The Four

Enrich

Einrich:

Einrich sighed wearily and almost fell over in his wagon as he completed the spell that led the last of the Four onto their new paths.

Giving it up as a lost cause, he fell backwards against the furs that he had lain there and let his mind wander back to Her. Liandra. His Liandra.

It had broken something in him to separate from her, even though he knew that he must. The fates had decreed their separation from the time man had started taking over the known world. He had put it off as long as he could, claimed that they must fight longer than they needed to, just to stay by her side but the inevitable always comes to be eventually.

Letting himself get lost in memories for a time was an indulgence he could ill afford, but he had never been wise when it came to Liandra, and he let the memories flow as his strength returned to his body.

With a sigh he eventually lifted his large frame from its prone position and hefted his body from the wagon.

Signs of the others in his party stirring brought him back to the present and he once again donned his cloak and the persona of old tinker that he had used for the last 20 years.

“Hail, Enrich!” called a young man that seemed to dog Enrich’s footsteps on every leg of their journey. He had no idea why the boy had decided to follow him around and emulate him, he was just a poor tinker trying to make it to a new town and start for all of them.

Their village had been wiped out by a flood that none but Enrich knew was anything but natural.

Turning to the boy he asked him, “Why do you follow me, boy?” he knew that he shouldn’t alienate any of these people and he wasn’t trying to, he was honestly curious and tried to let his expression show it.

At first, the boy looked offended, but seeing that Enrich’s expression was open and curious he smiled.

“Oh, I don’t know, old man, you seem more fun than the others I guess.” He smiled at Enrich and moved around him to the head of his horse.

Enrich chuckled and looked after the boy.

“Oh yes, more fun indeed, a great tottering man like me. You should find friends your own age, Ankel, they would be far more fun than I” Enrich lifted his bulk up onto the seat of his wagon, and as he seated himself he saw Ankel cringe at his words.

“No, Enrich, that is not something that I will do.” His face and voice were solemn, “Besides everyone my age, aside from me of course, are just so immature. No fun at all that.” At this second statement his voice had lightened, making it a joke.

With a final adjustment to the horse’s straps, Ankel began to climb up onto the seat next to Enrich, who now wondered what was going on in this boy’s life that he sought out the largest adult he could find and stuck to his side like glue.