The cold was biting as his parents took him up the long path. It had been a long journey in the cold with the only warmth being snuggled up between his parents. His mother had been nervously stroking his hair in the back of the carriage which had rubbed off on him but he had to be strong, for them.

This place was just so much smaller than where he used to live, it was a night and day difference, it was also so much smaller and darker. There were no lights illuminating through the dark along this muddy path, but the house they were coming to didn't look much better, the only thing keeping him running back to the carriage was his parents' hands reassuringly holding his as they walked.

As they got closer to the top the shack just kept looking less appealing and dilapidated. This translated to scary but there was nowhere else they could be going as a forest lined the back of the house.

The hill may not have seemed to be large but it took what seemed an eternity to reach the top. His father kept his hands in his and struck the door hard three times.

"Page, we know you're in. Please open up." His father seemed to be getting more fidgety after that but his mother just kept getting redder and redder.

"For Accor's sake," she spat and struck the door to make it shake. "Page you goddammed fool, open the door. This is official business and if you don't open the door, I will have every reason I need to blow a hole through the door. No, why don't I just blow the whole house open."

Footsteps could calmly be heard walking towards the door. An older man opened the door, he looked more haggard than them after their long journey. The house behind the door was much cleaner and more inviting than the outside would lead you to believe.

"Come in I suppose. Make yourself at home why don't you and while you're at it do you want me to whip up an impromptu meal for my uninvited guests," he said barring the door from entry.

"Dad, don't…" his father began to say.

"Stop there boy, when you ran off that ship sailed." The older man looked at him and sighed deeply, "you didn't even tell me I had a grandchild." Relenting he moved into the house waving them in.

As soon as his mother began to put the coat on the chair she piped up, "it wasn't Gary's fault you know, he did what was necessary"

Page took out some cold meat from the fridge and started slicing, "he didn't need to take on all the responsibility. If he had told us we would have helped but it's too late now, you got what you wanted out of the whole affair though."

That made her go very quiet.

The quiet took over the cabin but Gary took of their coats and sat him next to the fire with a cosy blanket.

"That was my mistake but please don't punish Feren for this. I don't regret my decision."

Page put some cold meat on the table between himself and the parents. He took a slice from the pile and handed it to Feren.

"Take it, you must be hungry after the journey."

Feren nodded smiling gleefully at the sight of the food. He carefully took the plate from the scary man who he hadn't quite registered as grandfather, but his mind had been preoccupied getting himself warm.

"Down to business," Page said.

"Stacey and I have important business that the university has sent us on. It's largely secret but we have to monitor something in the Norwoods… or more accurately the Shadowlands."

"You've said too much, you may trust him but." She tapered off.

Gary glowered, "he would have worked it out. He's not stupid."

Page let out a booming laugh. "Of course I'd work it out. I know the Norwood better than your university does. What does this have to do with this favour?"

"Feren can't come with us and... Well, he's not safe back at home."

"Surely Gillmoore would be more than happy to help?"

This made Stacey flinch. "Not all of the university agrees with this move and there are factions who oppose us."

"Get to the point," Page growled.

Gary was shuffling around uncomfortably, "could you please take Feren in until this whole observation thing is complete. We can't raise him in the shadowlands, it wouldn't be right."

"How long will this be for?"

"Indefinitely, likely years."

The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with the knife Page was gripping in his hand unusually tight.

Feren just kept staring at the fire, the enchantment powering it flickered beautifully at its heart and reminded him of the warm stove back home. Feeling hungry he shovelled in the slice of white meat, it was definitely pork but it wasn't quite right.

"We are out of options and I can't see Feren suffer. You raised my husband fine so… will you?"

"Why did you call him Feren?" Page asked.

Confused, Stacey looked at Gary to Gary for support, the question had taken her by surprise.

He sighed. "He's named in your honour, after your partner."

Page dropped the knife and turned his back. "I wasn't that good with children, you of all people should know that."

"You learned, and with mum's death you weren't in your right mind."

"I can try but you should probably come round to visit as often as possible. I wouldn't want him to moan asking for you every time he opens the mouth." Page's frame was more slumped and his face was devoid of any emotion, no anger of happiness was left.

Stacey nodded in approval. "That's all we can ask for," she turned and knelt beckoning Feren over as Gary put on his coat. Feren ran over and hugged her. "You be good my sweet boy and we might bring back a treat for you."

"If you're not good we'll probably bring back something anyway. You know what your mother's like," he said while collecting her coat from the seat.

"That's what makes her better than you," Feren joked with a trembling voice. He could hardly contain the tears he had bottled up. The two constants he'd loved were leaving him in a shack with a grouchy old man, life wasn't fair.

"You stay strong for us okay," and while Feren couldn't see her she sounded like she was crying. "The time will fly by."

Gary took her should and gently separated them from each other and put the coat over her. "We have to go now, we can't dawdle."

"I know," she said wiping the tears from her eyes and then glared at Page. "If I see so much as a scratch on him, I'll burn this house to the ground."

Page put a gentle hand on Feren's shoulder. "Whatever you say."

Feren watched them walk down the path to the carriage waiting them. As the carriage made its way through the village and out of sight a new sense of loneliness took over him. He'd moved to a new town before, but he'd never felt this isolated.

"Let's get you inside and resting. It's going to be a long day tomorrow." He led him back inside and to a small bed.

***

The lights were too bright when he woke up. Feren jumped up as soon as he saw there was light outside, he had to get himself ready. Putting his clothes on quickly he was shocked to see Page was already up eating some bread and butter.

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Feren said.

This led Page to raise an eyebrow. "Didn't know you wanted to be up, I thought you would need your sleep after your parents left. Apparently, I was mistaken."

"But we have to go to the temple, we're late."

This made Page laugh. "Temple, we don't have anything like that here. Which temple would you be looking for anyway?"

This made Feren screw a face. He had no idea what Page was asking.

This made Page lean back and sigh. "Which religion are you practicing?"

"Odistic."

Any humour in Page's eyes disappeared. "You won't find any Odists here."

Feren took a chair and sat down and couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Page put an arm around him and there was some genuine empathy there. "Why don't you tell me why you want to go to a temple so badly."

Between sobs Feren tried to explain. "I wanted to be a templar."

"Oh, like the older people in cool armour. The crushing skulls type?"

He shook his head. "No, one of the healers. They are kind. I thought I would be able to learn the magic but…" the crying grew more intense.

Page nodded in respect. "That's a noble goal, one worthy to chase. While this town can't offer much in terms of magic I do know a healer and can probably pull a few strings."

This made Feren stop crying but there were still a few sobs here and there. "Can I not learn from the Odists."

"I'm afraid that isn't really possible here, I can't help there," Page ruffled his hair. "Cheer up, you can learn from the local healer. She's nice enough and good at her job to boot."

"Like, really good?" Feren looked up a bit hopeful.

"She saved my arm once, so I'd say so."

"Okay then." Feren felt a bit more confidence in himself and a bit more comfortable in his new environment.

Page nodded. "Before it goes anywhere, I should probably ask how good your reading and writing is."

"I can read." Feren confirmed.

"Can you count?"

Feren demonstrated using his finger but only got up to ten.

"I'll talk to her on my way home then to work out the details." Page said while putting on a strange green cloak. "I have to go now, just make yourself at home. Help yourself to breakfast and if you go outside don't stray too far down the hill."

Just before he closed the door behind him Page turned his head. "I can't stress this enough, don't go into the forest. It's dangerous." With that he left Feren in the small house by himself.

The shack was quite cosy and warm but the outside beckoned Feren. He hadn't got a good look the night before and curiousity soon took control so putting on his coat and shoes he headed out.

The hill he was on overlooked a village, but it looked only to be five to ten minutes away by foot, however the grounds around the shack took most of his interest. Running around the back he saw a stack of firewood, an axe and a bowl of water but more importantly a store house.

The store house looked less dilapidated than the house which made Feren's curiousity grow. He pushed on the door but it didn't budge, it must be locked.

"So you're the new kid," came a voice from the roof.

Feren looked up but only saw a cat. It was a deep black dishevelled beast but it held itself proudly even if it was covered in dirt. The eyes were a deep orange and drew your attention in almost hypnotically.

"I'm Feren," he said to the cat with a huge smile.

The cat jumped down, "and my name is none of your business." It sniffed around his feet. "You smell like the city." Then it jumped back and hissed, "you smell like mage."

This just confused him, "my parents are mages."

The cat looked him up and down distrustfully, "but you aren't. I suppose I shouldn't judge you on your parents' foolish decision."

"My parents are cool mages; they can fight evil magical beasts in the dark lands."

The cat laughed, "and what makes you certain I'm not an evil beast."

Feren scratched his head confused, "the bowl of water. Isn't that for you? You also smell like the old man." He paused, "aren't you his familiar?"

The cat hissed even more annoyed, "I'm no ones familiar, but we have an arrangement. I look after the store and I get food."

This made Feren even happier, "can I see?" He crouched to get closer to eye level.

The cat just turned its nose up at him, "no. It's boring in there, just grain and other food. If you want to see something cool you should go in the forest."

The Forest lined the back of the house and was also at the edge of the village. A strange mist seemed to be coming from it but it didn't extend far out.

This made Feren shuffle around uncomfortably, the thought had come to him but Page had specifically said not to.

"It would be perfectly safe, I know my way around," it purred.

Fern was tempted but didn't want to get into trouble, he was torn. Then loud voices came from the nearby, "Where are you kitty?"

"Goddam kids," it spat and disappeared into the shadows quite literally. Feren had never seen magic like it but it was cool, that much he knew.

Looking to where the voices were, he saw two kids around his age running up the hill. The girl had long dirty brown hair and the rest of her clothing matched this. She wore a bright smile while talking to the boy, he was smaller but his eyes displayed a deep curiousity.

"Kitty, where are you?" the girl called.

The boy laughed half-heartedly, "there's no cat here. The creepy guy wouldn't keep a cat."

As soon as they saw Feren they stopped and the boy smiled. "Hey, what's a city boy like you doing here?"

Feren walked nervously over to them. "What do you mean 'city boy'?"

The boy gave another laugh, "your clothes mate. They're not like anything from around here, but we get a few nobles coming here every now and then so I know a city boy when I see one."

"Stop teasing him." The girl elbowed the boy in the ribs, "this idiot is Andrew and I'm Amy."

Andrew glared at Amy but didn't say anything to correct the introduction, "and you are?"

He just looked at the ground and mumbled, "Feren"

"So Feren, have you seen a cat around here?" Amy asked in earnest.

He nodded back, "it just disappeared."

Amy smiled a cruel smile, "it must be nearby. Where did it disappear?"

Feren kept looking at the ground but pointed back at the store house.

Both Andrew and Amy ran over to the store house and started looking around. They tried the door and seemed to be scouring the outside walls for an entrance. Feren just watched sitting on a log from the stack of firewood.

It didn't take long for them to come over to Feren defeated.

"There's no way we can get in, it has a better lock than my house," Amy conceded, she was fumbling some thin bits of metal in her hand.

"Who uses magic to secure food storage? The old creep is a real freak."

Feren twitched annoyed at this, "he seems nice to me."

Andrew looked over at him, "Don't tell me, are you living with him?"

Feren nodded.

Amy and Andrew looked at him with pity in their eyes.

"He gave me food," Feren said with conviction. It was rather simplistic way of thinking but it made sense to him.

"Probably fattening you up," Amy said with a cruel smile back on her face.

"Ready to feed you to the wolves," Andrew laughed.

Feren just shook his head in disagreement. "He's kind, and my grandad."

"He has family?" Amy said startled. "My mum said he's always been alone for as long as she's known. Now, how to use this to my advantage," she murmured.

Andrew leaned over and whispered in his ear, "She can be a bit scary, don't get on her bad side. She's smart though."

Feren nodded, the scheming did look a bit scary.

Suddenly Andrew pulled a small twig from the firewood and brandished it like a not so threatening sword at Amy.

"Your evil plans stop here," Andrew declared.

Amy looked over at him and then turned away disinterested.

"Witch." Andrew added on.

This caused her to stop scheming and furiously shout, "What did you just say?" She picked up another branch and started furiously whacking at Andrew.

Andrew was able to deflect them and seemed to have some basic technique but was being overpowered by Amy's furious blows.

Feren picked up a small piece of bark and threw it at Amy to help his brother in arms as he was being pitiably whaled upon.

"Did you just?" Amy looked even angrier but a smile finally cracked. "A witch of my calibre can fight two on one easily."

With that Andrew and Feren fought like two valiant knights against the wicked witch but to no avail. Any attempt they made against her was thwarted and left them in the dirt. After a while the sun began to set.

"We should probably go," Amy said while keeping Feren and Andrew pinned on the ground.

"Yeah, dad will probably have my hide." He turned to Feren, "It was nice meeting you. In the future maybe we'll be able to take out the witch."

"I wouldn't count on it," Amy said letting them go.

Feren waved them off as they walked off. They were nice, but now he was by himself again. He walked back into the warmth of the house to find the cat was sitting by the fire. His face lighting up he darted to the cat only for it to jump out of arms reach.

"You need to clean up," the cat taunted.

Feren was having none if and was getting ready for another attack. The adrenaline hadn't left his body yet and it needed to go somewhere.

"I tell you what, you get cleaned up in there and I might let you pet me," the cat said. This was a classic manipulation tactic but it is a classic for a reason, so Feren went to clean up.