Fishing and Findings

Kaidan was warm when the gong went off, waking him. Pebble and Miles were cuddled close, sharing body heat.

Marco and his friends were also sharing body heat, but other then that the division was the same.

He looked at the fuzzy children and just gave them nicknames, maybe that would help? He had a suspicion he might be in a video game, but wasn't sure.

Red was laying with two kids, Blue and Grey. And he can now see them clearly. A blond and tan boy, and a black haired, brown skinned boy.

Two of the little ones he could not seem to name, but the three beside them he could. Alan, Vahn and Kam. They all had brown hair, Alan had lighter skin then Vahn and Kam.

There, the littlest ones are named.

Now the older ones. . . Oak and Elm, now a pair of curly haired twins, brown hair and tanned.

River and Lake, a pair of pale blonds.

Talon, Hawk and Len, red heads each.

The last five also refused to be named.

The monk returned and took them to breakfast, no different than yesterday. But instead of lessons they were taken out the door and Kaidan could see they were on a hill looking down at a town with a river running through it, a keep set in the center.

"Return by nightfall," the monk closed the doors, leaving them outside.

The boys split, all going in different directions. Miles and Pebble waiting for him.

Miles was all smiled as he led them to a the river, walking along the edge until they reached a rocky outcropping, Miles poked around until he yelled, "ah hah!" and pulled out a sack, "fishing!" he pulled out three sticks with thick string tied to it, "needs bait. . ."

Peddle was just giggling as Miles hunted some insects, "Miles has been talking about this for ages!"

Kaidan smiled, holding the stick and watching, "fishing can be fun."

"If he can do even catch anything!"

Miles return, a handful of squirmy worms and mud, "bait!" and he dropped it into the bag. After baiting the lines they sat watching.

"What do you plan to do, once we leave here?" Miles started.

Kaidan wasn't even sure of his options, how could he answer? "I'm not sure, it's hard to imagine that day."

Pebble agreed, "it's an eternity away!"

"I'm going to be a knight, win Princess Azura's hand and become king!"

"Don't you have to be a noble for that?" Kaidan replied, unsure.

"We will be secret nobles, found by a long lost relative who restores our inheritance!"

"Mom was a seamstress, and dad was a muleteer," Pebble stated, frowning at his brother.

"They don't need to know that!" Miles yelped as there was a tug on his line.

"Someone always finds out."

Miles pulled out a decent sized fish with a happy shout, "in stories yeah, but this isn't a story!"

Kaidan had some doubts. Is this a cutscene about the childhood of video game characters, or perhaps the backstory of a book character?

"Hey Kaidan?" Pebble asked.

"Hm?"

"Why don't you become an artist? Your drawings are so nice!"

Oh, did that transfer with him or something already in place?

"They aren't that good."

Miles now, "even the monks let you do the art work for things!"

He watched his line, "maybe."

Pebble and Kaidan's lines got tangled as their first catches tried to swim off, Kaidan ended up pulling them both up and out, two silver fish on the tangled lines.

"I want parents."

"Pebble?" Miles asked.

"I don't really remember mom and dad, and I really want. . ."

"I'm sorry, they. . . the fire. . ." Miles bit back his words with tears.

He understood, there was a brief time where he thought he had it. A family wanted him. But that drunk driver ended it all. He himself had barely escaped with his life. A lengthy stay in the hospital and rehab to relearn how to walk and back to the system he went.

Miles shook himself after a moment, "a new family. . . would be nice."

They both looked at Kaidan, who chewed on his lip, "a family might be nice, if. . ."

They looked at Kaidan in question.

He shook his head, "nevermind. What do you want to do with the fish?"

Pebbles went to speak but Miles talked first, "let's catch some more and cook them up!"

They caught two more fish each and Kaidan thought about the dialogue so far. A princess named Azura? Common! He had read so many stories and played so many games with such a named princess!

Kaidan looked around for fuel, a stand of woods was a distance from the wall surrounding the town, he knew they were most likely full of dangers, but some sticks along the edge should be fine.

The other two were cleaning the fish with sharp rocks and he walked along the edge of the trees, grabbing sticks as he did so.

A glint if metal caught his eye on the ground deeper in, he worried his lip. This felt a little like a trap, but. . .

He carefully laid his armful down and stepped slowly towards that metal, looking around for any danger.

He grabbed a long stick and used it to poke that bit of metal, and fell on his butt, scooting back as something went TWANG! And an arrow thudded into the tree trunk beside him.

When no one jumped out of the trees and nothing else happened, he crawled forward and used the stick to uncover a small, simple crossbow in poor shape.

Dropped?

Except their was more, a sheathed dagger, what looked like bone scattered under the fallen leaves.

Someone in leathers had died here, forgotten.

He cringed, disturbed. At least there was no smell.

He rose to leave it, the wood more important, but.

He was in a new world with very little, but.

He closed his eyes and debated himself, the person was dead, should he just leave? Take anything good? Tell someone? He clenched his fists before turning and running out of the woods.

"Miles?"

He saw Miles jump, spinning to face him as he nearly dropped the fish he was cleaning.

"Kaidan?"

"I-" he caught himself and lowered his voice, "I found a dead person. . ."

"Eh?" his voice squeaked, "what, where?"

Kaidan pointed towards the woods.

"You went in?" his voice lowered to a fear filled whisper, "the Demon Woods?"

Ah, are there demons or. . .?

Nod nod he went.

"Show me?" Miles asked in a loud whisper, the type kids use when trying, and failing, to keep a secret.

Kaidan started to lead him over, when Pebbles made to follow.

"Stay, watch the fish!" Miles ordered.

"Ah, Miles! Lemme come!"

"No, stay."

They left a whining and sulking boy and went to check out the dead body.