Return of the Lost Bloodline

Chapter 4.

Several days passed before they reached their destination, though William didn’t possess the magical skills to heal Ben of his affliction, he somehow managed to keep him alive throughout the journey. As they came before an ancient hut in the middle of nowhere which seemed pretty much abandoned to Dylan and his cousins, William said to them. “We are here. Please wait here.”

He came down from his horse and slowly approached the entrance with fear and trembling. Personally he had never been there before but has had a series of tales about the place and the old witch that dwelt there, including her great healing technique for rare and deadly diseases such as the one that had come on Ben.

He was frightened about being there because the witch was not known to be friendly to strangers or people who come there unannounced without an invitation, out of the desperate for answers he had to knock on the door while shaking literally. To his greatest surprise the door was answered by someone he knew as they called out each other’s name together.

“William Fletcher!”

“Paige McCarthy!”

“What are you doing here?” William added.

“Likewise? Besides, you should be dead.” Paige said.

“You know each other?” Logan figures from the way they hailed one another.

“Yes we do,” William answered looking back at Logan as he was signal to remember their purpose of coming there so he turned again to Paige, “As you can I am alive. Anyways, we are here to see lady Andrella, her specialty is needed.”

“Oh William, you know she doesn’t fare well with uninvited guests?” Paige tends to remind him of the tales they heard of her when they were little.

“Please, it’s important, my father is dying and we were told she could help us.” Dylan begged.

“Let me consult my Lady.” Paige replied, but before she could go in to ask permission, Andrella answered from inside the hut.

“Bring them in child.”

As they carried Ben inside the hut, Andrella said again without referring to any of them in particular. “I have been waiting for you.”

This made the four of them quite scared even though it seemed William was the person she made reference to, but he knew she was talking about the strangers with Ben inclusive. Even Paige was perplexed; she has been serving Andrella for the past three years practicing to take after her when she is gone so if Andrella was expecting a guest, she should have been aware beforehand.

“Does that mean you can heal him?” Logan asked.

“No I can’t. His condition is beyond healing but there is a reason he has survived this long.” Andrella spoke with confidence before taking a close look at Ben.

“You have not even looked at him. Please do something.” Tears began to flow down Dylan’s face again. He has been in tears ever since the sickness struck Ben and his cousins haven’t been able to console him because they too felt the same way while holding onto hope.

Andrella slowly got to her feet while being assisted by Paige as she walked up to Ben, she was over a hundred and fifty years as such needed aid to move above. “Tell us what you know Benedict, son of Ramas of the house of Carr. Why do you cling onto life so hard?”

Instantly she gained Ben’s undivided attention by that address, strength he hasn’t shown in the last ten days of their journey was seen in the way he looked at her, it’s been like forever since someone addressed him in that form.

Logan, Dylan and Sean were shocked by that address too, they believed Ben’s full name to be Benjamin son of Erroll and not Benedict. Also the names Ramas and house of Carr was strange to them. But to William and Paige the house to Carr was no strange at all. It was the name of a forgotten noble house in their lands so they wondered how it could be possible.

“My father’s name is Benjamin not Benedict,” Dylan found the boldness to correct Andrella amidst his confusion.

“My lady, like you said, my work is not done, that is why I cling unto life.” Ben answered her, causing a great tumble in the minds of his son and that of Logan and Sean. Paige and William also marveled at how he accepted the identity used by Andrella.

Immediately Andrella burst into laughter at which none of them could tell the reason behind it, also for the first time in ages she stood upright without the need for assistance, and after some moment of laughter, she looked down at Ben as he lied yet in his predicament. “Your destiny was fulfilled long ago, so it is time you move on and let your children carry on your work.”

According to Andrella, she was making reference to all the kids he took care of, not limited to those of his loins. But to Williams, he thought she was referring to Dylan and Caleb alone which made him look at Dylan in a strange manner.

“Father, what is she talking about?” Dylan was totally lost by the whole drama, at that instant he felt he didn’t know his father, so did Logan and Sean feel too, even as they doubted their origin because if Ben could be lying about his identity all their lives there was also a high possibility that Bob was doing the same.

For Ben, hearing the words of Andrella tends to comfort him. He also knew she wasn’t talking about Logan, Dylan and Caleb alone, somehow he knew Sean and Gracie were part of the people she made reference to in her words.

“I’m sorry son, Logan, Sean, I’m sorry you boys had to find out this way, but believe me, it was totally worth it.” Ben said while struggling to breathe, “Tell Caleb and Gracie I love them. Look after one another.”

“No father…”

“No uncle Ben…”

The three of them cried as they noticed he had drawn his last breath while shaking his corpse in an attempt to wake him.

“Weep all you must now, the road ahead would be rough and you would need to be ready.” Andrella said as she took her seat again, standing for long isn’t where she shines.

“You promised she would save him.” Logan turns to William, holding his shirt as he cries.

“No, Logan, I said she might.” William defended himself. Yet the truth remained that he believed she would heal Ben of the disease. He had come there hoping to save Ben and get answers as to why a Bugbear was after Sean and somehow he ended up getting more questions while drifting further away from receiving any answer.

With Ben dead, William doubts Bob would not help with the answers he seeks, even as he ponders on what destiny Andrella spoke concerning Dylan and Caleb. Could it be that Dylan was the target only for Sean to be caught in the middle? There were ancient tales of his people which state that the crown would fall to the house of Carr should the house of Fletcher be rejected or cut off, but no one ever bore the name Carr in a long while, the bloodline was ended a few years before the time of his father. Still he wonders where Logan fits into the whole picture while recalling how Bob looked at him with tears the moment he was about to open up back at their house.