Andrew throws his spear into the river, with much to his dismay the fish swims away faster than the eye can see. Resting on the side bank, Xander cheers him on. It had been a long night, as neither of them wanted to stop, but after their horse collapsed from exhaustion they had no choice. Andrew attempts again and again to skewer the creature but to no luck, Andrews's anger flares as he begins abusing the water, and the fish flee in fear. it became apparent that bread would be their next meal, as it was their last, and their meal beforehand. Andrew begins waddling back to the side bank where his companion sits, mocking him.

"it has to be me, out of us two I'm the better hunter." Xander imitates as he gives a hardy belly laugh.

"with your stench and ogre feet, the ones that didn't smell you from a mile away would have been crushed into a fine paste!" Andrew shot back, a vein visible on his forehead.

"I bet you couldn't catch anything, even if it washed up on shore." Xander Smerks pulled out his lute and began stringing a song as depressing as Andrew's hunting.

"Why don't I go look for just that then?!" Andrew flails his arms in the air and storms off a few feet from their makeshift camp he yells back "When I get back I'll have caught something that you couldn't in 12 fortnights!"

Andrew walks along the river, keeping an even footing to not get swallowed by the current, his temper cooling as he removes his black stringy hair from his eyes. He's determined to show his might, Although not a skilled hunter, he has been familiar with weapons since childhood. Being the town's weapon smith just like his father before him he's seen his fair share of tools of mass harm. As Andrew looks around the river and the nearby forest hoping to find either a small animal he could easily slaughter, or a wounded animal that had made its daring escape from its predator. Little did Andrew know he would find exactly what he was looking for.

As he heads down the river bank he sees a lump of cloth that has washed up, hoping there would be money inside or to beheld from selling the cloth he sprints up towards the object, but the closer he gets the more can make out a person, a boy. He sprints faster after his realization and checks for a heartbeat, the boy is breathing but his body is cold. Andrew removes any extra wet clothing from the boy, then removing his own cloak, Andrew wraps it around the boy. His mind full of panic Andrew struggles with his morals, not wanting another mouth to feed he could simply leave the boy there to wake up and venture off on his own, but judging by his body temperature and shallow breath, it is fair to assume he wouldn't wake at all. With a sharp breath and a heave, Andrew makes his way back to camp, with the boy in his arms.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Looks like you proved me wrong," Xander exclaimed, tearing off a bite of bread while looking at the young man. "Don't think I could ever catch something like that."

"Oh hush it!" Andrew says as he strikes the flint again and again, until a small fire roars. Andrew lays the boy next to the fire, Andrew stares at the boy puzzled by his mysterious nature, his hair looks like fresh dirt pulled from the earth but his eyes sparkle similar to the water that had almost ended him, and his clothes were dazzling it was clear he had some money to his name. Perhaps some bandits had robbed him and to avoid justice threw him in the river for him to drown. Or he himself was a bandit and fell in the river while making his daring escape, it appears there was evidence to support it as a tattoo in an unfamiliar symbol rested on the left side of his neck. But Andrew wasn't one to make flash judgments, he'd have to wait for the young man to wake.

"He's a looker I'll give him that," Xander said as he finished off his bread before grabbing his lute and playing a small tune. "Perhaps he's similar to us?"

"If he's lucky he's nothing like us," Andrew said exhausted, he grabbed his bit of bread and began tearing off bits and throwing them up in the air skillfully catching them in his mouth.

"What are we supposed to do now anyway?" Xander says as he stretches "It is almost high noon and if we take any more time then it'll take forever to leave this damn woods."

Andrew ponders for a second and then shrugs and exclaims "Looks like we'll have to put him in the back and carry on forth," he claps his hands together to get rid of any remaining crumbs.

"And if he is a bandit?" Xander says as he crosses his arms

"I can stay in the back of the wagon and watch him while you steer" Andrew rises and puts out the fire, and to his relief, both the boy's body temperature and breathing are healthy once more, Andrew picks him up and puts him in the back of the wagon, Xander finding himself unable to refuse hops in the driver seat. With a whip of the bit, they begin riding on the path. Unknowingly to all of them, a cruel twist of fate had them playing by its rules.