The Righteous Way

Chapter 18

Scarlett went from villager to villager inquiring about the men who attacked. The most common answers were that they had ridden west. Scarlett looked up at the sunset and began to run across the plains. She soon found wagon tracks leading her and after the sun had set the trail continued into a nearby grove of trees.

There was light coming from a small clearing and Scarlett happened upon them. A band of twenty men all wearing pirate garb. It was too many for her to handle and so she waited. Soon one of the men left the others to relieve himself against a tree. Scarlett snuck up behind him and pointed her lance against the back of his neck. He froze in fear. “You will answer my questions or I will pierce you to this tree,”

“Y-y-yes,” he stammered,

“I’m looking for a Red Sword, burly, white beard, scar across one eye,”

“You speak of Garnell?”

“And where is Garnell?”

“Dead, no one knows how, they found him dead at an inn, stabbed as it were,”

“There was a girl with him, small thing no older than nine years,”

“I don’t know of such a girl,”

“Liar! Where is she!?”

“I don’t know,” the man cried, “I swear miss, I don’t.”

Scarlett didn’t want to believe him, but seeing him cry made her wonder. She knocked him across the head and he fell limp. She knew trying to interrogate more men would get her caught so she made her way back to the others.

Alex and James were resting in a small hut where they’d been offered shelter. “What did you find?” Alex asked as she entered,

“The man we’re searching for is dead, killed in his bed,”

“And Isabelle?” James asked with concern,

“I’m not sure, I couldn’t get an answer,”

“Then let’s all go, take on those scallywags,” James stood up,

“I agree,” said Alex , “We must find her,”

“There are twenty men, even we’re not that powerful,”

“You underestimate our resolve,” Alex said, “Those brigands will answer for their crimes, not only here, but anywhere they have been.”

Scarlett was hesitant, but decided not to argue. She led the way while Ruby stayed behind in the hut. They reached the grove and Scarlett led them to the pirate she’d encountered.

They surrounded the camp with James and Scarlett hiding in nearby trees. Alex calmly entered the clearing with his weapons drawn. “What have we here?” asked the lead rogue,

“A dead man I’d say,” answered another,

“Surrender and you will not be harmed,” Alex said, “I only have questions,”

“Get him men!”

James emerged from his place and struck down three men without resistance. Scarlett then rained arrows on a few more. Alex took on the remainders both bashing with his shield and striking with his sword. With the help of James soon all the underlings were dead or wounded. The leader stood unscathed and Alex grabbed him by the collar. He lifted him up against a tree holding him there with little effort. “I want information!” he shouted,

“Yes, yes of course,” whimpered the man,

“Garnell, what do you know!?”

“He’s dead, murdered in his bed,”

“By whom!?”

“No one knows,”

“Then what do you know! I’m searching for a girl that was with him,”

“All I know is there were a child’s footprints in the blood, that’s all I know!”

“Only a child’s?”

“Yes, no one knows what happened, they found him dead and footprints leading outside, but they disappeared along the road.”

Alex dropped the man to the ground. “Where was this?”

“Not far from here, across the hills to the east and at the base of the slope, the village there.”

Without a word the three began to run towards the east. Their adrenaline pumped as they climbed the hills and reached the top. On the other side near the foot of the slopes a small village was tucked away. In haste they descended through the night with nothing to deter them from their task.

When they reached the village inn they entered and walked to the desk. “I demand to see the innkeeper,” Alex said to the woman behind the counter, “I’m sorry, but he is asleep if you’d—“

“Then wake him, I care not for the consequences!”

The woman began to tremble from Alex ’s aggressive tone, “Yes sir,” she quivered and headed upstairs to the master’s suite. When she returned alone she seemed to be in dread. “He says to not disturb—“ Alex didn’t wait for her to finish. He rushed past her and up the stairs. He pounded on the door with his large fist waking the entire inn.

“What!” yelled a man from the other side,

“It is urgent I speak with you!” Alex shouted,

“It will wait until morning!”

Alex kicked the door in and drew his sword. “This will not wait!”

“Guards! Help!”

Alex lifted the blade at the man. “I need answers and it would suit you well to answer them swiftly,”

“Y-yes, w-whatever you need,”

“A man was murdered here, what do you know?”

“Aye there was a death,”

“Was there a child with him?”

“Aye, a young child,”

“Where did she go?” Alex began to give threatening jabs,

“I am not sure sir,” the man cowered against the wall, “There were footprints leading outside, but there was no witness to her departure,”

“No one? Do you not have a vendor at your counter through the night,”

“Yes, but she was occupied with the screams of a dying man, the child must have slipped by her gaze,”

“Or she had been taken,” Alex again made threatening motions,

“I would not know,” he cried, “I was asleep and did not see the child, please leave me be,”

Alex glared at the innkeeper as he sheathed his sword. “If I find you in any falsehood there will be dire consequences,”

“I have not lied sir, please oh please let me be.”

Alex turned around and exited the room. He met up with James and Scarlett who were scouring for any possible clues that might have been left. The footprints had been cleaned since the night of the murder and no trail was there to find.

“I’m sorry my friend,” James lowered his head, “I have nothing to go on,”

“And there’s been too much traffic along the road for me to track a child’s footsteps,” said Scarlett,

Alex ’s expression scared the both of them. He slammed both fists on a nearby post causing the entire inn to shake as he gave out a yell of frustration. “We’ll find her!” he shouted, “I swear to you Isabelle, we will find you!”

James looked to Scarlett, but she too had no thought on how to comfort Alex . They left the inn with an awkward silence about them. James walked alongside Scarlett with his arm around her shoulders.

“Are you alright?” he asked,

“No, would you be?”

“Of course not, what with our dear Isabelle out there alone in this cruel world it makes my heart shudder with ache.”

Scarlett stopped walking causing James to halt as well. Alex continued up the hill ignoring them. She buried her face in James ’s shoulder and began to cry. James was unsure what to do. He’d never seen her cry before, even when wounded she would scarcely draw a tear. He wrapped both arms around her and pulled her in close. She did the same. “Why must terrible things happen to the innocent?” she wept,

“I wouldn’t know,”

“Please tell me anything, something that will bring peace to my soul,”

“If I had the power to bring peace at this time I would have long used it by now, I believe our only option is to do as we’re doing now.”

The two sat down on the slope and Scarlett continued weeping while sitting on James ’s lap. He too began to feel his eyes burn with emotion. He laid back upon the grass and stared into the sky wondering if Isabelle would be doing the same at that very moment. He wasn’t sure how long he stared before he fell asleep, but he was jostled awake by a sniffing fox.

He shooed it away and looked into the sky again. It was dawn and a light rain was beginning to fall. He felt weight upon his chest and noticed Scarlett was sleeping soundly against him. His left arm was wrapped around her with her hands upon his shoulders. He wasn’t sure how he felt, but the feeling was nice. Her warmth was calming and for a moment he began to stroke her hair. She woke up and noticed the position she was in, but didn’t seem to mind. “How long did we sleep?” she asked,

“It must have been a few hours,”

“Where’s Alex ,”

“My guess is back at the burnt village with Ruby,”

“Then we should make haste, they’ll most certainly be wondering where we are.”

Scarlett pushed herself off and stood up. She brushed herself off and pulled out her cloak to shield her from the rain. James did the same and together they began walking up the hill. They were close together and a few times their hands would brush against the other. James decided he would take a chance and he grabbed her hand lightly. Without stopping she seemed to hesitate for just a moment before taking it with a light squeeze.

James stopped and caused her to turn and face him. Both were thinking it and now they could see it in the other’s eyes. James took the back of her head and pulled it forward for a kiss. There lips met and the warm soft touch filled them with compassion and warmth.

When they parted Scarlett blushed and James gave a crooked smile. They took hands again and continued their walk up the hill.