Over the next few days, Reaver secretly kept an eye on Logan. At first he couldn't understand why he was so concern for the brat, but he soon realised that he could see himself in the boy. Reaver's own father was an abusive drunk who was widowed and left to raise a ten year old Reaver. His unwanted child.

As the days wore on, Reaver was able to see the actually impact Adrian's abuse had on Logan. If the boy was frightened, he'd suffer in silence. Every day he would sit in Reaver's living room trying to read books that were extremely hard for him to read, which resulted in Logan becoming upset because he was unable to read them. The boy was also uncomfortable around anybody who was drinking. In the end, Reaver decided to take action, knowing that the boy wouldn't survive if he continued to live this way.

After breakfast on the seventh day of Logan's stay, Logan went off to the living room, as usually, while Reaver went down to his basement looking for something he knew Logan would enjoy.

If one was to enter Reaver's basement they would find a lot of cobwebs and plenty of thick layers of dust covering old rusty chests. Inside the chests were most of the items Reaver had collected over the years and right at the back of the basement in ancient chests were items from his own childhood hundreds of years ago. It was these items that Reaver was after. It took him a while to find the chests he was after since he hadn't had any use for them. Once he had located his old children books and toys - he had no idea how they managed to survive for as long as they did - he called out to a few of his men. His men then carried two heavy chests into the living room where Logan was becoming upset once again.

'What book are you trying to read now?' Reaver asked lightly, coming to a halt next to the sofa the book was sitting on. In the background his men were gratefully putting the chests down before going off to do whatever they did in their free time.

'I'm still trying to read The Dragons,' answered an upset Logan.

'There is no need to get upset. No one expects a seven year old boy to be able to read a history book.'

'Father does.'

'Your father expects the world to bow down to him, but that ain't gonna happen anytime soon.' Reaver couldn't prevent the coldness in his tone. 'Anyway, if Adrian had any brains in that thick skull of his, he would realise that you have to start small to aim big. So I propose you try reading something more appropriate to your age group.'

'Like what?' Logan asked eagerly as Reaver opened one of the ancient chests that contained old, yellow picture books.

'Like this one.' Reaver handed Logan one of his old picture books. Logan accepted it eagerly, his face full of excitement, but he also looked nervous for he knew that his father would punish him for disobeying his rules.

'You're father doesn't have to know,' Reaver said, having noticed Logan's mixed feelings.

Logan hesitated a bit longer before realising that Reaver was right. Hadn't he told Logan on his first night there that Adrian had no power here?

'We're Going on a Troll Hunt,' read Logan, before looking up at Reaver, who was pouring himself some wine. For some reason, Reaver drinking never seemed to bother him.

'It was my favourite book when I was your age,' said Reaver, sitting down next to Logan. 'Go on, read it out loud.'

'Okay,' said an excited Logan. This would be the first children's book he had ever read. 'We're going on a troll hunt. We're gonna catch a big one. What a bea-beautiful day! We're not scared. Oh-no! A river! An ice cold river. We can't go over it. We can't go under it. Oh no! We've got to go through it! Sp-sp...'

'Splash splosh!' said Reaver.

'Splash splosh! Splash splosh! Splash splosh!' Logan continued. He was beginning to enjoy the book. 'We're going on a troll hunt. We're gonna catch a big one. What a beautiful day. We're not scared. Oh-no! Mud! Think, um...'

'Oozy.'

'Oozy mud. We can't go over it. We can't go under it. Oh no! We've got to go through it! Squelch squ-squ...'

'Squerch.'

'Squerch! Squelch squerch! Squelch squerch! We're going on a troll hunt. We're gonna catch a big one. What a beautiful day. We're not scared. Oh-no! Darkwood! A dark twisted forest…" Is Darkwood actually a real forest?'

'When this book was written it was. It was one of the most dangerous regions in Albion,' Reaver answer as he remembered back to how the villagers of Oakvale use to react to the forest.

'How come?'

'It was a dark and twisted forest full of hobbes, balverines, trolls and bandits.'

'Does it still exist?'

'Yes and no. It has now become part of Wraithmarsh.'

Logan mulled over the information Reaver had just given him, before continuing to read the book.

'We can't go over it. We can't go under it. Oh no! We've got to go through it! Stumble trip! Stumble trip! Stumble trip! We're going on a troll hunt. We're gonna catch a big one. What a beautiful day! We're not scared. Oh-no! A cave! A dark, slender, gloomy cave. We can't go over it. We can't go under it. Oh no! We've got to go through it! Tiptoe! Tiptoe! Tiptoe! WHAT'S THAT?'

Reaver noticed that Logan's eyes were wide with excitement.

'One large mouth! Two big red eyes! Big mossy body! IT'S AN EARTH TROLL! Quick! Back through the cave! Tiptoe! Tiptoe! Back through Darkwood! Stumble trip! Stumble trip! Back through the mud! Squelch squerch! Squelch squerch! Back through the river! Splash splosh! Splash splosh! Get to the front door. Open the door. Get through the door. Close the door. Up the stairs. Into the bedroom. Into bed. Under the covers. We're never going on a troll hunt again.' Logan closed the book and smiled at Reaver.

'Did you enjoy that?' asked Reaver.

'I loved it!' Logan exclaimed, before frowning slightly. 'Did people really go on troll hunts back when you were my age?'

'No. Just Heroes and those that had more brawn than brains,' replied Reaver. 'Most people were too spineless to go looking for them and those who were stupid enough to go looking for them never returned.'

Logan once more mused over what Reaver had just told him and as he did so, his eyes fell upon to chest full of books.

'Can we read another book?' asked an eager Logan.

'I see no reason why we can't.' Reaver then chuckled as Logan practically ran towards the chest of books.

After reading several more books with Logan, Reaver opened the second chest to reveal all his old toys. It was quite sad to see how excited Logan got when he saw that he was allowed to play, though he was still a little hesitant, but once he got the hang of playing, he started to re-enact We're Going on a Troll Hunt. In the game, Logan was the one to find all the trolls and he eventually eradicated the creatures.

'Mr Reaver?' Logan began after finishing his game. Reaver was sitting on the couch reading.

'Hmm?'

'Do you think I could do it?'

'Do what?' Reaver asked without looking up.

'Get rid of all the trolls in Albion?'

'I don't see why not.'

'Then when I'm older I will rid Albion of trolls,' Logan said happily, before looking over at the maid who just walked in to announce that dinner was ready.

After a pleasant meal, Logan went to get ready for bed while Reaver went back to the living room for his old teddy bear and another book. He had promise Logan that they could read one more book before bed.

'Are you ready for bed?' Reaver asked ten minutes later as he entered Logan's room. Logan was already in bed.

'Uh huh,' Logan nodded as Reaver handed him the teddy bear as well as the book, Mummy, Is That You?

The moment Reaver was sitting down in the chair next to Logan's bed, Logan began to read.

'Mrs Balverine had four little new born pups sleeping in the little bed she made them underneath the ancient oak tree. One stormy and blowy day a huge gust of wind picked up the bed and threw it high in the air. The bed travelled a great distance, before falling back down to the ground with a loud THUD! For the first time the pups opened their eyes.

"Hello," they said to the startled hobbe they landed in front of. "Are you our Mummy?"

"Certainly not," replied the old hobbe.

So the balverine puppies set off to find their mummy. First they met someone big and mossy.

"Are you our Mummy?" they asked.

"Definitely not," growled the troll.

The puppies left in a hurry…" and I don't blame them,' Logan added, making Reaver smile ever so slightly. 'The four little balverines were just having a rest near a dark and silent river when they heard someone laughing as they flew across the river.

"Are you our Mummy?' they called out.

"You must be joking!" said the shocked water nymph as she flew away.

The puppies decided to play in the water. They were having fun splashing about, when one of them ran into a black, furry leg.

"What's that?" a voice said.

A female balverine turned around, looking down at them all with a big smile.

"Mummy!"

Mrs Balverine took her puppies' home,' concluded Logan, before yawning.

'And now it's time for you to go to sleep,' Reaver said as he took the book off Logan.

'Mr Reaver?'

'Hmm?'

'Can you be my dad?'

Reaver froze and looked down at the little boy in front of him.

'You can't be serious, Logan,' said the shocked Reaver. That was the last thing he was expecting to come out of the child's mouth.

'Why wouldn't I be? You're kind to me, read with me and teach me. You also love Mum, don't you? That's why you wanted her to stay with you.'

'Logan, just because I do those things doesn't mean I would make a good father.'

'You're already ten times better than the one I've got and the one I had!' Logan said seriously.

'The one you had?'

'Yeah, my real father,' Logan said quietly. 'He murdered my real mum and was about to kill me to when Mum stepped in. She then adopted me. Father was never too happy about it.'

Reaver just stared at the boy in front of him. He had already gone through so much, for such a young child.

'Listen, Logan,' he said eventually. 'While I'm not your father, you will always be welcome here and you can come to me with any problems. Just make sure I'm in a good mood before you do though.'

'Okay,' said a slightly upset Logan as Reaver turned out the lights and closed the door.

-A SECRET ROMANCE-

The next day Reaver spent the morning in his study working, while Logan happily played outside, unaware that his happiness was soon to end.

The morning went by without any dramas, as did lunch, but the dramas then began that afternoon. Reaver sat with Logan on his lap – much to the staff's surprise – and they were reading Hunt with Pete the Pirate.

'…all right then, can you find a banshee fishing?' asked Reaver.

Logan scanned the page for a banshee fishing.

'I can't see it,' Logan said three minutes later. 'Can y – Hey! Not fair! You had your thumb on it the whole time!'

'I don't play fair,' Reaver said as he looked to see what the next item to find was. 'Okay, find an arrow.'

As Logan started to look for an arrow, Reaver's front door went flying off its hinges and in stalked a furious Adrian.

'And there you are trying to teach your son good manners,' Reaver said coldly while Logan tried to hide. 'Haven't you ever heard of knocking?'

Adrian quickly faced the living room and his eyes widened when he saw Logan on Reaver's lap.

'Logan! Get your belongings and wait outside with the guards!' yelled an outraged Adrian as he took in the toys and books around Logan.

Logan didn't move. Instead he grabbed hold of Reaver's top and moved closer to Reaver.

'No! I want to stay here with Mr Reaver!'

'LOGAN! NOW!' bellowed Adrian.

Logan flinched violently and quickly left the room to do as his father said. During Logan's absence, Reaver and Adrian glared at each other, during which time Reaver was itching for his gun, but something was telling him that he should shoot Adrian.

Fifteen minutes later, Logan was out the door to the guards after giving Reaver a small, yet sad, wave goodbye.

'A word of the wise, Adrian,' Reaver said calmly as the Albion King was about to leave. 'If you keep forcing Logan to grow up and making his life unbearable, your fall will be hard.'

'What are you on about?' snapped Adrian.

'I'm saying that one day the kid's going to snap and you will be at the receiving end. I just hope I'm there to see it,' Reaver said coldly.

'That will never happen. Logan respects me and always will.' Adrian then turned and left the mansion.

'Respects? More like fears,' muttered Reaver.


A/N: The children's books are based on We're Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury, Mummy, is that you? by Atsuko Morozumi, and Hunt with HooRoo the Kangaroo by Murray Van.

Azaelia Silmarwen facebook page: link on profile
Written: 20 February 2012
Updated: 21 July 2012
Beta:
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DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OVER THE ORIGINAL COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IN THIS STORY. THIS IS A NON-PROFIT FANDUB CREATED BY FANS, FOR FANS. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED. FAIR USE ONLY.