While not exactly comfortable the wooden beam was as welcoming as an old friend even after all these years. With his back pressed against it and a leg pushed against the opposite one Kord had firmly wedged himself in place while his thoughts wandered. Divested of the heavy leather gloves that made up part of his armor slim fingers deftly traced letters etched into the wood and smoothed by years of repetition. Unbidden the memories came rushing forward to a time of simpler problems.
--------
~Light protect us, Light give us strength~
The day had been long, real long, and as the rumble in his stomach that threatened to drown out the evening prayers drifting up to his attic perch told him rather unproductive. Sometime in the morning he had managed to pinch half a loaf left out by a careless workman but once it had been shared round to the littles the boy had been left with only the scent to satisfy him.
~Light guide us out of darkness, even those who are blind.~
Lost in the thoughts of his stomach as only a thirteen year old boy could be he never heard the soft creak of the attic door opening nor the unsteady sounds of someone making their way over. When the hand dropped onto his shoulder it elicited a rather undignified squeak of surprise followed by a chuckle from the man the hand belonged to.
"I thought I had told you this was an unsafe place for young boys to daydream?"
Shooting the brother a glower the boy righted himself and huffed."I wasn't daydreaming...I was listening to the prayers!"
This earned him an indulgent smile. "I see, and do tell young Kordrion what were today's prayers about?"
An awkward pause followed the question.
"The light...?"
Brother Joshua smiled and shook his head "Of course it was about the light. Come, prayers have been over for a candle-mark and it is time for you to be returning." Not bothering to wait for a response the priest made his way back out and returned to his duties confident the boy would safely be on his way just as he was confident the small bagged meal left in plain sight would be gone as well when next he looked.
---------
Letting his hand drop the rogue placed his head against a the beam and finally opened his eyes. In the soft amber glow given off by his eyes, one of the gifts or curses depending on how one viewed it of being partnered with a spirit, a timeline of letters could be seen sprawling upwards slowly getting more and more refined as they went. This was his safe haven, the place where no bad could touch him and his mind could free itself to work through problems without worry. At least...that was how it had seemed. Dragging his gaze over to a corner near the door Kord could just make out the dark stain still marring the wood there. The sight brought with it a sickness in the pit of his stomach that time would never dilute and a bitter hatred that had been stirred anew in recent days.
---------
He never made it back to the Orphanage that night. Kord knew he should be careful, but the smells wafting up from the bag was too much. Despite wearing plate the two guards never made a sound as they flanked the boy until one grabbed the bag from his hands.
"What's this? a little street rat been pillaging again? We don't tolerate thieves in our city."
Letting out a cry of outrage the boy lunged for the bag only to be held back by the man's partner much to their amusement. "That's mine! given to me fair and square like."
The second guard sneered and cuffed him upside the head. "Who would be givin a rat like you anything? More like someone's going without their supper because you got greedy. Always the way aint it Gerald?"
Glancing inside the bag the first man smirked "Aint that right. Bit of roast chicken and an apple here. Too high class for the likes of you, know what we do to thieves round here boy?"
Kord didn't wait for them to finish. Jamming the small pen knife he had knicked from some swellheaded lord into the joint of the second guard's armor he lunged up grabbing the bag and took off towards the cathedral as fast as his feet would carry him. Luck was with him as nobody stopped his headlong flight for the attic though Brother Joshua paused to look up in surprise then moved to follow him.
In the official records it was classified as a tragic accident. A priest falling upon a pen knife held by a watch member as they tried to apprehend a thief who had fled to the attic and the uncertain footing on the beams within. Unofficially it was murder. The priest had stood his ground as the watch barged in after the terrified boy and even attempted to evict them from the attic. Kord would never know if the watchman had deliberately stabbed him or if it had been a reflex but the result was the same. Brother Joshua fell back clasping his chest with a shocked look and no time to even call on the light as his life faded away into the darkness.
--------
~Light protect us, Light give us strength~
The day had been long, real long, and as the rumble in his stomach that threatened to drown out the evening prayers drifting up to his attic perch told him rather unproductive. Sometime in the morning he had managed to pinch half a loaf left out by a careless workman but once it had been shared round to the littles the boy had been left with only the scent to satisfy him.
~Light guide us out of darkness, even those who are blind.~
Lost in the thoughts of his stomach as only a thirteen year old boy could be he never heard the soft creak of the attic door opening nor the unsteady sounds of someone making their way over. When the hand dropped onto his shoulder it elicited a rather undignified squeak of surprise followed by a chuckle from the man the hand belonged to.
"I thought I had told you this was an unsafe place for young boys to daydream?"
Shooting the brother a glower the boy righted himself and huffed."I wasn't daydreaming...I was listening to the prayers!"
This earned him an indulgent smile. "I see, and do tell young Kordrion what were today's prayers about?"
An awkward pause followed the question.
"The light...?"
Brother Joshua smiled and shook his head "Of course it was about the light. Come, prayers have been over for a candle-mark and it is time for you to be returning." Not bothering to wait for a response the priest made his way back out and returned to his duties confident the boy would safely be on his way just as he was confident the small bagged meal left in plain sight would be gone as well when next he looked.
---------
Letting his hand drop the rogue placed his head against a the beam and finally opened his eyes. In the soft amber glow given off by his eyes, one of the gifts or curses depending on how one viewed it of being partnered with a spirit, a timeline of letters could be seen sprawling upwards slowly getting more and more refined as they went. This was his safe haven, the place where no bad could touch him and his mind could free itself to work through problems without worry. At least...that was how it had seemed. Dragging his gaze over to a corner near the door Kord could just make out the dark stain still marring the wood there. The sight brought with it a sickness in the pit of his stomach that time would never dilute and a bitter hatred that had been stirred anew in recent days.
---------
He never made it back to the Orphanage that night. Kord knew he should be careful, but the smells wafting up from the bag was too much. Despite wearing plate the two guards never made a sound as they flanked the boy until one grabbed the bag from his hands.
"What's this? a little street rat been pillaging again? We don't tolerate thieves in our city."
Letting out a cry of outrage the boy lunged for the bag only to be held back by the man's partner much to their amusement. "That's mine! given to me fair and square like."
The second guard sneered and cuffed him upside the head. "Who would be givin a rat like you anything? More like someone's going without their supper because you got greedy. Always the way aint it Gerald?"
Glancing inside the bag the first man smirked "Aint that right. Bit of roast chicken and an apple here. Too high class for the likes of you, know what we do to thieves round here boy?"
Kord didn't wait for them to finish. Jamming the small pen knife he had knicked from some swellheaded lord into the joint of the second guard's armor he lunged up grabbing the bag and took off towards the cathedral as fast as his feet would carry him. Luck was with him as nobody stopped his headlong flight for the attic though Brother Joshua paused to look up in surprise then moved to follow him.
In the official records it was classified as a tragic accident. A priest falling upon a pen knife held by a watch member as they tried to apprehend a thief who had fled to the attic and the uncertain footing on the beams within. Unofficially it was murder. The priest had stood his ground as the watch barged in after the terrified boy and even attempted to evict them from the attic. Kord would never know if the watchman had deliberately stabbed him or if it had been a reflex but the result was the same. Brother Joshua fell back clasping his chest with a shocked look and no time to even call on the light as his life faded away into the darkness.
