It was already well into the night before both Markus and Gavaine stopped marching. All around them were the sounds of the company breaking out tents and starting campfires.

"Judging by the moon and the stars, we are about six hours from dawn. Give or take." Marcus said. He began unloading his own pack. Though Gavaine had no idea where it came from, as he didn't see it on Marcus while they were marching.

"Storage ring, very expensive, but it was a parting gift from my father." Marcus held up his right hand and a small silver ring with some sort of gemstone insert gleamed in the moonlight. "It has just enough space to store camping gear and a few days supply. It acts more like an emergency stash than a real storage space."

"That's so cool." Gavaine's eyes gleamed as he stared at the ring. He had never even heard of a storage ring until now. Downside of being a poor orphan who turned street rat to survive. He had no education and most certainly lacked in worldly knowledge.

"Where do I get one of those?" Gavaine asked.

"Nowhere unless you have several thousands of gold lying around." Marcus replied. "Besides, this is just one of the smallest you can get. The larger capacity rings start at auction for tens of thousands of gold."

By this point in the conversation, Marcus had set up a tent. Gavaine had found some sticks in their immediate area. Marcus shook his head.

"We will never get a proper fire going with those measly twigs." He said. Then he pulled a few logs and some stone from his storage ring. It was like magic to Gavaine, who watched the items seemingly appear out of thin air. "Here, help me with this. We will get a proper fire going in a few minutes."

Both boys arranged the stones, which were as large as a fully grown man's head, in a circle on some grassless ground. Marcus then showed Gavaine how to arrange the firewood in crisscrossing X patterns.

"You're really good at this Marcus! Where'd you learn how?" Gavaine asked.

"When you grow up in a noble family, it is expected to learn survival skills as part of your education. After all, you never know where you might end up years later." Marcus replied. "Okay stand back."

Gavaine moved back a few feet and Marcus crouched down next to the unlit camp fire.

"O flames of the wilds, hear my call. Heed my will and set my path ablaze!" Marcus chanted and small flames spouted from his hands, lighting the firewood. Soon it became warm enough to ward off the chilly night air.

"Woah! Was that magic!" Gavaine shouted with excitement.

"Calm down before you make a scene. And yes, that was magic," Marcus sighed before shaking his head. "I can only do minor fire incantations. Have you never had a magic aptitude test?"

Gavaine shook his head. "I got kicked out of the orphanage when I was eight. I can't read or write either."

"My gods!" Marcus shouted. "Basic education is free in the Dinus Kingdom! How did you never receive any?!"

"Street rats don't get an educa-- edu--ed...ju...cay..shun" Gavaine had trouble pronouncing the word. He smiled sadly. "Street rats like me either join the guild or learn to steal. They stamped out the guild when I first started roaming the streets."

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"No matter, the mercenary company will ensure you receive a basic education in all things." Marcus stated as a matter of fact. "Every mercenary company does this, else they would have no recruits except those wealthy enough to afford an education, like myself."

"That makes sense." Gavaine nodded. "I hope I can survive this march. Even though being a mercenary is dangerous, it's still better than being a street rat."

"Why not share your time as a street rat with me?" Marcus changed the subject. "We should get to know each other a little better. After all, we are partners until we reach the redoubt. And perhaps even beyond that, gods willing."

"Okay!" Gavaine said. He was just happy to share his story with someone. No one had ever asked him about it before.

"Uh...I grew up in the only orphanage in Markus City." Gavaine said. "There were twenty kids and three adults to take care of us all. I don't really miss it."

"Why is that?" Marcus asked.

"Well, it's not like they beat us or anything, but they didn't really do anything with us unless it was time for food or bed. And there was this one kid. I can't remember his name, but all the other kids looked up to him." Gavaine scratched his head. "We got into a fight one day over some toy and from then on none of the other kids liked me. Eventually after awhile the adults kicked me out, saying they didn't have money to spare to feed me."

"It is very obvious that these adults considered that child to be their golden goose so to speak." Marcus said.

"What do you mean?" Gavaine asked confused.

"Think about it, Gavaine. That boy had the entire orphanage wrapped around his finger. All of the children naturally gravitated towards him and listened to whatever he said, right?"

"Uh...yeah."

"That meant the adults did not have to spend time wrangling the children. They just had to tell that boy what they wanted and everyone naturally listened. Then you came along. You both wanted to play with the same toy. You disrupted the natural order. You see where I am going with this?"

"I guess, yeah." Gavaine was a bit unhappy. He recognized that Marcus was right, but that didn't mean he had to agree with it. Although that fight seemed a life time ago, he still didn't think the boy should have monopolized a single toy by himself. Sharing is caring after all.

"Still, it does not make it right. To toss a child on the street over a mere toy. Their finances must have been tighter than they were letting on." Marcus said. "Still, I cannot fault them. Not with the Lord of Markus's tax. scheme. While it is not illegal, it is heavily frowned upon."

"What do you mean? What tax scheme? What's a tax anyways." Gavaine asked.

"Ah, yes. A street rat would not know what a tax is." Marcus sniffed, his noble side clearly showing. "A tax is something you pay on top of what you pay for a good or service. It goes directly to your lord and finances the kingdom. Markus City is a bit of a special example of taxes. The lord thinks he can buy his way into a higher title, so he has raised taxes to almost five hundred percent of the normal value."

"For instance, bread normally costs a few coppers, even with tax thrown in. In Markus City, bread costs a couple silvers. Normal every day expenses increased to the point that just to live there for a day now costs a gold piece." Marcus explained.

"But if everything cost a gold piece a day, then how is anyone living there?" Gavaine was confused.

"Ah, well I heard about your little run in with Captain Argus. Did you notice how many guards were chasing you? Just for a loaf of bread?" Marcus said. "There is a bounty system in place by the lord. Whoever catches a currently wanted criminal gets a small portion of the bounty reward. That merchant you stole from put up a bounty of no less than ten gold pieces. Whoever caught you got two gold pieces. Why do you think the Thieves Guild got stamped out as soon as the bounty system was put in place?"

For Gavaine, who had opted not to join the Thieves Guild, it dawned on him. An expression of shock slid over his face as he realized how narrowly he avoided execution by going it alone. He had heard the Thieves Guild members were executed to the last man.

"Of course, this sort of system is unsustainable. If the lord is not careful, he will soon find himself at the mercy of the crown instead of a higher station." Marcus tended to the fire. Gavaine sat there in companionable silence for a while, thinking about everything Marcus told him.

"What's your story? Why're you here?" Gavaine asked.

"Mine?" Marcus said, "Mine is a story common to nobles. Born the third son of Viscount, there was no ascending to my father's position. I have two older brothers who are much farther than me on the path to power. So it was either this, serving under one of them for the rest of my life, or casting away my family name and starting anew."

Gavaine stared at Marcus intently.

"Fine, I concede." Marcus laughed. "My tale begins a week before we reached Markus City."