Escana

by J. R. Karlsson

  Jakob took in a deep breath to steady himself, but said nothing. It wasn't that same feeling of irrational hatred he had felt with Gooseman at the Chipped Flagon. No, this was something far more familiar and much older, worn down to a casual acceptance. There was nothing he could do here, if he complained too much he would be beaten black and blue. There was no appeal to the law when your own father enforced it. From the look on the man's face he wasn't done with him yet.

  'They lock all the scum in a barn at night, set some of the dogs patrolling it so they can't escape. That'll be your new home, I don't want you here any more. You're a disgrace to my name and a curse since you were birthed, I've had enough of it.'

  He should have been reeling from shock, he should have felt something, not this hollow emptiness.

  'As you say, father,' he said, making for the door once again.

  'Don't call me that, I'm not your father. Get out of my sight.'

  There was nothing left for Jakob here, he complied.

  6

  Jakob

  He set out west then, following the trails of the cart that had been left in the dirt road. His father had delivered his final judgement and he had accepted it. No, not his father. Thom, it was just Thom now.

  He told himself that there was nothing keeping him here in this dismal little hamlet. In spite of this some unbidden feeling implored him to remain in Escana a little bit longer to see how everything played out. If this was the feeling of one of the threads that the stranger had spoken of then he should probably follow it to its conclusion before searching for The Six. Assuming that Gooseman was innocent that was.

  It all sounded so logical in his head but in truth he had no idea how he was going to complete this task. He was no hero, he had not been imbued with any power or skill that he hadn't previously possessed, why was he expected to prevent something that an entire Empire was incapable of stopping?

  In spite of the questions swirling around in his head, Jakob felt a great sense of freedom after his final confrontation with Thom. He had spent so many years in subservience to a man who so clearly hated him. As a child he couldn't understand why his sole carer could be both vehemently opposed to him and refuse to abandon him. Over the years he had realised that he must have reminded him of his wife. The mysterious woman who died giving birth to him, that Thom never spoke of or even gave name to no matter how much Jakob had implored him in his younger years. Was the memory of her death so painful that even after all this time he could not acknowledge her existence?

  It all seemed irrelevant now that Thom had disowned him. He was his own man now, free to do whatever he pleased and go wherever he wanted without having to answer to the unreasonable demands of a tyrant.

  He knew Jimmy wouldn't be awake if he trudged back to the Chipped Flagon so he decided that a pre-emptive scouting of the area surrounding Harvester's homestead would give him a better idea of what to expect this evening.

  Jakob loved roaming, he felt like it was in his blood to traverse every area of the world he could find. There was an unspoken beauty in the freeness of the land surrounding the hamlet, differing so much from Daelovia city with its enclosed spaces and back alleys.

  He sucked in the free air, wondering whether he could decline Harvester and survive off the surrounding forest. It certainly wouldn't be a pretty life but he had a feeling it wouldn't be too long before he knew what he needed to do here. All thoughts of his previous encounter melted away in the morning light.

  It was a strange feeling, knowing that there was some invisible path that he would be compelled to follow, it seemed to contradict his own sense of freedom. Were his actions now a result of his own choices or was he inadvertently following something entirely predestined?

  There was only one way to find out, to stride boldly forward onto whatever path this strange land had provided for him, if any. Was he to become the brash and fearless hero that drives the narrative onward? His head pounded in response, it was too early to think of such things.

  The surrounding forest eventually gave way to more arable land, as sure a sign as any that he was drawing closer to the plantation. Did Harvester own all of this land or were these smaller farms he was passing?

  He met a gangly youth on the road, he looked barely older than sixteen summers and seemed awkward in his own skin.

  'Hello there,' Jakob called out, waving at the boy.

  The boy initially nodded at him, thinking that Jakob was calling out some general greetings, then slowed as he realised he wanted to speak. 'Can I help you?'

  Jakob gave what he hoped was a friendly smile. 'I'm looking for the Harvester homestead, how far out am I?'

  The boy eased somewhat at this question, waving his hand out amidst what appeared to be familiar territory. 'This whole area is Harvester's fields, you'll be wanting to head another mile or two west on the main road, then you'll come to a large gate. Knock on that and you're as good as there.'

  Jakob hated directions but these seemed simple enough, there hadn't been too many gates on his journey so far and he had a feeling this one would stand out.

  He waved the boy farewell and continued to wander down the road. The air had a distinct tang now, brought about by livestock grazing in the fields on either side of the road. He peered over one of the hedges and spotted a man with a pitchfork guarding a nearby barn, he looked very bored.

  It would appear that even in this peaceful rural area surrounded by neighbours Harvester was a man of caution and distrust. Why would he invite the entire area into his home if he feared theft or vandalism?

  It came to him then, the sudden realisation of the inherent differences between country and city. Out here they were a close-knit community where everyone knew everyone else. There was safety in numbers simply because amidst all the revelry there would be watchful eyes looking, who in turn would expect the same from others.

  So lost was he in his thoughts that he nearly missed the gate, though upon further inspection of it he didn't know how. It was a large and imposing structure wrought of what appeared to be solid iron. Had Garth smelted this himself at Harvester's behest? It appeared to be corrugated like the shed roofs he had seen dotted about Daelovia and was surrounded by a high and impenetrable hedge for walls. He rapped at the structure with a closed fist, hoping that he was going to get a response of some kind. The silence stretched out as the rattling of the gate died away. Had he walked all this way only to be barred by a single gate?

  He gave it a second knock and this time heard a distant barking, he had got a response from the dogs at least. Oh how he hated dogs.

  Their barking gradually grew nearer and Jakob felt his pulse rising, Thom's mocking voice coming back to him about how the dogs would chase men down. He found himself wishing that nobody was home, that he could turn tail and run back to... run back to where exactly? There was nowhere to go, he had a powerful urge to keep moving forward. The resolve met his fear and conquered it, was he going to let a few dogs get in the way of his life?

  The barking was very near now, just at the other side of the hedge. He could hear them sniffing at the gate, trying to get a scent of this new visitor to their home. The barks were joined by a man muttering, clearly someone was about to open the gate.

  'State your business, stranger,' a loud voice said, cutting through the noise.

  Jakob cleared his throat, stifling his nervousness. 'I'm here to work for Harvester.'

  This brought a snort from the voice. 'Is that so? Come on in then, the dogs want a look at you.'

  He heard the sound of several bolts coming undone and the gate swung open on well-oiled hinges.

  He was greeted by the source of the barking, several large wolfhounds bounded out to him and started sniffing him. He went absolutely still at the sight, letting them look him over. He remembered a long time ago being told that dogs could smell fear, was the man at the gate expecting them to sniff out deception as well?

  As if answering his thoughts, the rugged man at the gate re
sponded. 'Those dogs take a liking to you, I'll let you pass. If they aren't fond of you then you go no further, are we clear?'

  Jakob nodded wordlessly, not daring to make a sound as the large animals kept pawing over him, as if waiting for him to startle.

  For what felt like an eternity he stood there as they inspected him, barely daring to breathe and hoping against hope that they could tell that his intentions were honest in spite of his fear. Eventually the gatekeeper nodded and gave a low whistle, the dogs trotted off and the man approached him. 'It seems they don't dislike you anyway, follow me to see Mr. Harvester now.'

  The dogs bounded excitedly around them, as if waiting to play fetch, it was such a strange behaviour to see from such fearsome looking animals. The gatekeeper was having none of it and strode off down a winding gravelly path that led toward a large barn.

  It wasn't quite as vast as the Chipped Flagon but as he stepped in through the main door he was completely taken aback by the interior.

  The entire barn had been converted into a homestead. He hadn't expected Harvester to sleep in a hayloft but the furnishings wouldn't have been out of place in the city. A huge table and adjoining kitchen dominated the ground floor and a large pine staircase ascended to what looked to be a self-built second story. Jimmy had done the place a disservice by calling it a homestead, that had left Jakob expecting a small house surrounded by barns. Had the exterior been any other shape he would have called it a mansion.

  A large woman in an apron bustled her way out of the kitchen. The unfriendly gatekeeper pushed Jakob toward her and made his way out the door again, apparently he was leaving him in her hands.

  'Why hello there dearie, how may I help you?'

  Jakob couldn't help but smile, it was nice to hear such an openly friendly voice. 'I'm looking for Mr. Harvester, have you seen him?'

  The woman ignored his question. 'Have you had anything to eat, dear?'

  Jakob did a double take. 'I'm sorry?'

  'Food. Have you had anything to eat today?'

  The sudden mention of food elicited a groan from Jakob's stomach, he couldn't remember the last time he had eaten. A faint pain in his head suggested that it had been before he had got here. 'No, are you offering?'

  The old woman tsked at him. 'We can't have you working on an empty stomach now, can we? I'll fry something up.'

  Her friendly nature made sense, she had to know that he had already got past the dogs and was here to work. He certainly wasn't going to pass up a free meal given his circumstances. He felt a heavy pushing at his legs and realised that one of the hounds had brushed right past him, even if he had deceived them somehow, this area of the farm remained well-protected.

  She had wandered back into the kitchen, giving him chance to take in his surroundings a little more. Large lamps had been placed strategically about the room, bathing the area in a yellow hue. To his right a roaring fire led up to a chimney he must have missed on his approach. A large shelf above it contained a number of plates and bowls, clearly placed there for practicality rather than show.

  The smell of bacon wafted in through the archway leading to the kitchen, he didn't know what he'd done to deserve such a wonderful breakfast but he was more than happy to wait for it.

  The door opened once more and a man came in, wordlessly he picked two plates off the shelf and set them down on either side of the table.

  He was an imposing figure with calloused hands and dark hair. Jakob paid his appearance no more heed and they sat silently, not looking at each other.

  Eventually the newcomer stopped listening to the sound of cooking and turned to Jakob. 'Are you new here then?'

  Jakob froze. He recognised that voice. This was the man that Ella had spoken to this morning at the Chipped Flagon, that had been pounding on the door and suspected her of sleeping with someone. The man who had been right to some degree but had acquiesced at Ella's insistence. He tried not to feel guilty or exposed but couldn't stop the rising tension that he hoped he was alone in sensing.

  He nodded silently at Solomon, hoping that he wouldn't try and make conversation.

  The big man stuck out a hand. 'I'm Solomon, a pleasure to meet you.'

  Gone was the temperament that he had witnessed before with Ella, in its place was a mild-mannered and friendly persona that Jakob couldn't help but feel was totally disingenuous. He knew then, it was a gut instinct, he wasn't going to like this man at all.

  He also knew how to keep up appearances, he shook his hand firmly and responded in kind, two can play at lying.

  'So how did the old man get you roped into this then?' Solomon asked, as the woman heaped a steaming fry on their plates.

  'I was trying to get work in the Flagon but he offered me this instead, I thought I'd be more suited to it.'

  Solomon frowned. 'Were you at the Chipped Flagon overnight?'

  Jakob shovelled an egg into his mouth in what he hoped was a nonchalant manner. 'No, I arrived in the morning but they didn't have an opening, Harvester took pity on me and said I could work here instead.'

  Solomon's smile returned, apparently the lie had been enough to ease his fears. 'He'll hire anyone and anything so long as they have two hands and a strong back. You appear to qualify.'

  Jakob put on a false grin that belied the nervous energy coursing through him. 'We'll see if I'm worth paying when I get out there, I've never farmed before.'

  The man stopped his fork mid-way to his mouth, bacon hanging there limply, he looked up at him incredulously. 'You've never farmed before in your life?'

  Telling the man about his lack of experience had been the wrong thing to say, Jakob just hoped it didn't get back to Harvester. 'I was born in the city, I only moved here a few weeks ago.'

  Solomon shrugged and turned his attention back to his breakfast. 'I guess you're right, we'll find out if you're worth much soon enough. Just try not to fuck anything up, okay?'

  Jakob didn't need to be a great observer of people to know what that sneer implied. He was the stupid city boy coming out to rub shoulders with good honest country folk when he had no right being here. This conversation was getting worse by the minute, at least there was a veneer of civility in spite of their mutual dislike.

  'I think you'll find us city folk are full of surprises,' he said into the growing silence.

  He knew he should be diplomatic with Solomon, that antagonising the man was only going to make his job harder in the long term, yet he couldn't help the pit of jealousy bubbling within him. What the hell did someone like Ella see in this man? It was a childish thought, yet it festered in spite of his efforts to dampen it down.

  Solomon didn't respond to him, though the stabbing motions with his fork had increased somewhat, scratching the plate and clearly displaying a foul mood.

  Jakob finished off his meal in silence, even the presence of Solomon couldn't spoil what turned out to be an excellent fried breakfast. Now that he was well-rested and well-fed he felt he could approach this whole Harvester situation with a renewed optimism.

  Solomon made a point of ignoring him as he left the room, Jakob returned the favour. He cleared up his plate and made his way out in his own time, refusing to be rushed.

  The sun was fully in the sky now, a multitude of animal noises greeted him and the air was hot and clingy. Jakob was starting to get used to the stench of the place, it was no worse than the city slums. He had no idea if his dealings with Solomon had jeopardised his place or not.

  He waved at one of the nearby farmhands and asked him where he could find Harvester. The boy looked at him as if he were daft and gestured out into the fields. He didn't thank the boy.

  The fields of Harvester's farm stretched out for miles either way, a series of men could be seen working in each one and the entire area seemed to be surrounded by the same high hedge he had seen at the gate.

  He wandered about rather aimlessly as the boy's directions were vague at best, then he found himself pondering as to how on Earth he was meant to find one ma
n in such a vast and open expanse. His fears were soon allayed by a stream of curses echoing in Harvester's voice from a field nearby.

  He crossed over and saw that the cart from the inn had tipped over and landed on top of the man, who was gesturing furiously at the workers around him. Solomon was crouched nearby, straining at the cart as he attempted to right it. The panicking horses were being chased down in the field by a few hands. The whole scene was utter disarray and chaos.

  Gathering speed, Jakob rushed over and joined Solomon's side. A few other men were straining at the cart now but whatever way it had toppled had pinned it to the ground.

  Solomon scowled at him, as if this was somehow Jakob's fault, he then addressed one of the other men. 'Get to the tool shed, we may have to cut him loose if we can't get this damn thing off.'

  He gave the cart a final heave and then fell back, swearing in frustration.

  Lift the cart.

  Jakob looked around, but nobody was speaking to him.

  You can do this. Lift the cart.

  His hands glided over the rough wooden surface of their own accord, seeking purchase. He didn't realise he was bracing until he started to lift.

  It was a strange sensation, like everything went bright and lost focus in an instant. He saw the lip of the cart resting above his clenched hands and experimentally flexed his arms, it rose a little. Gathering his strength, he forced the wood to rise further and further until he found himself overturning it entirely.

  He seemed to fall backward, as if in a dream, then reality came surging back to him. His vision focused and his hearing stopped being muffled, the brightness receded and he found himself staring up at the sky.

  The first thing he saw was the face of a stranger, fear and wonder in his eyes. Then a few more faces gathered on the corners of his vision, he thought he heard someone asking if he was alive.

  Rough hands grabbed him and he shook his head back into consciousness, Harvester had been propped up against the now upright cart and was being tended to, everyone else was staring at him.