Put back together

8. Like the birds go south

They avoided towns and villages, sticking to the trees, bushes and hidden paths where ever it was possible. But every now and then they were forced to step out into the open.
Roman guessed it was about noon, but it was hard to tell with the dark clouds hanging in the sky. They were walking, guiding the horses, to give them a little rest but not daring to take an actual rest on the open field.

They couldn't be seen from the road, but they could see it a few metres down due to a steep hill. Still better to be overly cautious than regretful. Somehow that attitude felt familiar.

Roman looked back at Patton and couldn't help but feel guilty when he saw how exhausted the baker obviously was.
He was exhausted as well, but he was more adapted to physical strain.

The voice he had heared the day before was still spooking in his head telling him that he should just give up.
He continued to brush it off but the feeling that he shouldn't be dragging someone else into this mess was harder to ignore.

Sure, technical it had been Remy who had decided that it was important for the whole thing that Patton was going with him but it had been him who had followed the mages vague words blindly.

Maybe he should just tell Patton to stay in the next Inn they came across. While he wasn't with Roman the revolutionars wouldn't be interested in him either. And maybe from there Patton could go home.

Roman slowed his step until they were walking next to each other.

"Are you from Avlon?"

"Yeah. I am."

"So, if you were to go home you'd have to cross the same bridge again."

"Yeah, good thing I'm not going to do that. I don't think I'd be able to on my own. It's terrifying," he smiled and Roman felt himself smiling back instantly.

"You know, there are more bridges on the way to Natica alone. And probably a lot of them afterwards."

Patton raised an eyebrow: "Yes, I know that, kiddo. I'm not going to just go back through."

"What? Why not?", Roman blurted out.

Patton tilted his head to the side in adorable confusion: "Because we're in this together, kiddo. I know that you don't want to be here. You want to go back and help your family. I want to make sure my parents are safe too, and we will do that. After we find that those thingys and safe our home. I'm with you till the end, Roman."

He had no idea how to respond to that. He tried to think of something, but all that came out was a whispered: "You called me 'kiddo' again."

Patton stiffened and went to apologize but Roman didn't let him.

"No, it's okay, I'm just surprised, cause we're probably the same age or something and your not my father. But I don't really mind."

"Oh, good," Patton visibly relaxed. "It's just a weird habit. I spent a lot of time with young children back at home."
The bakers smile fell slightly.
"I hope they're alright," he added under his breath, so low that Roman was sure he wasn't supposed to hear.
He decided not to mention it, for now.

Just when he was about to pick up the issue of whether or not Patton should just go home, again, he heard chattering on the street below. He ducked into the grass and sneakily crawled nearer to the edge to get a better look on whoever was down there. Based on what he could hear it were four horses and at least two men, singing an old travel song off-key.

They came closer. Three men in ill- fitting royal guard uniform, most likely stolen, and a fourth man on a carriage, dressed in what Roman recognized as one of his younger brother's armour. Judging by the big brown feathers on the helmet either Damian's or Pelaak's.

The sight made a dull hopelessness settle in his stomach. He didn't want to think about what it might mean.

"So, pack your bags,
Head south again.
The water's cooling down~"

Patton crouched down next to him.

"Take your girl
Back south, my friend.
Leave ice and snow for home~"

The men were out of sight after barely a few minutes and shortly after Roman couldn't hear their voices anymore.

"We should try to reach the coast before they do. They might destroy the bridge to keep us trapped here. At least that's what father taught me to do if I ever want to catch someone," Roman said and sat up onto Elysian's back again.

"But what if the person you are looking for is already over the bridge?", Patton asked pulling himself back into Amity's saddle.

"Then you have to use the nearest one to follow them, I guess," Roman dug his calves into Elysian's stomach and silently apologized to the stallion.

Hours later he still had the son the men had been singing stuck in his head and found himself humming the melody under his breath every now and then.

They reached the bridge a lot earlier than Roman had expected. It wasn't even dark yet.

Roman hated crossing bridges. It was - like Patton had said - terrifying. He hated the way that his feet couldn't find solid ground and kept slipping. He hated that he had no idea how far he had come and how much further he'd have to go.
He really, really hated crossing bridges.

Patton hugged him as soon as both of them had reached the Island. Lexak, if Roman wasn't completely wrong.
Around here it was easier to hide. Lexak was full of farms and fields and according to his father it was hard to find criminals who hid here. The two of them shouldn't be too different.

Right?

He had to admit that the thought if hiding here like several gangs of bandits made it more likely to encounter said gangs or not.
Maybe he should try to teach Patton how to use a bow or something like that.
Definitely not a sword or any other close combat weapons. Patton didn't strike him as the type to be able to hurt someone. Not being able to see your opponents face made it easier and having a little distance could help aswell.

But he couldn't exactly just give Patton his own bow. The baker was significantly shorter than him and had a lot less upper body strength. He'd need his own.
That could make itself out to be a problem.
Getting to right wood could be a challenge on his own.

By the time it got dark they had found shelter in a barn. Big enough that they wouldn't be found if the farmers got up before them.

The horses where happy about the dry grass being stored in the back but Roman made sure they wouldn't eat too much by tying them to a post and simply giving them a big enough portion.

Patton found some sacks which they used as makeshift beds.
Roman didn't take long to fall asleep, exhausted from the past days making his muscles and eyelids heavy.

I'm honestly not sure whether I want Pat to have a bow. Maybe something else would be better? (Please help)

Have a nice (gay) day!