The remains were still in place, Kaidan was unsure if that was good or bad, but his overall lack of knowledge remained frustrating as ever, and this was only the second day!
"Wow. . ." Miles was nearly hiding behind him, long stick clutched tight in hand.
"There was metal shining, it was a crossbow."
Miles squeaked, Kaidan found himself hiding a small smile.
He begin uncovering the rest. "Oh, all scattered," Miles lamented, "how can he be judged without all his bones?"
He'd never heard of that before, "maybe. . . maybe we can gather them all up?"
They looked at each other, then looked at the bones.
"Um. I. . ." Miles shook himself, "a good night would do this with honor!" and reached out to grab a bone, before holding it out awkwardly, "where. . ."
Kaidan looked around before spotting a big tree with a split in the trunk in the base, leaving a nice hollow space, "there! The tree can shelter them!"
"Good idea!" he held the bone away from his body and hurried to place it.
Together they gathered the bones, uncovering the bones belongings as they did so.
The tattered remains of leather and wool, little crossbow, a metal belt buckle with a dogs head engraved on it, the dagger and a pouch of copper coins.
Together, they felt proud, though were filthy.
"We have honored this fallen being, may the Gods usher them properly, um. . . somewhere?" Miles stumbled a bit over his little speech.
They bowed their heads at this, when a scream from the river ripped through the air.
"Pebbles!"
"Kita!" Miles shouted.
Oh, a secret? Kaidan filed this away, running towards the river.
Marco and his two friends were pushing Pebbles around, laughing mockingly with nasty smirks on their faces.
Miles near growled before taking a step forward, fingers tight around his stick.
Kaidan stepped in front of him and marched down to the commotion, "so brave, pushing around a small kid while he is all alone!"
Marco swiveled to face Kaidan, a mean look on his before he charged, swinging at Keith.
Kaidan dodged, pushing Miles out of the way.
Miles stumbled, nearly falling before darting towards his sibling as Marco turned and swung again.
Kaidan blocked his wild swings, he only really knew the basics of self defense, but what little he knew was enough for this kid.
Marco swung wide and Kaidan used his overbalancing to trip him, and then sit on him.
"Stop."
Marco squirmed under him so he grabbed a handful of mud and worms, "I'll shove this down your shirt!"
Marco stilled at this, "let me up!" he demanded stubbornly.
"Why should I?"
He went still and quiet for several minutes, "can't stay on me forever."
"I can try."
A child's fight wasn't exactly something he wanted to deal with, but if needs must.
At least he wasn't actually a child, that helped him deal with this. But he still hated bullies.
Miles stood by Pebbles, stick in hand, frowning at Twig and Izzy, "picking on a little. . ." Keith could hear him going on.
"We are orphans, why are you trying to make things harder then they should be?"
Marco snapped, "I am not an orphan! My parents will come for me!"
"Why haven't they then?"
Marco stills and then starts sobbing.
Kaidan climbed off of him, dropping the mud and sat beside the sobbing boy who curled up on himself.
Through gasping breathes he got Marco's backstory, "they left me. . . on the doorstep!" he cried, "they said they would come back, like your mother promised you!"
Assumption, Kaidan's father died and his mother was gone, were they meant to be foils, rivals, friends?
Making a quick decision, he says, "my mother is dead," Marco looked at him, about to argue, "it's the reason she hasn't returned to get me, she is dead. If they promised and didn't come. . ."
Marco looks defeated, "I know they must be either dead or glad to be rid if me, but. . ."
"They may be gone, but we are still here. We all can be each other's family instead."
Marco wiped his face and looked to his friends, then to Kaidan, "we can?"
Kaidan nodded, looking at Miles, who uncertainly looked at Pebbles, who slowly nodded, "we don't have anyone but each other, so we should be family," and he held out his hand to Marco.
"Okay. . . family," and he clasped Kaidan's hand.
It was hesitant and awkward, no one was sure how to act until Pebbles piped up, "we, were going to have fish, want some?"
"I have some berries?" Twig offered, showing off a bag of slightly crushed blackberries.
Izzy offered a bag of radish's, Marco wrinkled his nose, "who likes those?"
"They are good roasted," Miles said, a small smile crossing his face, "oh, but a fire. . ."
Kaidan stood and went to grab his stick pile.
It was actually an enjoyable time, grilled fish and radish's with the berries, all eaten with their hands, then the splashed and played in the river.
At one point, Kaidan used a still pool of water to look at himself, he seemed to still be himself, but the water wasn't clear enough for details.
They returned at sunset and the week passed with routine, meals and lessons and farm work.
Though Marco and his friends no longer threw around their weight or picked fights.
The fuzzy kids he couldn't name left, the older ones leaving to join the guards, or someone, family often, coming for the little ones.
The next off day, Kaidan was heading into town.