Silver was so full of anger and self-blame that he was caught off guard by the boy's sudden apology. Like him, it seemed Ethyn felt guilt for what had happened. There was also a palpable fear in the redhead's eyes that saddened the Guardian. "There is time for all that later," he answered tersely.
Silver and Ethyn stared in silence for a moment. The cloaked man sat down at the edge of the bed, causing Ethyn to flinch. "I am not going to bite," Silver tried to joke. However, he could see the boy's uncertainty. 'He must blame me for his foot being cut.' To keep the boy calm Silver sat so still he may as well have been stone. Ethyn wondered helplessly what his hero was thinking. Finally, Silver broke the tension.
"How's your foot?" he asked with a nod at the previously injured leg.
Relieved that the man seemed more worried about his health than scolding him, Ethyn took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. Unlike the servants from the manor, Silver cared about him and cared for him. The Guardian had saved and healed him. The boy was wrong to jump to the worst conclusion and he knew it.
"My foot is as good as new," he answered softly. "Thank you."
"And the rest of you?" there was more than a hint of concern in his voice.
Ethyn smiled weakly, some of his spunk returning to his voice. "My ribs hurt, my head is dizzy, and I am tired. I don't suppose you have more of that glow-y liquid for me, do you?"
Although the Guardian was happy to see some life in his little friend, he shook his head. "I am afraid not. That potion should only be used on external wounds. Taking it internally can have…unintended consequences." Silver spoke carefully.
Ethyn wondered what he meant, but decided not to press. It was possible he did not want to know what might happen. The boy changed the subject, "Lily said you returned the gang to jail."
"Mhmm." Silver responded, his head nodding once.
"Did you bundle them up just like last time?" Ethyn wanted to know.
"No." Silver seemed offended that he would be accused of such childishness.
"Oh…" Ethyn was a little disappointed.
"This time we added bonnets."
The redhead's eyes nearly popped from their sockets. He pictured the jailer opening the door and spotting five escaped criminals swaddled with bonnets on their heads. The gang would have felt humiliated. Ethyn wasn't sure whether to feel glad or sorry for them. He decided both feelings could exist at once. He laughed softly, trying not to further crack his fragile ribs.
Silver watched his friend's face as it moved through the spectrum of emotion. He realized just how much he had enjoyed the boy's company and how keenly he had felt the fear of losing him. Still, there was a matter to which he needed to attend. "Ethyn, last night I told you to stay at the cottage. You didn't listen and came anyway. If you hadn't been caught, I would have been able to take care of those men on my own."
"But…" Ethyn interrupted, his face red with embarrassment.
The Guardian held up his hand. "I am not finished. I then told you to run clear of danger when we were free of the ropes, and instead you directly put yourself in harm's way. Your defiance kept me from doing my job to subdue the bandits. And worse yet, you hurt yourself and did not tell me. You could have died out there."
Ethyn was stunned. The words from his friend and guardian made him feel so small that he wished he would just disappear. If his ribs had not hurt so badly, he would have curled up like he did when he was a small child.
"But…" Silver let the word hang in the air for a moment. But what? Ethyn's mind raced as he thought of all the possibilities. Perhaps he was about to dole out a grueling punishment of hard labor in return for letting him stay or maybe he was right to begin with and Silver was about to turn him back out on the street altogether. The boy clenched his fists in anticipation.
"But," Silver repeated, "When you thought someone was in danger, you raced in to help. Not only that, you enlisted the help of others. When you were caught by evil men, you did not cower. You used your wits to help you survive. I saw that covert move to retrieve my knife, but your enemy didn't suspect a thing. And when you were injured and told to flee, you saw a friend in danger. Instead of saving your own skin, you placed your own life on the line. I know how close that blade came to my head. You saved my life. Do you know what that makes you? That makes you a hero."
"A hero? me?" The coldness and fear Ethyn felt evaporated like the morning dew under the rising sun. He was a hero! Ethyn realized he'd felt deep guilt for not being able to save his mother years before. He couldn't control that mysterious sickness, but with determination and bravery he had saved his friend. The freeing feeling of being released from blame caused Ethyn to heave a deep sob. Water poured down his face as relief filled his soul.
Silver panicked momentarily. As fear and anger were his constant companions, he was not used to dealing with the softer side of humanity. But then the instinct of compassion overtook him and he slid up the bed and enveloped Ethyn's hand with his. They remained in that configuration for some time as the boy's tears washed away his hurt. 'So much pain for one so small,' the Guardian thought sadly. 'I wish I could take it all away.'
Finally, only calm remained. Splotchy red and white patches covered Ethyn's face. His eyes, however, were bright with hope. The boy sensed a shift in his companion's demeanor as Silver removed his hands and sighed. It was obvious something else was on his mind.
"I…" the guardian began uncomfortably, "I don't want you to be afraid of me."
"What?" Ethyn scoffed, "Are you serious?"
"I am," Silver responded evenly. "I saw how frightened you were when Jarek threatened to remove my hood."
Ethyn remembered. He had been truly terrified.
Seeing a hint of the boy's former fear, the Guardian nodded. "And while I appreciate that it led to them leaving my face unrevealed, it is unfair for you to be so… concerned… about the appearance of your roommate. For saving my life, it seems a fitting reward that you should see my face."
Ethyn raised his eyebrows as his stomach lurched. Was it truly a reward or a burden? "I am fine, really…" the boy feigned a smile.
Silver ignored him and went on, "Of course you could not tell anyone what you see. What good is being a figure of mystery if everyone knows what you look like?"
"No good, I suppose," the boy answered.
"It's settled then." Silver said definitively.
The redhead furrowed his brow and clutched at the blanket around him. "Are you sure I won't die, you know, if I see you?"
The guardian could not repress the laugh from his belly, "Quite sure. But I fear you will be disappointed with how ordinary I look."
Deep in thought, Ethyn didn't immediately answer. What if Silver was wrong? Ethyn dismissed the thought. Despite his earlier fear, deep down he trusted that Silver would not harm him. But could he keep a secret? The weight of the moment was not lost on the boy. This was a big secret. With the most grown up voice he could marshal, he responded, "Ok. I'm ready."
"Very well."
Silver reached up and touched the edges of his hood and allowed the tips of his fingers to run along its hem. Ethyn's stomach felt like he had swallowed butterflies for a moment as he waited. Finally the hood fell free and Silver's face was revealed. Ethyn was surprised by what he saw.