Naurus was still not exactly sure what they were doing here but decided to not pipe up as Rahlo seemed to be lost and confused. But only for a moment, as he took some steps back and looked up onto the top of the gatehouse. There was an old bell hanging up there, and Rahlo drew his revolver and took a shot at it. The bell rang out loudly, and they waited again. It wasn’t long before someone appeared on top of the gatehouse and peered down on them. It was obvious that this man was another Regulator, with the characteristic wide brimmed hat and bandana covering his face. He cradled a rifle in his arms and looked back and forth between the two visitors.
“Who goes there?” He called out.
“We have business! Big Boss sends his regards.”
“Oh? Password then!”
“We own the night!”
“Hold on then.”
The sentry above rang the bell and slowly the portcullis opened. It only opened about halfway before stopping, clearly stuck on something as it was bent and sitting crooked in its frame. Rahlo signaled his charge to follow and they walked their horses through the gate and into the courtyard. Clearly this castle was not as abandoned as it appeared on the outside. Several horses were hitched up in here, and the two newcomers tied up their steeds as well. Several other Regulators were in the courtyard and started walking over to them.
“My my…look what the cat dragged in boys!” One of the Regulators piped up with an odd enthusiasm.
About a half dozen men had walked over to them now.
“So, who’s the new guy?”
“He’s in my charge and you will address him as such. He’s not here to help any of y’all but to help me, and that’s orders from Big Boss himself!” Rahlo proclaimed with an air of authority.
“Well, ain’t that somethin’.” A tall and sharply dressed Regulator stated gravely. “Alright guys shows over! Get those horses watered and fed. Somebody brush ‘em too, that’s a disgrace!”
With that their captive audience dispersed to go about following the orders. Rahlo shook his head and chortled.
“These guys are really something. Being stuck out here too long makes damn near anythin’ look interestin’. Follow me partner, I have somethin’ to show ya.”
Naurus followed him into the keep and up through a winding, stone staircase that was in poor condition yet rather well-lit owing to the numerous holes and cracks that had formed in the wall over a span of many years. Vines, grasses, and moss had overgrown much of the interior. Stepping around masonry blocks and large iron cannonballs, it became obvious that a siege had taken place here and nobody bothered to repair any of it afterward. He could only guess as to who originally inhabited this place and who may have attacked, but he was able to stop wondering as soon they made it to the top of the keep.
The view from up here was majestic and bore stark contrasts depending on where you looked. Looking back from whence they had come was a gently rolling prairie of various golds, greens, blues and browns. Looking ahead revealed a steady, saw-toothed line of jagged mountains capped with snow at their peaks. Rahlo snatched up a spyglass from the half rotted wooden table that was up here. The chair next to it suggesting this was something of a makeshift lookout post.
“Here, look through this at the base of the range out there.”
Naurus took the spyglass and looked out. He saw nothing unusual and looked at Rahlo with some confusion.
“It’s a great view, but what of it?”
“Now look at that river down there, do you see it?”
The silvery-blue ribbon that meandered through the valley floor below snaked all the way into the dense evergreens that formed the foot of the mountains.
“Yes, so what?”
“Now look where it leads to. See the pass?”
Looking hard through the spyglass, Naurus finally saw it. In a clearing next to the mouth of the river was what looked like a rock fall, seeming to guard the entrance to a ravine behind it.
“Yeah, I think I see it.”
“Well that, partner, is our next stop. The locals called it Dyzlat Pass. As you can see, no one lives ‘round these parts anymore but over them mountains is the Elven Dominion.”
“And what are we doing there?”
“You’ll see. Tonight we rest and ready ourselves. What are you makin’ that face for?”
“I uh…” He scratched his head and looked away. “I’ve never seen an elf before, that’s all!”
“Is that so? Well worry not, we probably won’t run into any. Besides, they all be scared of us outsiders. Sneaky, distrustful little tree huggers that hide in their precious tree top villages all day. I digress, lets find somethin’ to eat!”
Naurus was starting to pick up on a pattern of this distrust and distaste for elves, but still had no idea what his role in all this was to be. They walked back down to the ground floor and made their way back into a banquet hall, or at least what was left of one. Trees grew up through the stone floor that was long since churned up by roots and the branches grew up into the shafts of light that permeated the area. Several tables and chairs lay scattered about, some charred, some rotted through, and yet others strangely new looking. As they walked closer to the doorway into the kitchen, a heady and meaty smell started filling the air.
The kitchen was in surprisingly better shape than the dining hall, and the smell was soon to be revealed as coming from a large cauldron hanging over a fire pit. He looked inside and saw a chunky stew of some sort but had no idea what all was in it or what it was supposed to be.
“What is this?”
“Oh that’s just our perpetual stew. It’s a surprise every time!”
Rahlo walked over with some earthenware bowls and ladled the stew out into each. He took a bite then looked over at Naurus.
“Mm-hmm! Tastes like some rat and some squirrel in this one! Good eatin’ here!”
Yeah, real good stuff here. Looks like shit, let’s see how it tastes. Naurus thought to himself as he tried a bite. It was gamey, over salted, and tasted strongly of pine and grass. This obviously wasn’t the sort of place that professional chefs would spend any time at, so he made do and choked it down. The saltiness made him feel rather thirsty, so he started walking around the kitchen looking for anything to drink.
“You won’t find nothin’ in here…nothin’ that isn’t older than dirt anyway.” Rahlo said without looking up, just as his charge found a dusty old bottle on a shelf.
“Well what’s this?”
“Hell if I know. Knock yourself out.” Rahlo went for seconds.
Naurus didn’t have a way of uncorking the bottle, so he grabbed a knife off the range and tried to saber it open like he had seen his captor do. It didn’t work out as smoothly as he hoped, and the neck of the bottle shattered. A dark, gritty liquid splashed out and soon a stingingly musky smell filled the air.
“The hell was that? Fuckin’ hell that’s just wrong!” Rahlo pinched his nose and made his way back out to the dining hall. Naurus followed suit, covering his mouth to hide a hard laugh as a cough instead.
The Cover Up
“There you are, again. I was afraid I’d lost you.”
“How could you lose me?”
The figure shrugged its shoulders. There was an aggravating familiarity to the surroundings. The same oceanside cliff, the same cloaked figure standing a distance which no amount of walking could close, the blazing sun that gave no warmth. If only he could get closer, maybe he could make out the face. However there was nothing to behold but a hazy blur hidden away under hood.
“Who are you?”
The figure seemed to shake its head, and he could have sworn he saw the jaw move, as if mouthing something. But still, he simply couldn’t see anything. It was nothing short of infuriating, being stuck in a place that seemed to disobey the laws of time and physics.
“Do you know who I am?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Do I know who you are?”
“Silly question. That’s the only reaso
n I’m here.” The voice was still scratchy and ever so vaguely comforting in its strangely distant familiarity.
“Then why are you here again? Where are we?”
“Maybe one day you will know where we are. I can only hope so.”
“I don’t get it! What am I supposed to do?”
“There’s an old saying where I come from: It doesn’t matter whether you’d rather blow a kiss or fire a gun, we all must lean on someone at some point. Sometimes, that person is you.”
“Of course it is! I’m all alone and you keep showing up and doing nothing to help!”
The figure blew a kiss and waved goodbye, disappearing into a wisp of smoke. The trees in the distance swayed violently but no wind was felt. He turned around, looking out at the vast expanse of ocean. It was so oddly flat, without the slightest glimmer of the blazing sun. Nothing in particular compelled him, but some outside power seemed to force him to walk. Walking towards the cliff, then walking off it. He didn’t feel fear, but elation as the rocky shore came closer and closer. Impact was imminent.
✽ ✽ ✽
Why am I wet? I’m cold…and wet. Where am I? He open his eyes and realized he was awake most unpleasantly, being exactly where he didn’t want to be and now being soaked in a cold sweat. He threw off the now soaked wool blanket and sat up. The cool morning air stung against the sweat. He wiped the beads that were rolling into his eyes and looked around. Yeah, still stuck in here and still having whatever spooky thing following me around in my dreams. Blowing a kiss at me, why? Shit doesn’t make any sense! His train of thought was cut short by the blinding flood of sunlight as he opened the door.
He found himself overlooking a foggy expanse that once was a great valley beyond. The cloudy haze covered up what was once snowcapped peaks. He looked down into the courtyard below and saw no one. It was rather quiet in fact, something which made him a little uncomfortable as he made his way down the crumbling stone staircase from the rampart wall. A flash of movement out of the corner of his eye drew his attention. It was a pleasant surprise, a stone-grey cat that reminded him of his furry friend at home, only skinnier. He slowly approached the now wide-eyed cat. It froze in place as Naurus crept closer, trying to softly whisper to the cat and coax it over. Perhaps he smelled bad. Perhaps he should’ve found food to offer it. Perhaps he was just too ugly. For whatever reason, the stray feline darted away into a large crack in the limestone wall next to it.
Naurus sighed, disappointed that the one sliver of comfort that was just in front of him was now gone. This was one of the many times he wished he could speak to animals, but that seemed to be only the purview of the mages and druids of old. He walked aimlessly through the courtyard, realized he was all alone out here. The portcullis was shut tight in its rusty, bent and beaten glory. The thought of escaping was slowly losing its luster, though. As Rahlo was wont to do, he rubbed it in how lonely, lost, and hungry he would be last night before they bid goodnight. That was apparently the price to pay for not being locked in a dungeon for a night. He had freedom, at least the illusion of it. Beyond these walls, he was a dead man walking.
“Well if it ain’t the newbie out for a mornin’ stroll.”
Naurus spun around to see who the roughshod voice belonged to. He didn’t recognize the pale, skinny man who looked at him over puffs of smoke from his pipe.
“Yeah, you could say something like that.” Something caught up in his throat, and he spat with enough conviction to invite an echo from the ancient stone walls.
“So…what be your story?”
“Well, nothing really. I’m just here on a mission…the usual you know?” He forced a laugh at the end that elicited no response, just more puffing.
The man brushed his mop of salt and pepper hair back, showing his dark eyes better.
“Well lemme tell ya somethin’. We know you ain’t from ‘round here. We know you’re probably a rat, a spy. You ain’t slick. We’re gonna chew you up and spit you out, count on it!”
“Okay, I’ll be going now.”
“You ain’t goin’ nowhere. You’ll get a bullet in your back as soon as you’re outside these walls!”
“Shut your trap and fuck off, Demy. You hungover or somethin’?” Rahlo bellowed out from beside them. “You’re wakin’ everyone up! Now get!”
Demy grumbled and shuffled away. Naurus never thought he would be so relieved to see Rahlo, but stranger things seemed to be the theme of his life lately.
“What was he pesterin’ ya about?”
“The usual.”
✽ ✽ ✽
There was a noise, footsteps to be exact. So loud they woke him up. But it wasn’t the expected footfalls of family at home. Years of complacency became apparent now, as he tensed up and grabbed the knife off his belt. In enemy territory, every footstep is a possible step closer to the end of the line, threats that he had to act on many times before. He sat up and posted up against the corner of the stall, listening intently. The footsteps drew closer and closer. The door swung open with a yawning creak, bringing a flood of golden light in behind it.
“Mornin’ boys! Up and at ‘em, gotta feed the animals!”
Trevin sighed deeply in relief, unaware that he was holding his breath until that moment. Complacency indeed, but he paid it little mind as Gully rolled out of the hay like a drunk after an all-night bender.
“Good morning, sir.” Trevin started, trying to keep the mood jovial. “We shall be out of here shortly, just let us gather our things.”
“N’ain’t any need for y’all to rush, unless ya insist.” Handyn yawned and stretched. “We gots some breakfast for y’all. I’ve been thinkin’ too...about your son. About where he probably is, and I think I know…and I think I can help.”
“Really? Where is he? I’ll leave at once!” Trevin could hardly keep his excitement in check. Gully yawned in agreement.
“Well, it ain’t quite that simple. I think they be hidin’ in an ol’ castle a few miles away. All them damn Regulators posted in this area squat there like it’s their own fort. We’re tired of ‘em and their antics round these parts. Stealin’ food, livestock, shakin’ us up like we’re rich. Maybe it’s time to round up the boys again, pay ‘em a visit.”
“Round up who now?”
“We got our own little army if you will, heh! We called ourselves the Minutemen, since ya know we only take a minute to get ready!” Handyn beamed with a prideful look like an old soldier reminiscing about glory. “It’s been a while, but I ain’t got time for that now, breakfast first!”
After getting the animals squared away to prevent a barnyard revolt, they made their way back inside. The pregnant woman was scurrying back and forth, managing a few pans at once. The little girl was at the table with her doll again. Both gave distrustful glances at the burglars of yesterday.
“Now gents, this is my wife Zaylee and my lil’ princess Ryden. She’s a bit shy but pay it no mind!”
Gully went out of his way to bow deeply to Zaylee. “My deepest apologies Miss, I can’t possibly express—”
“It’s fine, sit now! Don’t crowd around!” She cut him off curtly.
Gully looked somewhat offended that his apology was squashed out like a drunken ramble, but soon enough they were seated and Ryden was staring at them as if they were from a different dimension. They hardly had time to get comfortable before the spread of boiled oats, molasses, and fried eggs were served.
“I think I’m leavin’ soon, don’t know when I’ll be back.” Handyn suddenly said, clearly addressing his family.
“Hm? What do you mean?” Zaylee asked, clearly confused.
“Well, I think I’m musterin’ the Minutemen again. I think rescuing his kid is worth it, don’t you?”
Zaylee nodded with some reluctance and went back to her food. The family patriarch seemed a bit uncomfortable as well, but then a looked of steeled determination came over him.
“You boys about done?”
The pair of guests nodded as they s
hoveled what was left into their mouths, clearly picking up on the urgency. They followed their host back outside to a crude, stone bell gable on the other side of the house. Inside was housed a mossy green bell that had clearly seen better days. Handyn reached into the mouth and smacked the clapper against the lip. A loud and proud ringing filled the air. He did it again, even harder. It was painful to stand next to, and all stepped back except for the bell’s owner who seemed unperturbed. Suddenly, silence punctuated by the calls of songbirds was all they heard.
“So…what now?” Gully asked, clearly bored.”
“Just you wait. I can see someone now!”
Handyn was staring off into the distance at a neighbor’s farm. Indeed, it did looks like someone was moving about outside. One became a few, whom all went to the same spot. Soon, a distant metallic ringing could be heard over the rolling tallgrasses, dancing in the wind that bore the sound. The guests looked over at their host, who was beaming a smile that would have been blinding had the sun not been covered by a cloud at that moment.
“There she goes! I still got it!”
They waited for a few minutes before the first rider appeared on the road. As that one drew within bowshot, another pair of riders could be seen in the distance. The first rider rode up to the house and greeted Handyn with a tip of his hat. An old percussion rifle was slung across his back. More riders arrived, all armed in some fashion. Muzzle loaders, breech loaders, flint locks and percussion caps were all in vogue around here apparently. It wasn’t long before the handful of riders became a group of around two dozen men of various ages. Some were more than past their prime, while others brought sons with them who were not even old enough to grow beards.
Empire's Edge (Path of Light Book 2) Page 16
