Johanna shivered as the last traces of sun disappeared over the horizon. Leaning closer, Toby noted that her lips were tinged blue and her nose and cheeks were pink from the cold air. Subtly, he moved closer to her. In his mind, this girl was a hero, his hero. An angel, his angel. Even though he was freezing himself, he couldn't bear to see her cold.

Noticing his movement, Johanna smiled and opened her arms invitingly, giving him the excuse to now scoot to her side and lean his head on her dainty shoulder. Johanna wrapped her blanketed arms around Toby's shoulders and rested her cheek against the top of his head.

"Anthony, where are we going?" Johanna asked amiably. Anthony twisted in his seat up front, keeping hold of the reigns.

"My brother's." He replied, looking bitterly at Johanna's arms around Toby.

"I didn't know you had a brother." Johanna said mildly.

"Yeah, well. We haven't exactly had so much time for conversation yet, have we?" Anthony said stiffly. Toby wanted to tell him to watch his mouth while speaking to a lady, but then he saw Johanna's face. It was understanding and compassionate. She didn't look at all offended by Anthony's snappy mood, rather identified and accepting.

"That's right." She said calmly with (to Toby's amazement) a small smile, "We shall have to make more time to talk. I want to know all about you." Johanna spoke slowly, not as if he were dull but she gave the words more time to settle in the air around them. Anthony smiled slightly, eyes sparkling.

Toby was confused. Here was a young couple so obviously in love and yet they knew nothing of each other? How could their eyes stray to one another's with so much affection and yet they had hardly spoken? How long had they known each other anyway? How did they meet? Was this really what love was like? From what he had seen….

He winced. Thinking about it was painful. Fine, he had never seen love before. And he was young still. Toby let the subjects drop from his thoughts, hoping that he would make sense of it someday when he was older.

Toby was so tired, though he felt as though he dare not sleep. He'd rather keep his thought in control, his dreams had tendencies to bring up things that he didn't want to think about. However, he felt safe while Johanna was holding him. And quickly fell asleep.

"Toby. We're here." Johanna said quietly, shaking him awake on the fourth night of travel. It was very dark. They were at the edge of a small village by the sea. He saw ships and docks. They were at a small cottage at which three people were standing out side of.

"Anthony!" Someone called. Two men walked forward. One man, looking very similar to Anthony, stepped up to the wagon, taking the horse's reigns. The other man was tall and hulking, he walked off down the road and into the night. Toby watched that retreating shadow for a few moments before turning to look at the third person. A plain young woman with thick red hair tied back in a loose bun.

Johanna helped him out of the wagon.

"Archer!" Anthony called, giving the man a quick embrace, before turning to Johanna and Toby. "This is my brother, Archer." He told them. "Archer. This is my fiance Johanna and our friend Toby." Archer bowed.

"Welcome!" He said merrily and loudly. Toby jumped. He wasn't used to people using such loud voices in greeting. Archer chuckled. "Steady there son." He said comfortingly. The woman moved from the doorway to stand at Archer's elbow. "This is my girl, Lila." He said. "Lila, this is Anthony, Johanna and Toby." Lila's smile was polite but distant as she surveyed the newcomers.

"Who was that we saw leaving?" Anthony asked as they all journeyed inside.

"Oh. That was just Mickey." Lila said with a dismissive wave of the hand, "He comes to complain to us whenever he gets too drunk to remember where he lives. He never forgets about us though." She giggled. Toby jumped again. Laughing, giggling. It was extremely…odd…and scary that he wasn't used to such things.

Archer and Lila had rooms prepared. Johanna maternally put Toby straight to bed, giving him a kiss on the forehead before dousing his light. They all went out in the sitting room to talk.

For several weeks, life was good for Toby. Archer got Anthony a job with the local fishermen, taking into account that he was most at home on a boat of some sort. Lila spent her time teaching Johanna sewing tricks and baking recipes. She also helped take care of Toby. They got along well. Lila was strict but very and Toby was always obedient. Lila would also take Johanna and Toby on trips in town. Teaching Johanna how to haggle while getting household supplied. On lucky days Lila would haggle an extra lemon drop and slyly hand it to Toby with a wink.

The man called Mickey was also around. He came around every couple of days to sit at the dining room table and sulk. Archer would sit with him if he had something to say, most of the time he didn't. Archer told Toby that a good friend was sympathetic. When Toby asked if Mickey was sympathetic Archer just laughed heartily.

"Oh he used to be." He said, wiping a tear of laughter from his eye, "But now I feel like I owe him that. It's always the decent thing to do." The decent thing to do. Toby sighed, another thing he had to adjust to.

One day Anthony asked Archer to help him on a fishing trip. That same day Lila informed them that one of her friends was sick and she was to go look after the children while her husband was away.

"Just us today, huh Toby?" Johanna said with a laugh.

"Seems so miss. Do you need me to help with anything?" Toby asked.

"No, no. I'll just be working on this recipe Lila gave me. Why don't you go make your bed and clean up in your room?" Johanna suggested. Toby did as he was told.

Nearly half an hour later Toby heard the door open. Johanna called out a greeting and go a deep response. Toby recognized it as Mickey and continued with his chores. A few minutes later he heard some crashing from the kitchen. Were those pots and pans falling? Was that Johanna whimpering? Toby listened harder, creeping toward the Kitchen door. Definitely a scuffle. It sounded like Johanna was trying to scream, but it was muffled. Opening the door Toby saw them.

Mickey had her pressed up against the counter, he body leaning into her, his face bent close to hers. She was struggling, her arms scrabbled around behind her, looking for something that could help, but she was no match for him.

Filled with rage, Toby ran to the other room and grabbed the first sharp object he found: The Fire poker. He charged into the kitchen, wielding it in front of him like a sword. Neither of the two saw Toby coming until he jammed the sharp end of the hot poker into Mickey's beer gut. Howling with pain, he released Johanna, who slumped over the counter, and turned to Toby. Although Mickey must have been three or four feet taller than him, Toby stood there defiantly, watching him coldly. As Mickey charged Toby swung the poker up over his shoulder, aiming, then swung, opening a large gash at the top of Mickey's forehead. The big man stumbled. Toby got him again in the gut. Finally, Mickey made a run for it, and Toby followed him all the way out, brandishing his new weapon.

As soon as Mickey was out of sight Toby dropped the poker and dashed back to Johanna who was leaning limply against the counter.

"Miss?" He asked timidly. Her eyelids fluttered.

"Oh Toby." She pulled him close to her, sinking to the ground with Toby clutched in her arms. Her eyes were large and glassy, her cheeks flushed. "Toby, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Miss." He assured her, "Are you."

"Oh Toby." She sighed, "Thank you. Thank you so much for saving me."

"My pleasure. It was a horrible sight. And nothing's gonna harm you miss, not while I'm around." He said the words without realizing it. He snapped his eyes shut. The last time he said that…the one person he cared about dying in flames. No. He vowed. Johanna would be different. Nothing would happen to her. Not while Toby was around.