There was something different about the way Gooseman chose his words, they were bordering on reverential. He had never seen his father speak about anyone in such a way, it gave him pause for thought. This wasn't a typical lecture, the tone was all wrong, nor was there any condemnation in his voice. He couldn't shake how much that unsettled him.
His father clapped him on the shoulder, waking him from his thoughts. 'Ordinarily I'd have slapped you across the head for your daydreaming, but you can be forgiven today. You can do with the rest of the day whatever you please.'
Jimmy nodded dumbly. It was uncharacteristically kind of his father to give him a day off, he pushed him harder than the other staff so as not to show favouritism. He didn't always live up to those lofty expectations.
For all intents and purposes people had considered Jimmy on friendly terms with Solomon. Jimmy was willing to play on that for a day off, if that's why he was being given it. He certainly wouldn't be mourning the man's loss, not after everything Ella had told him.
He cautiously made his way round to the other side of the bar, waiting for Gooseman to call him back. He had just finished going upstairs when he heard his father's voice.
'You want me back down here?' he shouted in response, watching his father approach the foot of the stairs.
'Not at all,' Gooseman replied, idly wiping a mug. 'I just wanted to tell you that I know exactly how you felt about Solomon and what kind of person he was. His absence will deeply trouble me too.'
They couldn't help but share a dark grin at the biting sarcasm. So his father had known all along, why had Jimmy not suspected as much?
As the hours went by he found his biggest problem was the constant shielding of himself, every outward reflection of mirth he'd usually display had to be stamped down for the benefit of those in grief. The Chipped Flagon was a big place with many floors and all kinds of people passed through its doors in a day, yet the shock of the sudden death seemed to have clung to everywhere he went. Jimmy wasn't sure how he felt about a crowd of strangers solemnly drinking to a man they never met.
He knew better than anyone what kind of person Solomon had been and exactly how he should have been remembered in death, yet he also knew the futile urge to tell everyone the truth about the man's character was one he must fight. Better to be solemn with the rest than alienate the customers in this time of grief.
He eventually grew tired of stifling himself and decided to seek out Jakob instead, the look he had given him before fleeing from the party at the barn had left him worried for much of the night.
It was something of a tradition for him to gaze up at the Chipped Flagon after wandering down the path towards Escana. He considered himself very lucky to call one of the most remarkable buildings in all the land his home. Its size served as a beacon for miles around, as if indelibly etched into the surrounding landscape.
The winding path that snaked off the main road had seen signs of recent repair, he caught himself subconsciously stepping over potholes that no longer existed. Rich arable pastures lay on either side and the fresh wagon tracks had just started to cut familiar grooves. He waved amiably at the farmers and broke into a brisker pace, casting away his mournful façade to soak up the morning sun. He took much joy from revelling in the simple freedoms that his life brought him.
The farmland gave way to basic thatched housing in a short distance, at the epicentre of the hamlet was the small well that children played around as their mothers fetched fresh water, gossiping freely about any number of well-worn topics. He always felt a pang of sadness at never having known his mother in his days of frolicking there, it seemed to him that the only thing he had missed in life was the most important of all. Not that his father was a bad man, he just seemed distant at times when a maternal touch was required.
The smithy and Warden's house lay in close proximity to the well, small living spaces with larger attachments. He was reminded sharply of his recent encounter with Garth, apparently his walk wasn't going to be a pleasant one after all.
Upon approaching the Warden's house, he peered into the window, no sign of Thom or Jakob. He went to the larger section and knocked respectfully on the door.
'Come in,' a voice that wasn't Thom's said.
Jimmy sighed in relief. 'I'm looking for Jakob, has he been around?'
The young deputy shook his head and returned to his game of chess with the drunk in the cell. Jimmy wasn't surprised, Jakob spent as little time as possible with his estranged father, he really couldn't see the Warden enlisting his son's help with anything either. If Thom were to be believed about his son's wanderings, that left the falls.
He set out south-west, carefully avoiding the smithy and letting his feet guide him. He travelled down the winding path as it dwindled into a barely marked trail through the forest. He had always found the trees in the deeper parts of the woods ominous, as if the large shapes were closing in on him to curtail his movement. The whole forest seemed untamed and secretive to him, he couldn't seem to stifle that feeling.
Jimmy had been walking for several miles when the familiar rushing sound started to seep into the background. He quickened his pace, feeling oddly out of sorts for no reason he could think of, the pounding water that grew louder in his ears seemed to perpetuate the sense of urgency he felt.
He cut off the path a little too early and nearly fell down a rocky slope. Settling himself, he called Jakob's name several times to no avail. For reasons he couldn't quite fathom, a gnawing unease started to grip him. His new friend's absence kept tugging at him, especially in light of Solomon's death. Now was not a time for anyone to be absent with a killer loose. A killer. Yes, that would be why he was uneasy. Jimmy cursed his stupidity but pressed on, it seemed everyone was on edge today.
He was used to the volatile nature of Garth, but his recent outburst had a menace that he had never seen before. The smith was quick to anger but more often than not was slow to meter out punishment in his wrath. Great strength could force a man to abuse or restrain and he had seen Garth's vast restraint sorely tested by a few ignorantly misplaced words on his part. He feared testing him again yet the idea of the smith being motivated by fear was something he couldn't comprehend.
He frowned at himself, it wasn't Garth he should be worried about, the smith would no doubt take care of his own affairs.
Then it came to him. Jakob had been with Ella and had escaped Solomon's wrath, Ella had long wanted Solomon out of her life. Jakob was also the one who according to Thom spent all his time by the falls, the place the murder happened.
Jimmy's heart missed a beat, what if Jakob was missing for a reason? What if Ella had planned this all along?
16
Harkin
It was the first person they'd seen on foot since setting off from Urial, not that he made an awful lot of sense when they hailed him.
'Greetings stranger, I am Harkin of the Urian Town Watch. Justice Kelgrimm has sent us looking for a group of men that set out recently with questionable intentions. Have you been subjected to any robbery or seen such travellers pass by?'
Harkin heard the faint chuckles from the men behind him. He knew they thought him a pompous windbag but he prided on doing things by the book, he needed answers about these bandits sooner rather than later or his superiors would be most displeased.
'I have to go home,' the stranger said in an oddly flat voice.
'Certainly, we'd all like to head home and you may do so after answering my questions.'
'I have to go home and be with my family,' the stranger said, trying to push past Harkin and continue walking down the path.
'Now look here,' Harkin said, standing firm and clamping an arm down on the small man. 'We want you to answer a few questions and then you can be on your way.'
'I have to go home,' the stranger said, shrugging off Harkin's arm and walking straight toward the rest of the guard.
While the men had found the entire encounter amusing at first, when the stranger made a move
toward them with unclear intention they quickly drew their weapons and demanded that he halt.
'I have to go home and be with my family,' he told the rest of the guards, regarding them with dead eyes and advancing toward an out-thrust spear.
'Stay your weapons!' Harkin shouted, watching the man walk straight toward the assortment of steel without fear.
The guard with the spear brought the butt end up and shoved it into the man's nose with a resounding crunch.
'I said stay your weapons!' Harkin repeated, watching the unarmed man slump to the ground.
'He was looking at me all funny, sent a shiver down my spine,' the spear-holder said, followed by noises of assent from his comrades.
Harkin puffed his cheeks out and blew air. 'Go on then, check for a pulse.'
The stranger lay face-down on the road but was still breathing in spite of bleeding heavily from the nose.
'You lads just saved yourself a lot of effort,' Harkin muttered. 'He must be short a few in the head, see if he can stand then send him on his way.'
The cloaked figure appeared in his periphery. 'Is this truly the extent of your concern for your fellow man?'
Much to his surprise, Harkin's men turned their weapons on this newcomer. He struggled to remain as nonplussed as they seemed and realised he was the one who had to deal with the intrusion. For some reason this didn't feel like a sudden shock and his fear lingered uncomfortably as he sought for words.
It was the figure that spoke first. 'Your misgivings over the potential danger of a single unarmed traveller is disproportionate to the extreme, as is your reaction to my appearance. Am I not simply another soul venturing down this beaten path for you to ask assistance from?'
Harkin took a deep breath, he didn't like the tone of this stranger one bit. 'The fool wandered right into my man's spear, he seemed as if a babe, uncomprehending and repetitive.'
The hooded figure stared at him silently for the longest time then, as if deep in thought. The men shuffled nervously, weapons still drawn but uncertainty growing.
'A query for you dear Captain of the guard, if this man was as if a babe, what harm could possibly befall you that your men needed to intercede in such a manner?' it asked.
Harkin took a step forward, his anger starting to get the better of him. He'd had more than enough shocks today and as well spoken as this traveller was he was getting impatient with the attitude. 'Listen here stranger, what gives you the right to question us in such a fashion?'
Harkin heard a cry from behind him and watched a blur of steel shoot past his head and straight into the stranger's outstretched hand, the bloody butt pointing at him indicated that it was the same spear used to mash the face of the previous traveller.
'The same jurisdiction that Justice Kelgrimm himself empowered your group with,' the figure said, hefting the spear. 'You have strength through arms and now you have met your better. Let me gaze upon you all now and see if I have been sadly mistaken.'
It was the strangest sensation, as if his soul had been peeled out from under his eyes and put on display. He gazed soundlessly at each of them in turn, Harkin's lips seemed sealed shut as he observed.
The cloaked figure shook his head. 'Most disappointing, not a single one of you worth saving. Your weapons may give you power over the man you have struck down but his soul shines brighter than any of you.'
With a shuffle of feet, the men were drawn against their will into a line.
The stranger hefted the spear and Harkin screamed.
17
Ella
'You still haven't answered my question,' he said as he walked alongside her, constantly peering into the shadows as if they conspired to smother them both.
'You're really not that good at this, are you?' It was rhetorical, and served only to infuriate him further.
He came to a complete stop. 'Good at what?'
'At talking to women, at understanding anything for that matter.' She walked back to where he stood and planted herself in front of him. 'It's not that difficult to get. You saved my life, I wasn't going to go back to the farm covered in blood so I followed you. Had I done anything else you would have been implicated.'
'How did you track me all the way back to the cave?' Jakob asked.
Ella frowned. 'In case you've forgotten, you weren't exactly stealthy in your departure.' She spotted the surprise on his face. 'Thanks to the state you were in you misjudged the distance, I could hear you dashing off and even if I couldn't keep up I only needed to follow your heavy breathing and fresh footprints.'
That flustered him as intended. 'You... lay beside me as I slept.'
She nodded as if addressing a child. 'Yes.'
'Why?'
This brought a frown. 'Isn't that how it works with men? You killed the last one so now you get to take his place. Claim his prize.' She let acid drip off every word, resentment that echoed years.
Let's see how he responds to that.
'We need to keep walking,' he said, clearly not rising to the bait.
The questions and belittlements she had constructed must still be roiling inside him but he appeared to have forced them down. Answers would have to wait, in spite of what seemed to be a burning frustration to press her further. 'We need to cut across country at first light, if what you suspect has happened is true and my father has started searching with yours then we can't rely on the night wagons to confuse the scent.'
She nodded at him, encouraging these more practical thoughts.
'The old tracks will be gone but your father's dogs are trained too well for us to rely on that. We have to assume the worst and cross water before tomorrow is out if we want to escape.'
Jakob set a brisk pace, one that Ella had no problems matching. They both knew that they'd have to continue on the main road at night if they were to reach the river tomorrow, periodically avoiding the trade wagons that blazed through in rush of hooves and lights. Ella's familiarity with the route to Urial was mostly from infrequent trips with Jimmy on supply deliveries to The Chipped Flagon. She pondered in silence for a long time about how Jimmy would take it when he discovered Jakob was a murderer.
She watched as he cut through the increasing undergrowth with a large branch. She followed behind him, cursing every scrape and bite, the flies seemed to have a taste for her.
After a time, Jakob stopped and held up his hand. 'Can you hear that?'
Ella looked at him quizzically. 'What?'
'Can you not hear it?'
'Hear what?' frustration crept into the edges of her tone. 'All I hear is birdsong and time being wasted.'
'The river flowing. It's no more than a mile from here, another mile after crossing it and we'll set up camp for the night.'
Ella shrugged. 'We probably won't evade them if they are coming after us, it's another two days walk to Urial, they're going to find us before then if the river doesn't stop them.'
He flung his hands up. 'What would you have us do then? Walk back to Escana with our hands bound and ready for execution like common criminals?'
She smiled. 'Guilty conscience? You're the murderer here, don't forget that.'
'Why are you being like this?' he rounded on her, anger starting to show at her constant remarks.
So he had finally come out and asked instead of sitting back and taking it. Good.
'Being like what?' she said, hoping that he'd clarify for her whether he had understood what she was doing at all.
He came to a complete stop then, clearly not willing to walk and talk about this any further. 'I'm tired, angry and all I have for company is you. Why do you persist in testing me with your constant snide remarks?'
'I don't know you, Jakob. Aside from a few brief glances and that meeting in the Flagon we have never met before. Perhaps you are okay with it, but when I am travelling with a complete stranger I like to know who they are.'
He blinked at that in disbelief, clearly this was going to be a long-running argument. 'You can't just ask? I'm not some ins
ect for you to trap and take apart, I'm a real person.'
Tears welled up in her eyes involuntarily. Is that all he thought she was? So detached from the world that she saw people as nothing but experiments?
'I didn't mean to make you cry,' he said at the sight of her tears, a hint of regret in his voice. 'Just ask next time you want to know something. It's a lot easier.'
She gritted her teeth and tried not to lash out at him for being so presumptuous. 'It's not that easy Jakob. People lie, they conceal things that are only revealed when they are provoked. How do I know that you're going to tell me the truth about anything if I ask you?'
He offered her a brief smile. 'I have nothing to hide from doing so. Life is a lot less complicated when people are just honest with each other.'
Could he be telling the truth right now? Or was this an attempt to disarm her suspicions of him?
She sighed, wiping away the few tears that were left. 'You don't understand. It's not that simple.'
'It seems simple enough to me. Come on, we need to keep walking,' he said, and with that the conversation was abruptly over.
How close was what he had told her to the truth? She sensed no deception from his words but for all she knew they could have been well-worn. She had never met an honest man in her life, so why expect Jakob to be any different?
Come to think of it, why was she expecting him to be different? Had his daring rescue conjured up childish images of some gallant warrior come to save her? She had read enough to know the true natures of such men.
Honest or not, she needed to get away from Escana. Away from her father and out into this massive world that remained unseen. Her fate would take her where it needed her to go, even if that was to an early and unmarked grave. Perhaps that was where Jakob was inadvertently leading her to now.
If worst came to worst she could always pretend to be a captive and return to the plantation. A few harrowing tales concocted and one subsequent execution later would have her back into her old life.
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