The Ballad of Matthias Helvar (Helnik)

Part Two: Chorus

"When my time comes around / Lay me gently in the cold dark earth / No grave can hold my body down / I'll crawl home to her" — Work Song, Hozier

The boy looked Matthias up and down, a hungry gleam in his wild blue eyes. Matthias stared the piece of dried grass that sat in the boy's mouth as it lazily bounced up and down against his teeth.

"Stygges, eh?" the boy said in a faint Kaelish accent. "If you don't mind the noise, I'm sure the others would be happy to have you with us. Isn't that right, lads?"

The boys behind him cheered uproariously. It hurt Matthias's ears, but he forced himself to smile through it. He had never understood boys his age. How could they act so unruly all the time? Doesn't it get tedious to be so dramatic all the time?

Still, the trip to Stygges would take over three days on foot, and he didn't have that kind of time. Nina would probably be arriving at the Ice Court by noon tomorrow, and it was only a matter of time before she was tried as a witch. He probably have seven days max to get to Kehryn, make his way to the Ice Court, and talk to Brum. He couldn't afford to lose three days walking in the blistering cold.

"What d'ya say?" said Blue-Eyes, grinning rather maniacally. "Wanna ride with the infamous Boys of Argos?"

Matthias took Blue-Eyes' hand and pulled himself up into the wagon. Several of the other boys — all Matthias' age and just as tall and brawny — thumped him on the back gaily. He just returned their smiles, nodding at each of them awkwardly.

"Have a name, new kid?" Blue-Eyes asked, pulling a dirt-covered hand through his ruddy red hair.

"Matthias," he answered.

"Matthias," Blue-Eyes repeated. "Love that name! I'm Jason, and this is my crew: My right hand man, Medeo—" he began gesturing to the boys — "there's Ma's favorite, Pele; there's Brutus, Euphemian, and Cal; and finally, twin brothers Cassian and Paul."

There was no way Matthias would remember any of those names. At least he wouldn't be traveling with them for very long.

"It's great to meet you all," Matthias said anyway.

"It really is, isn't it?" said Jason with a grin. He jumped into the driver's seat. "Let's get going then, shall we?"

The wagon lurched forward, and all of the boys fell on top of one another. They laughed as they pulled themselves off, a few of them even berating Jason for his poor driving. Jason spit the long blade of grass onto the road and shouted, "Why don't you take the reins if you think it's so easy, Brute?" back.

Brutus, a gaunt-looking boy who couldn't be much older than Nina stuck a long pink tongue at his leader. He swore in Kaelish and managed to flick a bit of spittle onto Matthias' cheek. Matthias grimaced and wiped it off with the sleeve of his shirt. This was going to be a long trip.

"Matthias, old chap, what's got you bustin' yer balls to go to Stygges?" Another ginger asked, pushing up his wire-rimmed glasses. Were they all Kaelish? It would surely explain a lot.

Matthias shifted uncomfortably in his makeshift seat, trying his best to keep his space.

"I'm visiting family," he lied.

"Must be nice having one of those," the boy said with a wistful grin. There was a giant gap between his two front teeth that Matthias hadn't noticed until now.

"I like not having ah-dults to run home to," a brunette boy said as he leaned back against one of the twins.

"That's because you ain't got any ah-adults to want ya in the first place!" Glasses laughed.