gave him a sad, small smile. "And off we go," his new lord whispered.
The companions set off down the same road the old man had walked up the day before. The entrance road to the estate was flanked by two large rocks, placed there long ago when the property was given to the family by a grateful king. They passed through these and traveled down the road in silence; the only noise was the sounds of their footsteps and the clack of the old man's cane against the hard-packed dirt. Fred stopped and ventured a glance back. His home, his former home, already lay a mile back. He could hardly see the cottage that had housed him since his birth. Regret set in; he wished he had been more polite to Lord Damskov and begged to stay. His companions noticed they were lacking one of their number and turned back toward him.
"What are you stopping for? We don't have time to waste on you, boy, so let's get moving!" the girl snapped at him. Fred didn't reply, and she was about to make another demand for haste when a hand settled on her shoulder. She looked to find her older companion staring at the boy, and he shook his head.
The girl lapsed into sullen silence and her companion stepped over to stand beside Fred. Fred glanced at the old man and hastily wiped a few tears from his eyes. The old man chuckled. "Come on, my lad, no tears. There's a lady present."
"I'm sorry for stopping, my lord, it's just that I can't help looking back." His heart ached to stand before the hearth of his home.
"You needn't apologize. I won't beat you for a few tears of sadness, nor even those of joy," the stranger assured him. The old man's eyes lit up. "But here we are traveling together, and you bound as you are to me, and I haven't introduced myself." He stepped back and bowed his head to the surprised Fred. "I have been called many names, but for the present time you may call me Ned."
Fred blinked. "Ned?" he repeated, sure he'd heard wrong. He would never have imagined such a simple name for such an ancient creature.
Ned nodded. "Yes, Ned." He gestured to his female companion. "This is Patricia, though she prefers the name Pat." Ned slid up beside Fred and leaned in to his ear. The man had more speed and agility than Fred gave him credit. "She is testy about the whole name thing, so go along with whatever she likes or she'll be sure to use that nice sword of hers on you."
"I will not!" Pat protested.
Ned pointed a finger down at Pat's waist. "You notice how at the mention of an argument her hand goes to the hilt of her sword? Very imprudent of her to show us she has a weapon. We may be able to relieve her of it."
Fred moved away from his strange new lord and the weaponized young woman. Anyone who was armed like that was sure to attract trouble, and trouble was the last thing he wanted. "I-I'm afraid this must be some mistake. Surely you won't want me to come with you on your travels. I would be more useful to my previous master."
Ned straightened and raised an eyebrow; the humor vanished from his face. "You wish to return to your old home?"
"I wish to return to the only home I've ever known," Fred corrected him. He sighed and bowed down his head. "But only if my lord allows me to leave. My debt passed to you and thus I am bound to you."
"Right and proper words, but the intention is unwise," Ned scolded.
Fred glanced up and frowned. "I only wish to return home."
Ned shook his head. "Then you wish for the impossible. Now that that man you call your former lord knows your body is of value he's likely to take you to town and sell you to the local slave trader." Ned looked the boy up and down. "And he's liable to fetch enough gold coins to incite his greed for human selling if you return to him again."
Fred's heart fell into the pit of his stomach. He realized the old man's words were true, but where there was desperation and fear there was bound to be denial. "I'm begging you to allow me to return to my home. I'm sure I won't be of any use to you on
The companions set off down the same road the old man had walked up the day before. The entrance road to the estate was flanked by two large rocks, placed there long ago when the property was given to the family by a grateful king. They passed through these and traveled down the road in silence; the only noise was the sounds of their footsteps and the clack of the old man's cane against the hard-packed dirt. Fred stopped and ventured a glance back. His home, his former home, already lay a mile back. He could hardly see the cottage that had housed him since his birth. Regret set in; he wished he had been more polite to Lord Damskov and begged to stay. His companions noticed they were lacking one of their number and turned back toward him.
"What are you stopping for? We don't have time to waste on you, boy, so let's get moving!" the girl snapped at him. Fred didn't reply, and she was about to make another demand for haste when a hand settled on her shoulder. She looked to find her older companion staring at the boy, and he shook his head.
The girl lapsed into sullen silence and her companion stepped over to stand beside Fred. Fred glanced at the old man and hastily wiped a few tears from his eyes. The old man chuckled. "Come on, my lad, no tears. There's a lady present."
"I'm sorry for stopping, my lord, it's just that I can't help looking back." His heart ached to stand before the hearth of his home.
"You needn't apologize. I won't beat you for a few tears of sadness, nor even those of joy," the stranger assured him. The old man's eyes lit up. "But here we are traveling together, and you bound as you are to me, and I haven't introduced myself." He stepped back and bowed his head to the surprised Fred. "I have been called many names, but for the present time you may call me Ned."
Fred blinked. "Ned?" he repeated, sure he'd heard wrong. He would never have imagined such a simple name for such an ancient creature.
Ned nodded. "Yes, Ned." He gestured to his female companion. "This is Patricia, though she prefers the name Pat." Ned slid up beside Fred and leaned in to his ear. The man had more speed and agility than Fred gave him credit. "She is testy about the whole name thing, so go along with whatever she likes or she'll be sure to use that nice sword of hers on you."
"I will not!" Pat protested.
Ned pointed a finger down at Pat's waist. "You notice how at the mention of an argument her hand goes to the hilt of her sword? Very imprudent of her to show us she has a weapon. We may be able to relieve her of it."
Fred moved away from his strange new lord and the weaponized young woman. Anyone who was armed like that was sure to attract trouble, and trouble was the last thing he wanted. "I-I'm afraid this must be some mistake. Surely you won't want me to come with you on your travels. I would be more useful to my previous master."
Ned straightened and raised an eyebrow; the humor vanished from his face. "You wish to return to your old home?"
"I wish to return to the only home I've ever known," Fred corrected him. He sighed and bowed down his head. "But only if my lord allows me to leave. My debt passed to you and thus I am bound to you."
"Right and proper words, but the intention is unwise," Ned scolded.
Fred glanced up and frowned. "I only wish to return home."
Ned shook his head. "Then you wish for the impossible. Now that that man you call your former lord knows your body is of value he's likely to take you to town and sell you to the local slave trader." Ned looked the boy up and down. "And he's liable to fetch enough gold coins to incite his greed for human selling if you return to him again."
Fred's heart fell into the pit of his stomach. He realized the old man's words were true, but where there was desperation and fear there was bound to be denial. "I'm begging you to allow me to return to my home. I'm sure I won't be of any use to you on
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