The Orphan Boy

Better Left Alone

Aeryn and the man he was with turned around and rode back toward the city that Aeryn had just left. Aeryn rode the spare horse that Roan had with him. The horse was white with large patches of a reddish brown all over it's body. Though Aeryn had never ridden a horse in his life before, this one thankfully didn't really need directing. It simply followed here the other horse lead.

Being on a horse was not at all like how Aeryn had imagined it to be. When he saw men riding into the varies cities he had been in they looked very regal but it didn't feel that way. His legs could barely reach the stirrups and they soon began to ache from being in such an unnatural position for so long. They went at a trot which jostled Aeryn quite bit more than was comfortable.

The horse itself was a pleasant beast but smelled awful. The creature was rather wet from the rain and wet horse was not, to say the least, a pleasant smell. By now the rain had stopped but the air was humid and musty which didn't help the aroma.

"We can't go through the city, they'll recognize me." Aeryn told him.

"I wasn't planning on taking the main road anyway." He replied, not bothering to ask who they were.

"Then where we goin'?" Aeryn asked.

"Somewhere where you won't be found by Abadonn's servants." The man told him without turning around.

"Are we goin' to the Arceon?" Aeryn guessed.

"Yes, but first we'll need to meet a companion of mine. He'll be expecting us and we might need his help."

Well that clears everything up. Aeryn thought but didn't protest or ask any questions. It was obvious that he wouldn't be getting any clear answers, at least not anytime soon. He wondered why this man wouldn't give him any direct answers. Or course who would trust a thief with information.

Although why would someone save a thief either? Perhaps if Abadonn wanted him for whatever reason then the Arceon simply didn't want Abadonn to have him. It was plausible enough. After all Aeryn didn't know what the Arceon would or wouldn't do. Everything he did know about them, which wasn't much, were the things that he heard about them on the streets.

Then an even worse thought came to him. What if Abadonn wanted him as a thief, to steal things for him. The Arceon sent out someone to go and collect him before Abadonn's servants got to him. Once he was taken back to the Arceon's castle there he would be a prisoner. A dozen other thoughts raced through his head each rather ridiculous and unlikely but at the time they all seemed like dreadful possibilities at the time. He was no longer sure that this man was indeed a friend.

"You've gone awfully quiet back there." The man noted.

"What . . ." He began to ask another question so the man didn't get suspicious of him. "What is your name?" It was a question he hadn't honestly thought of until that moment.

"Roan." He replied, after a moment's hesitation.

The pair of them rode for some time. Every once in a while Roan would quicken their pace, when he sped up so would Aeryn's horse. The day stayed damp, humid, and cloudy but never actually rained again. The traveled along roads that wound their way through the country. These roads were not nearly as good as the main roads but they didn't have much trouble, if they had had a cart in tow it would have been another story.

"These country roads, aren't they slower than the main roads? I mean wouldn't it be fast if we took the main roads then just avoided the cities?" He asked.

"Would you rather go slow or be caught?" Roan asked. There was no hint of sarcasm or chastisement in his voice. He talked casually as if Aeryn were a friend. Aeryn noticed it and frowned, there was something different about him. This man acted as if Aeryn was an equal. He acted as if he cared, when they had only just met.