The Custodian Chronicles: The Rising (Finished)

Chapter 7: Defending a Rebel

A week passed them; Cedrick harvested the garden, and Jarbo recovered inside. Ravin played about the forest. Mid game, she froze; her ears upright.

"What is it?" Cedrick asked, noticing she'd been still for over a minute. Cedrick looked up into the trees, but he could not see what had alerted her. "What is it, girl?" He stood but saw nothing to explain her nervousness.

As he strained to see what startled the dog, he heard Jarbo waking up inside. He turned to the house. "You're conscious." Cedrick teased. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, on the mend." Jarbo sat up, pausing as they heard Ravin barking outside. "Why is she barking?"

"No idea; she's been growling at the trees." Cedrick said.

Jarbo's eyes went wide. "Lock the doors." He pushed himself up, wincing sharply.

"Don't get up." Cedrick said hurriedly. "What's wrong?"

"They've tracked me here; followed me." Jarbo said, not listening to Cedrick.

"The men who attacked you?" Cedrick asked.

"Yes." Jarbo grimaced as he tried to get up.

"How can you be sure?"

"Who else?" Jarbo snapped.

The sounds that were drowned in leaves now met Cedrick's ears. Ravin snarled and barked louder. Cedrick had to act fast. He dashed outside, drawing his sword. Five men stood there. Cedrick tried to talk them down, but to no avail. If Cedrick wouldn't let them in, they'd do it themselves. Cedrick stood his ground, prepared for a fight. He'd prepared for it his entire life.

All five men hurled themselves at Cedrick. (Not realizing Cedrick wasn't a poorly trained farmer.) Cedrick ducked, forcing the men into each other. Cedrick rolled and tripped the second and stood up. He blocked the fourth's strike. The leader tried to gain advantage from behind. Cedrick neatly dodged and grabbed him around the neck, like he'd always done to Roxorim. Cedrick set the sword to the man's neck.

"Back away!" Cedrick barked. The assailants paused, examining the scene. "Back away, or I'll kill him. Now!"

The men held firm. Cedrick felt anxious; he'd never killed a human being. Could he really bring himself to cut this man's throat? How couldn't he? He'd trained for this his whole life, right?

"I said now!" Cedrick pressed the sword against the leader's neck. A bead of blood appeared. Two of the men saw the blood and dropped their swords; the other two stood firm, unwilling to let their leader's threat stop them. Cedrick's mind raced. Should he? Could he?

"We don't want to hurt you." Said one of the men who'd dropped his sword. He was going to convince Cedrick to release his leader.

Cedrick huffed. "I'm not stupid, nor am I a fool. Back away or I'll kill him."

The men hesitated and met eyes, trying to communicate silently. As a team, they sprang towards the door, tossing their leader's life to the winds; Cedrick was not their target. Cedrick released the leader and dove at the others. One of the unarmed men jumped through a window before Cedrick could block him. Ravin jumped into the fray, leaping at the weaponless man; her jaws closed around his neck. The man shirked as the canine yanked him to the ground. The man's partner came to his aid and kicked the dog aside. Ravin yipped and fell back.

Cedrick hurled his assailant off and turned. One invader was just twenty-four merids away from Jarbo, already striking down. Cedrick threw himself between them, deflecting it without harm. He drove the attacker away. In a few seconds, Cedrick had managed to trip him and pin him to the floor.