Seth let out a sigh of relief and even managed to smile a little at his father's comment. This wasn't any new information, in fact Seth had been thinking the same thing earlier in the evening. He nodded his understanding to his father and sat silently letting James continue. James stood a second seeming to steady himself and gather his thoughts. He was a large man both tall and muscular so Seth found it odd that he looked so worn. Where he usually stood tall, his broad shoulders held back as if daring the world to face him, now he stood slumped, eyes downcast, ashamed.
"You're a wonderful young man and we are all very proud of you, and I know if your mother was here today she wouldn't be able to let either of you go tomorrow." With his last statement James nearly lost his resolve and his voice faltered slightly. He could barely keep his emotions at bay.
"What I'm meaning to tell you Seth…" James paused looking to his friends for support. All of them had tears in their eyes, and Emily was openly weeping by this point. Taking a deep breath James continued.
"Seth, Garret isn't your brother, I'm not your father, and your mother wasn't your mother." James barely finished with a sob as he lost control of his emotions.
Seth sat open mouthed, tears streaming from his eyes and just shook his head in disbelief. All eyes were on him, every look a mask of pain and sorrow. Seth could hardly breathe and it felt as if in a single moment his entire life was stripped away, if it had even been his life to begin with. Seth could find no reasoning to his father's words, the repeated over and over again in his head but just did not ring true.
"What do you mean dad? That's not possible we're twins, how could we possibly not be brothers?" Seth asked.
James tried to settle his own nerves and took several deep breaths before even trying to respond to his son's questions. "You have the same birthday it is true Seth, and the two of you do nearly look identical, but the truth is you are not brothers. I only tell you this now because your mother…" James paused for a second not wanting to takes Seth’s feelings for granted. "I mean Cassandra and I swore to each other that when you were ready we would tell you. Bus she is gone now, so it is up to me to tell you the truth like we agreed when we decided to raise you as our own." James said
Seth took several minutes just sitting with his eyes closed not wanting to believe what he was hearing, and not wanting to see all the faces around him, the people who had lied to him his entire life. Feeling deceived and betrayed Seth gritted his teeth to try and gain control of his emotions, and without bothering to open his eyes growled more than spoke.
"Then who are my parents?" He asked.
Inwardly Seth hoped that soon he would just wake up to realize that this was just some twisted nightmare, or at the very least some kind of cruel joke, but he knew deep down it was true. Something about it made sense. He had never been treated any different than Garret, in fact everything besides the loss of their mother had been damned near perfect until now. Seth wasn't sure if he even wanted to know the rest but his father began talking before Seth could rescind his question.
"The night your mother was in labor with Garret I was at my wits end. There was water to boil, your mother was screaming, she was bleeding, Emily and Rose were taking care of her, but I was a nervous wreck." James said a glazed look of remembrance in his eyes. "I was running back and forth from our room to the kitchens with towels and water, unsure if I was doing anything right. There was a terrible blizzard outside and it was all I could do to keep a cooking fire lit in the kitchen to boil the water. As I rushed from the kitchen back towards your mother's and my room there was a faint knock at the door. Worried about your mother I took whatever it was I was carrying to the room first then returned to open the door. The wind had been howling so bad outside I had had to bar the door just to keep it closed. The door burst open just as soon as I had it unbarred and outside in the storm stood this woman. She was just a tiny little thing, and to this day I can’t say for sure, but it appeared that the only thing she was wearing was a bear skin pulled over her shoulders. She was shivering terribly bad, and it was obvious she had no money so I invited her in, barred the door behind her, gave my apologies and simply ushered her into a room on my way back to your mother. Just an hour later your brother was born and I spent the next few hours with your mother and cleaning up our room just happy that everything had gone well. I had completely forgotten the young woman in the other room." James paused to think a moment before continuing. “It was an hour or two past midnight when your mother awoke believing she heard Garret crying, but upon waking she found him still sound asleep, yet the sounds of a crying babe remained. She was too exhausted from giving birth to go find the source of the sound so she woke me up. I found you in the room I had allowed the young woman to stay in. You were in the middle of the cot wrapped in the bear hide that she had arrived in. You had only been born in the previous hours as your skull was still elongated to permit birthing, yet the young woman was nowhere to be found. Jack and I looked all over for any signs of tracks or blood in the snow outside but found nothing. The woman had vanished without a trace. Your mother was already nursing Garret and so put you to the breast as well, thinking that the woman would soon return to claim you. Days passed and then weeks, she never came nor did we ever see any sign of her so we decided to raise you as our own, and swore to one another that someday, when you were ready, we would tell you the truth of it. So in keeping a promise to your mother, bless her soul, I am breaking my own heart." James said tears still running down his face. "Your my son damn it no less than Garret no matter what." James said after a moment of thought.
Seth sat a moment choking back sobs, barely able to take a breath. His entire life had been a lie. Or had it? Just because he hadn't been born to James and Cassandra didn't make them any less his parents. Truth be told, they had saved his life by taking him in. Seth decided that it didn't matter. His family was still his family no matter what, the only problem Seth had with the sudden admission from his father, is for the first time in his whole life he didn't know who he was. Seth’s family was James and Garret, and even all their neighbors, who apparently all knew the real truth of the situation, but it was now also possible that Seth had another family entirely out there somewhere. Seth still felt a bit betrayed that everyone had seemingly kept this secret from him his whole life, and by doing so may have stolen from him a whole other life and family entirely. It just didn't fit though, Seth knew his father, he knew his neighbors, and he loved them all and knew that they had only done what they thought was best for him.
"Does Garret know?" Seth asked
James just shook his head, just beginning to recover and reign in his emotions.
"I hope you can forgive us and understand that we just wanted you to have a normal life, the best life we could give you, and that we all love you very much. James pleaded.
"I love you all too." Seth said looking around to everyone in the room. "But, do we have to tell Garret? I don't think I am ready for him to know yet if that's ok." Seth said.
"I had already decided to leave that up to you son, I've never seen a pair of siblings as close as you two." James said
"So what do we do now?" Seth asked. He took a deep breath, finally able to breathe again as the knots in his stomach began to subside.
"That too is up to you Seth, none of us knew just how you would take the news, but we all hoped…" James said trailing off.
"I think that you and mom and everyone else did what you thought was best." Seth said. "Though I wish you had either been honest with me all along or perhaps never told me at all. In any case you are all the only family I have ever known, and just because I am adopted don’t make us any less family." Seth said.
James grinned from ear to ear with a sigh of relief. The whole room seemed to feel lighter all of a sudden and James stood tall and grabbed his son in a monstrous hug. Before long Seth had hugged each of his neighbors, and with lots of apologies and words of encouragement Seth was finally ready to join his brother in their bedro
om and get some rest for the journey tomorrow. Thus he said his goodbyes and left the alcove and quietly went to his room hoping not to wake his brother if he was already asleep.
Seth crept into the room he shared with his brother and was pleased to find Garret snoring lightly. A small candle burned on Seth’s bedside table, Garret had apparently lit it before going to sleep so Seth could see when he finally came to bed. Seth quickly and quietly undressed and crawled into bed, reassured by his brothers' actions that not only had he made the right choice not to tell his brother about his being adopted. He didn't want anything to change the relationship they shared.
Seth lay in his bed thinking a long time about his past and his family, but soon realized that what was done was done, so he instead focused on what lay ahead. Though his life was already irrevocably changed he was aware that starting tomorrow their lives would never be the same. Their journey wouldn’t take but two weeks, first winding south through the foothills of the mountains, then across the plains following the Rapagalon river ever south to their destination, the capital city of Valdadore. They would pass through, or at least near to several villages and towns along the way. It would be their first venture away from home without their father. At least they would be together. Seth imagined their journey south, imagining the many things they would see, people they might meet. Seth slowly drifted away from consciousness, drifting as he did into dreams of his own making, his subconscious mind bringing unconscious acceptance to whatever might lay ahead.
Seth found himself in the kitchen of the inn. The cooking fires were ablaze, warming the room to an almost uncomfortable level. His father could be heard in the common room speaking with guests. The wind blew outside, and rain hammered the roof. These were all very common memories to Seth, after all, often when the weather got bad all their neighbors would come and visit with one another in the common rooms at the inn. But still something was out of place that Seth could not place his finger on. The door separating the common room to the kitchen swung open just then, and the crackle of the cooking fires was drowned out beneath the sound of several boisterous conversations. A young woman entered the kitchen, smiling at him. She was beautiful with long brown hair falling around her shoulders in loose curls. Her skin was fair, the color of fresh milk. Her eyes too seemed to be smiling at him, enchanting him in their green depths. It was then that Seth realized what it was before that he couldn’t find. Nothing was missing, nothing even out of place. What was wrong about this room was its size. Everything here seemed overly large, and it only took a second for it to dawn on him. The room wasn’t large, He was small. He was a child, barely four years old, and the beautiful woman who stood before him smiling was his mother. He concentrated as hard as was possible to commit her face, her smile, even her scent to memory. Her expression changed then, changing to a look of concern. She must be wondering why I’m staring at her. Then her expression changed again, pulling her eyebrows together, her lips into a straight line, and scrunching up her eyes in thought. I knew it!! Garret got it from mom. Seeming to come to a conclusion, she knelt down bringing herself down until their eyes were level. She again smiled at him knowingly.
“Seth honey, don’t worry about what is coming. Everything is going to be just fine.” She still smiled though her eyes took on a look of concern. “Why don’t you go get in bed and get some sleep? Garret is already resting.”
Seth nodded once and headed for the door. Pausing as he opened it, turning around he met her gaze again.
“I love you mom.” Seth barely managed whispering the words.
“I love you too.” She replied, a look of deeper meaning and understanding on her face. “Now, run along to bed.”
Again Seth nodded and turned, walking through the door he was greeted with familiar faces in the bright room. Then everything seemed to swirl, sucking the light from the room, encasing everyone in shadow. The light continued to drain until Seth was lost in darkness. He knew it was just a dream, yet he wished it to continue, knowing all the while that it would not. The dream, perhaps the only memory he would ever have of his mother was over. He let the darkness consume him then, his subconscious taking over, and fell into a deep restful sleep.
Garret too found himself dreaming, an all too real dream. He stood upon a plain wearing brightly polished armor. In his hand, the sword Jack had made him only now it was different. Now he held it familiarly, like he had been carrying it for years. Ahead of him lay bodies, heaped into piles, burning. The ground around him was stained with blood, gore lay across the land. Dismembered body parts, peoples’ entrails, a scalp here, and an ear there, it was a vision of death. Yet behind him, the plains teemed with life, hundreds of lives maybe thousands. A force to be reckoned with was gathered of the bravest, most courageous men the world had ever seen. Some of the most powerful fighters ever to be amassed. They stood for a purpose, they stood for him, with him, awaiting his command. Across the plain there stood another great force. A mass of black armor, crimson pennants, hulking Trolls, twisted Orcs, massive Ogres, and unnaturally strong humans stood to oppose them. Their blades dripping with blood, they stood in no formation, each creature edging the invisible line that held them at bay. At their head, central to this inhuman army stood a man. He was a ghastly sight, covered in gore his armor seemed to be made of blood. Spikes jutted from his armor from every joint, his helm fashioned in the likeness of a ravenous wolf. In one hand he held a blackened evil sword consumed in unnatural power, in the other a staff of bleached bone, stained red from human blood. His eyes, even from this distance could be clearly seen. Two crimson orbs danced behind his skull mask, taking in the force across the plane moving from one extreme end to the other. The eyes darted from foe to foe until they came to rest on Garret. They met gazes, both refusing to blink, both refusing to give anything that the other might take for weakness. Looking into those eyes, even at this distance, made Garret feel sick to his stomach. Something had to be done about this aberration. Something would be done. Garret raised his sword above his head, looking over his shoulder to his comrades. He let the sword swing down in front of him to point at his enemy, and with this unspoken command he yelled at the top of his lungs.
“For Valdadore!”
The plains echoed his battle cry as a thousand voices joined his own and rumbled the very earth beneath them. “For Valdadore!”
The image shifted then, as both armies charged one another. First the grass went from blood smeared green to black, and then the sky went black as well. All traces of light were lost, and with it, all sound. The image faded from Garret’s mind leaving him in darkness. Leaving him to ponder the horrible sights he had witnessed. Leaving him alone in his mind, in the dark comfort that was his subconscious, to get some needed rest.
Both brothers slept restfully within their own beds, within their own minds. Neither would again dream this night. Both would remember their dreams though, all too well would they remember them. Perhaps one day, they would understand the meaning, if dreams held any meaning at all.
Chapter 2
Foreboding farewells amp; friendly faces
Both of the twins awoke to the knock at their door, and both in turn mumbled some sort of reply. The door cracked open a bit and James poked his large head around the door.
“Get moving boys, if you want to get in a good day of travel today you need to be ready by sunrise.” James stated. Removing his head from the door he closed it gently, turned and walked back down the hall, his head hung low, and shoulders slumping. Today was not going to be a good day.
The twins quickly rose from their beds; Garret lit a lantern, and placed it in the window sill. Whether it was nervousness or anxiousness that guided them, both were dressed more quickly than was usual. Seth sat on the end of his bed pulling on his new boots. Lacing them up tightly, he looked across the room at his brother who was doing the same.
“Well I guess this is it.” Seth said in a tone of resignation.
“Yeah.” Was the only response
Garret could muster.
Good. Seth thought. At least Garret is finally getting the picture.
Both boys rose from their beds, and exchanged compliments on their new attire. Garret did indeed look like royalty in his blue and silver travel garb, with his sword already sheathed at his hip, and dagger at his waist. Seth reached down to pick up his belt and new sword, and threaded the belt through the scabbard. He then did the same with the dagger and strapped the belt around his waist. It all felt a bit heavy, almost uncomfortable. Garret looked Seth up and down in appreciation and laughed loudly.
“What?” Seth demanded. “Did I put something on wrong?”
“No it’s just funny seeing you like that.” Garret continued laughing.
“What’s so funny about it?” Now Seth was getting a bit annoyed.
“Well.” Garret said trying to compose himself. “You’re all dressed in black, with a black cloak, black sword, black, black, and more black.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Seth questioned, sounding a bit harsher than he intended.
“Nothing. It’s just that you look like what I imagine an assassin would look like creeping around on roof tops.”
Both twins started laughing then and Seth imagined what he must look like all dressed in black as if he were clothed in darkness.
“An assassin huh?” Seth thought out loud.
Now there is a profession I hadn’t thought of. I wonder if assassins are picked at The Gathering. Just one more worry to add to the list.
The boys picked on each other’s new stylish looks a few more minutes then headed out of their room, to the common room, where they could hear their father talking to someone.
Rounding the corner into the seating area where they had received their gifts the twins saw the other boy from last night seated at the bar eating and nodding to a question James had asked. He was a tall, skinny kid, awkward looking, with a child’s face. His hair was a light blonde color, and cut just above the ears as if a bowl had been placed on his head and then cut around. His eyes were a bright penetrating blue, seemingly full of happiness. Beside him were two more plates of food. James looked over to the boys from behind the bar, and waved them over, pointing at the plates of food.
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