"Feck yer path" (Ledgic)

“Feck yer path”

“Don’ ye come in ta’ feckin’ late boy! Ye’ve got an early start t’morrow!” yelled Kaden as he watched Ledgic walk past him and open the door.

Ledgic turned and looked over his shoulder, glaring at his father in anger.

“Oh, wha’s this boy? ‘e’s thirteen now, wife! ‘e thinks ‘e’s a man!” laughed Kaden.
“Piss off, ye washed up ol’ twat” muttered Ledgic as he stepped out of their home, slamming the door behind him.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he walked across the village, hearing the usual laughing and sneering from the other kids his age, it was always the same, all of them thinking he was some sort of useless piece of trash.

They weren’t wrong, even Ledgic could see that, for a Caan, he was pretty pathetic. Even now, despite the beatings he received as a child, he refused to lift a hand to any of them, always saying how he would not fight.

“Mebbe I should start figh’in’, tha’d stop ‘em friggin’ laughin’.. but wha’ th’eck do any of ‘em know? They don’ see inside tha’ ‘ouse, none of ‘em” he thought as he moved at a quicker pace, heading for the outskirts of the village, a small barn the Caan’s used to store a small amount of cattle and an armoury of weapons.

He smirked as he looked up at it and continued walking, turning a corner to the side of the barn that faced away from the village and sat down slowly. He lifted his shirt and looked down at the poor stitching and bruising that surrounded his latest scar. He was slowly learning how to stitch himself up.

He dropped his shirt as he heard foot steps coming from the direction he had walked. He closed his eyes and listened to them, nodding to him self.

“Barefoot” he muttered as he opened his eyes and leant his head back against the decaying wooden wall, only looking up as a young girl peered around the corner, a tattered book held in her hand.

“Oh, yer ‘ere n’ all eh? S’pose I should guessed, yer always ‘ere” she muttered as he walked past him and sat down beside him.

“’scuse me, I’m pretty sure I was th’one t’show ye this lil’ spot” he said with a slight smirk as he peered at the book in her hand.

“A new one, eh?” he muttered as he turned his head away again, his gaze moving through the trees in front of them.

“Mm, snagged it outta some cart tha’ came past yesterday” she muttered as she opened it.
Ledgic smirked as he peered at her again for a moment, something catching his eye as he moved to peer out into the forest again.

“Yer toe’s bleedin’, Vale’” he muttered as he nudged her.

Vale lifted her gaze from the book to peer down at her right foot, she shrugged a little as she saw her big toe bleeding and returned to the book, turning the page. She stopped for a moment, watching as Ledgic ripped some of the cloth from his shirt and leant down, tying the cloth tightly around her toe.

“The feck y’doin’ touchin’ me’ foot?” she said angrily.

Ledgic leant back up after checking he’d tied the cloth tightly enough and turned, looking at her. “Y’don’ wan’ shi’ gettin’ in a cut like tha’, can get nasty” he muttered as he looked away from her and fixed his eyes on the woodland in front of them again.

“Like ye’d know, ‘ead ‘ouse boy” she mocked as he looked back into her book.

Ledgic smirked slightly, his fists clenching as he closed his eyes and let out a quiet sigh.

“Aye, sure” he muttered.

--

Ledgic opened his eyes and put his hands behind his head, it was pitch black, the wolves were howling in the woods surrounding the village. Ledgic knew what the morning would bring, he was seventeen and he’d had enough, he’d walk out on this village in the morning and make his own path.

Was he dreaming about Vale out of guilt? He wondered about that as he closed his eyes again and slipped off into a deep sleep.

--

“So, I reckon I got all th’words down now” said a sixteen year old Vale as she grinned at Ledgic.

“Y’know, it’s funny. We’ve been comin’ n’ sittin’ roun’ ‘ere since I was eleven, an’ na’ once ‘ave we ever spoken abou’ real stuff, s’always jes been us takin’ the piss outta each other, y’ever wondered wha’ it’d be like t’ave a proper talk?” said Ledgic as he peered at Vale with an eyebrow raised.

“Feck y’talkin’ abou’? S’gotten inta’ ye?” she replied as she closed her book.

“Well, I migh’ not always be aroun’” he muttered.

“Don’ tell me yer still thinkin’ on all tha’ leavin’ rubbish? C’mon Led, y’know the feckin’ drill. We ain’ goin’ nowhere, we can’t go nowhere” said Vale as she shook her head and opened the book again.

“Even if I’d wan’ ta” she murmured quietly.

“S’na impossible” said Ledgic as he stood up and looked down at her.

“If we wan’ ou’, we can get ou’”

--

Ledgic shot up in his bed and wiped some sweat from his brow, the howling of the wolves had stopped, to be replaced by the light sound of birds.
He turned his head and peered out of the cracks in the wood that covered his broken windows, the sun had risen a fair way, he’d over slept.

“Piss, feck n’ arse. So much fer leavin’ quietly” he muttered as he swung out of bed and walked across the room, slowly beginning to put his crude leather armour on.

Today was the day, the day he’d finally be free of a village he hated, full of people he hated. There was the lingering sense of guilt, the thought of just leaving Vale behind with people that treated her as they treated him… but he had to get out, he couldn’t stay here anymore.

He sheathed two poorly kept daggers on his belt and buckled them in, letting out a deep sigh, before walking towards the door to his room and pulling it open. This was the day he would have to let go of all the fear he had for the people of this village, he had to drop even more restraint than he had in the past.

Ledgic had grown sick of being beaten on and had taken it upon himself three years ago, to start fighting back, which he had managed successfully. Even his own father struggled to contain him, which brought a slight sense of pride for him.

Ledgic walked down the stairs slowly, his mother and father were sat in the kitchen, eating loudly. He stopped at the table and reached across the table, picking up a chunk of the bread that sat on a dusty plate in the middle of the table.

“Did ye earn that?” growled Kaden as he looked up at Ledgic.
“Get stuffed old man, I’m gonna be needin’ somethin’ t’eat” he said with a smirk.
“I’m leavin’, ye won’ be seein’ me again” said Ledgic as he turned and headed for the door.

He stopped in his tracks at the sound of a chair flying back and hitting one of the cupboards, Ledgic swiftly turned on his heels, catching the fist of his father and clenched his hand around it.
“No son o’ mine is goin anywhere!” shouted Kaden.
“This is yer fault, Kaden. An’ fer wha’ it’s worth, I ‘ope ye rot” said Ledgic as he dropped the bread from his other hand and forcefully punched Kaden in the stomach, grinning widely as he watched the man that had spent fifteen years beating him to within an inch of death, fall to the ground near his feet.

He looked down at Kaden, continuing to grin and savour the moment, the only true piece of Caan blood within him was showing now, taking pleasure in the pain of someone else.

“Yer pathetic, a feckin’ child beatin’ sack o’ shit. Don’ come lookin’ fer me, Kaden, don’ even think abou’ chasin’ me. I’m doin’ ye a favour, lettin’ ye live” said Ledgic as he lifted his head and extended a fist forcefully, catching the previously charging mother on the nose.

He watched with no remorse as she slid down onto the ground, both of her hands clasped to her face.

“An’ yer no better” he said as he spat on the ground between the two of them and turned around, opening the front door and walking away from the house.

Kaden lifted his head and watched as Ledgic walked further and further into the distance, his vision blurring, showing him something else, another boy walking, it was if he had seen this before.

“First… Iriden an’ now Ledgic” he whispered to himself before fainting, his face thudding against the hard ground.

Ledgic peered around him, there were several people charged with guarding the village at all hours of the day, the Caans weren’t exactly peaceful and there was often people looking to take their revenge on them, so Ledgic knew he’d have a few stops to make before he was free and clear.

“Oi, Led, stop” said a man as he dropped out from a tree and landed in front of Ledgic.
“Y’know y’can’t pass this poin’ unless we’re goin’ out on an ‘unt, gotta keep the borders clear y’feckin’ dimwitted pri-!” started the man, however, before he was able to finish, he was unfortunately interrupted.

Ledgic stood and held his dagger in the heart of the man for a moment, watching as he desperately tried to pull away.

“L-Ledgic, the feck y’ do-“ the man’s words drifted off as he fell limp on the edge of Ledgic’s blade, which was swiftly yanked from his body.

Ledgic took one last look at the man and charged off, deeper into the woods, he was forced to run now, he knew it wouldn’t be long before someone found that scout dead on the grass.
“Ledgic!” came a yell from behind him, the body had been found far quicker than he had expected.

Ledgic ran into a clearing and dived into a thick bush, peering out of it as three more Caan’s landed on the dusty ground.

“So th’kids tryin’ t’make a run fer it eh?” said one of them.
“Well, it ain’ like we ain’ seen it comin’, lil’ cry baby prick ‘e is” said another.
“Eh, didn’ ‘e kick yer arse a couple o’ days back fer callin’ ‘im tha’?”
“Shut yer trap, I ‘ad dust in me’ eye, I told ye tha’ ‘a’ready!”
“Dust, righ’, yeh”

Ledgic shook his head a little and used the opportunity to jump upwards out of the bush, towards the three men. He drew both of his daggers and flung himself towards the first man, stabbing the jagged pieces of metal into his throat, before ripping them out with a sickening rip.

Ledgic let out a small growl as one of the other men stabbed him in the thigh. Ledgic responded by spinning on the spot and stabbing the man in the back with both his blades. The third looked at him before jumping over him, in an attempt to run back to the village to warn the others of what was going on.

Ledgic turned and followed his movements, launching one of his daggers through the air and smirking as it pierced the back of his neck and watched as he fell to the floor.

Ledgic turned and began to walk, yanking the dagger from his thigh and sheathing it in the place of his thrown dagger. He walked further and further into the forest, waiting for the last scout group to pop out, these were usually the toughest and he knew he’d be in for a fight.

“I’ve gotta win, I ‘ave t’get outta this place!” he kept thinking, the very thought of freedom pushing him and further and further towards his goal.

He stopped in his tracks as a woman walked out of the darkness and stood in front of him. She was dressed in a few leathers, yet the majority of the “armour” she wore was still comprised of various cloths.

“Ledgic, th’feck are ye doin’?” she muttered as she lifted her gaze from the floor to look at him.

“I’m leavin’, I told ye I would, Vale” he replied.
“Leavin’? Jes like tha’? Ye think it’s tha’ easy, Led? Ye think they’ll jes let ye go?” she said angrily.

“Na’, I don’. I’ve already killed four of ‘em jes getting’ this far” he said, wiping some blood from his face.
“Led’, ye can’t jes leave. Who’s gonna take over when Kaden dies? Who’s gonna keep us t’gether?”

“This place don’ need a leader, it needs t’be friggin’ saved. But I clearly ain’ the one t’do it, Vale. So I’m leavin’, theres boun’ t’be a better life ou’ there fer me. Bein’ stuck in this shi’ole ain’ gonna get me no’where in life” said Ledgic as he stepped towards her, standing right in front of her.

“Come wit’ me” he said, looking at her defiantly.
“I ain’ gonna do tha’, s’na wha’ a Caan is” she muttered, her tone becoming slightly more enraged.
“Ye should stay, they’ll ‘unt ye down n’ kill ye an’ I… well, I don’ wan’ tha’ t’appen” she said as she pushed him away from her.

“Fer the record, I respect ye a lo’, yer like me, yer differen’. Don’ ever stop readin’ those books, Vale, s’jes not ye t’end up like this lot. I’ll miss ye” he muttered before dashing off at high speeds into the dark.

Vale clenched her fists and stared at the ground, stomping on it once in anger.

He was gone.

Oooh, moar,moar!

“Feck yer path”

Part II

It had been four days since Ledgic escaped the Caan village; he had been resting up just outside a village in Westfall, preparing himself for any challenges that may lie ahead. He couldn’t wrap his head around what he felt after leaving, there was definitely relief but with that relief came guilt. He slowly sat himself down and leant back against a tree, he was still dressed in the shoddy leathers he had left in, having had no time to bring anything else. He pulled his knees closer to his chest and rested his elbows on them, pressing both of his palms against his forehead.

He knew exactly why he was feeling guilty and he knew that he shouldn’t. Vale had been adamant in her choice to remain in the village, she had even gone as far as try to convince him to remain, that he would one day have to lead the Caans in their ways. He took his hands away and wrapped his arms around his knees, growling slightly.

Lead them? How ridiculous was that, all he had wanted to do since he was a small child was get away from that place, the village that had made him something he didn’t want to be. He looked to his left, looking at the exit he had used to leave the woods; he had squeezed his way out through some pretty thick woodland in an attempt to throw any pursuers off his trail.

He wasn’t stupid, he was certain that they’d follow him. In the history of the village, nobody had ever made it out of there and survived for more than a week. Ledgic had listened to his father yelling about how important it was to remember the clan, the bloodline.

“Wha’ a load o’ bullshi’” he muttered to himself as he slowly stood up, taking a final glance at the woods. “I’m na’ ever gonna regret this… gonna miss ye though, Vale” he thought as he turned and walked away, beginning to make his way further into Westfall.

As he walked over the flowing dead fields of Westfall, he stuffed his hands into his pockets, trying to take his attention away from the constant cracking of the ground beneath his feet. It seemed ironic to him that the first place he would see outside of the village would be a place like this. He took in his surroundings, peering in different directions with each step.

“S’all sa… dead” he thought as he frowned slightly. He had stepped out of woodland filled with death to walk into a dead land. He took his hands from his pockets as he came to a steep hill and began to climb it, digging his fingers firmly into the hard ground, squinting his eyes slightly as the ground turned to dust from the impact.
He continued to climb until he reached the flat top of the hill and stood up, lifting an arm to shield his eyes from the glaring sun. He could see at least three villages from this point; he would have to make himself some gold.

The smallest of the villages was only a short walk from the hill he stood upon. Smoke flowed from some chimneys, he watched as people walked through the thin streets, carrying meat and hay. It was definitely a small farming village, he knew that much.
“’ow th’feck d’I speak t’folk roun’ there? Eh… jeez, I didn’ think all this through” he said before smirking to himself. It was true that he hadn’t thought of anything beyond getting away from the Caans but he didn’t care. He was a survivor and he would never give up, he had promised himself that many years ago.

Ledgic dashed across the hilltop and jumped off the edge, skidding down the hill at high speed, a wide smirk plastered across his face. This was what he had dreamt of for as long as he could remember, he was free. No Caans, no murder, no blood and no “destiny”. He skidded to a halt as he reached the bottom of the hill and took a few steps forward. He lifted his arms and folded them, taking a good look at the village. It really was as small as he thought but there were several houses and a few other buildings.

“Time fer a bit o’ adventure!” he thought as his lips formed a smirk. He walked forward and stepped into the village, turning his head at the sound of a voice.

“Well, good mornin’ there!” said an old man as he walked towards Ledgic. “What business do you have here then?”
“Well, eh… I’ve come ‘ere lookin’ fer work, sorta ‘omeless at th’mo” said Ledgic as he stuffed his hands in his pockets, doing his best to look misfortunate.

The old man stroked his beard for a moment and looked Ledgic up and down. “What’s with all the leather, lad? You look like you’re going to war” he said as he gestured at Ledgic’s clothing. Ledgic blinked and looked down at himself and sighed slightly at the armour.

“Uh… yeah, well. This was all I ‘ad left, y’know? Ain’ ‘ad much luck lately” he said as he looked back at the old man. “I can do pretty much anythin’ though, ‘ard worker y’know” he said with a slight shrug. The old man nodded and pointed towards a lumber farm at the edge of the village.

“Head there lad, tell the bloke Greg sent you. He’ll give you some work, I hope you like manual labour!” he said with a slight chuckle afterwards. Ledgic nodded and walked away, peering at people and buildings as he moved through the village. It didn’t look like they had much going on, the village was pretty run down. He turned his eyes away from a particularly decrepit building and stopped as he reached the lumber mill.

He stepped through a small gate and approached a rather large man. Ledgic wasn’t used to seeing overweight people, so it came as quite a shock to him. He smirked slightly and spoke to the man, before being directed to the place he’d be staying. He walked over to a long building and stepped inside. He raised an eyebrow as he saw a room full of beds.

“Well, sa’ much fer privacy” he thought as he stepped towards a vacant bed and sat on it and started slowly unclipping pieces of armour. It didn’t matter that he was stuck in a dead place or that he’d be spending his days chopping wood. Today he could finally say that he was free and that he’d make his own way in the world, not only that but he’d do it his way.

He stood up and set his chest armour down on the bed and looked to the tattered vest that he wore beneath it, pulling it to the side for a moment and simply stared at the branded crest of the Caans. He covered it with a sigh and clenched his fists; it was going to stay with him for the rest of his life, wasn’t it?

So much for freedom.