Arrow of Justice

by R W Caron

  “How can this be!?” The king growled through gritted teeth.

  “My father sir.” Andrew replied. “He hid them.”

  “Where?”

  “I do not know.” Andrew replied. “But to save my families honor, sir, I will hunt them all down and kill every last one of them.”

  “Why?” The king asked.

  “I owe them one.” Andrew replied motioning to his leg. The king smiled with delight.

  “My army will be with you.”

  “No.” Andrew snapped quicker than he intended.

  “No?” the king questioned. “Why not?”

  “I will do this alone.” Andrew replied. “They will all die by my hand.”

  “Are you sure?” Shatina asked, moving closer to him.

  “If you do this, your life will be at risk.”

  “That may be, but I will take them all with me.”

  “Perhaps.” She replied and her face crinkled with a smile.

  “Let me honor my people, and my family by performing this task for you, my Lord.”

  “As you wish.” The king replied. “Do not fail me or…” The king motioned towards Andrew’s father, whose body still slightly swayed side to side from the breeze.

  “I will not fail you.” Andrew replied then turned toward his house. The king mounted his horse and rode off without another word. The guard captain stared at Andrew with an uneasy look. Andrew just smiled, because at the back of his mind, he had his own agenda. He had already started his deliberations, ‘First you die guard captain, and then the revolution shall begin. ’

  Chapter 3

  Betrayal

  Nahan moved through the forest with ease, even in the dark he knew where he was and where he was going. He made it to a small clearing where he stopped for a second to check on the young girl he held in his arms. “Are you ok?” He asked her with a smile.

  “I’m sorry.” She managed to say.

  “Don’t be sorry Myki,” Nahan replied trying to comfort the girl. “You’ve done nothing wrong.”

  “You told us not to leave.” She groaned. “I should have listened.”

  “You saved the tribe with what you did.” He replied, looking down at her swollen face for the first time this close up. Her eye was swollen completely shut and her upper lip split wide. Her left eye had a cut under it; it looked as though they had beaten her pretty bad. This made Nahan’s face flush with anger and he had to close his eyes to center himself before speaking. “If you would not have ran off they may have found us all, then we all may be in danger.” A tear slid from her swollen eye and Nahan gently touched her cheek, wiping it away. “Don’t cry.” He reassured her. “You are very brave. Braver even than I.”

  “I don’t think so.” She muttered. “You saved me.”

  “Would you not have done the same for me?” He asked with a slight smile.

  “Yes.”

  “Then you are brave.” Nahan replied. “We must get you to the tribe; they will help heal your wounds.” Nahan quickly looked over his shoulder as something slid though the darkness rustling the brush. Squinting, he could not see what was hidden by the darkness. Nahan started off at a steady pace again towards his tribesmen, knowing that something was following him. He continued on, turning to the left and starting up a nearby hill, away from his tribe in case it was more guards. As he crested the top of the hill he turned and looked back down the hill seeing what was pursuing him. Four shapes emerged from the low brush and were given away in the moonlight to be wolves. The wolves in these parts were vicious, attacking in packs of four or more they often killed whatever it was they pursued. Nahan slowly set Myki down, resting her against a tree as he reached behind him for his daggers. Having lost them in his fight, he now only had his skinning knife with him as well as the blade hidden against his wrist. “This is not going to be fun.” He said aloud to himself. He stood his ground as the wolves started up the hill, before they reached him however two arrows hit the first one causing it to howl and hit the ground. The second and third froze, then also fell as arrows struck them. The fourth took off running back into the shadows with its tail between its legs and Nahan looked around for his protector. In a distant tree, he saw two shadows fall softly to the ground. They approached quickly in the darkness and Nahan readied his knife, just in case.

  “Nahan?” a familiar voice rang out to him.

  “Ryukin?” Nahan asked, out into the darkness. A man, a bit taller than Nahan, emerged from the darkness alongside a woman who still had an arrow readied in her bow. The man was in much the same robes as Nahan, just simpler and dirty. His robes had holes in it and his face was painted with dirt. Nahan looked past him to the woman, she was Nahan’s age, her long black hair flowed down her body and followed the curvature of her breasts as it hung over her shoulder. She looked at him and her emerald green eyes shone in the moonlight.

  “What are you doing out here?” Ryukin asked.

  “Myki was captured, I had to bring her back.” Nahan answered.

  “Still doing things yourself I see.” He replied placing a hand on Nahan’s shoulder. Nahan copied the gesture in a show of respect and nodded his head.

  “Was that your man then?” the woman asked in a low voice.

  “What man?” Nahan asked.

  “One of, what I suspect to be, your tribesmen was rushing through the trees, landed on the same branch we were on, but didn’t even notice us.” Ryukin replied. “He seemed to be on a mission.”

  “I went alone.” Nahan replied.

  “He must have followed you.” Ryukin replied.

  “Dylinin.” Nahan whispered to himself.

  “I believe that’s who it could have been.” Ryukin replied.

  “Are you and your sister planning on coming and joining us again?” Nahan asked, trying to change the subject as his mind filled with questions about Dylinin.

  “I have told you before; we wish to live on our own, without the tribe.”

  “I must stress to you that being two of the only survivors from the…” Nahan started.

  “We know Nahan, but we cannot return yet.” Ryukin replied. “You are fixing the people. For us to come back would raise questions of who to follow.”

  “You were my teacher.” Nahan replied. “I am the chief.”

  “But you are young my friend.” Ryukin replied. “A trait that works against you, I promise you I will return one day, when the time is right but not before.” He looked over at his sister who had gotten to work skinning the wolves. He smiled in her direction and looked at Nahan. “She does wish to return, but cannot.”

  “Why?” He asked.

  “You.” Ryukin replied. “She has fallen for you and you do not need those distractions yet. When we do return to the tribe however, you have my blessing if you have not found another.”

  “Thank you.” Nahan replied with a smile. “I must get Myki to the tribe. She is not in the best of states.”

  “Agreed,” Ryukin replied looking at the young girl who was still leaning against the tree. “And they call us animals,” Ryukin spat in disgust. He looked at Nahan and held out his bow offering it to him. “This was your father’s bow; he gave it to me because I needed his luck of the hunt. You should take it.”

  “No,” Nahan replied. “You can give it to me when you return. Until then, keep it safe.” Ryukin smiled in response and nodded. Nahan picked Myki up and started off down the hill towards the village once again. Ryukin walked up to his sister who was already onto the second wolf and placed his hand on her back.

  “Alina, follow him, make sure he stay’s safe, but do not be seen.”

  “Yes brother.” She replied and quickly headed into the shadows to follow Nahan. Nahan arrived at the village only an hour or so before sunrise. The fire was burning low as he walked into the teepees that were strategically placed in a diamond shape. He walked confidently into the middle of them and handed the girl off to one of the elder women. As he turned to head towards his teepee, he had to
quickly lean back out of the way of an axe that quickly flew past him. He turned to see who had thrown it, even though he already knew. Dylinin stood on the other side of the fire staring at him, his arms and legs flexed and his face red with anger. Two of the younger boys tried to grab him and he tossed them aside with ease. Nahan and Dylinin’s eyes locked and something inside Nahan told him he was not going to get out of this without a fight.

  “How could you let him live?” Dylinin screamed “You say you are for the people but yet you let one of them live, to tell his people about us. You let him live after what he did to my sister!”

  “He did nothing to your sister.” Nahan countered. “He was different.”

  “Who are you to question our chief?” One of the elder women asked as she emerged from the teepee to the right of Dylinin. “If he choose to let him live, that is the choice of the people.”

  “What if it was you that they soiled? What if it was your granddaughter?” Dylinin growled at the woman.

  “Then Nahan would have saved her as he saved Myki.” She shot back at him. “You should have listened to him and stayed here.” In a sudden burst of rage Dylinin struck the older woman with a hard backhand causing her to fall to the ground and hit her head against a rock. The women of the tribe quickly rush to her aid and in a split second Nahan rushed across sliding on his knees to the woman. Blood poured from her head, covering the rock and Nahan’s hands. In mere seconds, the woman passed onto the next world. Nahan stared into her lifeless eyes that were still wide open in shock. He looked away and then his breathing started to increase. His body started to tremble as he looked up at Dylinin from under his hood, his eyes tearing into him like a wolf into that of its kill. Nahan suddenly rushed at Dylinin tackling him to the ground. The two started to roll, fighting for position, with Dylinin coming up on top of Nahan; he struck out, quickly punching Nahan in the face. Nahan kicked up his knee, hitting Dylinin in the back and sending him falling forward. Nahan quickly got to his feet and pulled out his skinning knife as Dylinin reached out and grabbed a spear that was resting against a nearby teepee. He spun it angrily, quickly attacking high, then stepping back swinging it low. Nahan reacted quickly, ducking under the first shot and back flipping away from the second. Dylinin quickly jabbed out at Nahan with the spear and Nahan parried it to the side, spinning in and attacking with a backhand slash at Dylinin’s face. Dylinin swayed out of the way narrowly, swiftly shifting the butt end of the spear up hitting Nahan in the face, staggering him. Dylinin jumped onto one of the stumps surrounding the fire, driving the spear hard at Nahan. Nahan ducked the attack quickly realizing it has pinned his cloak to the ground. With lightening speed, he unhooks the clock of his robes and turns to face Dylinin. Dylinin’s face is red with rage and he attacks very quickly, but Nahan is quicker countering the spear attacks back and forth getting Dylinin off balance. He then rushed in and catching Dylinin in a backswing, he wraps his arm around Dylinin’s neck and drives him to the ground pushing the spear away. He pins Dylinin to the ground driving the hidden blade down toward Dylinin’s throat, but stopping short he rests the blade on Dylinin’s Adam’s apple... “Enough!” He yelled in Dylinin’s face. “I should kill you.”

  “Do it then.” Dylinin growled and pushed upward at him.

  “No.” Nahan replied but kept the blade in place. “You are not worth it.”

  “You are no chief of mine.” Dylinin yelled. “He will be the death of you all.”

  “No he won’t.” yelled Myki. “Brother, how could you do this? He saved me.”

  “You know nothing.” He snarled at his sister.

  “You are right Dylinin, on one account, you are right.” Nahan replied. “I am no chief of yours.” Nahan looked at Dylinin’s sister standing in front of them with tears streaming down her face. He mouthed the words I’m sorry to her and she nods her head. “Dylinin Algory, in the power of spirit tribe, you are hereby exiled. If you are seen near our encampment, or interacting with anyone of our people you are to be punished by death.”

  “You can’t do this to me!” He yelled.

  “It’s this or you die now.” Nahan replied, turning his hand so the tip of his blade poked the skin of Dylinin’s throat.

  “Nahan let him leave,” a call came from one of the men in the tribe. “Let the spirits deal with him.” Nahan stared down at the man who showed no fear in his eyes and stared up at him with intensity. Nahan retracted his blade, getting off of Dylinin and stormed off toward the lady who had just been killed. Dylinin got to his feet and turned to go after Nahan but three of the warriors from the tribe stepped between him and Nahan, arrows drawn. With a final yell of anger he stormed off running into the woods. Nahan stared down at the poor woman and couldn’t help but feel that her death was his fault. He might not have been that one that struck her, but he was the cause of Dylinin’s rage. He was the reason this woman was struck and killed. He lowered his head while on his knees and said a silent prayer to the spirits to take care of the woman. ‘She is loyal, brave and strong. Please Great Spirit watch over this woman and have her come back to us one day.’

  After a few hours the sun was higher in the sky and Nahan sat in his teepee, legs crossed and eyes closed centering himself, replaying the events of the night before in his head. ‘Why did I let Andrew Brady go spirits?’ he asked himself. ‘When I fought him I felt as though he had a bigger purpose but in allowing him to live I have lost two of my own. In trying to save one life I have taken two from my own people, how can I fix what has been done if all I do is hurt my people? Please spirits send me a sign.’ As he finished talking to the spirits, his body started to get the better of him. His body slowly gave out on him and the fight with exhaustion was over as he fell into a deep sleep.

  Dylinin rushed through the forest, climbing trees and jumping limb to limb getting as far away from those people as he could, as quickly as he could. As he steadily made his way through the treetops he stopped suddenly, looking around for signs of being followed. As he scanned the treetops he seen and heard nothing. He continued on working his way toward the edge of the tundra when he heard the hooves of horses in the distance. He rushed off quickly towards the sound, hoping to find Nahan looking for him to finish what they had started. As he approached through the tree tops he saw six horses and more than a dozen men walking behind them. He landed softly on a limb of a birch tree, following and studying them. In the center of the six horses, there were two riders, a woman and a man. The man was dressed in blue, gold and grey robes and wore a gold crown. The woman was harder to spy as the guards had flanked them one in front one on either side. The ones behind were dressed in heavy plate armor, baring the symbols of the king with blue cloaks hanging from under their helms.

  “We are being followed.” Dylinin heard the woman say to the king.

  “What?” He exclaimed.

  “He wishes us no harm, only seeks revenge.” She stated.

  “Who?” the king asked looking around and spinning on his horse to look behind him. Dylinin dropped from the tree, hanging behind the front guard in front of the king and his mistress.

  “Me.” Dylinin said staring at the king.

  The king’s horse reared up almost throwing the man, but he was able to recover and once the horse settled down he stared at the man in front of him. “I wiped your kind out.” He growled. “Arrest him.” He bellowed.

  “Wait,” his mistress said staring at Dylinin. “What do you wish of us?” she said her ‘s’ trailing off in a hiss and her eyes focusing on his. Dylinin suddenly felt even more enraged then he did when he and Nahan were fighting.

  “I want revenge.”

  “On whom?” she asked still with eyes locked on him.

  “The tribe, Nahan their leader...”

  “There is a tribe?” the king asked.