“May you find what you seek.” The old woman threw back her veil and laughed.
Rogan looked back at her as he stepped though the portal. “Mymisa… mad Mym…?”
The water engulfed him, making his head spin. All around him he could see was blue and a shimmering glow. He felt his body being whisked around. His mouth opened and he could only hear a dull gargling sound as he screamed. Night and day alternated around him in hurried bursts, everything began to spin rapidly. He closed his eyes and thought of home and Alicia, inviting the blissful darkness to take him away.
~ ~ ~
He knew he was back home. The air he breathed, the scent of the surroundings that filled his nostrils, reminded him of everything he had held dear. But when he looked all around him, this was not the Kirk Falls he knew and loved. He had woken up a few hours ago to find himself in the ruins of what looked like a tavern. There wasn’t a soul about in any direction he looked as he had stepped out of the wreckage. All around him, the farmlands, the houses and storage barns lay in ruin. Nothing moved, no birds, no furry rodents, no lizards or roaches, and no humans.
“What has happened here?” He whispered. Anger and sadness filled his heart. “This is not the home I wished to return to.”
Far away he could hear the plaintive hoot of a night owl. He was familiar with the sound; it came from the edge of the forests near Drakeberg. Relief, albeit brief, at the sound of something living calmed his nerves and gave him a better sense of his bearings.
“I am at the eastern border of Kirk Falls.” He deduced. “My home is twenty miles due west… but before I get there, I must know what has happened here while I was away.”
He looked down at the pendant, but it wasn’t glowing anymore. He feared for Alicia, hoping that the pendant was just spent of its power and not anything else.
“Alicia… I am home.” He called out in every direction, running about like a lost child. “I will be by your side in a few more days.”
“Ho, fellow… keep your voice down.” A low grumble startled him. “Some of us are trying to sleep.”
From under the wreckage of a carriage a short man in a dirtied shirt and leggings crept out, dusting his clothes as he rose to his feet. A second hooded head peered out, glaring at the huge warrior.
“Who are you?” Rogan asked, leaning close to the first man, “and what has happened to fair Kirk Falls.”
“Well, first of all… this is not Kirk Falls - not anymore.” The man replied with a smirk. “Not since the wizard of the south took the land from the Duke.”
“How fares the Duke?” The tall warrior looked intensely at the strange man.
“To know that one must visit the netherworld.” The second man crawling out from under the upturned cart remarked.
“The Duke is dead?” Rogan whispered, staggering back. “When did that…?”
“Soon after the army was destroyed and the land over run by the wizard’s dark forces.” The first man said sadly. “Every day the wizard bleeds the land; he’s taken everything. People have fled. Many have died… disease and desolation plagues this place.”
“Is there no one to fight this evil?” Rogan demanded, clenching his teeth.
“Not anymore.” The second man stood up and walked up from the wrecked cart. “Yet there once was a man who led the Duke’s army and protected the land.”
“What became of him?” Rogan couldn’t help asking the hooded man.
“He was slain, along with the rest of the defenders of Kirk Falls.”
“So what is left now?” Rogan asked, fearing he already knew the answer.
“All that you can see, wayfarer.” The first man replied, eyeing him with interest. “I am Norris and this is my brother Goren. Who are you?”
“I am Rogan and I am back to reclaim Kirk Falls from Nostrazcus.” The tall warrior stood up straight. “Who will ride with me?”
“There’s nothing to reclaim, Rogan, and no one left to ride.” Goren laughed sardonically. “Can you not see? This is but a wasteland.”
“Aye,” his brother added. “Where once stood the fertile farmlands of Vineberg, Gaspar, Ebensburg, Mulvane and Orenden, now lie only gutted remains.”
“I need a horse… I must ride for my home by the meadow due west.” Rogan peered in the direction of his intended journey.
“The only horses you will find now are those used by the wizard’s accursed patrols… at dawn and dusk.” Norris said with a grimace.
“Then I will get one from them.” Rogan said grimly. “Dawn is not too far away. Tell me the route of these patrols.”
“You’re standing on one right now.” Goren waved at the battered roadway. “This road leads to Drakeberg.”
“Then, I will wait here for them,” Rogan said resolutely, “and take a horse from them.”
“You are a brave man, Rogan, but what you attempt is foolish.” Norris shook his head. “No one crosses the wizard’s men… and lives.”
“I thank you for all your help, friends Norris and Goren.” Rogan bowed at the two little men. “I will do this on my own. You have no need to risk your lives.”
“We don’t intend to.”Goren smiled and waved as they swiftly walked away. “Fare well, large one. May you find what you seek.”
~ ~ ~
CHAPTER EIGHT
The chilly wind cut across his face, blowing his long golden hair behind him as the horse Rogan rode kept up at full gallop. It was three days now, since he had returned to his own time. Three days he had been riding hard all night and all day, alternating between the three horses he had taken from the patrol on the first night. The final crest of the hill was in sight; behind the rise was his beloved meadow, and Alicia. He released the spare horses and kicked the one he has on into a faster gallop.
Cresting the rise, he reined in his mount, his heart soaring at the sight of his meadow and the little house he had built there with his own hands. He let the horse rest for a moment, dismounting and dropping to the ground. Unsure of what he would find, he decided to go the rest of the distance, keeping low to the ground. The sun had just dropped below the western horizon and the pale glow of twilight washed over the meadow.
Everything looked the same here, just the way he had left it when he rode out to lead the Duke’s army against the invasion, nearly two months ago. It felt like years had passed as memories of his life in the future flooded his mind. He closed his eyes and the sweet face of Julia floated before his mind’s eye, making his heart feel heavy. He would never forget her selflessness and encouragement. She had loved him with all her heart, of that he was certain and she proved it by helping him find his way back home. He would never forget Julia, but his life was here, with his one and true love Alicia. He offered a silent prayer for the well being of Julia Kincaid, wishing her a safe and fulfilled life and opened his eyes to gaze once again at the house he had built with his own hands in the meadow he called home.
A dim light flickered inside the house. It had to be Alicia lighting a candle, he thought, but was wary of possibility of another of the wizard’s tricks. Though it appeared the wizard had no interest in little hovels, focusing instead on the prosperous farmlands and the town.
He crept up to the window and peered inside. His heart leapt for joy at the sight of his beloved Alicia sitting by the lit candle with a look of sadness on her lovely face. Unable to contain himself any longer, Rogan rose up and called out to her, tears freely flowing down his rugged face.
“Rogan?” Alicia looked up, dumbstruck and nearly falling off her chair.
“Yes, Alicia, it is I.” He wept, climbing in through the window. “I have returned, my love.”
“Oh, Rogan.” Alicia stood up, her hands trembling as she covered her mouth.
“Alicia, it is me.” He stood before her, fighting the urge to hold her in his arms as she looked at him in disbelief.
“Rogan.” She said for the third time, her voice a hoarse, painful whisper. “They said you… you were slain in battle… but
I never did believe them.”
“Oh, Alicia… I missed you every day since…” He reached out for her.
“Oh, Rogan…” She stumbled backward, feeling faint.
The warrior knight leapt forward, cradling her in his arms as she swooned and fainted. He held her limp form closely and gently kissed her face. This was no dream, he told himself as he laid her down on the bed he had built with his own hands and caressed her lovely face.
Alicia stirred and looked around frantically, her eyes wide and watering. She reached up and grasped at his face, drawing him closer to kiss his lips. He relished the sweet flavor of her lips, the moist softness of her tongue. His heart was close to bursting as he held her tight, determined never to lose her again.
“Rogan, my love.” She whispered. “You are here with me again.”
“Yes, my love.” He smiled, gently twirling a silky lock of her hair in his finger. “I am here forever more.”
“Where have you been?” She asked him. “I had all these dreams, these nightmares of you being lost in some demon haunted hell.”
“I was, Alicia.” He nodded glumly. “The wizard cast a spell that banished me from here to a land of demons and decadence… and I thought I would never see you again. But there were angels there as well… angels who helped me return here… and be with you again.”
“We will never again be apart, I cannot live another moment alone.” Alicia hugged him. “I only lived so long because I believed in my heart that you will come back to me and sustained myself from the fruit we grow in our little garden here.”
“We will make the meadow our home, Alicia.” Rogan said with hope. “Everyday I will strive to get Kirk Falls back to as we knew it.”
“No Rogan, you cannot… all is lost…” Alicia looked into his eyes with despair. “Kirk Falls is dead; I know nothing of my father or our farmlands… I feared everyday the same fate to come upon our meadow.”
“The wizard must pay for this.” Rogan gritted his teeth. “I must find men loyal to Kirk Fa…”
“There is nothing you can do, Rogan.” Alicia said pleadingly. “Kirk Falls is a waste land; I cannot have you risk your life over nothing.”
“It pains me greatly, Alicia.” Rogan said, his voice trembling with rage. “That the one place that I could call home after years of being a wandering nomad and a scavenging sellsword. The one place that I could finally have a home and a wife to raise a family is taken away from me.”
“You are not alone, Rogan, many of our people have suffered the same fate.” The dark haired beauty grasped his hand. “Many have be rendered homeless, many widowed, orphaned and left childless.”
“Then all the more reason, my love.” The huge warrior clenched his fists. “All the more reason for me to bring that accursed wizard down.”
“You cannot do that alone, he is too powerful… all who dared to oppose him are no more.”
“My brothers-in-arms, have I lost them all?” Rogan held his head in his hands. “Faithful Gregory, bold Danuth, the Herndon boys… all gone.”
“Yes, dear heart, everyone who fought the forces that besiege this land.” Alicia sighed deeply. “The bravest died; most fled… we have only one choice left, my love.”
“One choice, to flee like a coward.” Rogan laughed scornfully. “I who have already lost so much, now stand to lose even more.”
“No, Rogan, you’re not a coward… and you don’t stand to lose anything if you have nothing to gain.”
“Dear Alicia, as always, you are the light of reason and you give me strength and hope.” He sighed sadly “There is no hope for Kirk Falls.. It was not the intent of the wizard to claim the land, but to destroy it.”
“More the reason you cannot fight him anymore, Rogan.” Alicia caressed his face. “The invaders have nothing to lose for they seek no gain. Let us be away, my love. We cannot live here, this meadow cannot be hidden forever… but where can we go?”
“All the farmlands lie in ruin, including your father’s.” He looked at her with sadness. “We must leave this land forever.”
“Can we go north… to your homeland?” She held his hand in hers.
“Vindarland is a harsh place, my love… it will take a heavy toll on us to make a life there.”
“I am prepared to live anywhere with you, Rogan.”
“But I am not.” He said firmly. “I will not have you suffer again, for me.”
“Then where shall we go, to the south lies the enemy and the east beyond Drakeberg lies the dense dark forests.” She searched his face. “And the endless sea to the west.”
“We must go west, to the sea… and find passage on a ship.” He looked at with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. “I have heard from sea faring men of a new world that lies over the horizon to the west, we must go there.”
~ ~ ~
The briny air filling his lungs was invigorating as Rogan took a deep breath and looked across the deck at the setting sun. Eleven days had passed since they had last been on land and he had grown accustomed now to the swaying movement of the ship. Alicia stood close to him, her arm around his waist. The only piece of gold she had paid for their passage, along with Rogan’s offer to serve as a fighter onboard, in the advent of a pirate attack. Three times the ship had been assailed by buccaneers and each time the captain praised the heavens for having Rogan on board. He even returned the gold piece back to Alicia.
“The sun sets yet again, my love.” Alicia whispered. “I have grown accustomed to this journey and do not miss my life in Kirk Falls.”
“In another two weeks, as the captain says, we will be in the new land.” Rogan smiled at her. “Our ship will bring us to a land called New Haven that has been secured for people like us.”
“I look forward to that day.” She squeezed his arm. “It is getting dark, Rogan… we should go inside.”
“Yes, we must.” He nodded and led her to their newly acquired little cabin below decks.
When they had first stepped onto the ship, several of the sailors had eyed Alicia with interest, but soon discovered the error in that after one night of brawling with her lover. And then when Rogan almost single-handedly thwarted three pirate raids, everyone on the ship gave them a wide berth. That suited Alicia just fine, being the only woman in a confined space filled with lonely men.
The captain of the ship was the only other man that Alicia felt she could trust. He had not cast a lustful eye on her as the rest of his men did, and was also an educated man with refined manners. They had to give their names to be registered as migrants for the new land across the sea, and unlike her warrior husband, Alicia had spent much time with monks and scribes learning the alphabet. She put down their names as Alicia and Rogan O’Falkirk, wishing to keep all traces of their past in the past and begin life anew across the great continental divide.
“Tell me again, Rogan.” She eyed him seductively as she made herself comfortable on the little wooden bed. “How shall we set up our lives in this new land?”
“Once we disembark, I must find work.” He sat down beside her and placed his arm around her shoulders. “I hear parcels of land are offered as gifts to those wishing to till the land and farm produce.”
“So you will become the farmer you always wanted to.” She looked into his eyes and caressed his hand.
“Aye, I will live a life of peace and love from here on.” He smiled broadly, kissing her on the cheek, “…with you to give me strength.”
“How many children would you like to sire.” Alicia kissed his hand.
“As many as you would bear me.” He laughed softly.
“I pray four sons and two daughters would make us a fine family.” She said huskily, rubbing her body against his.
“Yes, four strong boys and two lovely girls.” Rogan whispered into her ear and caressed her belly and hips, lifting her up onto his lap.
“The firstborn shall be a boy.” She moaned as his hands slid up to cup her full breasts over the blouse she wore.
&nb
sp; “I would like that, but a girl is also acceptable.” He kissed her smooth slender neck, leaving a trail of saliva along her velvet skin.
“Let us endeavor to that now.” She grasped at his crotch. “Come, my love… the moment is right.”
Rogan nodded eagerly and let her remove his trousers, even as he pulled away her blouse and skirt. Her pale naked body gleamed in the dim light of the moon coming though the cracks between the planks of the cabin. Rogan admired her sensuality like he had always done before, thrusting out his erection at her as a testament of his love for her.
“Oh, Rogan…your beautiful weapon of war… it brings out the brazen slut in me.” She purred sexily and swayed her hips.
Choosing Hearts - The Fighter's Passion (Gritty, Explicit Romance Novel) (A Lusty Stand Alone Story) Page 13
