Silver rushed through the trees, not sure where he was headed. Was he running away again? His feet had a mind of their own, taking him ever further from the joyous celebration in his name.
'No! I cannot leave. It would mean another broken promise. I have had too many of those,' he scolded himself. Broken promises of failing to protect and serve were his specialty, but he did not want that to be his legacy.
Suddenly Silver stopped short, freezing in place. He was sure that that he had heard something. A snap of a branch perhaps. Had Sage followed him again? The Guardian would have to be even more firm, and Silver was not sure if he had it in him to be cruel to her.
Silver faded into the shadows and waited. It was far easier to disappear than to confront whatever sought him. However, no one came after him, and after an extended pause Silver slunk through the darkness and hurried up a the trunk of a massive tree.
The Guardian brooded as he climbed high into the treetops. 'I am destined to be alone. It will be far easier if everyone just keeps their distance.'
With one final reach, Silver perched himself at the tip of a timeworn oak where he could bask in the full moon's glow.
"I was not made for commitment," he said into the wind. "Why of all people was I chosen?"
As if in answer, the wind swirled gently around him, teasing its way through the leaves. The Guardian sighed. He was not actually expecting an answer, but he still hoped one would miraculously come. Maybe someday he would know. Silver dragged his knees to his chin and sat quietly. At least climbing was a good distraction from the world below.
A rustle of foliage on the ground below brought Silver's mind back to the present. With his heightened senses, he seldom missed an out-of-place sound. Scanninng the ground carefully, the Guardian caught a shadow darting between the trees. 'Interesting,' the man thought, relieved for the sudden distraction.
With one fluid motion, Silver swung off the branch and plummeted toward the ground. A jump from such a height would have killed a normal man. Silver had no time to contemplate such things. His mind was completely focused on tracking. Like the cougar that prowls the night, he began his pursuit.
Silently, the Guardian raced along parallel to the shadow. The figure was small, but definitely human. At first Silver thought it was one of the children lost from the festivities, but the shadow moved too intentionally to have lost its way. In fact, it moved with ease along the forest floor. Silver was impressed. 'What are you up to?' he wondered.
Finally the figure stopped by a small stream. In the light of the moon, Silver observed the shadow was carrying a few branches. A flint strike sparked in the night. A few more hits of the stones together and the tender caught.
Soon a fire was lit, and Silver saw that the back of a young boy was toward him. He was thin and wiry. He clothes were ill fitting with trousers that were far above his ankles. 'Quite the vagabond,' he noted.
As the Guardian took in the larger scene, he realized the boy was not making a fire just for sport. There was a thick blanket near the fire which the boy, now satisfied with the fire, wrapped around himself for warmth. A small pack and a misshapen pan were neatly stacked by a tree. Above them, a few branches had been cut and carefully strapped together to form a tentative shield from the wind and rain. 'He is living out here alone! But why?' he wondered.
Silver's conscience nagged at him, but he was unsure of what to do. If the boy was truly alone, he needed help. 'But what kind?' There seemed to be no perfect answer, at least not any he was willing to entertain.
Silver came to a sudden decision. He removed a pouch from his cloak containing some jerky. He was used to leaving places in a hurry and a ready supply of food never hurt. Before he could stop himself, the man tossed the pouch to the other side of the fire.
Without waiting to see the boy's reaction, he darted off in the direction from which he came. 'What more can I do? At least he will be fed tonight.' Silver forced away the guilt that clung tight to his chest. He would figure it all out in the morning.
Startled by the object hurled toward him, the boy darted into the woods and behind a tree. It was not uncommon for a predator to approach him even with the fire to chase them away. It was a delicate balance. The fire kept him warm and was a good weapon, but it also shed light on him and could attract unwanted attention.
The boy held fast behind a tree, his muscles tensed to take off at a moment's notice. Agonizing seconds passed, but nothing else happened. Peeking first, the child crept out from behind the tree to survey the mysterious parcel that was left in his camp. He smelled the contents and placed a little in his mouth, chewing it to let the taste fill his mouth.
"Meat?" he muttered confused. "Who would throw meat at me and leave?" He looked out into the darkness, but the fire blinded his view from seeing very far. "A meat fairy?" the child wondered. Taking another glorious bite, he groaned in pleasure. With a half-full mouth, he yelled into the void, "Thank you, meat fairy. It is delicious!"
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A short while later, Silver returned to the large clearing where some of the villagers still danced and sang. Most of them were slowly returning home.
Conall heartily welcomed Silver back into their midst. "Ho ho! The prodigal returns once more. We were beginning to wonder."
"I am sorry to worry you. I promise I am quite well." Silver shifted his gaze around the fire. Sage was among those left behind. She pretended not to notice the Guardian's return.
Instead, she leaned too close and spoke far too fondly to the drunken man beside her. Silver noticed, however, that when the man made a swipe to wrap his arm around her waist, she nimbly evaded his grasp.
'That is quite a game you are playing, Sage,' the Guardian observed with a sigh.
The mayor called back the cloaked man's attention. "So, did you find anything interesting on your walkabout?"
'You could say that,' Silver mused, as he thought about his encounter with Sage and the child living alone in the woods. The brown-eyed woman, suddenly attentive to the scene, gave Silver a pleading look. He could embarrass her greatly if he desired.
The Guardian knew better than to out the lady, and responded jovially, "I have found nothing quite as exciting as these campfire tales. Let's hear another!"