Chapter Six

TROUBLE ON THE ROAD BACK

MILA

As I stepped into the servant yard, I barely had time to breathe before I heard a loud gasp.

“Erwin!”

I turned to see Selena standing there, clutching a small basket against her chest. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw me. She always looked excited when I walked into a room, and I never understood why.

“You are finally here,” she said fast. “Marge said you should come with me to the market. We need flour, salt, vegetables and firewood.”

She shifted the basket higher. “I waited because… well… it is safer to go together.”

She smiled again, big and bright, like she was trying too hard.

“Let us go,” I said simply.

Her smile faltered a little, but she followed me out through the back gate.

The walk to the market took a while. Selena walked very close to me, her shoulder brushing mine every few seconds for no reason at all. She giggled whenever I looked her way, and she kept touching her hair like she wanted me to say something nice about it.

“So…” she whispered, “did you sleep well?”

“Yes.”

“I did not,” she said. “I kept thinking about… well… nothing. Just things. Small things.”

She glanced at me. “Do you ever think about anything? You are always quiet.”

“I think,” I said. “I just do not talk much.”

She blushed so hard I could see the color rising from her neck to her cheeks. “You have a very serious face,” she said. “I like serious faces.”

I ignored that. Selena giggled again like I had said something funny.

When we reached the market, the noise hit my ears. Sellers shouted prices. People pushed baskets forward and the Children yelled. It reminded me of another place, another time, back before everything went wrong.

Selena stuck close to me while we moved from stall to stall. She kept smiling at me like she could not stop herself.

“Erwin, do you like apples?” she asked.

“They are fine.”

She bought some and placed one in my hand herself. “Then… this is for you.”

“I do not want it.”

Her shoulders dropped a bit, but she nodded quickly and put it back in the basket. She walked quietly for two seconds before she tried again.

“Your jaw looks strong today,” she said.

I stared at her. “My jaw looks like it always looks.”

She covered her face with her hands and giggled. “You are very direct.”

A woman at a vegetable stall smiled when she saw Selena. “You again, my dear. You are growing more beautiful every day. Soon enough, you will be getting married. Someone will love you, and you will accept him with a happy heart.”

Selena turned red again as she looked at me from the corner of her eye.

I looked at the tomatoes.

“Yes,” Selena said softly to the woman, still looking at me. “Maybe one day… someone will.”

I moved away from the stall before she said anything else.

She hurried to catch up. “You could have waited.”

“We are wasting time,” I said.

She sighed but stayed quiet.

After buying the last of the items, we headed back home. The path behind the market was narrow and quiet. Only a few houses lined the road, and the trees bent over us like walls.

Selena hummed under her breath as she walked. I kept my eyes forward.

Then I heard it.

Footsteps behind us.

Heavy ones.

I turned slightly, and three large men blocked the road behind us. They were rough-looking, with  broad shoulders, thick arms, and eyes that did not look friendly.

One stepped forward with a grin that made Selena gasp.

“Well, well, well,” he said, spreading his arms. “My sweet Selena.”

Selena froze beside me. “B–Bren.”

So that was his name.

He looked me up and down slowly. “And who is this tiny little thing you brought with you?”

Selena moved in front of me fast. “Do not talk to him like that. He is helping Marge today.”

Bren laughed hard. “Helping? He looks like he needs help himself.”

The two men behind him laughed along with him.

One pointed at me. “Are you sure this is a boy? He looks like he would break if we pushed him.”

Bren stepped closer, his steps heavy. “Selena, why are you walking around with boys who look like they came out of a cooking pot?”

“I said stop it,” she hissed.

He ignored her and leaned toward me. “Tell me something, little one. Can you fight? Can you speak? Or are you just a quiet mouse?”

My hands curled into fists at my sides. “Leave us alone.”

The men laughed again.

“Oh, he has a voice,” Bren said. “Small, but it exists.”

Selena stepped between us again. “Bren, please. Do not do this. We need to go back.”

Bren’s smile dropped. “I told you many times, Selena. You should not run around with boys who think they can replace me.”

“No one is replacing you,” she said quickly. “We are just working.”

He stared at her for a long time. Then his eyes slid back to me.

“You know,” he said slowly, “if you want people to respect you, you should grow some muscle. You look like you would faint if the wind touched you.”

One of the other men stepped forward. “Maybe we should test him.”

Selena grabbed my arm. “Let us go.”

But Bren stepped in front of us.

“Not yet,” he said. “Let us see if the tiny boy can defend himself. Or if he will cry.”

I stared at him. My heart was calm, but my chest was tight with anger. These idiots had no idea who they were talking to.

“Move,” I said.

He grinned and shoved me hard.

I stumbled back. Selena screamed my name.

I got up again.

Bren laughed. “Weak. Just as I thought.”

One of the other men touched Selena’s arm. “Come on, girl. Why waste time with this kind of boy? Look at him.”

She slapped the hand away. “Do not touch me!”

The man growled and stepped toward me. “Your little friend here is brave. Maybe too brave.”

I stood still.

Then Bren spoke again. “Let us see one more thing… If he bleeds easily.”

Selena screamed, “No!”

But it happened fast.

Bren pulled a small knife from his belt and lunged forward. Before I could dodge, he stabbed me in the side. The sharp pain spread through my body like fire.

I gasped and staggered back.

Selena's voice cracked.

“Erwin!”

Bren froze for a moment, shocked at what he had done. Then his face twisted.

“Run.”

The three of them sprinted away down the path, disappearing into the trees.

The world spun around me. My knees gave way, and I fell to the ground. My hand pressed against the warm blood soaking my shirt.

Selena dropped beside me fast, her hands shaking hard as she tried to hold me up.

“Erwin!” she screamed. “Erwin, look at me! Please look at me!”

Her voice broke as tears rolled down her face.

“Somebody help!” she shouted. “Please! Someone help!”

My eyes felt heavy.

Her arms wrapped around me so tightly I could feel her whole body shaking.

“Do not close your eyes,” she cried. “Please, please, please stay awake.”

I tried, but the pain pulled me down fast, and the last thing I heard was her screaming my name again.

“ERWIN!”