Raven’s Vale sits at the meeting point of the two large mountain ranges on the Island. Despite the rocky and uneven ground, a forest thrives within. Tall trees with heavy foliage create a thick canopy that all but blots out the light from above. Their crooked and unruly branches providing treacherous obstacles along the paths that criss-crossed underneath.
It had not always been such a forbidding place. At one time it had been the main route from Ravenwood Manor to the vast hunting grounds within the valley. But when the hunt had shifted from the island to locations through the portals, it became disused. But the stories of the wild huntsmen were passed through generations, keeping the islanders from encroaching on the forested land.
This made the going tough on the wagon, as it slowly ploughed forward. Jane remained on the reins, expertly driving it through the brush and bramble. Those sitting on the wagon with her had to constantly take cover in order to avoid branches that crossed their path.
The rag tag group had entered the vale that morning, with Lord Lodge hidden inside one of the empty whiskey barrels. Despite his tall frame, he was able to contort himself enough to fit inside.
“How are you doing in there?” Maddie quietly asked the barrel as she leaned back from the front bench. Two quick taps provided the answer that everything was alright.
“So?” Jane questioned after the young girl sat back upright beside her.
“Two taps, he’s still good,” she reported shaking her head in disbelief. “I’m already sore and I’m not scrunched up in a barrel.”
“He’s a very impressive man,” Jane agreed, then let out a quick whistle to the riders ahead. When Tiberius turned in his saddle to look back at the wagon, she gave him quick thumbs up.
Tiberius breathed a little easier after receiving the signal, but he was still far from relaxed. They still had a lot of ground to cover in order to clear the Raven’s Vale. The path they were currently travelling on was the most direct one to the Manor. Although this offered a greater chance of discovery, he judged it would be worth the risk.
If they were stopped by one of Cleaver’s patrols, he would merely say that he was returning the shipment of lost whiskey. The fact that this was the truth would make things easier. As long as everyone remained calm, nobody would challenge him and request to inspect the barrels.
“But what happens if they want to look into the barrels?” Kat had asked him earlier, trying to find a flaw in his plan.
“Well seeing how I am their superior, they shouldn’t question me hard, if at all.” He replied without arrogance. “But if they do wish to ignore me and search the barrels, we’ll stop them.”
“You mean kill them.”
“Well we haven’t come this far to simply give up and turn Lord Lodge over to them,” he replied evenly.
They made slow but steady progress through the forest, not stopping until well after midday. The tortoise like pace of the wagon made taking collective breaks unnecessary, as everyone could stop and then catch up on their own time.
Despite being gifted with more patience than most, even Tiberius was becoming bored. Morgan and Dufresne had been scouting ahead most of the day, and he knew they had been breaking up the monotony by hunting and some fast riding. So when he saw Morgan sitting stoically further up the path, he motioned for him to remain there.
Urging his horse into a trot, he quickly passed his subordinate and ordered him to stay with the wagon. After spending the better part of the day riding slowly through the woods, both he and his horse were happy to be running again. As he moved farther down the path he noticed that Dufresne was nowhere to be seen. However he wasn’t too concerned, since he was probably scouting off the path and would appear after hearing his horse.
Tiberius decided to halt for a second and see if this was true. Sure enough, within a minute Dufresne walked out from the thick foliage beside the path leading his mount.
“Anything?”
“Nothing sir,” he responded quietly after taking a sip from his canteen. “But it’s starting to thin out, we might be getting closer to the end.”
“It’s been some time since I’ve travelled this road, but I think you’re right. If that’s the case, the chances of running into a patrol are as high as they’re going to get. You and Morgan should follow the plan we discussed earlier.”
Tiberius descended to the ground and walked around, stretching his cramped legs as they waited for the wagon to catch up to them. They heard the wagon before they saw it, making Tiberius cringe at its lack of stealth. Morgan and Kat appeared first, riding ahead and finally the wagon lumbered into view.
“Why are we stopped?” Kat asked nervously as she rode up to Tiberius. “Is there someone ahead?”
“Everything’s fine, we’re just taking a break.”
“No it’s not,” she retorted, reassuringly touching the butt of the pistol in her jacket pocket. “I can tell when you’re lying.”
“Everything’s fine,” Tiberius echoed, ignoring the accusation from the beauty sitting above him. “So try and impress that feeling upon those in the wagon. If something does happen I need everyone to remain calm.”
Kat nodded in understanding after a while, though still slightly mad at being left out of whatever plans the men in the long black jackets were making. She decided to take the opportunity to get down and stretch her legs and then followed Tiberius as he walked over to the wagon.
“What’s going on?” Jane asked as she dropped the reins and stretched her arms above her head.
“Everything’s fine, we’re just taking a break.”
“Really?” She replied quizzically but then shrugged in acceptance. She knew there was more to what Tiberius said, but she could feel the nervous energy of Maddie sitting beside her. So she decided to try and act calm and unconcerned, hoping it would transfer to the younger girl. She looked over and saw that the sisters were once again talking to each other in low whispers, but both seemed relaxed.
Jane watched as Morgan and Dufresne brought their horses over and tied them to the back of the wagon. They then unslung their rifles and moved into the forest on foot without looking back. She had taken note of the unease in Tiberius’ voice and now knew why his men disappeared. They were expecting something up ahead.
“Ok, let’s get going,” Tiberius ordered quietly as he came up beside Jane after checking on Lord Lodge in the back of the wagon. He gently patted Jane’s leg, calming her instantly. “I’ll be right ahead of you and if anyone stops us, follow their instructions. Trust me.”
Feeling her hands begin to shake she reached for the reins, glad for something to grab onto, something to make her feel in control. She snapped the leather lazily and the wagon lurched into motion once again, heading on an unknown path.
A Malevolent Manner (Patrick Pierce #1) Page 79
