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Oscar breathed in the crisp morning air, letting the mist curl around him. He still had a long journey ahead of him, and another night in a cramped inn had done nothing to clear his head. He’d been on the road for over a week, having left his last posting with nothing but a note asking him to report to the capital as soon as he could.
Oscar had dreamt of being knight for as long as he could remember, and he had finally become a knight of the realm a year ago. The dream of a man dressed in armour and saving the day had started to evaporate in front of his eyes, and all he saw before him now was a tired man that rode in to a new town and displayed a sword once in a while. It wasn’t that he wanted to ride to war, or needed the excitement, but he had felt that being a knight was supposed to be noble, he was supposed to save lives. All he had done in the last year was terrify some children into some better behaviour.
He sighed, hitching his bag onto his back and starting off down the road. The trees canopied the road, the sunrise starting to break through the mist. He loved this time of day, early enough to see the dawn but before the rest of the world started to wake. It was peaceful, in a way that was difficult to find. He could hear the early birdsong, feel the sun warm his skin. He almost felt free.
He carried on his path until the sun was high in the sky, with only the occasional passer-by as his company. He wasn’t sure what awaited him in the capital, and he doubted it was a request for himself specifically, more of a general call out to all knights. He hadn’t yet done anything particularly heroic, and his name was met with nothing more than a confused face or a shrug when he introduced himself. One day he may be Sir Oscar the Bold, but a title like that had eluded him so far.
“Excuse me!” A voice called from behind him, distant. “Hey!”
Oscar turned, and saw a tall man jogging towards him, waving frantically. “Hello?” Oscar asked, putting a hand on the pummel of his sword. “Are you okay?”
“Yes!” The man was almost in front of him now, breathless. “I’m sorry, but I found this on the road and wondered if it was yours?” He thrust out a small pendant, one of a phoenix. Oscar gasped, reaching out and gripping it tightly. It was the only thing that he had left from his family, and it was usually tied firmly around his neck. He hadn’t even noticed it was loose, let alone that it had fallen from his neck.
“I hadn’t realised… thank you.” Oscar wound it tightly around his neck, making sure that the knot was done tight. “It’s precious to me, I would have been lost without it. How can I repay you…?”
The tall man started. “Logan. And no repayment necessary.” He smiled. “Just happy to do a good deed.”
“No, I insist.” Oscar reached towards his purse. “I must.”
“No gold.” Logan said firmly. “But, are you heading to the capital?”
Oscar blinked. “Yes, I am.”
“Then my repayment is your company while we journey to the same place?” Logan asked. “I am not good at being by myself, and I am not adept with a sword either.”
Oscar swallowed. He had been looking forward to the last few days of solace, but he had insisted a repayment was necessary. And the man needn’t have tracked him down either to return his pendant. So, despite his misgivings, he nodded.
“I’m not always a great conversationalist.” Oscar warned. “But you are welcome to join me.”
“Company is company.” Logan looked delighted. “Thank you, Sir.”
“Oscar.”
“Thank you, Oscar.” Logan said, before starting back along the path. “I’m not from these parts, and I must say that the flora here is fascinating…”
~*~
It had only been a day, but suddenly Oscar found it had to consider that he had been planning on completing his journey alone. Logan was talkative, but not obnoxiously. He was just interested in the world around him, and wanted to share that with his companion. He had slotted into Oscar’s day with ease. Logan talked to him with the familiarity of an old friend, but also took in every new fact about Oscar with amazement. Logan had been astonished he was travelling with an actual knight, what had been his chances? Logan had asked him about his travels, what he had seen, his training. Everything fascinated him.
And Oscar was fascinated by Logan.
Logan was travelling to the capital to continue some training, he said this time with an apothecary. Logan had said that he had spent most of his life learning, but he wasn’t sure when he would ever finish his training, if ever. But he talked of all the places he had seen, of the snow-capped mountains of the north to the wind whipped sand dunes of the west, and the vast lakes of the east. Few people ever ventured to the south, with the journey as treacherous as it was, but Logan talked of the thrill of it wistfully. Oscar couldn’t imagine a man that knew of the dangers, and knew of his own lack of skill in a sword, that still wanted to travel to the most dangerous place in the realm. Logan kept on surprising him, and Oscar found that he wanted to keep on discovering new surprises about his new companion.
They had held out for an inn until the sun was firmly setting, and then agreed to make camp in a clearing not too far from the road. It wouldn’t do to camp on the side of the road, as no path was ever safe at night, but they also didn’t want to risk straying too far and becoming lost.
A small fire warmed them, as the final rays of the sun disappeared on the horizon. They shared the food they had between them, along with the berries they had found a little while earlier. It was the first time that they had lulled in to silence, but it didn’t feel awkward at all. It felt comfortable. Oscar felt like he could share a hundred silences with Logan but never feel the need to break it with words.
They wrapped up, laying next to one another as the fire started to die into embers. Logan fell into sleep quickly, face slack and calm. Oscar stared at him for a while, before sleep came over him like a wave, and all he could remember of his last thoughts was, ‘I need more time with him’.
~*~
They were only half a day away from the capital, and Oscar felt like he needed to say something to Logan before they reached their destination. Oscar had never really had a friend, and it felt to him that Logan filled a hole that he never knew needed filling. He knew that Logan didn’t keep a fixed abode, but he needed to keep in contact with him somehow.
Logan was talking about a beach he’d seen nearer north, where the sand was pure black, and a roar echoed around them, full of fury. Oscar whipped around, unsheathing his sword, pulling Logan behind him.
“What was that?” Logan asked lowly, putting his hands up.
“I don’t know.” Oscar replied, gritting his teeth. “But it didn’t sound friendly.”
There was quiet for a few seconds, and then another roar. The ground thudded beneath them, and they could hear the grunt of something heading through the trees towards them. A bear charged, huge and wild, roaring frantically. Oscar stood his ground, sword up in front of him, heart thudding in his chest. This bear seemed manic, and he didn’t know how effective he would be with just a sword. All he knew was that he had to protect himself and Logan.
Suddenly, Logan darted in front of him, hands outstretched. Oscar yelled, panicked, putting out an arm to stop his friend from running into certain death. Except… the bear came to a stop right in front of Logan, still snarling but still.
And Logan’s hands were glowing.
Oscar’s mouth fell open, his hand falling to his side. He had thought Logan was a healer of some kind, but it suddenly made sense. Sorcerer’s travelled extensively, learnt every form of magic. Logan needed no sword, he had something far greater and caused less harm.
Logan started towards the bear, lifting up a paw. He ran a hand across the paw, and drew out a large splinter of wood. The bear stopped snarly, and almost sagged where it stood. Logan placed his hand on the wound that was left, his hand glowing again, and when he lifted it again the wound was fully healed.
Logan smiled, turning to look at Oscar. “I think we’re all safe now.” He said, turning back to the bear. “We’ll let him sleep a while, the pain must have been immense.”
Oscar nodded dumbly, and just followed Logan when he went to leave. “How did you…?”
“I’ve been training to be a sorcerer my entire life. I specialise in healing, and can feel pain from other nearby creatures.” Logan replied. “I’m sorry I didn’t say first, but I’ve learnt that most people only want me to cure them once they know.”
Oscar didn’t know what to say. He’d been prepared to die for this man, to go down fighting just to make sure that his friend was safe. He thought that Logan was going to die. He couldn’t let that happen, not to someone who he… oh.
And all of sudden, he didn’t want to just be Logan’s friend.
Oscar grabbed Logan’s arm, and pulled him round to face him. Logan started, opening his mouth slightly, and Oscar just leant in to gently press a kiss to Logan’s lips. He felt Logan gasp, and then a hand rested on his neck, pulling him in to something deeper.
When they pulled back, breathing heavily, Logan looked at Oscar. “When we get to the capital, do you have somewhere to stay?”
“No, not yet.” Oscar replied. “Do you?”
Logan shrugged. “I call anywhere a home.”
“How about we find somewhere together?” Oscar asked. “I mean, you need someone to protect you.”
Logan laughed, a smile bursting over his face. “Yes, yes I do.”
Oscar had never felt before what it was like to have a friend, and even less so anyone who he’d be happy to share his life with. He’d never even really even thought about it. But now, he never wanted to know life without it.