Valmoor

Chapter Three:

UNKNOWN P.O.F

Five years earlier.

I lean forward in anticipation causing the beast to ride on faster. I’ve been waiting for some news for an extended length of time, and finally my Time Peer has sent word of a new development. My time Peer was only instructed to send word for me if it was without doubt true, not pointless information that was not needed, and now he at last has intelligence of a change, something that could change everything. At least that is what I suspected from him, but none the less the news must be of some great importance.

I could feel the burning heat from the summer sun thrashing down the length of my bare pale neck and arms as my ashen horse took long deep strides towards the destination. The dark black leather reins had been rubbing for the whole journey and now they had rubbed my hands to the bone causing them to swell and blister. I knew I should have taken proper care, but I had no time for this. I must remember my gloves for any other future expedition.

The stallion beneath me was done travelling as shown through his deep heavy panting which created the rhythm for his paces. Whenever my hands would briefly touch his off white coat I could feel his neck lathered in thick sweat which as a result causes my hands to gather moisture. This did not help my blistering hands as it just caused more friction and burning of my skin. I had no time to stop. The creature’s long mane bounced along with each and every tread and was nearly whipping me in the face due to its enormous length.

When I looked up, I could see the nearing village. In it was many small houses made from straw and wood which looked poorly built and would mostly likely burn quickly in a summer fire which Valmoor was prone to. I could easily spot which house I needed, even from this far distance. It was just north of the village towards the mountains. An isolated, a lone house made purely from sticks and logs stacked upon one another. It looked shabby and dirty and once I was near enough to touch it, I wish I wasn’t. I was more used to grand and luxurious castles made solely from stone and brick.  There would have been a fire in every room, and wine near every fire place. A place where the men were served as kings, even if they weren’t, and the women did as they were told. That was the life I wanted to lead, not one that clearly had to hunt for their own food, and wash is dirty lakes. One that lived off the land and women were free to say and do as they please because they were not near enough to society to understand social norms or values.

Digging my strong pointed heels into the sides of my horse he gradually starts to slow. Once stopped, I dismount, tie the reins to a nearby tree to prevent the horse from escaping, and continue on foot towards what some would call a ‘house’. Bringing myself to the front door which seems to be rather normal compared to the rest of the house structure, I bang my bare blistered hand against the door. You could hear the shuffling of feet against the floor of the house and in not a minute later the door swung open to reveal my Time Peer.

He stood tall with his eyes squinting to see who was there. Although he could not see, he knew it was me just like he knew how to navigate around the country and beyond. He was a Time Peer after all.  You could see his age within the flacks of white hair among the other aging brown ones. The hair that had once filled the whole of his head falls dropping out and retreating like the end of a long fought out war with time. He was around fifty years old and time had caused his face to fold into positions of awkwardness which had left creases down and across his face. Although, he did not look like an approachable man the energy he radiated to everyone around caused them to believe he was a friendly and nice man who wouldn’t harm a fly. These rays did not affect me. I saw him for what he was, a tool.

Once the realisation hit him about who I was he gave out a deep sigh. “Come in your highness” at this he opened the wooden door wider allowing me entrance to his ‘home’.  It opened onto the living room which had light wooden floors and on the left hand wall -which faced the outside- there was a stone fireplace and by it two long stretched out chairs around either side of a slab from a tree trunk which my guess was their table.

Placing myself into one of the chair and my Time Peer on the other so that we where sat either side of the table I leant forward waiting for him to speak. When he didn’t my anger grew. Why isn’t he saying anything! He just continued to stare right at me. After two minutes of this, I stood up and placed myself in front of the fire place and leant my hand against it so that I was close enough to get heat without being burned. Breaking the silence I demanded “Why did you call me here!?” my voice sharp, and loud.

He looked down at his feet that were covered by simple black shoes with thick soles. “I called you here as I bare warning.” His time his voice not sad, not worried, but slightly relieved like he has been waiting for his for some time now.

I turned to face him in disbelief. “What warning?”

He looked at me this time. His eyes were cloudy and full of mist that only he would be able to steer through. “Your end,” I already knew what his meant but I would not have this answer.

“My end, really Time Peer? My end will never come, not until I allow it to do so,” my anger was reaching my breaking point.

“He is coming, and when he does your highness all those who have done wrong in the eyes of the greats shall be returned to the earth as mere bones and flesh. He is comin-” his voice was cut off by a chocking sound as my knife went through his throat and prevented all words from escaping. He clasped to the floor and the blood pooled around him as it soaked the wooden floor with the moister of time.

“You made a grave mistake lying to me Time Peer, and know you have paid the price” Stepping over his body I left the shack and walked down to my horse. As I walked away on top of my beast I past a mother and her daughter as they walked home and then from out of nowhere my ears were hit with the screams that sounded the bell of pain and anguish. They must have found the body.

For the next five years the whole of Valmoor was covered in dark ominous clouds that stayed where they were as though they too waited for something. I paid little attention to what was going on around me, but rather on trying to rid the world of all those who might pose me! After year two, not many opposed me but bowed down to me.

Yet after the thousands I have killed, I still got the feeling that the ‘he’ the Time Peer spoke of was not among them and so I continued to wait.