wow a lot of you guys thought that they were going to River Village
Sorry
thats the other one

The sun had barely risen over the forest of evergreen trees when Silver spied familiar columns of smoke in the distance. Having first approached the village from the opposite side, the young hoglet was surprised to have reached the small market village within the week. Recalling back, the last time he had traveled to the small woodland village was when he had first met his elder hedgehog friend. In fact, he remembered it taking much longer to get there than it did this time around.

Silver was, aptly put, disappointed in his memory of the place. His young mind had recalled the thatched roofs and worn paths to be much grander than they actually were. In fact, he last remembered a dense marketplace where wares and goods were sold. None of which were present upon arrival.

"Where's the market?" Silver asked, looking left and right at the empty road around him.

"That's an annual event." Shadow answered. "Only occurring on the week of the summer soulstice."

Disappointment hung over the young hedgehog's head as he scowled at the ground. Markets were always fun.

"Let's find the cobbler." Shadow directed, tugging on the sulking child's hand. "Your feet must be sore."

"Can I sit for a bit first?" Silver asked, looking around the area. "I'm a little tired…"

"Are you sure?" Shadow frowned.

"I've been walking all day in these shoes." Silver countered. "My feet hurt."

Shadow only sighed, letting go of the hoglet's hand.

"Alright." He relented. "This area is safe this time of year, so just stay put until I come back. I'll go look for him myself."

Silver nodded as the ranger walked ahead, briefly pausing to look over his shoulder with stern eyes. As the elder hedgehog traveled further and further away, the ivory child felt as if he deflated. Shoulders bent and quills limp, the hoglet bounced on his toes anxiously.

There was no way Silver was letting Shadow know how badly his paws truly hurt. The only thing the hoglet could imagine was how bad the adult would feel about making him walk all that distance. Limping over to a nearby building, Silver seated himself on one of the barrels with a huff - reaching down and tearing off his leather shoes with an angry squeak. Curse his feet. Why did they have to get bigger anyways? Such a nuisance. Keeping a straight face was one of the most excruciating things he had done in the last month.

Peeling his socks off, Silver huffed a sigh of relief. Oh how wonderful it felt for his paws to breathe. No more cramped leather. No more squeezing pain. Just pure sweet relief. Flexing his sore toes, the hedgehog let out a small smile. He probably should have mentioned the ill fitting shoes sooner, but he was far too soft. Shadow had gifted him those shoes after all. It was pure determination and thankfulness that had prevented him from opening his mouth sooner.

Leaning back slightly, the young hedgehog took in his surroundings. The overcast clouds bathed the village in a drab grey, lending a sickly eerieness to the surrounding buildings and structures. The once golden straw had turned brown with age and rain, leading the roofs to look old and rotted. The mud and bricks had bleached in the sun, leaving a grey tone against the already grey sky. The dirt had been trampled down, leaving no leaves or brush anywhere to decorate the empty marketplace. No colorful rugs or delicious fruits spiced up the area. No glassmakers or beadmakers showed their shiny wares. And no tents or vendors to make interesting smells or tastes.

Feeling a sense of boredom fall over his body, Silver began to tap on his cheeks. Holding his jaw open made a funny popping sound, the child discovered, and making different shapes with his lips altered the noise. Pip pop. pop. plop. pop. pop.

"Single file please - single file."

Sounds of laughter and a woman speaking perked Silver's ears up. Turning his head from a nearby building, Silver spotted a group of children filing themselves before a very tired coyote. Laughing and punching themselves lightly, the group of kids stared expectantly at their exhausted overseer.

"I do not like to keep reminding you of recess rules." She spoke, holding her hands up to silence the giggling group. "But since some of you ruin it for everyone, you will have to hear them again."

Curiosity sparked in Silver's eyes as he slid off of the barrel, paws thumping into the dirt below with a satisfying plump.

"No wrestling." The lady continued, not noticing as Silver slowly approached her from behind. "No biting, no kicking, no bullying, no name calling-"

"Who are you?" One of the older girls asked, pointing at Silver with her striped paw.

The woman turned to find the young hedgehog standing a few paces away from the hem of her skirt.

"Oh, you must be lost." She smiled, brushing a stray lock of fur from her tired eyes. "Why don't you stay with us until your parents find you."

"I don't have any parents." Silver shrugged, not reacting as the group of kids burst from their line into the area around.

"You don't?" The coyote frowned, crossing her arms.

"Nope!"

Not wasting another second, Silver bolted into the field - immediately looking to have some fun as he spotted a ball being tossed back and forth. Ignoring the confused calls of the woman in charge, he raised his hand to the jackal with the ball - expertly catching it as it was tossed into his paws.

"Keep away!" The kid called, hopping up and down. "Keep away from Hilt!"

Unsure of whoever Hilt was, Silver nodded back to the young jackal and continued his jog. Hilt, however, became overly obvious as a larger-sized child came barreling at the young hoglet with a huge smile on his face. The elder child snorted, swiping at Silver's ball with outstretched hands and mischievous eyes. Stepping to the side, Silver reacted on instinct and hopped - dodging the swishing tail without so much as a breath. Quickly turning on his heel, he tossed it to a young girl as she whistled and held her hands skyward.

"That's awesome!" The jackal called, giving an expressive thumbs up. "Juke him out!"

Zig -zagging back and forth on the field, Silver weaved between the other kids, ignoring their other games as he kept his eyes glued on the keepaway victim. It was more than clear that the bull was a difficult task, as the young girl found herself quickly overrun by the overexcited calf and the ball snatched from her paws in an excited cheer.

"Try again!" The calf shouted, winding his arm up and throwing the stuffed leather object at Silver with an evil smirk.

Spotting the ball whizzing at his head at a both hard and fast speed, the hedgehog in question anchored his feet. Assuming a defensive stance he braced for the impact. Like lightning out of the sky, the hardened leather slapped against his palms with an extremely loud SMACK. Not waiting a second, Silver closed his fingers; feeling the momentum of the hit ripple through his small arms. Smile forming on his face, he stepped. A spin on the toes, an arc of the hands…and…

WHOOSH

Silver shouted as he flung the ball back at the overconfident calf. Both the energy from the throw and the energy from his return mixed together with enough power to send the larger child toppling onto his tail in a surprisingly loud WHACK. Surprised, the kids around him burst into laughter as the young bull pulled himself off the ground.

"Oops." Silver smiled, clasping his paws with an apologetic smile.

"I'm ok!" The calf cheered, brushing his black fur with entertained swipes and giving an exuberant thumbs-up.

"That was awesome!" The young jackal smiled, running up to the ivory hedgehog with the rest of the participants in an excited jog. "How'd you do that?"

"I dunno…" Silver shrugged. "I just planted my feet and used gravity to my advantage."

"No one's ever done that before." The bull praised, holding his hands together in an excited fist. "You must be pretty strong."

"HEY."

The kids around him immediately shrunk their heads down as an even older child approached the excited gang. Turning to face who had shouted, Silver spied a tough-looking colt strutting up to where he stood - flanked by two timid boys of similar age. Silver found himself staring upwards as the kid stopped in front of him, chest puffed and arms crossed. The hoglet could only assume the kid to be eight, with a large frame only afforded to a strong young horse of his age. Almost a teenager… Silver found himself gulping.

Looking left and right, Silver spotted the familiar brown hood of his mentor speaking with the coyote woman. It was unclear what his words were, but it was ever obvious that he had been stopped by the presumed schoolteacher. Despite what the young hedgehog might have first assumed, the conversation did not look unfriendly. This was further cemented when the woman let out a chuckling laugh at whatever the elder had to say. When the adult had arrived was unknown, but Silver couldn't help but wonder how lo-

"What are you looking at?" The colt snarled, stomping his hooved foot with a snort. "I'm talking to you."

Silver met the brown-eyed gaze with a stare of his own.

"C'mon, Buck, we're just havin' fu-"

"Was I talking to you, Hilt?" The palomino colt snarled, stomping his foot once more. "I run this school, and I'm the oldest. You listen to me."

Silver found himself unimpressed. It must have shown on his face, as the second he let himself exhale the colt was right in his face.

"This here is my playground." The kid snarled. "I want to make that clear, capiche?"

"But you don't own the town?" Silver asked rhetorically, staring the kid right back in the eyes. "It's the grown-up's job to take care of these things."

Angered, the young horse made a grab for Silver's scruff. However, the hoglet was more than prepared for some sort of movement and merely ducked - sweeping his arms around to prevent the colt's hands from getting close.

"You think you're tough, tiny?" The horse growled, angered further by the evasive maneuver. "I bet your parents are disappointed in you."

"I don't have any parents." Silver retorted, crossing his arms. "Besides, only people who are sad about their own mom and dad say stuff like that."

The elder child might as well have been fuming as the rest of the crowd let out a small chuckle. Stomping his foot once more the colt let out a massive snort.

"Well…yeah?" He stuttered, ears folding back and eyes bulging with fury. "Y-You don't have any parents because they left you behind!"

It was if the world stopped moving. In under a second, Silver felt his ears flatten from the audacity of this kid. Left behind? His parents? Leaving him behind? Whatever confusion he felt at his own reaction was overrun by a boiling feeling inside his chest.

"What did you say?" The hedgehog snarled, feeling his fur prickle from the mere idea of it all.

"Your parents abandoned you." The colt spat, satisfied he had found a nerve that bothered the young hoglet. "They didn't want you."

"You take that back." Silver growled, not caring that the argument was petty or stopping to ask himself why he had gotten so heated. "Take it back!"

"No."

"Take it back!" Silver shrieked, stomping his bare foot as he dared to bare his teeth at the elder child.

"No." The horse snarked, folding his arms and laughing triumphantly. "No I won't!"

"TAKE IT BACK!"

Before he could even process his reaction, Silver screeched. Enraged, he flung himself at the larger child - knocking the colt off his feet and into the dust below. Madder than a hornet on whiskey he let loose his fist. Time slowed to a crawl as it swept through the air - perfectly balled and perfectly twisted as he had always been taught. Adrenaline sprung through his heart as his knuckles collided with the elder child's face, knocking spit and a streak of white from the juvenile jaw. Breaths deepening and quills standing on end, Silver leapt on top of the other kid. Red exploded into his sight as he raised his fist again. And again. And again.

Strike after strike fell as the hoglet punched and kicked at the horse. Blurred morality consumed his vision as he rained his fury down. Helplessly, the colt attempted to fight back - only to be blocked again and again by Silver's trained arms. As if he were watching himself through a hole the infuriated hedgehog continued on - feeling hot wetness dripping down his muzzle as his hands grew damp with his opponents tears. His shiny teeth snarled and snapped as he screeched unintelligibly at his fallen opponent. Children's voices around him called and yelled, but seemed so far away as he continued his barrage of rage induced punches. Fists clenched, Silver pressed on as his knuckles began to stain red with scratched skin and battered fur. Kicks and fists filled the air around him, but not a single one landed through his ducks and slips. No matter how his opponent lazily swiped or sloppily kicked, Silver's trained body merely swatted the attempt away.

A gentle hand grabbed his waist but without thinking Silver kicked it away - not holding back as a yelp sounded from the onlooker. Screeching, Silver attempted to strike the colt once more, but strong fingers wrapped around his swinging hands. Attempting to twist out, the fuming hoglet found his wrists slung behind his back, arms wrapping between his own and pulling him away from his target in a brutally efficient restraint.

"Silver stop - he's already beaten!" A faraway voice shouted, but Silver didn't care. Kicking and squirming, the hedgehog attempted to grapple out of the strong arms only to find his feet knocked out from under him. Hissing and spitting, Silver attempted to quill his captor but his juvenile spikes did nothing but scratch against a frame of iron will.

"Dear heavens!" Another voice called. "Child!"

Pure fury enveloping his entire form, Silver could only scream - wet globs rolling down his face as he felt a pain rising in his chest. Was….was he crying?

"Silver!" The first voice returned, syllables biting and voice harsh. "Control yourself before I do - and Gaia help me you do not want me to."

Screaming fading to sobbing, Silver felt his body grow limp.

"I'll kill y-"

"Control your charge or I will!"

"Flint- Hilt, Grab him!"

Before he could form any thoughts, Silver found himself released. Harshly falling to the ground, he found himself clambering to get up. The world looked so blurry..

"Silver!"

The hoglet looked aimlessly around.

"Silver look at me!"

Glowing red eyes met his cloudy vision as he hiccuped, world slowly coming to focus as Shadow's hooded head came into view. To say the adult looked less than happy was an….understatement.

"What in Gaia's name happened here?" The adult snarled, teeth bared and voice sharp.

"I'LL SKIN HIM AL-"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH." Shadow snapped, enraged voice and piercing eyes stealing all the bite from the young colt's bark in a brutal glare. "Silver, answer me."

"I-I dunno…He..he just…" Silver sobbed, stumbling over his words and mumbling through his congested nose. "I…I'm sorry…i just…i..."

"You." Shadow barked, pointing at one of the boys holding the horse down. "Tell me what happened here."

"B-Buck just walked up to us…" The young bull stammered. "He…he doesn't like it when we have fun without him…s-so he challenged the strongest one of us…"

"That does not explain why my Prodigy has beaten the daylights out of him." Shadow growled.

"He didn't start this fight!" One of the girls piped up, waving her hands nervously. "Buck started insulting him and said his parents abandoned him…"

"Silver?" Shadow asked, turning to look at the sniffling hedgehog with an unforgiving stare.

"I…I don't know what came over me…" Silver sobbed, wiping his eyes and feeling pain for the first time in his recently acquired bruises and cuts.

"I expected better from you." Shadow growled, ears set back and disappointment heavy in his voice. "And you-"

The sniveling colt found himself staring straight into the burning eyes of the elder hedgehog.

"I hope you learned your lesson today." Shadow snarled, baring his shining teeth once more. "If you didn't learn it here, by Chaos I hope your parents will make. It. Stick."

"Oh they will." The coyote piped up, placing her hands on her hips and tapping her feet threateningly. "His father will deal with this alright."

"And you." Shadow snapped, pointing a glove at the young hedgehog. "I will deal with you later. We have an errand to run."

Head hanging and eyes dripping, Silver could only nod.

"You better pray to Gaia that I have mercy on you when we are done." Shadow hissed, straightening his stance and brushing the dirt off of his tussled cloak. "You are so lucky we are so far from home because by Chaos I should have you grounded for a month!"

Silver wiped his eyes.

"Am I clear?!"

"Yes sir…"

Shadow could only stare at the young child with shaking breaths and trembling skin. Snapping his black eyelids shut, the adult pressed his hands together and held them at his nose - inhaling deeply and suppressing the already contained rage within his body. Silver only shrunk further against the ground, regret and shame stinging his heart and body as he stared at his injured knuckles.

"Ma'am…" Shadow exhaled, serious restraint lacing his voice as he attempted to be respectful to the woman next to him. "Thank you for watching him while I was gone."

"Oh, it was no issue.." She sighed, staring harshly at the sniffling colt.

"I'm afraid he was." Shadow swallowed, forcing his ears back into a resting position. "I promise I will handle this properly."

"I believe you." She responded, motioning for the kids to let go of their peer.

"Silver." Shadow growled, voice low and extremely disappointed. "Grab your shoes."

"Yes sir…"

Pulling himself off of the ground, Silver bolted towards the barrel he had sat previously. If there was one thing he did not want to test right now, it was Shadow's patience. And by golly was he going to do exactly as he was told. Seizing the well worn shoes and socks from their discarded place on the ground, the young hedgehog bolted back across the playgrounds - not wanting to make the elder hedgehog wait a second longer.