The Brigade's Secret Chapter One- Rubin

Bara Valley, 1:34pm, Early Winter
Somewhere in the Forest near the Garasai Mountains.

The boy was grown now, nearly thirteen years of age. For the past twelve years, he had been known as Rubin of Bara Valley. He was different from the other kids his age. They were bigger than he was, and stronger. Many were apprentices now and had earned a last name and were with a family. He had no family. No real family, anyway. For the past twelve years he had been staying with Jusa Beddre, owner of the stables. Jusa was a kind man, and had always looked after him and taken care of his needs. Jusa was away on a trip for a while now, and he was on his own. Though he was alone, he wasn't really, as a stable boy usually stopped by everyday or every other day to check up on him, and he found that he was attached to the kind-hearted teen. The stable boy, Darren of Bara Valley, was a nice guy, with broad shoulders and muscular arms. The many people that always picked on Rubin never bothered him when Darren was around. Rubin and Darren had been friends for a while, though Darren was sixteen and close to his seventeenth year. Sighing, Rubin entered the stables and sought out his friend, spotting him off in the corner, smiling and laughing with two other people. Rubin paused and waited for Darren to notice him. Darren soon did, and his two friends left, chuckling beneath their breath. Darren's auburn eyes were bright as he looked at the younger boy, and Rubin smiled at him. "Hey Darren," he said in greeting, and Darren nodded his head. "What's so funny?" he asked, gesturing at the two that had walked away, his face slightly puzzled. Darren sighed and shook his head, a smile on his face.

"Nothing's funny really," he said. "We were joking around. They said that Harish is a crazy place to be," he laughed then, shaking his head. Rubin frowned at him, confused.

"Okay..." he said, not understanding.

Darren shook his head again. "I'm leaving," he said. "I'm going to Harish for a job. So they're saying that it's a crazy place to be, saying that strange things happen there. Which things happen, I know, but still, I-" he was broken off as Rubin spoke up.

"You're leaving?" Rubin whispered, his eyes soft as he looked away. "You're not...you're not going to be in Rin anymore?" Rin was the small village they were currently residing in. It was rather small, and there weren't many jobs available. Many who were old enough left to find better jobs, Rubin knew this. He just didn't want to hear what his friend was saying. Darren frowned and looked at the younger boy. "You're...leaving?"

"Rubin..." murmured Darren as he sighed. "Look--I'm sorry, okay? But I need to get a better job. Working in the stable's great and all, but there's hardly any work anymore; no one is hardly ever here. Everyone that I know has pretty much moved away. I can't stay here; I'm not getting paid enough. I can barely get by on my salary, Rubin; I have to go..." he sighed and sat down on the ground. Rubin slowly sat down next to him, thoughts wandering around in his mind. "I'm sorry...but I have to..."

Rubin closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. First his father was gone, now Darren was leaving too. "When..." he swallowed. "When are you leaving?" he asked quietly. He heard Darren sigh and he tried to prepare himself for the worst, that Darren was leaving very soon. "When are you going?" he asked again as Darren didn't answer. "...Darren?"

Darren took a breath and said softly, "In...in three days..." he looked away for a moment, wincing when he heard Rubin's intake of breath. "I would have told you sooner, but I only found out that they accepted me at the job today, and I have to be there in a week...it takes a while to get there..."

"...Oh...so...you won't be..." he paused, not wanting to continue. "So you won't be...coming back..." his voice shook slightly, but he couldn't help it. Darren had been with him for so, he wasn't sure what he'd do without him. The other kids would probably pound him if he left. "You're...you're leaving...for good..." he hung his head low, taking calming breaths. He didn't want Darren to leave, and he wasn't liking what he was hearing.

Darren frowned and thought for a moment. "I never really thought about it like that...but I guess not..." he sighed. Rubin stiffened at his side as he answered, and he looked at him silently. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I promise I'll...write or something..." Rubin shook his head and got to his feet, rubbing at his eyes in the process as he turned to leave the stable. Darren got to his feet as well, looking after the young boy. "Rubin?"

"...You...You just don't get it, do you?" Rubin asked as he stopped, his shoulder's shaking. Darren winced and began to move toward him. "You don't get it...you don't understand..." he shook his head and jerked away as Darren reached out to touch his shoulder. "Leave me alone!" he snarled, his eyes ablaze with pain and anger. "Just get away!" he turned and ran, not once looking back at his friend as he stood there, eyes wide and looking after him.

"...Rubin..." Darren whispered, and shook his head, sighing as he glared at the ground. "I should leave..." he murmured to himself. Sighing once more, he turned and walked back into the stable, already planning what he was going to do. He was going to leave soon. Tonight. It would be better if he left sooner anyway, and Rubin obviously hated him. He'd already said goodbye to his other friends, of which was few.

Rubin felt the tears flood his eyes as he ran, not once looking back at the figure, his friend. He took in shaky breaths as he headed for his small house, immediately rushing in and closing the door behind him, leaning against it, his eyes tightly closed, breathing heavily. "I..." he trailed off. He hadn't meant what he had said to Darren...but he wasn't going to apologize. At least not right now, anyway. No, he'd wait until he had time to calm down. Maybe he would apologize tomorrow, and they could get a fresh start and talk things over. Sighing, he headed down a hallway and entered a room, listening to the cool winter wind as it blew around the house, making it creak and groan. Yes, tomorrow he would apologize and make things right.

Little did either of them know of the eyes watching them in the bushes, just waiting for the time to strike...