The Stableboy's shadow (BL)

Chapter 18

Each morning, we sparred. Each morning, we learn a little more about each other's fighting style. I was right when I said that taking the shadow drop was going to set us back a few steps, but after 2 days, I was getting used to how he was thinking in a fight, and he was more and more alert and quick to react. On the fourth morning, I had to stop giving him chances. Before a week, I had to be creative to give him a hard time, and still he stumbled less and less.

It had been a while since I pushed my body so hard. I was usually training on my own, obviously, so blocking blow took more of a toll than I remembered from sparing with Mis years ago. It most have been further back than I thought, as every morning was worse than the one before. With that, I noticed that the duration of our exercise was getting shorter. Plus, from daring dangerous lands, it was better if we weren't completely exhausted for an eventual attack.

Days were spent discussing strategies on potential attacks, what kind of enemies and monsters we could encounter, how they fight and how to take them on. We established what would our signals be during the fight, if we needed to retreat, or be defensive, if I needed cover to use magic, or if one of us needed assistance.

We hadn't really stop by any village for anything else then replenishing our supplies. Percevin was eager to learn and practice, so no inns for us, even if it meant cleaning ourself, and our clothes, every day in the river. Even so, I was looking forward to washing up with soap. So, I pleaded with the boy after a week to get a one-day break. We were both sore anyways, and sleeping in a bed after a hot bath would do us a lot of good.

When we got close to said village, though, I noticed the large quantity of shadow-haters posters. Step after step, I was resigning myself to not staying here. A lot of them looked fairly recent, not yet too damaged by the elements.

- I think you should go by yourself, I finally declared as we were approaching the village's gate.

For a second, the stableboy kept walking until his eyes fell on a poster. He frowned as he got closer to it. I was eyeing the forest around to found a spot to wait for the boy.

- Riley, wait, he said. Come see.

- It's a wanted poster, I sighed. I've seen plenty.

- Come see, he repeated.

I rolled my eyes and walked to him. He teared the parchment from the nail keeping it fixed to the tree to get a closer look, reading the written statement on the bottom.

- It's not you, he announced. It's a little girl.

My heart immediately dropped. It was my turn to frown as I took in the picture on the paper. The face was indeed not mine, but a young girl that might be 9 or 10. Ache pierced my heart as I took it from his hands. My eyes were glued to the soft eyes staring back at me.

- It says that she killed a man in cold blood, that she's highly dangerous.

I gritted my teeth with anger, my thoughts running to what the man could've done to cause someone to react like that. They hadn't caught her yet, though, as the posters didn't say so. She was last seen two towns to the North, there was a small chance she could be around here, although unlikely. Time was running against me and I couldn't afford any detour. So, I folded the paper in two, then again, and slipped it in my pocket. It would keep me updated to her position and status if she wasn't here, and maybe I'd have a chance to find her as soon as I was done with this stupid mission. I prayed she could stay safe until then.

- From the number of posters, it's fair to assume there'll be lots of shadow-haters around. We can go, but we need to keep an eye out, and a low profile. They won't be looking for me.