from dirty paws and creatures of snow

and once there was an animal (he had a son that mowed the lawn)

The stars were swimming in ink by the time they settled down.

Wilbur had long been asleep, still holding onto Techno tightly, even when the group settled down in poorly pitched tents, just for the night. For a couple of hours, and then they would be on the road again.

The path that Techno and Wilbur's group had taken was called the Golden Road, named for the mass amount of beautiful yellow flowers that grew along the sides of the muddy, overgrown pathway.

On the outskirts of the messily structured circle of tents, Techno gently laid his brother onto his sleeping bag, careful not to wake him up.

He looked so peaceful, just laying there, dreaming in the early, early hours of the morning.

A snap from the darkness of the forest sent chills down Techno's spine.

It wasn't safe in the slightest, with wild boars and rabid wolves snatching unsuspecting people.

Techno hefted his sword onto his shoulder and made his way through the undergrowth, slashing at anything that moved.

He wouldn't dare admit it after the fact, but in that moment, Techno was scared out of his mind.

Every muscle in his body was telling him to run, telling him that this was most certainly not a good idea and that he should stay with Wilbur. But still, he ventured on.

There's a thin line between bravery and stupidity, and Techno was tightrope walking.

He came to the top of a hill, a mushroom filled field below. Another rusle shook a branch.

Slowly, he slid down the hill into the clearing. A wooden crate was laying on its side, propped up by a stick. A single slice of bread was laying in the center.

Techno bent down to inspect it. It was a very simple, very crude hunting trap.

He scoffed. "How is this going to catch anything?"

"I'd say it's doing quite well, mate." a voice came from behind, and suddenly Techno was knocked onto his back, scrambling for his sword.

The assailant was exactly who Techno would have thought it would be. For starters, he couldn't see his face, a common theme with bandits. But strangely, something was tied to him, like a bag of some sorts. Thieves usually had nothing on them, but he held it close like it was important.

Finally getting a grip on the hilt, Techno swung his sword upwards. The attacker narrowly avoided the tip of his blade. He scooted backwards, righting himself to face the enemy.

The attacker had a long stick in his hand that he used to swing at Techno. Techno blocked.

The two of them pushed against the other, until the staff started splintering. Techno pushed harder, and it broke in half.

The attacker stumbled backwards and swore under his breath. He pulled a knife from deep in the folds of his cloak, and whipped it at his head.

Techno ducked, and it stuck into the tree, reverberating slightly. He stared at it momentarily - it was a very pretty knife - before running towards the attacker, kicking him in the chest.

He fell heavily on the floor, two more knives falling out of his cloak.

Techno shoved the sword under his neck, ready to end him.

"Stop!" the man yelled. "Please, stop. I have a child."

With the tip of his sword, Techno flipped the edge of the fabric over, revealing the face of a baby. He looked to be about a year old, with a small mop of golden hair falling over his crystalline blue eyes. He was still sleeping soundly, despite the ruckus he had endured.