Once Sien was miles away from home he recollected one thing. He didn’t pack anything to sleep on. But he put that problem for later since the sun was just coming out and he had a whole day ahead of him.

He made a stop after two hours of riding. He wasn’t used to long rides on a horse and he was itching to practice a bit with his saber. He wanted to look like a hero once he met with his brother Lance.

Sien stopped by the road in a forest, he took out his saber and swung it up and down. He did like the guards taught him but he felt like he could do more. He approached the bush in front of him and tried to cut it with his saber. Even though his slashes weren’t fluent the saber itself was sharp enough to be able to cut the bush.

“That’s enough of training for a moment. I need to get moving.” Thought Sien as he seethed his saber and got on the horse.

He rode for two hours and rested, repeating that till sundown. The first night would be a challenge he didn’t see coming. He was around three hours away from the closest town on the map. There might be a village but who knows if he finds a place to sleep in there.

Sien thought he was just going to sleep on the grass and continue his journey in the morning but the darker it got the more scared he got of the forest. He thought that if he just went to sleep he would be greeted by the morning sun. Then he felt the cold coming, making him shiver.

Those signs were enough to force him to do something about them. He gathered wood and sticks for the campfire but the problem was that he didn't bring anything to start a fire.

In the dark, he had to look around for rocks that he could use to make sparks that could make fire. The moment he stepped deeper into the forest he got scared by the unknown sounds. The boy ran back to his horse thinking that they would ride to the next town and rest there but the horse was already sleeping and not even budging when he tried to wake it up.

He tried to sleep without the fire but the cold bothered him enough to give him some courage to go into the forest once again. He went deeper but this time with an unsheathed saber, ready for any surprises that might come his way. Even the silentest sounds made him raise his sword toward them. Just to see a hare run away from him.

Sien used his saber to leave a mark on the trees so he could find his way back to his horse. He walked for twenty minutes until he found rocks that he could use to start the fire. On his way back he heard howls of the wolves not so far from him.

“There are wolves?!” Sien panicked and began running away from the sound, trying to find his way back. He tripped once against a tree root and before he could even check the markings on the trees he got scared by a louder howl “They are after me!” That forced him to run in an unknown direction.

Not seeing which way he was running he ended up falling into the river. The current was strong, he tried fighting with it but it was too strong for him to overcome. Unable to get close to the shore he focused on holding his saber as it nearly got taken by a current.

“My adventure can’t end here…” He thought before fainting.

***

Sien slightly opened his eyes as he coughed out water out of his throat, he felt weak and barely heard. Someone moved his head but the person in front of him was just a blur and whatever the person said he didn’t hear it. He was too weak to keep his eyes open so he closed them.

The sound of crowing roosters and sunrays woke him up. Once he opened his eyes he saw a roof made out of straw. He was lying in the bed under a grey blanket. He only had underwear on him. The boy panickly looked around trying to grasp the situation he was in. He calmed down a bit once he saw his saber and the bag by the bed.

The room was made out of wood with wooden furniture. They are simple, with no decoratives. It was clearly the house of someone from a lower class. He checked the bag to see if his possessions were in it. Everything was in there but not everything was in a good state. Like food or the map that was destroyed by the water. The only things left were his clothes and some coins.

Sien quietly took his things and searched for a way out. The building was small. Beside the bedroom, there was only one more room which was a kitchen with a wooden table that had only three chairs, a small furnace for cooking with wood placed inside ready to be burnt. Outside the window, he saw his clothes hanging on a wooden contraption. The doors were opened and through them, he saw that the house was placed on a small hill away from the village which was visible a mile away from there.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

He stepped out of the house to check if they were dry. “Awake and well, I see.” The man was sitting on a bench right beside the doors to the house. He was in his forties with short red hair and a beard. The man wore linen clothes like most of the peasants were.

Sien jumped in place as he was surprised by the man. “Umm… Yes. Are you the one who saved me?” Asked Sien covering himself with a bag and a sword as he was only in his underwear.

“Found you down there by the river at night while grabbing a bucket of water.” The man pointed his finger at the river under the hill. “How did you end up there, kid?” The man stood up and got closer to the boy.

“Umm. I was looking for a way back in the forest… I heard the wolves and got scared. I didn’t notice the river on my path and fell into it.” Said Sien with an embarrassment in his voice.

“From which part?” Asked the man getting even closer to Sien to intimidate him a bit.

“Can I first put on some clothes?” The boy said as he stood uncomfortably with only underwear on him.

Once he put the clothes on, they sat on the bench and observed the lively village. At first, it was silent but the man was first to say something.

“So. Where are you from.” He asked his elbows placed on his legs.

“I’m from the far North. Currently going to the south.” Answered Sien while playing with his fingers.

“How far south?” The man asked, trying to get more information out of the young boy.

“Well… To the border with the Fadim Empire.” Sien stopped playing with his fingers and clenched his hands together.

“Were you separated from your parents?” Asked the man as he straightened his back and laid against the wall.

“No. I am on a lone journey.” The boy said proudly, viewing himself as an independent and strong man.

“Child like you? On a long journey alone? Why would you even dare to do that? The world is vast and dangerous.” Those words made Sien feel embarrassed of his earlier thoughts.

“My family is in a dire situation. I need to inform my brother but he is at war with our neighbor. So I’m going there to get him and sort things out cuz no one else can… except for him.”

“Are you a nobleman?” The man asked as he looked at Sien’s clothes.

“Well… yes. But my parents told me that my status only comes with responsibilities for those below me and we should treat them like we would anyone else.” The boy explained trying to avoid different treatment from the peasant man.

“You have… interesting parents.” Said the man with a slight smile on his face.

“Thank you… Can you tell me where I am? My map was destroyed by water and I don’t recognize most of the land…”

“You’re in Dalir village. The closest town is Mirma. Around five hours on foot.” The man said as he pointed toward the west.

“No…” Said Sien with disappointment. “I am further away than I was a day ago… And I lost my horse in the forest…”

“So you’re not going back home?” The man asked as he watched Sien trying to hold back his tears.

“I can’t go back empty-handed. Not now. Can you point me in the direction of the closest town to the south? I’ll buy a map there and the rest of the things I need.” Sien said with his lips trembling as he tried to hold his tears, feeling disappointed in himself.

“Sure. If you wait a day longer I can accompany you to that town.” The man said this while scratching his beard.

“Do you really mean it?” Sien’s eyes widened as he imagined a journey with a comrade. Even though he didn’t know that man he didn’t feel in danger around him. There was some kind of aura around him that made Sien feel safe.

“Yeah. At least that gives me a reason to visit someone from there.” The man said with a nostalgic smile.

“Okay! Then I’ll wait a day… Ummm… Could I sleep in your house?” Asked Sien, scratching the back of his head as he felt a bit bad for asking for such a favor.

“Will you pay me?” The man asked curiously as he raised one brow and looked at Sien from the side.

“Umm… Will that be enough?” Sien asked as he took a handful of coins.

The man reached for the coins but he ended up taking only one of them. “That should be enough for the night at my house and escorting you to the town.” He said as he put the coin in his pocket.

“My name is Sien. And what should I call you?” Sien gave a hand to the man.

“Samuel. But you can call me Sam.” The man shook hands with Sien.