Hero

CHAPTER 22: ELEANOR IV

Eleanor Ferindale could not sleep. The thought that her best friend was somehow related to the notoriously evil Lord Juxley made her feel sick in her stomach. She had no idea what this could mean or how long he had known for. The day Ramsey joined the rebellion he gave Berwyn his full details including his surname, Dunstorm. Surely her father would have known about this she thought.

The barn that she lay in reminded her of a farm. She remembered how when she was younger imagining living on a farm with her mother and father would make her feel not as scared about the many battles ahead.

A sudden movement was hear outside the barn. Eleanor sat up and looked at Ramsey who was already approaching the door with his sword drawn. Eleanor slowly began to stand up but Ramsey gestured for her to stay low.

The door fell down and tumbling through was a man who was bleeding. Ramsey pointed the sword at the man. He turned the man over onto his front so he could see his face. It was Tridion.

"I'm sorry mate," whispered Tridion in a drunken slur, "they tortured me. There was nothing I could do."

Then what followed was some masked guards with long white beards whom Ramsey guessed might be Lord Juxley's chief guard, appearing and pointing their swords at him from different angles.

"Now come quietly with us Master Dunstorm," said the guard, "failure to cooperate will result in the severing of your head."

"Well then I guess my only option is to come with you," replied Ramsey smiling and putting away his sword.

"Were there any others apart from the boy, drunk man?" Asked the guard pointing the sword towards Tridion. Ramsey gave him a look and Tridion spoke out.

"No, there were no others mate, just the boy," said Tridion coughing up some blood.

"Thank you for your help, your services are no longer required." Said the guard who was pointing the sword towards him.

"I die a happy man," laughed Tridion as the guards sword cut straight through the skin tissue around his heart going straight through his body leaking blood out onto the hay beneath his body.

The guards walked out with Ramsey closing the barn doors behind them. Eleanor quickly stood up and ran over to Tridion who was dying on the floor coughing out blood. Eleanor broke off some of her clothing and made into a sort of bandage holding it over the bloody wound by his heart. It wasn't doing much use though.

"Where are they taking him?" Asked Eleanor distraughtly whilst trying to keep the ongoing rush of blood from coming out of Tridion.

Tridion pointed up with his hand, turned to her smiling. He reached out and stroked her cheek. Moments later he was dead and Eleanor was surrounded by a pool of blood which covered her arms and clothing.

She closed his eyes and stood up moving the body into one of the haystacks nearby. She then placed hay from the stack next to it over the blood on the floor in the centre of the barn.

Eleanor wiped her eyes and walked out of the barn to the early morning sun beating down onto her face. She walked back into the main centre square of the town where a few people loitered around cleaning the streets. Eleanor approached a man who was sweeping to ask him for information.

"Excuse me sir," said Eleanor tapping the man on the back.

He turned around with a joyous smile, "why thank you mam for your kind words, I am no sir though, just one of the Faremoor slaves. My master is the wonderful Montgomery Barinhofer. He is a truly good master. He only whips me if I am too slow not for fun like the other masters."

"I'm sorry I truly am, but look I need to know, what is the highest point in this city?" Asked Eleanor in a haste.

"I don't know what you're sorry for but thank you. Well anyways mam that'll be the great palace of our most holy leader Lord Juxley. He is royal blood you know. He's the cousin of the king of Istoren Jared Renway. He is also a very kind mine. Truly very kind. Not only is Lord Juxley royal blood but he has holy blood running through is veins. Sent by the gods he was. He is God on earth." Said the man in awe.

"Thank you, and again, I am so very sorry," replied Eleanor leaning into to hug the man who quite clearly had never been hugged before as his face lit up with delight and he wasn't quite sure where to put his arms so ended up waving them about in the air.

"Sorry for what mam? That was euphoric might I add by the way mam, what do you call that from where you are from?" Asked the man looking at her still smiling.

"Sorry for everything. What's your name?" questioned Eleanor.

"My name is Koa mam." Answered the man.

Eleanor nodded smiling and began to walk away, "well Koa what just happened there, that europhoric feeling was caused by what is known in my culture as a hug."

Koa wrapped his arms around himself laughing as Eleanor began to walk up the staircase towards the palace. "Hug! Haha, Hug, hug, hug, hug!"