#ardynyesconweek

"Where are we going?", the young Master asked with utmost curiosity as he tied his curly hair back when it kept getting in the way, then put his hat on again. He had never seen his friend and Shield like this. Somewhat restless. Somewhat emotional. He couldn't even bring himself to make a snarky remark or anything the like, the overall feeling was just too strange.

The city was loud even at night and all the sounds were booming in their heads. The Shield looked back over his shoulder, jaw tense and fists clenched. "I will introduce you to a spot I frequent."

He didn't know where that resolve had suddenly come from. The young Master tried to understand what could have caused such determination in the other but he could not explain it. When the other had reacted rather harshly to another of his teasings he knew something was wrong. They never got mad at each other, always softened their arguments with sarcasm or laughter. But this time the Shield had just walked out only to come back half an hour later telling his Master to follow. So of course he did. Something was wrong that day.

It's not like they were the typical servant and master anyway, his father would keep scolding him for being so casual with the staff. Not that he cared.

 He was so lost in thought that he almost fell down a set of stairs, not having paid attention to  where his Shield was leading him and the onl  y   thing that kept him from falling was a hand tightl  y grasping his upper arm. "Watch where you're going", the Shield mumbled and he licked his lips before walking down the long stairs and rounding one more corner. "Here we are."

The young Master needed a moment to take the scene in. There was an artificial stream with stony paths on both sides before the big walls came up to separate the city and this place in a way. Little lights were placed along the paths like will-o'-wisps shedding just enough light onto the calmly running water. As he took a step closer, slowly, amazedly, he could make out fish the length of his arm trying to swim upstream. How deep the water was, he couldn't tell. But it had something calming to him. Putting his heart at ease.

"What do you think?", the Shield's familiar voice got through to his conscious and he turned around to find the light illuminating him in a way that made him look surreal. Like he was a ghost himself. "What does this place make you think?"

"It's…calm. Mysterious in a way", he mumbled quietly putting one feet in front of the other when the Shield started walking alongside the river with deep breaths and his eyes closed. "What is this place?"

"A place of many secrets." The Shield let his fingers run across the stones almost wistfully. " Where adventures start quietly. Where lovers meet in the shadows, whispering to one another. Speaking of foolish fantasies about finding a better life. A place of memories."

He watched the young man's back, relaxed like he had never seen him before yet tense in a way. They were so far away from the manor. "Are they your memories?"

The Shield turned around with eyes so dark yet sparkling in the light of the will-o'-wisps. "Not directly. The memories of a memory, maybe." He looked nostalgic, eyes wanderning as he drew deep breaths.

The young Master couldn't quite believe the man in front of him was the same as the one who would scold him every other day. Get on his nerves without ever actually being a pain. It felt strange to see him this vulnerable. He was human too, of course he had his own pain to carry. But to think he might display it just like this in front of him…It made him feel special and he lowered his voice playing with his scarf. "Why did you bring me here?"

"Who knows?" He turned his back again, crouching down by the edge of the small stream and dipping his fingers into the cool water, then his entire hand. "A will to have someone remember this place? Remember my past?" He raised his hand again watching the water drops trickle down his arm. "A try to make the memories hurt less?"

The young Master sighed before settling down next to his Shield, no, his friend. "They say time takes away the pain."

"But how much time has already passed? I wish I could just forget."

"Now, don't say that. If a memory has turned bad all you have got to do is write a new one. Let go of the past and hold on to the present. It takes you places."

The Shield hummed quietly, the water having dried on his skin in the warm breeze of the night. The will-o'-wisps started talking in whispers. Worries. Wonders. Memories. The man could feel them in the air, thickening it to the point where one could suffocate paying too much attention to them. Heavy but calming. Melancholic.

He turned to look at his friend, proud to be trusted with the sight of all this. He liked it more than he would admit.

"What if the present is moving too fast?", the other mumbled meeting the eyes of his young Master, staring at them with a slight hopelessness. He would not have that. He would not see his friend like this. He remembered the words his brother had told him once before when they were children. It seemed so long ago now.

"Then I'll hold on to you. There's no leaving you behind, you do know that?"

"You…" They stared at each other for a bit longer until his friend decided he had showed enough and rose to his feet. The young man just hoped he had found the right words. He did not know what was going on but it was a game he was usually rather good at. Still he felt like something was missing, something he should have said. The Shield was about to say something but he beat him to it.

"You are my only friend."

He stood up as well, focusing on the eyes of his friend. His only friend. "Just know that I value you a lot. So don't keep it all to yourself. There's nothing you could do or say that I would not forgive." He looked around, slightly shy upon seeing the surprise on the other's face. The little lights danced on the water when one of the fish made the surface ripple. Swimming along to wherever the stream might take it. "You have me, so you don't have to be alone with all those memories."

"You don't know how good it feels to hear you say that." His friend took a deep breath and the young Master was sure he could see something glisten in his eyes when they smiled at each other. He shook his head tugging at the brim of his hat.

"Trust me. I do."

The will-o'-wisps kept sighing.

A place where adventures start quietly. Where lovers meet in the shadows, whispering to one another.

A place where friends begin to understand what it means to hold on.