A Stag in the Shadows

by S E Turner

  'Well perhaps if you hadn't beaten him to a pulp practically every day, then he wouldn't have wanted to escape.'

  Hezekiah raised an eyebrow.

  'He had help your highness, I know he had help. He was too weak to make the escape himself.'

  'Why do you say that? Were you not responsible for your group? Who would have helped him? They were all too afraid. It was you who put the fear of the gods into everyone.' Coben bellowed at the sadistic brute in front of him.

  'So where were you when this happened?' asked the king.

  The two guards looked at each other.

  'We were busy elsewhere,' said Bryn.

  'Doing what?' said Coben .

  'Just other business,' stammered Yurg.

  'Well I shall take a walk over to the fields right now to ask exactly what went on, then I shall report back to my brother.' Coben went to leave.

  'We fell asleep,' blurted out Bryn.

  Yurg looked ashen and prepared himself for the wrath of the king.

  Hezekiah flexed his fists tightly behind his back. 'Well I suggest that you go and find him.' He moved forwards to within a hairs breath of Yurg's face. 'I don't want him harmed. I just want him back. He is my intended's friend. And when you return, you and me need a little chat don't we Yurg, because I am the only one here who dishes out punishment. Or do you think you are above me?'

  Coben was enjoying this.

  'No sire, I do not think that.'

  'If you do not find him, then you will be flogged within an inch of your life, do you understand?'

  'Yes sire, I understand.'

  Hezekiah then raised his tone to such decibels, that even the falcon spread its wings in fear.

  'And if ever I hear that you have raised hand to any one of my workers again, I will carve another incision onto that opposite cheek, and put your grinning face on a spike. Have I made myself clear!'

  'Yes sire. Perfectly clear. I am sorry sire.'

  'Be off with you and get the prisoner back.'

  'We shall saddle up two horses straight away.'

  'Fools!' Coben's voice was damming. 'How can a prisoner get a horse? And is it not winter you imbeciles. An escapee will need the trees for protection and to forage for food. Go through the forests. There will be tracks there. Look for them and follow them, or else I will flog you as well.'

  Hezekiah nodded in approval and cast the final words.

  'When you find him, we will put him into the mine, he will be safer there.' He looked in disdain at the cowering guards. 'I don't want anyone escaping again.'

  The two guards left and the brothers looked at each other.

  'Now where were we?' said Hezekiah.

  'You were on a winning streak, I believe,' said Coben,

  'Ah yes, and discussing my good fortune.'

  Coben took the deck again and shuffled the cards, under the watchful gaze of his brother's eyes.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  'Did everything go as planned?' asked Coben as he made his daily checks on the workers.

  'It did, rather too smoothly,' said Moira with ease. 'I really was expecting something to go wrong at any moment. I am amazed at my own strength and resilience.'

  'I knew you could do it Moira, but are you sure no one saw you?'

  'No one. I deliberately spilled soup down my dress, so I had an excuse to go back into the dormitory. No one suspected anything.'

  'Good.'

  'Atilus helped me get him on the horse.'

  'Atilus! Is he to be trusted?'

  'Oh yes, he is Tiller's closest friend, other than Winta of course.'

  Coben nodded with satisfaction.

  'I told Tiller what was happening. I believe he thought like you. What difference did it make if he was caught or not, his life was a living hell as it was. '

  'Exactly.' Coben nodded.

  'The two guards fell asleep as planned, and Tiller was able to make his escape.'

  'He knew the way?'

  'I think so, I hope so. We have to put our trust in the gods.'

  'We certainly do.'

  'How did the workers react when they discovered him gone?'

  'Actually they were all relieved, if not a little concerned. Because he had talked about escaping from the onset. It was me and Atilus who stopped him then—so everyone was surprised he hadn't gone sooner.'

  'That works in our favour as well.'

  Moira nodded her head in agreement.

  'Yurg and Bryn won't be bothering you any more, they have been reassigned to another group. But I will still have to keep an eye on things.'

  He spotted them out of the corner of his eye. Lazily leaning on their swords. Taking no notice of anything or anyone. 'Look at them, bored to death now they haven't got anyone to push around.'

  'Yes, I had noticed,' said Moira scathingly.

  The king was furious. They have been warned now. I cannot begin to tell you what Yurg has been threatened with.'

  Moira grinned. 'You were right Coben. It was the best way all round.'

  Coben smiled at his foresight. 'But they caught another man.'

  'Really, how come? '

  'Some vagrant who had lost his way. Poor man is in the mines now.'

  'With Philipe?'

  'Yes, in the next cell. I think it will be a good thing—for Philipe anyway.'

  'Why?'

  'Because Philipe will tell his stories to the young fellow, it's the only thing that keeps him going these days.'

  'How is he faring?'

  'He's okay, at the moment. But of course the wedding is coming up. I fear that will unsettle him.'

  'Unless you find the fire first.'

  'Yes, it won't be long now, and I will need your services again.'

  'Again?'

  'I can't do it on my own Moira. I need you.'

  She suddenly felt a tug that pulled at her, and realised that it wasn't just the frigid cold that made her want to hold him. She shivered.

  'Are you ok?' he asked. And reached for her hand. His own wrapped around hers like a furnace, and she suddenly felt warm inside.

  'Yes I'm fine Coben—just a little tired maybe.'

  'As long as you are okay,' he looked at her to find the smile.

  She gave it to him. 'I am.'

  'Good. I had better go now. Best keep moving, it's still freezing cold out here, and we don't want to cause suspicion.'

  She nodded in agreement. He crept off, back the way he had come, and Moira returned to her baking .

  The winter finally released its frozen grip and the last icy breaths that covered the land were exhaled. Fresh ripe buds on the trees heralded spring, and the pulse of the earth quickened as life started to pump through the soil once again. New shoots and a variety of colours patch-worked the contours of the barren grey moors. The sun made a welcome appearance and beat off the blistering attack of winter. Rivers thawed and ran freely. Shivering transparent icicles slowly dripped away. The river was once again a blue green ribbon, shining in the morning sun. Reeds grew thick in the shallows along the banks. Clothes were rinsed thoroughly in the warmer waters. Breaking ice to to do laundry was a dreaded chore every year. Now, the sun danced on the ripples, and it looked like all the stars from the night before had fallen from the sky and landed in that very river. It sparkled and glistened with a thousand jewels, while the current teased it and caressed it, and guided it gently along its path. The mountains in the background, opened up a vista of green fields, and stretching out in front of them were the great grasslands, displaying yet another face of the renewing cycle of life. Workers returned to their ploughing with the sun on their backs and a westerly breeze on their faces.

  'What's a condor?'Asher wanted to know.

  Dom took in a deep breath. 'It is the most beautiful and largest of all the birds I have ever seen. It has a wingspan of nearly twelve feet and wears a red crown on its head. That's why it is the Vale's symbol.'

  'Do they live in the Vale then?'

  'Yes they do;
we have lots of nesting pairs in the mountains, and we watch them soar and swoop as they scavenge for food every day.'

  'All that freedom they must have.'

  'Yes, it's quite spectacular. They cover miles upon miles on enormous black wings. And then you look at us, with the constant guards to stop us getting out, and the high barbed wire fence to keep us in. What I wouldn't give to be a condor right now.'

  She stroked his face and leaned into the crook of his arm. 'One day we will be free my love, then I will sit and watch the condors in the Vale with you.'

  He kissed the top of her head and began to dream of that day, knowing that it couldn't come quickly enough.

  Moira thought of Tiller often. She spoke with Winta of what she hoped for him. With a motherly arm round the young girl's shoulders, she heralded her insight.

  'He will be at the Homestead Farm, just like he said he would, you mark my words Winta. He will be hoeing and ploughing, getting the soil ready for our return.'

  'Our return. Will we all get out of here Moira?'

  'Can't you feel the transition in the air dear girl, can't you feel the winds of change? I can hear the trumpets of the earth heralding our return. Tiller just carved the way. We are all set to follow him.'

  They sat outside the shed, and felt the sweet breath of a westerly wind fly in from the wings of the sun, and the pulse of the earth calling them home. Moira searched beyond the rows of dormitories, and saw a better life. She had every faith in Coben. He was right. He was always right.

  'It won't be long now my sweet thing. We will all be home soon. Everything will be back to normal.'

  Saskia looked out of her window, she could sense a change. Mother nature was at last peeling back her worn outer dermis and revealing the vibrant new life beneath. The long fingers of the sun's rays fanned across the trees to open up an artist's palette of rich hues, blushed tones and a blaze of colour. Birds, bees, and butterflies darted in and out of the foliage beneath, while the branches released their buds and fruits. This was the beginning now, everything was ready, and with it came renewed energy and an abundance of power. She looked at the vast wall in front of her; a gloomy presence which separated the forest from the mine. A manmade monument to keep the monsters in she thought; for monsters were only nightmares carved from men's dreams.

  With the window wide open, she could see above the trees and longed to fly. She wished that she could stand on the ledge, spread her wings, and escape to freedom. Soaring through the trees, camouflaged, swift, turning on the wing—like the moth, like the owl.

  She remembered a conversation with Vlavos.

  'The owl is the greatest predator of the forest. It has total awareness of its surroundings so it can hunt in the dark using sound alone to guide it to a kill. It will watch the movements of its prey for hours before choosing the right moment to strike. It has perfect patience and perception, and its stillness makes it invisible.' He looked beyond the forest. 'Have you ever seen the bird behind the call?'

  She shook her head.

  'That's because it is special and can hide. But the moth can see it, the moth can see everything. The moth is totally camouflaged and widens its wings to show two enormous eyes. These vacuoles are its protection, its metamorphosis to make it look bigger than it really is. You don't have to be big and powerful to be strong, Saskia. You have to be cunning and clever.'

  Saskia looked at the wall again and smiled.

  'You might be my nemesis now, but I do not fear you. You think you have the power to destroy me, to keep me here, to imprison me. But you are wrong. I am the power, and one day I will destroy you. On that day I will see you as a blade of grass on the ground and cast aside your illusion of grandeur. Your face of stone will be like a veil of silk to me, a soft cushion of feathers, a bed of straw. I will escape your clutches and take flight like the owl. I will camouflage myself like the moth, and I will look back at you with my huge vacuoles and watch you crumble into the pits of the earth. Then I will be gone from here forever.'

  Philipe crumpled on the bed. He had never feared the night. He tried to imagine his oasis of heaven, his home, his wife, his homestead; but even that was diminishing now. It must be spring he thought. It has to be. But that brought other terrors, because tomorrow was his daughter's sixteenth birthday. Did Hezekiah know? What would he do? Would he take her now, because she was of age? Would he forego the words he had promised Coben? Would the wedding be brought forward? The torment stopped him from sleeping, and when he did sleep, he woke again, and the thoughts tumbled around his head for the rest of the night. He feared for his daughter and wished there was something he could do. But locked in this prison cell, he might just have been on the other side of the world. He turned over and tried to sleep, and for the first time in his life, he was fearful of the dark.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  It was a fine morning, that second day in April. The dawn had started off how it usually began, with the guards doing their rounds and the cooks preparing the breakfasts. The guards always took their breakfast first; and only when they were done, did the workers line up after them.

  Brack stood in the line, but his face oozed concern, though he tried hard not to show it.

  The guards were trained to notice any deception it seemed, and after the disappearance of Tiller, they all appeared to be extra vigilant.

  It was soon his turn. Winta gave him a plate, and Moira spooned the oatmeal into it. He sidled up to Moira and whispered out the side of his mouth

  'Atilus has gone.'

  'What!' Her angst was concealed in a whisper.

  'He's gone I tell you.'

  He kept moving along the line .

  Moira and Winta looked at each other. The guards were engrossed in their food.

  Brack looked back at them and shrugged his shoulders. Moira shook her head from side to side.

  'Did you know anything about this Winta?"

  The girl shook her head. 'He said nothing to me.'

  'So he's gone on his own accord?'

  But maybe Coben did something. Though he hadn't mentioned anything to her. She would speak to him when he came over to do his rounds.

  Supper that evening was a thick stew of chicken, potatoes, barley, onions, and carrots, with a hunk of brown bread; all freshly made that day. All the women worked in the fields, some of the young girls worked in the palace, alongside some of the youngest boys. Those parents hadn't seen their children for months. The long trestles were always full of torn apart families.

  A pale light from the setting sun was thrown across the table, and the late hour was still warm when Coben arrived.

  'I thought I would dine with you tonight, if that is okay dear lady.' He looked at Moira.

  Winta handed him a plate and smiled.

  Moira spooned an extra portion of stew into his bowl, and found him the largest chunk of bread. Her coy smile dipped into an ample bosom.

  'Have you eaten yet?' he asked.

  'Not yet,' she answered.

  'Join me. Please. '

  He grabbed a flagon of wine and waited at the end of the line for Moira to accompany him.

  Moira looked at Winta, who nodded graciously and took over from the duties, spooning a ladle full of stew into a bowl and selecting a large wedge of bread. The two friends went and sat at the end of a long table, out of ear shot and away from prying eyes.

  'How are you Moira?'

  'I am well, thank you. I haven't seen you for a few days and I was beginning to get worried.'

  'Nothing to worry about dear lady. I have just been extraordinarily busy.' He looked up at her.

  She smiled knowingly.

  'Thank you for helping us Coben. It means such a lot to me.'

  He wiped the dribble escaping his mouth with the back of his hand.

  'I'm not doing very much really.'

  'Oh but you are, and I am so very grateful.'

  He looked at her and grinned again.

  'How is Saskia and the master?' she asked
, wiping the corner of her mouth with her apron.

  'They are both well, under the circumstances.' He looked around suspiciously, careful of prying eyes and dangerous ears. 'My masterplan is nearly complete.'

  'And then we're out of here forever.' Her whisper was low as she hunched over her bowl.

  He rested his spoon in the plate. His lips were still wet from the stew.

  'Maybe I could call on you Moira, when all this is over, and we are free do do as we please. Maybe we could take a stroll along the river, or in the fields occasionally. I have been talking with Philipe, about working on the farm; to restore some of the damage that I did.' He picked up his spoon again and poured another portion into his mouth.

  Her heart fluttered.

  'I would like that very much Coben, and I'm glad the master is offering you employment with us.'

  Coben smiled back, his heart quickening.

  'Please excuse my manners dear lady, but is there a husband or a gentleman friend waiting for you back at the homestead.'

  Moira laughed out loud, and shielded the contents of her mouth as she did so.

  'No, Coben. I haven't had much time for that type of thing. I have been cooking since I was a young wee thing, and been looking after the mistress in my latter years. So no, there is no gentleman friend in my life.'

  'Well, it's about time we changed all that.' He smiled contentedly and finished off the rest of his stew.

  She watched him discretely, enjoying the meal she had cooked. What a fine man he was, and the more she saw him, the more she liked what she saw.

  'I forgot to thank you,' she said suddenly.

  He pushed the plate away and stifled a belch.

  'Thank me for what?'

  'For helping Atilus.'

  'I'm sorry Moira, I'm not quite following.'

  'You helped Atilus escape—he's gone.' She looked at him, confused that he had forgotten .

  Coben creased his brow and pursed his lips tightly. Then shook his head. 'I didn't help him.'

  She looked shocked. 'Well he's gone.'

  'He must have climbed over the fence. That's the only explanation. With Yurg and Bryn on another watch, he must have taken the opportunity to make a run for it. He's taken a huge risk though, he might be hurt. But he's a young man—perhaps he'll make it.'