Everything was dark, despite how that sounds it was quite comfortable for him, he laid with his back on a soft mattress, tightly wrapped in wool and enjoying the little rocking movement his crib made, he was calmed by his mothers melodious voice, she hummed a calm tune as she took care of the boiling soup just by his side, the warmth of the fire filled the small place, he heard the door open, the sound of wood hitting agaisnt wood as the thuds of his steps filled the house.

  ???: [Hey!]

  She hushed

  ???: S-Sorry... how is he?

  He heard his mother lean by his side on the cribs soflty caressing his cheek with her finger, then picking him up gently, she bringed him towards the men, when the boy opened his eyes he was face to face with an wide eyed strange thing, he felt his heart clench and he filled his lungs with air, cryign out a loud and desperate shriek, his mother pulled him closer to her body and soothed him, the two looked at eaxh oher as he stopped crying, the man and the woman laughed, hers a soft and calm giggle and his a low and husky chuckle.

  ???: [Dont be scared of him sweeheart... daddy may be big and ugly but hes not gonna hurt you.]

  She laughed.

  ???: [Come on domt tell him this...]

  He chuckled aswell. As she layed him down on the crib once more he started to drift off to sleep, he could see their faves looking down on him with loving gazes, everything slowly faded to darkness as the warm wool embraced him once more, the little boy went to sleep listening to his mothers sweet lullaby.

  ???: [Goodnight Leif...]

  She said, soflty touching his cheek.

  Winter had come and gone, many times, he stood by his mt9her side as she cut the potatoes in tiny pieces, putting them with the lamb and dumping it into the boiling pot.

  Leif: [Mama... mama is it ready?]

  ???: [Leif, what did i tell you about being patient?]

  Leif: [Sorry mama...]

  He stood around for some time, coming around to inspect his mothers cooking from time to time, he found a cool looking bug under the chopped wood, then went to cheek if the potatoes where done, he hit a dead bird with a stick then circles around his mother as she took a spoon and scooped some soup, putting it on a small wood bowl, she put the lid in and tied a rope around it, lowering it down for the small boy to pick it up.

  ???: [Now, be carefull, its hot on the bottom and i dont want you to spill anything.]

  Leif carefully took the rope and walked out of the house.

  Leif: [Bye mama!]

  ???: [Be carefull Leif!]

  Leif: [Yes mama!]

  The boy excitedly replied as he walked on the dirt road, he hummed a little tune as he skipped but shortly stopped, afraid of letting his fathers food drop, resorting to a fast paced walking, passing by the village he saw the other kids around, three boys and two girls, one of them, the older boy, called out to him.

  ???: [Hey Leif! Wanna play?]

  Leif: [No i gotta take my papas food to him]

  The other kids callout to him and wave their hands as he passed throught, steeping through the forest up a small hill, taking care to not trip in any roots like his papa taught him, the boy carefully held the rope as the wood bowl shaked from side to side, all the way up a pasture, he stopped to watch the horses run around with each other but quickly went back to the taks, he ended up finding his father napping under a tree, his sheep grazing, Leif came up to him and set the bowl of food down.

  Leif: [Papa!]

  His father jolted up suddenly, looking at the boy and lett out a half grunt half sigh.

  ???: [Dont wake me up that way boy, i tought i told you this.]

  Leif giggled, he took the bowl to his father who oppened it.

  ???: [Ugh.. Soup? In this weather? Whats Lya thinking...]

  Leif: [Mama said she put more lamb in it.]

  His father started eating and the boy sat by his side, he watched intently as his father ate, then watched the sheep pace around grazing, a soft warm breeze passed by, he looked up his father whos eyes lingered on the pasture and on the forests.

  ???: [Can you believe that this was all left by my father Leif?]

  Leif: [Papas papa?]

  His father chuckled.

  Marco: [Youre Leif Crows, im Marco Crows, my father was Gareth Crows, he left this all for me once he died.]

  The boy hled on to the tought, with his finger on his miuth he looked around silently as he tought.

  Leif: [Papa.]

  Marco: [Mm?]

  Leif: [Why are called crows?]

  Marco: [Its called a surname boy, so that everyone knows that Leif Crows is the son of Marco Crows.]

  He passed his calloused hand over the boys hair, looking down at him with a smile, the sky was a golden honeyed color as he walked down the hill back home, jumping over the roots of the trees, pretending to be a swift horse or an agile cat, he played a little with the other boys, but afraid his mother would be mad if he was late he didnt stick for long, walking away from the village he made his way quickly back home.

  Despite the violent winds bringing snow and the thick mist that couldnt allow him to see much he could still see the silhouettes of their heads much above the wall, he could see his mothers hair flying wildly in the wind, he sat quietly in the snow, clutching his father sword, by this time he couldnt cry anymore, maybe because of the winds or the cold drying up his eyes, or maybe he already cried everything he could.

  Leif: [Pa.. papa... mama....]

  His gaze still and unmoving on the dark shadows on the top of the wall, there where many others, women, men, the old and the young, the mercenaries had soent a long time making sure their heads would stick to the spears even after they had rotted. Leif had to villages up, as if there was a unseen force making he do so, despite how much he wanted to stay there and freeze and rott like his mama and papa, he walked around the snowy village, there wasnt anyone there, as he walked, feeling the cutting wind on his face, feeling such a prfound and utter loneliness he had never felt before.

  ???: [--swear to god that bitch bit my dick!!]

  Leif stopped to watch them as they laughed, loud and abnoxious guttural laughs, his fingers digged into the leather sheath of the sword. The mercenaries had stayed around for almost two weeks after they massacred the village, taking all the food to stay the winter rather then facing it by themselves, they felt specailly lucky to find beer and wine among the food.

  ???: [Erickson you son of a fucking bitch! Did you take my fucking boots again!]

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  Erickson: [Oh shit! Sorry boss- umm hey boss, that kid is there again]

  ???: [What kid? oh, that one, i tought hed be dead by now, have you assholes been giving the kid food??]

  They haven't, but Leif wastn stupid, he would wait until they would all be either asleep or in alcoholic comas before shoovng himself throught a small hole in the ground and sneaking inside the hut where they kept the food, never taking too much, just enough to not die. Leif couldnt bare the sight of the dirty men, he knew they werent dirty like his father, who was always working on the soil and threading mud, these men where dirty because they lived dirty lives.

  ???: [Ugh... this creepy fucking kid...]

  Erickson: [Yeah... look at those eyes..]

  Leifs fingers digged into the swords hilt until he felt like his nails where about to split, he felt the steely tang of blood on his mouth as he bit down on his lower lip.

  Erickson: [Fuck off kid!]

  He threw a rock, hitting the little boy on his forhead, a dribble of blood oozed down to his eye, making his rub it to see, the other mercenaries laughed and picked up rocks aswell, despite his rage Leif turned his back as the rocks rained down, running into the forest. Leif quickly sprinted down without paying attention to the roots, jumping througgt the trunks until he couldn't her their voices, he stoped and looked around, trying to situate himself, he walked around for a while until he found it, the little hole under a tree where he had been hiding, he crawled in there and hugged his own legs, despite the cloak his mother hed given him the could was a lot to bare, strangely, throught these days the only thing wich seeemed to bring him warmth was his fathers sword, the long and heavy sword his father had revieved from his father and before from his father, everytime the night begun to fall he would hug the sword against his own body as hard as he could, no matter how much he wanted to cry the tears just wouldn't fall.

  Winter had ended, the boy walked out of his hole, he had grown skinnier and lethargic over the time, he walked throught the forest once more, feeling the soft wamrth of the sunlight, clutching the sword close this his body, he was hungry, hungry enough to steal from the mercenaries in the daylight, but when he reached the village he couldn't find them, there was no one, the desolate view filled his core with dread, he ran around a bit, searching for anyone, a single wixked soul left, but there was no one, when he reached the hut where they kept the food the door was wide open, and it was empty, nothing inside not a single grain of rice left, they had taken everything and the boy wasnt strong enough to scream, he just feel to his knees, soflty mumbling.

  Leif: [Ma... ma...]

  After sometime he managed to step up, gathering as much strenght as he could to make a step after step, he just needed to keep going, but why? what hope did he have? he continued stepping, slowly but stepping, step after step, it didnt matter if he was hungry, weak, tired. He remembered, at times when father had enough fish, animals and vegetables he would put everything in a carriage and take it all to the closest city, Cithra, just a few kilometers away from there, could he walk all the way there? if he could what would he do? would they help him? it didn't matter he just needed to keep on walking, and so he did, step after step he made it put of the forest, he walked up and down many hills before finding himself in what seemed to be the plains, but there was no grass or any plant, just mud, so much mud, the sky was grayed thanks to the dozens of fires that had been lit, the smell of urine made his nose wrinkle but he was glad. The screams of men and women, horses and even chicken, he was in some kind of enormous camp, mayeb these where soldiers of some kind, he steped around on the mud, clutching the sword tightly, he smelled food, meat to be precise, looking at the nearest campfire he saw a muddy and fat man with the human equivalent of a pigs face, he had two pieces of chicken pierced by small wooden sticks over the fire, Leif felt his stomach tighten snd churn, he kept there, staring at the man, he tought that maybe he would turn away or forget about the chicken for enough time for him to quickly sweep at least one piece of it, but those hopes where quickly stepped on when the pig faced man started to eat the still hot chicken while making voracious sounds. After he was done he turned to the boy and smiled, his eight or nine remaining teeth gleamed yellow with grease.

  ???: [You want it rat?]

  Leif shook his head yes, the pigfaced man took the bones with the few strips of meat on it and threw them at him. Leif struggled to catch them, almost falling face first into the mud, but he managed to and helf tightly to the still warm and greasy bones, nibbling on the bone to strip all the meat he could, once he was finished he was still hungry, remembering how his father used to do he put the bones in his mouth and but down as hars as he could, the hard crunches and snaps as he broke the bone apart with his teeth, chewing on in as hard as he could, then swallowed. Pigface laughed a sickly wheeze at the sight.

  ???: [Pathetic, simply pathetic...]

  ???: [Sebb! Are you feeding the dogs again?? You pighead bastard what did i tell-]

  From the tent around came a strong and ugly woman, with a flattened nose, recessed chin but strong jaw, she looked down at the little boy curiously.

  ???: [Well that aint no damn mutt...]

  She approached the little boy, reaching to cup his chin with her calloused hand and pull his chin up, looking down with discontent.

  ???: [You an orphan boy?]

  When Leif didnt answer she just continued.

  ???: [Well even if you werent, parent who let their kids get this dirty arent really parents, im Madehlia.]

  The boy stayed silent once more.

  Sebb: [You little rat! Dont you ignore mam-]

  Madehlia: [Shut your goddam mouth and go to work already you useless pigheaded bastard!]

  Despite being almost two times the womans size he retreated like a scaredy cat and ran away quickly.

  Almost a week had passed, Madehlia had let him stay around, offered a chicken strip a day and a warm campfire to sleep by, Leif had already grown accustomed to the odor of excrement and urine, the loud noises all day and the nights hed pass around the greasy Pigheaded man, despite having his conpany and the evetual other orphans who would comr and go, the women of all ages who came to the camp to be bedwarmers for cheap bronze bits, and the men that would at times come to spend the night at Madehlia's tent.

  Sebb: [Hey rat!]

  The pighead called out as he approached.

  Sebb: [The commanded said where gonna clash with the enemy troops by tomorrow, i want you to clean and sharpen my sword.]

  Sebb threw the sheathed longsword at the boy, he managed to hold it despite its weight.

  Leif: [Yes.]

  Leif left, holding the two swords, he will do it, pighead despite his looks had a little value for honor and always payed a couple bits of copper when Leif did what he was told, Leif skipped around the muddy territory he already knew, avoiding the trenches and the drunken mercenaries, he stepped quickly over to the forge are where many people sharpened their sword and axes, there were many lines of men waiting to sharpen their own tools, the imminent battle had everyone in their toes.

  ???: [Aye kid.]

  Leif looked at the not much older blonde boy who stood by his side, he was taller, with a smirk, he held a sword sheathed on his hip.

  ???: [Something in my face kid]

  Leif: [If im a kid then so are you...]

  ???: [Thats what youd think, but you habent killed, and you habent felt the warmth between a womans legs.]

  Leif felt angered at his useless boasts but didnt do anything, resorting to simply turning around.

  Hilt: [Oh dont ignore me please... Im Hilt... you are?]

  Leif: [Leif.]

  Hilt: [Leif, tell me how old are you?]

  Leif: [11?]

  Hilt: [I am 14, almost a made man, what do you think of the coming battle?]

  Leif: [I dont know, i just dont want to die.]

  Hilt smiled as they both stood in the line.

  Hilt: [Wise decision, i dont want to het killed either, i will still fight tought, wanna know why?]

  Leif didnt respond.

  Hilt: [For the money Leif, the money! Sweet copper pieces, Commander Persworth said each individual to survive will recieve 8 copper pieces and a piece more for each pair of ears you bring to the army of Pallaccia.]

  Leif: [Ears?]

  Hilt: [Its a way to show how many people youve killed.]

  Leif tought a little, he didnt want to kill anyome, and really didnt want to chop off any ears, but the idea of having atleast 8 copper pieces was tempting to say the least, he wanted to eat more then chicken strips everyday, he wanted to sleep on a bed again, and wanted to take a bath.

  Hilt: [Tempting is not?]

  Leif was finally allows to use the grinder, sitting on the stool and taking out Sebb's longsword out of its sheath, he stepped on the rolling pedal and begun to sharpen the sword, stopping time and time to swipe off the bits of rust from the blade, after about 15 minutes he got up and stepped away, allowomg Hilt to sharpen his blades. As Leif walked away Hilt called out to him.

  Hilt: [See you later kid!]

  Leif walked back to the fireplace where found Sebb laying on the trunk sleeping soundly, his fat belly going up and down.

  Leif: [Sebb.]

  The man kept sleeping.

  Leif: [Sebb!]

  Pighead jolted up, and rubbed his eyes then wiped the drool from his mouth.

  Sebb: [Took ya long enough rat!]

  Sebb took the longsword off its sheath and inspected it.

  Sebb: [Eh, itll work, ill chop off some ears with this baby.]

  Leif reach his palm up towards Sebb.

  Sebb: [Heh. Smart rat.]

  The pigfaced man reached his hand on his pocket and took out a copper piece, throwing it at the boy. Leif held tightly to the piece, putting it on his pocket along with the others Sebb had given him, for now he had 6 copper pieces, he didnt need to spend them now, as long as Madehlia gives him chicken strips every night and as long as she allows him to spend the nights cloee to her fireplace he could save. But why was he doing this? The boy asked himself, he had no reason to live, to suffer this much, to be hungry and tired and dirty, he should just end it, maybe if he did he could hear his mothers voice and feels his fathers rough hand caressing his head, but he didnt cry, instead as night fell he held his fathers sword tightly to his body, falling asleep.

  In the next morning when he woke up the camp was even louder then normal, men had jumped on their horses, swords where being sharpened, he could see that even the women and children had disappeared, when he got up he saw Madehlia walking awway, her entire tent had disappeared, he approached her as she hopped on a carriage.

  Madehlia: [Oh, its you.... boy, you shoudl vanish, disappear, run for the hills as fast as you can.]

  Leif: [W-what? whats happening?]

  Madehlia: [The army underestimated the enemies numbers, there are a a lot more soldiers then they tought there would be, they said the Commander retreated and that the enemy will be here by sunfall.]