The Little Boy 3

The parchment unfolded in the captains long fingers. He plucked the bone from within its folds and read. It did not take long to read. The Captains face drooped and his eyebrows knotted. He glanced at the child.
"The only one left?"
"Yes." answered Lycosia.
Nodding the Captain turned to another soldier. "Get these adventurers food and quarters. The cat must stay here."
Lycosia grimaced as she got up holding the boy, "That..cat, just saved one of your soldiers lives!"
"Our citizens will not understand that adventurer. I will order what ever food you think he would like. He must stay here between the wall and the stairs. I trust you can tell him to do so."
At Lycosias regretful nod he turned away, "I will arrange an audience with the Prince. You may introduce yourselves."
A side of mutton was brought for the stalker. The men who brought it stood hesitatingly at the shielding wall to the gate area. The stalker lay panting and drooling at the sight of the meat. When the men nervously threw the side on the ground the stalker gave them a hurt glance. The child shamed them by scrambling down from Lycosias arms, walking fearlessly to the stalker and throwing his arms around his neck. The stalker rumbled and licked the childs face affectionately. The boy stood up and walked back to Lycosia. As they passed the two still frightened men he turned to them.
"You should be nice to him. He knows if you are afraid. He won't hurt you, he likes you."
Cormac struggled to keep a straight face.
The trio found themselves in comfortable quarters as a dripping rain began to wash down on the city. They were brought food, clean clothes to wear, and baths. The woman who brought hot water for the boy exclaimed as she saw him.
"Che? What are you doing here? Why do you two have him instead of...his.. parents." her voice drifted away and she put a hand to her mouth.
"oh...oh..." she said softly.
Lycosia tried to ease the tension of the situation when she saw tears in the woman's eyes.
"Well, Che, that's your name is it? Now we know." she said a bit brightly. "Here's the soap and a soft brush, why don't you get yourself cleaned up and we'll .. go have a talk with your friend hm?"
Firmly turning the the woman to the sitting area she closed the door so the boy would have privacy. They sat down at the table. Lycosia poured a cup of wine for the woman. Cormac busied himself with removing his leather under armor and stretching out his enormously muscled chest.
"His name, his name is Che Lyanderson. His parents are, were, green farmers for the city. They brought hay and grain and fresh vegetables. Che was the light of their lives. The only one they had. I saw him every week they came, so bouncy and curious. Oh I can't believe they're gone!" she finished in a whisper and tears slipped down her wrinkled cheeks unheeded.
Lycosia waited for the silent tears to ease, handing her a square of towel dipped in some water for her eyes. She took another square of wet toweling and began to swab the deep scratches and burns she had gotten.
"We need to make sure he's safe. Do you know of someone we can take him to?"
"oh, yes I'll take him for sure. He'll be no bother at all. Any number of teachers here would be willing to take him."
"Thank you. I'm sure he'll be happy with that. We probably won't have much time here. We don't stay anywhere very long before we're sent off somewhere new. Why don't you come by tomorrow morning for him?"
With the agreement made, the woman let herself out. Lycosia moved closer to the fireplace and listened to the rain drops. Inside the other room Che sat in the tub silently listening, moving the water back and forth with the brush.
"Lycosia" he heard Cormac speak
"yes Cormac?"
"Do you regret?"
"Do I regret what? Not being settled? Not having children? Not being married?"
"Any of it."
"No. That boy, Che, may grow up to be a great warrior himself some day or a monk, or a mesmer. He'll be alright. He just needs a loving place to grow up. I had a loving home and It gave me time to know that I love new places. I share in the stalkers thrill of the hunt. I have been to many places already but I have many more places to go before I will be ready to sit in one place for the rest of my life."
Cormac's voice was deep and soft with a ready laugh, "We already have a few people in the guild. We should get more. Then some day when Che is ready, he can join us. Maybe he can take over."
As the warmth of the water soaked away the ash and dirt, Che dunked his head under the water and scrubbed his hair. He decided he wanted to be like them when he grew up. He wanted to be a great magician, casting spells and saving people in the nick of time. Through the whole terrifying experience of running from the Charr, he felt a thrill inside him that had overridden the terrible despair of losing his parents. Just like his new friends, he too, would be great.