Getting up before dawn was no problem for Elwin, since he hadn't been able to sleep anyway. He had left a candle burning, so there was at least a small amount of light to see by.

Prin slept well, of course, and was still sleeping. Ever since this whole –thing-- had happened, it seemed that the prince had no trouble sleeping like a baby. Maybe it was just a by product of his new over all wellness. Or maybe it was because he was expending a lot of energy trying to walk. It did seem very difficult, and Elwin had to suppress his own urge to tell him to quit trying so hard and to let him do everything for him.

Elwin just watched the prince for a long moment, breathing in and out. Dolce was right, of course, the biggest difference of all was in how quiet his breathing was now, if you didn't see the rising and falling of his chest you might think he wasn't breathing at all. Before, his breathing had been bad for so long that Elwin had just gotten used to it.

He was going to just touch Prin's shoulder to wake him, but when that didn't immediately work he impulsively pulled him into a hug.

“Oof, good morning to you too.” Prin said, words slightly muffled since his face was pressed into Elwin's shoulder. “I don't think you know your own strength.”

Elwin quickly released him. “Oops. I'm sorry.” He said sheepishly.

The prince smiled. “I didn't say you had to stop.”

Elwin began to reach out again, but then dropped his arms and quickly hopped out of bed. “No time now! We have to get going.” They were on a tight timeline anyway, as a boat's launch time waits for no man (his sister had hastened to assure him), and they still had to sneak out of the Vulture.

Prin stretched his arms up lazily over his head. “I'm hungry.” he yawned.

Elwin popped a pastry in his mouth, leftover from last night's supper, and poured him a mug of fresh water. “Eat quickly.”

“Adventure awaits!” The prince said. Although it came out more like 'Awincher awaich', since his mouth was full. But Elwin knew what he meant, and couldn't help laughing in spite of the stress he was under.

“You sound just a little too enthusiastic about getting on a ship for parts unknown,” he said.

Prin gulped down the rest of his pastry and took a drink of water to wash it down with. “I don't know about the ship but . . . in a weird way, I mean, under different circumstances and all, this is what I've always wanted.” He cast Elwin a slightly embarrassed look as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. “I know it's corny to say. I would probably be a lot more scared about the whole thing if you weren't coming with me. I-I thank you for that. You could have declined and I would have never had any hard feelings toward you about it. In fact, . . if you ever want to turn back it's . . .”

“Stop right there. You don't have to thank me. And as for turning back, that's never going to happen.” Elwin got the stack of clothes he had gathered for Prin and brought them over to the bed. “Let me help you get dressed. I hope this stuff all fits . . .” He started with the leggings, pulling them up over the prince's legs and hips and tying the drawstring at his waist. This would add a layer of warmth and soft fabric between his skin and the harsher outerwear. Elwin had taken some advice on dressing for travel, although he had never traveled himself. “Plus if I left you, how would we keep our pact?”

“That's right.” Prin laughed. “You know, I don't think there's anything we can't do if we're together!”

“I think the boots might be a little big. Let's try this.” Elwin put a thin pair of socks, then a thicker pair of socks on Prin's feet. “I don't think so big that we need to stuff paper in them or anything . . .” He tried to concentrate on the matter at hand, and not how sweet Prin was being. Although in a way he felt like he was treating him like a dress up doll. It was kind of fun, he had to admit it.

“I could get myself dressed.” The prince said sheepishly, “Not that you aren't doing a fine job of it.”

“Could you?” Elwin wondered. “You don't have to go from doing nothing by yourself to everything overnight. Let's work our way up to it.” He took a shirt from the pile. It was faded green and a little thin from many washes, but had clearly been a fine garment at one time. The collar had embroidered acorns and leaves.

“Some of these things are pretty old fashioned, but I think it suits you.” He slipped it on over Prin's head, and lifted his arms to place them in the sleeves. He didn't take the nightshirt off first, figuring it could serve as the under layer.

“It wasn't by my own choice.” The prince said softly. “That I couldn't do things for myself.”

“I know.” Elwin brushed Prin's hair back from his face, and quickly grabbed a bit of string to tie it back in a ponytail. “There, isn't that better?” As soon as he said that, he got a flash back of nanny saying it to him, when he had been a long haired kid.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“If I'm doing a fine job, let me keep doing it.” he said. As much as he would like to take the time to soothe the prince's ego, he didn't really have it. “There are presents at the end.” he said enticingly.

“Ooo, okay.” Prin said. “I'll shut up now.”

Elwin added some well made pants to the ensemble. So well made, in fact, that they had been worn already by both himself, and then Dolce, having been outgrown by the both of them. They survived it well, with a leather patch added when one knee gave out. The pants were too short, a sin the addition of boots would easily hide. “Sorry, I couldn't do the shopping the way I really wanted to, so most of this was pulled out of things my family already owned, or purchased from Mr. Seal's shop. He gave us a very good deal.”

“Will he tell where we've gone?” The prince wondered.

“No . . . I don't think he will.” Elwin said. Not that there was anything they could do about it either way.

He added a leather belt at Prin's waist, which would definitely be needed to hold the pants onto his thin frame.

“Almost done.” Elwin said. He carefully worked the tall boots onto Prin's feet. They reached half way up his calves, which should hopefully be good enough to keep him out of the mud. Unless he falls. “Stand up and see how they feel.”

Elwin took the prince's arms and helped him to his feet. “What do you think?”

Prin beamed at him. “Seems just fine. Are we ready to go?”

Elwin picked up the final piece of clothing. A dramatically black cloak with a flower embroidered deep purple lining. An expensive item fifty years or more ago. Although only yesterday discovered in Mr Seal's treasure box of old clothing. He put it around Prin's shoulders. Nothing quite matched, and some would say that the outfit overall looked a little silly. But, by the look on his face, Prin seemed to be enjoying it.

“That's all.” Elwin said. “Oh! Presents.” He took the lucky scratched coin, to which he had already supplied a black cord as a neck chain, out of his pocket and put it around Prin's neck. “I'm told that this is good luck.” he said.

While the prince was curiously examining the relic, Elwin took his other hand and slid the little ring, with the clear stone onto his pinky, where it fit nicely. “There. Now you have a ring!”

“Ooo,” Prin looked at his hand, a tinge of color rising in his cheeks. “Can we sell this?”

Elwin frowned slightly. “No, I think its only brass. It's not for you to sell, anyway, it's for you to wear.”

“Of course!” Prin said cheerily. “I love it. Don't be cross.”

“I'm not.” Elwin said, unsure why it even was that he did feel cross. “We have to get going.”

“Yes.” Prin nodded in agreement. “But how?”

Elwin widened his eyes at the prince. “I was hoping you had a plan!”

The color drained from Prin's face. “You're kidding . . .”

“Oh no. I mean yes, yes I was kidding.” Elwin laughed. He gave Prin a quick one armed hug of apology. “Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I know what we're going to do.”

Prin sighed. “I'll do whatever you say. Just don't make me try to come up with anything.” He chewed on his lower lip nervously.

Elwin got a little thrill hearing him say 'I'll do whatever you say', which he quickly tucked away for later. They were busy at the moment, and the pressure was on for his own half ass plan to actually get the job done.

“First we have to get the bags into the other room.” He gathered up the two knapsacks. One larger and a bit overstuffed and a smaller one that was Prin's, since he insisted he needed to carry some of the goods himself. And there was also a smaller cross body bag, and of course the walking stick. “I think that's all the luggage.”

The prince tilted his head to the side. Clearly both curious about the plan and wondering if they had truly packed everything they were going to need, if Elwin had read him right.

“Come on.” Elwin took the bags and hurried to the room next door, the room with the open window. With Prin hobbling along behind him, relying heavily on the cane.

Elwin waited for him to catch up and then pointed at the high window. “The stuff goes out there.” He made sure the bags were thoroughly fastened and hoisted them up onto the window sill. “I hope nothing in there is too breakable.” he remarked, after having pushed the bags out the window.

“My books.” the prince sighed under his breath.

“What?” Elwin asked.

“Nothing.” Prin said, with an unhappy look on his face.

“Dolce will be waiting down there to pick them up and bring them to us.” Elwin assured.

“Oh! You really do have a plan!” Prin turned his frown upside down and flashed it at his friend.

“Of course I do, silly.” Elwin said. “Now, we have to get ourselves down there, is the only thing.”

Prin looked from the window to Elwin and back again, but to his credit, he didn't say what he was thinking.

“The stairs.” Elwin said.

Prin laughed.

They went to the top of the stairway, the prince not even taking one last look at the bedroom where he had spent his entire life thus far.

Elwin bent down. “Piggy back.”

“Are you sure?” the prince asked.

“I'm strong, I can do it no problem.” Elwin said. “It's too steep for you to walk it. We don't have time for you to break a leg.”

“That's one way of putting it.” the prince said. “But you are right. The longer we wait, the more distance he is putting between us.” He said this for himself, strengthening his resolve.

He got on Elwin's back and Elwin straightened slowly. Although the prince was heavier than he was just a few days ago, he was still a light person, as far as full grown people went. And Elwin did hope that he put on more weight and couldn't fit into Dolce's pass me downs any more pretty soon. But as for today, it may be challenging to carry him down these crumbling steep tower stairs and Elwin was glad there wasn't that much of him to carry. “Hold on tight.” He really hope he still remembered where all the loose stairs were in the dark.

Elwin stopped periodically to take a break and make sure Prin was securely settled on his back. Prin's face was tucked into his neck, having to duck low to avoid hitting his head on the low ceiling. His warm breath on Elwin's ear was more distracting then any loose stones in the dark stairwell could ever be.

“Everything alright?” Prin whispered in his ear. “Do you need me to get down?”

Elwin shivered. “Nope. All good.” He hurried on with the stairs, needing to get back into the light. “Almost there.”