Like a comet punched from orbit

The clouds drift slowly across the sky as the young deer settles into his usual spot in the park. The earth feels cool under him as the warm and breeze less day meanders from one minute to another. Another visit from his father means another lonely day spent hiding away in the bushes hoping and praying no one notices him. Not that he needs to do either, because no one ever has and he has long since come to find a kind of quiet solace in this. 

His dark fur bristles a bit as he tries to push the morning's happenings from his mind, his stomach and leg throbbing as if to remind him that even if he hides away he still has to return home. He sits himself as comfortably as he can in the bushes away from the less kept gravel path at this end of the park, hoping he can escape for a few hours.

Shoving the thoughts away he opens his book and begins to read, but his peace is quickly dashed as rustling from the bushes nearby set him on alert. Looking around, a large Elf boy is kicking through the bushes, calling out for him angrily.

“Where are ya’ you stupid deer? I know I saw you come this way.” The boy said, kicking into the bush next to his. Thinking quickly he put his book deeper into the shade of the bushes and emerged, leaves stuck in his small antlers. He didn’t speak, staring at the bully with dull eyes, he knew what was coming next.

More bruises, more insults, maybe you’ll get a black eye this time.

“I came to laugh at your stupid horns again, they’re so tiny and short they make you look like a doe.” The bully snickered, the two other boys behind him laughing with him.

He nodded, thumbing toward the bushes as if to ask if he was done now, he wasn’t ready for another fight. Normally he could at least outrun Garlan and his two stupid friends, but today even walking to the park had been like dragging himself out of hell.

“Nope!” He replied, grabbing the deers small horns with both hands and dragging him around between the three bullies. His leg scraped along the gravel path, sending a wave of pain through his body as he let out a yelp of surprise.

“That hurt? What are we finally pulling these dumb things out of your brain?” The bully taunted as he shook the deer by the antlers, sending waves of nausea through him as the pain built up.

“Alone...p-please” He said softly, barely over a whisper, trying to pull away from the Elf, but being stopped by the goons behind him kicking his legs from under him, causing almost a scream to escape him.

“What’d he say?” Asked a lacky.

“Who cares, he’s just talking game. My dads a hunter and says that to cook venison you have to pound the meat before you cook it.” His knee raised into the deer's face, with a loud crunch and the sound of something snapping he fell to the ground sobbing. The bully looked down, holding half an antler in one hand and a small chunk in the other. 

“What the hells, ugh!” He tossed the pieces of antler to the ground and stepped back. The crying deer coughed as blood filled his mouth and nose, vision blurring as he reached up and touched his broken rack, blood seeping from them as well.

“You better not have any kind of disease or else you’ll get it worse next time!” The bully sneered, wiping the blood off onto the deers clothing and giving him a swift kick in the stomach before disappearing down the path with the other boys. 

Crying quietly into the gravel he held himself tightly, praying they wouldn’t return as he slowly regained his vision, the nausea dissipating slowly. Getting to his knees he tried to clear his head, the world was just fuzzy enough to make it impossible to stand, and blood still dripped from his presumably broken nose and very much broken horns. His eyes watered as he saw something coming down the other end of the path and prayed it wasn’t another person to torment him. 

Ooooh, look buddy, a hero came to save the day!

There’s no such thing as heroes, shut up.

He closed his eyes, trying to use the last of his strength to return to his hiding spot, in the end he only managed to throw his injured body sideways into the dirt along the edge of the path, his vision whiting out as the figure rushed toward him.

His eyes opened slowly, a voice, panicked and soft mumbling above him as the world slowly came into view. Above him stood a Hedgehog, watery blue green eyes shining down at him as he groggily mumbled. His eyes jumped from the ribbon in his hands to the Hedge and back, noticing the red ribbon he held in his hands that led up beyond his vision. Reaching up he followed the scarlet cloth from the hedges hands to his antlers.

“I tried to mend them but they won’t go back together.” The hedge sniffled, wiping away the tears from his eyes. “So I thought I could tie them together and they’d fix themself.” 

He shook his head slowly, he was fairly sure it didn’t work that way. But he was no doctor, perhaps the Hedge knew better.

“Well if not it will at least keep them in place until you can get them fixed, all I could do was fix your nose.” Another moment of confusion before the deer reached up and touched his nose, expecting a tinge of pain or the feel of it still broken and bloody he only felt the quickly drying crusty red leftovers of his former injury.

He raised an eyebrow questioningly, wondering how the other boy had fixed a broken nose with no tools

“Oh yeah I used Magic! Mom taught me, she said she learned it from her old job and my dad. Said he could sing away all her pains and aches. But I’m still learning so I can’t do it that often, you just…” He paused for a second, blinking, trying to find the right words. “You needed help and I had to help you so it just happened.”

He nodded, lowering his hands from his horns to let the Hedge finish tying the ribbons, suddenly feeling strangely nervous. 

“Vaas.” He pointed to himself, speaking barely over a whisper.

“I’m Syl! Mom says it’s short for something but says I don’t say it right yet. Wanna be friends?” He asked with a toothy, bright grin.

To Vaas it was like the gravel path itself grew brighter when he saw Syl smile, the clouds that covered the sun parting to shine down on the Hedge before him. His mind raced as he came to only one conclusion: Heroes were real, and Syl was his. Had he not found him he may have very well bled to death, found by someone who sold children to meat markets,have passed out so long it would have been another, worse, beating when he got home, and many other either nonsensical or realistic things that could have happened.

He pointed at himself then at the Hedge, looking bewildered, for all his thankfulness of Syl, Vaas had done nothing in return. Why would he want to be his friend?

“Well yeah why not?”

Vaas could only shrug, gesturing at himself. The scrapes and bruises from the beating mixed with his plain dark clothes gave him a look of either a street urchin or a homeless orphan in Vaas’ mind. The sun returned behind the clouds but the bright Hedge stayed in his vision. 

You’re not meant to have friends

He’s too nice for you

You’re a disgusting problem child.

all these thoughts and more ran through his mind as he watched Syl try to process what he meant.

“That’s silly, you’re nice too, now we gotta get you to somebody who can fix your horns!” He exclaimed, gently tugging on Vaas’ arm to get him moving, and as he stood he felt tears welling up in his eyes and something else filling his heart. The young Hedgehog was barely taller than Vaas, but at this moment he felt like the biggest person in the world to the young boy. Syl tugged Vaas along gently by the hand, not knowing that he also had the Cervid by his heart as well.

Like a ship blown from its mooring.

Syl pulled Vaas along through the front door to his home, the bustling city streets left behind as they entered what felt like an entirely different world to the young deer. If you’d asked the young Vaas what it first felt like walking into that home he could only have described it as simply ‘warm’. In truth it was the most welcoming place he had ever been, the soft but worn cushions on the plush chairs near a fireplace ready to be lit at the first sign of a chilly day to one side, and a kitchen that surrounded a large fire pit built into the ground with a large stove over it for cooking, and the wonderful smell of bread, stew, and happiness radiating through the whole home.

But most importantly there was her, a soft and gentle looking Hedge woman working and singing a soft tune to herself as she moved about the kitchen. To Vaas, who had never known the warmth of a traditional mother, she was like something out of a storybook. Dressed in a swirl of colors from ocean blue to sunflower yellow to the most lovely shade of orange, she looked like the idea of summer turning to fall personified. Her black fur mingled with it all to give Vaas the impression of a sunset on the ocean, the depths waiting just under the warm glow.

“Sylvaine, that better be you and you better not have brought back another animal from the park!” She called out playfully, finishing what she was doing before turning to the boys. “Oh my, you didn’t bring an animal, you brought a friend, who might you be?” She asked, striding over quickly and pausing as she took in her son's new friend.

“Mom, this is Vaas! I met him in the park and he really needs help. Some bully broke his horns and I couldn’t fix them.” Syl replied, already looking like he was going to cry again at just the thought of being unable to repair the deer's horns.

Vaas began to protest, shaking his head and backing toward the door before she pulled him into a tight hug.

“Oh you poor thing, sit down, I’m Celeste.” She pulled Vaas gently over to the large cushioned chairs and swiftly moved him into one before rummaging around in the cupboards.

“Momma knows how to fix anything.” Syl hopped up into the chair with him, grinning wide as he hugged Vaas, sending a wave of shivers through him and sending a blush to his face. He gestured to his still intact antler and pulled on it gently, nodding his head as if to ask if she was going to cut it off.

“Never, my best friend as a young’un was a Cervid and I know how much that hurts mister.” She said, huffing at the thought as she quickly made her way back from the cupboards. In her hand she held a wooden rod that started in a faded gold handle shaped like a wine glass, and ended in a rounded tip. She gently held Vaas’ cheek as she chanted, the words carrying the same warmth that radiated the house, the rod gently touching the broken points of his antlers. He could feel a strange heat that made him wince before it was gone and Celeste was undoing the ribbons from his antlers. 

“There you are dear, now let me get you something to get the blood off of you, you look like you’ve been through hell and a handbasket.” She said, her green eyes shining sadly much like her sons for a moment before she swept herself up to her feet and away.

“Thank you.” Vaas managed in the same small, quiet, gentle voice.

“No trouble at all dear, anything for one of little Sylvaine’s friends.”

“Mom’s the best. She can fix anything and anyone, she used to be a Medic!”

“Cleric honey, although I suppose it’s all the same thing at times.” She said with a chuckle, sitting down with a wet cloth and gently beginning to wipe the blood from Vaas’ fur. His face grew redder and redder as she looked confused for a moment. “Why is there so much blood around your face Hun?”

“I fixed it mom, just like you taught me!” Syl spoke up, grinning from ear to ear. “It took a little bit but it eventually happened when I thought he was gonna die and got really scared.” His voice broke near the end of the sentence, Vaas gently grabbed his hand and smiled at him as Celeste continued to clean the blood from his face.

Vaas nodded, balling his fists up and fake punching himself in the face and stomach before playing dead in the chair. He sat back up, Vaas looked into Syl’s eyes, both of them beginning to cry. Vaas for how thankful he was to Syl, the terrifying thoughts of what would have happened to him if he had returned home like that running through his mind. Syl simply for being happy to have helped and made a new friend.

“That’s my boy, like his father in that, he does.” Celeste spoke, gently wiping the last of the caked blood from Vaas’ nose.

“Yeah! Dad was a bard, he sang and traveled the world helping people. Mom says he was so romantic he even managed to steal her from her church.” Syl bragged, squeezing Vaas’ hand. “When I grow up I’m gonna go out adventuring and playing music and being cool and singing to all the girls.” 

“Girls?” Vaas asked softly, feeling a strange tightening in his chest for a moment.

“Well not just the girls, everyone will get songs and then I’ll come back and give mom a big house with servants so she won’t have to do anything anymore!”

“My boy will break hearts all around the world, won’t you.” Celeste rolled her eyes playfully, gently patting Vaas’ cheek as she finished up cleaning his face. Vaas noticed that something seemed off when Syl spoke about his father, Celeste’s eyes seeming to dim for the slightest of moments before she returned to her cheery self. “So you’re staying for dinner now that you’re here, no ifs, ands, or buts, got it?” 

“Can I show Vaas my room until dinner is done?” Syl asked excitedly. “I’ve never had a friend to show my stuff to!” Celeste nodded and waved the boys gently off the chair, Syl still squeezing Vaas’ hand and pulling him along through a door between the two halves of the room. Inside was a comfortable looking bed draped in an old teal blanket,a shelf full of knick knacks, a full length mirror, and toys scattered the floor with a chest to one side of the bed, open and half full. Syl grinned at Vaas for a moment before seeming to realize something and running back out the door, leaving him alone in the room. Vaas blinked in confusion as he knelt down and picked up a toy lute, gently plucking the slightly loose and worn strings before Syl burst back into the room.

“I forgot!” He said, holding up the ribbons he had tried to use to hold vaas’ antlers back together. He strode over and began to wrap them again. “Mom said dad gave her these to keep her hair up as a gift because he loved her, so they’re perfect for my first friend.” He finished tying them, his tongue gently stuck out between his teeth as he strung them across from one horn to the other haphazardly. Something caught in Vaas' throat as he stood fully up and looked into the mirror as Syl grabbed his hand again.

The ribbon was tied along his antlers, stretching across from one to another like a roughly made dreamcatcher. His ragged clothes, his disheveled fur, and the bags under his eyes were such a contrast against the bright eyed, clean, and neatly clothed Hedge that it would normally have made Vaas uncomfortable or embarrassed. But something about the sight of them together, Syl holding his hand and looking back at him through the mirror, felt absolutely right. 

Nothing in the world could ever ruin this moment

Vaas thought, not his parents, his bullies, his own self-doubt seemed to fall before the shield this sight became. 

He looked at Syl, the hedge’s blue-green eyes shining up and matching his own deep greens in the mirror. This was the moment that Vaas always looked back at in the future, the realization both then and now that by Syls side was exactly where he belonged. That his heart and soul belonged to the smiling boy that saved him that day.

The Stream that meets the boulder

Leaving Syl’s home was the hardest thing Vaas had ever done, the warmth, the love, the welcoming spirit was quickly blown away by the heavy coldness of the night's wind as he stepped out the front door.

“We can play more tomorrow, right?” Syl asked, light from the doorway lining him like a little angel.

“If you still wanna, sure.”

“Why wouldn’t I want to? You’re silly.”

“Yeah…See you tomorrow.”

Syl continued to wave until Vaas turned the corner, slowly marching his way home. It wasn’t until he was out of sight that Vaas let the aching worry in his chest take over as he began to cry quietly to himself. 

There’s no way dad won’t be mad.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

How do you know?

Because he’s always mad.

Did you do something bad again?

No, I just made a friend.

Then why are you worried?

Because I don’t have to have been bad, you know it

But you’re always being bad, you know it.

Am I always bad? He asked himself for the first time, his fingers firmly grasping the door handle of his home. Squeezing the cold metal tightly he turned it slowly, his eyes glued to the metal handle. Pulling slowly and quietly his ears twitched at the slightest sound, his breath caught in his chest as he inched the door open to allow him to slip in. Finally breathing out he slid into the house, pulling the door ever so slowly closed behind him, managing to avoid any noise by some miracle. 

Standing in the entranceway to his home Vaas finally breathed inward again, his eyes catching a glint of the unlocked latch on the upper side of the door. The realization dawned on him slowly, his eyes closing as he prepared for what came next.

Dad doesn’t leave the latch off if he’s asleep

For the second time that day Vaas had his antlers grabbed, his body violently forced to move against its will. He was forced down the hallway, head down toward the floor, feet barely able to keep up with the larger ones currently marching him through the long white hallway that connected like veins from the heart to the rest of the home. The only door in the house Vaas had never opened was thrown wide, then he was thrown against the back of the hard wooden desk. 

A loud crack rang through the air as Vaas could only hope that wasn’t the sound of his spine snapping. 

You’d be better off if it was your spine, wouldn’t be able to feel what’s coming, you know?

Vaas grimaced, his hands twitching as he looked up at the large buck standing above him. His eyes were bloodshot, pupils dilated down to pinpoints, his hands balled into fists and shaking with rage. A jab from one fist to his shoulder sent the boy back into the desk again, he’d barely managed to relax himself before the hit to lessen the pain. Unfortunately it did much less against the hardwood he was forced back into.

“Little shit, where were you?” his father growled out.

Tell him you made a friend, see how he reacts to that!

“I fell asleep at the park, that’s all! I’m sorry! I tried to come home quietly!” Vaas said quickly, shrinking himself against the desk, pulling his knees to his chest.

“Really? Why should I believe you? You’re always going out and getting into trouble.” He slurred out, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him to his feet, a shock of electrical magic releasing from his hand making the boy yelp and shake. His other hand grabbed at his throat as tears welled in the boy's eyes. “And you always steal my damn books! Ones missing, I bet you have no idea where it went do you?”

This is what I’m talking about, you’re always bad, you steal a book and don’t bring it back?

“I-I-I don-don’t please dad, I’m sor-” Vaas was interrupted by his fathers fist ramming into his stomach, knocking the air out of him before he could finish his sentence. The hand holding him up by his throat gripped harder as he began to choke, frantically grasping at his fathers arm for some sort of freedom to breath.

Oooh, you’re not gonna last much longer. You need to figure something out.

“You think I give a shit if you’re sorry? You’re a lying piece of shit! You have these fucking ribbons on your horns, what’d you pawn my book off? You little shit!” His father screamed at him, both hands grasping at the young deers throat. Vaas’ eyes filled with tears, his vision blurring, gasping for air and grabbing at his fathers arms weakly. The older deer only seemed to get further incensed by the boy's inability to answer him, squeezing his small windpipe tighter and tighter. The energy in the room continued to grow, the air thick with it making both deer's fur stand on end.

First gift from your first friend really backfired, didn't it kid.

“Please…dad….Sor…sorry…” He sobbed, tears rolling down his cheeks, gasping for breath, his arms losing their strength as they fell to his side. His father glaring down at the boy with the look only a bitter old drunk could have.

“You’re gonna pay for that book with your hide boy!” He growled out, shaking him by the throat. His fingers dug so hard into his neck that blood began to drip under them, lit up by a slowly gathering energy in his hands. All the while Vaas continued to sob, his eyes rolling slowly into the back of his head as he tried to cry for help, nothing but a gurgle and bubble of blood escaping his muzzle. The old drunk slurred his words, the energy in the room condensing in an instant and the sound of thunder rang through the room, the older deer feeling something break under his grasp. Letting go it finally allowed the boy a few painful, raspy breaths as he hit the ground.

Something broke something broke something broke something broke something broke

It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts

“What the fuck…are you doing, get the fuck up!” His father yelled between heavy breaths, a hard kick to the stomach sending Vaas back against the desk. He couldn’t get up, he couldn’t move on his own, his body curled into itself instinctively to minimize the damage. Vaas sobbed, barely able to choke down a breath before his throat emanated a wave of body wracking pain through his small figure.

“Vaas I fucking told you…Vaas…?” His father knelt down, grabbing him by a shoulder and shaking him. “Get the fuck up.” He snarled before he caught sight of the blood coming from his son's mouth, a shiver of fear running through his body. He looked around quickly, his eyes darting everywhere until he gave up, hearing another pained breath from the boy.

I can’t die

I think you are bud.

No, I can’t, what about Syl

What about him?

I can’t let him go, he’s my first friend

He’s that important to stay alive for? You met him this morning.

Yes, I forgot about all this because of him and I can do it again if I can stay alive

You mean that? Think you can get out of here?

I need to do it, he’s my hero, and if he wants me as a friend then I can’t ever leave. With him I can do anything.

The last thing Vaas saw before his vision faded was the street rushing by, someone had picked him up, someone was running very, very fast. Inside he was a mess and even at his age he knew it after all that. He needed to rest, to keep himself from freaking out or moving when the pain struck, but also keep himself together. He knew falling asleep now would be bad, so instead he did the only thing he could do. 

He focused as hard as he could on one thing, making it the entirety of what his mind could hold. He slowly let go of everything else, it was hard and he didn’t fully manage it but the pain dulled and he slowly began to feel less and less of his broken body. He focused as hard as he could on the only thing that mattered, the image of Syl smiling, his bright eyes shining like beacons in the dark. As long as he held that in his mind he could keep himself going.

We may not meet again in this lifetime

Syl sat next to the bush that Vaas had been attacked by the day before, his hands strumming a toy lute as he hummed a song to himself. Syl realized after about an hour of waiting that he hadn’t made plans on when the two would meet today, simply that it would be today. He decided to spend that time trying to write a song, well memorizing a song.

Syl had never quite gotten the hang of reading like the other children. He knew his numbers, how to get from copper to silver and silver to gold and gold to platinum but never once bothered to learn his letters. No matter what he did it just didn’t stick, and today he was hoping that either Vaas might be able to help him, or at least be able to read to him.

Strumming along he slowly began to sing to nothing in particular.

One and one is two, I know that’s true

I don’t want to leave after meeting you

I’ll wait as long as I have to

Because

That’s

What

Friends

Do

The song was childish and simple but the young hedgehog had a talent for singing even at this early age. His voice carried gently through the trees and foliage, the wind taking with it the simple tune and its honest words. Syl did wait as the entire day seemed to pass by at a snail's pace. It wasn’t until it began to get dark that he finally stood up and sighed.

“Did I forget what tomorrow means?” He asked himself, his eyes tearing up. “I thought we were gonna be friends.” 

He sniffled, wiping a quickly growing wave of tears away and walking toward home. 

Maybe Vaas’ parents said he couldn’t come, not all parents could be as nice as his mom. 

Maybe he’d gotten sick overnight?

Maybe someone had scared him away. 

Maybe his home had been attacked by a rampaging horde of goblins?

Maybe it was a dragon?

Maybe it was two dragons?

Maybe he just didn’t actually like me?

Syl couldn’t quite get the grasp on just why he had thought that. Of course Vaas liked him, and Vaas didn’t seem like the kind of person to lie as far as Syl could tell.  Coming to the conclusion that something had just happened and it delayed him, Syl decided to come back tomorrow and wait for his new friend, perhaps he would pack a lunch this time though as his stomach began to grumble once he saw his home in the distance.

The next day was much the same, as was the day after and the one after that. It wasn’t until the fifth day that he hadn’t seen Vaas that he decided he was going to find him. Syl crossed his arms, standing at the bush again and huffing a bit to himself.

“Okay, think Syl, Vaas obviously lives on the other side of the park, otherwise I would see him more when I do errands with mom!” He grinned, thinking he was a genius already. “And…Vaas was right here when I found him, he was trying to get here.”

Syl crawled into the bush, huffing as his spines got stuck on some branches but eventually he pushed into the little space Vaas had either found or made at the center of the brush and began to paw around for anything that could be a clue. It was not hard to find the large book he had brought with him, forgotten but protected by the grace of nature. Syl quite proudly grinned and pushed himself out of the bushes, holding it up triumphantly.

“Hah! You’ll help me find Vaas.” He said to the book, starting to look it over and flip through the pages.

“Oh no.” He groaned to himself, the book lacked pictures entirely and had many big words in a fine, small script that Syl could not read to save his life. At times he thought he recognized a word or two but then they would be followed by something nonsensically long.

“People read words this big? Jeez, no wonder adults get grumpy when they have to read something.” Desperately searching through the book he found a slip of paper tucked neatly between two blank pages in the back. Syl couldn’t read any of the words but he could see an image of a person sitting under a tree with a book stamped in blue ink. 

“Okay Syl, you can do this, this must mean something, so we find the place with the same picture and they might know where Vaas went.” He nodded, hugging the book to his chest as he darted down the path, eventually finding his way to the park's exit and looking around. Despite not being that far away things looked more scary on this side, shops were densely packed together, homes seemed less taken care of, and the people traveling up and down the roads seemed more downcast and tired.

He squeezed the book tightly and slipped his way through the traffic of people, coming out on the other side only to see a large set of words written on a shop window with a pig's head and cleaver underneath.

“I think this is…a butcher” He nodded, sticking close to the buildings as he looked at shop after shop, even peeking inside a few shops that simply had pictures of books on their signs. But none matched the blue ink stamp he was desperately searching for. He was starting to worry, would he even remember the way home? Was he lost? What would mom do without him? What would he do without mom?

He stopped suddenly, taking a deep breath and trying to stop the tears welling up in his eyes. He needed to keep himself under control, he had to for his friend. He did what his mother told him to when he was panicking, countdown from ten. Just as he reached three and finally starting to calm down, the door he had accidentally stood in front of slapped him in the face, knocking him down and causing him to actually start crying.

“Shit, I’m so sorry little guy, I didn’t realize you were there.” Syl could tell whoever it was was kneeling down to check on him, but the tears in his eyes were too much to see who or what it was. He did feel the big, yet gentle hands of an adult gently tilting his head and looking him over, the feeling comforting Syl somewhat as he hiccuped and tried to speak.

“Please help, I can’t find him!” The hedgehog sobbed out, grabbing for the book and pushing it to the adult he could still barely see. “They might know where he is and I need help to find him.”

“Whoa whoa, are you trying to find your dad? Your big brother? Are they a Hedge like you?” The adult asked, the big hands gently wiping away his tears.

“No, he's a Sirvod.”

“”Sir…vod?”

“Servo…Centrid…Certro.” Syl racked his mind for what the word was but it just started to make him panic again and he shook his head roughly, pulling away from the stranger and huffing, closing his eyes and focusing on his words and not the shaking he felt all over his body.

“He’s a deer! He has horns like this.” He put his hands to his head and angled them vaguely like Vaas’ Antlers. 

“Cervid, okay that’s a lot easier, you’re talking to one so that should definitely help.” Syl opened his eyes, looking up at a black furred buck that radiated warmth, his kind eyes and bright smile reminding him of his mother. “What’s your Cervid friend's name?”

“Vaas, he was supposed to meet me to play three days ago but he never came. I thought maybe he was mad at me or I misunderstood but I found this and he definitely would have come back for it!” Syl said as he grabbed the book from the ground, holding it up. “I don’t know what it says but he got beat up for it a few days ago by bullies and never got it back.” 

“You know Vaas.” He said softly, his smile gone, the warmth snuffed out by a cold wind, but the kindness in his eyes stayed. He shook himself and tried to put the smile back on, but even Syl could tell he was faking it. 

“I know where Vaas is, but before I take you there can you take me to your parents so they know where you are?” He asked as the Hedge wiped the last of the tears away and nodded. 

“Great, I’m Caas by the way, I’m Vaas’ big brother.” the smile returned to his face fully now as he stood up. “Don’t run too fast, and maybe you can tell me how you two met on the way.” Nodding Syl pointed in the direction of the park, leading the adult along as he babbled about the pair's first meeting, never turning to see the sorrowful look that the adult hid anytime he turned around.

“Too much for you two already? It’s not even noon boys.” Came the gentle voice of Celeste as she opened the door and looked mildly shocked. “Well Vaas, you grew up fast. Who is your new friend Sylvaine?” She asked, cautiously eyeing up the buck, estimating his age at barely into his teens.

“This is Vaas’ brother Caas! He’s gonna take me to visit Vaas wherever he is!” The Hedge exclaimed, leaving the buck looking awkward.

“I would like to talk to you about that if I could?” He asked Celeste, her nodding in agreement as he knelt down to Syl. “Can you make sure you’re all set and ready to go while I explain some stuff to your mom buddy?”

“Of course, I’ll see if I can find extra ribbons for Vaas, maybe he doesn’t like red.” Syl thought out loud as he quickly ran to his room. Digging through his things he couldn’t hear the adults talking in hushed voices. He didn’t hear the gasp and soft sob of his mother, despite being so normally attuned to it and ready to jump and comfort her. He simply hummed to himself happily and looked through his things for anything to play with when he saw Vaas.

Syl was so preoccupied he didn’t even notice it had been over an hour before a knock brought his attention from his toys. Running to the door he had decided on just bringing more ribbon and Vaas’ book, maybe he could read it to him. Celeste picked him up in a big hug, gently patting his head and sniffling, trying to hide her red eyes.

“I’m going to be coming with you, to make sure the way is safe so that you can visit Vaas anytime you want.” She smiled brightly, her practiced masking slipping back on, she couldn’t let him see her hurting. Especially when it came to what was going to come.

On the walk Caas asked Syl what they did when they played and he happily obliged the entire walk there. One hand clasped firmly in his mothers and the other waved around as he told the story. Somehow neither Caas or Celeste had ever heard of such an adventure as they had apparently had, somehow involving dragons, wolves, and fighting off a horde of giant ants, all from the comfort of their bedroom and the short time it took to make dinner.

“He’s got such an imagination my boy does.” Celeste spoke quietly over his tale.

“That’s great, as long as he doesn’t let it get him in trouble, that's something everyone needs.”

“I worry it’ll do just that, that’s why I was so happy to see he’d made a friend.”

“Well I don’t know if Vaas will be much help there, he’s stealing my fathers magic tomes to read in the park, getting bullied without ever telling me..and…” Caas trailed off, shaking his head. “They’re gonna be the most known people in this city, Gods help us let it be for a good reason.”

They reached their destination just as Syl was explaining that with Vaas’ help they had beaten a pair of giant evil puppets. Caas looked down and grinned.

“Sorry to interrupt but we are here, and here is our home, which you,” He ruffled the hair on his head. “Are always welcome to visit, okay? But tonight's visit has to be a quiet one, got it?” Syl nodded, walking into the long hallway that led to the other rooms, the windows allowed little light into the rooms so candles were set up carefully on holders on the walls. He led Syl past two doors which he craned his neck to see into, a plain dining room and kitchen to one side, and an empty room on the other.

Caas stopped at the doors at the end of the hallway, before he could speak Syl spoke up.

“Did you lose the key to that door? Why is it busted?” His gaze focused on a splintered and broken door across the hall that led to what he thought was a library. It seemed like the door had exploded inward to Syl.

“Oh just an accident, that’s not the thing you need to worry about.” Caas knelt down again, gently putting his large hands on the Hedge’s shoulders. “Something happened and Vaas was hurt really badly, he’s gonna be okay but it’s gonna be hard to play for a little while.” 

Syl looked confused, his eyes widening, head nodding quickly.

“That’s okay! I can visit and we can just sit here and talk, and I can put the ribbons on his antlers again and I can tell stories, and we can sing and…and…” His mothers hand gently caressed his hair and Syl sniffled, tears falling down his cheeks as he managed to keep himself from making too much noise.

“That’s gonna be great, I just need to warn you, Vaas is gonna look like he’s hurt worse than he is. We got all the worst stuff fixed but the rest still takes time.”  Syl nodded, reaching up and hugging Caas around the middle before darting to the door and quickly opening it, walking into the room as fast as he could so he didn’t stop and get scared seeing Vaas hurt.

Vaas looked up slowly from the bed, assuming it was his brother with more apologies and more medicine to help the pain go away. He was wrong though as the figure rushed into the room and almost fell over next to his bed. Syl caught himself, falling down onto the edge of the bed and looking up with his bright eyes.

Syls heart broke seeing him, one of his antlers was truly gone this time, the other badly damaged, his throat was swollen and bruised, ribs bandaged, and his leg in a splint. That wasn’t even counting the dozens of bruises all along his upper body.

“What happened?” But Vaas only shrugged, shaking his head and waving his hand in the air as if to send it away. Syl tried to respond, confused why his friend could be like this when he was so hurt. As if to add on to the situation Syl managed to catch his mother and Caas talking while Vaas shifted in bed, sitting all the way up.

“The damage to his throat is permanent, we could only afford getting it fixed, not restored, thankfully everything else will heal over time.”

Syl began to tear up fully this time, not able to handle it anymore he crawled up into the bed, gently pressing himself against Vaas, wanting to hug him but scared to hurt him more. He began to sob as Vaas gently moved Syls arms around him, then putting his own around the hedge.

“You could have died, couldn’t you?” Syl asked between sobs.

“I can’t die, we only just became friends.” Vaas said, his voice deep, raspy, pained, but most importantly, happy.