Ethyn awoke extremely disoriented. He squinted, but after the darkness of his slumber, all he could see was too much light. Where was he? He rested a moment and let his eyes adjust through a pained squint.

He was in his room on his bed. But how did he get here? The boy pushed away the fog from his mind and tried to think as his memories slowly returned.

Ethyn remembered being tied to a tree with Silver. Then he had retrieved the knife out of his boot and cut his bonds. He had also cut his foot but decided not to bother his mentor with that news even though it stung terribly.

Then there had been strange howling. A moment later, Ethyn had seen Silver's catlike movements to get to the weapons. He had heard Silver say to run, but his determination to help had prevented his obedience.

There had been a flash out of Jarek's belt. Some basic instinct had galvanized Ethyn into action as he tackled Jarek before the knife could fly true. It had been just enough to save his friend.

The boss had grabbed his neck and was going to punch him when…Ethyn struggled to remember…someone had stopped him. A mad roll and feverish crawl had pulled the boy clear into the trees. Ethyn had tried to stand, but his foot was completely useless. He half-crawled half-limped as far as he could, but his head was feeling light. He touched his bare foot and his hand had come back soaked. Unable to remember which way was home, but he crawled with all his might anyway. At last, Ethyn could not go any longer.

His ribs ached from where he had been kicked and with all his blood loss, his body had given up. Finding a tree, he lay down among the roots. It reminded Ethyn of welcoming arms and after everything he had been through, he did not want to die alone. With snow all around, Ethyn closed his eyes and everything went dark.

But there was one more memory tingling in Ethyn's mind. He had seen Silver over him, holding a bottle of something as bright as the sun. The Guardian had spoken comfort to him before letting a piece of the vial drip onto his foot. His whole body had felt warm and tingly, his foot most of all. After a severe pain beyond what he thought he was capable of enduring, the raging pain in his foot was suddenly gone, and again darkness had claimed his consciousness.

Based on everything he knew, Ethyn guessed that his friend had overcome the bandits somehow and brought him home. But how long ago was that? The slits in the wall near the roof were bright, meaning it was probably mid-day or later. He figured he had escaped in the early hours of the morning. There was so much he did not know.

Ethyn noticed his bed was back in its place. He had pushed it carelessly aside in his escape from the cottage. It was likely the Guardian had put it to right at some point while he slept. He peered down at the blanket neatly tucked around his body.

The coarsely woven beige fabric was far from soft, but it was warm and comfortable. One of his feet lay out from the blanket and was propped up on a pillow. The bright white of the cloth dressing that adorned his leg stood in stark contrast to the dark wood walls.

The door to his room opened and a happy gasp escaped his visitor. "Hello, sleepy head!" Lily said with warmth.

Ethyn started to respond, but his mouth was dry. His attempt at words came out as a strange rasp. Lily nodded and set down the tray in her hands. She took the cup from the tray and helped Ethyn take small sips.

"Drink slowly now," She urged. "It's not a race."

Ethyn humbly complied and took his time. Lily held his head and smiled. The relief in her eyes was evident. When he had finally finished the water, Ethyn moved to sit up. He let out a loud groan and lay still.

"You seem to have cracked a few ribs." Lily told him. "But you will be ok." His ribs? Oh yes, that must have happened when Jarek had kicked him. That combined with his tackling move would have done some real damage.

"What about my foot?" Ethyn asked quietly. He strained to see his bandaged foot, but could only see the thickly wrapped tourniquet.

"Your foot? Oh yes, Silver asked me to check it once you woke up. Would you like to see?"

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Ethyn nodded, but the motion sent his head swimming. The world went spinning in a marvelous blur of color as he gripped his blanket tightly and tried not to feel sick. Silently, Ethyn decided that he should remain as still as possible for the time being. He realized he must have hit his head on something on his dash through the woods. He could feel a spot throbbing on the side of his head above his left ear. He would need to take it easy.

Noting the boy's discomfort, Lilly gently propped his head up slightly so that Ethyn could see what she was doing. The woman carefully touched the edge of the cloth.

"Does it hurt?" she asked tentatively.

"No, not at all," Ethyn was surprised by his answer, but it was true. He could feel her touch but nothing more.

Lily took the bandage and unwrapped it cautiously. What she found startled her. "I expected to see a terrible wound. Are you sure Silver wrapped the correct foot?" She queried after a moment. Without waiting for an answer, Lily pulled back the blanket and examined Ethyn's other leg.

Lily's body was blocking Ethyn's view, and her question made him anxious. "What do you mean?"

"Look!" Lily moved and revealed Ethyn's two perfectly healthy feet. There was no scar or remnant of the harrowing event. "Silver said he gave you medicine. What did he use?"

"Magic," Ethyn answered with reverence, "because that's what Guardians do: save people."

A sweet smile shone from Lily's face. She could not argue. Whatever Silver had done had caused a miracle, and she was more than grateful. Placing herself back by Ethyn's head on the bed, Lily stroked the boy's hair gently.

She found a small bump on his skull, and he winced. "You are just full of injuries," she scolded, parting his hair to examine him. A nasty raised bruise showed itself through his scalp, but it seemed that this problem would have to heal on its own.

"I am talented that way," Ethyn agreed with a lopsided grin.

Releasing his hair, Lily caressed the boy's cheek. "What are we going to do with you, sweetie?" she chuckled. "Are you hungry?" A loud rumbling came from the redhead's stomach. The friends both laughed. "I'll take that as a yes. I have some bread and fruit right here. Let me help you." Lily propped her patient up a little more and helped him eat. She noticed he was slow to move, but everything seemed to be in working order.

After the boy had settled his stomach and eaten his fill, Ethyn's eyes became clearer, and the color in his face returned. "Thank you," he said simply. Then the waterfall of questions began to flow out. "What time is it?"

"It's nearly evening. You've slept all day."

"Where's Silver? Is he ok?" Ethyn was sure Silver was nearly invincible, but a small worm of doubt remained.

"Silver is fine. He had to take care of those bandits. I'm sure he'll be back soon."

"When you say 'take care of' do you mean…" Ethyn contorted his face and stuck out his tongue.

Lily could not help but giggle. She shook her head. "Silver, Conall, Aiden and Aristos," the last word brought a blush to her cheek, "all carted those wretched men back to jail." Lily cocked her head to one side and listened. "I think I can hear the horses return. Would you like me to tell the men to come in?"

"Yes, please."

Lily departed the room and a few moments later, Conall and Aiden entered quietly. "There's the hero!" Conall said jovially as he slapped Ethyn on the shoulder. Ethyn winced and Conall realized his error. "Uh, sorry my boy, I got a little excited. You had us worried there. Last time I saw you, you were, uh, as white as a ghost!"

"How is my trainee?" Aiden asked with a wide grin.

Ethyn smiled weakly but genuinely, "I'm better than I was. A little sore. I'll survive."

"Glad to hear it," Aiden responded. "What you did was brave! Instead of running from danger, you tackled it head on, literally." The soldier produced a short sword. "I retrieved your sword from the bandits. I have been holding onto it, because I wanted the honor of returning it myself."

The large man placed the sword next to Ethyn on the bed, and the boy ran his fingers gently over the hilt. It was not a fancy sword by any stretch of the imagination, but it was his and having it back by his side brought him great satisfaction.

Ethyn's lips curved and his eyes shone brightly. "Thank you."

Bringing two fingers to his forehead, the soldier stood to attention. "No, thank you," he said with a grand salute.

The boy glanced back toward the door. Reading his thoughts Conall answered, "Silver is still outside with Lily and Aristos. He wanted a complete report of your condition while he was gone. Aristos is out there because, uh, Lily is." Conall chuckled. The mayor loved his own wife dearly, and nearly 20 years of marriage proved to only deepen and widen that feeling. But something about the young love birds made Conall nostalgic for the early days with the excitement of every longing glance and without the burdens that age and responsibility brought. He sighed.

Aiden looked at his comrade and furrowed his brow. He elbowed the fat man. "Are you ok?" he asked.

Conall snapped out of his reverie. "Yes, yes of course." He looked at Ethyn seriously, "You saved Silver. We are all in your debt."

Ethyn's cheeks burned. They obviously didn't know the whole story. "I wouldn't say I saved him. You see…"

"Can't you brutes let the boy get some rest?" Silver appeared in the doorway. Adjusting awkwardly, they made space for him in the tiny bedroom.

Then Aristos's face peeked in. The men all exchanged glances, "There's no room!" they all said to the newcomer.

Aristos nodded. "It's just as well. I wanted to give my regards to Ethyn, but I should take Lily home. We've both had a long day. I'll see you soon, Ethyn. Get well!"

"Thank you," Ethyn responded.

Aristos nodded and disappeared from view. Silver made a shooing motion to the other two men, "Perhaps you ninnies didn't hear me. The boy needs rest."

"Alright, no need to be pushy." Conall said, his smile betraying his harsh tone. He was happy to see Silver fuss over the boy. It made him seem more human.

"But we want updates on Ethyn's healing," Aiden added sincerely.

"Of course," the Guardian agreed, trying to usher the men more quickly.

The two men wished Ethyn well. Aiden squeezed the boy's arm gently and then sheathed the sword and placed it in the corner. Ethyn was grateful. He hadn't the strength to move it, but he hadn't wanted to ask for help after their praise. Conall leaned in for another slap on the shoulder, but resisted the urge when he saw Ethyn flinch.

Conall flushed and pulled back his hand. "Sorry, I almost forgot."

"Get out!" Silver ordered as he pushed Conall out and slammed the door in the man's face.

Then he turned to Ethyn and his eyes flashed silver. Ethyn tensed. Something about the man's demeanor scared him. It reminded him of when the servants had beaten him and thrown him from his home. Then he recalled the deadly accuracy of the Guardian's arrow through the bandit's wrist. Fear gripped his heart.

"I'm sorry!" the boy yelped. "I'm so sorry!"