Muddy rivules spatter Toby's legs, turning his newish pants an odd brownish color. His face, already thin, is almost gaunt, bony and pale. And a chill drizzle weeps down steadily, turning his shirt to a sodden lump. He stands, motionless, across the road from the guard and watches.


Where, oh where has Elias's cap gone? Such a neat boy shouldn't lose things like that. Such a good boy shouldn't be out on nights like tonight.

Brown hair is plastered to his skull, and there is a cloth wrapped bundle in his hands. A sniff, and a sneeze. "When will it stop raining, Toby?" will have to pass as a greeting.


"Dunno." Toby lifts a shoulder. "Where y'going?" he asks incuriously, glancing at the bundle and then returning his gaze to the breeeguard's building.

The other boy ducks his head, water drizzling down his nose. "Was gonna visit Thorn, bring him some real food. You?"


Toby's glower intensifies. Were it of corporeal and the building not drenched with rain, the wood posts might well burst into flame. "Wanted to see him," he says flatly. "But they won't let me in."


"I think they're mad, somethins goin' on, I think." The younger lad shrugs, "If they didn' let you in, I don' think they'll let me."


"Mad.." it is a whisper, no less than a whisper. "I want to see him," he repeats, in the same tone - rage that is frozen into nonexpression. "See what he thinks now."


"What he thinks about what?" Elias asks quietly, he unwraps the bundle carefully.


"Doing me like that." There is hurt beneath the anger, but it is deeply buried and not easily seen. "Taking off with that horse and leaving me to get all th'blame. I'd a done it ifn' he asked, but he didn't even ask me!" It is a measure of the unconscious trust he places in his friend that these words are even spoken, no matter if in the heart of fury.


Elias ducks his head a bit, and looks back at the guards. "I don' think he had a lot of time to think about it, you know?"


"He were there, talking to me," Toby insists stubbornly. "Before."


"But one don', you know, borrow a horse if one has a lot of time to go lookin' for someone." Elias points out, "An' I'm sure he woulda went to you if he coulda found you."


Toby grunts. "He coulda said it then.. instead he leaves off like that and' I get in all the trouble fer it. I hope he rots in there." He snarls the last words vindictively.


"He woulda if he coulda. That man was chasin' him, you know." Elias insists stubbornly. "An' maybe he didn' wanna get you wrapped up in it."


Toby's face is hard and uncompromising. "Well, I got wrapped up in it," he says. "Got blamed fer it whether I done it or not, so I might's well've done something."


"But he didn' know that you were gonna get blamed, how could he? He's real smart, but he ain't everywhere." Elias points out.


"Well, I wanna see," Toby says. "I wanna see f'myself and they still won't let me in. I'm gonna wait until nobody's around and sneak in."


Elias looks down at Toby's words, "If you have to, maybe they jus' won't let you in 'cause it is after dark, an' then you won't have to sneak in."


Toby slides Elias a sideways glance before his eyes return like magnets to the dark building, with its outlines of inner light. "Mebbe," he says shortly.