Returning her hug, words escaped him as emotions once again welled up. “Stay with Raestin,” he managed to get out. “He seems a good man.”
“He is,” she replied.
Breaking the embrace, she walked out with him through the door. Off to one side, Paul and his guards were already mounted and waiting. The Kelon’s horses were saddled as well.
Bart, Chyfe, and the twins were still out by the main road. Once the five approaching men had been dealt with, they would stay there until Riyan, Chad, and Kevik joined them.
“No Eryl,” Chad said. “You must stay with mother and father.” His younger brother was standing next to him by his horse, pleading to be allowed to come along.
“But I can be of help!” he said.
“I understand how you feel,” replied Chad. He then directed Eryl’s attention over to where their mother was being assisted onto a horse by their father. “She’s afraid. All that we’ve known is gone.” Laying a hand on his brother’s shoulder, he said, “She needs you now more than ever.”
“But…” Eryl looked into his brother’s eyes and saw it was no use.
“Take care of them for me should I not come back,” he said.
“What?” exclaimed Eryl. “Don’t talk that way.”
Chad swung up in the saddle. “I’ll see you at the ford,” he said.
About that time, their father came to them. He stood there a moment looking at his son. In the shadows of the night, it was difficult for Chad to see what he was thinking. Reaching his hand out, his father said, “Good luck Chad.”
Chad took the hand, and it seemed as if every wedge that had unknowingly been between them, disappeared in that moment. “Thank you father,” he replied.
“Come along Eryl,” their father said. “Your brother has work to do.”
As Eryl walked away with their father he said to his brother, “You’ll be back! I know it!”
“Come on,” Riyan said. Already having said all the goodbyes he intended, he turned toward the lane leading from the Kelon home to the main road. Kevik and Chad nudged their horses into motion and followed.
Riyan glanced to his friend and could see a smile on his face. When Chad caught him looking his way, he grinned even more and nodded.
Behind them, Raestin soon had his group mounted. With Chad’s father in the lead, they headed off through the woods toward the south ford.
“I was surprised my father shook my hand,” Chad admitted as they rode down the lane.
“Why is that?” questioned Kevik.
“Well, we didn’t exactly part on the best of terms the last time we saw one another,” he explained.
Riyan saw the puzzled look on Kevik’s face and said, “The grinding stone incident.”
“Oh yes,” replied Kevik. He’d heard that story a dozen times if he’d heard it once.
“It was good to see my mother too,” stated Riyan. “I didn’t much care for the idea of Raestin seeing her at first, but he certainly seems to care for her. Couldn’t ask for more I suppose.”
Conversation ceased when shadows were seen moving up ahead. Coming to a stop, Riyan was about to turn off the lane when Bart said, “It’s us.”
They resumed moving forward and were soon joined by Bart and Chyfe. “Where are the twins?” asked Chad.
Bart pointed further ahead. “They’re taking care of the bodies,” he explained.
“Bodies?” asked Kevik. “You mean you killed those five men?”
“Didn’t have much of a choice,” he replied.
“Bunch of swine anyway,” interjected Chyfe. “Though they wore the uniforms of the Duke, they were filthy and crude. How could the Duke have such men in his service?”
“I don’t know,” replied Riyan. “But if we don’t stop killing his men, he’ll come after us. We can’t afford that.” He could see that neither Chyfe nor Bart felt any remorse about the death of those men.
Bart and Chyfe walked with them back to where the twins were now waiting with the horses. “Everything go alright?” Seth asked once they arrived.
Riyan nodded. “They’ll be waiting for us back at the ford,” he explained.
“Okay then,” replied Seth. Swinging into the saddle, he and his brother waited for Bart and Chyfe to mount. Then, with Riyan and Bart in the lead, they began making their way to the Magistrate’s manor to affect the rescue of Freya.
By working their way along the outskirts of Quillim, they came to within half a mile of the manor house without being seen. Once there, they dismounted and hid their horses in a stand of trees, deep in the shadows. The rest of the way, they would have to make on foot.
Soon, the lights of the manor house began appearing through the trees. Bart had the others stay back while he went forward alone to reconnoiter.
The last time he was here, he and Chad were planting incriminating evidence to make Rupert’s life hell. However, now thinking on the problems that followed, perhaps it hadn’t been the best laid plan. Grinning to himself, he couldn’t help but think that it had been fun.
At the edge of the trees on the border of the Magistrate’s manor, he came to a stop. From there, he observed the front and side of the house. Two soldiers were walking the grounds. After watching them for a minute, Bart determined they were making circuits around the manor, each being on the opposite side from the other. Other than the two soldiers, there didn’t appear to be any other sentries.
The house was illuminated brilliantly. Most of the windows on the ground floor were exuding light, as were three on the second floor. One of the windows having light at the back of the house was where he figured Freya to be.
Moving along the fringe of the treeline, he worked his way down until he was across from the second story window at the back of the house. No trellis rose along the side of the house as had been the case near Rupert’s room. Bart figured he could make the climb up to the window, but Freya would never be able to leave the manor that way. There was nothing for it, if they wanted to bring Freya out they would have to enter the manor. Which would mean getting past the two guards patrolling the grounds.
Bart remained hidden in the trees across from the window while he contemplated what they should do. Then suddenly, a silhouette appeared from within the room. It was definitely feminine in nature. Don’t worry Freya, he said to himself. We’ll get you out of there. As a plan formed, he began making his way back to where the others waited.
“She’s in there,” he told Riyan after rejoining them.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
Bart nodded. “There’s a woman in the room the soldiers said she would be in,” he explained. “I think I’ve got a way for us to get in.” Glancing to Kevik, he grinned and said, “Are you up for a little magic?”
“I should be back in Wardean with a comely wench instead of in this godforsaken, backwater village,” Armsman Shlem grumbled to himself. “Why Captain Glaver had to bring us here, at this time of year…?” Shlem liked the comforts of life, that’s why he had originally volunteered for Captain Glaver’s company. The rumor was that his men were given bonuses from time to time and rarely saw combat, which suited him just fine.
Turning the corner yet again, he began making his way toward the back of the manor. Laughter coming from within only worsened his mood. He was thinking rather dark thoughts of those within the house when he reached the back of the house and saw Armsman Cail halfway to the edge of the woods.
“Hey!” Shlem cried. He saw Cail pause and wave him over. Anything to alleviate the boredom of walking post, he quickly rushed to his side. “What is it?” he asked upon reaching Cail.
Cail turned back toward the woods and pointed. “A wisp,” he said.
“A what?” Shlem asked. Turning to look where Cail was pointing, he saw a glowing light moving about erratically.
“It’s a wisp,” repeated Cail. “They’re known to inhabit woods and mountains.”
Shlem was intrigued by this new development. “Is it possible to catch one?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” admitted Cail. “I’ve never seen one before.”
“Then how do you know it is a wisp?” Shlem asked.
“I’ve heard of them,” he replied. “I’m going to try and catch it.” Cail looked to Shlem to see if he’d object.
