(TW: Lou's thoughts shortly go to dark places...)

Lou

 

Lou sat on the old ceilings in his little hut, which had been partly embedded in the old city wall. An old guardhouse, which was no longer used. His father had renovated the one room, half of stone, half of wooden beams and rags, as best he could, after the room had been empty for years. Initially, the city gate had been located here, next to the guardhouse, but the old gate had been walled up decades ago and given way to a more magnificent one in the better quarter of the city. There was a second, small gate. Next to the temple.

Lou didn't have much. The rags he wore, a pot, a mug, a plate... He missed his family. He had been living in this hut for three years now. At thirteen, the wise men had demanded that he leave his home. His parents knew the day would come, but it came as a surprise to him. Louise had heard them talk about it and told him secretly, but Lou couldn't imagine it at the time. But the wise men finally demanded it. For Louise and her future. And this one promised to be fabulous.

Shortly before her fifteenth birthday, she had her first vision. She was now a witch. Initially, she went to the temple every day to learn to read and train her magic. But a few weeks ago, on her sixteenth birthday, she moved to the temple. She was to be trained as a priestess, as her visionary abilities meant that the gods spoke to her.

And she had her own money now.

Lou's mother had told him about it. She came by once a day to bring him some food. Then she asked him how he was doing and told him good things about his siblings. She never stayed for more than two minutes. The wise men did not allow more contact. Lou's curse was too dangerous. They attributed every accident and storm to him. The gods were still angry. Some people demanded that Lou be sacrificed or left to die in the desert.

The food that his mother brought him was barely sufficient. But that's all his family could muster for him. Lou had to beg for everything else. He was rarely given anything. Thankfully, his family didn't have to worry about Louise. She was able to eat her fill in the temple. Only Nina was still at home and his parents were struggling to feed them all. Louise brought them some of her money, but when the wise men found out, they forbade her to do so.

None of her money, earned through sacred magic, she was allowed to give to her unfortunate parents. They also allowed her little contact with her family. And with Lou? That was a resounding no. They said it was to Louise's best. For her safety. Lou's curse may have already rubbed off on his parents. That Louise hadn't been cursed showed her magic. But she should not lose it. That was one of the fears of the Wise.

Lou was skinny. Only skin and bones. The people in the neighborhood, no one richer than him, called him ugly. Disgusting. He believed them. What would be beautiful about him? Alone, half-starved, cursed... He missed Louise and his old room. He missed his parents and Nina's cheerful voice. When was the last time he had seen her? Consciously seen her? In all the sandy brown of his neighborhood, he wouldn't recognize her.

Lou's stomach growled, but he had already eaten the thin soup his mother had brought him. When the hunger became too great, he always went for a walk around the city. Yesterday he had ventured to the river. He rarely went there. He couldn't see where the water started, nor could he swim. He had to rely on his ears. But sometimes he longed to hear the crickets chirping by the river. Yesterday, however, more than just crickets awaited him.

A dragon.

Lou had heard the massive reptile. It had landed nearby. For a moment, he thought the dragon was trying to eat him. Lou waited for it. There was nothing worth living about his life, so it could end now. But nothing happened. He felt that he was being watched, he recognized a lot of white in the usual mixture of colors. Was that the dragon? But then Lou suddenly got scared. Finally, he scurried away and crawled into tall reeds to flee from there. Lou hurried away. He almost fell into the river while running away from the dragon. His feet landed in the water. At the edge of the river.

Being eaten sounded painful. Lou didn't like pain. I don't want to die like this! Not like that! Maybe the dragon was just waiting for the right moment to eat Lou? Did he play with him? But in the end, he heard the dragon fly away.

Today he preferred not to go to the river.

Instead, he walked through the streets of the city, to the edge of the better neighborhoods. He hoped to meet Remy. His friend rarely had time for Lou. The wizard worked for the wise men, defending the city and the mountains from black dragons. A few days ago, the mountains had been attacked. The black dragons had not come to the city. Lou heard the dragons roaring. It was scary.

He stumbled upon something. Frightened, he gasped and fell to the ground. In the process, the cloth with which he protected himself from the sun slipped. The sun burned on his fair skin. His knees hurt. Presumably, they were bleeding. He hurriedly plucked the cloth, sat up, and touched his knees. He could see blood. The wound was wet when he touched it. The people around him whispered and threw pebbles at him. Lou ignored that. He was used to it. Instead, he tried to stand up, but his sore knees protested.

"Do you need help?" Someone approached him. Frightened, Lou looked up. He recognized red fabric, which had been embroidered with golden threads. The threads shimmered in the sun. Whoever it was wore an expensive tunic. But it wasn't Remy. That didn’t recognize this voice.

Lou quickly held his head down. "No thanks. It's okay."

"You're hurt!"

Lou shook his head. "No, I'm not."

The stranger, who sounded young, not much older than Lou, laughed. "Sure? You're bleeding!"

"Hey! You! Get away from that one! Before his blood curses you!", someone shouted with an old, raspy voice.

"What?", that was the stranger again. "How silly. Nothing curses me." The stranger snorted annoyed. "Come! I'll help you!"

Lou was startled when the stranger touched him. He quickly moved away from the hands that reached for him. "No! I'm fine!", he said.

"Did I scare you?"

"Yes... No! I'm fine!"

"You're bleeding!" The stranger did not give up. "Let me at least take care of the wound. There could be dirt in there."

Lou shook his head. "No."

The stranger sighed. "Why are you so stubborn? I want to help you. I don't plan to hurt you. If the wound becomes infected, it will be bad! You have to clean it up."

"I can do it myself!" Lou had no clean cloths and little water, but he wanted to be left alone. And he didn't want to be touched either. Otherwise, only Remy spoke to him. (And his mother.)  Lou didn't know how to react to others.

"You're trembling!", said the stranger suddenly.

Lou shook his head again. Go away! When anyone but Remy addressed him, it never meant anything good! People were whispering around him. Their voices seemed to Lou like a menacing sound.

Again he was touched. Lou flinched. "It's all right. You’re safe. I won't hurt you!", the stranger whispered. "Come! There's a well up front. We clean your wounds and bandage them. I'm sure someone has some cloths. It's still bleeding."

"No one is going to give me cloths. And with bloody knees, they certainly won't let me go to the well. Let me go! Don't..." Lou tried to escape the touch. The stranger had placed a hand on Lou's right shoulder. But he began to sway when his knees hurt all the more when moving. The stranger held Lou cautiously. Lou didn't like the touch.

"They... How silly!" The stranger snorted angrily. "Come. Can you get up? I'll help you. Nothing more. That's a promise."

Lou nodded anxiously. But when he tried, his knees burned. "Ouch." The stranger held him tight. He had warm hands. Lou felt the warmth through his rags. He shuddered. "I can walk on my own."

"Sure?"

"Yes." But when the stranger let go of him and Lou took the first step, his legs hurt all the more and he collapsed. Immediately, the stranger caught him. Lou screamed in fright, as the stranger hugged him.

"Hey, you! You're not from our neighborhood, are you?", one woman shouted. "What are you doing? Let go of the boy! This is dangerous! Don't you know that?"

"Dangerous?", the other boy replied. Lou was sure of that. It was a boy. About the same age as him.

"It brings bad luck. We don't give him any of the precious water. I heard your conversation! How naughty! What if his blood curses us?" The woman sounded annoyed. Lou wasn’t surprised. He had warned the boy. No one would help him.

"I need clean cloths and a bowl of water!", said the boy. There was a strange rumble in his voice. Lou heard some people take a step back, startled. "Oh! What? Oh! Of course!", the woman murmured and hurried away.

"What did you do?" Lou asked. What kind of rumble was that?

"Kindly asking for help!", the boy replied. "Come. You can sit on the edge of the fountain. But please don't fall in. I'll take care of the wounds as soon as we have some cloth!"

"The well?" Confused, Lou was helped to the well. He reached out a hand to feel the edge of it and then sat down. The stranger also helped him with this. Then Lou felt the other boy crouch down in front of him.

"Do you see badly?", he asked. "You're constantly squinting your eyes... Your eyes have a pretty color... Like bright honey."

Lou nodded, still confused and terrified. Would the stranger help him? Or push him into the well? "Not very good, yes." He could see light, brown hair. It was reddish. But only very slightly.

"There's water here. And the cleanest cloth I could find!" The woman rushed to them, she gave something to the other boy, and hurried away. Lou blinked. Was the woman afraid of the other boy? Why? Was he dangerous? Lou chewed on his dry lower lip.

"Good. I'll push your tunic up a bit to get to your knees better, yes? Don't be frightened. I won't hurt you!", the boy muttered. Lou sucked in the air sharply as he felt the warm hands of the other on his thin legs. He didn't like the feeling. And he didn't like it either when his clothes were pushed up a bit. He could faintly see the stranger's hands on his legs. Then he heard water splashing, and shortly afterward his helper cleaned the wounds on his knees. Lou flinched. It hurt.

"It's all right!", murmured the stranger. "All good. Sorry. I don't want to scare you. I will bandage your knees now, yes? Then I'll be done and help you get up. That's all I do. That's a promise."

Lou nodded nervously.

"My name is Harper. And what's your name?"

"Me?" Lou trembled. The other boy's hands felt strange. Dangerous. As if they could break his legs like thin branches. And they were very warm. Way too warm. Tears rolled down Lou's cheeks.

"Yes, you." The stranger sighed.

"Lou."

"Lou?" But the other boy didn't hurt him. His voice sounded friendly, and reassuring as he bandaged Lou's knee.

"Lou Vivien."

"Well then, Lou! All finished! You can get up again!"

"Oh." Timidly, Lou stood up. The stranger, Harper, made room for him and helped him a little. Again, the touch was very careful. The bandages felt strange. Foreign. As strange as the hands of the other boy. Were other human's skin always so warm? Almost burning? "Thank you."

"It's all right. And excuse me. I really didn't mean to scare you."

Lou nodded. "Thank you. I'd better go home now!"  And Lou turned and fled from the stranger with slow, cautious steps. He ignored the pain. The wounds would heal. Now he just had to leave. Away from the stranger.

Lou felt Harper’s gaze following after him.