”

Looking down, I realize I have completely finished the cloth in front of me, oh crap I was lost in thought and didn’t even notice I finished. Rubbing the back of my head, I say, “I am just good at this kind of thing, so that’s how I did it so fast.”

“Can you show me?”

“And me.”

“I want to know as well.”

Soon all the boys in the room are asking for my help. Taking a moment to look around I realize that all the boys around look younger than me, does that mean I am the oldest?

That means everyone here is looking up to me and needs my help. Charles is so superb that he never needs my help, but these boys, all of them need my help. THIS IS AMAZING.

Or well it would be if this was about fighting or guidance, but it is about knitting, this isn’t what I wanted to teach anybody.

Ogier says, “You’re crying, are we being a bother.”

“No absolutely not, don’t mind me, just watch I will teach you guys how to do everything.”

And so Charles spent the rest of the day teaching the boys how not to lose any more eyes.

-Break-

Two days later

Location: Campsite

In front of me as healthy as he ever was Charles stands in front of me, saying, “I am good now.”

With my hands against my face, I say, “You were dying three days ago and now you're back to full health, are you really human?”

“Yes.”

“Ok then, well then I need you to help me with something if you’re so good.”

“What.”

-Break-

As all the humans line up to get food as they always do the same beastkin is serving it just as usual; Baine cíche. But one thing is different today.

When the boy named Charles walks up to get his food, he says to Baine cíche, “Same place as before, or else I will tell.”

Hearing this Baine cíche has a shocked expression on his face, but what is more confusing to him, is that Charles walked away without getting his food.

Later in the campsite, Charles is smacked on the head by Nero, who says, “How did you forget to take your food!?”

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-Break-

Location: Far east from the River Lúide

Standing in the same forest that I was in before, I have Charles hiding a good bit away so that if anything goes wrong he can run away at full speed.

I know all of this might be risky, but I need to confirm which of my theories are correct because if all of them are wrong and we might die, I would rather take all of the blame for that on myself. If I have to die I would rather hurt Charles.

But depending on the situation, we might even be able to blackmail him and threaten him for behind a human lover, I can only find out which one it is by doing this.

Hearing footsteps, I say, “He is here.”

Through the forest, the rat beastkin Baine cíche arrives towards me. He is avoiding eye contact with me, and his body is jittery, he feels like a strong wind right now could knock him over.

Stepping over to me, he asks, “Charles was looking good now.”

“Charles is back to full health thanks to you.”

A smile appears on his face, and he says, “That’s good.” But then it quickly disappears.

“Hey, what is your connection to Charles?”

Shaking he turns his head, completely away from me and says, “What do you mean.”

Perfectly composed, I say, “Please don’t act dumb, I know for a fact that you have been watching over him.”

Suddenly his body starts to tense up and he looks at me ferociously, “You do realize I am a beastkin human!”

I instantly take a single step forward, then clap my hands together in front of his face as fast as I can.

When I do this he screams and falls on his ass, “If you’re going to be threatening at least put some effort into it ok.”

Shaking he says, “Don’t disrespect me?”

Bending down, I say, “You know I still have some of that medicine left over, and I have ordered Charles that if anything goes wrong today he should report what you did for us to the other beastkin, and well a bunch of other fabricated stories which I am sure they would believe.”

With fear in his eyes, he says, “Really.”

Looking at the beastkin cowardly face, I say, “Of course, now tell me what I want to hear; why do you keep looking out for Charles.”

Sitting down he says, “It is not a very interesting story but if you want to hear it then I would suggest you sit down as well.”

As I sit down he says while seemingly lost in thought.

“You see my actual name is Dónal Fuinseog, and I am the oldest son of one of the twelve houses of the red branch. Which are the strongest houses and leaders of the Beastkin, most of all the important roles held by a beastkin are usually held by a member of one of the houses.

My name means ruler of the world, which was what was expected as the eldest son of the house. But I was a disappointment in every aspect, I couldn’t fight because I was afraid of being hurt, I couldn’t kill because I hated blood, and I was too dumb to become a part of any of us governmental bodies.

So I was bullied by my younger siblings quite a bit who had none of these issues. I was such an embarrassment that when I reached the age of fifteen, I was sent here to be a simple worker.

Places like this are run by lowly beastkin, who were unable to find jobs back in our home or have huge debts and are forced to work to pay it back. So a member of a noble family like me being here is utterly shameful, and they pick on me because of it.”

Putting up his hands, and waving them from side to side, he says, “But don’t get the wrong idea, I actually like it here the bullying is nowhere as intense as home, and I get to sleep without being forced to do things I hate so it is all good.”

The way he laughs after he says this doesn’t make me think it was all good.

“But about two years into my work, I was asked to do a certain job by Bricriu who was visiting, and that was to raise a child who came in with the newest batch of slaves.”

“You don’t mean.”

“Yeah the baby was Charles, so I guess one could call me his wet nurse. I was tasked with taking care of him, and other things so we lived together for a long time, and I guess I might have gotten a bit attached. But that had to come to an end when he became old enough I was forced to put him to work like everybody else, but I guess I couldn’t stop myself from helping him from time to time. Just an idiot's whims I guess.”

I had always wondered how Charles got by considering how young he was and how the people around him hated his existence, but if a beastkin was looking out for him it would make sense how he got by.

“I was always looking at him so the other beastkin started making fun of me, and I felt that it even put a target on his back to other beast beastkin so I had to start avoiding him for his own sake, but then when he came up to me last year, I just couldn’t help myself from help him again, foolish I know.”

Hearing something coming from the woods, I look over to see Charles walking towards us, and upon seeing him Dónal begins to freak out with a terrified expression appearing on his face.

But walking over to him, Charles puts his hand on him and pats him on the head while saying, “Good job.”

Instantly Dónal starts to cry, then says while wiping his tears, “I shouldn’t be feeling this way, you're just a human but no one has ever thanked me for anything in my life for anything.”

Seeing the Dónal in front of me, makes a furry well up in my soul that bothers me to no end. The beastkin are not monsters they can cry.

So why would they do all this horrible stuff to us why would they torture us for fun like they do?

I feel so pissed off right now I could kill him, but I can’t I shouldn’t, his existence is beneficial to Charles and can come in handy in the future. But overall this situation is way better than I ever could have expected, right now me and Charles have a trump card that we can use. We might even be able to escape one day.

The very thought of that puts a smile on my face, so I slap my cheeks. Don’t get ahead of yourself just think about what you can do right now.

In front of me, I notice that Dónal is hugging Charles very tightly, and saying, “Has everything been ok with you? Have you been eating enough? I can sneak you more food. Would you like a comfier bed? I can also try to keep those brutes who attack you back.”

Looking at him a thought goes through my head; maybe breaking out will be easier than I thought?

Charles says, “You’re hurting me?”

Letting go, he says, “Sorry.”

Strolling over to him, I say, “Mister Dónal.”

Giving me a look of complete disinterest he says, “What do you want?”

What kind of look is that, the one who should be bothered here is me with your presence.

Charles says, “You’re being rude.”

“Oh sorry, I won’t do it again. Please tell me what you want.”

Suddenly, a thought pops into my head, so I ask, “Why do you go by Baine cíche when your name is Dónal?”

With an embarrassed look he says, “When I was raising Charles other beastkin started to call me that to embarrass me, because it means breastmilk.”

Hearing this, I fall to the floor in laughter, “Then say that is a good one, I need to save that for later.”

“Hey don’t laugh at me.”

“Don’t be mean to Nero.”

“Oh ok.”

I start to laugh louder as a more and more embarrassed look appears on his face.