them. A carefree boy who loved living the life of a shepherd, he would have been nine come summer.
“It wasn’t us!” another of the soldiers pleaded.
Riyan turned on them. “But you knew!” he said accusingly. In their eyes, he could see the truth of it.
“They would have done the same to me if you hadn’t come along,” said Eryl.
“No!” a soldier argued. “We were to bring him in for questioning, that’s all.”
Riyan was all for killing them all where they stood. The death of the burly soldier had cooled his rage somewhat, bringing the beginning of reason back to him. He glanced to the others to see what they thought. “Well?” he asked.
“Kill them,” Chyfe said. He more than any of them wanted them dead. Soldiers are to protect, not harm.
“If we kill the Duke’s soldiers,” Kevik said, “won’t that bring his wrath down on us?”
Keeping his eyes on the five soldiers, Bart said, “Only if he learns of it. Besides, we would be doing him a favor.”
“Then it’s decided?” Riyan asked.
“You can’t kill us,” pleaded one of the men.
Looking into the eyes of each of his friends, Riyan knew the answer. “So be it.” Turning back to the condemned, he said, “For crimes against the village of Quillim and its people.” Riyan raised his sword.
“No!” cried out the soldier destined to be the first to die.
Beside him, Seth, Chyfe, and Chad came forward to assist in the executions. Once the cries of the condemned had been silenced, Kevik dispelled his goo spell. Without the support of the sticky substance, the decapitated bodies collapsed to the ground.
When it was over, Bart came to his friend. “Are you okay?” he asked.
Riyan nodded. “Yes,” he replied. The rage that had been so all consuming a short time ago had now abated to a simmer.
“We better get these men out of sight,” Seth said.
Bart patted Riyan on the shoulder then nodded to Seth. “You’re right.” To the others he said, “Let’s make this fast.”
While Kevik remained with the horses and Riyan sort of stood there in a fugue, the bodies and their heads were dragged over to a thicket and deposited within. Eryl came to stand beside Riyan. “Your mother will be glad to see you,” he said. When Riyan glanced down at him, he added, “She’s been very worried.”
“I know,” he said. “It’ll be good to see her too.”
Once the bodies were completely out of sight, they remounted. Chad lent his brother a hand as he mounted behind him. Riyan took the lead with Bart as they left the scene of carnage and entered the forest. Inside, Riyan felt nothing. The rage that had consumed him seemed to have burnt every feeling out of him. Almost as if he was dead inside. As they rode, all he could think of was being reunited with his mother, and Freya.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Riding through the forest, Bart kept casting glances to his friend. The way Riyan had reacted by the river troubled him greatly. Such a reaction had been completely out of character.
Riyan caught him glancing his way. “What?” he asked.
“Just worried about you,” Bart said.
“There’s nothing to worry about,” he assured him. Sighing, he shook his head. “Frankly, I don’t know what set me off back there. But whatever it was, I’m over it.”
“Are you sure?” he asked.
Riyan nodded. “Yes, I’m sure.” Emotions had begun to creep back in since leaving the river. Anticipation at seeing his mother again, gladness that Chad would be welcomed home, and most of all a cool anger toward Rupert for everything that has happened and is happening to Freya. This time however, the anger was only part and parcel of his emotions, not the overriding factor like back by the river. Putting aside darker thoughts, he tried to recall the good times of his youth. It wasn’t easy, but they came.
“They have men watching our house,” Eryl suddenly announced.
“We sort of figured they would,” replied Riyan. Glancing to Bart, he saw him nod.
“How are we going to get inside?” asked Chad.
“We’ll figure that out when we get there,” replied Bart.
In the quiet of the forest, four figures passed through the woods. Up ahead, the lights coming from the Kelon home could be seen through the trees. Bart, Riyan, Chad, and Eryl stealthily crept forward.
Bart was in the lead and his eyes scanned the darkness all around to find those watching the home. By the time they were close to where the forest gave way to the Kelon property, he still hadn’t found any indication of where men might be positioned to keep an eye on the house.
Then the back door to the Kelon home opened and Chad saw someone emerge with a bucket in hand. It was his father.
“Father,” Chad breathed. A hand appeared on his shoulder and Riyan said, “Be patient.”
“It’s hard,” replied Chad.
“I know,” agreed his friend. For Riyan’s mother too was waiting within.
Chad nodded as he watched his father cross the yard to the well. There he set his bucket down and began drawing up the one from within the well. As he was pulling the well bucket out, he glanced around at the trees surrounding his home then returned his attention to what he was doing. Once he had his bucket filled with water, he left the well bucket sitting on the side of the well and turned back toward the house. Crossing the distance to the back door, he again scanned the trees surrounding his home before passing back through the doorway.
“Eryl,” Bart said, once the door had closed behind Chad’s father. He motioned for the boy to come next to him. “Just like we discussed. Cross the yard as if you haven’t a care in the world and go inside. If any of the soldiers should make an appearance, run for all you’re worth.”
“Got it,” he replied.
Before he left, Chad said, “Tell mother and father…” then had to stop as emotions overcame him and he couldn’t continue.
His brother turned to him. “I know.”
“Be careful, and be quick,” Bart said as the lad moved out. Stepping from the trees, Eryl walked at a normal gait toward the back door.
Riyan and Chad watched him as he crossed the distance to the door. Bart on the other hand, was watching the darkness in the trees surrounding the home. Eryl had no sooner crossed a third of the distance when two shadows, one to the right and one far to the left moved. Bart could see the men remaining at the edge of the trees as they watched the boy. He pointed them out to Riyan and Chad. Neither of the watchers made a move to intercept him and was soon through the door and inside.
Now, if Eryl conveyed the message correctly to those within, Bart should have at least five minutes to take the watchers out. With a ‘wait here’ to the other two, he moved off toward the watcher to the right.
Waiting for Bart to take out the watchers was one of the hardest things Riyan had ever done. He desperately wanted to enter that house and make sure his mother was safe, despite Eryl’s assurances she was well. But like Bart always said, ‘First things first’.
Movement at the house caught his eye and he saw a curtain being pulled back and his mother’s face appeared in the window. Worry marred her face. Obviously, Eryl had been effective in conveying the need for them to remain inside. A moment later, his mother’s face disappeared as the curtain was put back in place. Someone inside recognized the need for keeping curiosity in check until it was time.
Nearby, a rustle of branches announced Bart’s return from taking care of the man to their right. Passing through, he was soon lost again in the trees as he moved to take out the other. Bart wasn’t sure if there were only the two watchers in the woods. After taking out the first one, he had scanned the trees for others, but hadn’t detected any.
His ability for passing unheard through the forest had grown ever since they first left Quillim in search of the key. Now, he was able to move almost as silent in the outdoors as he could down an alley or across a rooftop.
