For the first time in his life, he wished that the fields were bigger. Or that the grain was higher. Two men on their horses were chasing after them. 

"What...do...they...want?" Asked his father. Casin didn't know the answer to that question, but it seemed unwise to stop with running and ask. 

"Don't know, but I think nothing good." They left the field behind them and run towards Apple forest, there were places where they could hide. Casin still dragging his father with him found a little gape, it was the same gape that Morgana, and he used when they were children during hide-and-seek. None of the other children found them, it was also in this gape that he discovered his magic. Casin hold a finger to his lips, signaling his father to keep quiet.

"Where are they?" They were close, too close for Casins liking.

"No idea, let's go back to that village and fry that witch." Casin frowned, he knew that voice. It was the man that was in the tavern last night. He was the one who called Claricia a witch. The next thing Casin heard was the sound of hooves riding away. Casin gathered all his courage to look, they were gone. But he was still not at ease, in place of the heat that he felt before those men chased after them,  he felt a cold washing away over him. The cold he normally felt when somebody was crying their heart out after a death or in a hopeless situation.

"They are attacking the village." He said without thinking, his father looked at him.

"Casin, those man said something about a witch. Do you know more about this?" Casin looked at his father. Was this the point in time when he needs to tell him the truth.

"Pops, now is not the time. We need to go and get mother into safety." Casin turned around, and want to turn around. 

"Son, please?" 

"Pops, they were talking about Madam Donnet- Châtaigne, she predicted the death of the king last night."  Casin saw how his father was busy trying to figure out how to react. But the cold was clinging to him, and he had the feeling that he could drown in the sorrow. "Pops, we really need to go." Again he wanted to run away, but his father's voice kept him in place.

"That means that Morgana is also a magic user, and so are you." Casin lowered his head. 

"Yes, I am. The whole reason of me staying in town was that Madam Donnet- Châtaigne was teaching me how to control my magic. But I really need to go now, I want to know if mother is safe."

"And if Morgana is safe." Added his father and Casin was glad that his father didn't ask further. Both of them run through the forest to their village. Carefully they crapped towards their house, Casin grabbed his father by the arm.

"Wait, mother is not in the house." His father looked at him straight in the eye.

"Is this a magic thing?" Casin nodded, but there was no time to explain this to his father. Casin closed his eyes, but he couldn't feel his mothers' emotion. But that those not mean that she is... He didn't dare to think about it. It was just the limit on his magic, there were too many emotions running through each other. He is just not able to pick up his mothers' signature, nothing more or less. "She was going to the market today, maybe she is still there." His father's voice brought him back to the here and now.

"Let's go there, but let's try to be as invisible as possible." His father nodded, and they left the safety of the forest.

*****

Casin was leaning against a wall, he made himself as small as possible. Like he did when he was a child. The small ally where he was in overlooked the market, and he wished he had not so good of view.

"I do not see your mother anywhere." His father who was squatting behind him whispered. Casin nodded. 

"I can't feel her either. There are too many emotions." He looked over his shoulder, he could see the questions in his eyes. But those questions need to wait.

"Can you make use invisible or something?" Casin wanted to smile so badly, but instead he shook his head. 

"No, that is only the power of the Nameless God has. But I am able to go look for her, the only catch is that I have to go there alone." His father shook his head.

"That is out of the question." Casin expected this much. 

"Then stay close, and we can use our tools as weapons if we need to." His father agreed with this plan. They run away from their hiding spot towards the market. The stalls were completely destroyed, the merchandise lay on the ground. Together with various villagers and merchants, some had been only unconscious others had more serious injuries. Casin looked at their faces, but after he and his father had sourced the inter market without being seen, still they didn't find the one person they were looking for.

"Where could she be?" That was the question on both their minds. 

"Duck." Said his father, and he pulled Casin behind one of the stalls. The men on their horses entered the market square.

"That witch and her family are nowhere to be found!"

"Did you found that man who carried her home. He can provide us with some answers." Casin peaked above the stable, he saw one of the man shaking his head.

"No sire. We got from a local his address, but all we found was his mother." Casin felt his blood run cold, they were in his parent's home, and they had only found his mother. He looked at his father who probably had the same thing on his mind.

"Well source this cursed village again, burn it to the ground if you have to. Nobody kills are king and lives to tell the tale." Casin bit on his lip, so the king was death. Claricia's prediction was true to the letter. The sound of hooves running through the streets, was very much the same as thunder. 

"They left, let's go and source the house." Said Casin to his father, who slowly nodded.

"When we are there..." His father gasped for air, and maybe for some extra strength. "I will go in there alone, I don't want you to see..." Again he gasped for air and Casin knew what his father meant. He simply put his hand on his father's shoulder and nodded. Nothing more was needed. The two men ran back to the ally and through the hidden streets of this village they ran towards their house. Casin sucked in his breath when he saw the front door, it was hanging on one hinge. That was not the case when they were here earlier, or was it, and they simply didn't see it. Which was highly unlikely. His father ran towards the house, calling his wive's name. Casin lean against the back wall, like he did every other day. 

"Hey who are you, and what is your business?" Casin neck hair sprung up, his father was discovered. 

"Who am I. I am the owner of this house. This is my land, who are you and maybe a better question who murdered my wife?" There was a mixture of grief and anger in his father's voice. Not that Casin needed to hear it. The coldness of his father's emotions crept inside him, and now he made it his own.

"So you are that magic user's father?" 

"I don't know what you are talking about. Casin is no magic user, or do you want to suggest that I do not know my own son?"

"You are lying, man. You knew that your son was a bloody magic user. Where is that bastard of yours?" Casin couldn't see a thing, but he could feel their emotions.

"I honestly do not know where my son is. Hopefully far away from here!" His father said the last part a bit louder than the rest of the sentence. Casin hoped that the man had not noticed it, but in his case it was clear what is father's intentions were. Casin swallowed his tears back and took a step towards the forest.

"Kill this lying bastard and source the area, that son of his must be around." They had noticed the change in his father's voice. Casin cursed and started to run as fast as he could. But where could he go, where could he turn.