DARK HOURS
Chapter 10
It wasn’t until darkness fell that
Kayge finally left the road and sought refuge among the trees. He hadn’t seen
another soul during his long trek but he’d observed the dragon aloft in the far
distance on several occasions. It was as if the creature was keeping an eye on
him, making sure he was returning to Noranye. Keeping his promise to his
beloved, and hoping to avenge her.
He debated whether to start a fire
to cook the remains of the yearling. He knew the risk that the light from the
fire could draw attention to him. Yet he was also aware that without it, the
cold that was once more rising with the moon could become more of a hazard than
encountering a wild animal or a wandering brigand or two.
“I also need to eat,” he argued with
himself. “I need to fill my belly so I can keep my strength up. Without a fire
and without food, I might as well give up my need for safety, for the nighttime
cold can just as easily rob me of my life.”
In the end, he moved deeper into the
trees where he found a small glade with enough open space to dig a small pit in
which to build a fire. Using a few green branches as a grate to keep the deer
carcass above the flames, he huddled next to the pit for warmth and fed the
fire with small sticks and dried leaves as the meat roasted. Once he determined
sections were adequately cooked, he carved off slices to eat with his knife,
not waiting for the whole thing to be done.
With his belly full, he was almost
to the point of nodding off when he heard a horse neighing. Jerking awake, he
grabbed his sword and took cover behind the nearest tree. From there, he
watched and waited to see if anyone advanced into the glade. When no one
appeared, he slipped through the forest to approach the road. He knew the
chances were slim that his or Emers’ horse had managed to find its way back,
but he couldn’t entirely dismiss the possibility until he checked for himself.
Reaching the tree line, he remained
behind the bushes and surveyed the road. The moonlight cast a glow as cold as
the night, but he was able to see far down the path in both directions. It
wasn’t until a movement caught his eye that he finally made out the figure of a
man on a horse. As there were no others, he assumed the traveler was alone.
“Not wise,” he muttered. “One does
not go it alone in the dead of night, no matter how great a soldier he is.”
It was then he realized the man, or
whoever was atop the saddle, wasn’t moving. The horse had gone off the road and
was grazing on the side. Kayge briefly wondered if the man could be a decoy,
with his cohorts lying in wait under the cover of darkness. But that didn’t
make sense, either.
“Unless they know there is an
approaching coach or rider, why would they choose to lay a trap here?”
The horse took a few more steps
toward the trees. When it turned, Kayge could see the figure of the man more
clearly. The rider looked to be asleep, head bowed but the body still erect,
with the reins wrapped in his hands. He also noted the man wore no cloak or
outer garment to keep him warm.
Another thought came to him. If the
man was dead…
Quickly, Kayge approached the rider,
sword still in hand in the event the man was pretending to be asleep, or if
another figure should suddenly rise from the trees and come at him. Keeping his
other hand out, he softly murmured to the horse to prevent it from bolting. The
animal stared at him but didn’t show signs of aggression or fear, and allowed
him to take hold of its bridle.
“Whoa, big boy. Good boy. Who do you
have here?”
The figure in the saddle jerked away
and tried to wrest Kayge’s grip on the horse, when he got a good look at the
man restraining his mount. Gasping in shock, he whispered, “Centurion? Is it
you?”
Kayge recognized the voice and
stared up at the priest in disbelief. “Father Matthias?”
“Oh, thank the Lord I found you!”
Dropping the reins, Kayge threw up a
hand in warning. “Hush, Father! There could be others about.” He glanced around
them. Although there didn’t appear to be anyone else in the vicinity, he still
couldn’t take any chances. “Get down off your horse and come with me.”
He had to help the old man dismount.
The priest’s movements were hesitant and punctuated with soft moans of pain,
letting Kayge know the man wasn’t well.
Eventually, he managed to lead both
man and animal to the secluded shelter of his fire where the priest collapsed
next to the small pit to warm himself. After throwing the horse’s reins over a
nearby bush, Kayge joined him.
“Would you care for some venison,
Father?”
Matthias waved away the offer. “I
have provisions, thank you. ‘Tis your fire I am most anxious to acquaint myself
with.”
Kayge studied the man’s appearance.
Signs of imprisonment and, worse, torture were evident on the man’s body and
face. He didn’t need to ask who had incarcerated the priest, or why. He already
knew the answer.
“Tell me what happened to you,
Father,” he gently begged. Removing his cloak, he placed it over the thin
shoulders. Matthias gratefully wrapped it around himself.
He listened as the priest filled him
in on what had happened after Kayge and Emers left the church. He noticed the
frail man deliberately kept a lot of what he’d suffered at Gola’s hands to
himself, but judging from the priest’s appearance, it didn’t need to be
explained.
Yet, one main question remained
unanswered. “Father, how did you escape? How were you able to get here?”
The man’s rheumy eyes stared at him.
“She had me brought before her because she had a message she wanted me to
deliver to you.”
Kayge sat up straighter. “To me?”
“Yes.” The priest gave a single nod.
“She wanted me to tell you…” He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment to
concentrate. “‘The only way Centurion Kayge d’Bayar can get back his beloved
Emers Ammin of Deccatar is by killing the heart of the dragon.’”
Kayge continued to stare at him.
“Then she is alive?” he breathlessly demanded.
“Is there a dragon?” Matthias asked
instead of answering the man’s question.
“Yes! Yes, there is. And…” The
Centurion ran a hand over his pate. “Let me tell you what we have been forced
to endure.”
He explained what happened to him
and Emers. As he related his story, the priest’s face went slack and pale to
where Kayge feared the man might swoon.
“Are you all right, Father?”
Reaching out to the man, he grasped a thin arm. On second thought, Kayge picked
up the skin of water he’d taken off the priest’s horse and handed it to him.
Matthias gulped down a couple of swallows.
“Yes. I think I will be. Son, why
did the dragon swallow you first? Why did it upheave you and swallow Emers?”
“I have given that much thought,”
Kayge admitted. “At first, I thought it was to punish me. But then, maybe it
wanted me to experience the horror of being inside that creature’s belly before
taking my Emers and subjecting her to it. Or perhaps…perhaps it realized that
by taking her, I was more likely to fight to save her than I would to save my
own life.”
“That would be giving intelligence
to that monstrosity,” Father Matthias noted. “I believe its every action is
dictated to it by the witch.” Softly moaning, he bowed his head. “Forgive me.”
“For what?”
“I am the one who told the witch
about marrying you and Emers. I am responsible for her sending that flying
demon from Hell after you. I am the one…” The old man broke down crying. In
between sobs, he kept repeating, “Forgive me. Please forgive me.”
Kayge let the man weep until Father
Matthias had nothing left in him. Although the priest’s confession finally
answered the Centurion’s remaining questions, Kayge’s initial reaction was to
ignore the man’s plea. It wasn’t until Father Matthias laid a bony hand on
Kayge’s knee that he had a change of heart.
“I prayed I would find you in time
to give you the message. I prayed the Lord would give me strength to make it up
to you and Emers. I prayed. God knows how hard I prayed.”
It was then Kayge knew the priest
was only alive because of his resolve to make right what he’d done wrong.
Our Lord forgave him and led him
to me. I can do no less.
Reaching over, Kayge placed his hand
over the priest’s. “I forgive you, Father,” he acknowledged.
Matthias reacted as if he hadn’t
expected to be pardoned. Lifting his tear-stained countenance, he weakly made
the sign of the cross. “Thank you, my son. Thank you. And God bless you.”
Kayge’s expression hardened. “We are
going to need it, Father. Come daylight, you are coming with me to face that
witch, Gola, and her demon dragon. Somehow I will make her return my Emers to
me, and I do not care how many men I have to kill, including that demon spawn,
before my beloved is back in my arms.”
TO BE CONTINUED
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