When James had been a boy, he’d huddled into the stone wall at the mouth of an alley, trembling on the cold ground. No matter how much he blew warm air onto his numbed hands, they’d remained stiff and useless.

ㅤHe'd already lost all his mangled golden buttons. Three had been spent getting this far away from the capital and the rest had been stolen as he slept, cutting his journey short.

ㅤSeeds of hopelessness had been planted by this point, with James starting to believe it would have been better if he'd perished with everyone else after all. All those people had fought so that he, at least, could live; and for what? For James to live like this? They should've saved themselves.

ㅤYet, somehow, James still smouldered with the desire to live. His stomach demanded food whilst his lungs demanded air. Even if his mind was done, his body had other ideas.

ㅤHe hugged Eris tight to his chest. He had her, at least.

ㅤAllowing himself to peek out from the tight alley, he kept a keen eye on the people who walked past, selecting his target.

ㅤWith a harsh winter taking a toll on food supplies, the markets were lacking. People didn't have enough food to eat, let alone sell. Only a few merchants remained, animal pelts and jewellery being all that was left. Money was James’ target.

ㅤA man in thin clothing caught his eye, his skin brown like his hair. A slave. Whilst uncommon in urban areas, James recognised it still. They were all from the same defeated nation and shared skin darker than the tanned complexion of the kingdom's citizens.

ㅤThe slave silently followed a man of much higher status, with expensive wear. James watched for a moment before leaving the alley to calmly walk past them. He was good with his hands. The rich man wouldn't even notice. Although risky, the pain was too much and he was too desperate to wait longer.

ㅤWithout a sound, James snuck up behind them, pocketed the man's purse, and kept walking. His heart pounding, he let himself look back, and saw the slave staring right at him.

ㅤFear bodied him. He'd been caught.

ㅤHe waited for the slave to tell his master, frozen, unable to muster the strength to run away. Yet, it never happened, and the slave looked away as if he'd never seen a thing.

ㅤJames fled.

ㅤWith this, he could buy himself thicker clothes and some medicine to treat his burns. He might just survive the winter after all.

ㅤIn his daze, he knocked into someone, the purse falling out of his hands and onto the floor, the coins clinking together with a very distinct noise.

ㅤDamn it.

ㅤJames clenched Eris harder to his chest, her brilliant sheath clumped with mud, and slowly looked up, staring at the stranger right in the eye.

ㅤHe was big and strong.

ㅤJames nervously took a step back, the man's brown eyes assessing him in a way that made him feel small.

ㅤ“I’m sorry,” James said, gaze falling to the money he’d dropped. He was too scared to pick it up under the man's heavy scrutiny.

ㅤ“It's a very nice-looking purse,” the man remarked.

ㅤJames had nothing to say to that.

ㅤThe man leant down and scooped it up and James felt his heart jump at seeing his lifeline in the hands of another.

ㅤPopping it open, the man peered inside, then back at James.

ㅤ“There's a lot of money in here, and I don't think it belongs to you.”

ㅤ“It does.”

ㅤThe stranger's eyes narrowed.

ㅤBefore James could think of an excuse, a plan, his arm was held in a vice grip, and his body was being dragged away from the main street.

ㅤ“Let go of me!”

ㅤJames squirmed, thankful the man had, at least, taken his good arm. He held on tighter to Eris. He wasn't like how he used to be; he was bordering on starving and his body had become weak, unable to fight back.

ㅤAway from prying eyes, the man shoved him against a wall and James cried out in pain, his bad arm grazed under his clothing.

ㅤ“Suffering doesn't give you a right to steal, kid.”

ㅤJames resorted to glaring at him; as if this well-fed man thought James had any other option.

ㅤHis eyes darted around, seeking an escape.

ㅤ“That sword...”

ㅤJames’ heart stopped. The man's focus locked on Eris.

ㅤ“It's mine,” he insisted, gathering courage out of his terror.

ㅤHe made a step to escape but was again assaulted, the man pulling Eris away from his tight grip. James' fingers slipped with clumps of mud that came off her, coming loose in his grasp.

ㅤ“This sword is way too big for a young boy. Who did you steal this from?”

ㅤ“I didn't steal anything!” he insisted, winded by her loss.

ㅤ“Who did you steal it from?”

ㅤ“No one!”

ㅤJames pounced for the sword, trying to pull her free. The man tripped James up by the feet and used Eris to push him down. He gasped in pain.

ㅤ“You filthy liar. Real swords aren't made of gold. This belongs to a noble.” He turned to leave.

ㅤJames' eyes stung with desperation. “No, please! Don’t take her away from me! Please!”

ㅤThe man stopped. “Her?”

ㅤJames' whimpers took over his mouth, unable to regain composure quickly, unable to come up with a solution.

ㅤ“You called this sword a her, boy?”

ㅤ“Please,” he begged. He would give this man the money—that he could lose. But not Eris. Never Eris.

ㅤThe man stared at James for a moment, thinking, before scratching the mud off the sword, dirt clumping under his nails. He traced the revealed pattern under his fingers, inspecting it, before attempting to unsheathe it. He, as the large man he was, was unable to.

ㅤ“What's its name?”

ㅤJames took in a shaky breath. “Please, sir. She's all I ha-’

ㅤ“What is her name?” he sharply demanded.

ㅤ“Eris,” James squeaked.

ㅤThe man looked down at the sword again, admiring her. James was hoping that since he’d been unable to unsheathe her that he'd think of her as useless and give her back.

ㅤ“...Eris, hm?”

ㅤJames swallowed a hard lump down. “Please, sir. I’ll give you my body. I’ll give you anything. Just don't take her away from me.”

ㅤThe man spluttered. “Your body? What are you saying?”

ㅤ“I need her.”

ㅤBegging was fine. Pride was a privilege he’d yet to get back.

ㅤThe man thought for a moment more, gazing around and tapping his finger against her body. Then, he regarded James' defeated crumpled form.

ㅤ“You can have her,” he said. “But you must come with me.”

ㅤJames didn't care what this man wanted; he didn't care if this man was leading him to his death. He would do anything to have a chance of getting Eris back. He nodded.

ㅤHe would get her back no matter what.

➵ ➵ ➵ ➵

 

James bit his lip against the ill-timed memory. He hadn't given up yet.

ㅤ“I don't know what you're talking about,” he said. “Striking someone out of nowhere like that, I hope you don't do that to all the innocent civilians you threaten.”

ㅤThe knight's dark eyes looked him up and down with a scathing apathy. It was quite chilling; those endless black pools couldn't even be considered brown.

ㅤ“You're fine,” the knight said, not glancing away for a single moment.

ㅤJames knew Eris would be on the ground with him somewhere. She couldn't have been flung that far away. This knight was just too careful to give James that opportunity to look for her.

ㅤ“Where is the child that was with you?”

ㅤJames racked his brain for any kind of plan, anything he could do in this situation, but without Eris' presence he felt untethered and unsettled. If he could just get to his feet somehow...

ㅤ“I don't have kids.” James shrugged, slowly moving his legs as if he was just trying to get more comfortable. “I'm not even married.”

ㅤThe knight didn't look remotely convinced by his act, nor was he stupid enough to move from his superior position.

ㅤJames slowly, subtly, moved his arm towards his side to where he had a dagger.

ㅤThe man looked at his hand. James took this opportunity to use his other fist, full of dirt, and launched it into the knight's eyes.

ㅤHe did it. The knight was caught by surprise and lifted an arm to block the dust. This gave James enough time to stand and retreat, seeking Eris in the few precious moments he had.

ㅤHe lunged for her, his hand barely skimming over her grip before a dagger was stabbed through his sleeve and into the ground.

ㅤJames fought hard and dirty, kicking, scratching, pushing, but he’d been quickly overpowered. The knight's build was bigger than his, owning more bulk to throw around. And when two were fighting on the ground, weight mattered.

ㅤHis hands were pinned above his head and his legs were immobilised by the knight's as he was straddled by the waist.

ㅤJames did not have the weight to throw the man off him though he tried very hard to.

ㅤ“Stop,” the man said, a dangerous calmness in his tone. “I will hurt you if you keep resisting.”

ㅤJames was persistent but not an idiot. If he wanted to escape, it wouldn't be now.

ㅤHe relaxed his body but let his defiant glare persevere, dimly aware his hood had slipped in the struggle and his face was on full display in the low sun.

ㅤ“I don't know what you're talking about,” James spat. “I'm here to hunt boar.”

ㅤ“I was told that a man in a brown hood was running away with a wee bairn on his back. You fit the description perfectly, no?”

ㅤJames didn't have enough information which frustrated him. Was the knight responding to some civilians' concerns or was he aware of the child's unique trait? There was also the possibility that he’d been involved in the trafficking himself.

ㅤJames inwardly scolded himself. This all happened because he hadn't kept a good enough eye on his middlemen. He needed to be more interested in them. He hated surprises.

ㅤ“Look around, idiot. Do you see any children here? Go have a sniff around yourself if you're so sure.”

ㅤJames had found himself in a shitty situation.

ㅤThe knight, surprisingly, did not seem annoyed by his words; rather, he seemed much more interested in James' face.

ㅤJames tried to keep his expression bland.

ㅤ“You...” the knight said, leaning in closer. “What's your name?”

ㅤHe did his best to stay calm. “What’s it to you?”

ㅤHe was scrutinised before the knight turned his nose up in what was probably disgust.

ㅤ“Excuse me one moment.” The knight turned James onto his front somewhat violently.

ㅤJames grunted at being manhandled, not taking the unlikely chance to escape. He would need to get the knight's guard down first.

ㅤWith his face in the dirt, James' hands were held behind his back, but the knight still sat over him, not taking the chance.

ㅤ“What are you doing?”

ㅤJames was finding the whole thing very annoying but he supposed it gave the child more time.

ㅤ“Blond hair, brown eyes, taller than average,” the knight listed. He then tore off the glove off James' hand and unravelled the bandages that were underneath. “And a burn scar that runs up the arm.” The knight pulled James' hair so they could look at each other. “Are you Jay?”

ㅤGoddamn it.

ㅤThis knight was a dead man. It was uncomfortable for someone to know James’ appearance so clearly.

ㅤ“No clue what you’re on about, mate.”

ㅤThe knight tied rope around James' wrists, pulling tightly.

ㅤ“Whether you deny it or not, I have to take you anyway since you fit the description. It's a royal decree.”

ㅤJames' heart jumped. “From whom?”

ㅤThe knight had a puzzled look. “Are you stupid?”

ㅤRight. It would’ve been the Druteius house, of course. James was in their territory and their knight's custody after all. He didn't need to panic.

ㅤ“Can I at least know who is arresting me?” He supposed he could begin the long game of building rapport.

ㅤ“Alexander,” the knight replied. “Though, I'd prefer you didn’t address me at all.”

ㅤIt was surprising that a man of his race had such a typical Khearian name. It wasn't what James had expected.

ㅤ“Well, it's nice to meet you, Alex.” James smiled, big and wide. “I'm innocent.”

ㅤAlex's brows furrowed and he stood, dragging James up by the hands without care.

ㅤ“Oy, careful.”

ㅤJames was very quickly becoming bored of being wrangled. He didn't like people being this close to his body as it was.

ㅤ“Keep up. I’ll stab you if you so much as look at me funny.”

ㅤIt was an impossible request when the knight acted like that.

ㅤJames would have to pretend to be obedient and cooperative until he got his chance to flee. They were some distance away from the nearest knights' post yet.

ㅤ“You can't just leave my sword and bag here, you know.”

ㅤ“No?”

ㅤ“Because I stole them. You need to go return them to their rightful owners, don't you? I stole them from nobles.”

ㅤAlex stared at him for a moment, their eyes levelled at matching heights. Then, he sighed. Clearly the knight was taking his belongings to shut him up.

ㅤGood. James would annoy him to death to get what he wanted.

ㅤHe had to give this Alexander credit though; the knight didn't lower his guard even as he picked up James' things. There was a tense eye on him at all times, giving no openings for him to exploit.

ㅤJames smiled to himself. It was going to be night in a matter of hours. This guy would get tired like everyone else. He was also human after all. James could consider this whole experience as a challenge.

ㅤAfter all, no one was better at running away than him.