The Heir of Raventree Hall

CH 3: A father's last words

Brynden Blackwood 292 A.C

Brynden was woken by a commotion outside his room. There was shouting and he could swear he had heard the drawing of a sword. Brynden reached for his bow that he'd laid beside his bed for the past year. A gift from his father on his eighth nameday. He pulled the quiver over his shoulder and nocked an arrow aimed for the door. Brynden had never killed anyone but he had hunted elk and smaller game in the woods, how different could it be he thought to himself. With a resolute heart he waited for the door to open.

The door flew open to reveal the guard from his father's meeting the day prior. "Jason?"

"Aye My Lord, now if you wouldn't mind putting that bow down before you accidently shoot me."

Brynden acquiesced and placed his arrow back into the quiver but his uncovered eye stayed glued to Jason's figure. The guard was dishevelled, his armour covered in blood and there was some of it in his hair. "Whose blood is that?"

"The prisoners in the dungeons tried to escape My Lord, they weren't the type to be reasoned with."

Brynden considered his words. "Does my father know?"

"My Lord, I'm sorry to say your father died fighting alongside his brothers."

Brynden's eye widened. His heart threatened to burst out of his chest and he could hear blood rushing through his ears. "No, Jason that's not something you should joke about."

Jason just stared solemnly into the boy's eye. "I wish I was My Lord."

The scream that erupted out of the boy was visceral. Jason's ears shuddered at the sound. Brynden screamed himself hoarse until all that remained was the tears. His bandage had become soaked from his tears while the other side of his face strewn them like a river. Jason surged forward to comfort the boy who ferociously punched at the guard's armour. Jason allowed Brynden to punch and kick and claw at him substituting some of the boy's pain for his own. Once Brynden had stopped his violent outburst and the tears had dried up he no longer looked like himself. Brynden Blackwood was a shell of his former self and his world had turned upside down.

"Is there nothing we can do?"

Jason shook his head. "No My Lord, your father passed right in front of me."

If it were possible, the boy shrunk even more. "What's to happen now Jason?"

Jason clasped his hands on the boy's shoulders and stared deep into the one visible red eye. "Your father asked me to get you out of the castle. He instructed me to give you a letter and a book once we escaped. I don't know why or for how long we'll be gone but I trust your father's judgement. We need to go."

The boy nodded slowly. "Do I have time to say goodbye?"

"It appeared My Lord that your father didn't want anyone else to know of our exit."

"But my family? How will they know what's happened? How will they know where I'm going?"

"They won't My Lord, I believe that was your father's intention."

Brynden took a long deep breath. "Fine, if my father willed it then it shall be done. Let's get out of here."

The duo came out of the bedroom to the sight of Brynden's two guards unconscious beside his door. Brynden glanced from them to Jason.

"They wouldn't let me in, said only your father was allowed in."

Brynden considered his words before stepping over the legs of the downed guards and calmly walking away from the scene. Together they made their way through the long winding corridors of Raventree Hall, sneaking past guards and house staff alike. Once leaving the building itself, the escape was remarkably easy with nearly all of the guards on duty having rushed to the scene of the jailbreak. The duo's next port of call was transportation with neither party enjoying the thought of walking to wherever they were headed next. As such they broke into the stables on the far end of the courtyard, saddled up two of the horses inside and made a break for it. They charged through the front gate of the castle and into the wilderness without anyone or anything but the raven knowing they'd left.