by Tom Burton
As he works, people pass by, and they wave at each other with joy. Aaron pauses now and then to look around the village, relishing just how happy everyone is in the mild late summer weather. A queit hamlet just outside Greyshore, one that rarely sees stranger’s passing by. Aaron then sees family members embracing each other in laughter, he sees fathers fall over, and the children laughing uncontrollably at him. This draws another smile from Aaron, the horrors of the dream seemingly forgotten. As the Silvers work as Dairy Farmers, they see other farmers work in different areas across not only the hamlet, but across the rest of Greyshore, including Poultry farmers and Crop Farmers.
As the sun drops toward the horizon, marking the coming end of the day, a man who looks to be about the same age as Aaron approaches.
“The dairy farmer strikes again!” The man calls out. Aaron turns in alarm, and then smiles and walks to meet the man at the edge of the garden plot.
“Daniel Rane,” says Aaron simply, and then the two young men embrace.
As the two separate, Daniel asks, “How long has it been, my friend?”
Aaron looks at him with a curious smile and replies, “About sixteen hours.” There is a pause as they both continue smiling, and then they burst out in laughter.
Daniel throws his arm around Aaron’s shoulders and says, “Come on now, Aaron, I need a drink!” They continue laughing as they walk down the path, as they make the short journey the nearest Tavern, out of their hamlet and quickly into the village of Greyshore.
The crescent moon is already visible in the darkening sky, even though the sun has not yet set. The sun finally disappears completely as the young men walk through the village of Greyshore. The tavern door creaks mightily as they enter, and Aaron pauses just inside the door, taking in the scene of people spilling their drinks and dancing on tables, laughter filling the room with a dull roar.
“Hasn’t this place only been open an hour?” Aaron asks.
Daniel, known to the more thrill-seeking one of the two, his eyes are almost popping out at this point, says, “Yeah, and we’ve got the rest of the night to come, my friend!” Daniel laughs and pushes his way to the bar.
With drinks in hand, they count themselves fortunate in finding a table. Before they have a moment to say anything, a man standing on one of the nearby tables calls to the crowd, his drink sloshing on the table and patrons below him. He slurs as he raises his mug, “The men in the Crown Lands have their flowery seats and eighty-eight course meals, but all’s we need is our ale and lands to farm on, and nothing can stop us!” The people cheer and raise their own mugs in response, as another man stands up on one of the tables.
“If the king and queen never thought about us, never cared for us as they do for people in the Crown Lands, then why should we care and think about them?” An even louder cheer erupts from the tavern, and mugs are raised once more. Daniel and Aaron lift their mugs as well, but they do not cheer.
Daniel sighs at Aaron and says, “They’re getting worse and worse each night.”
“Yeah, I know, but where does it all end?” Aaron replies.
Daniel pauses for a moment and then frowns. “It ends with a sword in someone’s chest,” he says grimly. The young men ponder this thought in silence, drinking their ale.
Hours later, they lean on each other as they walk back up the pathway toward their homes. Daniel gives Aaron a mock scowl and slurs, “You’re becoming old in your drunk age!”
Aaron looks at him, confused for a moment, and then laughs. “No, you’re just dr–,” Aaron retorts, stopping as Daniel pitches forward to the ground. The two burst out in laughter.
Aaron then repeats himself, pointing a wavering finger at his friend amongst the undergrowth on the edge of the path. “Daniel, you’re drunk!” After waiting a few moments, Aaron slowly realizes that Daniel’s eyes are closed and he is unresponsive. Aaron just laughs to himself and lifts his friend off the ground. Aaron carries his friend over his shoulder to Daniel’s hut and dumps him, as carefully as he can in his drunken state, onto the bed. Then Aaron goes back home and simply falls into his own bed.
Once again, Aaron’s dreams are of fire and screams, both coming from all directions. Innocents are lying all over the floor, hardly any of the stone floor visible between the women and children huddling there. Inside a building, the fire quickly spreads across the beams of the wooden roof, until it gives way and the building crumbles in on itself.
The next morning, with the rays of morning light slowly tracking across Aaron’s face, he wakes up in a cold sweat again, breathing very heavily. He whispers to himself, “What is happening to me?” Aaron shakes it off again and jumps from his bed to start his day. Aaron keeps it to himself once again, and he revels in the joy of a day of hard work in Greyshore. When these visions occur for the third night in a row, however, after waking in a panic, he no longer leaps energetically from his bed. He drags himself out of bed and slowly pulls his clothes on.
After a morning of farm work that leaves Aaron feeling like he’s worked a week, Aaron approaches Daniel’s farm during the noon hour with his head down and his feet dragging. When Daniel sees him, he calls from across the farm, “Are you drinking in the mornings now?”
Aaron lifts his head to spot Daniel, and then he starts lumbering in his direction.
Concerned about his friend’s behavior, Daniel walks over to Aaron. As Daniel nears Aaron, his next joke dies on his lips as he looks at Aaron with worry.
“I need to tell you something,” Aaron says quietly. Daniel remains uncharacteristically silent as Aaron speaks. “For the last few nights, I have been having the same dream. It seems like it’s the exact same each night. There is fire, madness, death all around me. I cannot control anything, I cannot even control myself. But I do remember, I remember each building and stable that is burning, every man, woman, and child on the floor.”
Daniel then interrupts Aaron, saying, “Aaron, they’re dreams, they will pass in time.” Daniel smiles, but Aaron remains unconvinced. Daniel’s face becomes stern as he says, “You may need to stop drinking so much!”
Aaron laughs weakly at this proposition, and then he walks away from Daniel without saying goodbye. Daniel watches him walk away with worry.
As Aaron strolls back from Daniels farm, his father approaches him hastily. “Aaron, your morning jobs are not done, I have—”
Aaron interrupts him, saying, “Father, I need to tell you something.” Robert is looking Aaron with curiosity and worry. They walk to the shady side the house and sit on a bench, facing the east field.
“What’s wrong?” Robert asks quietly. Aaron tells them what he told Daniel. Father says nothing as Aaron speaks. When he stops, Robert asks, “Have you spoken to anyone about this?”
“Just Daniel,” Aaron replies.
Robert nods his head. He suggests, “Why don’t we cut some of your hours, try and take some of the stress off of you?”
Aaron looks at him in surprise. “I don’t want my hours cut, I love what I do!” Robert pats him on the back in an attempt to comfort him.
Father and son rest on the bench, remaining silent for a moment and looking out at the vast greenness of the countryside. Aaron is leaning forward, with his elbows on his knees, and Robert is leaning back, his arms stretched out along the top of the bench.
Robert asks, “Have you heard about what is going on in the North?” Aaron shakes his head, and Robert continues, “There are strange reports, probably false, going around that there are mysterious creatures lurking around Redlock, an old stronghold where the Great War started hundreds of years ago.” Aaron’s interest wanes at these rumors of fairy tales and history, and Robert sighs, “You wouldn’t believe the superstition some of these people have!”
Once again there is a pause. Robert asks, “Have the drunks been speaking ill of the Crown Lands again?”
Aaron looks ahead as he re
plies, “It’s no longer just the drunks, and they are getting worse each night.”
Robert shakes his head aggressively, saying, “The separation between us and them is widening every day. Our very cultures and beliefs are worlds apart.” Aaron turns to look at his father as Robert continues. “Maybe not in my life time, but definitely in yours, there will be a civil war.” There is another pause, and then Robert sighs and stands.
“Have you got your clothes ready for Daniel’s nineteenth birthday yet?” Robert asks.
Aaron closes his eyes in disbelief and says, “It’s today, and I didn’t say anything to him.”
Robert smiles, “He will understand, and you can tell him tonight.” Robert then walks away, back to whatever task Aaron had interrupted. Aaron remains on the bench, continuing to gaze at the fields.
As the sun lowers and the moon rises, Aaron, Thomas, and Robert Silver prepare for Daniel’s birthday party. As they near the tavern, they see that a good crowd has gathered, perhaps as many as thirty people.
“Aaron!” The Silver men turn when Aaron’s name is bellowed from somewhere deep in the crowd, and then Daniel is pushing through the people to greet his friend. Daniel welcomes Aaron with a drunken hug. Daniel drags Aaron over to his group of friends, young men apprenticed to skilled workers in town, such as the blacksmith and the baker. By the time Aaron has greeted each of them, someone has thrust a mug into his hand.
One of the friends, the tanner’s apprentice, speaks up. “Do you ever want to leave this place, Daniel?”
Daniel looks toward the ceiling and smiles to himself. “It will be my dream to leave this place, never to return!” Daniel tells them, much to Aaron’s disapproval. Daniel continues, “I have always wanted to be part of the Dellmoor Army…as an archer.”
Everyone but Aaron laughs at this.
“Why have you not gone yet?” Aaron asks, shaking his head.
“Well, I’m not going on my own!” Daniel quickly replies.
Aaron then quickly asks, “Have you ever held a bow in your life?”
Daniel blows his cheeks out, and then slowly shakes his head. This time Aaron laughs with the rest of the young men.
Several hours later, the waxing moon brightening the night sky, Aaron joins with his father at the edge of the party.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” Aaron asks.
“I will always enjoy myself when there is free ale involved!” Robert replies, laughing. But their smiles fade quickly.
“I’ve spoken to a few old friends, Aaron, and they have confirmed my suspicions. Trouble is brewing in the East, the Crown Lands,” Robert whispers. Aaron looks at his father with concern, but Robert simply looks out into the night.
“Conflict continues to grow between the West and the Crown Lands,” Robert says.
“Conflict has always been the way between our two factions, Father. Sometimes it grows, sometimes it quiets down. That’s just how the world of mankind works,” Aaron says in an attempt to reassure Robert. The older man nods in agreement.
“Have you heard of the Bridge?” Robert asks his son abruptly. When Aaron shakes his head in response, Robert continues. “Rumors are spreading around the West about a large construction effort at the border. Apparently approved by the Lord of the West, two walls are being built along our border, with nothing but a bridge connecting the two walls.”
“Why has King Edmund not stopped this from being built?” Aaron asks.
“Because the king has never taken an interest in the West. That’s why there has always been conflict,” Robert says. Aaron looks at the ground, evidently worried. Robert turns to look at Aaron.
“Do not be troubled with these dreams, Aaron. They will pass in time, as they always do.” Seeing that Aaron is unconvinced, Robert continues, “And once they do, you can continue working on the farm…properly!” The two smile, and Robert put his arm around his son. Robert gestures toward Daniel, weaving drunkenly and spilling his drink, grinning happily.
Robert asks, “How much do you think he’s had to drink tonight?”
Aaron chuckles and says, “Too much!”
They smile at the birthday boy’s antics, and then Robert says, “Tom and I will set off home now. We’ll see you in the morning, bright and early!” Aaron nods and watches as his father and brother leave the party.
When Aaron turns back to the celebration, he sees Daniel stepping up to a wide podium. Daniel cheers along with the rest of the crowd, who is cheering for him.
“Hello, everyone! I hope everyone has a drink, and if you don’t, shame on you!” The crowd cheers, and Aaron simply smiles at his friend from the back of the crowd. Daniel waves his hands to get the rowdy group to quiet down. The tavern grows still as Daniel continues.
“After my beloved father ran away when I was born, and my dear mother passed away when I was eleven, I never thought I could reach nineteen.” Everyone in the crowd, including Aaron, is completely focused on Daniel.
“But here I am now, talking to you all today. I say, ‘here’s to another nineteen years to come!’” Daniel lifts his drink and the crowd cheers, everyone lifting their mugs to drink. As Daniel leans back to finish his drink, he falls over behind the podium. The crowd erupts into laughter, and Aaron jogs to the back of the podium. Daniel has passed out again, so Aaron hoists Daniel over his shoulder and carries Daniel away from the tavern.
Daniel doesn’t stir until they have nearly arrived at his farm. Daniel mumbles something into Aaron’s back, and Aaron greets him. “Welcome back, old friend!”
As Aaron works to open the door of Daniel’s farmhouse, he hears Daniel say softly, “I love you, Aaron.”
Aaron just laughs, but Daniel maintains his seriousness.
“Don’t laugh, you’re a great friend, Aaron, and you deserve more than this life,” Daniel continues. Aaron again shakes it off as drunken affection. After he puts Daniel to bed, he walks back to his own farm. As he enters the house, Aaron sees his father and brother asleep, and he smiles as he quietly climbs into his own bed.
Once again, Aaron dreams of fire spreading throughout a city, of hearing the screams of women and children coming from all directions. Everything is blurry, his eyes seem unable to focus on anything. He can see men, women, and children huddle on the floor of a large building, filling the space so that he can barely put a foot on the stone floor. Unlike last time, however, he can see their faces clearly. Inside a building, the fire licking at the wooden beams of the roof quickly spreads, consuming the supports until the roof gives way, and soon the building collapses in on itself in a huge blaze of sparks and smoke.
Aaron wakes again with a start, but it is not morning. Aaron glances around, disoriented by the darkness. He sees a man standing in the corner, a green circle behind him, and what look like lightning bolts flashing around him. Aaron tries to make out the man’s features, but the lightning casts odd shadows and cause Aaron to shield his eyes. The man reaches out toward Aaron, but Aaron shrinks away from his hand. A booming voice fills the room.
“Aaron, you must listen to me now!” Aaron can only shake his head at this. “You are the key, Aaron. The Great War is coming!” Aaron is frozen in place as the words are etched into his memory.
“Go to the capital, Aaron. Go to Dellmoor. Learn about the visions you see, find out what they mean, and then you have to find us. Aaron, you need to find us!” With a sudden blinding flash, the man disappears. Aaron’s bedroom door bursts open as Robert and Thomas storm into the room.
After blinking away the spots in his eyes, Aaron jumps out of his bed.
Robert, shock making his voice raw, asks, “Aaron, what was that?” Aaron ignores the question as he quickly dresses and gathers the few additional pieces of clothing that he owns into a satchel. Robert and Tom watch Aaron without comprehension.
Aaron finally responds, but not with an answer to his father’s question.
“I need to get to the capital as fast as I can,” Aaron gasps as he rushes about.
Robert quickly responds, “Why? What was that in there?” Robert asks again.
“It was a man, I think. He told me to go to the Capital and search for the meaning behind the dreams I have been having,” Aaron says without thinking of how crazy this might sound.
“And you believe him?” Robert asks in disbelief. “And you think you’re going to find the answers you need, Aaron, when we need you at the farm, right here, right now?”
Aaron brushes past his father and brother as he leaves his room. He ducks into the cupboard to grab some of the vegetables and a bit of dried fruit. Robert and Thomas follow Aaron into the kitchen. Robert presses his point. “Aaron, the season is changing soon. We need you for when the weather turns. I’m getting too old to look after the farm on my own, and I cannot rely on Thomas now, not at his age!” Robert explains.
Aaron finally stops and looks at his father. “I cannot just sit in the shade and wait for these dreams to stop on their own, or worse, to fester into something more dangerous!” Aaron counters, his voice rising as he speaks.
“If this man means what he says, then there are lives at stake. I can’t just sit here waiting for the dairy to be sold here, as men, women, and children are being burned alive elsewhere!”
The kitchen falls silent then, more than the quiet of the night, but deathly still. Tears are streaming down Thomas’s face. Aaron takes a couple of steps back from Robert, unnerved by the look in Robert’s eyes.
“Fine. If you want to leave Thomas and me to try to survive the winter, then that’s your choice.” Robert says quietly, his anger all the more apparent for his calmness. Robert turns and stalks from the kitchen. Thomas looks from the doorway to Aaron, tears glistening on his cheeks, and then he slowly follows his father, wiping away the tears from his face. Thomas pauses in the doorway, then turns back to face Aaron.