Fire Angels

Chapter 6 Part 1 Tasha returned

Tasha has returned to Annac, but under what circumstances?  I'm trying to make shorter excerpts.  Please vote for me.  It helps me get more readers.  

Chapter 6

At last we crested a hill and there was Annac, the village where I had been born, a cluster of white washed houses snuggled around the spike roofed church and huge white walled monastery which stood at the top of the high hill before us. The hill and valley beneath it were like a hundred such we had seen before; dotted with sheep pastures, wheat fields and orchards. The brightly painted shapes and the white pathway of the Holy way of Annac winding up the hill, made the only real difference.

We did not have long to look at it. Suddenly Tomas let out a yell.

"Aumaz! She's back. She back."

Without stopping to explain, he dug his feet into his horse's flanks and set off at a fast gallop.

"Look," cried Hamel to us. He pointed to a long low building at the edge of the village. White sheets hung out of the windows.

"Silva said she'd hang out sheets if Tasha came back. Come on! Let's see!" he cried as he too dug his heels into his horse.

Parrus urged our horse on. After coming so far and with two of us on its back, however, the poor horse couldn't manage more than a fast trot and we were soon well behind.

Down the hill we went, between the fields and then suddenly we were trotting up the next hill between small white houses with thatched roofs and people were turning to stare at us. We had completely lost sight of my brothers.

But just after entering the village we saw the unmistakable sign; a painting of two severed hands, dripping vividly painted red blood at the wrists; the Holy Healing Hands of St Belkis. It hung over a gateway and we turned sharply and went through two tall gate posts and there, surrounding a courtyard, was the long white-washed inn where I had been born and spent the first four years of my life.

It was a long low rambling building with a dark wood balcony along the second storey. I had remembered it as being huge. My first thought now was "How small it is." My second was the slightly panicky realization that we were alone in this strange inn courtyard and apart from the two sweating horses standing in the centre of the yard there was no sign of my brothers.

"Your relatives are the end, Dion," said Parrus. "Which door do you think they've gone in?"

"Hello, can I help you?" said a voice.

A man was standing at the door of a stable. He was quite young and he wore a rough shirt and breeches.

"Yes," said Parrus. "We came in ..."

"Aumaz!" said the man softly, blinking in surprise. His pleasant blue eyes were fixed intently on my face as if he recognized me. I couldn't remember ever having seen him before. He was very plain with a big nose and slightly buck teeth, but there was nothing threatening in his stare.

"Who are you?" he asked me.

"I am Parrus Latrides," said Parrus remembering his Borgonese persona. "And this is my wife, Enna Dion Latrides,"

"Dion," said the man. "By Aumaz little Dion. Well you do have the look of your mother, cousin." He took my hand.

"And who are you to call my wife cousin?" said Parrus stiffly.

"Oh I beg your pardon. I'm Mouse. Mouse Holyhands. Do you remember me Dion? How we used to play ball on those balconies till ...?" His voice trailed off. Since the incident involved magic, this was hardly surprising.