Drake raced towards his farm, his mind racing even faster. Dale had said many men, how many? Four had been at his farm so there must have been more than that. But a large enough group that could afford to send four men after one old widower must have a group of at least dozen. Two dozen? Three? He said they were heading to his farm, had they sent more to other farms too? Drake looked around at the skyline. Yes, there! He could see three maybe four more wisps of smoke around him, that was Caskill's farm maybe, and McDonna's there. The other wisps were too far to speculate, and it didn't matter to him now, his farm was under attack, that's what mattered to him now, nothing else. Daisy was running all out, how far was he from the farm when he started? Four miles? Maybe a little more, he could usually make it to Dale's farm in little under an hour at a brisk pace. How long would that be at the gallop? Twenty minutes? He came around a bend and saw he was coming upon the meadow he had told young Jacob about. Good, another five minutes at Daisy's pace and he would be home.
He came into the middle of the meadow, where the woods came up to the track on the far end something darted into the middle of it and stood there. Drake brought his staff up under his arm like a lance, intent on running the man down.
As he drew closer the figure waved, it was a small man, too small, in a dark gray hat! Greenie!
He slowed Daisy to a trot twenty paces from the goblin then came to a stop just a pace or two from him.
Greenie was bleeding from a hole in his left ear and was covered with mud. He held a small bundle in his arms, as he came forward the bundle moved and gave a cry, it was little Jocelyn.
Drake leapt down from Daisy as the horse gave a sigh and breathed in and out heavily, she had not been called to run that hard in a long time. Drake took Jocelyn from Greenie and held her tight. "Greenie what's happened? Why are you here? What happened to your ear?"
"Man came to gate, asked for help. Mae gave him bread and cheese, passed it through small window. Saw more men with him and locked it. Men get angry, start hammering gate. Mae gave me baby. Said to run through woods, run to town, find you, bring you back. Give you warning. I snuck out back gate, Mathew lock behind me. I run through woods, more men there give chase." Greenie grinned, "big men don't fit through thicket like Greenie. They shoot arrows, one hit Greenie's ear, you get me gold for ear now maybe, yes?" Greenie often thought jewelry was pinnacle of fashion. He looked around then quizzically. "Where is Jack?"
"I sent him back to town, farmer Dale is dead, we came upon him as he was being attacked as well. Greenie how many men where there?"
The goblin frowned, "Greenie not sure, maybe this many?" He flashed his two hands several times, which for Greenie meant anything from ten to a hundred. Drake gritted his teeth, more men than he cared to deal with whatever the accurate count. It made sense though, they saw a slightly fortified farmstead, it means wealth and they would send an overwhelming force to take it.
Drake groaned in frustration, the gates wouldn't hold long against hammers and determination. Greenie and Jocelyn being here made things both less and more complicated. They were safe, but for how long and he couldn't stay here with them without risking his people at the farm, and he couldn't bring greenie back to the farm with him and leave Jocelyn. The girl was too little to walk and would cry at the worst time.
His decision tormented him, but it was the best course, "Greenie, take Jocelyn and keep going to town. Jack is ahead somewhere, and he is going to the Miller's for help. You remember Julia?"
Greenie wrinkled his nose, "Bear lady? I remember" the two didn't get along but Julia would keep him safe for both Drake and Jocelyn's benefit.
"Good, go there and keep Jocelyn safe with Arnold until I come for you."
Greenie nodded somberly, "many men ahead fwend." Drake took his meaning; Greenie might be waiting in vain for him.
Drake grasped Greenie's little hand in his much bigger one, "I'll come Greenie." he handed Jocelyn back to Greenie, kissing the small child on her forehead. "Be good little one, keep quiet and still for the goblin, he will take you to safety."
Drake took a determined step back then climbed back onto the big mare.
"I'll see you soon, with everyone." Greenie nodded to him again, then turned and set off at a fast pace towards the town.
Drake watched him go for a minute and said a quiet prayer "God of the shrine, keep my family safe. Give Jack speed and stealth, give Greenie luck and energy."
What waited ahead of him he did not know, and he cursed himself for not getting a timeline from the goblin about how long ago everything happened at the farm. It would have been useless, much like counting enemies, the goblin's sense of the passage of time was equally bad. It could have been ten minutes ago or hours to him.
Drake set off at a gallop towards his home. He was close now, just a few small hills in the road and he would see the house. He was frantically trying to formulate a plan in his head, but without knowing the details of what he was coming to he didn't have a clue where to start. Best he could figure was to just ride in and use surprise to his advantage, get the children on the horse in the chaos and cover their retreat to town. Mae wouldn't leave him he knew, not if it meant buying time and safety for the children. She was handy in a scrap, but not a full-blown melee that he knew would ensue if there was anything more than five or six men and given both what Dale said and Greenie's flashing fingers, he could assume at least a dozen, better to guess high.
YOU ARE READING
Paladin of the Peaceful Lady
FantasíaDrake had put adventuring behind him, now living with his family on his own farmstead he would be torn away and thrust back into a life he had thought he had left behind.
