The next morning when Ethyn awoke, Silver was making porridge from some of the flour the villagers had gifted. Using the dying embers of the fire, he heated the mix. 'There is no use wasting more wood,' the Guardian reminded himself.

Ethyn sat up slowly with a yawn. Stretching, he noticed Silver stirring the pot. In a groggy voice he asked, "What are you making?" He peeked over the edge of the pot and saw small whips of steam rising from the brownish-white mix.

"Our breakfast," Silver replied simply as he continued to stir. By his posture, this simple food was something he was used to making.

"Ours? You mean that you are going to share with me?" the boy's mouth hung open as he pointed to himself.

"And why shouldn't I?" Silver's hooded face turned towards the confused Ethyn.

Ethyn looked at the man like he was dumb. He wondered if Silver was really so naïve. "Because people do not share…They take what they want and leave you out to dry."

'I remember thinking that too when I was his age.' The Guardian sighed. "You have had a very sad life, Ethyn. Not everyone is like that."

"Obviously…" Ethyn mumbled sarcastically.

Spooning the porridge into a bowl, Silver's stern voice startled Ethyn. "Do you want food or not?" The man shoved the bowl and a spoon toward the boy.

Ethyn didn't answer. He took the bowl and started eating.

After fixing his own bowl, Silver situated himself at the table. He looked down at the boy and scratched at his head. "Do you care to join me?" He motioned to the other chair.

Ethyn again looked shocked. "At...at the table?"

Silver nodded. "That is where I like to sit, yes."

"I have not sat at a table in the longest time." He smiled with gratitude.

"Here's your chance." Silver touched the chair next to his.

Ethyn picked up his bowl and sat down in the chair. He rocked back and forth for a moment, testing it.

"This is a sturdy chair," he said, surprised.

The Guardian chuckled. "It better be; I made it."

"Did you make everything? Even that bed and chest in the other room?" Ethyn jerked his thumb toward the forbidden place.

"You went into the other room!?" Silver asked angrily. He struggled not to lose control. "What did I tell you about going into the other room?"

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Ethyn could see he had stepped into a problem, but was unsure what he had done. He held up his hands in defense. "Calm down. You said I could not sleep in there. You said nothing about just going in there. You simply said I couldn't sleep in there," he repeated emphatically. "Anyway, I went in there before you told me not to…"

"Do not go in there anymore," Silver ordered.

"Yes sir!" Ethyn responded with due respect. "Hm, you do have quick mood swings, Silver. Silver is kind of a funny name…"

The man went from angry to slightly offended. "You really do not know who I am? The name 'Silver' means nothing to you?"

The boy shrugged, "Should it mean something?"

Silver heaved a sigh. No wonder the boy did not seem in awe like the other children. He had no clue he was talking to a legend. "You are not from around here, are you, Ethyn?"

"Nope. It is my first time in the area. I have been sleeping in the woods these past couple weeks."

"'I thought that was you I saw the other night," Silver mused. His conscience still nagged him about not doing more for the lonely child. "You did not see me but left you a gift," he said to both to the boy and himself.

"You are the Meat Fairy?!" Ethyn chirped. His mouth watered as he thought of the delicious jerky.

"Meat Fairy?" Silver repeated, wondering if the boy had lost his mind. "I have been called many things, but 'meat fairy' is a new one."

After a moment of silence, Ethyn looked up at him. "So? Then, who are you?"

"I am Silver, Guardian of Rynnlee." Silver gave his title with a mouthful of food.

"I know about Guardians from the bedtime stories. But I thought all the Guardians were dead." Ethyn commented casually.

"They were a dying breed even before I was born. There are too many selfish people in this world. My calling came later than most." Silver informed him. 'Much later.'

"Is it true that guardians have special powers?" Ethyn's eyes twinkled at the idea.

"Some do. I am not sure how they get them though."

Ethyn's mouth was agape. "How did you know I was going to ask that next?"

"It was a fair guess." Silver smiled. 'This boy is full of questions. I hope I have the endurance to keep up with him.'

Ethyn sat quietly for a moment, eating his porridge. Silver could see the burning question behind his eyes. Finally Ethyn spoke. His voice was soft and timid.

"Do you...uh… do you have special powers?"

Silver laughed. "My boy, I am not going to answer that question. You will just have to figure that out on your own."

Ethyn scraped the bottom of his bowl and licked his spoon. His face reflected the pleasure his stomach felt.

"That was good. I do not suppose there is any more?" he held out the bowl towards the man with those large beggar's eyes.

Silver shook his head. "I am afraid not. You ate enough for the both of us, to be sure."

He took the bowl from the boy along with his own and rinsed them and the spoons off in a shallow basin. Then he dumped the dirty water out the window. He set the bowls on the shelf to dry and wiped his hands.

"Now that you are done eating, we can return all of these stolen items to their owners." Silver jerked his head toward the sack of stolen goods he had confiscated the night before. Having been brought from the bedroom just before breakfast, it lay waiting in the corner like a crouching tiger.

Ethyn shivered. "I don't think I can--"

Before he could finish his thought the Guardian reached inside his cloak and retrieved a pair of soft soled shoes. "Earlier this morning I stopped by and borrowed an old pair of Gilbert's, the mayor's son's, shoes. They will have to do until I can get you some proper boots. We will also have to get you some fresh clothes as well."

He tossed the shoes to the boy, who eagerly slipped them on his feet. They were not a perfect fit, but they were far better than leaving his toes bare. A warm feeling of gratitude filled the red-headed boy.

"Thank you," Ethyn said, remembering his manners.

"Are you ready to go?"

Suddenly, Ethyn the good feeling was gone and replaced by terror. He shuddered at the thought of facing all the people he had swindled. "What if they try to kill me?" Dropping to his knees, the boy clung to Silver's cloak in a desperate plea. "I cannot go. You return them."

Prying the boy's hands from his garment, the man responded calmly, "They will not harm you as long as I am there. Even if I was willing to complete this task for you, I do not know which houses you visited. I am not about to play 'find the rightful owner' all morning while you sneak out of town."

Silver grabbed the bag of stolen items. He took Ethyn by the arm and dragged him through the doorway. Ethyn tried to resist, gripping the doorframe. Silver, having more than twice the strength of his miscreant friend, ripped Ethyn from the door and took him into the street.

"I won't go," Ethyn said in a tantrum. He yelled, hoping some passerby might intervene. Unfortunately none of the few people in the street seemed interested in his plight.

'Now who's having mood swings?' Silver chuckled to himself as he felt the boy go boneless next to him. "We can do this one of two ways: you can go willingly with me to return these things or I can give you a public flogging, and then you can go willingly with me to return these things."

"You would not dare," Ethyn challenged defiantly. He glared at the void beneath the man's hood.

Releasing Ethyn to the ground, Silver pulled a whip from inside his cloak, causing the boy to gasp. The Guardian smirked evilly. 'You would be shocked by all I can hide in here, boy,' he thought. Ethyn's eyes widened to half the size of his face. Silver nudged his toe at the boy and let the whip unfurl.

"Turn around."