"You've improved…"
Kratos wiped his new sword down with an old rag he had packed in his bag. He leant against a nearby tree as he did so, casually resting his root on the bark, bending his knee. Miles grinned at him as he sheathed the short sword he had stolen on the way out of Meltokio. Miles hadn't had long to get used to his new sword; the sewers and surrounding fields of the city had been predictably infested in monsters. The two boys had had enough experience with battles like this on their secret escapades, and were more wary that their first night outside of their luxury beds was drawing near.
"Thanks, Kratos," Miles sat down near his friend and swung his rucksack round so it was on the floor in front of him. He rummaged through his change of clothes and pulled out some brown paper bags, filled with bread and other essentials that would last the pair until they reached another town.
Miles and Kratos munched silently on some of the bread that Miles had brought, both obviously affected by the fatigue that had begun to beset them. Once the bread had been finished, Kratos lit a fire with some nearby branches and the matches he had stolen from his father's quarters.
"Are you sure we should be highlighting our location?" Miles enquired, wiping his mouth with the back of his grey-sleeved tunic.
"We are far enough away for us not to be seen," Kratos mumbled confidently, the two boys were resting in the shadow of the Fooji mountains, half a dozen miles away from the city, "Besides, we will see them coming early enough for us to make our escape."
Miles nodded and held his hands out to be warmed by the fire. It was by no means a cold night, but the boys had been used to such luxury that a small chilled breeze caused the smaller of the two to reach out for some warmth. The friends sat in silence, staring into the orange glowing flames, for what felt like hours. The whispers of the wind no longer bothered them, and they found themselves talking quietly to fit in with their surroundings.
"How far do you think your father has got?" Miles asked, rubbing his upper arms for warmth.
"Not a clue," Kratos shrugged, eyes staring intently at the fire, "I'm pretty positive he will have got a good distance from the city, though. He could even had got over the sea, possibly further than Sybak."
"Hmm…" Miles murmured, "Is Sybak where we are going?"
"Again, not a clue. It seems the likely course of action; my father knows some of the scholars that work at the university there, they might know where he has got to."
"I wonder what my parents will say when they realise I've gone…" Miles trailed away and started scratching into the dusty dirt with a stick. Kratos looked up from the fire.
"You regretting coming?" He asked, receiving a brisk shake of the head in reply, "No doubt they will be worried, but they will assume you are with me. News will get out that we have both gone missing and they should put two and two together."
"…Not that you can do that."
"What?" Kratos raised an eyebrow.
"Put two and two together." Miles smirked, blinking as a stray stick struck him in the side of the face. The two boys laughed quietly before Kratos was startled by a loud rustling coming from the bushes behind them.
"Miles…" Kratos stood slowly, one hand on the hilt of his sword. He waved his other hand to get the smaller boy's attention, "Miles, I hear a noise."
Miles's face fell serious immediately as he rose to his feet behind Kratos, eyes darting round the area briskly. The outside of the bushes visibly swayed as whatever-it-was moved closer to the camp and both boys drew their swords.
"It's coming…" Kratos mumbled, bending his knees into a more ready position, ready to strike. Miles followed suit.
Kratos lunged at the bush as something small emerged from it.
"Argh!…Woah!"
The auburn haired boy stopped mid swing, planting his front foot forcibly into the dirt. He held up a hand to stop the lunging Miles behind him.
"Wait!" Miles stopped behind his shoulder and lowered his short sword, "There's no need to panic. He's a friend."
"He?" Miles's face scrunched up, squinting through the dark to see what 'he' was, "A friend?"
Kratos crouched as the 'he' emerged into the firelight. 'He' was a small creature that looked a lot like a large rabbit or hare. His white ears were long and hung backwards down his back towards his bent legs, their startling green tips only centimetres from the ground. His deep black eyes sparkled and his green-tipped nose twitched happily as Kratos patted the top of his head lightly.
"Kratos…what-"
"This is a friend of mine - Noishe." The taller boy replied, scratching the rabbit under the chin with his fingers, "He used to come and see me when I ran from the city alone. He's a good companion and a one of a kind, you won't see another rabbit like him!"
"He's clearly not a rabbit, Kratos." Miles said bluntly, earning a surprised look from his friend.
"What are you talking about?" Kratos asked, "Of course Noishe is a rabbit!"
"Hmmm…" Miles chose not to belittle his friend further, "Who came up with the name 'Noishe' anyway?"
"It was a spur of the moment thing when I was younger," Kratos shrugged, "I figured he needed a name, and Noishe came to my head."
Miles breathed out heavily and sat down back beside the fire. Kratos continued to pet the 'rabbit' who would make a rumbling sound, almost like a purr, in response. The creature was a magnificent white colour, highlighted against the darkness save for his green-tipped ears, feet and nose. Miles racked his brains for a species he had read about that fit this description, but to no avail.
After a number of minutes, Kratos came and sat silently beside his friend, the creature joining him at his other side. Without a word, Kratos pulled off his dark cloak and lay back, placing the cloak over him as a cover. He placed his hands behind his head and closed his eyes, allowing Noishe to curl up on his chest, rising and falling with the breathing of the fifteen year old.
"Kratos."
No response.
"Kratos!"
"What?!" Kratos's eyes snapped open, followed immediately by Noishe's eyes.
"Is he coming with us?" was all Miles could stutter. Kratos placed his head back on the dirt, eyes closed.
"Is it ok with you? He won't be much bother, and he's smarter than you think," came the reply.
"No, it's fine," Mile assured his friend and lay on his side on the dirt himself, curling his knees to his chest for warmth, "I'm just not used to having a rabbit around is all."
"Hmm," Kratos replied, fidgeting slightly, "Thanks, Miles. It's nice to have another companion. All famous companions are in threes anyway."
"You do realise that most 'famous companions' are made up fairytales, right Kratos?"
"…Yes. G'night Miles."
Miles burrowed his face into his cupped hands and smirked to himself as he fell asleep on his first night our of the city.
A/N Yay! Noishe! Tried to make Kratos seem more like a child rather than a 40 year old man in this chapter - hope I captured him OK!
PLEASE review! =]