Put back together

6. Ignorance or Knowledge

Patton glanced over at Roman. The prince hadn't spoken since they had left their camp. He looked like he was deep in thought.
Patton wondered what he had done the whole day while waiting for him.

He hadn't meant to be gone for so long. He had just followed the lantern.
In hindsight following a random light in a forest probably wasn't the smartest thing. It could have been a trick to lure him into a trap by a fae or a goblin. Magical beings tended to be merciless with humans.

But he had been lucky.

The lantern had led him to a small cabin in  which an old woman lived. He had talked to her for a while and found out a few things about what had happened before the fire had broken out.

Patton had actually been planning to tell Roman as soon as possible but the other seemed to have his own stuff on his mind.
Patton wasn't sure if he should ask about it or not.

Roman was a nice person but that didn't change the fact that he was the future king and Patton was just a peasant. Normally they never ever would have spoken to eachother. Yet, here they were.
It was weird.

The sun was already starting to go down again but they decided to go on. The next bridge wasn't far and while crossing it in the dark was even more dangerous than in the light, they were going to check whether it was safe enough to cross at all. If not they could head for the next one a few miles south first thing in the morning.

Patton's thighs hurt from riding for so long. After Mum had taught him, when he had been about six years old, she had taken him on a few small trips now and then and he distantly remembered the aching in his legs after the longer ones. He wasn't sure if he wanted to find out how bad it would be after a multiple days.

He wondered what Mom and Mama would say if they could see him right now. Together with a prince on a quest to fulfill some stupid prophecy.

Mama wouldn't be happy. She would tell him to stay away from that 'magical business' and ask him to come home where it was safe.

Mom would... He wasn't really sure what Mom would say. She might actually give him tips or tell him things about her travels that might be helpful. But nowadays you couldn't be too sure if the things she said were true or just something her confused mind had conjured up.

The thought filled him with melancholy.

"Do you think there is a point in this?" Roman suddenly asked ripping Patton from his thoughts.

"What?" he wasn't sure what Roman was talking about or if he had said something before the question.

"Do you think that there is a point in all of this?" Roman repeated. "Finding that... thing whatever it is and putting it back together..."
He trailed off.

Patton gave him a confused look. " Well, it is supposed to save an entire kingdom. That's a pretty good point, don't you think?"

"...Yeah, it is..."

Somehow Roman didn't sound fully convinced.

"What makes you think it wouldn't have a point?"

"I just... Forget it."

For a moment they remained silent. Neither knowing what to say.

"I found out some things about how the fire broke out," Patton blurted into the tense silence.

Instantly Roman's head snapped up.

"There is a group of people who want to overthrow the king and, well, your family in general."

"So it's a revolution."

"Yes."

Roman narrowed his eyes. "Do you think they might be following us?"
He asked after a moment.

Patton felt like someone had punched him in the stomach. Because that would make a lot of sense.
To fully get rid of the royal family they had to get rid of the heir to the throne. To do that they first had to find them.

"Change of plans! If the bridge is safe enough we are crossing it tonight. I'd rather take that risk than letting revolutionars catch up with us!" Roman decided firmly and pressed his feet into Elysians calves.
Better to cross the bridge during sunset than after.

Maybe they were being stupid. Maybe there was no one after them just yet but neither man wanted to try finding out the hard way.

Patton tried not to think about what might happen if there was someone on the hunt for them. Or rather if that someone caught them.

Part of him longed to be in his tiny one-room apartment or at his parents cabin or... anywhere else if he was honest with himself.
But his apartment had most likely been burnt down and the cabin he had grow up in was a few day rides north.

I might never see Mom and Mama again.

The thought hit him like an angry goblin's club to the stomach. He felt sick.
He wanted to change direction. Ride home. See his parents and forget about this whole thing.

But he didn't.

He wanted to, badly, but he didn't.

He continued to follow Roman through the quickly darkening forest towards... something.

An adventure, certain death, fate, Natica.

Or maybe even further than that.

He didn't know.

Wasn't sure whether he wanted to know.

The words 'Ignorace is bliss' came to mind.
Along with 'If you're worried about getting hurt, seek knowledge'.

It sounded familiar in the way of flowers that smell liken warmth and safety despite you being sure that you have never smelled them.

It even tasted familiar.

It was unnerving.

By the time they reached the edge of the Island it was almost completely dark.
Patton stared down into the abyss and felt sick. It seemed to go down endlessly.
In the distance he could see the next Island. A giant rock floating above nothing.
Connected to the one they were standing on only by a slim bridge made of rope and wood. It moved in the wind and Patton was sure he had never been more scared of anything.

Roman climbed of of Elysians back and Patton followed suit.

"It's safer like this," the prince explained. "Less weight in one spot and all that."

Patton nodded. He didn't trust his voice right now.

"Let's do this," Roman murmured, more to himself than to Patton. Then he stepped onto the first wooden plank.

It made a squeaking noise but held. Roman let out a breath and took another step pulling Elysan with him.

After a few more steps he turned back to Patton: "Are you coming or what?"

Patton nervously licked his lips and followed Roman.
The planks felt shaky underneath his feet.

"You can do this", he whispered and stepped onto the next one.

Alright, this is starting to go somewhere. I seem to have a thing for voices though, judging by the past chapters and the fact that there almost was one in this chapter as well.
The whole revolution thing is kinda inspired by the French Revolution but it's gonna work very, very differently. Still nobody can stop me from chopping heads of in the most stylish way possible!

Feel free to comment questions or roast me for spelling mistakes!

Have a nice (gay) day!