Without taking his eyes off the wolf Niall slowly moved back to put the tree between him and the sleek predator. As he did so, he pulled out the small, curved mushroom knife that he had been using earlier. It felt woefully inadequate in his hand but it was all he had. The wolf took another pace forward. It drew its lips back to reveal more gleaming teeth and the fur on the ruff of its neck bristled. It started to snarl.

Niall cowered back. Then, unexpectedly, anger started to rise in his breast. It displaced the fear that had been there. How dare the wolf stop him now that he was so close to being able to get help? What stupid, backwards place was this? How could there be wolves so close to a town?

Without quite knowing how he got there, Niall found himself out from behind the tree. He took a deep breath and sprinted towards the wolf screaming as loud as he could. The shrill sound that came out of his mouth was not a noise that he recognised. Pumped up on a heady mix of adrenaline and anger he did not care, and waved the knife in front of him as he ran. This wolf was not going to be the reason for him not being able to get aid to Kiran.

As he ran towards it, the wolf just looked at him. A trickle of panic wormed its way into Niall’s head. He had not thought through what he would do if he reached it and it was still there. For a moment longer, the wolf stared at him then, to Niall’s surprise, it turned and bounded into the trees. Niall took a few more steps forward then fell to his knees the adrenaline draining from him instantly. The rational part of his brain caught up with what he had just done. He pushed those thoughts away. Kiran still needed him.

He rose back to his feet and started to head to the edge of the woods. Now that he knew where he was going he made much better time. Nevertheless, it was dark when he arrived back at Devon and Alana’s home. He pushed the door open and entered. Devon and Alana were sitting by the fire.

Devon turned to look at him with a smile that quickly faded. “We were almost starting to worry, what took...Niall, what happened? Where’s Kiran?”

“He fell off a tree and broke his ankle.” Niall started to sob “I couldn’t fix it. I couldn’t move him. He’s there alone. We have to get him.”

“Where is he?” Devon was already on his feet throwing a few things into a bag.

“Kiran said it was where you all had a picnic last summer. There was a big tree that had fallen down in the middle of a clearing.”

“I know it.” Alana said. She had put on her cloak as she spoke, her face grim.

Niall stumbled back to the door and opened it. “OK, let’s go.”

“You stay here.” Devon put his hand on Niall’s shoulder. “You’re in no state to head back out.”

“I want to help.”

Devon turned him to look him in the eye. “Listen, you’ll just slow us down. Stay here, get some food, keep the fire going. Kiran is going to need both food and warmth when we get back. Getting things ready here is how you can help him the most.”

Niall slumped. “OK.”

“Good, but make sure you eat. If we need your help when we get back with him ,you’re going to need your energy,” Devon said. Then, with a nod, he and Alana were gone.

All Niall wanted to do was to collapse by the fire and get warm, but he forced himself to keep moving. There was a pot of creamy vegetable soup that had been left on the stove to keep warm. It was clearly meant for Kiran and him.

Although he did not feel hungry, he ladled some into a bowl and broke a hunk off the loaf that was covered on the table. After his first taste he realised that he was ravenous and wolfed the whole thing down. Each mouthful made him feel guilty. Kiran was out there in trouble and he was here, safe, stuffing his face. He tidied up after himself and started to pace. Except for keeping the fire going, there was little he could do except to wait.

As he walked back and forth, he went over everything that had happened in his head. There was nothing good about it. If Kiran hadn’t told him what to do, he would be dead by now. He may still be dead. Devon and Alana had done nothing but help him. The one time that they needed him to come through, he had failed.

The time passed slowly. Occasionally he would put a new log on the fire or replace the candles that started to gutter. Every few minutes, he went to the window and looked out. Nothing. As the night wore on Niall paced and berated himself.

Finally, the door burst open. Niall looked up. Devon and Alana entered with a weary looking Kiran supported between them. Albeit slightly gingerly, the boy looked to be walking normally. Devon and Alana helped Kiran to a chair by the fire and tucked a blanket around him.

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Searching for a way to be helpful Niall filled a bowl with soup and hovered with it, not wanting to get in the way. Alana looked up from where she knelt next to her son and held out her hand for the meal with a grateful smile.

With the help of his mother Kiran ate the whole bowl and Niall rushed to fill it again. Kiran took it from him, a little more colour in his cheeks. “Thank you, Niall.”

Niall could feel tears filling his eyes. “Why are you thanking me? You almost died. It’s all my fault.”

Devon looked at him. “How is it your fault?”

“I was useless. Everything I did was wrong. I got lost trying to get back here. I took too long. I couldn’t even light a fire. I’m a waste of space. I’m so sorry. I’m going to leave. I don’t deserve to be here. I...” he trailed off, not knowing what else to say

Alana stood and took Niall’s hand. “You saved my son’s life. We’re forever in your debt for that. It’s not your fault. If anything, it’s our fault for forgetting how little you know about living in the countryside.”

“She’s right,” Devon said. “Given what you know, I wouldn’t have believed that you could get back here by yourself. It’s far more than anyone could ever had expected of you. Without you, Kiran wouldn’t be here now.”

Niall wiped the tears from his eyes. “But he almost died.”

“And that was his fault for not being careful enough.” Alana said. “We’ll be having words with him about that. Now, you’ve been through enough. Get yourself to bed. We’ve got it from here.”

“But…”

“Go.”

Niall bowed his head to the inevitable and walked up to his bedroom. He thought that he would never be able to get to sleep, but he was out as soon as his head hit the pillow.

The next morning, Niall woke with a start. Given how late in the year it was, the light flooding into the room around the curtains suggested that he had slept in. The familiar clang from the forge confirmed that Devon was already hard at work. Niall jumped out of bed and pulled on his clothes, mentally berating himself the whole time. After letting everyone down yesterday, he was now just lying in bed like a lazy good-for-nothing.

Downstairs, Alana and Kiran were sat at the kitchen table. Kiran was wrapped in a blanket and was cheerfully munching on a crumpet dripping with butter when Niall appeared. A mug of steaming hot chocolate was at his side. He waved it at Niall, “Morning, Niall. Mama has said that I can stay home from school today. Makes sense. I feel terrible.” He gave what was clearly a fake cough.

Alana wagged a finger at him. “Don’t push it, young man, or I’ll make you go to school anyway.”

Kiran slumped into his blanket and took another chomp out of his crumpet. “Sorry, Mama.”

Alana stood and affectionately ruffled Kiran’s hair. “Now Niall, we have sausages, but how would you like your eggs?”

“I’m late. I’ve not done any of my jobs and Devon’s already started work.”

“Sit down. You had a huge day yesterday. No one is expecting you to do anything today, least of all Devon.”

As Niall stood there uncertainly, Alana came over and pushed him gently down onto a chair. “I said sit.”

Niall had finished eating and was sipping his coffee when Devon walked in. “Kiran, Niall how are you both doing?”

Kiran was whittling in the corner of the kitchen, his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth. He just gave his father a thumbs up.

Devon rolled his eyes and looked over at Niall. “And you?”

“I’m doing fine, sir.”

“Sir? That’s a bit formal, isn’t it.”

“I’m sorry. I let you all down so badly yesterday. If things had just gone slightly differently...” Niall trailed off.

“But they didn’t,” Alana said as she brought a mug of coffee over to her husband. “We’re all fine. We learn and move on.”

“I’ve been thinking.” Niall said. “You have both done so much for me already, but I felt so helpless out there. If it wasn’t for Kiran, we would have been in much more trouble.”

“I know,” Kiran piped up from the corner of the kitchen. “I’m amazing.”

This time all three of the adults rolled their eyes.

“Anyway,” Niall said. “I was wondering if one of you would show me how to do the things that Kiran knew. How to make a fire, how to find your way in the woods, all of that sort of thing.”

Devon puffed out his chest. “Ah yes. That sounds like man’s work. I would be delighted to show you a few things. Let’s just give it a couple of days for you to get some rest, and then we can start.”

Alana looked like she was about to say something, then shut her mouth sharply. “Well, that’s settled,” she said after a moment. “Anyone for more coffee?”

Over the next day things got back to normal. Niall picked up his chores the following morning and returned to the smithy that afternoon. He tried to apologise to Alana, Kiran and Devon several more times but was cut off by all of them. Eventually, he stopped.

The four of them were sitting around after dinner the next night when there was a knock at the door. “Come in.” Devon called. The door opened to reveal Gwen, the hunter that had killed the Bulvine with Devon the day that Niall had appeared.

She was dressed in a similar cloak and leather armour as before with her bow unstrung in her hand. The multicoloured feathers that Niall remembered from before were in her hair again. Alana and Devon both stood to greet her. Not wanting to be rude, Niall stood as well.

“OK,” Alana said to Niall. “Get your cloak.”

“Sorry?” said Niall.

“This idiot,” and Alana gave Devon an affectionate slap on the arm, “is not the right person to teach you about the woods.”

“Hey,” said Devon. “What do you mean?”

Alana turned to him. “I love you darling, but it’s been many years since you had to survive in the outdoors. While there’s no one that can hit hot metal quite like you, I think that Niall needs to learn from someone who knows what they’re doing.”

As Devon continued to splutter, Alana turned to Niall “Now Niall. I’ve asked Gwen to take you out into the woods a few times to show you how to survive there properly.”

“I would show him properly,” said Devon under his breath. He had a petulant look on his face as he spoke.

“Hush now, sweetheart. The grownups are talking. Anyway, you’ve got work to do.”

Devon looked confused. “What do you mean?”

“You’re making Gwen fifty arrow heads and a new set of knives for field dressing to thank her for her time.”

“I’m doing what?”

As the married couple started to bicker happily with each other, Gwen gave a throaty chuckle and turned to Niall. “Well, if you want to survive, let’s get out of here.”