Brine sat in his bed, remembering what his mother said to him. "What!? Why!?" "Brine, they aren't safe people. Just go find some new friends and forget them." "Wha....." "Go to your room!" Brine dug his face into his blanket. "They're the only friends I have." Brine then began to cry. Someone then knocked on his door. "Brine, son, can I come in?" Brine looked up and wiped away his tears. "S-sure dad." Rian walked into Brine's room and then sat on his bed. "What do you want?" Rian looked shocked at what his son just say. "Brine! I've never heard you say that!" Brine smirked. "I said, what do you want?" "I wanted to check if you were okay." Brine shifted around in his bed and then turned his back to his dad. "Why do I have to stay away from my new two best friends?" Rian sighed and said, "It's because their families are sort of....." "Enemies." Rian nodded and got up from Brine's bed. "Well, when you want to come down. Dinner is going to be ready in five minutes." Rian closed the door and walked away. Brine then started to continued crying. He then started to punch his pillow until his arm got tired. "Why....." "Brine! Come and eat dinner! Now!" Brine sighed and got up from his bed. He headed down the stairs slowly thinking about how much fun he, Alex, and Steve had. Fighting Steve, playing as a horse, and walking Alex home. He then stopped and touched where Alex had kissed him. "Brine!" "Coming!" Brine then rushed into the kitchen and sat down. "Glad you came son." Brine nodded and looked down at his plate. On his plate was some steak and bread. "Go on Brine, eat." Briana said, with a sad and worried tone in her voice. Brine ate some of his bread and then pushed the plate away. Rian put down his steak and sighed. "Brine, will you please eat some more?" Brine looked up at Rian and shook his head. "I'm not hungry." His mother sighed and took his plate. "If you want to eat your food, it will be in the fridge." Brine nodded and headed to his room. Once he got to his room he took out some wood from his chest and a small dagger. He started to carve a character out of the wood. After he was done, the format of the wooden character was a girl. Brine smiled and went down to the living room to grab some dye. "Mom, can I have some orange, peach, green, brown, and gray dye?" Briana looked at Brine and nodded. "There's some in the chest near the door." "Thanks!" Brine then rushed over to the chest and grabbed what he needed. After he got the dyes he needed, he went up stairs and started to color his wooden figure. "Hey Brine! What you doing?" Brine looked up to see that his fighting mentor, Mark, was at his door. "Mark!" Brine put down his figure and gave Mark a hug. "I thought you went out with the group that went to the abandoned mine shaft." Mark chuckled and rubbed Brine's head. "Well, we got back early and I thought maybe you want to do some training with me." Ever since earlier, this was the first time Brine was happy. "Of course!" Brine grabbed his wooden stick. He started to head to the door, until he realized that Mark was looking at his wooden figure. "Who is this?" Mark said, pointing at the wooden figure. Brine gulped. "It-it's a toy that I-I'm making." Mark smirked and took a closer look. He gasped. "Is this that girl named Alex?!" Brine nodded and blushed. "Yes, it is." "You like her. Don't you?" Brine looked down at the floor and nodded. "Come one, I'm only teasing you." Brine looked up at him shocked. "But I'm telling you the truth!" Mark shook his hand and chuckled. "Let's go start training." Mark exited the room and Brine followed. When they got out to Brine's back yard, Mark took position. "Okay, I want you to try and grab this from me." Mark lifted up a wooden sword that had the glistening affects of enchantments. "Is that enchanted?" Mark nodded and put the sword on his back. "On the count of three."  Brine nodded and took position across from Mark. "1.........2......." Before Mark can say three Brine threw his stick, trying to hit Mark in the chest. Mark jumped to the left and dodged it. "You should never throw your weapon, unless you know they won't move." Mark charged to Brine, holding up his stick. Brine jumped to the right. Mark turned around and tried to attack Brine. Brine dodged the attack and ran to his weapon. Mark tripped Brine, causing him to fall. Brine ignored the pain and kept running to his weapon. He reached it in time before Mark tried to attack him again. Brine swung his sword and knocked Mark off his feet. "Oof..." Brine quickly grabbed the sword from Marks back and looked at the enchantments. "Fire Aspect!" Mark chuckled and got up. "You bet, and guess what?" Brine was about to hand it back to Mark, but then Mark pushed the weapon back to him. "You get to keep it." Brine dropped open his mouth with shock. "Are you serious?" Mark rubbed his head and said, "Sure am. Now, I have to go." Mark ran to the gate and looked back at Brine. "See you at the tree on Friday!" Brine nodded and waved good bye. The tree was a meeting place where he and Mark would hang out. Nobody knew about it, not even Brine's parents. He went inside to show his parents his prize. "Mom! Dad! Look at what Mark gave me!" Rian looked up and took the sword from Brine. "Don't use it in case of an emergency." Brine nodded and looked at his mother. "You did good Brine." Just then Brine remembered what his mom said earlier. "Mom can I go to my friends house?" "Which friend?" "A friend I met while I was with Mark." Rian nodded and walked out of the room, still holding Brine's sword. "Okay son, you can go. I'll put your sword away in your room." Brine jumped up with excitement and hugged his mom. "Thanks!" "But you have to go tomorrow." Brine looked out the window and realized that it was dark. "Oh oops." Briana laughed and pushed Brine a little. "Go to bed." Brine nodded and went to his room. When I go to, my new friends house, I'll tell Steve and Alex what my mom said. Brine thought, as he prepared to head to bed. Brine grabbed the Alex figured and looked at it. "Why are you so cute and nice?" Brine chuckled and hugged it. He turned off his lights and went to bed, still holding the wooden figure. "Goodnight." He then closed his eyes and slept.