Brian Pratt - Shades of the past

“Is this where you live?” Miko asks once it’s become clear he means to go there.

Illan nods, “My family has lived here for six generations.”

Half a mile from the gates of the estate, two men emerge from the surrounding trees. James sees it’s Jorry and Uther.

“Well?” Illan asks once they’ve come near.

“Two guards stand at the gates,” Uther tells him.

“Not sure how many are inside but we’ve seen four men enter and two leave,” Jorry explains.

”Grab your horses,” Illan says and kicks his horse to move toward the gate. They hurry into the trees and reemerge shortly riding their horses, then fall in line with the others.

He rides without hesitation and is shortly approaching the gate. The two men standing guard move to stand before the gate and one steps forward. Holding his hand up indicating for them to stop, he says, “No one is allowed to enter.”

“On whose authority?” Illan asks, bringing his horse to a stop, scant inches from the man.

“By authority of Lord Faetherton,” he replies.

Illan glares down at the man and asks, “Is this Faetherton here?”

“ Lord Faetherton is currently in town,” the man explains.

Illan glances to Jiron next to him and says, “Open the gate for me.”

“Sure,” Jiron replies. Hoping down from his horse, he moves toward the gate.

The man steps in front of him and actually puts his hand on Jiron’s chest. “I said, no one is allowed to enter.”

Jiron pauses only a moment before his takes the man’s wrist and twists it painfully. With his other hand, he grabs the man by the back of the neck and throws him out of his way. He resumes his progress toward the gate and the other guard draws his sword, moving to bar his way.

“I wouldn’t do that,” a woman’s voice says in the stillness. The guard glances to the others and sees Aleya with arrow knocked and aimed straight at him.

Jiron comes to him and takes his sword.

“Scar, Shorty,” Illan says, “tie them up please.” They immediately dismount and remove rope from their saddle bags.

Outnumbered, the guards remain docile while they’re being tied. “How many more of you are there?” Illan asks.

One guard remains stoically silent but the other says, “Five.”

“Shut up!” the other guard orders.

“What should we do with them?” James asks.

Illan glances at him and says, “No reason to kill them. It’s not with them that I have a quarrel.” He glances at the two men sitting on the ground and adds, “At least not yet.” To Scar and Shorty he says, “You two stay here and keep an eye on them. Let us know if anyone comes.”

“You got it,” Scar assures him.

Jiron pulls the bar and draws the gate open. He pushes it so it swings around and slams into the inner wall where it remains. Returning to his horse, he joins the others as they move toward the manor house.

The inner grounds have been meticulously kept. Off to one side is a flowering garden of magnificent beauty. Stone paths work their way through the blossoms and two benches can be seen where people could take their ease while enjoying the beauty surrounding them. The sight of the gardens brings sadness to Illan. His Alaina had loved them and spent many sunny days among them. A smile comes to him when he remembers his son as a boy and how he once played in her flowers, ruining many young plants. Her anger at him was fierce but he never really learned to stay out of her plants.

As they move down the cobblestone road, the front door opens and a man emerges. Dressed finely with an air of command, he watches them approach. “How dare you forcibly enter Lord Faetherton’s estate?” From windows on the second and third floor, three men have crossbows aimed at them.

“This is my house and I have no need to explain myself to you,” Illan tells the man as he looks down at him from the back of his horse. “Tell those men with the crossbows to lower their weapons or we’ll kill you all, right here, right now.”

The man stands there a moment assessing the situation. That was definitely not the response he was expecting. Since coming here to Seastar, he’s heard rumors of this Illan for this is who must be before him. Some of the rumors he didn’t give much credence to. It only takes him a moment to decide he’s woefully outnumbered and hollers up to the others, “Lower your weapons.”

“And tell them to leave my house,” he says.

“Everyone, out!” the man yells. The three men covering them with crossbows from above leave the windows and come join the man in front of Illan.

“Where’s the other guy?” James asks.

“There is no other,” he tells them.

“We were told to expect five here,” Illan explains. “So where is he?”

“I assure you,” the man says, his nervousness rising, “there is no one else here.”

“Jiron, take Yern and Potbelly and search the house,” he says.

Dismounting, Jiron says “You got it.” With Yern and Potbelly beside him, he makes his way to the front door.

Raising his voice loudly, the man says, “I assure you, there is no one inside this house!”

Jiron pushes him out of the way and enters through the front door, the other two right behind.

“Miko, tie them up,” Illan says.

Getting down from his horse, Miko removes a coil of rope and begins securing the hands and feet of the four men.

“Lord Faetherton will not take too kindly to this intrusion,” the man warns Illan as Miko ties his hands behind his back.

“No, I suppose not,” he replies. “And as far as Faetherton is concerned, where might I find him?” When the man fails to respond, he says, “No matter. I’ll find him in due course.”

Suddenly, from the back of the house, the sound of a horse reaches them just before a man appears riding hard toward the gate. “Don’t let him leave!” orders Illan.

Aleya and Errin turn in the saddle and draw back their arrows. After taking aim, they let their arrows fly but the rider dodges and the arrows fly wide. A whine begins to be heard as several slingers twirl their slings before letting their slugs fly toward the fleeing man. One manages to strike him in the side and almost knocks him off his horse but he somehow keeps his balance.

“Shorty!” Jiron yells as he races from the back of the house.

At the gate, Shorty and Scar have been observing the events transpiring by the manor house. When they see the man racing toward them, Scar moves to close the gate while Shorty takes position in the road. Shorty removes a throwing knife and throws, catching the horse in the chest.

The horse stumbles and crashes to the ground, throwing the man several feet where he lands hard. Shorty runs over with another of his knives in hand but slows when he sees the man is not moving. As he draws close, he finds that the man broke his neck when he struck the ground.

Turning to the others at the manor house, he yells, “He’s dead!”

“Get him and his horse out of the road and behind the wall,” Illan hollers back to him.

Shorty nods and then he and Scar begin the gruesome job of dragging the dead man and horse to the wall.

“Who was that?” Illan asks, turning back to the man before him.

“Nobody,” he replies.

Illan eyes him a moment and then dismounts. To Caleb he says, “Go tell Shorty and Scar to continue keeping watch and to shut the gate.” When he runs off to do as bid, Illan turns to Nerrin and Moyil. “Go down there and bring the two guards back here with the others.”

“Yes, sir,” Nerrin says and then they begin running down to the gate.

“Delia, take our prisoners around back and keep an eye on them,” he tells her. “Don’t want them seen should anyone approach.”