Cyran looked up to see his younger brother stood with the village to his back, trouser legs in hand.
"He must have come looking for me when I didn't come home with Dad," he thought.
Rydel was infuriated with the sudden interruption accentuated by the throbbing pain that came with it. Cyran could see he was fighting to keep his temper in check, something that the veins his neck suggested he was losing. "Come. Here. Now." Rydel spoke softly, his words were propelled with the force of his anger that even the low buzz of the forest could not drown out.
Arlen didn't move. Cyran could see that it wasn't through sheer bravey; it was through pure fear. "You l-leave my big brother alone!" the young boy stuttered. Cyran could see his oppressor pinch the bridge of his nose, sighing loudly.
"Tobias, bring him to me." Rydel commanded.
"But I don-"
"You seem to have forgotten which family introduced a great deal of investors to your merchant network." the young merchant boys bony shoulders slumped, his gaze downwards as he reluctantly marched towards Arlen. Cyran could see his younger brothers fears warring with his mind, whittling his bravery down to splinters. Does he stay to help his brother? Does he run away from the elf advancing on him? He had no idea what he could accomplish and the internal strife he was undergoing left him paralysed.
"You! Your quarrel is with me, leave my brother alone!" Cyran yelled.
"Oh, you think you're in a position to bargain?" the noble replied. Tobias put a hand on the petrified boy and ushered him a few steps closer to Rydel who beckoned for Niall to also approach. The young noble ordered his spherical friend to keep a foot on Cyran whilst he then made his way to the boy.
Pointing his rapier at Arlen he spoke, "The Sage knows I gave you a chance and you spat that charity back in my face. Unfortunately I will have to mark your error on his innocent face," Rydel said. His voice took on a cold and unfeeling quality that chilled Cyran. He knew he meant what he said.
"No, leave him be!" Cyran struggled but found Niall's fat foot a heavier lump than he first thought. No matter how much he trained, this situation was calorie over quality.
Seeing the terror on Arlen's face filled Cyran with dread. He had always been confident in his swordplay but never had he made such a mistake that put him in such a precarious situation. He dreamed of becoming an adventurer, of becoming as strong as his Father. He longed for the strength and skill to become a force for good, for justice. To be an adventurer who could help those in need when the need was great. But what justice is this? His little brother was in need of his big brother right now yet Cyran could do nothing. He craned his head to look at his feet, cursing them for betraying him when he noticed a faint green glow surrounding them. Looking back at Niall who returned his gaze, he noticed that the bakers boy couldn't see the glow either.
Lifting his hips just high enough to be able to bring his leg forward, Cyran barely managed to land his toes on the forest floor, "one last try, for Arlen," he thought to himself. Visualising his exit point, he dug his foot into the ground just as he did before. His vision blurred briefly before focusing on the back of Rydel's head who was standing before him. Cyran turned to see that Niall had been thrown backwards onto his padded rump before looking back towards Rydel and Tobias. The merchants son raised a shaky hand, pointing towards Cyran, wearing an expression that was a hybrid of confusion and fear.
The young noble sighed, exasperated, he turned "can't you be useful in the slightest?" he managed to say before Cyran decisively struck his forehead with the pommel of his wooden blade. Eyes rolling to the back of his head, Rydel crumples to the ground and drops his weapon. Tobias' eyes were still wide as he mouths to Cyran, "how did you do that?" completely ignoring his friends body squirming on the ground. Slowly, Cyran raised his sword to point at Tobias, his eyes fierce.
"I think we are done here." He narrowed his gaze, "unless you fancy your chances?" Tobias quickly let go of Arlen and hurried to aid his injured friend, hauling him off the ground with a strength that only adrenalin could have given him. Slinging an arm around his bony shoulders, the pair staggered their way back to camp. Niall walked past Cyran and bent down to pick up the noble's rapier, it was too expensive to have been 'lost' in the woods. "I'm sorry," he said, "we never meant for things to go that far, at least Tobias and I anyway. Rydel is... well, a noble. I hope that you can forgive him one day." He walked by Cyran with a confused look on his face, as though something didn't make sense to him. "I could have sworn he flickered..." he heard him mutter as he bumbled towards the village.
Cyran immediately bent down to look Arlen in the face, he was sniffling and furiously wiping the tears and snot from his face. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?" he asked, frantically patting down his brothers body searching for wounds.
"I'm okay, I was so brave did you see?" he beamed and thrust his puffy face towards his bigger brother, "and I didn't cry too!" he said, staring at Cyran with wide eyes full of admiration.
"I saw that, you'll be the bravest man in the village when you're older! Even braver than Dad! But you must go home and get yourself cleaned up before dinner," he patted Arlen's head, eliciting a giggle from the boy, "you know how Mum gets."
"Okay!" he shouted, "I'll go now! See you for dinner big brother, you're the coolest!"
Cyran waited for him to be out of sight before his legs finally gave way and he fell to the ground. He was breathing rapidly now. He had practiced swordplay for as long as he could remember. All the moves and forms came second nature to him yet this was a first. In all the times he had sparred with his Father, he had never charged at him with the intent to kill. It was only for a brief moment, but Rydel gave off enough bloodlust to make the hairs on Cyran's arm stand on end. He knew nobles looked down on the common people but he had never seen it for himself nor had he been the target. Except the target on his back momentarily shifted to the small back of his brother.
The thought of how it could have ended left Cyran feeling frustrated in himself that it was lady luck that had saved his brother. Looking back to his feet, the green glow had disappeared. The wind whistled through the trees, lifting fallen leaves off the ground. Cyran watched the leaves caress the wind, circling the Great Oak as they did so. He shifted to follow their march high into the ancient trees canopy before feeling a sudden calm settle into his being.
"Lady luck huh..." he softly said, "or was it you?"