With full force I kicked against a tiny pebble on the shore, making it fly into the air until it smashed into a bigger rock a few feet further. I let out a small grunt and looked over my shoulder to the river, where Nick and Seb were still frantically observing the shrubs in search for any trace of a hare they could hunt down.

Playtime with my friends never lasted very long, so I wasn't surprised when Mother had called me home to help Father. As the only blacksmith in town, he needed a lot of help, and although I should be glad that my family never had to worry about what to eat, there were simply too many days where I had to spend my time in the smithy rather than outside practising to become a true warrior.

"I'll try to come back later," I told my friends as I used my dirty shirt to wipe my body dry, but they didn't reply.

They know perfectly well that I'm not coming back. I can never keep my promises because of Father.

"Fox!" Mother shouted again from afar, this time louder than before. "I am waiting, don't make me repeat myself again."

I stomped my feet on the ground, almost yelling my voice hoarse. "I'm coming!"

"Stop making so much noise, you muttonhead," Nick whispered, gesticulating wildly. "You are scaring all the animals away."

"Sorry," I said while putting on the now semi-wet shirt, and noticed that I hadn't tied my shoelaces yet.

I looked up to see my mother in the distance waiting for me, one hand on her hip and the other one carrying a sandwich. Without hesitating, I decided to leave my boots untied and ran towards her like a predator towards its prey, almost tripping over my own feet as I nearly lost a shoe along the way.

"Sweetheart." Mother's long hair swirled lightly as she shook her head. "Please fix your shoes, I don't want you to hurt your pretty face."

"I don't have a pretty face," I grumbled, yet crouched down to make some sloppy knots in the mud-brown laces.

She handed me the marmalade sandwich as soon as I was finished, and as its bittersweet taste filled my belly, I could feel her gentle fingers touching my hair, fussing over those few stray locks that had a mind of their own no matter what she tried to do.

"Amy made the bread this time," she said and turned around to look at my sister standing in the doorway.

"Yours is better, though," I mumbled and stuck out my tongue at Amy.

It wasn't true. If Mother hadn't told me that my older sister had baked the bread, I wouldn't have noticed. The fact that I was smacking my lips loudly as I took another bite revealed my lie, and Amy just rolled her eyes before going back inside.

Mother planted a little kiss on my cheek. "Now, my little firebug, why are you so grumpy today?"

"Ugh, why do I always have to work for Father?" I asked her, feeling a couple of tears welling up in my eyes. "I can never become the best warrior in the world like this."

"Hush hush, my sweetling, every village needs a blacksmith, and I thought you liked keeping the fires burning."

I nodded as I continued to munch on the bread. Mother was right, Father usually just made me control the fire in the forges until he was finished working. It wasn't the worst thing to do, and I actually liked playing with flames, and they liked me in return, so it seemed.

I was told that this was because of my bright red hair, but I never believed that for a second, because Mother and Amy both had the same colour and they were both disasters whenever they had to build a fire. At some point, someone did start calling me Fox, because of my hair reminding them of a fox's fur. Soon everyone was calling me Fox and my real name, Henry, was swiftly forgotten.

"I understand you prefer playing with your friends, sweetheart, but your father is under a lot of pressure. Lord Brandon has just passed by to check Sebastian's blade, but he wanted something completely different and he's coming back tomorrow to see the result. You know our Lord wants everything to be perfect for Seb's eleventh birthday."

Mother took the cloth hanging from her shoulder to wipe some marmalade from my cheek, but I jerked my head away so I could lick the sticky but sweet goo off my face myself.

"It's ok, Seb is my friend and I want it to be perfect too," I told her. "I'll go and help Father now."

Despite the warm weather, Mother squeezed me into a tight but soothing hug and a broad grin appeared on my face as she planted another kiss on me. "Come on then, off you pop."

As I entered the workshop on the other side of the sandy road, I could immediately see my Father pacing back and forth, dividing his attention between too many things at the same time.

"Ah, there you are, finally," he snarled. "Go check out the main forge. It needs to be lit all evening."

Father had more eyes for the anvil than for me, so I didn't even nod and headed straight towards the right side of the room. To be hot enough, the main forge had to have flames as large as my head, and couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed when I saw that there were only some twigs and tiny branches left.

It was no problem. It was time for me to prove I was the hero of all the fires in the world and save the forge's tiny flames from certain death.

"Burn, my pretty flame, burn and devour this fine tree," I whispered while carefully adding a few pieces of wood.

The flames obeyed immediately, like they always did when I talked to them.

"Father," I said as soon as the fire was burning again at full strength. "There is hardly any wood left."

"Then you'll need to go to the forest to get some more," he mumbled without looking up from the steaming steel.

The forest, I really didn't like going there all by myself. There were wolves there and bears, and those monsters that haunt your dreams. At least, that is what Alex, Nick and Seb had told me, and they would never lie to me, they were my best friends after all.

Father noticed my hesitation and groaned. "Just stay near the edge of the village, Fox. You won't find any wild animal or monster there."

I know he wants me to be braver, and stronger, and better at sword fighting. I understand because I want it too. I wish he would see that all I need is to practice from sunrise to sunset, but I can't do that when he keeps sending me off to the forest for wood. I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm worthless. He doesn't even allow me near his workbench.

"Honestly, how can he be so afraid? This entire place is surrounded by a forest," he muttered to himself while I jumped up to reach for a coil of rope on the shelves.

Back outside, I heard playful laughs coming from the river, and briefly wondered whether to ask Nick and Seb to join me so I wouldn't have to go all alone, but they seemed to be having so much fun, and I didn't want to be the one to disturb them in their quest for the lost hare.

I stared at them for a while, blinking my eyes to keep the tears at bay, then clenched my fists in search of my inner courage as I slowly trotted towards the Forest of Lane. I didn't understand why Father always made me go all by myself. A few years ago, Alex's father even died in these woods, so he knew perfectly well what dangers lurked there.

The large birch trees stared at me like vicious animals waiting to attack, and in the distance, I could hear the wind howling. I held my breath because this could also mean there was a pack of wolves roaming these lands in search of their next meal. Within seconds, my whole body was shaking, and my heart was beating as loud as my father's hammer on the anvil.

I wanted to sing a song to chase the wolves and other monsters away, but couldn't remember any of the songs Mother had taught me. Slowly but steadily, the setting sun turned the forest into the lair of the most terrifying beast in the world, and although I tried my hardest to be brave, I could feel a few tears running down my face.

I wiped the tears away, reminding myself that I should thank the Gods for the thunderstorm because the feisty wind had caused the forest floor to be covered in kindle wood and big branches that would love to get eaten by the flames in my Father's forge. It didn't take me long before I had gathered enough wood to last another evening, and I was just bundling it up to carry everything back to the village when I suddenly saw a stick that looked just like a sword.

I didn't know why, but for a brief moment it was like my fears didn't exist anymore, and I dropped everything in my hands to hold that stick, which fitted so perfectly in my hand that it was as if the Gods had designed it for me personally.

"Go back to Sinner's hell, you demon," I yelled while swinging the sword through the air, pretending to cut the throat of an imaginary monster with crooked fangs and a grubby fur.

I was slashing another demon's belly when I heard a sudden, menacing rustle coming from the buckthorn shrubs. I gasped, immediately dropping the stick back to the ground.

"It's just the wind," I said out loud, but in my mind, I saw vivid images of a foul creature attacking me and killing everyone in the village.

I quickly gathered all the firewood and ran as fast as my legs could carry me, losing a few tiny branches along the way, but that didn't matter to me, I needed to get out of there. It may have been a while since the wolves last showed themselves near our town, but I didn't want to stay and find out they had returned.

Back in the village, the lights in the houses and the smoke coming from their chimneys brought immediate comfort and safety. I slowed down, still keeping an eye open for any sign of a monster until I concluded that nothing or nobody was chasing me.

But I was wrong to think that would be the end of my adventure. As I passed the stable on my way home, I heard a panicky neigh coming from within. I froze immediately, partly because it had startled me, but also to look around to see if any of the stable boys were still present to help the horse, but nobody was outside anymore. I turned my head to the river, but even Nick and Seb had gone home for dinner. My stomach was growling with hunger, despite the sandwich I had just eaten, and I hoped Mother would call me soon to eat dinner as well.

It's probably nothing.

I wanted to continue my quest to feed the greedy flames in my Father's forge, but before I managed to take another step, I heard that same panic-stricken sound. I looked at the stable and bit my index finger as I pondered what to do.

What if something has happened to the poor creature. What if it needs my help?

I dropped the bundle of wood and opened the door to the stable, only to find a lanky black colt outside his box. I hadn't seen him before, which made me guess that he was another one of Seb's birthday presents.

"Hello, is anyone here?" I asked, my voice echoing in the stable, but the only reply I heard was the scurrying of a large family of mice through the bales of straw.

I approached the horse who stood as stiff as a stick, his ears flat.

"Did the mice scare you?" I asked, debating whether to pet him as I picked up his rope. "They are just small creatures, looking for food. They won't hurt you."

Whenever I felt really scared, Mother always used to give me cookies and warm milk so I figured it would be a good idea to give the stallion some food to calm him down. I had only taken a few steps when the horse suddenly staggered, pushing me to the ground, and the flailing rope cut a nasty scratch into my hand. He neighed louder than before, with even more panic, and started to run. I had my mouth wide open when I noticed too late that I hadn't closed the door of the stable, allowing the horse to escape.

"No! Stop!" I shouted, but could only witness the stallion galloping into the forest.

Oh no! Horses are one of the most expensive things we own in town. Everybody is going to hate me now. What if Lord Brandon chops off my hand like he did with that horse thief a few years ago. Or worse, he might even kill me because I ruined Seb's birthday.

Once more, I was too frozen to move and paid little attention to the crimson drops of blood dripping onto the floor. All I heard was my breathing growing heavier and my heart racing as fast as the galloping horse.

From outside came the roaring voice of James, the stable master. "What's all that racket! Why can't I for once enjoy a nice and quiet dinner? Bloody animals!"

I was in so much trouble.