Days of Innocence
Part 1: The Foundling
He heard the waves of the ocean and felt the sand beneath him. Slowly the small boy opened his eyes and sat up. All he saw was sand, water, and debris; he was alone. He stood to his feet and started running along the shore his small voice barely audible over the crashing of the ocean waves.
"Mom! Where are you?!"
The boy continued to run and call out until he tripped and fell over a piece of wreckage buried in the sand. He felt something slice into his leg as he fell. He drew his knees up to his chest and curled up as tightly as he could. He couldn't hold back the tears that flowed from his eyes to land on the sand beneath him, nor could he suppress the quiet sobs that escaped his throat. And so he lay there, alone.
-------------
On the road above three warrior monks walked. Among them was a tall man with light silvery-blue hair. The man wore the simple black pants, shirt, and boots of a warrior monk. His dark blue vest set him apart from the other two and clearly designated him as their leader.
The man held up his hand and paused for a moment. The other two monks came to a stop behind him and watched waiting.
"I think I hear something."
"Sir?"
His subordinates heard nothing but the sound of the sea, but the man was certain he had heard something else.
"Perhaps it was a fiend sir?"
The man shook his head.
"No, it sounded human, almost like someone crying."
"Sir?"
The man ignored the questioning glances of his companions and turned off the path climbing down the rocky bank in the direction of the sound that he heard. The other two monks followed him obediently. They paused when the got to the beach and looked around.
"Sir, there is nothing here but debris."
"There!"
The man pointed at an object he saw in the distance and quickly began walking towards it. As the monks followed him they made out the shape of the small boy that lay curled up on the sand. Their eyes widened as they were again amazed at the sharpness of the man's eyes and ears.
The man motioned for the other two monks to stay and he slowly approached the child.
The boy jumped when he felt the hand on his shoulder. He would have run had he not been transfixed by the kind, gentle eyes that looked down at him. The man smiled at him and he spoke in a calm and gentle voice.
"Are you alright?"
The boy remained silent.
"How did you get here?"
No answer.
"Where are your parents?"
Silence.
"What's your name?"
"Auron."
"Well, Auron, I'm Kale. Nice to meet you."
Auron didn't say anything. He only gazed at Kale as if trying to decide if he should run or not.
Not very talkative, Kale thought.
"Well, Auron, are you hungry?"
Auron nodded.
Kale reached out his hand to Auron. For a moment the boy shied away and just stared at Kale. Kale smiled kindly and for some reason that smile drew Auron to him. Auron gingerly reached out and took Kale's hand and allowed him to pull him to his feet.
"Alright, let's go."
Kale stood and gently led the boy back to the road and up the rocky ledge. Auron's leg burned but he had said nothing. One of the monks noticed the blood running down the boy's leg and moved to get Kale's attention, but he was stopped by the other monk's hand on his shoulder. He turned to see the other monk shake his head. Here was a boy with an obviously painful injury climbing a rocky bank. It must have been a strain for him, but he had said nothing, had made no sound; and that was worthy of respect. He nodded to his companion and followed Kale and Auron is silence.
---------------------
They had reached the road and walked for some distance before Kale felt the pull on his arm and looked back to see that Auron was straggling behind. Kale smiled at the boy and then his eyes drifted down to see Auron's leg.
"Oh."
Kale looked to see a bench on the side of the road a few yards ahead. In a single motion he leaned over, picked up the boy, and carried him over to the bench. There he gently set the boy down and crouched in front of him. He reached into a pouch attached to his belt and pulled out a piece of dried meat which he handed to the boy who gladly accepted it.
Kale then took a piece of cloth from his pouch and a small flask of water and set about carefully cleaning the boy's wound. Kale was amazed that the boy made no sound of protest. There was no cry, no whine, no struggle.
When Kale had finished wrapping the wound he smiled at Auron and moved to sit next to him. His voice was kind and gentle.
"I have a son about your age, I bet you'd get along."
Auron didn't say anything, but by then Kale expected that. He handed Auron the flask of water and smiled as he felt the boy lean against him.
After a few minutes one of the monks approached Kale.
"Sir?"
"Hmm?"
"Shouldn't we get moving? We're expected in Bevelle."
"Alright."
Kale turned to Auron and saw that he had fallen asleep. Ever so gently Kale picked up the sleeping boy. He smiled as he felt Auron lays his head on his shoulder and felt the small arms wrap around his neck.
"We should reach Bevelle by sunset."
"Yes sir."
---------------------
It was late afternoon and Bevelle temple could be seen in the distance. As Kale had said they would reach the temple near sunset.
Kale heard a soft sound from the sleeping boy in his arms and felt small hands tightly grip the cloth of his vest. Kale felt a burning warmth on his shoulder and recognized it as tears. Kale responded by holding Auron a little closer and placed a reassuring hand on the boy's head.
"Shhhhhh."
It was all Kale could think to do. Auron quieted but the tears still flowed from his eyes and Kale simply held him closer.
One of the monks walked along side Kale.
"What will we do with him?"
"The temple has taken in wards before. He'll be safe there."
There was no knowing exactly what had happened to the boy but it was certain that Sin had something to do with it. And they didn't need to know, didn't want to know; some things were just too painful and better left unsaid.
The monk fell back and returned to his position behind Kale.
Kale felt Auron's grip loosen and listened to his slow stead breathing. Kale smiled and softly whispered to the boy.
"You will be safe there, I promise."
---to be continued---
He heard the waves of the ocean and felt the sand beneath him. Slowly the small boy opened his eyes and sat up. All he saw was sand, water, and debris; he was alone. He stood to his feet and started running along the shore his small voice barely audible over the crashing of the ocean waves.
"Mom! Where are you?!"
The boy continued to run and call out until he tripped and fell over a piece of wreckage buried in the sand. He felt something slice into his leg as he fell. He drew his knees up to his chest and curled up as tightly as he could. He couldn't hold back the tears that flowed from his eyes to land on the sand beneath him, nor could he suppress the quiet sobs that escaped his throat. And so he lay there, alone.
-------------
On the road above three warrior monks walked. Among them was a tall man with light silvery-blue hair. The man wore the simple black pants, shirt, and boots of a warrior monk. His dark blue vest set him apart from the other two and clearly designated him as their leader.
The man held up his hand and paused for a moment. The other two monks came to a stop behind him and watched waiting.
"I think I hear something."
"Sir?"
His subordinates heard nothing but the sound of the sea, but the man was certain he had heard something else.
"Perhaps it was a fiend sir?"
The man shook his head.
"No, it sounded human, almost like someone crying."
"Sir?"
The man ignored the questioning glances of his companions and turned off the path climbing down the rocky bank in the direction of the sound that he heard. The other two monks followed him obediently. They paused when the got to the beach and looked around.
"Sir, there is nothing here but debris."
"There!"
The man pointed at an object he saw in the distance and quickly began walking towards it. As the monks followed him they made out the shape of the small boy that lay curled up on the sand. Their eyes widened as they were again amazed at the sharpness of the man's eyes and ears.
The man motioned for the other two monks to stay and he slowly approached the child.
The boy jumped when he felt the hand on his shoulder. He would have run had he not been transfixed by the kind, gentle eyes that looked down at him. The man smiled at him and he spoke in a calm and gentle voice.
"Are you alright?"
The boy remained silent.
"How did you get here?"
No answer.
"Where are your parents?"
Silence.
"What's your name?"
"Auron."
"Well, Auron, I'm Kale. Nice to meet you."
Auron didn't say anything. He only gazed at Kale as if trying to decide if he should run or not.
Not very talkative, Kale thought.
"Well, Auron, are you hungry?"
Auron nodded.
Kale reached out his hand to Auron. For a moment the boy shied away and just stared at Kale. Kale smiled kindly and for some reason that smile drew Auron to him. Auron gingerly reached out and took Kale's hand and allowed him to pull him to his feet.
"Alright, let's go."
Kale stood and gently led the boy back to the road and up the rocky ledge. Auron's leg burned but he had said nothing. One of the monks noticed the blood running down the boy's leg and moved to get Kale's attention, but he was stopped by the other monk's hand on his shoulder. He turned to see the other monk shake his head. Here was a boy with an obviously painful injury climbing a rocky bank. It must have been a strain for him, but he had said nothing, had made no sound; and that was worthy of respect. He nodded to his companion and followed Kale and Auron is silence.
---------------------
They had reached the road and walked for some distance before Kale felt the pull on his arm and looked back to see that Auron was straggling behind. Kale smiled at the boy and then his eyes drifted down to see Auron's leg.
"Oh."
Kale looked to see a bench on the side of the road a few yards ahead. In a single motion he leaned over, picked up the boy, and carried him over to the bench. There he gently set the boy down and crouched in front of him. He reached into a pouch attached to his belt and pulled out a piece of dried meat which he handed to the boy who gladly accepted it.
Kale then took a piece of cloth from his pouch and a small flask of water and set about carefully cleaning the boy's wound. Kale was amazed that the boy made no sound of protest. There was no cry, no whine, no struggle.
When Kale had finished wrapping the wound he smiled at Auron and moved to sit next to him. His voice was kind and gentle.
"I have a son about your age, I bet you'd get along."
Auron didn't say anything, but by then Kale expected that. He handed Auron the flask of water and smiled as he felt the boy lean against him.
After a few minutes one of the monks approached Kale.
"Sir?"
"Hmm?"
"Shouldn't we get moving? We're expected in Bevelle."
"Alright."
Kale turned to Auron and saw that he had fallen asleep. Ever so gently Kale picked up the sleeping boy. He smiled as he felt Auron lays his head on his shoulder and felt the small arms wrap around his neck.
"We should reach Bevelle by sunset."
"Yes sir."
---------------------
It was late afternoon and Bevelle temple could be seen in the distance. As Kale had said they would reach the temple near sunset.
Kale heard a soft sound from the sleeping boy in his arms and felt small hands tightly grip the cloth of his vest. Kale felt a burning warmth on his shoulder and recognized it as tears. Kale responded by holding Auron a little closer and placed a reassuring hand on the boy's head.
"Shhhhhh."
It was all Kale could think to do. Auron quieted but the tears still flowed from his eyes and Kale simply held him closer.
One of the monks walked along side Kale.
"What will we do with him?"
"The temple has taken in wards before. He'll be safe there."
There was no knowing exactly what had happened to the boy but it was certain that Sin had something to do with it. And they didn't need to know, didn't want to know; some things were just too painful and better left unsaid.
The monk fell back and returned to his position behind Kale.
Kale felt Auron's grip loosen and listened to his slow stead breathing. Kale smiled and softly whispered to the boy.
"You will be safe there, I promise."
---to be continued---