The Prince and the Thief

*Twelve years later*

"He's escaped! Find him." I ran as fast as I could. I pushed through the dark forest. My father wanted to kill me. I couldn't believe it. I had just laughed at Helga last week for telling me about his plan but hearing it for myself was enough to convince me. I cringed at the loud noise of the fall leaves crunching underneath my boots. It was too loud to be running in the forest. I kept running, putting one foot in front of the other. I dared to look back. Their laterns were so close. I tripped on the root of a tree, falling face first on the ground.
"Fuck!" Pain twisted through my ankle. I closed my eyes. I should just give up. Let them take me. I wrapped my black cloak around me as the chill in the air shook my bones. I was going to die in my sleepwear. Way to be remembered Kellin. Something wet slid across my face. I opened my eyes, coming face to face with a big black dog. It had a skinny frame but a lot of height. It whined, putting its paw on my hand. It pulled on my cloak. "You want me to follow you?" The dog started walking away.
I looked towards where the laterns were creeping closer then back at the dog. What did I have to lose? I follow the dog slowly. I still had pain shooting up my ankle everytime I put pressure on my foot. It led me to a small dirt path. This was so stupid. I bet this dog was just randomly walking around and I would get stuck in the middle of nowhere.
"Soare! Ven aquí chica!" I recongized that language. That was the language the people my father use to hang used. They always cursed him. I stopped in my tracks. I didn't want to get into a fight with a gypsy. They were kind people. They didn't deserve what people called them. The dog bit down on my cloak, pulling me in the direction of the voice.
"Oh no. No way." It growled, tugging more aggressively on my clothing. "There is no way I'm getting killed tonight." It whined. I looked back at the laterns again. "I swear to god if your owner kills me, I'm haunting you." It started wagging its tail as we continued our walk. I sound like such a phyco. I was talkjn to a dog, walking towards what is said to be the most deadly people of our generation. All while runnin from my father who was trying to kill me. There was a small fire and a man sitting in a log. The dog tackled it's owner.
"Soare. Yo estaba buscando para usted. ¿A dónde fuiste? Perro travieso. Usted ha hecho que yo me preocupe." The dog pulled on his sleeve. "¿Qué es?" It ran towards me. When he looked up, his smile disappeared. He looked about my age with tan skin and long brown hair. And a gigantic knife in his hand. I backed up, panicking.
"Wait! I just need help." I pulled the cloak back to show I had no weapons. "I just followed your dog."
"What happened to your foot?"
"I twisted it. Running away from people who want to hurt me." He stepped towards me, lowering the knife. He looked my body up and down. I felt my cheeks grow warm.
"How skinny are you?"
"What?"
"Listen if the ones with the fire are after you, I would suggest to stop stalling and answer my question."
"I'm pretty skinny." He grabbed ahold of my arm, leading me towards the log he had once been sitting on.
"Good. Crawl in." I sighed but obeyed him. He poked his face through on the other side where my face was now. I fit in this log and thanks to my shortness, I had enough room that my feet weren't poking out. "Don't come out unless I say it's safe, got it?" I nodded. He disappeared and I felt a weight on the middle of the log. Soare, I think that was the dog's name, sat in front of the entrance of the log where my feet where. I could just feel her presence. I heard the crashing of heavy footsteps as the men who were chasing me approached the fire.
"You! Gypsy scum. Have you seen a boy who came through here?"
"You are the only people to disturb my peace. No, I did not see a boy."
"How are we suppose to believe liars and theifs?" I swear I could hear his teeth grinding together. I waited for anything to happened but I was just met with silence.
"Larga vida a los muertos." He whispered.
"What the he-" The chaser who was speaking was cut off my the pounding of footsteps. I watched a butch of tan bare feet run towards the fire and the sound of someone getting beaten to a plump. The man I first talked to appeared in my line of sight. He was frowning. It didn't suit his face very well.
"You may come out now." As soon as I squeezed out of the log, he offered me his hand to take. I gladly accepted the offer, feeling his warm skin brush against mine. I have never had this my fascination with another boy. Beside the one I met when I was younger.
"Thank you." He smiled even though it didn't quite reach his eyes. Those eyes. They were so brown and plain but held little gold flakes inside them. They held curiosity. I felt like I knew those eyes. A woman came up to the boy and pushed him back full force.
"Un forastero? Tú arriesgaste nuestra misión para esto!" A older man held her back. "Usted podría habernos matado!"
"No hice nada malo! Tú que poco-"
"Children! Stop fighting!" My head was spinning with the switch from languages. I looked at what seeme to be the elder o the group right now. He was looking disapprovingly at the woman and the boy. "Camela. You know better than to use your native tongue around an outsider."
"But Anciano-" He cut her off with a wave of his cane. He looked to be seventy years old. What was he doing out here? He was dressed in dark colors just like the rest were right now.
"Respect those older than you." He didn't scold the boy who saved me. Instead he walked in front of me. His wrinkled face squished up when he smiled at me and for some reason, I found it adorable. I just wanted to hug and squeeze him like a giant teddy bear. I wiped those thoughts out of my head. "What's your name young one?" I looked at the group around me. There is three strong women and five males. Hopefully my dad shoving me out of the limelight would pay off and they didn't know who I was.
"Kellin."
"Kellin what?" He would definatly know who I was if I used my father's lay name, Bostwick. I decided to go with my middle name.
"Quinn. Kellin Quinn."
"Why were those men after you Kellin?" I shifted on my feet awkwardly. He leaned against his cane, offering me another warm smile. How could people say they were heartless savages? If they were savages, I'm pretty sure my heart would be ripped out or I would be raped.
"They were trying to kill me."
"Why?"
"I would rather not talk about it." He nodded.
"I see. Do you have a place to live?"
"No."
"Mierda!" The same woman as before spoke.
"Camela."
"I'm just saying. Look at the way he's been pampered." They all looked over me.
"She's right." The boy who saved me piped in. He was looking my body over again. "He looks like he has never worked a day in his life. The only thing that gives him into a bad life is how he's been starved and beaten." I uncomfortably pulled my cloak tighter around my body. There was no way he could know that. I had everything hidden.
"Can we keep him?" A girl with blonde hair and fiery eyes stared jumping up in down.
"He is not a mutt Jenna." The boy scolded her. She stuck out he bottom lip, pouting. The elder stroked his beard in his hand.
"Jenna might be on to something." She threw her fist up in the air. The boy rolled his eyes. "Kellin. Would you like to come live with us?" My jaw dropped.
"With gypsies? I thought outsiders weren't allowed."
"And that we murdered them and paint our walls with their blood. We have heard the stories." I frowned at the boy dismissing me.
"I never believed that part. My mom always told me such wonderful stories about your group." I saw the curiosity lite like wildfire in his eyes.
"I say we keep him." He kept his gaze locked with mine. "He interests me. Soare seems to have taken a liking to him too." I looked at the black dog sitting by my side. The elder turned to the boy.
"Él mira asustada. Cuidado con él. Enséñele nuestros caminos y nuestra lengua."
"Yes Anciano."
"Let's go home children." The boy came to my side, signaling for me to follow by nudging my arm. We were the last two hanging back.
"How good is your English?" He raise an eyebrow. I mentally smacked myself. "I didn't mean it like that. I swear." My panic subsided when I saw the twitch of his lips. He was trying not to smile. I groaned.
"My English is fine." He stated matter-a-factly.
"Why does he call you children?"
"He is our elder. The oldest man in our village. He considers us all his children. We are all a family." He looked down at my leg. "Do you wish for me to carry you?" His English sound so proper. Like he had read it out of a book.
"No. I'm fine." Soare nudged my hand with it's nose. "Thank you for the offer though."
"You are most certainly welcome. Soare..." He pointed to the dog. "She does not usually take to other men. She tends to stay by my side and the sides of the children at our camp."
"Why does she like me?" The fire came back into his eyes as he stared at me for a minute.
"She senses I find interest in you." We walked a couple minutes in silence. "It is odd but I feel as if we have met before." I mentally agreed with him. We past through a vine covered gate. I still couldn't see anything because of the darkness. The peop I was with used the moon as their light. Once past the gates, the boy took ahold of my hand and led me to a small caravan. He opened the door. "You will take my bed tonight." I looked in the room. It definantly had enough space to fit two beds but there was only one.
"Where are you going to sleep?" He gave me a small smile, pointing up in the trees. "No. Why can't we share the bed?" He looked at the ground.
"I do not have permission. Unwed people are not allowed to be alone or sharing a home without the elder's consent. I will get it tomorrow and we may find another bed to move in here."
"Why are you being so nice to me?" In my mind I was waiting for a heartfelt response that would get my pulse to quicken.
"I was told to look after you. Teach you everyday life, languages, and rules."
"So I'm an order?" His face scrunched up in confusion.
"No. You are family." I felt it. The jolt of my heart skipping a beat at his words.
"Are you sure you don't want your bed?" He shook his head.
"Goodnight Kellin."
"Goodnight,er....." I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. "I never got your name." He smiled.
"It is Vic." Something inside me made my body feel like someone just ignited my body. That sound so familiar.
"Goodnight, Vic." I curled under his covers after taking my cloak off. I wonder why that name made my head start to hurt. Maybe I just needed rest. I've had a long day.