Arik sank deep into the snow as he trudged back towards home. It was dark and the wooded hillside was rough ground. Ursla hadn't awoken. She was unconscious, it's not like being conscious would help her, her broken leg and dislocated shoulder would be excruciating. The best Arik could do now was get Ursla back to mother.
It was late when Arik finally saw the torches lighting up his childhood home. Which is why he was even more surprised by the murmurs of voices he could hear. As he turned the path and could see the front of his home now, it was clear there was a commotion outside in the courtyard. As the faces came into view, Arik recognised the captain and guardsman Cresius arguing with Malcurn, Brida, Ebass and a small crowd of other villagers. Ilga was stood in the porch looking mortified, trying to cease the crowd from arguing.
"Rigurd's hurt bad! What you guardsmen doing, worth ya salt? ha!" Malcurn was loudly protesting. "Besides that, Agne the weavers girl has a noose bruise, she'd been hung!
"Quiet down Malcurn, tell me what happened. What was that fire in the sky?" Brelius responded, with the ill respected authority he held, still irritated by the evening's events.
"Quieten down and mid yer way!" shouted Arik.
The crowd fell silent and almost simultaneously turn to see who spoke. And all noticed the young soldier carrying his sister on his back. As the crowd parted for Arik to pass, Brelius spoke up.
"Smithson, what's happened? Tell me who did this, where did you find your sister?"
Arik looked at the man coldly "Not now captain. I must get my sister indoors." Stepping past Brelius, Arik made toward his mother who frantically started inspecting her daughter's injuries.
"Let's get her inside mother." Arik made clear.
Ilga turned and opened the door stepping in before Arik. Once Arik had crossed the threshold captain Brelius' foot stepped in blocking the doorway. He turned to his men. All ten of you question the witnesses, gleam information. Then send them home.
"Aye sir." Came a sleepy response, somewhat still out of breath from some.
Then Brelius turned to Ilga, "Pardon my intrusion Ma'am but I need to bear witness to the night's events from your son. It's important you realise I must know, right?"
Ilga looked the captain in the eyes. Sighed loudly "I don't trust you captain, but my son has no ill feelings. Come in and speak to him. But please be respectful. My husband and my daughter..." she trailed off.
"I understand and respect your wishes. I shall speak with your son when he is ready. But I will still enter." Uttered Brelius as he bowed his head and crossed the threshold.
Once inside, Ilga told Arik to head to her bedroom. Once through the house Arik entered the main bedroom where he found a makeshift bed had been built next to his parent's larger bed. His father in the larger bed, and young Agne in makeshift bed. Old man Aern stood immediately and warmly welcomed the trio as they entered.
"Ah Arik, put your sister next to your father, go on now hurry up. Welcome captain, hear to bear witness my testimony? Madam Ilga, take a seat and be patient dear all is in hand."
Arik immediately moved to the bed and placed his sister alongside her father. Who the young soldier noticed was breathing quite deeply now. He was face down, however. Confusing him slightly. Brelius and Ilga shifted to some chairs and sat down quietly. Arik looked solemnly at the captain. Then at his mother. Who unexpectedly smiled back at him.
Aern had already begun inspecting Ursla's wounds, when he had finished he tapped Arik on the shoulder and asked him for a knife. Arik looked at him worried and confused. "It's fine boy, just give it and let me work!" Arik startled at old Aern's authoritative manner, drew his dagger and handed it to this familiar stranger. The old man then leant over Ursla, drew up her woollen dress to reveal the clearly broken leg. Where he then gently drew the blade across the skin to make a small incision above the break area.
Out of his pocket Aern produced a handful of grey powder, poured it over this new freshly bleeding injury. He then shifted his weight and placed his staff above the incision. Immediately the grey powder began to glow a bright green. It appeared to absorb the blood and then the wound was sealed before everyone's eyes.
Arik was bemused, as the old man then repeated this process over the dislocated collar or shoulder, turned to his mother who was still smiling. The captain, mouth agape seemed stunned by what he was witnessing. Once the last of the green hued light had dimmed down and the second incision had healed, Aern turned to Arik.
"Right all done. Old Rigurd should be up and about by lunchtime. Your sister however probably shan't awake until the next morning. Bones are far more complicated to mend."
"Wait, just like that? Are you joking old man?" Arik stammered. Even the captain had risen to his feet.
"Just who in all of Aeden are you?" Asked Brelius looking dumbfounded.
"Now now gentlemen. I cant answer all your questions at once. Firstly, with regards to your family Arik. I most certainly am not joking. They will be fine." Coughed Aern in response. "As for you captain, how did I do it? Well, it's just a little magic I learnt here and there. I am a travelling healer after all. Do not let it concern you. I won't be staying long rest assured. It seems you were lucky, if I had not stumbled upon this sleepy little town this very night. These three would likely be seriously crippled or dead."
So slick was the tongue of the old man that it left Brelius speechless for a second. "How about you two go get a drink. I presume the captain has questions for you Arik." Came Aern's voice. The young soldier's eyes widened slightly almost giving away his unpreparedness for testimony. However, he recovered and nodded signalling for the captain to follow. Which Brelius did gladly.
Once the two men were alone Arik poured two cups of mead, one of which the captain graciously accepted. "So, Arik. It seems you've had a busy night. Care to enlighten me of its details?" Arik looked at the captain. "I can only reveal what I saw. You'll have to wait for those three for more accurate testimony."
"Very well Go on then." Nodded the captain.
Arik broke down the events of the evening. How he returned to Risvale early evening after sundown. How he had found Cresius arguing with Malcurn over some strange happenings. He covered how he volunteered to investigate and how he found his father and Agne.
He intentionally lied about Aern though. He had told the Captain that Aern was inspecting the broken cart when they met. But he did reveal how Aern's help had allowed him to chase after his sister and about the sky fire.
Brelius stunned with the sheer spectacle of the evening's events, scowled suspiciously at Arik. "You're leaving out major details. What about the culprit and your sister?"
Ariks mind reeled, he remembered his anger at Corvell. The mans sheer detestability. But he realised his errors immediately. He had left the body there on the hillside bloody and throat severed. Clearly a murder by imperial laws. Arik had spent enough time in the auxilia abroad to understand the Catan's laws.
"Well captain, I found my sister against a tree, she was severely wounded. So, I grabbed her and fled back here in a hurry to save her. She was already unconscious in the snow."
"And what of the culprit?" Brelius asked again.
"No sign of him sir." Arik couldn't quite maintain eye contact through that statement. Raising the captain's suspicions quite obviously. To Ariks relief, Brelius' demeanour relaxed. "Very well, I'll take your word for it. But I intend to investigate further. This beer though. Its sweet and strong. I like it!" the captain smiling, trying to ease the tension.
"It's mead sir not beer. Celenan doesn't have that." Replied the young soldier.
"Certainly doesn't, may have to speak with him. Very well, I shall take my leave now Arik. I'm sure things are looking better here now."
Arik nodded as the man saw himself out. Sighing with a breath of relief he closed the door behind him. Arik finished his mead and went back to the bedroom to find his mother and Aern tonight had been too eventful.
As soon as Arik and Brelius had left the bedroom, Ilga had stood up and approached old man Aern. "Welcome back you rotten old Rascal. Been a while since you taught me about my gifts. Must be forty years, and you haven't changed. Not even aged a bit." Said Ilga as she approached, her long silver hair shining in the candlelight. Aern looked guiltily at her, "Aye but I don't really have time for nostalgic reminiscence I'm afraid dear Ilga. You're still as beautiful as you were back then. But I must leave again."
"Flattery will get you nowhere old man" came a tart reply from Ilga.
"Oh, how I've missed your candour young Ilga. However, listen closely. I must return quickly; there is much that needs doing. Please when Arik returns tell him this; Flee Risvale tonight, nothing good awaits him here come morning. If he is gone, your family will remain safe. If he stays, great misfortunes will befall you all. Tell him he must journey North to bear country. Tell him he will meet with someone he knows well, and that he must take young Aern along with him." Old man Aern looked deadly serious.
"It's a shame, he has only been back briefly. But I shall do as you request old man. Now hurry and begone, your presence will only make the imperials suspicious." Ilga responded despondently.
"Bless you Ilga." Came Aern's voice as the bright viridian light from his staff engulfed the bedroom. When it had receded, before Ilga's eye could even readjust to the lower light levels, Old man Aern was gone, where he stood now lay a small sleeping child. Little Aern.
As Brelius exited the smiths house, he saw his soldiers had successfully diminished the crowd. Just his ten men were left.
"Well, find anything pertinent?" came the annoyed voice of the captain.
Derenis immediately piped up; "Nothing revealing sir, however the witness' testimonies all matched, I don't believe anyone was lying."
"Good, then just one last thing to check, Derenis take these ten men and scour the whole of the western hill, every flank, leave no stone unturned." Came the order from the captain.
Derenis groaned internally. It was past midnight by now, and searching an entire hillside would take hours. Even with the ten of them. "Any idea what we're looking for captain?"
"You'll know when you find it." Said Brelius. Then pulling Derenis aside he quietly gave the man secondary instructions. "It hasn't snowed since the smith's son returned, I advise you follow his tracks. May make your task a bit simpler. I must go and start my report. Gather as much information from what you find and return to the barracks quickly. Don't dally."
Derenis stood to attention "Yes sir! At once." Immediately Derenis barked orders at the nine guardsmen. And the began trotting off double time following the route Arik had walked, in formation. Brelius watched them go, then sighed deeply before making his way back to the barrack.
It wasn't long before the guardsmen reached the side of the tor that the fight had taken place. Almost immediately Derenis spotted what he was looking for. One of the guardsmen, which happened to be Gerric, let out a long low whistle. Evidently surprised at the sight.
Before them lay a giant of a man, face down in in the snow, which had turned claret from the loss of blood from the body. A grizzly scene. "Seems the smith's son, is quite the fighter!" came Gerric's proclamation. Derenis ignored him and approached the body. Using his foot, he turned it over. He recognised the man, a mercenary, Derenis had seen him in the market square in the afternoon. The man's throat had been severed deeply and there was a wound in his under arm. Both wounds were mortal. So, one would have been unnecessary. Clearly the work of rage.
"Shit!" Derenis exclaimed aloud. Turning to his men "Not a word of this is to leave these ranks. We must get back and report this to the captain post haste." Barking a couple of orders, Derenis left four men to transport the body back to the barracks and then himself and the remaining five ran in formation back to the barracks to reveal the situation to the captain.
Falco was furious. It was still before sunrise, and he had been summoned to meet with the councilman. He thought the north was a shithole and Lentrin was a corrupt rat. Regardless the money was good, and the work promising. Though he was unsure of why he had been summoned. He knew it wasn't good news.
Falco was a veteran, he personally knew Brelius as they he campaigned in the north thirty years ago as an auxilia attached to Brelius' regiment. Both young and inexperienced then. Brelius made a name for himself in that campaign, and Falco, he resigned his commission when his tour was complete and spent his time with a mercenary band. Fighting in minor disputes between nobles or even on the frontlines in Arama.
Now Falco lead that band, The Band of Brethren. Past fifty years now the old mercenary had scars on his face that made him seem perpetually angry. Originally a Frissian by birth the once chestnut hair had turned to a silver at the roots as well as his goatee which was long and platted tied with a bronze clip at the end. The golden torque hung around his neck symbolised his birth status as a noble from Frisse.
Under his command they the mercenary band garnered quite the reputation, though with infamy came unwanted attention. Soon questionable characters were joining the Band of Brethren and this brought with it a host of new headaches for Falco. It almost made him almost guess why he had been summoned this morning.
As the infamous Mercenary commander approached Lentrin's office, the door was closed. But he could hear the enraged shouting of Lentrin from within, then the sound of smashing glass as from what Falco heard, something had been cast across the room. "Definitely bad news." He grumbled to himself as he waited outside the councilman's office.
Brelius had found himself biting his tongue. The previous night Derenis had returned at about witching hour and informed him of the situation. Brelius had decided to get a short rest while he wait for Lentrin to awaken. He knew the cur would be outraged once reprised of the events of the evening. The shrewd man had even announced his bad mood because of thunder awakening him in the evening, before Brelius had even announced himself.
And here he was, standing in the councilman's office. With the bright red, round face of the squat ugly fool himself. Spraying saliva whilst screaming about Brelius' incompetence at him. Brelius bit his tongue whilst trying to ignore the onslaught of insults. After all the Captain took orders from Lentrin, but didn't work for him directly. The military was its own beast.
"You imbecile! How could your guardsmen allow this to happen. A man under my pay has been murdered under your watch!" came the spray of saliva from Lentrin.
"The circumstances are complicated Sir….." Brelius tried to respond.
"I don't care about the circumstance, much less the man that died. It's the action I care about. Something like this has never happened here. I can't have it happen while I try to gain the trust of new a new client you fool!" Lentrin's faces was turning a deeper hue of red at this point.
"Sir there's worse yet." Came a firm response from Brelius. Holding fast for the oncoming tirade.
The councilman stopped and seemed to calm. He let out a sigh "what could possibly be worse than this at sunrise?"
"Well sir, the Smith. He was stabbed in the heart." Brelius was cut off again.
"What? The smith?" Lentrin looked dumbfounded for a moment. Only a moment. He grabbed a goblet of watered wine from the table and threw it forcefully towards the captain. Who instinctively moved out of harms way. "FUCK!"
The goblet sailed across the room and smashed the glass on a display cabinet in the corner. Breaking several of the small vases inside.
"Sir the murdered man, is the culprit for stabbing the smith as well as the attempted rape of his daughter and the weaver's daughter." Upon hearing this Lentrin stood silent briefly.
"Captain, I appreciate your candour. Though I don't care of the fates of barbarians unless they provide me the status the smith provides. Celenan maybe included in that but he's imperial by birth. Do you understand?"
"Yes sir" uttered the Captain.
"Good, then go and resolve this issue. Bring me the barbarian murderer. No tribesman can be allowed to get away with this act. I don't care who they may be. Will the smith survive?"
"Yes sir the smith seems to be on the road to recovery now."
"Alright then. You're dismissed Captain." Brelius couldn't exit the office faster. His tongue was numb from the biting. That cretin of a man, never ceased to annoy him. His arrogance and dismissal of peasants and tribesmen was ignorant at best, if it were not for men like that, the great empire of Catan now wouldn't be in such a decrepit mess. Sometimes Brelius wished he would just go back to Isa.
As he exited the office the captain spotted the Mercenary Commander. "Falco, you old bastard! How in the nines have you been. Wish I could say I'm glad to see you here in Risvale. Nothing personal old friend"
Falco just chuckled "Never thought I'd find someone of your reputation in a backwater like this 'Iron Fist'!"
"I wanted a quieter life. You understand?" Came a dulcet reply.
"Now, now Captain! I'm sure it's been mostly that?" Falco smiled back.
"Mostly yes, until that bastard hired you." Brelius laughed aloud. "When your finished inside, come find me in the barracks, I'll debrief you of the situation.
Falco just nodded. With that Brelius strode off towards the barracks, and Falco entered the room. As he did so he thought that his guess was probably correct.
Brelius was in a bad mood. Tired and ears ringing from the tirade from Lentrin, he went back to the barracks. Where he immediately rang the bell in the courtyard to muster the guard. It was not long before the men came trotting out of the barrack, armed and equipped. Ready for the morning's duties.
"Good morning gentlemen. Firstly, those of you who were active last night fall out, go eat breakfast and then take guard duty for this morning." Ten men then began to fall out of formation. "Not you Derenis! You're a sergeant, you have responsibilities." Derenis just sighed and took up position again.
"As for the rest of you, we have a murderer to arrest. He's formidable but I assume also honourable. I hate to do this but Derenis, form three arrest groups, give Cresius command of one. We must head to the smith's house. Cresius you'll come with me to make the arrest. Derenis organise the other two groups to form a perimeter around the property. We leave in when the sundial says eight." With that authoritative speech. The men signalled their understanding with a "Yes sir!" Then Brelius strode from the courtyard to his office. Shuffling papers around and laying a map of the village on the table, Brelius sighed. Falco would be here any minute. Best that the captain appears to be busy when he arrives. As the thought occurred to him, he heard Falco's voice calling out from the courtyard. Brelius immediately went to see the man.
"Welcome to the barracks Falco, I assume you've been informed?"
"It's more serious than I thought. Where's the body, I need to confirm the identity before this goes further."
"It's in the mortuary, that door over there. You're welcome to go yourself." replied the captain.
Falco disappeared through the door into the mortuary. He was gone for no longer than a minute before he returned. "Damn shame, one of my strongest in the shield wall, a beast of a man. Would like to see the fucker that cut him down. Though, he probably deserved it knowing his character."
"I'm sorry for your loss then old friend." Brelius said conscientiously.
"Don't be, like I said he deserved it. Though I now need to go and have some serious words with a few of my men." Falco always looked angry these days. Brelius couldn't tell if he was or not. He believed he was angry though. As Falco had left immediately after the exchange of pleasantries.
Brelius now lead three arrest groups through the square and out the palisade. As they used the road to the south many of the villagers opened their doors and came forth to see what the commotion was about. Many of them had been present last night.
Soon there was a crowd following the guardsmen. Brelius cursed aloud. "Listen up, this is no business of the common man. It is a matter of law. I would ask you to disperse." Several rounds of laughter came from a few amongst the crowd. But none made any intention of leaving. As the guards moved on the crowd fell back a bit, distancing themselves from the guard. But they remained within eyesight.
As Brelius and the guardsmen approached the smiths house he ordered Derenis to scout the perimeter with his groups. Entering the courtyard with Cresius, the guardsmen slowly approached the door to the home. But before they could announce their presence Derenis could be heard calling the captain from behind the stable.
"Cresius, knock the door and get lady Ilga out here for a chat. Ill go see what Derenis has found." Leaving Cresius with a simple task, the captain went around behind the small stable. What have you found Derenis. Several tracks sir. Young adult male, child, horse and what I'm guessing is lady Ilga prints. The man and child's tracks disappear, and the horses tracks lead in that direction." Said the sergeant pointing north. "I don't think we will find our murderer here captain."
"Shit!" exclaimed Brelius. And as he did, he and Derenis heard a loud crash then screaming coming from the other side of the stable. Followed by an uproar from a crowd. Both men went to investigate only to find lady Ilga the smiths wife rolling in the dirt and Cresius holding her by the hair. The door to the house looked as if it had been kicked in, with splintering at the frames. "Got the bitch out captain! She's trying to hide the murderer inside. My men are searching the premises now."
Brelius' face lit up as red as Lentrin's had been earlier. Striding over to Cresius he threw a punch so wild that in took the man 3three feet of the ground sending him sailing into a pile of manure. "Looks like you refuse to follow orders Cresius, remove your men from the property, and return to the barracks. You are now under military arrest. Derenis! Guard this man and return him to the barracks. See that he does not leave his chambers."
"Yes Sir!" Derenis replied, holding back a grin.
"Cresius, at no point did I authorise the use of forceable entry. You are a fool who puts no thought into your actions!" shouted the commander as the limp and dazed man was escorted away from the smith's house. Murmurs from the crowd made it obvious their growing disapproval of the happenings in town recently.
Hearing this Brelius immediately assisted Ilga to her feet. "I apologise profusely madam Ilga. I did not intend for this to happen."
"I told you I didn't trust you captain. It's obvious why. No matter, I am uninjured and just a little shaken. I know you're looking for Arik. But you shan't find him. He's long gone the nines won't allow it. Now if you may, I have the wounded to care for." Ilga said as she turned with a cold look in her eye.
Brelius could say nothing in response, he knew the woman wasn't lying. Arik had most certainly fled in the night. On horseback too, he didn't have the manpower to cover the search. He now had to return to Lentrin and break the news, he turned and gathered his men before moving off through the dissatisfied chatter of the parting crowd.
As Falco rode back down the road south to his camp, he was furious. That bastard Corvell had caused such a riot just to satisfy some primal urges. What were Rauln and the other two doing that they let that oaf out of their sight. Falco had already given Rauln firm warning. None the less a member of the brethren had been murdered. Retribution was the traditional response for the company under Falco's command. "So be it." The man thought as the cold morning air chilled his nose and hands with the brisk pace he was setting.