Chyfe came and laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry,” he said, “we’ll help you find her.”
At that, the burly soldier laughed. “You aren’t going to do anything,” he said. “Our men have the village securely in hand. If you want to see her again, you had better release us and come along quietly.”
His words caused the barely controlled rage within Riyan’s breast to blossom like the sun. Drawing his sword, he moved to the burly soldier and demanded, “So you do have her?” Jaws clinched together, his fingers flexing upon the hilt of his sword, and the flame of rage in his eyes gave a most menacing appearance.
One of the other soldiers, a red headed man of middle years said, “I don’t know if she’s the one you are asking about, but several days ago, a lady was brought into the manor at the edge of town. As far as I know, she’s still there.”
“Quiet!” Burly Soldier ordered.
Moving to the red headed soldier, Riyan demanded, “Where in the estate is she?”
“Don’t you tell him!” Burly Soldier shouted.
Before he even thought, Riyan’s sword leapt toward Burly Soldier and struck his head from his shoulders. The act caught everyone off guard and Bart looked with disbelief as the man’s head hit the ground.
“Where!” he shouted to the red headed man.
Red looked into the eyes of madness as he said, “She’s on the second floor in a room at the end of the hallway.”
“Sounds like it’s across from Rupert’s room,” Bart added. When Riyan turned toward him, he said, “I’ve been in there a few times. It’s the only room at the end of the hall that she could possibly be in.” He left the thought ‘unless she’s in Rupert’s room’ unsaid. In the state Riyan was in right now, there was no telling what he would do if such a possibility was spoken. Never before had he seen his friend behave in such a way.
Seth cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention to him. “What do you propose we do with them?” he asked, indicating the five remaining soldiers.
“Kill them,” Chad said, without a hint of mercy in his voice. “The boy that was killed… was David, Devin’s little brother.” Tears welled in his eyes and it was hard for him to speak.
David, being the younger brother of Devin who was one of Chad and Riyan’s friends, was well known to 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.”