MERCHANT ADVENTURER

Bestowing A Name

Under the beating sun, sweat popped out from my skin. Sticky sweat clung to me. Still, despite the uncomfortable heat, I still held the boy's wet hand.

The road was unexpectedly sparse. A road between two towns is normally crowded, or at least from what I was taught by the tutor. On the road, we might see a traveler after walking several miles.

We took a short break when the group in front of us rested. I sat down and withdrew my hand from the boy's hand. I wiped off my sweaty hands on my pants leg. Immediately following, I reached into my pack and pulled out a flask from the tradeshop. The flask didn't hold water, but red wine. It was an item unlocked when I sold food in the town we were in. That town is called Guston. I didn't drink the wine as I was thirsty for water. I walked over to the others in the group and asked them if they wanted a taste of wine. The men all welcomed a drink, but Enola gently refused.

After the taste of wine, the men were merrier, their spirits lifted.

When the flask returned to my hand, it was empty. I then hid my hands in my pack, pulling cups of water out of the tradeshop to pour it into the flask. When the flask was full, I stacked the glasses in the pack. Withdrawing my hands, I held the full flask up to the boy's lips. He quickly drank several gulps. When he had his fill, I also drank a few large gulps.

The group in front of us stirred, signaling it was time to move again. I tasked the boy with holding the water flask. I did this because I knew the child wouldn't ask me for water even if he was thirsty. Perhaps, he didn't think he had the right to ask. Or maybe he didn't want to be seen as a burden and then I would leave him behind.

As we walked, I realized I couldn't always call him boy. I supposed it was time for introductions. "I'm Casper," I told him, "What is your name?"

The boy shook his head. "Don't have one." His voice turned lonely as he spoke.

I didn't say anything after hearing that. Inwardly, I debated over whether I should give him a name, but then I'd be responsible for him. But it didn't seem right to leave a human without a proper name. As I mulled over this matter, the weather turned suddenly. A gentle spring rain sprinkled down.

A drop of soft rain touched my cheek, cooling me from the heat of the sun. The feeling it gave me, made me think of the child beside me. And before I knew what I was doing, I said, "How about Raine? Do you like this name?"

"Raine," he whispered. The boy squinted his eyes as he seriously thought hard about the name. After deliberating for a while, the boy said, "I like it."

"Then Raine it is," I announced, the corners of my lips lifted.