Hero

CHAPTER 14: RAMSEY I

Ramsey Dunstorm had been looking for supplies to collect for the rebels in the Evermoor Wood because they were running out. He had hoped that it would all be over soon and that all the slaves of Faremoor would soon be free. Something everyone in the rebellion loved about Ramsey was his kindness, he was a strong fighter and skilled swordsman but the one thing they really admired was his kindness. The red hot midday sun shone down upon the dirt path in front of him.

"Any luck sir?" Asked Robert Digby, a middle aged squire who had been a part of the rebellion since it was created.

"No Digby, not yet," replied Ramsey in a rather melancholy tone, "Take Polten and Abbot with you and head East, see if you can find anymore supplies over there."

Digby nodded, leading the other two men towards the East. Ramsey decided it was best to keep going forwards as it was an area he had not yet explored with hope there would be supplies there for him to take back to the rebel camp.

* * *

After traveling for an hour or two more in search of supplies Ramsey finally stumbled upon something. It wasn't the supplies he had hoped for but rather a body. A lifeless body of a young boy.

Ramsey slowly lowered himself off his horse pulling out his sword. He approached the body, scanning the area around to check if the attacker was still present. Ramsey knelt down by the body feeling his pulse. He was dead , as evident by his absent heart beat and bloody wound around his chest. "Shit!" Roared Ramsey, "Whichever Faremoor scum did this to you will pay."

Out of kindness Ramsey decided to take the body back to the camp in order to identify the boy and have him buried. He climbed back onto his horse, slumping the body over the back.

* * *

The day had gone by so fast and Ramsey was disappointed he had found absolutely no supplies for the rebellion. Everything went even darker with some plants beginning to wither and die. Suddenly, Ramsey got flung off his horse and landed in the mud. He noticed that the body of the boy had now disappeared.

Ramsey quickly pulled himself out of the mud and picked up his sword unsure of what had happened to the body. From in front of him the boy appeared but spoke in a devilish voice. "Ramsey Dunstorm, warrior, lover, son, friend, enemy. Your heart is filled with darkness. Let it consume you. Become one with it. A mother who died giving birth to you. A father that abandoned you to become a Lord. How feeble and insignificant is your life. Why do you persist in fighting on the side you know is not yours. Why do you conceal your emotions for a girl who shares them to?"

Ramsey looked in terror still pointing the sword at the boy. "You know not who I am, leave me at once demon!" Shouted Ramsey.

"Her father is it not? The man you want most of all to treat you like a son, for him to be the father you never had, you crave his approval like a dog craves a bone. Why do you degrade yourself so Ramsey Dunstorm?" Continued the shadow.

" I am not bound to a path because of my ancestors, I am who I am, what I choose to do is who I am, I fight to save my people, I will not stop until they are all free." Said Ramsey climbing up onto his horse and beginning to ride away.

The Shadow watched as he went into the distance and muttered, "You cannot run from your past forever Ramsey Dunstorm, it will catch up with you in the end. It always does."

* * *

Ramsey who was still quite shaken from the events that had just taken place arrived back in camp. He was suddenly greeted by Nargor who explained the plan to send him, Eleanor and Tridion into Faremoor.

"When do we leave?" Asked Ramsey smiling at the ugly faced veteran.

"At the crack of dawn" replied Nargor walking away.

Ramsey sat down by the large fire in the middle of the camp staring at the embers. Shortly after Tridion came and sat down next to him taking a swig of rum from his hip flask. "What er you's doing? Looking so intensely at the fire must ert the old eye balls ey, is someone deep in thought?" Asked Tridion

"I'm just preparing for tomorrow." Lied Ramsey who didn't want anyone finding out about his past or he would be kicked out the rebellion meaning he would have no where else at all to go.

"Preparing? Preparing! That's not how u's prepare, what's a fire gonna do, magically save you, fire just burns you." Howled Tridion laughing.

"Well some say that drinking isn't the best way to prepare either." Said Ramsey bluntly.

The mans face slowly faded from happy to more serious. "They'll kill you, the second they no you is spying on em. Insane the ole lot of em. Boy, the only way to kill a madman is to let go of your own sanity." Said Tridion, "You's should start drinking now, thank you Tridion you'll be saying In the morn."

Tridion placed his hip flask in Ramseys hand, nodded then walked off. "You don't have to listen to his rubbish Ya know" roared Nargor from across the camp. "Best way to prepare and best way to fight is specific to each person. It's just some are better then others."

A burst of horses suddenly entered the camp but with only one rider. Digby was injured sitting atop a horse barely moving. Berwyn quickly ran across to see what was going on with Nargor.

"Digby, what happened?" Boomed Berwyn.

Digby coughed up some blood all over the back of the horse he was riding. "He came... From the shadows... A boy, around 14, said he wanted something, wanted someone... From this camp... He killed them... Polten and Abbot."

"Who did he want Digby?" Asked Nargor, "Who did the demon want?"

Before Digby could answer his face began to start bleeding excessively with his skin beginning to burn off. He let off a loud scream before his whole body slowly melted down into the ground and he was gone. Ramsey looked in shock and felt guilty as he knew the creature wanted him.

Nargor looked over to Berwyn, "This is dark magic Berwyn, I swear to god if it's her I'll kill her I don't care who she is."

"No! It is not her, she knows nothing of any of it, watch your back, tell me at any signs of magic." Ordered Berwyn.  

Eleanor who had been oblivious to the events that had just taken place came down sprinting from the hill she had been resting on. She immediately spotted the dead body and stood motionless. Ramsey stood up hugging her as she began to sob in his arms. With everything that had just happened Ramsey felt like he needed a hug.