by LeRoy Clary
“What about the Brotherhood?”
“I think you can see for yourself that idea is not going well. You have never trusted them, and besides, they are working with King Alfred the Great, as he now calls himself.”
Gareth considered her offer and came to a conclusion. “We go together as far as the edge of the city. There are more things I have to think about before agreeing to your entire plan.”
Ann pursed her lips. She nodded, and said, “We can do it that way, but there are few things I still need to tell you. I know about Bitters Island, your family, and Blackie. I know you are going to try locating your father, another man with talents as great as yours. He lived in the mountains, and I know there are new, threatening voices in the vapors that we all hear.”
“You know a lot.”
“Well, know this too. I cannot use my mind to spread that information to my Sisters, nor would I if I could. What I have learned on this voyage is private between us. I give you my word. Unlike the Brotherhood, which is formal and demanding of each member, the Sisterhood is still just a loose confederation of like-minded women. I pledge to you here and now that I will never utter a word to anyone of what I overheard unless you agree to it.”
“Then, why don’t I see if I can upset some animals while you let the rats loose?” He threw Tad’s travel bag along with his over a shoulder and placed his other arm around the boy and helped him rise.
Ann flung open the cabin door and instantly a cascade of noise assaulted them, growing louder by the moment. Men shouted and cursed. Footsteps ran across the deck overhead. She said, “Follow me.”
Gareth paused at another cabin door as she reached inside and grabbed her travel bag, then he followed her up on deck. Looking around as he jogged behind her, several men slapped their arms as if they were trying to fly, while others dived to the semi-safety of the deck or ground. Most shouted and cursed at the bats, adding to the din. He shifted his attention to the pier. A pair of horses jumped and bucked, tossing the wagon behind to one side and then the other. The crates that had been securely inside the bed of the wagon were now strewn and broken while a driver attempted to calm the animals as he swatted at nearby bats.
He saw mules fighting for their freedom further up the pier, and the other docks further off were in the same situation. As Ann led them down the gangway, she held up her arm and paused. Suddenly in the light of the lanterns on the poles on the pier situated for the offloading the ship, an almost fluid appearing dark mass appeared on the ground rushing for shore. It swirled and merged with others, and it seemed to melt and mold itself as it moved. Anything or any person in the path reacted in panic.
“Rats. Hundreds of them. I never dreamed there were that many,” Gareth whispered, shifting the boy ahead while resting his arms on their bags.
“Here, let me carry one of those,” Ann said as she took Tad’s bag and turned to follow the rats up the hillside to the lights of the town above. There was no sign of the Brotherhood. Some were probably still searching the ships while others had backed away to safety from the bats and rats and terrified mules.
Away from the piers, Gareth sent out calming thoughts. The bats were told the mosquitoes were gone, the rats returned to their nests, and the pack animals calmed. Sailors and stevedores cleaned up the messes as pairs of the Brotherhood continued their searches for Gareth.
At the first buildings in the small city, Ann asked a drunken sailor stumbling from a tavern to tell her where the nearest stable was located. While she got directions, Gareth issued another calming breath of thought that floated to the animals, even the rats, and as he listened, the remaining turmoil near the ships decreased. The bats had flown off. The mules calmed. Soon it would be a story for the dockworkers tell in the taverns, but nobody would know why the animals all reacted oddly. However, Gareth sent additional thoughts to all witnesses that the mass confusion had really only been a small incident. In a few days, it would not be remembered. Ann paid the sleepy stableman an extra crown because he wanted to remain in his warm bed with his new wife for the night. He told them to wait until morning for a horse as he tried to close the door. “Three horses, now,” she corrected him. “And good saddles. Do not try to cheat me or I’ll find another stable willing to take my silver coins.”
His bony hand reached out and snatched the coins. Stuffing the crowns into his purse, he said, “I do happen to have two fine, well-trained mares that I’ll sell, but the third horse will be a problem.”
“Why is that?” Ann snapped.
“Because all I can offer is a swayback so old it only has half his teeth, and a young gelding barely broke and far too untamed for the likes of you to ride.”
Ann held up another crown to glitter in the moonlight. “I’ll ride the gelding. Don’t protest, I’ve been around horses my whole life. This last coin is yours in addition to the price of the animals and tack if you understand our need for departing as quickly as possible. Your wife will wait, and you can buy her a new bonnet tomorrow.”
His eyes took one last caressing look at her coin, and he leaped to the door and led the way to stalls where saddles and harnesses rested on wooden rails chewed by generations of horses. Two fine looking horses were soon standing beside them, and the stableman was outside in the dark trying to get a bridle on the semi-wild gelding. Ann marched to the door, and Gareth felt her mind touch that of the horse. It calmed and as she approached, it took a hesitant step in her direction then nuzzled her.
Handing the bridle to her, the stableman said, “Never seen him do that before.”
“I told you I have a way with horses. Get the saddle and be quick about it.”
Tad was awake enough to sit on a horse, but Gareth intended to hold the reins. He and Ann mounted together and rode into the darkness. Ann started to speak, but Gareth motioned for her to be silent. He touched the mind of the stableman that was already beginning to fall asleep again. His mind was receptive. Before they reached the cross-street, the stableman believes he had rented horses to a nobleman from the south who was traveling alone but required two more horses for packing all his belongings.
Gareth glanced at Ann. “We need to travel north, past Freeport inland by a good distance.”
“Where is our destination?”
“I cannot tell you.”
“On the ship, I explained you can trust me, and why.”
“I do. The simple fact is that our destination has no name you would know. I have not been there in thirty years, but I do know where we are bound. We will have . . . Help when we get close.”
“Help? There’s something is your words you are hiding.”
Putting his heels to the sides of the horse, he asked, “Are you scared of dragons?”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Gareth rode his horse and watched Ann ride the horse the stableman had told them was only half broken. He listened to her mental words and images as she soothed the animal and convinced it that it wanted to obey her every wish. They were best friends. His duty was to please her. Gareth listened and learned.
Later, Tad rode in front while the adults rode beside each other and talked, the medicine Ann provided keeping Tad’s moods on an even keel, even and helped keep his thoughts to himself although he was awake. His chin often rested on his chest, and he looked through slits in his half-closed eyes.
Just before dawn, Gareth abruptly slowed and drew to a halt. “Quiet.”
“What is it?” Ann asked, worry clearly sounding in her voice as she peered ahead into the darkness and on both sides of the rutted road. The forest closed in on the sides, and the underbrush was almost impenetrable and gloomy, even in the predawn light.
“Soldiers are swarming over the docks behind us.” He paused and reached him mind further. “They’re at all the seaports.”
“Doing what? Searching for you?”
“Capturing the Brotherhood at sword point.”
“What does that mean?” She asked in a voice sounding chilly, almost unbelieving but n
ot quite.
Tad said thickly, “Are we in trouble?
“Not us. Those men in green, but I don’t think they are in danger.” Gareth continued to probe into the unusual activity. The soldiers were excited in the way all military men get after years of peace, and they finally have a task to perform—but the Brothers simply went along with their captors without protest. Gareth read in their minds that they had expected to be arrested and had known that it would happen at sunrise this morning. The members of the Brotherhood were their normal, calm selves. A few exceptions were those who allowed more emotion to surface; usually the younger Brothers or those still in training.
On impulse, he touched the mind of Blackie and found him safe and snug in the shelter of the depression on the rock face of the cliff. He turned to Ann. “The army is taking all Brothers into custody. I do not see anything similar happening to the Sisterhood.”
“I have to leave and spread the word of this,” Ann said.
“No, they will all know what has happened before you can locate and tell the first person. By the time most Sisters eat their breakfast, they will know as much as you and me.”
“I feel like I should be doing something, Gareth.”
“You are. Tad and I need help, and our first worry was the Brotherhood positioned on the roads locating and detaining us. That worry is has passed, at least for now.” He gently touched the mind of his tired and hungry horse and suggested it might find a field of green grass ahead. As it ventured forward, Tad’s horse followed.
Ann spurred hers to take her place beside Gareth again. She flicked her eyes in Tad’s direction. “Want to tell me about him? Or why we are heading past Freeport into the mountains?”
“Tad is my grandson. But you already know that. I found out about his abilities only days ago and have no idea the extent of them, but he seems as advanced as I was at his age.”
“And the mountains? Your father?”
Gareth didn’t look at her for a time, letting the horses find their own pace to the lush grass he promised them. He finally decided though it would do no harm to tell her. The powerful Brotherhood had always wanted his power for their used, as did the king. Only the Sisterhood had left him alone, and they only wished his help in protecting them from the two stronger groups. Maybe it was time to accept their help.
“My name is Gareth. That is also a title from so long ago nobody remembers where it began. Gareth’s help and guide civilizations. We do not judge or force others to our will, but from earliest times others have envied and feared us. We try to do our work in the background, without attention or reward. We consider ourselves no more than healers or guides.”
“I understand. We, Sisters, are often feared and called witches. People without our skills hunt us because they feel less than us, and they are scared of what they do not understand.”
“Similarly, there have been Gareth’s looking over this kingdom for as long as anyone can guess. The last one has been teaching me what is needed to be effective and how to do it in a manner that helps the most people in the best ways. I consider him to be my father, although we have no blood kin to my knowledge. His communications with me ended abruptly several days ago.” Gareth decided to keep the information about the images of pain, the harsh whispers, and warnings to himself, for now.
Ann seemed to understand there was more unsaid, but she accepted his words and rode in silence. She said, “We all heard the insane screams of rage. That’s why we’re trying to find the source.”
“All sensitives are searching?”
“Yes. The matter has concerned the King because of course he and his people didn’t hear anything, but he sees the way we’re acting and knows things have changed.” When Tad complained about being hungry, she said, “I brought some travel food from the ship. Nothing fancy.”
“There is probably a stream at the bottom of his hill. The horses need a drink and a break.”
“You could say thank you for my assistance, you know,” Ann said.
Gareth looked up. “My manners are not what they should be so, please forgive me. I’m thinking about a hundred things at once.”
“Including grieving. I forgive your manners if you forgive mine for mentioning them.”
Gareth shrugged and decided to continue answering her earlier questions. “I am heading into the mountains in hopes of locating my father. And whoever killed him if he’s dead.”
“I’ll gladly help you on your mission.”
“There’s more. I believe there is an extreme danger where I go, and you should have the option of leaving us well before we get there. You should know that I also have heard four others with the same powers as Tad. Four evil and dangerous minds.”
“We have also heard them, and our leaders have never encountered four, of course. We only know of you. This Gareth you speak of as your father is unknown to us.”
“That’s because he has done his job so well you never suspected he existed until I came along.”
Ann slipped down from her saddle at the stream and scooped water to her horse, and then some for herself. Gareth felt that action said more about the woman than words. She placed the animal above herself by letting it drink first. Gareth helped Tad climb down, and all stretched trying to work the soreness from already tired bodies.
Tad was becoming more mentally alert as the drugs wore off. He explored the stream, finding periwinkles and a crawfish. His mind was still sluggish, but he was happy. His thoughts were contained, and Gareth didn’t believe anyone was nearby to overhear.
Ann turned to him. “Those of the Sisterhood who have heard the new voices in the mists say that one of them is twisted.”
Gareth shrugged before answering, wanting her to continue without the influence of his comments or opinions. “What do you mean?”
“That voice is angry and full of fear at the same time. And, it enjoys killing.”
Her revelation filled him with loathing as he remembered. It was the undercurrent to what he had been experiencing when he touched the mind, but the Sisters were more sensitive to feelings and emotions. He said, “That may be the one we are searching for. I plan to kill him.”`
“I expected you’d say that. Yet you brought your grandson with you.”
“I wanted to protect him.”
Ann gave her horse a fond pat on the neck and the horse nudged and rubbed her shoulder in return. She grinned and looked up to meet Gareth’s eyes. “You know; we sort of met a long time ago.”
“Where?” he asked.
“You were highly emotional and escaping from some pirates that sank your boat. You were with a fisherman named Tom. We didn’t really meet, but I listened to your voice shouting when you were swimming in the water and scared. And then, later on, when you were on land when you couldn’t find the sailor that day, and you were freezing at night. I think everyone in the world listened to you.”
“So you heard me, but we didn’t actually meet.”
“Everybody heard you, but you’re right. It just seems to me like we met because it was so intense, but then on the island, I confused you with Tad when I first saw you. I thought you were the young one until I saw Tad, and then I was confused as to who was Gareth, for a day or two on the ship. Gareth should be much older than either of you look.”
She waited for his response. Gareth let her. Only a few people knew about Gareth’s bonding with black dragons and their extended lifetimes. If word of that went out and became public knowledge, it could cause jealousy problems and turn the average person into an enemy. “I would take it as a personal favor if you simply forgot everything you just said.”
“Of course. You have a grandson. So you have a wife. Can I ask her age?”
“She is a few years older than me.”
“How old does she appear? I know it’s none of my business, but as a woman, I have to ask.”
Gareth drew in a deep breath and held it before allowing it to escape past pursed lips. “She looks her age, and is beautiful.”
Ann mounted and said, “We need to go. And as far as I’m concerned we never stopped for a drink or talked.”
She rode tall in her saddle as she urged her horse up the path. Gareth gathered Tad and helped him into his saddle. He believed her. The Brotherhood and King reacted to him with animosity and posted rewards for him. They desired to cage him and use him to suit their needs. Ann and the Sisterhood asked nothing of him. Perhaps he should consider the Sisterhood more as allies than he previously thought. Or perhaps, Ann was different from other Sisters.
The roads occasionally held farmer’s wagons heading to markets or trader’s goods on their way to the great market in the palace square. Men walked the road because horses were signs of wealth most couldn’t afford. Women worked in gardens or tended to small domesticated animals beside farmhouses. Soldiers stood at checkpoints, usually at bends in the road and unseen by travelers until they were almost upon them and couldn’t duck into the forest to circle around.
The soldiers asked their destinations, home villages, and assorted other questions to identify the travelers. They were looking for a man of fifty, traveling by himself most likely. Ann answered most questions in an irritated manner, the same any woman might use. She was Gareth’s mother, and Tad was his son. They were going home to Freeport.
As soon as they left each checkpoint, Gareth reached out and brushed the soldier’s minds of the details of their passing. If asked, most would state that they believed they had spoken to a family of three, none of whom bore any resemblance to the one they searched for.
Despite being delayed on the road seven times in a single day, they made good progress because the army never detained them for long. Gareth used the time in the saddle to find that over half of the Brotherhood in the kingdom now resided at one of the several farms outside of the major cities, under the watchful eyes of the King’s men. He also touched minds with Blackie and ordered him to move to a new roost. Remaining in one place could be dangerous.
