Dim light flooded the small bedroom, as the front door to the Cobblestone Inn creaked open. The thin walls did little to keep out the shuffling and drunken laughter of patrons.

Their footsteps crunched through the deep snow that had gathered on the front porch. The wind was whistling through the broken window, and with it the men's whispers. Unbeknown to them Jacin, the youngest son of the barkeeper, was lying awake in his small bedroom above the Inn listening in on every word. They complained about the destroyed crops and how little the lords and ladies of Old Town cared. Of course, they didn't care, huddled behind the gates of the Blackwall. Where sheep bustled fat and happy, storage rooms filled to the brim with meat, grains and apple wine. The gate's shut for good. Prohibiting any passage, not even for local traders. If anyone wanted to venture south for business, they would have to make a detour. But the forest around the Blackwall was anything but safe. Restless spirits, Fae and beasts alike lingered beyond. 'Go 'round the gates won't open even if you stay here all day long he'd said. Some military laddie, barely a man by the looks of it. Can you believe it, George? As if I'm willing to add weeks to my journey 'n freeze off my balls to sell my wares. Damned brat, even grinned at me as he'd said it. As if Molly could handle the detour. The poor old thing can barely pull the cart up and down the hill on a normal day. These brats got no idea what hell they put us good folks through' one of the men murmured. His friend chuckled softly 'Kar', you gotta be more careful. Keep your voice down. You know how things work these days - don't ya remember your lovely neighbour? If the wrong person hears we’re done for' the first man sighed. A thud - followed by a blubbering noise, suggested that he was re-filling his mug. 'I know - I know, such a lovely girl - poor Mary is still heartbroken when they hung the poor girl from the wall. Her pale body swinging there for days, just like that… she broke down and refused to eat for nearly a week. Those soldier laddies think they are something better. Breaking into people's houses just because some lording thinks it's the right thing to do. Murdering poor souls because someone heard them speak the truth - it never anything but the truth I tell ya.

Meanwhile, they go 'round creating disgusting man-beasts. Disgusting I tell ya, can’t even control the can they?' His companion hummed in agreement.

Then silence followed. A sigh and the crunching footsteps and their hushed murmur receded. Finally. Jacin sighed and turned towards the figure, that was his older brother. Flynn had somehow managed to sleep through all the noise. Even the pub sign creaking relentlessly on its hooks beside their window didn’t stir him. Father had been in an argument with the pub owner, Mr Bell, about this. Which had kept Jacin and his brother Flynn amused all afternoon. The two boys hid on the narrow stairs that led down to the Inn and watched the two adults point fingers and shout until they turned purple. Mr Bell had paced up and down in front of the stairs, his round face flushed red. ‘Black, I’m sorry, I can’t take it off - bad for the business you know.’ Father sighed. 'Mr Bell, my wife can't sleep. She hasn’t had a good night's rest for weeks now. Please take that damned thing off or at least do something about the shattered windows. We both know our customers are only regulars anyway. Most of them find the pub deep down in their cups anyway. Taking the thing down for a few days won't do any harm' So Mr Bell had stomped in and taped the windows in the two rooms shut with yesterday's newspaper 'for the time being'. Which didn’t do much good, as the rain had turned them soggy within less than an hour. So instead of sleeping like his brother, Jacin had been up all night. He turned to his side nudging the blanket closer. Flynn stirred ‘Jacin, stop moving so much’ he groaned. Jacin mumbled a sleepy response. He thought he'd finally drift into sweet sleep when a loud knock thundered on the Inn’s front door. 'Open up!’ a male voice commanded.

Flynn darted up and a heartbeat later a dim light of a flickering candle lightened the bedroom.

Mothers’ narrow and pale face looked like a ghost, as she rushed over. She was wearing her dressing gown, which floated behind her and had her hair rolled up in curlers that looked like tiny pink sausages. Another loud knock, then the sound of creaking wood as someone opened the pub’s front door. ‘We’re closed for the night sir’ Jacin heard Mr Bell say.

‘Hurry now. You know what to do, don’t you?’ Mother whispered. She held the candle so her body blocked most of the faint light. The boys climbed out of their beds. Flynn was on his feet first and pulled his younger brother after himself. ‘Come on! You heard Mother!’ he whispered. Flynn dragged Jacin through the room towards the small storage space in the wall. Pushing the small boy in before climbing into the narrow space himself, and shut the door as silently as he could. The cabinet was small but offered enough space for both boys. Father had built it to store their spare bedsheets, but it also served as a great hiding spot. Father once looked all over the house during an exceptionally fun hide-and-seek session. But couldn’t find them for nearly an hour. He wouldn’t have found them for a good while longer if Jacin’s giggle hadn’t given them away. But since there had been several robberies, as well as kidnappings, within the past few months, Father decided they should use this as a hiding spot for emergencies. The cabinet was barely visible from the outside. There was no handle and it blended in nearly perfectly with the rest of the dark oak of the attic. But if one were to push on the right spot, it was revealed to anyone who was looking. Flynn pressed his face against the wall. Obstructing Jacin’s view of what was going on. ‘I’m cold,’ Jacin whimpered, ‘and it stinks of mothballs in here’ he shifted his legs, hoping for a more comfortable position. ‘Hush! Be quiet!’ Flynn hissed back ‘And don’t be such a baby.’ Jacin opened his mouth to tell his brother he wasn’t and that he wanted to go back to bed, but the bedroom door slammed open before he got a chance.

‘Where are the boys?’ A tall man entered the bedroom. His mousy blond hair sticking out from his military cap. Mother stumbled after him, wrenching onto Father's shirt. Jacin could make out a few more men entering in the familiar military uniform from his position but they quickly left his field of vision. If Flynn would just move, he’d be able to see what’s going on too.‘They - we sent them to their aunt’s place yesterday,’ Mother murmured ‘You know, because of the ro-’ The blond man snorted. 'I've got no time for this sort of bullshit. Let me ask you one more time. Perhaps you’re just too fucking dumb to understand. So listen closely: where–are–the–boys?’ he repeated. But he didn't even wait to see Father motion a silent command to Mother before he ordered his men to search the room. They instantly began to shuffle around the room, searching every corner. They opened the trunk which stood at the foot of their bed and one, Jacin realized and almost laughed, even the small window. The one window in their home that wasn’t shattered, as if to check if the boys were hiding on the windowsill or roof. Jacin felt his small hands shake as he curled them into fists. His nails formed pale crescents on his palms. The air suddenly felt too stuffy. He didn’t like how those men glared at his parents. How they tore the whole place apart while his father, who now moved into Jacin’s field of vision, clutched his shaking hand around his wife’s wrist. ‘It’s like my wife just told you, good sir, we sen-’ a loud bang cut off father’s words. Mother screamed and dropped to the floor. He felt cold sweat trickling down his spine and shifted nervously from one leg to the other. ‘My patience is wearing thin. Now you - stupid bitch, answer my question or I shall ensure not to miss any vital organs this time. Where are you hiding those damned brats!’ he shouted. One of his men grabbed Mother by her wrists and pulled her back to her feet. ‘I will never tell you - never! How could you do this to good people like us? How -’ Mother screamed. Jacin saw the soldier motion a command which was followed by mother’s rushing footsteps as she was dragged towards the bedroom door. 'May as well get a few coins for you from the next brothel then...' the man hissed. Jacin pushed to open the door and like in a daze only realized what he'd done when it was too late. ‘Mommy,’ his voice sounding high-pitched to his ears. What unravelled before him was beyond anything he could have conjured up, even in his wildest nightmares. His father lay on the floor, in a pool of blood. His eyes darted towards his youngest, stared at him wildly as he coughed up more. ‘Daddy’ Jacin screamed. A man in uniform grabbed his mother by the hair as she tried to rush to him. ‘No!’ she shouted ‘No, my boy go!' He felt his brother’s sweaty hand grab his own. Only now the full consequences of what he'd done hit him. The man looked almost baffled, but a grin started to quickly replace the initial surprise. He was sickly thin, his dark eyes bulged out of his skull. Yet, he seemed to be the one in charge. Jacin noted that he was the only one who carried a small gun strapped to his hip. Guns have become illegal to carry for anyone below the rank of a General. ‘Such good boys for ensuring your parent's safety. Aren't you?' The man kneaded his long pale fingers as he let his gaze wander from Jacin, small, pale with unruly dark hair. To his brother Flynn, who was over a head taller and freckled. His brown hair was tousled by sleep and his grey eyes, which was the only thing they had in common, glaring up at the intruder.

‘Now if you please be so good as to follow my soldiers; they will lead you outside to my carriage. Behave and both Mommy and Daddy will be unharmed’ The man gestured towards his soldiers and motioned one with another hand sign. Flynn laughed gruffly, his nails digging into Jacin’s palm. ‘Fuck off, as if! We won’t go anywhere with you. Nor will I allow you to hurt my family any further' he narrowed his eyes as he glared up at the men gathered before them, their mother who stood by the door pale as a sheet of paper and their father - their poor father. ‘Ah, such a brave little fellow aren’t you? Fine have it your way. Men! Take them, I don’t care if they bleed a little, as long as they stay alive’ the man turned on his heels. Jacin stumbled backwards, the nearest soldier had already caught hold of his brother. Mother shrieked and hit any part of the soldier she could reach. ‘Get off me, you pig!’ Flynn shouted, his arms and legs kicked around him, but only hit the air. ‘Let go of him!’ Jacin parroted, pulling at the man’s sleeve. He hit him as hard as he could. Another soldier grabbed Jacin by the wrist, jerking him towards the door. Jacin cursed under his breath. Why did he have to be so small and useless? He didn’t want his parents to get hurt. Mother sobbed and pulled the soldier's arm. ‘No! Leave them be! I’m begging you. They are just little boys’ she screamed. The soldier let go of her, letting her body slump to the floor. Her slender frame was shaking as she heaved in breaths and attempted to stand up again. Jacin felt himself shake with rage. He glared but all the men in uniform seemed to merge in his blurry vision. He dashed his arms and legs, trying to hit anything within reach. Blurted out any curse he could think of, wishing them to be abducted by some sort of Fae or hunted down by monsters. But it was all for nothing… He felt a sting, the fire spread through his veins, his vision burning and he was sure this was it.

Death was merciful at last, death had called him to his side. His body slackened and everything went black.

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He woke up in pitch black room on the floor. Jacin rolled on his back. Brushing his hair out of his face and pressed his eyes shut - his head was spinning badly. Pounding too, as if his skull was about to burst open. He ran his hand through his head to check for injuries, but there was nothing. He'd hit his head on a rock a few summers ago. Flynn had hit him with a rock, accidentally he'd claimed. This felt similar to back then. Right, Flynn...soldiers had attacked his family. Taken him and his brother - or at least he assumed they took both. He didn't even recall leaving home. Everything around him was pitch black, the air felt heavy and smelled odd. Praying the darkness and the dizziness would disappear soon enough, he opened his eyes again. He had to make sure Flynn was alright. But the room remained unchanged, with only the tiniest specks of light creeping through the wooden boards on the ceiling. The light shifted from time to time, while distant footsteps sounded above him but there was nowhere enough to make out anything. Jacin stretched his arms and probed himself up. His neck, where he had felt the sting earlier, felt sore. He rubbed the spot and felt something wet on his fingers. ‘Flynn?’ he whispered. No answer. Aside from a soft rustle in the opposite corner, perhaps the wind? Despite his shaking legs, he grabbed onto the wooden walls for support. He stretched his legs, checking for injuries. But they seemed fine too.

Something rustled again. This time much closer, followed by the sound of soft footsteps. ‘I see you’re finally up,’ a deep voice murmured. Jacin jumped backwards and nearly fell. ‘Don’t worry pup, I’m not your enemy’ the stranger chuckled. Well, enemy or not, he needed answers and he needed them now. ‘Where am I, where are you taking me?’ Jacin murmured.

'Me?’ the stranger responded ‘I'm looked up in a cell with you pup. Not the best conditions for taking anyone anywhere, are they?’ Irritation boiled up inside of Jacin. This person - was amusing himself. ‘Fine, then whomever they are... where are they taking us’ he spat back. He felt his unease grow as the stranger’s footsteps sounded closer. ‘I must disappoint that I can’t answer that - you see, those men outside those doors and I - well, we’re not exactly on friendly terms. Hence it is not me who’s taking you anywhere nor them informing me about their intentions. We're on a ship, in a pretty little damp and musky-smelling cell, sailing into an adventure neither of us asked for’ the stranger concluded. The room grew silent again, and Jacin almost wished the man would continue to talk. Just to fill the emptiness. Anything to distract him from the swaying, which was the ship as it turns out and his throbbing head. Which both made him feel like throwing up any minute. Instead, he slid back down onto the floor. ‘How old are you anyway, pup?’ the man asked. Jacin leaned his head on the wall to provide some steadiness ‘Eight,’ he murmured ‘so basically a grown-up you don't need to call me pup. Is there another boy here on this ship? He’d be a little taller than me, brown hair? His name’s Flynn. He’s a bit of a know-it-all. They took us from our home tonight, I think it was tonight, and - at least I think they got both of us’ Jacin rambled on until he noticed the man had crept up right in front of him. The tall figure shifted so that half of his pale face was revealed by the dim light. Three ugly scars ran down the left side of his face. Barely missing the emerald green eyes, they almost looked like claw marks. His angular face was covered with freckles, similar to Flynn’s. True red hair flowed down to the man's shoulders, half of it tied up in a military bun. He was pretty handsome, despite the scars and narrow face. ‘My name is Grim, not that you asked pup. But to answer your question, I am sorry to say, I haven’t seen this - Flynn. You’re probably correct to assume that they took you both. They don’t usually pick and choose’ he sighed a loud breath ‘This Flynn is your brother I'm assuming?’ Jacin nodded and closed his eyes ‘ - just hope he’s alright.’ His voice cracked. ‘I’m sure he is, this ship is large, so he could be in any of the cells’ Grim responded. He crouched down in front of Jacin ‘so pup, to ensure I can stop calling you that... what’s your name?’ Grim pushed a chunk of his hair behind his ear. Emerald green eyes glistening with mischief ‘unless you prefer to just stick with pup after all. I’m fine with that you know.’ A wide grin spread across his lips. He instantly looked a lot younger than Jacin had initially assumed. He mustered the man before him again, from his worn grey shirt and trousers to the scars that covered not only the pale face, he noticed, but were all over his arms too ‘I’m Jacin’ he said at last.

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The soft swaying of the ship came to an abrupt halt. Waking Jacin from his deep slumber. He turned, only to bump his forehead on Grim's elbow. ‘Ouch,’ Grim teased while Jacin rubbed his brow and sat up to smooth his hair back out of his face. A habit of his that was rather useless since it fell back into his face only moments later. Flynn always teased him about it. Not that his brother was in a position to tease him about such things. Flynn had started to care a lot about his looks since last summer. Jacin assumed it had something to do with the girl that moved in next door. She wasn't even pretty. Jacin had hated having to walk past her block on their way home from school. So the girl - if she was looking out the window by chance - could admire how good of an older brother Flynn was. Who'd carry all the grocery bags himself, on top of Jacin’s school bag. Only to dump them on the ground and make Jacin help once they turned a corner and were out of sight. But now, even the memory of his brother’s constant bickering made him feel hollow inside. Jacin had bombarded Grim with one question after the other but learned little. Grim who'd been in training as a soldier for years knew next to nothing about it. Other than the obvious - it was government-funded. They had taken him from his own family when he was even younger than Jacin. Those that didn’t mysteriously disappear over the years would someday make it to the war front. Which according to Grim, was treated like some kind of badge of honor. But the red-haired man didn’t seem convinced. Jacin probed himself up and rubbed his face with one hand, attempting to remove whatever substance was on the floor of his skin. There wasn’t much light in the room to make out what it was, even by daytime. Grim had mentioned, he suspected the ship had been to sea to catch whales in the past. Hence they had agreed, neither of them wanted to know what the substance that covered nearly all surfaces was and left it alone. The only time there was a bit of light in the room, was when a guard opened the cell door to throw in two buckets of water and two wooden bowls of some clumpy porridge. Both Grim and Jacin would hurry over and swallow the clumpy mess and attempt to use the water sparingly so they could use it to wash and drink. The peaceful silence was interrupted by a thunder of footsteps. The door flung open, and about ten soldiers stormed in. Weapons drawn, rounding them up. Jacin jumps up on his feet, prepared to run for his life. But Grim grabbed him by the shoulder before he could dart forward. ‘No, stay close!’ He murmured brows furrowed. 'Are you mad?’ Jacin spat. The anger he had swallowed down the past few days finally exploded out of him. Those guards had hurt his mother, killed his father and who knows what they had done to his brother. How could he stay put - be expected to remain quiet? One guard stepped closer to grab Jacin by the arm. The boy kicked the man in the shin and attempted to run. But Grim grabbed his arm once more, this time he felt the man's long fingers dig into his arm. 'Stupid boy’ a familiar voice said, the man that had murdered his parents. ‘You better listen to your friend there. Take them outside and you may do whatever it takes to teach the little rat some manners,’ the man commanded. Five men rushed towards Jacin, one reached out to grab the boy by the arm. But Grim caught the man's hand midair and snarled. He pushed Jacin behind his back, flashing sharp canine teeth at the men. Jacin swallowed hard. So it was true then. He’d overheard a conversation between his father and Flynn about modified soldiers. Men who had willingly become something entirely else. But his father had dismissed it as gossip bored people came up with. Flynn however had expressed his disgust and told his father he’d rather slit his own throat than be turned into a monster. The men at the pub had mentioned them to the other night. Grim nails dug into Jacin’s shoulder ‘as he hissed ‘Don’t you dare touch him. You gave him to me. So unless he steps out of line, he’s none of your business.’ Jacin who allowed Grim to lead him outside caught several soldiers glaring after them over his shoulder. ‘What did you mean -’ he began. But his parent's murderer interrupted him ‘Soldier 162. If the boy messes up, you both pay for it with your lives.’ Grim didn’t respond but tightened his grip on Jacin and led the boy towards a ladder that led to the deck. The sunlight almost blinded them. But the cold sea breeze felt good on his skin. Jacin took note of all the young children, mainly boys, around his age. There were a few girls here and there, all of them with their hair either cut short or tied back and blank expressions on their faces. All of them were motionless, like statues. No one showed any sign of recognition. No one dared to even glance towards the stairs that lead below deck or the soldiers that climbed up. Some were also covered in scars or even fresh wounds.

‘What is this place?’ Jacin asked quietly, looking up at Grim, who now towered beside him. Grim opened his mouth to reply but a boy interrupted him as he jumped into his arms, which nearly made them tumble over. ‘Grim!’ the boy shouted grinning ear to ear. ‘I can’t believe you’re alright! Look they brought us back to Shipkeep - Zyna is here too’ he said, while jumping up and down, which made his black curls bounce up and down alongside. Jacin caught a small smile flash over Grim’s face ‘Later Anders’ he told the boy, then turning to Jacin he added ‘Look pup, (he had not stopped calling him that) whatever happens; promise to stay by my side. Do you understand? Don’t run off on your own. Just follow my lead and I’ll keep you safe’ Grime said. But Jacin couldn’t hear him - he was already busy looking for Flynn, his elder brother. He stood on his toes, hoping to gain a few more inches and maybe spy his brother's brown head of hair somewhere in the crowd. Grim sighed and crouched down in front of him and grabbed hold of Jacin’s chin. Forcing him to pay attention. ‘I understand trust me. I promise we’ll find Flynn. Just promise me to stick by my side and don’t cause me any trouble, will you?’ Grim said. Jacin nodded to let his new friend, he supposed that’s what they were now, know he understood. He knew trying to run away would likely make things worse anyway. So the only option left was - well stick with Grim. At least until he found his brother. ‘Oh, a new kid? Quite small eh n' who’s Flynn?’ Anders asked. Grim patted the boy's shoulder but ignored the boys' questions ‘Anders, meet Jacin. Ander’s is my second in command. If you need anything and can’t find me, ask him. Come, I’ll introduce you to everyone,’ Grim said, his hand on Jacin’s shoulder gently guiding him towards a small group on the back of the ship. ‘Oh, look, who they brought back 162 long time no see’ a soldier covered from head to toe in armor sneered as they walked past him. His weapon hung loosely over his shoulder. He looked down his pointy nose and eyed Jacin, one corner of his lips twitching. Grim turned to the soldier with a bored expression. Which the latter didn’t receive well - he crooked one eyebrow as he gestured towards Jacin. ‘Well, I could have done without meeting you again, Mathias. But we can’t have it all, can we?’ Anders snorted behind Grim, which earned him a glare from the guard. ‘Are you on babysitting duty now?’ he grinned and nodded his head towards Jacin. One of his hands slid towards the hilt of his sword ‘Does he know you’ve murdered countless of our own last summer?’ Grim pushed the soldier out of his way and attempted to walk past. But the former grabbed Grim’s shoulder ‘I’m not done talking to you, bastard. It’s a disgrace to have you back. Watch yourself.’ The soldier met Grim’s stare. But the redhead just heaved a sigh and turned back towards Jacin and Anders ‘Let’s go’ he said quietly. The guard grinned ‘What have we grown soft?’ he tightened his grip on Grim's shoulder ‘I’d watch my back if I were you.’Some of the surrounding soldiers snickered. Ander’s turned to glare at them ‘Shut the fuck up!’ he hissed. And pointedly shoved the soldier's hand off Grim’s shoulder. ‘Make me a monster all you want’ Grim said ‘but don’t get others involved’ he nodded his head towards Anders. His voice sounded deceivingly calm. But the hand that was still resting on Jacin’s shoulder felt like a burning flame. The soldier remained where he was and glanced down at Jacin ‘Perhaps I will, perhaps not.’ Grim looked like he was ready to throw himself at the man’s throat when a gunshot fired through the air. Jacin shrunk together and nearly hung on Grim’s arm by this point. ‘Soldier 162, get your men in order NOW!’ his parents' murderer shouted. Grim sent one last glare the two guards' way, picked Jacin up like he was an actual infant, and dragged the other boy behind him. ‘That dumb-ass was Mathis, don’t mess with him,’ the boy told Jacin as he stumbled after Grim. Young men around Grim's age started shouting names and gathered kids into groups. It reminded Jacin of what he'd seen other children do whenever Flynn and he would spy on them on the football field in their neighbourhood. They gathered in groups of four to eight. Jacin also noticed a lot of glares and sneers directed at them, in particular at Grim, as they walked past. Yet the red-haired man didn’t acknowledge any of them. They finally reached what Jacin assumed was their group. The kids before him were far more welcoming. One of the smaller groups: Grim, the boy, Anders and a girl Zyna. Anders was quite tall and muscular with long limbs, tan skin and short coily hair. And then there was Zyna, the only girl in their group. She had bronze skin, unlike any Jacin had seen before and beautiful dark hair, that was gathered in a neat ponytail in the nape of her neck. But her most beautiful feature were her warm amber eyes. Jacin stood next to Grim, barely reaching the man’s waist. His slight frame shivered in the icy wind. He was used to the cold, as he had grown up in Old Town. There was always a cold breeze howling through the alleyways. But he had never seen this much snow. There were icy mountains surrounding them everywhere he looked. Shuddering, he huddled himself closer to Grim, trying to shield himself from the wind as best he could. Snow danced around them, glistening like stars in the wind. Three guards climbed off the ship to fasten it on the port. There was no command spoken, no looks exchanged, but all the groups set in motion at once – exiting the ship one group after the other. Jacin jumped the last few steps of the ladder and landed beside Zyna with a soft thud. There were rows upon rows of trees, all of them covered by a heavy blanket of snow. The waves behind them crashed and thundered as the ship slowly drew out of port, leaving them stranded on a snowy island. Something told Jacin, that this would be home for quite some time, whether he liked it or not. On top of the small hill stood a lonely wooden hut, with a quite shabby-looking barn beside it. Which were the only buildings on the small island. A handful of the soldiers were already making their way towards the hut. Stomping through the deep snow. Mathis and his parents murderers in their lead, laughing and joking. ‘Who’s that man with Mathis?’ Jacin asked Grim. But it was Zyna who answered instead. ‘That’s General Johnson, he’s the Doctor's nephew. ‘We also call him prickly-head, not an insult just commentary on his bad haircut’ Anders grinned. Zyna slapped Anders over the head, but both she and Grim laughed. ‘Don’t teach him shit like that Anders’ Grim said sternly and set off towards the hut. His hair stood out like a flame against a white canvas. Zyna briefly glanced after him, a smile spreading across her lips. ‘Well’ she reached out a hand towards Jacin's ‘shall we?’ Jacin smiled back up at her and nodded. Perhaps this wouldn't be all that bad They were served the same porridge for dinner they had eaten during their time back on the ship. However, it was now clear that Grim was probably the only one who enjoyed eating that stuff. Everyone else was listlessly glancing at their bench neighbours. Hoping for gossip to distract them from their rumbling bellies. Zyna had explained that it was porridge made from white flour and water - which didn’t make it any more appetizing. But at least it wasn’t sand or mud like Jacin had suspected. He swallowed an especially grainy lump and nearly choked on it.

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They spent the rest of the day outside chatting in the sun. Some seemed to have returned from the war front, many had a lot of catching up to do. Grim however disappeared after lunch. So Zyna had introduced Jacin to a few of her friends. A girl, with short honey-blond hair and a red button nose, constantly smiled and kept calling Jacin random things like ‘sweets, honey buns or little one’. He decided he preferred pup over any of those. Not that he'd ever tell Grim. Then there was another girl with silken black hair that reached down to her waist. She kept trying to lead their conversation towards the topic of boys and exchanged giggles with the honey-blond girl. When nighttime finally crept over the woods and the last bit of golden sunlight vanished, they were led to a small barn. It didn’t shield them from the cold. Nor did the woollen blankets do anything to keep them warm throughout the night. A few chosen soldiers that had guard duty got to sleep in the hut, in soft beds, according to Anders. Those were the General's favourites. Jacin kept looking out for Grim but couldn’t find him all evening. Not until Anders led him to a pond where some boys, he had seen during dinner, already washed themselves in. ‘There’s no showers or baths’ Anders explained sulking while he pulled his shirt over his head ‘The girls' bath over there, behind the hill... not that I’ve been there of course’ he added, cheeks flushing. ‘Of course not’ another boy, Maurice a friend of Anders, laughed ‘If we did and got caught, I have no doubt Zyna would castrate all of us’ he winked at Jacin. Who, unsure what to do with himself, sat down near the pond while Anders unbuckled his pants and wadded in to join his friends. ‘Come on in’ Anders shouted over his shoulder ‘The water is not that cold, some days it feels like I'll drop dead and turn into an ice cube but today’s fine’. The water now reached up to his elbows and Jacin could see tiny goosebumps spread across Anders's skin. ‘He's horrible at lying’ someone whispered in his ear. Jacin turned and discovered his red-haired friend crouching behind him. His shirt was off and his skin was still damp. Grim’s was so pale; his scars were nearly purple from the cold. But what mainly caught Jacin’s attention was a bronze pendant that hung around his neck. Grim followed his glance down his chest ‘Ah, my father gave it to me as some sort of protection charm. Turns out it's quite worthless’ he grinned ‘We’ve spent quite a while in that murky ship pup, trust me you’ll feel better after a little soak’. Motioning with his hand for Jacin to follow him, he wadded back into the water. Jacin pulled off his clothes and wadded in after him. The water was freezing. He felt his body shiver while watching Anders and Maurice splash each other. A sudden wave of sorrow overcame him and he barely managed to turn around before the tears started running down his cheeks. He’d promised himself he wouldn't be caught crying. So instead he dove his head underwater. The water was numbing and felt like tiny needles pricking his skin. But somehow it felt peaceful. Like the ice was washing away his sorrow. When he re-emerged he tried to avoid Grim’s questioning glance. Only to feel a warm hand ruffling his hair as the redhead wadded past and then dove into the pond head first. He reemerged laughing, shaking the red hair out of his eyes. ‘Come on pup, I want to see who of you can hold their breath the longest' Anders was all ears and instantly dove down with a little yelp.

Later that night everyone, even the boys that had acted toughest earlier that day, was huddled close on the straw floor - sharing warmth. Exchanging whispers and giggles. Jacin slept nestled between Zyna and Anders. Zyna sighed softly and nestled closer to him. Her warmth spread through Jacin’s body as her hands gently weaved through his hair. Lulling him to sleep. He was rolling back and forth, tormented by nightmares of his mother’s terrified scream. Flynn is on the floor next to their father. His eyes were cold and empty. ‘It’s your fault they're dead’ Flynn gurgled, blood splattering everywhere ‘You killed them, You’ve killed us all - why don’t you ever listen? You can’t do anything right!’ The wind sighed through the trees outside the barn. His chest felt hollow, echoing a different kind of emptiness. The kind you only feel, when you know you didn’t just simply lose the people you love. A whimper escaped his lips as he turned to his side. ‘Hey!’ someone whispered gently, Jacin opened his eyes. Grim sat in front of him, he reached out and carefully brushed Jacin’s hair from his wet forehead. ‘Come’ he said quietly, offering him a hand and leading him out into the moonlight.