I drew out the crossbow, and then loosened the rifle and opened a pouch of cartridges. Jane followed my lead and handed a pistol to a very scared Hannah.
I watched with my special vision as the lead Brean crossed where we had just been.
Chapter Nine: Journey
THE horses’ ears flicked up almost in unison, with the packhorse being just a fraction slower. I drew it in close to where I could quietly console both animals. Jane did the same, reassuring Smoke.
The first Brean in the column snapped its head up, sensing something. It slowed, but it was a bit too sudden, and got knocked over by the one directly behind it. Fits of snarls and growls burst from both of them, as they clashed with each other and commenced to fight.
Jane and Hannah couldn’t see what had happened, but they could hear the angry confrontation, and they looked terrified.
More snarls issued forth from those in the middle of the column, as they desperately tried to avoid colliding with the brawling twosome. The Brean in the far rear of the group slowed as well. The two fighters, equal in their desire to avoid a pile-up, quit their bickering and the whole group of them continued their brisk pace—all except for the last one who trailed behind the departing pack.
Nose held high, it searched for the source of a newly detected scent. It hesitated, then turned, and headed in the direction from which we had just come.
I breathed a deep sigh of relief.
Unfortunately, my congratulatory celebration was premature. The lone Brean hadn’t gone far before the trail it followed ended. In a flash, it ran back to the beginning before our scent could blow away. This time it followed the wind and started up the right path towards us.
I motioned for Jane to get behind me. I selected the crossbow, not sure it would do any good, but sure the booming sound of a rifle would give our position away to the others.
The stink from the Brean drifted in the air and its putrid smell floated past us. The horses smelled it too; and the wretched packhorse whinnied. I cursed it under my breath. Fortunately, by this time, the other monsters had moved out of earshot. With its suspicions now confirmed, the lone Brean slowed and crept closer. Glaring, silvery eyes and a dark, hulking shape dissolved out of the fog in front of us. Long, black claws twitched in anticipation.
The girls could see it now. Hannah was trembling, and Jane sat with her rifle poised. A low, guttural growl rumbled from deep inside the monster’s body.
I waited for a charge, and with it, a closer shot. However, the presence of the Brean was too much for the packhorse. It panicked. Struggling against the rope that tethered us, it dragged me and the mare sideways. I struggled to keep the bow aimed, but the monster had its chance. However, instead of charging, it straightened up and tilted its massive head towards the sky.
Instantly, I knew what it intended to do and my blood ran cold.
Without waiting for a steady shot, I pulled the trigger. With a twang, the arrow left the bow and sliced through the fog. Fearing it would miss, I immediately dropped the crossbow, snatched up the rifle, and aimed…but it wasn’t necessary. The only sound to issue from the Brean was a great gasp and a rush of air from its lungs as it fell lifeless to the ground.
Just the feathers and a bit of the shaft was all that could be seen of the arrow, as it protruded from the monster’s eye socket.
I scanned our surroundings to find the other Brean…nothing. They hadn’t noticed one of their own missing. I wonder how long that will last, I thought. At their current pace, they will soon be arriving at the cabin. I hoped Sarah’s plans didn’t involve any type of standoff. If they all charged at once, there wasn’t anything she could do to stop them.
I secured the rifle, climbed off my mount, and retrieved the fallen crossbow. I walked over to examine the Brean and was joined by Jane and Hannah; both were covering their noses.
“It’s uglier than I imagined, and it smells just horrible,” said Hannah.
“Is this the first one you’ve seen?” I questioned, somewhat surprised.
“Yes…well no. I’ve seen them from a distance sometimes, outside the town walls; but this is the first one I’ve been able to get a good look at, so I’m going to count it as the first.”
“Well then, let’s hope it’s the last, as well.”
I bent down and grabbed the protruding arrow.
“You’re not…are you?” asked Jane disgustedly.
“Do you have the tools to make new arrows?”
“No.”
“Neither do I.”
I began to twist the arrow to work it out. It didn’t give. I braced my foot against the Brean’s head and pulled harder. This time it came, accompanied by a chorus of “ewws” and “yucks” from the girls. I wiped the bits and pieces of Brean onto the grass, and then secured the arrow back inside the crossbow.
“Come on,” I said. “We’d better keep moving. Eventually, the other Brean will realize this one is missing and may come looking.”
We mounted and I asked Jane, “Do you know if there’s a stream or a river close by?”
“Maybe, but I don’t know where we are.”
I explained to Jane roughly where we were in relation to Sarah’s cabin.
“I think there is one nine or ten miles that way,” she said, pointing west.
“It’s farther than I’d like, but it’ll have to do.”
“Why are you looking for a river?”
“I don’t know if those things know how to track, but I’d rather not find out the hard way.”
She agreed and then asked, “Do you really think they will come looking for us?”
“I don’t know; but at the pace they’re moving, it won’t take them long to come back if they decide to.”
We traveled in silence as the night progressed. I’d never before used my gifts so much, and it was taking its toll. Each time I opened my vision, I found it increasingly more laborious. With the excitement of the encounter wearing off, added to lack of sleep, staying awake was becoming extremely difficult. My head drooped and my eyes closed. I drifted in and out of sleep, in a state of semi consciousness. I tried to stay awake and in the saddle, but kept slipping back into an exhausted stupor.
***
When I awoke, it was to the sound of running water. Morning had dawned, though it remained cold and foggy. Jane rode by my side, ready, just in case I slipped off. She caught my eyes and flashed a beautiful smile that instantly dissipated any remaining sleep. I blushed uncontrollably and returned an awkward grin. Suddenly self-conscious, I stopped smiling stupidly. I could see a silent laugh shake her, which made me redden even deeper.
Hannah was fast asleep, still clutching Jane, but not as tightly as before.
We splashed into a slow-moving, dark and bubbly river. Trees and green grass grew along the banks. The river deepened and cold water swirled around my calves.
A small shriek came from Hannah, who was ripped from her sleep by the frigid river and was now fully awake. She wrapped her legs around Jane’s waist in a desperate attempt to avoid getting any wetter.
I laughed and she replied defensively, “Well, there’s no reason why we should both get wet.”
“You’re welcome,” I said.
“For what? What have you done?”
“For putting you on Smoke and keeping you dry.”
“Oh,” she said, noticing that the water around me was now up to mid saddle, where it had not yet even reached the bottom of Smoke’s.
Slowly, the water receded down my legs as we neared the other side. Before stepping out onto the bank, we turned and trudged up the river, allowing it to hide our tracks and scent. A fair distance away, we finally exited onto dry ground and continued our trek towards Marysvale.
I took the opportunity to ask some questions of Jane.
“Why can’t Sarah go back to town and why would it be more dangerous for her there?”
She thought for a moment.
“Inciting rebellion and habitual imprudence were the
official charges.”
Silence.
“Oh,” I said, as if it made perfect sense. “I can see the rebellion charge, though one would be hard-pressed to find Sarah unwise in anyway.”
Jane glared at me.
“Well if that’s all you’re going to tell me, what else am I supposed to conclude?” I asked, defensively.
“If you’ll have patience, I was deciding where to start,” she retorted.
“How about from the beginning?” I suggested.
“That will take some time.”
I shrugged. “What else do you have to do?”
She rolled her eyes. “Very well. Do you know how Sarah came to live in Marysvale?”
“I know about the attack on your homes and that the three of you and your father were the only ones to survive.”
“It was a long time ago, and I don’t personally remember much about what happened.
But this is what Sarah told me.
“There were others living outside of town then, but they hadn’t been attacked yet. When news of what happened spread to the rest of the outlying country, a great debate raged on what to do about it. At first, there were many ideas; but they quickly melted down into two opposing camps.
“The first plan was led by an old blacksmith named Angus Shepherd. Of course he wasn’t that old at the time. Shepherd and his supporters wanted to immediately hunt the beasts and drive them out of our lands. His son, James, and Sarah were two of his most vocal supporters.”
I gasped.
“What’s wrong?”
“I know James Shepherd.”
“It must be someone else,” said Jane dismissively.
“He’s about the same age as Sarah.”
“No, it can’t be. James died a long time ago.”
“How?” I asked.
“He was with a party of men who were sent to get help from the outside. They never made it. Only one man survived. He alone returned to tell the tale.”
I thought about that for a moment, yet I was still sure that the man I knew as James Shepherd was the son of Angus Shepherd.
I asked another question, “Do you know Angus?”
“Yes,” replied Hannah, her curiosity suddenly piqued by our conversation.
“Is he a Scot?”
“Yes,” she replied, with growing excitement. “How did you know?”
“James didn’t die,” I said confidently. “He’s alive in Syre.”
Then I described him with his Scottish accent and how he, too, was a blacksmith.
Hannah inhaled sharply. “That must be him.”
Even Jane couldn’t argue the coincidences.
“Sarah will be so excited to find out,” said Hannah excitedly. “Imagine, after all this time finding out the person you love, and thought was dead, is really alive. How wonderful! Perhaps we should turn back.”
“No,” I said, reminding her of the Brean. It caused her to take pause, but not for long.
“Still,” she said, not entirely willing to give up the idea. “She should know.”
“She’ll know soon enough. I’m not planning on staying in Marysvale long.”
This seemed to placate her some.
Jane, however, was troubled. “Is it really wonderful news?”
“What do you mean?” asked Hannah. “I think it is.”
“How did he survive? There was only one survivor, and he swears all the others were killed.”
“Maybe he’s confused and just thought he was dead,” suggested Hannah.
“Perhaps, but then why didn’t James come back? Think of all the questions. Do you think she will be happy or pained when she finds out that he’s alive and well, not even that far from here, yet never returned with the help he supposedly went to get in the first place?”
“Well…” began Hannah. But failing to come up with an appropriate response, she fell silent.
Turning to me, Jane asked, “What do you think, John?”
I considered my response for a moment. I liked Mr. Shepherd, but there were many things I didn’t know about him. He was always a bit mysterious.
I replied slowly, “I am curious as to why he stayed away. Tell me about the sole survivor. Would he have lied?”
“I don’t believe so,” replied Jane. “I don’t know why he would. He barely escaped with his own life, and has the scars to prove it. Besides, he and James were friends.”
“Hmm, I suppose why he didn’t come back will have to remain a mystery, for the time being,” I said.
Then, returning to the original subject, I asked, “What was the other plan for the town?”
“The opposing plan was presented by a man, if you can call him a man, named Merrick Wright,” replied Jane contemptuously.
Hannah spat at the sound of his name.
“I take it you two don’t like him much.”
“Weren’t we obvious enough?” replied Hannah haughtily.
I smiled. “I believe you were. Tell me about him and his plan.”
Jane continued, “At the time, he was trying to unseat the current governor and wasn’t having much success. When our family and friends were slaughtered by the beasts, he saw his opportunity and took advantage of our situation. He urged restraint, and argued that the leadership first needed to ensure the safety of the townsfolk, and those still living in the country around Marysvale.”
“What did the current governor think?”
“He supported Angus. They argued that only by killing or driving the beasts out would we be safe and that any delay would jeopardize the protection of the community.
“Wright and his supporters responded by saying, since we didn’t know what we were up against, nothing should be decided rashly. By bringing everyone into town, they would have time to debate and evaluate what needed to be done. Then, if necessary, they could build a sufficient force to deal with the problem.”
“That doesn’t seem unreasonable,” I said.
“Doesn’t seem unreasonable?” screeched Hannah incredulously. “I can’t believe you’re taking his side!”
She looked as though she was going to leap over and strangle me for saying so. Cautiously, I widened the gap between our horses.
Jane, on the other hand, was a little wiser. “Easy on him, Hannah; he doesn’t know the whole story yet.”
“Yes, easy on him, Hannah,” I repeated.
Jane continued before Hannah could mount a counterattack.
“You’re basing that decision on what you know now of the Brean. Most folks at the time thought the idea laughable. After all, would you do such a thing if a pack of wolves attacked?”
She didn’t wait for a reply.
“They simply thought they were dealing with normal animals. After all, they had seen them on occasion before and there hadn’t been a problem.”
“A valid point,” I conceded. “So why did they even listen to him?”
“He wasn’t without his supporters; and such an event naturally sparked much gossip and a large debate throughout the town on all sides. The governor wanted to include everyone. So, it was allowed to go on. The only thing it accomplished was giving Mr. Wright time to lengthen the process and win converts.”
“Unfortunately,” piped in Hannah, “lots of his support was bought from others who were like him—only not as wealthy, but equally hungry for power.”
Jane nodded. “He secretly promised payoffs and positions of leadership for those who were loyal to him. But that wasn’t discovered until much later. It was Sarah who found out, or at least had the courage to publicly make the allegations, which many were beginning to believe.”
That piqued my curiosity. “Is that why Sarah was driven out of town?”
“Partly.”
“What was the other part?” I asked.
“I think we are getting ahead of ourselves.”
“Very well, what happened next? What changed the town’s mind?”
“Ultimately, Angus was able to convince the governor that l
ess debate and more action was required, and he finally began the push toward an aggressive defense. However, the whole process, from after the slaughter to that point, had taken several weeks. During which time, Wright successfully contended that the governor wasn’t fit for leadership, as he was incapable of making a decision during a crisis. He was right; and everyone on both sides knew it. The debate grew out of control; and the governor’s reputation was significantly damaged.”
“Is that why he lost his leadership?”
“He would’ve lost sure enough. Even so, Mr. Wright faced an uphill struggle. The majority still agreed with Mr. Shepherd.
“The turning point happened a few days later, when a party of thirty-two men set out to deal with the beasts. As expected, they were able to kill a few solitary ones relatively quickly. However, what they weren’t expecting was a coordinated response. During the night, they were attacked by numerous Brean. It’s unclear how many there were, but by all accounts, the men were surrounded. Before they even knew what was happening and could organize, a dozen men and most all of their horses were slaughtered. They retreated back to Marysvale; but with the loss of their mounts, it was slow and treacherous. Another ten men were killed before they reached the safety of the town. The assaults from the Brean were always at night.”
“When it was difficult to see, and aim,” I added.
Jane nodded. “The men also told tales of how ineffective their muskets were. They would shoot a monster, and it would keep charging. It took multiple hits to bring one down.”
“I can relate,” I said dryly, remembering my own experience and how amazed I’d been that the monster could live, let alone move, after a direct shot from my musket at close range. How futile it must have felt to even hit one at night; then if they did, find out how little damage it had actually done. It was a miracle any of them survived.
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