Chapter Text
Green eyed his opponents over the tip of his blade. The autumn air was crisp, but he could not afford to shiver. A single golden leaf fluttered to the ground in the middle of them all, glowing in the setting sun. Red was to Green's left, Blue to his right, and Yellow directly in front of him, everyone's gaze darting back and forth, waiting for someone to make the first move.
Green took that move, lunging for Red, who made to parry, but Green darted out of his way, aiming for Yellow instead. Blue's blade crossed his, body blocking Yellow's because of course Blue would do such a thing. No matter; Red took on Yellow next. Green slid his sword across Blue's, forcing him back, but Blue jumped to the side, taking a swing at his head which Green barely caught. Red took this opportunity to kick Blue square in the chest, knocking him to the ground so that he could take his place in front of Green, but Blue swept his legs from under him in retaliation.
“Foul!” Blue laughed, bringing his sword around, but Red rolled to the side.
Green left them to tussle on the ground and advanced on Yellow, who didn't wait before swinging his weapon. Green caught it at his cross guard, forcing Yellow back, and took a stab at his legs. Yellow sidestepped, bringing his blade up again. But before anyone could make their next move, an explosion was heard in the distance, making all the men jump. Green lowered his weapon, looking to where they'd heard the sound.
“Smoke,” Blue said. It billowed up on the far side of their property, and, judging from the distance, just on the other side of the Stick Kingdom's border.
“Do you think anyone was hurt?” Red asked in shock.
“Only one way to find out,” Green replied, sheathing his sword. Red rushed forward to prepare his horse.
“I'll ride ahead,” he said, running to the barn. “Search the surrounding area!”
“I'll check the gulch,” Green said, looking again to the smoky air. “If anyone's hurt, they might've made their way down there.” The road from town to their cabin ran alongside a ravine, and people often mistook it as the path, so it wouldn't be unreasonable to think someone would stumble that way.
“I'll check the field,” Yellow said.
“And I'll gather medical supplies and follow Red,” Blue said.
They separated, Blue after Red, Yellow for the wheat fields, and Green for the gulch. He angled himself toward the explosion, cutting across the road in the direction of the old ravine. He made his way swiftly through the woods, but didn't come across anyone. It was when the sun fell that Green finally heard someone, the shuffle of feet, deep shaky breaths.
“Hello?” he called out. Silence. And then the sounds drew up again, more frantic this time. Green chased them. “Wait!” he called out. “Are you hurt? Come back!” He closed the distance between himself and this person, the man looking over his shoulder with a gasp at his advancement. He attempted to run faster, but let out a cry, clutching his side as his legs gave out from under him. The man twisted, backing away as Green came to a stop before him. Green didn't consider himself a particularly intimidating man, but the way the other looked at him like a frightened, wild animal suggested as much.
“It's alright,” he said, raising his hands. “I'm not going to hurt you. I want to help.”
“Leave me alone!” the other man shouted up at him.
It was hard to tell in the dark of night, but this young man was finely dressed, coat trimmed in silk. His long hair was equally silky, let loose around his shoulders. He looked up at Green with venom in his eyes, but made no move to escape. The way he clutched at his ribs told that he was unable to in the first place.
“Please,” Green said, kneeling slowly before the man, “You're injured. I want to help.” He moved closer, and the venom in the man's eyes was replaced by terror. He scrambled back, a strangled sob choking from his throat as he tried to flee, but his back hit a tree trunk. And then the fight left the man entirely. He drew his knees up to his chest and began to cry.
“Everything's okay,” Green said gently, but the man shook his head. Green came closer until he was just before him and the man shrunk further into himself, ducking his head as if Green were about to hit him. “Let me see it.” The man didn't readily reveal his wound, but he didn't fight Green either, letting him undo the buttons of his coat and lift the hem of the tunic beneath. There was a deep gash in his side, blood seeping out of him, dark on Green's fingers in the low light. He ignored the blood, taking a potion from his pocket. He'd had it on him during the sparing match with his friends just in case of injury, and he was glad that he did.
“Drink this.” He uncorked the potion and offered it to the man, but he twisted his head away, squeezing his mouth shut with a whimper. “It's a health potion,” Green explained. The man vigorously shook his head, fight coming back into his eyes.
“You're trying to kill me!” he spat.
“I'm trying to help you!” But then Green took a breath. “It isn't poisoned, if that's what you think.”
“You take me for a fool.”
Green sighed heavily. “Okay, fine,” he said. “Look.” He took a swig of the potion, fighting to keep the look of disgust off his face at the taste of it. The effects were not noticeable only because Green was not injured, unlike the man bleeding out in front of him. “Just a potion.”
The fierce look fell from the man's face, and tears beaded in his eyes again as he stared at the bottle. Green held it very still. The man reached for the potion but drew his hand away, letting out a quiet sob. Green still did not move. The man looked up at him, searching for something in his face, and when he didn't find it, he accepted the bottle with shaky hands. Green watched him sip at it, face screwing up at the taste, but he kept choking it down. This allowed Green the chance to wrap his wound in bandages, but that wouldn't be tolerated either.
“Don't touch me!” the man said, slapping away Green's hands.
“It needs to be treated,” he explained patiently. “That potion isn't going to work immediately.”
“How do I know you won't plunge a knife in my heart?” the man demanded.
“Why would I waste a potion on you just to do that?!” And the man had nothing to say in return. He allowed Green to bandage him.
Green took care to treat this man delicately. He had little muscle and barely any fat on him, but he wasn't emaciated. His slenderness appeared to be deliberately maintained. Not only did his clothing denote softness, but the way he gasped and whimpered whenever Green got too close to his wound said that he'd experienced little hardship. Green had never handled something so softly in his life. At last, the delicate man's wound was wrapped, bandage secured around his waist. Despite having just saved his life, the man drew away at once, covering his face with his hands, peeking at Green through his fingers, tears shining in the moonlight. The pitiful creature still let out little hiccuping sobs.
“What's your name?” Green asked, voice gentle again.
“Why do you want to know?” But the man wasn't angry anymore, just weary.
“Well,” Green sat back on his heels, “I don't want to just say 'hey, you over there!'”
The man took two full breaths before saying in the tiniest voice, “Purple.”
“Well, Purple,” Green said, “You're lucky I found you when I did because wolves roam this area. My home is nearby. I'll take you there.” But Purple shook his head sluggishly.
“You can't,” he said, blinking slowly. “I'm dangerous.”
“Sure you are,” Green said, watching Purple waver as the potion took affect. The one swallow Green had taken wouldn't do much, but Purple had finished off the bottle. He was already half asleep.
“You'll get hurt,” Purple insisted, not resisting when Green put his arms under him. “If they find out...” Purple's eyes had fallen closed now, head resting against Green's chest. “They...they won't...be happy.”
“I'll take my chances,” Green said, standing up. “Whoever these people are are going to have a tough time against a stick fighter like me.” If he was expecting a reaction to the reveal of his status as a stick fighter, he didn't get one. Purple had fallen unconscious.
Green began walking toward the cabin he shared with his friends. It was an easy walk; the cabin was close by and Purple weighed next to nothing. Before long, the light from the house shined through the trees. He had scarcely entered the ring of light in the garden when Blue burst through the front door.
“Green!” he cried. “Are you alright? What happened?” Then he saw Purple cradled against Green's chest. “Who is this?”
“Yeah,” Red said, following after Blue. “Who is that?”
Yellow came up the rear, peering down at the stranger. “Is he a nobleman?” he asked.
“His name is Purple,” Green said, walking past them. “I found him injured in the woods.” He looked down at Purple's face, relaxed in sleep. “He was frightened of me, but I gave him a potion and bandaged his wound. I'm not sure he'll be happy about it when he wakes up, though.” Green held Purple close to his body and sidled through the front door. He walked through the kitchen, past the living room, and up the stairs, his friends following him up to the second floor of the cabin. “Did you guys find anyone?”
“No,” Red said. “No one.”
“We found horse tracks by the explosion,” Blue said, “but nobody was there when we arrived.”
“No one in the fields either,” Yellow added.
“Who could've hurt him?” Blue asked, looking at Purple. “Do you thing they're still out there?”
“I don't know,” Green said, coming to his bedroom. “Could you get the door?” Blue opened the door for him, and Green stepped inside, walking around the clutter on the floor to lay Purple on his bed. He arranged him in such a way that wouldn't put any strain on his side and pulled the blanket over him. “He said that 'they' won't be happy. Whoever 'they' are.”
“Yellow and I can check the area surrounding the gulch,” Red offered. “If we see anyone, we'll give a signal.”
“Be careful,” Green said. “We don't know who we're dealing with.”
“We're always careful,” Yellow said with a grin. Green didn't see it, though, too busy staring at Purple's face.
“I'll get some salves,” Blue said.
The others exited the room, Red and Yellow going out into the woods again and Blue fetching medicinal supplies. Green took only a few more moments to stare at Purple before beginning to tidy up his bedroom. He moved his dirty clothes from the floor to his hamper, packed away his musical instruments, and put any other personal items away in their drawers. By the time he was finished, Blue returned with healing ointments. Green helped him remove Purple's blood-stained clothes and then watched him clean and dress Purple's wounds properly, never leaving the bedside. The worst of it was the tear of the flesh at his ribs, too ragged for a blade and more likely obtained from the shrapnel of the explosion, as were the cuts on his face and hands. There were no burns on his skin, he must've escaped from the blast's radius, but there were bruises everywhere, some new from the accident but most old and yellowed, on his face, his chest, his arms. One such bruise formed the distinct shape of fingers enclosing his wrist. Green had to look at these finger prints because they were easier to look at than watching Blue sew Purple's flesh back together. But at the same time, they were much harder to look at.
“It's a good thing you found him when you did,” Blue said, affixing a clean bandage around Purple's waist. “If this had gone without care for much longer, he would've died from blood loss.”
“So he'll be okay?” Green asked.
“Yeah,” Blue said, gathering up his supplies. “As long as he gets some good, hearty food in him, he'll be okay.” Purple was rather thin. If the blood loss hadn't taken him, frostbite might have. Green would've remained by his side, but he was also in need of a meal. He followed Blue down the stairs into the kitchen.
“Has Orange returned yet?” he asked.
“No,” Blue said. “I forgot to mention but we got a letter today saying that he'll be stuck at the castle for a few more weeks. Apparently the prince has been banished from the realm for some reason or another, and now everyone is scrambling for a replacement heir.” Green frowned.
“And how would Orange's presence help with that?” he said. Blue shrugged.
“I suppose they need to make sure there's no royal lineage there. Regardless, the king demanded that all his knights remain until further notice.”
“And the king gets whatever he wants as usual,” Green sighed.
“Yes, that's how it goes.”
Blue made Green eat two helpings of stew. He only needed the one bowl, but ate the second just so Blue would feel better. Green also allowed him to fuss over him, checking for injuries and smoothing a balm into a tiny cut on his hand that Green was pretty sure he'd gotten in the garden that morning.
“I'm going to check on him,” Green said, standing up and walking past Blue.
“Let him rest,” he said. “All we can do is wait now.” But Green ignored him, going up the stairs.
Purple was exactly where he'd left him an hour ago, peacefully sleeping under the covers. Green sat down on the chair next to the bed. He watched Purple breath in and out, steadily, calmly. He was in a fairer state than he'd been in before, albeit unconscious.
“You'll feel better in the morning,” Green promised. Then he stood up, leaving Purple alone.
Green stole Orange's bed for the night, it wasn't as if he was using it all the way at the castle, and spoke with the others about what could've possibly happened.
“It looked like TNT went off,” Yellow said. “I think a carriage blew up because there were bits of wood everywhere.”
“Did Purple have any burn marks on him?” Red asked, hugging one of Orange's pillows to his chest.
“Just the wound in his side,” Blue said.
“Could he have set off the TNT?” Yellow asked with a frown.
“But why would he do that?” Red countered. “There were no other people around and nothing of value to be found in the wreckage.” No one said anything for a minute, collecting their thougths.
“Didn't you say there were multiple horse tracks?” Green said after a time. “There could've been others who ran away.”
“Was he targeting someone, do you think?” Yellow furrowed his brow. "Could he have set off the TNT?" But Green shook his head.
“He had lots of old bruises,” he said. “I get the feeling it's the other way around.”
"Well," Blue let out a heavy sigh, resting his chin in his hand, “we'll have to ask him in the morning." Green scoffed.
“If he'll tell us.” He leaned back against the headboard, thinking of his first encounter with the man. “Whatever happened scared him. My gut is telling me that this was an attack on him.” The others exchanged uneasy looks.
Yellow swallowed. “Are we possibly putting ourselves in danger by harboring a dangerous criminal?”
“It doesn't matter,” Blue cut in. “He's injured, so we have to help.”
“I'm not saying we shouldn't help him,” Yellow said. “I'm just bringing potential problems to attention.”
“We'll think about this in the morning.” Green let out a yawn. “I'm tired and I want to go to bed.” The others agreed, it had gotten late, and all decided that a night's sleep was in order.
Green and Blue went to check on Purple the next morning, finding him awake and curled up on his uninjured side. When he saw them, he pulled the covers over his face.
“Please,” he whispered. “I've done nothing to you. Please don't hurt me.”
“Now, none of that,” Blue chided gently. “I just want to check your injury. The potion Green gave you should've done it's job by now.”
Purple slowly lowered the covers from his eyes, peeking up at them. He watched Blue set new bandages and things on the nightstand, and then to where Green hovered by the door. His eyes flicked back to Blue. And then back to Green.
Blue easily ducked away from the candlestick that Purple had taken from the nightstand and swung at him, and had to force Purple back down on to the bed before he could make his escape, wrenching away the candlestick and dropping it on the floor with a clunk.
“Let go of me!” Purple screamed, thrashing, but Blue had his arms pinned down. Green quickly stepped in, holding down his legs. “Let go!”
“We're not trying to hurt you,” Blue said kindly, forcing a smile. “But you're going to end up hurting yourself if you keep moving!”
“You're trying to kill me!” Purple screamed. “He sent you after me!”
“No one sent us!” Green sat across Purple's legs, helping Blue with his arms. “We're trying to help.
“Let me go! Just let me go!”
The door opened and Red waltzed in holding the cat, an enormous orange tabby. “It sounds like,” he said, “someone needs a kitty friend!” Purple stopped thrashing, instead staring in shock. He blinked.
“That is the fattest cat I've ever seen,” he stated.
“He's not fat,” Red said with a frown, holding the animal, it was a perfect circle, close to his chest. “He's husky.”
“His name is Chonk,” Green supplied, slipping on a grin.
Red approached the bed slowly, Purple following the cat with his eyes. He looked at Chonk in utter disbelief, but at least he wasn't moving around.
“Would you like Chonk to sit with you while Blue looks at your injury?” Red asked comfortingly. Purple's eyes didn't leave the cat as he nodded. Red set him by Purple's head, and Chonk got to work right away, pressing his face against the hollow of Purple's neck and purring so violently it could be heard halfway across the kingdom. Purple looked up at the ceiling, immobile. Slowly, Green and Blue released Purple's limbs.
“There's a good man,” Blue said maternally, sitting down in the chair next to the bed. Purple covered his face with his forearms, skin an embarrassed shade of red as Blue undid his wrapping. “Red,” Blue said without looking up from his task, “bring me a pitcher of water please. And Green, some breakfast for Purple. We need to fatten him up for winter.”
“I like my size just as it is,” Purple muttered. If he thought he sounded stern about this, he was mistaken, the way he covered his face so. Still, the offended tone had the corners of Green's mouth lifting as he left the room.
Green retrieved a helping of pancakes for Purple, making sure to drizzle a generous amount of syrup on it as a peace offering. When he and Red entered the room again, Purple and Blue were talking about the night before.
“Did you really not find anyone?” Purple asked. His arms were still covering his face, and Green wasn't sure if that was to hide himself from them or to hide his injury from his own eyes. But it didn't look as bad as the night before, potion having done its magic while Purple slept.
“Only the destroyed carriage,” Blue said, peeling away the last of the wraps. “Was there anyone else with you?”
Green set the plate of pancakes on the nightstand, looking down at Purple. The man seemed to be deliberating his next words.
“They were...trying to take me somewhere,” he said in a small voice. “I'm not sure where, but then...they left me. I...I don't know how the carriage exploded. I'm sorry. I don't know.” He quieted, and Blue shared a look with the other two.
“Well,” Blue said, continuing his care, “I doubt anyone will be coming for you now. It began snowing last night and—”
“What?!” Purple bolted upright, dislodging the cat as he twisted to look out the snowy window. He let out a yelp. Blue snatched the hand away that reached for his stitched side and shoved him back down on the bed.
“Lie back down,” he said firmly, keeping Purple in place by the shoulders.
“Not a fan of the cold?” Green asked with a worried look at him over Blue's shoulder.
“I'm sorry,” Purple said, trying to sit up again up on his elbows, but Blue wouldn't allow it. “I'm so sorry. I need to leave before the roads get too bad. But thank you very much for your help.” He made to sit up one last time, but didn't get very far, both Blue's and Green's hands forcing him down onto the bed.
“You're not going anywhere in your state!” Green said. “What, do you have a wife and children looking for you or something?”
“No, I just...” Purple struggled against them, trying to pull them away by the wrists but ultimately giving up. He slumped back on the bed with a sigh, and Green and Blue carefully removed their hands. Chonk resettled on the pillow and began licking Purple's hair like a newborn kitten. “I just need to get out of the kingdom.” He took a breath. “I don't like it here.”
“Ah, not to worry,” Green said, stepping back so that Blue could access the water pitcher. “We aren't technically in the Stick Kingdom anymore. The border is a few miles that way.” He pointed off in a direction that Purple didn't see, staring at the ceiling again.
“Too close.”
“Let's get you healed up,” Blue gently patted Purple's wound with a soaked cloth, “then we can make a grand escape.” Purple groaned.
“You can't escape,” Red pouted. “Not when Chonk has taken a liking to you.”
“I...I appreciate your help,” Purple was crying again, and Chonk's tongue changed trajectory, aiming for the tears that slipped down his temple, “but I can't stay. I need to get as far away from my father as possible.”
“You're father isn't going to find you here,” Green said gently. “We're so far out of the way that most of the folks in town don't even know we're here.”
“Yeah,” Red said, reaching and petting Chonk's head. He smiled. “If you need somewhere to hide, this is the best place to be!”
“Hide...?” Purple looked at him, uncertain.
“Yeah!” Red was grinning softly now. “You can stay as long as you like. We hardly ever see new faces around here anyway.”
“Well...” Purple's voice was a near whisper now. “If...it wouldn't be too much trouble. And just until my injuries are healed.”
“Of course,” Green jumped in. “But,” he looked out the snowy window, “if you need to stay longer through the winter, we're happy to accommodate.” Green was extra certain that if Purple went out in this, he would die. Aside from the small town down the road, the nearest civilization was in Macintosh, hundreds of miles away. He'd never make it.
“No,” Purple tried to shake his head, but Chonk was sitting halfway on top of it now. “Just until I heal is fine.”
“Very well,” Green said with a frown. “If you insist.”
Blue sent Green and Red away so that he could care for Purple in peace, Green grumbling that Chonk was allowed to stay.
They found Yellow in the greenhouse. Blue had tasked him with caring for the plants while he attended to Purple, and Yellow made it his mission to ensure that these plants thrived, not just because they needed to keep them through the winter but also because he wanted to keep his dear husband happy. Yellow and Blue were not legally married, that kind of thing was illegal for two men anyway, but they had made vows to each other in front of Green, Red, and Orange. They were married. And so, Yellow was caring for these plants.
“How is Purple doing?” he asked them, leaning against a table full pots and gardening tools.
“Don't worry,” Red said, holding his hands out, confidant smile on his face. “Chonk has it under control.”
“His wound looks better,” Green said, “but he might need to stay in bed for at least a week. He's all stitched up, though.”
Yellow turned away, crouching down to pick a few leaves off the medicinal plants. “Did he say anything about the explosion?”
“He said he didn't know,” Green replied. “People were trying to take him somewhere, but they were separated before the explosion happened.”
“He said he was running away from his dad,” Red added.
“And who is his dad?” Yellow asked, picking off more leaves.
“He didn't say.”
“Forget about that guy!” Green said with a scoff. “I saw those bruises on Purple, and I bet it was his dad that put them there! I say we let him stay here permanently.” Yellow looked at him, arching a brow.
“Where would we keep him?” he asked.
“I don't know.” Green shrugged, letting out a breath of exasperation as he ran his hands through his hair, mussing the loose curls. “Surely we'll figure something out. We always do.”
“Fine,” Yellow turned back to the plants. “But you're the one who has to decide where he goes.”
“Well,” Green huffed, “we can keep him in Orange's room for now.”
“While he isn't here?” Red said, frowning.
“He won't mind.” Green was sure that Orange would give Purple the shirt off his back if needed.
“Perhaps...” Red had that one look on his face. “It's just, well, what if Purple wouldn't want to impose on someone who wasn't even here to object?” he said, glancing away. “I think it would be best if I stayed in Orange's room and Purple stayed in my room.”
“You want to be in Orange's room?” Green asked with a raised eyebrow. Yellow just looked up at Red, unimpressed.
“Oh, I'm sure he won't mind me sleeping in his bed,” Red replied with a grin, giving Green a light shove on the arm. Green sighed and shook his head.
“Okay, fine,” he said. “We'll just have a big game of musical chairs with our rooms and hope that Purple doesn't think we're collectively insane.”
“Good luck with that one,” Yellow muttered, turning his full attention back to the plants. Green and Red went back into the house to share their plan with Purple and Blue.