A Tale of Time: The Malice of Men

Chapter 9: Journeys

Journeys are long. Journeys are hard. 

Journeys are true. Journeys are harsh.

Journeys are enlightening, Journeys are revealing.

Journeys are many things, but seldom appealing.

Robert had not told anyone. He knew they wouldn't believe him. Besides, Rayenna would know, and that would get him into bigger trouble. Ravenna always managed to get her own back. So he kept quiet. He had told no one, not even mother.

The time had come. This was the pre-ordained night. This was the night Rayenna promised to meet the mysterious stranger Robert had seen in the hidden cavern when he lost his temper. Despite it being a normal night and  there being a small fire lit to keep them warm, Robert could scarce stop shivering, being gripped by fear and excitement in equal parts. Ghosts wouldn't stop him. Ghouls wouldn't daunt him, not this night. 

Dinner was poor fare, there being not many vegetables to go on. The main food now was fish, which apparently remained oblivious to the calamities around them and offered themselves up to hungry mouths. Still, it was better than nothing.

The fires of the furnace were quelled and lights turned off. Now it was night. Now it was the night. 

Robert did not sleep. His shivering caught the attention of mother. Like all mother, she cared and was worried at Robert's state that night. "Are you all right, sweet child?" She asked. Robert nodded. "I feel cold." He said. In reply, mother pulled the blankets higher and left,.petting her precious son.

Ravenna walked into the room. Robert watched from behind the blanket. His sister had not changed into her nightgown. On the contrary, she looked dressed.and prepared for a long night's journey. Clearly, she had evaded the blacksmith and his wife. Robert was the last one, and she failed that test. He was waiting, so was Rayenna. 

She paced across the room softly and silently as the hours melted into the night. The room was dark, the corners especially so, but there was a moon, albeit only a half one. It illuminated all Robert could see. 

It was an agonizing wait. Finally, when Robert thought that IIt was almost day and began to doze off, Rayenna changed her movements, attracting the attention of her young brother.

From under the bed, she produced a cloth full of things, though Robert could not tell what they were. At the window of the small hut, a fave appeared. She handed over the sack to it and proceeded to remove herself from the room through the window. Still, Robert waited, unlocking, unflinching lest all his effort s be ruined by a mistiming. So he waited. The pair were gone for a good five minutes before Robert made his first move. He reached for his best travel clothing that he had set aside for today. He would have to explain to mother why they were all soiled, but catching Rayenna red-handed would be worth it.

Quickly changing himself, he made it out the same way his sister did. He scurried out of the house as quickly as he could, without waking his parents. It would not do to wake them up. 

The night was cold. A dense fog  lay over the landscape, making it difficult for anyone to see beyond a few meters. Still, Robert persisted. Nothing could deter him today. He was a child and children are easily distracted, yet Robert was dedicated and mature beyond his years. That . Served him well tonight. The dark did not atop him from this journey. 

Robert walked close to the road, but not on it, choosing instead to overthrowing grass muff the sound of his footsteps. The grass was green and yet wet, so that worked well. Robert knew where the docks were. The lake wasn't far away. Rayenna and the other one had to take the highway road though. It was the only way to the docks, which served as a station to modulate trade across the lake and all nearby towns and villages.

Looking back, Robert could just make out the silhouette of the village, with all the lights turned off. He hurried. Soon, he could spot Rayenna and the man, clad in black again, carrying all the things his sister smuggled out of the house. They walked together silently, a trait which his sister didn't exhibit on their last meeting. Then, she was gay and merry. Now, she was silent and solemn, walking as inconspicuously as one could in the dead of the night at the outskirts of a tiny village. 

Every now and then, a tree marred the scenery. There were not many on this side, opposite to the hills. Further on to the south east, these would transform into desert lands.

Just then, the man stopped. Robert paused, his heart thumping as loud as it dared to. From behind a tree, he brought out a horse. It took the burden of his sister's belongings as well as a few of the man's. Luckily, it could not carry the two travellers as well, so Robert could still keep pace with them. 

Now onwards the sound of horse hooves provided some distraction and made sure that Robert's footsteps wouldn't be heard. Nobody said a word, the horse rarely neighed. The rest of the journey was relatively uneventful.

Soon, Robert could hear the familiar sounds of water, a sign that they had reached their destination. The docks were old and crude, mainly used was a pier for the fisherman, although a seperate section was set out for traders to load and unload their wares. All off the water line was surrounded by a wooden fence.

His sister and her companion did not stop. They moved on towards the loading docks, where, to the boy's immense surprise, was a trade barge. A badly dressed man with long, braided hair stood in front of it. His shirt was old, dirty and lacked a few buttons, revealing a hairy chest. "The provisions are ready, sire." He said, bowing a little as he did so. "Good, we sail for Kerevor." The man in black replied. Robert, hiding behind a barrel to be loaded as he was, couldn't believe what he was hearing. The man left, but only after being paid by Rayenna's companion. They got onto the barge, his sister being helped up by the man in black. Men were beginning to row away. They left the railing to return to their posts.

Kerevor! Rayenna certainly couldn't return home by then, surely not. She was done for now, all he had to do was go home and wait till his parents discovered her empty bed. Now, mother would believe him. Now father would believe him. This was his redemption.

Robert turned....

..... and got into one of the barrels in the barge, just as it was beginning to leave the docks.

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Hope you enjoyed the story so far! That was an unexpected turn of events right at the end, wasn't it? What will happen to young Robert now? What did you like/dislike the most? Let me know! Follow me as I keep adding chapters all the time! If you liked the story, then please do vote(just click the little star-shaped icon) and share it with your friends.

Thank you for being there.

Archit Kottapalli