The Stableboy's shadow (BL)

Chapter 4

Mid-morning neared as they finally left the town. They set their journey to the East, walking faster than they had before. The sky was still grey, and sometimes, a swift mist would fall down, but nothing like the pouring rain they had experience these past few days. They followed the road for a while, until they reached a region that Riley was familiar with. He mentioned that it would be faster to cut through the woods. They'd be out of the forest before nightfall and there were barely any monsters in the area, even though they were feared by townsfolks.

Percevin hesitated. In truth, Riley was mainly bored of the roads, and tired of passing people traveling between villages. They'd gain an hour or two, top, but Riley knew of a clearing on the other side of the forest where they could set camp before the dark. He never really liked sticking to the roads.

In the end, the boy nodded, and they left the road to cross through the woods.

Percevin didn't like the idea. Not because of the monsters or even the fear of getting lost—he had grown up in forests far darker than this—but because it meant leaving behind the last stretch of familiarity. The road was simple. Predictable. Woods weren't. Neither was Riley, and the thought of being alone with him in a silent forest made the knot in his stomach tighten. Still, he followed. He always followed.

As Riley had said, no monsters were in sight. The shadowmaster moved more comfortably under the canopy of trees, careful to their surroundings. They reached the clearing a bit before dusk, with enough daylight to settle properly. Percevin gathered firewood, and Riley walked to a nearby creek to fill their waterskins. When the fire was lit, they simply sat by it and waited for the night to fall.

While the sun still lingered in the sky, Percevin pulled out his book out and started to read. He had been reading the same few pages since yesterday, and Riley noticed he wasn't making much progress. Maybe he was practising, he thought. Reading was, after all, a skill required for knighthood. As a servant, he likely hadn't received much of an education, or a very basic one.

As the sky started to color from the sun set, Riley's chest grew heavy. He did his best not to think about it, but the truth remained; he had to plan a murder.

"So... are we gonna talk about it", Riley asked trying to hide his irritation.

The boy jumped, eyes lifting from his book in confusion, his expression asking a question he didn't voice.

"About the fact that this venture is about killing someone?" Riley clarified.

Percevin looked back at his book, but Riley noticed the slight shift on his face, before it hardened once more.

"Why would you care? You're an assassin." His voice was nonchalant, to Riley's greatest surprise. Riley didn't say anything back, and the boy didn't look up again. The shadowmaster knew Percevin would never believe him.

After a while, when it got too dark to keep reading, he stared up from his book and glared at the thief. The fire created shadows on his face, making him look way older than he actually was. With the seriousness etched into his features, he appeared even more elvish. Riley silently wondered if the knight-to-be knew of his elven heritage.

There seemed to be no way to make him see that what they were set to do was wrong. Riley understood that, for servants, a master's word was law. He had been ordered to carry out this mission. But a knight was supposed to do what was right, regardless of orders. That was the difference between a soldier and a knight.

"Don't you care?" Riley asked softly.

The boy froze. Instinctively, Riley's shadow reached out to the boy's, trying to connect to it. He wondered if the servant knew that if someone from the knighthood caught him, any chance of getting knighted would vanish. That if someone were to surprise him in the company of a most wanted shadowmaster, he could be killed. Riley figured he believed the risks were minimal compared to the rewards his master offered.