The Forgotten Prophecy

Chapter 16

Ines and Matthew trailed behind the man, far enough to stay undetected. Their horses were treading carefully, always hiding behind trees and bushes. Little by little, they drew away from the village, and followed a narrow gravel road through the forest shaded by tall pine trees. The only sounds Ines heard were the singing of the birds, the wind dancing through the leaves, and her horse's deep breathing.

After some time, the trees cleared out, forming a glade where a small cottage made of wood was located. Matthew instantly signaled her to stay back; they couldn't come out of the trees without making sure it was safe. They dismounted their horses and tied them up to a tree. They stealthily watched the perimetre for any movements and saw the man from the village walking out of the house. He was speaking to another person, younger and taller than him, but they couldn't catch what they were saying. The two men looked like they were having a disagreement, waving their hands fervently, their expression tense.

A few minutes later, they left the place still arguing, and the glaze was empty again. Ines and Matthew knew that was their chance. They waited for a few seconds just in case and secretly entered the house.

'We gotta be fast, and get out of here before he gets back,' Matthew said.

Ines looked around her. The cottage had only one room, which was poorly preserved and messy. There was a bunk that looked very uncomfortable, a stove, a small table with a broken chair, and a candle that was still burning. Ines looked at the paper that was left on the table.

'Order no. 11: 20 swords, 5 shields, 5 bows. Time: 1 week. Place: riverbank,' she read for Matthew.

'This is a weapon order. If this letter is meant for him, if this is his house, he really is a blacksmith.'

'But where are the weapons? Or his tools?'

'They must be somewhere here.'

Ines saw Matthew scanning the place. There couldn't be another secret room except the one they were in, since they had checked the house from the outside. What if it's not above the ground, but under?, she thought. It seemed like Matthew had thought the same thing, because he started testing the floor, searching for a gab underneath.

He knelt down and knocked on the wooden floor, hearing the sound it made. It didn't take long before he reached the carpet. He gave Peter a knowing look, and together they lifted the thin carpet, only to discover a small cellar door.

'Let's go,' he said and opened the hatch.

The descended the creaking ladder and waited for their eyes to adjust in the dark. Ines could make out a pile of hammers, tongs and other tools, a huge furnace, and an iron anvil at the center of the basement. In the back of the room, there was a makeshift storage, consisting of chests and linen sacks. They opened a sack and were surprised to find the all too familiar weapons.

'Wow,' Matthew exclaimed.

'Why does he have the same weapons?' Ines observed one closely. It had the same cuts and design, with the exact same initials on it. Then suddenly, she realised the connection between the insignias and the blacksmith's name. 'Ugh! Why didn't I realise it sooner?' she murmured more to herself.

'Wait, what?'

'You see these insignias? AI?' she showed him the dagger. 'It probably stands for Ater Iacobus. It is Latin. Do you know what that means?'

'Nope. Still no getting it.'

'Ater means black in Latin, and Iacobus...'

'Is the Latin equivalent to Jacob,' he finished for her.

'Exactly.'

'So, Jacob Black is the maker of the weapons.'

Ines nodded. Either the man, or one of his acquaintances forged this kind of weapons and transferred them to the city to be sold in the black market. As Ines was trying to make sense out of all this, she heard footsteps entering the cottage and coming at an abrupt halt. She turned to Matthew who was already looking at her with wide eyes. He touched her hand and pulled her up the stairs.

When they emerged from the door, Ines saw the man from the village standing in the centre of the room, his hands clenching and unclenching from rage. He had probably seen that they found the weapons, and he was furious.

'What are you doing in my house! Get out!' he yelled at them.

'We meant no intrusion, but we really need to find Jacob Black,' she insisted.

'I've already told you there is no such man here!'

'Why do I get a feeling he is lying?' Matthew whispered to her.

'Sir, we ask that you tell us the truth, for your sake.'

'You have no right to barge in like this.'

'Sir, listen to me. We can do this the easy way or the hard way.'

The man kept glaring at them without saying anything; he was weighing his options.

'You are aware that we know who you are, right?' Matthew said in a dry tone.

Upon hearing that, the man understood that they knew he made those weapons, and that he was in danger. In an attempt to escape them, he ran towards Ines. Matthew was ready to step in front of her to defend her, but Ines stopped him. She had put him in too much trouble today, and he looked like he was tired from the journey.

'I've got this,' she told him.

Ines tackled her attacker down. She easily immobilised him in three movements, and then tied his hands behind his back. After she had made him sit on the chair, she went to stand beside Matthew. He looked at her, his eyes sparkling with admiration. She suddenly felt a bit self conscious.

'You might want to talk now,' he said to the man.

He didn't utter a word, only stared at them impassively. Matthew slapped him in the face.

'Speak!'

'You see, I've been prepared for anything. Since I joined the others I found a true purpose, to bring down this poisonous world, to make everyone pay for their crimes, and no one will be able to stop it.'

'What do you mean with all this gibberish?' Ines asked, but the man ignored her.

'Do you really believe you can escape this?' he chuckled. 'You are digging your own grave. They will soon discover what you have done, and they will destroy you. They will carry out what I cannot live to see. Your death is coming, my friends.' He stopped talking and smiled evilly.

He brought his hands to the front. They were freed from his restraints, and one of them held a small knife that was shining in the sunlight. Ines' mouth fell open before that revelation and moved to disarm him before it was too late. She lunged at him, but she still wasn't quick enough. The man raised the knife and without a second thought, he slashed his own throat. His limp body fell down on the floor, a pool of blood forming around him.

'Shit,' cursed Matthew. 'What do we do now?'

'We need to leave. Right now! Move!'

She pulled him by the arm, but he didn't budge at all. He was shocked.

'If they find us here, they will assume we killed him. They will blame it on us,' she insisted.

Ines dragged him outside. They crossed the glade, found their horses, and mounted the animals in a rush, making sure no one had seen them. They followed the road where they had come from, without looking back.

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A/N:  Uuuu trouble in paradise, ain't I right? Don't forget to vote and comment! xx

Phrase of chapter: μή φεύγειν τούς πόνους ἤ μηδέ τάς τιμάς διώκειν / do not avoid the hassle, otherwise do not pursue positions - Thucydides