The Edge

Gideon: Prologue

There was a woman dressed in white–pure, unstained, flowing white cloth. Gideon had never seen anything like that before. White clothing didn't last long, and in a dingy place like this, it made you too visible. It looked even whiter when contrasted to her dark skin and hair. She was moving her hands; the gestures seemed to mean something to the boy she was looking at, a kid maybe Gideon's age. He couldn't decipher what any of it meant, but it made the boy laugh quietly before he ran off. The woman watched him go with a smile on her face.

His mother, maybe? They didn't look much alike, but no one in his family did, either. He could hear other children somewhere, and he smelled food cooking. The boy from earlier ran back and handed the woman something wrapped in a cloth.

Was that bread?

Gideon waited until the boy had run off before approaching to get a better look. He didn't want to attract too much attention. He didn't know these people, after all, whose side they were on or what they might do to him if they decided he was a threat. He thought he was stealthy enough to take a look.

He'd never been good at stealth.

"You don't have to hide," the woman said gently.

Gideon froze. She was looking right at him. She was smiling while she did, but that didn't mean she wasn't a threat. Damn it. "My name is Lucy," she said. She tore off a piece of the bread and held it out to him. "What's your name?"

He shouldn't have taken it. Taking offers from strangers just meant you owed them later, and he didn't want to be in that position. He was sure the Commander would have something to say if he put himself in a vulnerable position like that.

But he was hungry. They hadn't been eating well lately. He needed to keep his strength up if he wanted to fight, and if she was going to just give him food...

He took the bread carefully, staying as far out of reach as he could. It was soft, fresh from the oven. He couldn't remember the last time he'd eaten bread like that. Lucy made no move to grab or harm him. She even gave him the bigger piece. It wasn't enough to make him trust her. It was enough to earn her an answer.

"Gideon," he whispered quietly. "My name is Gideon."