by Alan Scott
“Oh, my!” said Emma.
Rosie laughed and sat down beside Emma, wrapping her arm around her shoulder. “Change must happen, but that does not mean evil will win.”
“So we have a chance of winning?”
“Yes, Emma, we have a chance of winning.”
“That’s okay, then.” Emma stretched. “I had better go and start supper.”
“Oh, what are having?” asked Rosie, eagerly.
“I thought stew and dumplings.”
“I love dumplings!”
“Yes, I know.”
“Can I please have five dumplings, Emma?” asked Rosie with her best pleading eyes.
“Five!”
“Well, I was very, very brave today.”
“Mmm.”
“Very, very, very brave, and I will wash my hands.”
“Okay, then, but you must have some of the stew, as well.”
“I promise to eat it all up.”
Emma rose, bent over, and kissed Rosie on the forehead. “Don’t be long. Supper will be ready in an hour.”
“Okay, Emma.”
Rosie watched Emma disappear down the avenue of trees before turning to her left. “Hello, Mr. Fluffy.”
A tall muscular man made his way out of the trees and towards Rosie. “Hello, Rosie,” he said as he sat down beside her.
Rosie flung her arms around him and placed her head on his shoulders. “I like cuddling you, Mr. Fluffy.” Mr. Fluffy put his arm around her. “You always make me feel safe.”
“You know I would never let anything happen to you, Rosie.”
“I know,” smiled Rosie. “I was very brave today.”
“Yes, I saw.”
“He is a very nasty and evil man.”
“That he is, Rosie.”
“Did you hear his message to you?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Are you going to try and stop him?”
“No. As you said, my destiny lies elsewhere.”
Rosie untangled herself from Mr. Fluffy. “I see them sometimes in my dreams. I see them devouring me. I am so scared.”
Mr. Fluffy, aka Ardo, aka Death Claw, took Rosie’s chin in his powerful hand and turned her face to his. “Rosie, I promise you that, when the time comes, I will save you, and nothing on this planet will stop me.”
“But they will chase us and there will be so many of them, Mr. Fluffy,” tears started to run down Rosie’s cheeks, “and you will be so badly hurt… so very badly hurt.”
“Rosie.”
“Yes?”
“That may be the case, but I will never let them hurt you.” Death Claw let go of Rosie’s chin.
“I know, and that is why I am going to give you lots and lots of hugs,” stated Rosie, doing exactly that. Death Claw held Rosie close and closed his eyes, as he thought about the future and what it would bring.
Chapter Six
Men, Women, Gods, & Legends
Two weeks later
Cyril Rainspout sat on the fallen tree and watched thoughtfully as the Sisters made the children comfortable.
“A copper for your thoughts, Rainspout?” asked Prue Carnagie as she walked up to him.
“Even after two weeks in their presence, they make my skin creep. It’s not natural, my lady.”
“What isn’t?”
“Those creatures.”
“Do you mean the children?”
“Mmmm.”
Prue looked over to where Cyril was staring. “I believe their names are Billy, Chaz, Apple, and Marigold.”
“It’s not natural. It’s not… fair on the poor bastards.”
“What isn’t fair?”
“To keep them alive.”
“Why?” queried Prue.
Cyril turned to look at Prue. “Because, what sort of life is it? Better to let them die than be forced to live a life of dependency.”
“It is not their fault. They have Krerts Syndrome,” came a voice from behind them.
Without turning round, Cyril said, “Bram, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“You are a fighting man. How can you approve of what you see before you?”
Bram walked to stand next to Cyril. “It’s not their fault.”
“Besides,” added Prue, “we are all crippled in some way. With some people, it’s not as obvious as the children.” A sad note entered Prue’s voice. “We all have our burdens to bear and we all need support.”
Cyril stood up. “I know when I’m outnumbered.” With one quick glance back at the children, Cyril walked off.
“How long do they survive?” asked Prue.
“Occasionally, one will make it to eleven, however, that is very rare. Most will die before they are eight,” replied Bram.
“Oh.”
“Billy is ten.”
“Oh.”
“Sisters Candle and Josten have a plan, though, which will greatly lengthen the children’s lives.”
“What do they have in mind?”
Bram shrugged. “I don’t know.” With that, he walked away.
Prue Carnagie looked round and then gave a sigh. She smiled, closed her eyes, and listened to the sounds of nature.
“So you are the slut known as Prue,” a harsh man’s voice cut through her happiness.
Prue opened her eyes and looked up at Len, the second of the Sister's bodyguards. “I am Lady Carnagie,” she said with dignity.
“The sex-starved upper class slut; yes, I know.”
Prue gave the man a hard stare.
“So what is the charge?”
“I beg your pardon!” declared Prue.
“I said what do you charge? I just fancy a quick one so...”
Prue stood up, shaking with rage. “I am not a whore.”
“Well, you act like...”
Lady Carnagie slapped Len’s face hard. “I am not a whore. I am simply a woman who enjoys sex. If I was a man, songs would be written about me and I would be seen as a man among men. However, because I am a woman, I am a slut, a whore, dirty! Is that right?
Len opened his mouth to speak.
“I said is that right?”
Len shook his head slowly before saying, “Does that mean you don’t charge?”
Prue stared at Len in disbelief. “Did you not hear what I just said?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Then how could you ask me that question?”
“You admitted to liking sex and not being a whore. I'm good at and like sex, so I was wondering if...” Prue’s hand once again lashed out across Len’s face.
“Would you stop slapping me?” asked Len, as he rubbed his jaw.
“Is there a problem?” asked Sister Di Styde as she joined the couple.
“This idiot asked me if I wanted to have sex with him and what I charged!”
“Well, Len, did you ask Lady Carnagie?”
“Yes,” admitted Len.
“Len,” said Sister Styde
“Yes?”
“Go away.”
“Bloody women,” muttered Len as he departed. “I just don’t understand them.”
“Thank you,” said Prue as she watched Len walk away.
“You were in no real danger.”
Prue pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders and shuddered. “I don’t know what he would have done, if you had not turned up.”
“Len is okay, just a bit forthright at times.”
“He was trying to have sex with me!” exclaimed Prue.
“You do have a bit of a reputation.”
Prue gave a hard stare.
“Tell me that I lie,” said Di.
“That is no excuse...”
“Yes, I know it’s no excuse, however, we all are known by our actions and deeds.”
“Are we not allowed to change?”
“Yes, Prue, we are all allowed to change,” answered Di. “In fact, everyone at Chestnuts changes.”
“So has Len changed? Anyway, what was he in for?” asked Prue.
>
“He was nine when he was found on the steps of Chestnuts. He had been beaten so badly that he was only a few heartbeats away from death. His entire back had been opened up by the buckle on the belt which had been used on him.“
“What man could do that to a child?” asked Prue in disgust.
“Who said it was a man?” replied Di.
“What?”
“It was his mum.”
“His mum!”
“Yes.”
“But why?”
Di shrugged as she made her way to sit on the log. “His dad had died in one of the wars or border skirmishes, leaving his mum to bring up four children alone. She found it hard to cope - working, raising kids, etc. - so she took it out on the eldest.”
“That’s terrible.”
“Is it?” Sister Styde shrugged.
“Why, yes!”
“At the age of ten, I was stripped naked and forced to serve food to weird men and women at banquets. All of the servants were naked, but it was the young ones that gained the most attention from the guests.”
“I had heard of those parties,” said a sad Prue.
“They were worse than you can ever imagine, Prue.” Di straightened her shoulders. “Anyway, what I wanted to point out was very few of the Chestnut children are not damaged. We all have stories, we all have pasts. Len is a good man - a bit harsh and very straight talking, but a good man. He would not hurt you because he knows what it is to be hurt.”
“Does Chestnuts manage to save all?”
Sister Di Styde gave a sad weak smile. “No, we cannot save everyone. Some are far too damaged and some are just plain evil or nasty.”
“What happens to them?”
Di stood up and straightened her dress. “We do our best for them, and try and save them from the deepest darkness of the night.”
“The deepest darkness of the night?” Prue narrowed her eyes as she watched Di.
“Yes.” Prue gave a fake smile. “I must be going.”
“Di!” called out Prue.
“Yes?”
“Do you think I am damaged?”
Di stopped and half-turned round. “No, Prue, you are not damaged. You still enjoy the feeling of a man’s arms around you.” With that, Di moved on.
Prue watched the departing Sister.
“They are hiding something.” Cyril's voice interrupted Prue’s thoughts.
Prue turned to see the man only a few feet from her. “God, you move quietly!”
“Yes, I know,” said Cyril as he sat down next to Prue.
“I thought you had gone for a walk.”
“Nope.”
Prue stared thoughtfully at Cyril. “What do you think they are hiding?”
“A big dark secret.”
“That’s not very useful.”
“I know,” said Cyril without a hint of sarcasm.
***
Sisters Jennifer Candle and Ruth Josten looked round, surreptitiously. “Do you think we have been followed?” asked Sister Candle.
“No,” replied Josten.
“Where is Brenda?”
“She is giving Len a blow job.”
“God, that woman does like sucking cock.”
“And Len does like having his sucked,” added Josten.
“A perfect pair,” said Jennifer.
Ruth smiled and nodded.
“How about the others?”
“Bram is minding the kids with Sister Styde,” said Ruth, “and Prue and Cyril are chatting on the log.”
“That’s good.”
“Do you think we can do it?” said Ruth in an excited hush.
“I don’t see why not. We have the book and, if the rumours are true, she has the power to help us.”
“And if we succeed,” smiled Ruth, “then we will be famous.”
“Yes, famous, but more important, we will have helped Billy, Apple, Chaz, and Marigold to become something better.”
“Yes, help the kids,” quickly agreed Ruth before adding, “Hand me the book, Jen.”
Jennifer took out a small book from a deep pocket inside her uniform and reverently handed it over to Ruth. “Be careful.”
“I will,” reassured Ruth as she ran her hand over the leather cover before opening it. “Let us go through the incantation again. We don’t want to make any mistakes.”
***
Inside Deep Lake Castle
Queen Amanda Rothgal-Ackroyd was not happy. “Let me get this right, General Ramspike. An army of Brethren of the Night, a cult we long thought destroyed, has appeared out of nowhere near the fishing port of Safe Harbour and is slowly making its way towards us.”
“That is correct, your Majesty,” replied a nervous General Ramspike.
“And what action has been taken?”
“Our southern army under General Foxton, which numbers over a thousand regulars and nearly seven thousand irregulars, has been dispatched to destroy this invading army.”
“Do you feel this is enough men, General?”
“More than enough, your Majesty.”
“What is your view on this army, your Grace?” asked Amanda as she turned to her right.
Archbishop Peak slowly rubbed his chin whilst replying, “We need to know how they managed to land a sizeable force without our knowledge and why they are moving so slowly.”
“Have no fear, your Grace,” said Ramspike. “They will be destroyed soon and your questions shall be moot.”
“Mmmm,” mused Archbishop Frances Peak.
“What troubles you, your Grace?” asked Queen Rothgal-Ackroyd.
“It is nothing important, your Majesty,” dismissed Peak. “I am positive that our brave soldiers will win the day.”
There was a knock at the door.
Amanda gave the door a hard glare and muttered, “This had better be important,” before lifting her voice and calling out, “Enter!”
The door opened and in stepped one of the castle's male servants. “Your Majesty, Banker Tania Stone begs an urgent meeting with you.”
“Does she, now? Inform her I shall send for her later,” dismissed Amanda with a shake of her hand.
“She says it’s urgent,” replied the servant.
All eyes turned to the servant.
Queen Rothgal-Ackroyd stared at the servant. “What did you say?”
Unshaken by being the centre of attention, the man calmly replied, “She says it’s urgent, your Majesty.”
“Get out, you impertinent idiot!” bellowed General Ramspike.
The man ignored the general. “Your Majesty, Banker Stone needs to talk to you about your recently arrived guests.”
“Tell her we know about the ones at Safe Harbour,” snapped Queen Rothgal-Ackroyd.
The servant smiled smugly. “No, your Majesty, not those guests. She is talking about the ones that have arrived at the eastern borders near the town of Starens-on-the-Hill.”
“WHAT!” exclaimed General Ramspike. “That is impossible!”
“Send Banker Stone in now!” demanded Amanda.
Remaining quiet, Archbishop Peak closed his eyes, bowed his head, and pinched the bridge of his nose. Deacon Brown laid a brief knowing and supportive hand on Peak’s shoulder.
The door opened and in strutted Banker Tania Stone. “Your Majesty.,” she said as she bowed her head to the queen.
“Tania,” said Queen Rothgal-Ackroyd, deliberately not using Tania’s full title.
Tania gave no outward appearance of being offended. “Your Majesty, I bring you grave news. There is an army of the Brethren of the Night raiding, pillaging, and raping its way slowly across the land. Its starting point was once the thriving town of Starens-on-the-Hill.”
“What do you mean 'once thriving town',” interrupted Deacon Brown.
“Deacon, my sources indicate that the village has been wiped out.”
“Starens-on-the-Hill is a two-week ride from Deep Lake, Banker Stone.”
“It is, Deacon,” confirmed Tania.
>
“Then how have you heard and not us?”
“The Bank has its methods.” With a fake look of concern, Tania turned to Archbishop Peak. “Are you poorly, your Grace?”
“A mild headache, Banker Stone,” dismissed Peak. “It’s barely worth a mention.”
“No doubt brought on by the distressing news of so many souls violated in the most barbaric way possible.”
“Was it really that bad?” asked Confessor Vember who, up to this point, had remained quietly seated a few feet behind his queen.
“Oh, yes, Confessor,” replied Banker Stone, who then looked quizzical for a moment. “Where is Chamberlain Aslo? He is normally at these meetings.”
“Chamberlain Aslo is otherwise engaged,” snapped Amanda Rothgal-Ackroyd.
“Oh! And the merchant, Rab Cregg?”
“What is this? An interrogation?” snapped General Ramspike, coming to his queen's defence. “We are here to discuss your news.”
Tania smiled and bowed her head. “Of course, General.” The smile slowly slid from Tania's face as she continued. “The Bank has lent the crown a great deal of money, a large portion of which has been invested in and around Starens-on-the-Hill.”
“There was a tactical need to reinforce our defences on the Idris border,” informed General Ramspike.
“That is as may be, but Starens-on-the-Hill has been wiped out, and, according to my reports, a large amount of military personnel and equipment has been lost.”
“How did you know about our military operation there, Banker Stone?” asked an angry General Ramspike.
“The Red Bank knows many things, General,” answered Tania. “Once the Ver known as Dark Storm stopped patrolling the border and dealing with any walking dead, you had to reinforce...”
“STOP!” shouted Queen Amanda Rothgal-Ackroyd as she slammed her hands down on the table.
The room went deadly quiet.