Eventually, they came to a small cave nestled in the rocks of a cliff. It was small, just enough room for the two growing boys to fit comfortably inside for the night.
When Arslan had gotten Elam settled on the ground, he shrugged off his cloak, draping it over the shivering form. He didn't argue, Arslan noticed, in fact, it almost looked like he had snuggled up with it further.
"We need a fire." Elam rasped. "It won't be good for either of us to spend the night without one. Just something small, but in the cave no enemies could see it."
"And neither could our friends." Arslan stated.
Elam looked at the ground. "If they were smart they went back to the camp. They should wait until it's light to find us."
Arslan moved to sit down beside him. When he was on the ground Elam draped the cloak over him as well. "They'll probably still be looking." Arslan said. "They'll be worried about us."
"They'll be worried about you." Elam said under his breath.
"Us." Arslan said firmly. "You should have seen Narsus. He was so worried about you. He looked as if he wanted to tear the forest apart to find you. Daryun had to be the voice of reason."
Elam laughed softly. "That doesn't happen often." He was silent for a minute. "Was Narsus really that worried?"
Arslan nodded. "He cares about you quite a bit, whether you think he does or not." They were quiet again for another minute. Every little sound echoed in the cave, even their breath.
"I'm surprised they let you come look." Elam said. Arslan suddenly found a spot on the cave wall very interesting.
"Well, uh… I wasn't supposed to go looking for you. They told me to wait at the campsite in case you returned. I knew they just didn't want me to go out into the forest, so I went looking for you."
Elam turned sharply to look at Arslan. "Why on earth would you do that, Your Highness? You didn't know where I was; you could have walked off a cliff, or been captured by slave traders!"
Arslan turned to look at Elam with a glare. "Why shouldn't I have come looking for you? You shouldn't have gone off by yourself. You're my friend, I was worried about you too!" He huffed. "We all were." He added quickly.
Arslan could see the surprise in Elam's eyes. "You're a Prince. You don't need to worry about a servant like me, much less come after me when I get lost."
"What are you talking about?"
The cloak shuffled as Elam moved positions under it. "You always offer to help, that's not what prince's do. You call us friends." He elaborated. "Everything Narsus has told me about royalty has been about how they take advantage of people. But you're not like that."
"I've told you." Arslan said. "I was raised as a commoner for a long time. I don't know how to be an arrogant royal yet." His voice held a teasing tone to it, but it just frustrated Elam.
"That's another thing! Anyone else in your shoes would take advantage of their position, trying to forget their upbringing and abuse their power. But you…" he faded off, looking around the cave to avoid Arslan's gaze.
"Do you want me to act arrogant?" Arslan asked quietly.
Elam shook his head like a young child, and Arslan took this as an opportunity to keep talking.
"I was raised to always help people, the nursemaid who raised me always got me to help with the cooking and the chores. When I came to the palace they didn't let me do any of that stuff, and it started to feel like I wasn't really wanted around the palace. My mother and father don't like me, and the servants there are trained not to talked to us."
Arslan was silent for a moment before whispering. "It was lonely."
Elam cleared his throat. "Then why do you struggle with simple tasks now if you were raised doing them?"
"I'm not sure." Arslan shrugged. "I guess years of not doing them has made me rusty." Elam seemed to think his answer was satisfying; he didn't ask any more questions. He just rested his head on the rough cave wall and closed his eyes.
Arslan tried to close his eyes as well, but his mind had too many thoughts racing about.
Almost half an hour passed before Arslan spoke again. "Are you still awake?"
Elam shifted next to Arslan. "Yes." He said, his voice hoarse with sleep, and his eyes remained closed. "It's hard to fall asleep against a rock."
Arslan silently agreed. His bottom had gone numb twenty minutes ago.
"Can I ask you a question?" There was a grumble beside him that Arslan took as a 'yes'. "W-what was it like for you, growing up?"
Elam's eyes opened slowly, trying to look in the dark to see if Arslan was serious. "Why are you asking, sire?" He could feel the prince shrug beside him."
"I'm just curious. You never talk about yourself at all; surely you must have something interesting you're hiding."
"I'm not sure the life of a freed slave would interest you." Elam laughed nervously. He often never told anyone about his life in slavery. Narsus had tried to get him to open up a few times, but the boy usually found ways to avoid those types of questions.
"If you're uncomfortable speaking of it, you don't have to answer my question."
"It's not uncomfortable, per se." Elam rushed to say. "It's just, as a slave-" he paused, thinking of how to phrase his next words. "you didn't really talk about other people's pasts. Some of them would be too horrible to imagine. And opening up wasn't something master's encouraged, it gave you too much of an identity, you wouldn't just be a nameless slave if you talked about yourself." He took a deep, shaky breath. "Narsus has tried to talk to me a few times, and it has gotten easier. But it is still awkward for me to tell him of my time when his father owned me."
"Is it alright if I ask what it was like?" Arslan asked.
Elam licked his lips and twitched nervously. "Narsus's father wasn't exactly a cruel master, but he was very strict. He often hired slave drivers to look after the slaves though, and they could be quite cruel. My mother worked in the kitchens once she became pregnant with me, and there was only one driver there, who gave her no trouble. But my father would often come back from the fields with whip lashes from slave drivers who got twisted pleasure from the power. When I was around five I was sent out to work in the fields too." He stopped talking, and Arslan didn't push him for more details.
"Despite that, my parents were loyal to our master. He made sure we were well fed and had a place to sleep. When Narsus released us, my parents stayed and worked for him, he was kind to us as well.
My parents died not a year after our freedom. An influenza struck the Lord's estate, taking them and many others." Elam's voice hitched when he spoke of this. "Before they died they asked me to stay serving Narsus until I'm old enough to make my own way in the world. Narsus has been kind enough to keep me close to his side, even when he retreated to a cabin in the woods."
"Narsus cares a great deal for you, Elam. Maybe even more than you realize." Arslan told him.
Elam felt warm at Arslan comment "He's the first person I've ever been close to. There weren't many children amongst the slaves, maybe one or two more, so I never made friends. Narsus made me feel like it was okay to be myself around him. But other than him I've never had anyone I'd consider a friend."
"Am I not your friend?" Arslan asked, feeling as if he'd been punched lightly in the stomach.
Elam stuttered over his words. "Y-y-ou're a prince, my lord. I-i-it would be improper for you to even consider having a friend of such a low class."
Arslan huffed with annoyance. "You don't have to use titles when we're alone, Elam. I want to be your friend." In a quieter voice he added. "Please, let me be your friend."
"Why are you so desperate for my friendship?" Elam asked earnestly.
"I haven't had a friend close to my age since I arrived at the palace." Arslan admitted. "Daryun is a nice companion, but at times he can feel more like an overprotective big brother."
"You want to be my friend just because we're near the same age?" Elam asked teasingly. "My, maybe you are an arrogant prince after all." It felt surprisingly easy to tease Arslan, although a voice in his head chastised him for being so casual.
"I wasn't done." Arslan laughed, swatting lightly at Elam. "We're the same age, yes, but you're also kind and patient. I want to be able to prove myself to you. That I can do more than just lead men into battle. I want to show you and everyone that I am capable, and not a nuisance that needs to be wait upon all the time. I want you all to see that I am an equal to you."
Elam blushed. "You're not a bother, Your-, I mean, Arslan. Not to me, and not to our companions. We are with you for a reason, because we believe you will be a great king. You've proven yourself yet again, by showing that you care for your companions want to show your full worth."
"Thank you, Elam." It was Arslan's turn to blush now, even though Elam couldn't see it in the dark.
"I would gladly be your friend, Arslan." Arslan's face split into a wide grin. He scrambled out from under the cloak and flung himself into Elam's arms.
"Thank you!" He said happily. Elam coughed from the force of Arslan's body hitting his chest, and Arslan was reminded that the boy was sick, and they were stuck in the cave because of this.
"You stay here." Arslan said, wrapping Elam back up in the cloak. "I'm going to get some wood for a fire."
"Take this." Elam unbuckled a waterskin from his belt and held it out for Arslan to take. "There might be a stream nearby. Don't go far, but see if you can find one."
Arslan took the skin, standing up and feeling his way along the wall of the cave for the way out. As he stepped out of the cave he could hear Elam's slow breathing as the boy tried to get some rest.
