The Stableboy's shadow (BL)

Chapter 9

They had been traveling to the next town for two days. On day three, the thief guessed that they had skipped a town to reach the one they were supposed to deliver him to faster. That was when his brain stopped making sense. The manure on his clothes had mostly dried under the sun on day two, so it didn't smell as strongly anymore. He had forced himself to remain as silent and still as possible, but the hunger had become painful, and he was so dehydrated that he couldn't stop drowsing off half the time, only to be woken by the stabbing pangs of starvation in his empty stomach, or the boom of the sonorous bat.

They had reached a point where the path that divided in two, and that's where the men decided to camp for the night. Riley's head was hurting so badly, it took him a while to realize where they were. The paths split in two opposite directions, East and West, and Percevin could take the eastern one to return to the noble's estate. Not that he cared about what the boy would do.

Something kept him from sleeping, though. This could've been a good opportunity to escape, but he didn't want to. Why would he? All his life had been running around, stealing to survive, only to get caught again? His family didn't care. He had no friends who truly did, either. Nobody needed him alive. He'd starve to death, but there were worse ways to go.

Percevin was close to his cage, rummaging through his backpack to sort his things, maybe packing extra food for the journey back home he had taken from Riley's bag, as the thief wouldn't need rations anymore. Riley's head was pounding, and the sound of shuffling was irritating.

But seeing his bag reminded him: he'd seen the men shove everything they'd taken off him into it before stuffing him into the cage. His hands went to the base of his neck, and he noticed for the first time that they had taken away his medallion. His heart sank and tears stung his eyes.

"They took it," he whispered against his will, his voice creaky from not speaking in days.

Percevin's head snapped up in his direction and he froze.

"What?" The surprise made him ask before he could stop himself.

"They took my medallion... Can you give it back?" the thief replied, half-lucid.

The knight-to-be blinked multiple times. Maybe it was the sight of the thief in such a state that shocked him so much he couldn't process what Riley was saying? Or maybe Riley was speaking nonsense?

"They must've put it in my bag... please?"

The boy stared longer, then surveyed their surroundings to make sure that no one else was aware of their conversation. The shadow-haters were all asleep. Percevin looked at Riley again.

"It's not magic...? You won't... use it to escape?"

"If I had wanted to go, I'd be long gone by now," Riley simply answered with a small smile.

Percevin seemed to consider that for a minute. He wasn't surprised the thief could escape, if he wanted to, but mostly that he didn't want to. He stared distantly at Riley's smile, then nodded and reached for the bag beside him, rifling through its contents.

"I can't find it," he said after a couple of minutes.

"Smaller pockets. On the sides."

He turned the bag and did as Riley instructed. The knight-to-be untied the leather lace and opened the flap, then took out what was in it, which was a small fabric pouch. The thief remembered the hard candies he had bought on their first week of travel —candies he had completely forgotten about.

"Oh, right", he scoffed, voice low, burying his blush in his knees. "I totally forgot about these, eh? Take 'em. They're for you."

He didn't look up, but he knew the boy was staring again. He heard him fidgeting with the pouch to open it and, as nearby sounds faded, Riley spaced out for a while. He didn't return to full awareness until he heard a metal click near his ear. He glanced up to see his medallion dangling beside his head. Percevin's gaze met his before he extended his hand beneath the necklace. The boy carefully lowered it into the thief's palm. His finger pressed on top of it, grazing the Riley's skin. The thief quickly looped the chain around his neck and squeezed the pendant, above his heart.