Days of Innocence
Part 3: Safety
Kale walked through the streets of Bevelle with Braska and Auron on either side of him. Braska held his father's hand and skipped happily alongside him. Auron clung to Kale's other hand and just walked.
It wasn't long before Kale felt a tug at his arm. Kale turned and looked down at Auron. The boy's voice was quiet and reserved.
"I'm hungry."
Kale smiled at the boy.
"Okay."
Kale looked up and his eyes settled on a vendor's booth and he led the boys over to it. Kale spoke to the vendor.
"Three sandwiches please."
"Yes sir."
Auron stood by Kale watching something that had caught his eye. Braska was nearly jumping up and down with excitement and only his father's hand kept him from running off.
"Auron?"
Auron looked to see Kale leaning over him holding out a sandwich to the boy. Auron took the sandwich from him and followed Kale and Braska to the nearby bench and sat down.
Auron made short work of the sandwich and Kale couldn't help by laugh. Braska was rather slow to eat his; he was too busy looking around, kicking his feet, and just generally overflowing with energy.
Kale noticed that Auron's gaze was fixated on something.
"What are you looking at, son?"
Auron pointed.
"What's that?"
Kale looked where Auron pointed. Kale's eyes settled on a large yellow bird.
"That's a chocobo."
Auron gave Kale a questioning glance.
"You ride them."
Auron looked at him more confused. Kale smiled and laughed quietly at the questions in Auron's eyes.
"I'll show you sometime."
Auron continued to gaze at the chocobo and wondered why anyone would ride a bird.
---------------------------
Braska darted through the door of the shop and ran around the corner to the shelves of toys. Kale knew it was useless to try to hold him back and so had let him go. Auron still held Kale's hand and hung back a bit when the shopkeeper greeted them.
"Good afternoon, Master Kale."
"Good afternoon."
The shopkeeper noticed Auron and the boy quickly ducked behind Kale's legs. The shopkeeper knelt down and peered around Kale to see the boy.
"And who's this little fella?"
The shopkeeper reached a hand out to Auron and the boy instantly shied away and scurried around to Kale's other side away from the shopkeeper.
"This is Auron, he's rather shy."
"Oh, I wasn't aware you had two sons."
Kale scratched the back of his neck and smiled nervously.
"Auron is an orphan that has been taken in by the temple."
The shopkeeper gave Kale a quizzical glance.
"Although I guess you could kinda say that he was mine now."
Kale thought about those words and knew that they were true. He had already taken Auron in as his own son and later that night he would ask the high priest for permission to adopt the boy before the old man could even make the suggestion himself.
Kale glanced down when he felt the tug on his leg and he knelt down and placed a hand on Auron's head.
"Why don't you go find Braska and have some fun."
Auron nodded and walked off in the direction that Braska had run earlier.
-----------------------------
Braska was sitting on the floor surround by toys and holding a plushie of what looked like some sort of white bear thing. He looked up at the sound of the heels of Auron's new boots on the stone floor. Braska held the plushie up to show Auron.
"Cute isn't it?"
Auron looked at it and arched an eyebrow.
"What is it?"
Braska looked at the plushie and shrugged.
"I dunno, but it's cute."
Auron gave Braska a glance that said 'if you say so.' Braska shrugged and turned his attention back to the toys. Auron wasn't really interested and so occupied himself with looking out the window at that strange yellow bird he had seen before.
"So here you are."
Auron and Braska turned to see Kale walking toward them. Braska was instantly on his feet and practically jumped into his father's arms. He held the plushie up.
"Can I get this?"
"Alright."
"Yay!"
Braska threw his arms around his father's neck and then jumped down. Kale looked at Auron.
"What about you Auron, did you find anything?"
Auron just shook his head.
"You sure?"
Auron nodded.
"Alright."
Kale offered his hand to Auron and the boy took it.
"Let's go then, it's time for dinner."
Braska took Kale's other hand and walked happily beside him. Kale paused to give the shopkeeper some gold coins for the toy.
"Thank you very much," the shopkeeper replied.
Kale nodded to the shopkeeper and then walked out of the shop with a boy in each hand.
------------------------------
It was after sunset and the stars were out by the time Kale and the boys returned to the temple. Kale carried an exhausted sleeping Auron in his arms and Braska straggled along beside him, his energy spent.
Kale paused at the room to the boys' room.
"Braska, why don't you put your toy inside. We'll meet you out on the upper balcony."
"Okay."
Braska opened the door, walked inside the room, and closed the door behind him. Kale smiled after him and then continued down the hall and up a flight of steps until he reached the upper balcony.
This was one of Kale's favorite places and he often brought Braska up here with him. The view of the stars was breathtaking from this height.
Kale walked over to the stone wall that acted as a railing and set Auron down on it making sure to keep one arm wrapped around the boy. Kale felt Auron shudder and felt the boy grip him tighter. Kale looked down to see that the boy was awake and wondered if it was the cold air that made the boy shudder or if it was fear.
Kale sensed Braska's presence behind him and also sensed his hesitation as he held back.
"Braska."
"I'm sorry, father, I didn't mean to interfere."
"Come over here, son."
Braska approached his father and stood next to him. Kale laid his free hand on Braska's shoulder.
"Braska, you are my son. You must never think that you are interfering."
Kale smiled at his son and Braska smiled back and leaned against his father.
Kale leaned his head down to Auron and spoke quietly in his ear.
"And you are also my son. And you will never have anything to fear from me, here you are safe, I promise."
Kale smiled as he felt Auron's arms tighten around his neck.
The three of them stayed there for some time looking at the stars. Auron turned his head and looked up at the night sky. For the first time he noticed that it was beautiful and his gaze was captivated.
Kale felt Auron lays his head against his chest and felt the boy relax in his embrace. Kale smiled and held Auron a little closer as his other arm wrapped around Braska's shoulder enfolding them both in his embrace.
Auron felt his eyes grow heavy and he buried his head in Kale's chest. Safe, was his last thought before he drifted off to sleep.
--end--
Kale walked through the streets of Bevelle with Braska and Auron on either side of him. Braska held his father's hand and skipped happily alongside him. Auron clung to Kale's other hand and just walked.
It wasn't long before Kale felt a tug at his arm. Kale turned and looked down at Auron. The boy's voice was quiet and reserved.
"I'm hungry."
Kale smiled at the boy.
"Okay."
Kale looked up and his eyes settled on a vendor's booth and he led the boys over to it. Kale spoke to the vendor.
"Three sandwiches please."
"Yes sir."
Auron stood by Kale watching something that had caught his eye. Braska was nearly jumping up and down with excitement and only his father's hand kept him from running off.
"Auron?"
Auron looked to see Kale leaning over him holding out a sandwich to the boy. Auron took the sandwich from him and followed Kale and Braska to the nearby bench and sat down.
Auron made short work of the sandwich and Kale couldn't help by laugh. Braska was rather slow to eat his; he was too busy looking around, kicking his feet, and just generally overflowing with energy.
Kale noticed that Auron's gaze was fixated on something.
"What are you looking at, son?"
Auron pointed.
"What's that?"
Kale looked where Auron pointed. Kale's eyes settled on a large yellow bird.
"That's a chocobo."
Auron gave Kale a questioning glance.
"You ride them."
Auron looked at him more confused. Kale smiled and laughed quietly at the questions in Auron's eyes.
"I'll show you sometime."
Auron continued to gaze at the chocobo and wondered why anyone would ride a bird.
---------------------------
Braska darted through the door of the shop and ran around the corner to the shelves of toys. Kale knew it was useless to try to hold him back and so had let him go. Auron still held Kale's hand and hung back a bit when the shopkeeper greeted them.
"Good afternoon, Master Kale."
"Good afternoon."
The shopkeeper noticed Auron and the boy quickly ducked behind Kale's legs. The shopkeeper knelt down and peered around Kale to see the boy.
"And who's this little fella?"
The shopkeeper reached a hand out to Auron and the boy instantly shied away and scurried around to Kale's other side away from the shopkeeper.
"This is Auron, he's rather shy."
"Oh, I wasn't aware you had two sons."
Kale scratched the back of his neck and smiled nervously.
"Auron is an orphan that has been taken in by the temple."
The shopkeeper gave Kale a quizzical glance.
"Although I guess you could kinda say that he was mine now."
Kale thought about those words and knew that they were true. He had already taken Auron in as his own son and later that night he would ask the high priest for permission to adopt the boy before the old man could even make the suggestion himself.
Kale glanced down when he felt the tug on his leg and he knelt down and placed a hand on Auron's head.
"Why don't you go find Braska and have some fun."
Auron nodded and walked off in the direction that Braska had run earlier.
-----------------------------
Braska was sitting on the floor surround by toys and holding a plushie of what looked like some sort of white bear thing. He looked up at the sound of the heels of Auron's new boots on the stone floor. Braska held the plushie up to show Auron.
"Cute isn't it?"
Auron looked at it and arched an eyebrow.
"What is it?"
Braska looked at the plushie and shrugged.
"I dunno, but it's cute."
Auron gave Braska a glance that said 'if you say so.' Braska shrugged and turned his attention back to the toys. Auron wasn't really interested and so occupied himself with looking out the window at that strange yellow bird he had seen before.
"So here you are."
Auron and Braska turned to see Kale walking toward them. Braska was instantly on his feet and practically jumped into his father's arms. He held the plushie up.
"Can I get this?"
"Alright."
"Yay!"
Braska threw his arms around his father's neck and then jumped down. Kale looked at Auron.
"What about you Auron, did you find anything?"
Auron just shook his head.
"You sure?"
Auron nodded.
"Alright."
Kale offered his hand to Auron and the boy took it.
"Let's go then, it's time for dinner."
Braska took Kale's other hand and walked happily beside him. Kale paused to give the shopkeeper some gold coins for the toy.
"Thank you very much," the shopkeeper replied.
Kale nodded to the shopkeeper and then walked out of the shop with a boy in each hand.
------------------------------
It was after sunset and the stars were out by the time Kale and the boys returned to the temple. Kale carried an exhausted sleeping Auron in his arms and Braska straggled along beside him, his energy spent.
Kale paused at the room to the boys' room.
"Braska, why don't you put your toy inside. We'll meet you out on the upper balcony."
"Okay."
Braska opened the door, walked inside the room, and closed the door behind him. Kale smiled after him and then continued down the hall and up a flight of steps until he reached the upper balcony.
This was one of Kale's favorite places and he often brought Braska up here with him. The view of the stars was breathtaking from this height.
Kale walked over to the stone wall that acted as a railing and set Auron down on it making sure to keep one arm wrapped around the boy. Kale felt Auron shudder and felt the boy grip him tighter. Kale looked down to see that the boy was awake and wondered if it was the cold air that made the boy shudder or if it was fear.
Kale sensed Braska's presence behind him and also sensed his hesitation as he held back.
"Braska."
"I'm sorry, father, I didn't mean to interfere."
"Come over here, son."
Braska approached his father and stood next to him. Kale laid his free hand on Braska's shoulder.
"Braska, you are my son. You must never think that you are interfering."
Kale smiled at his son and Braska smiled back and leaned against his father.
Kale leaned his head down to Auron and spoke quietly in his ear.
"And you are also my son. And you will never have anything to fear from me, here you are safe, I promise."
Kale smiled as he felt Auron's arms tighten around his neck.
The three of them stayed there for some time looking at the stars. Auron turned his head and looked up at the night sky. For the first time he noticed that it was beautiful and his gaze was captivated.
Kale felt Auron lays his head against his chest and felt the boy relax in his embrace. Kale smiled and held Auron a little closer as his other arm wrapped around Braska's shoulder enfolding them both in his embrace.
Auron felt his eyes grow heavy and he buried his head in Kale's chest. Safe, was his last thought before he drifted off to sleep.
--end--
