“Is it because you're married?” James asked.

ㅤAlex seemed nonplussed by the question and, as always, decided not to answer when he wasn’t following.

ㅤ“I said she had a friend...” he elaborated for Alex.

ㅤThe air had dampened with the lowering of the sun and the moon overhead was barely brighter than the sky. James always found its gentle glow comfortable and familiar. He’d often relied on it when travelling in the dark, especially as a child.

ㅤ“I'm not married,” Alex said, curt.

ㅤThe cranky silence had returned after Alex had proven unsuccessful in prying information out of a tipsy James. James would’ve died long ago if he hadn’t been a careful drinker.

ㅤ“I'm surprised. How old are you? Late-thirties? You're practically an old man.”

ㅤ“I'm thirty-one,” Alex snapped.

ㅤJames grinned. He got a kick out of being a pain in his arse.

ㅤ“Pardon me. You look older though.” There wasn’t a shred of apology in his voice. “Must be all the frown lines.”

ㅤ“Shut it.”

ㅤJames tutted. “So testy.”

ㅤFor good measure, James poked a finger between Alex's furrowed eyebrows. Alex quickly slapped it away in a panic, glaring.

ㅤ“Stop touching me.”

ㅤ“Does it make you anxious?”

ㅤThe muscle in Alex's clenched jaw makes a familiar appearance and James has to resist poking that too.

ㅤ“Wouldn't you be anxious?” Alex deflected the question.

ㅤJames slowly grinned. “No. I’d cut their hand off.”

ㅤ“Like that's an option.”

ㅤ“It could be,” James bargained, weighting the thought. “What could I do about it? I want my sword back.”

ㅤ“I’ve never had a prisoner try to convince me to slice off his hand before. You're making a compelling case.”

ㅤ“They tell me I’m special.”

ㅤAlex didn't add anything more so James pulled back for a few minutes, allowing Alex to regain his composure. This verbal assault required a push and retreat, otherwise Alex really would snap. That would ruin the fun.

ㅤ“So how come you're not married?” he later asked.

ㅤAlex side-eyed him. “Even if I was married, I wouldn't tell you about it.”

ㅤ“Yea, but you're not.”

ㅤJames could tell. He couldn't point to what exactly made it obvious, only that it was.

ㅤ“I don't understand why you're interested in that.”

ㅤJames thought to himself for a moment, wondering why indeed. He used his fingers to count his reasons. “Well, you're a noble, a high one at that, and you're already thirty-one.” He dropped his hand. “Most nobles get married as teenagers, especially first-born sons. I suppose you're the younger brother then?”

ㅤ“Aye and no.”

ㅤJames' eye twitched. “That doesn't make sense.”

ㅤ“It does.” A small smirk tugged on Alex's lips.

ㅤJames didn’t understand.

ㅤSomething caught his attention suddenly. He snatched the reins from Alex and pulled them back, stopping the horses, unsure what’d spooked him but urgently reacting to it. Alex tried to protest but James slapped a hand over his mouth.

ㅤIt wasn't so dark that James' vision was useless; he scanned the forest, his ears listening for something amongst the wind-touched leaves.

ㅤHe let go and jumped down, snaking up the path quickly but as stealthily as he could. He cursed the chains that rattled as he walked. Chains weren't as easy to lose as a rope. He rounded the corner in the path. There.

ㅤBetween the trees, there were shards of glowing light. If he strained to listen, he could hear the indistinct murmur of conversation and laughter. Now knowing what’d spooked him, he relaxed a little. They were far away enough that it was unlikely to be a problem yet.

ㅤHe peered back at Alex, expecting to see the man fuming at his loose leash. However, Alex had climbed down also, his gaze one of importance. They were on the same page.

ㅤJames returned.

ㅤ“It could be nothing,” Alex whispered and James nodded.

ㅤIt, indeed, could be nothing, but James was too careful to believe that just yet.

ㅤ“After hearing about those bandits, I wouldn't chance it.”

ㅤThey looked at each other. James doubted Alex would give him a sword if he asked, but James also knew they’d have to go all the way back to Bullmar to take a different route. Then, a neat little plan formed in his head.

ㅤ“Why don't you go deal with them and I'll stick with the carriage?” he suggested.

ㅤ“Do you think I'd trust you on your own?”

ㅤ“Well, would you trust me more with a sword in my hands?”

ㅤThe pursed lips of Alex confirmed that, no, he would not.

ㅤ“You know as well as I do that there's no other path,” James continued. “You'll have to deal with them yourself. It could be nothing. But you need to decide which position you'd trust me more in.”

ㅤAlex’s mind calculated the options behind his eyes, considering it.

ㅤ“Okay,” he said, making his decision. “I'll go check it out. You stay here and get the horses off the carriage so we can flee if this goes wrong.”

ㅤJames nodded, secretly pleased.

ㅤIt was a race against daylight. Alex rifled through their supplies in the back of the wagon, taking multiple blades and a bow. James, meanwhile, released the horses from the harnesses, their tired eyes looking almost thankful. He patted their necks.

ㅤOnce Alex left, James raided the wagon. He hadn't done it the night before because he couldn't see and Alex would’ve heard, but he’d now earnt a narrow window of opportunity. He took as many small blades as he could hide, tying some under his tunic and on his body.

ㅤCommotion started to echo in the distance, shouts carried by the wind.

ㅤJames had considered cutting and running from Alex for a while but hadn’t been able to make his mind up. On one hand, he'd have freedom up until he was inevitably caught again; on the other, there was no guarantee he'd find Eris again. So, he left the decision in the hands of fate.

ㅤHe got out of the wagon and waited, listening. If Alex died, he'd go. If Alex lived, he'd follow.

ㅤHe felt both remorseful and relieved at the prospect of Alex’s death. Alex wasn't the corrupt ignorant knight he'd thought he was, genuinely wishing to help people it seemed. Still, James' life was his first priority—enough people died for it, after all. Alex already knew too much.

ㅤEventually, the screaming and shouting quieted, leaving only the swish of wind.

ㅤJames sighed, thinking Alex was probably dead.

ㅤHe took one of the horses by the reins, ready to leave, when he heard someone shout his name. He stared at the path. Alex rounded the corner waving his arms.

ㅤ“James!”

ㅤIt seemed the decision had been made for him.

ㅤ“Yea?” he called back.

ㅤ“The horses!” Alex yelled. “Bring the horses!”

ㅤJames spurred into action, he jumped onto one of the horses sideways, both chained legs hanging down on one side. The position was uncomfortable for both of them, the beast complaining with a sidestep under him. He held the rope of the other and cantered them down the path. Alex mounted the other horse before James could even pass the rope.

ㅤ“What about the wagon?”

ㅤ“We have to leave it,” Alex said, quickly.

ㅤAlex was too rushed for James to ask why.

ㅤFurther up, blood painted the scene like a fresco of war. Bodies were strewn around the path and the surrounding woods. Red stained the trees and grass. One body roasted on top of one of the many fires, a throwing axe sitting in the back of his skull. It was an impressive sight.

ㅤJames made sure to get a good look at the carnage. Most had been killed by arrows and throwing knives, only some had the deep gashes caused by a sword. Alex must’ve watched them first, killing them from a distance only after confirming his suspicions.

ㅤIt became obvious why they had to ditch the carriage. The bandits had numerous wagons blocking the pathway; it would’ve been impossible to get it past.

ㅤ“This is nice work,” James told him, seriously.

ㅤAlex’s face crumpled in disgust at the compliment.

ㅤIt was true though. Competence was sexy. James’ opinion of Alex increased a smidge.

ㅤSome weren't fully dead and were groaning on the ground, perhaps some even escaped, which was the cause of Alex's alarm. Backup was inevitable.

ㅤThe carriage at the very front was greatly different from the rest with supplies stacked up in crates. It looked like a real merchants' wagon. Stranger yet, some teenager was sitting in the back of it, stunned.

ㅤ“The horses!” Alex ordered, not having to finish his sentence.

ㅤAlex disembarked first, rushing to secure the harnesses. James followed promptly, careful not to get tangled in his chains as he rushed from the horses' front to the back.

ㅤAlex grabbed his arm suddenly and hauled him up onto the bench. If the situation had been different, James would’ve seriously taken Alex’s arm for doing that.

ㅤThe horses were whipped into a canter, fleeing the scene. The carriage creaked and whined as it jerked around from the speed over the rough surface. It hadn’t been designed to go so fast.

ㅤJames looked behind them as they increased distance, incredibly impressed.

ㅤ“Is it wrong that this entire thing made me horny? You're really impressive...” James murmured.

ㅤHe looked back to Alex who stared at him in disbelief, his nose wrinkled and lips parted in revulsion. Blood had been splattered all over his clothes and onto his face. His kilt held marks where he'd tried to wipe it off his hands.

ㅤ“You.. you are incredibly poorly. You're demented.”

ㅤJames shrugged. He inwardly admitted it was in poor taste.

ㅤ“Whatever. Who's the kid?” James gestured behind him.

ㅤAt that moment, the cart hit a rock and the teenager in the back lost balance, about to fall off the side. In quick reflex, James reached back and caught him.

ㅤ“Oh, God.” The guy held onto him for dear life.

ㅤJames gently yet firmly pulled his arm out of the stranger's paws, wanting his limb for himself.

ㅤ“No idea,” Alex said. “Found him locked up in one of their carriages.”

ㅤJames' eyes widened. “You idiot! He could be one of them.”

ㅤ“He isn't.”

ㅤ“How do you know, knobhead?”

ㅤJames jerked his head back but then held his tongue. The teenager looked between them with large panicked eyes, his body shaking from fear. There was no muscle on his body, just skin and bone.

ㅤJames sniffed to himself. “Okay, yea. He's not one of them... probably...”

ㅤBy then, the sky was deceptively bright but the ground was enshrouded in dark. It was in this kind of dim light that James' eyes began to impair.

ㅤIt put him in a really shitty mood.

ㅤ“We should stop soon.” They’d travelled far away enough.

ㅤAlex had slowed the horses but didn’t halt. “We can't yet. I'm going to have to rely on your sharp senses from here on.”

ㅤJames snorted. “That's not a good idea.”

ㅤ“You got wind of them earlier.”

ㅤHe grumbled. “Do it yourself. I'm taking a nap.”

ㅤAlex sighed.

ㅤInstead of pretending to sleep, James turned around and looked the silhouette of the teenager up and down, measuring him. “Name?”

ㅤThe stranger was calmer than before, a weak mask of composure had been steadily built up.

ㅤ“Fletcher. Fletcher Azeus.”

ㅤJames inclined his head and narrowed his eyes. That name sounded familiar.

ㅤ“Cool. I'm Jean. What were you doing there?”

ㅤAlex gave him a look.

ㅤ“Well...” Fletcher started, blinking slowly. “I was abducted.”

ㅤ“Cool.”

ㅤ“Wait, Fletcher Azeus?” Alex suddenly said, glancing behind him.

ㅤ“You know this kid? He one of yours?”

ㅤAlex ignored the provocation. “He's a professor from Lyeaister. He's famous.”

ㅤ“He's a child.”

ㅤ“I'm twenty actually,” Fletcher piped in.

ㅤOut of all the things that’d happened that day, this came as the biggest shock.

ㅤAlex laughed, abruptly. “Fletcher, thank you. This is the first time I've seen James speechless.”

ㅤ“Um, why is he in chains?” the kid asked.

ㅤ“He's a prisoner,” Alex explained. “I was transporting him before we ran into you.”

ㅤ“He's not dangerous, is he?”

ㅤJames chuckled.

ㅤ“Only to himself.”

ㅤ“And you, if you keep up with that,” James warned.

ㅤAlex didn't look worried but nodded an apology nonetheless. James sneakily returned his knife to his waist.

ㅤJames thought pretending to nap was the better idea after all. So, that was what he did.