Two days had passed since the attack and no further incidents. The patrols were all doubled, The lights stayed lit at night outside. Henry had not returned home. It seemed as if there were no peace to be found. William had spent most of both days searching the usual places and beyond for his younger brother. The rest of the time he was helping his father train men in secret. Inasmuch as the seasons were beginning to change it seemed the town was changing and no one was sure what the outcome would be.
Thunder continued to roll this morning as the rain fell. This was typical of the season change but added to the uneasiness everyone felt. “William, you must rest.” His mother was concerned. “You are too weak to go out again just now.”
“Mother he is not yet found and I have strength left in me.” William was resolute and solemn.
She was going to say something else but was stopped by the soft touch of her husband’s hand on her shoulder. They watched an exhausted young man leave in the rain. Neither wanted him to go. Neither could imagine all that was at stake.
“He is his own man. Let him be one.”
“I know you feel the guilt too Henry…” she could not continue, but busied herself in chores still sniffling. She was right. Henry felt a great guilt that his youngest son had slipped away. He wondered why he had not taught him more and better. How could this be? Perhaps he had let the council’s ban affect him too much. That would not happen again.
~
Henry was pleased with himself that he had a hiding place no one else knew of. He had spent little time sleeping since his encounter with William. He had taken care of what he needed to so far as catching fish to eat, keeping wood for the fire and such. In fact when the rain began he smiled that he had been one step ahead. He did not intend to stay forever but needed time on his own to sort things out. He had been reading more and more. He could make little sense of most of it but the battle techniques he was mastering on his own so he thought. He was most curious about the portion on fighting with a staff. He had never seen this before but he found a fallen limb of sufficient size and straight, he cleaned it off quickly of its small branches and began trying it out. He was amazed how well he took to it. As good as he had been with a sword it seemed this felt more comfortable to him. His balance was better and he began going through the sequences with ease. After exercising his new skills he turned back to reading. For the moment gone was the gravity he had felt of late. Now he began to desire more of this knowledge. He was amazed by what he was seeing and how true and right it felt. He returned to his small cave and read of internal struggles and opposing forces that could not be seen. In his excitement he lost awareness of his surroundings until all of a sudden he heard the sounds of animals running near him. It sounded like a herd of something all sprinting nearby toward Kidron. Carefully he peeked out to see what it was but could not believe his eyes. He had never seen anything like them. They ran as men; mad men. They were all dark and covered in hides and furs. Had it been darker he would have thought them beasts of some kind. There were at least twenty of them running, jumping, clawing as they went in what was best described as a stampede.
Henry ducked back down and it was as if his eyes were open for the first time. “This is real. They are here and You have been trying to prepare us.” He said these words aloud but somehow knew he didn’t have to. Now the teachings of his father made sense; even all that he had been reading flashed almost before his eyes fitting together in a mesh that was both glorious and frightening. He fell on his hands and knees face down and continued, “Please forgive me. I know now. I know now. Help me tell others.” In this moment he didn’t question what he had just said. He just knew he needed to tell. The next thought was that these creatures were headed toward his home.
Not giving any thought if there were any more Henry tossed the books into his pack, slipped his tunic on and ran out of his cave and towards home. Without thinking he grabbed his make-shift staff and carried it.
~
As soon as William heard the sounds of terror he turned and ran towards them. He had been looking for Henry but sprang to action at the sound of distress. Screams and shouts and terrifying howls rang out seemingly a long time before the alarm bell sounded in the watch tower. The attack was fast and strong. More than twenty watchers sprang from the tree line and onto a house. A few jumped the fences to kill some cattle and pigs before turning to the house. Some others ran past as if to encounter any neighbors or defenders coming to the rescue. Both did. Both fell before it was finished. The apparent leader of the raid crashed in the house with two others and did not stop until all inside were dead. William leapt screaming through the window just in time to see the final blow to the family. He had never seen such ferocity in person save the death of Cap Tale. He engaged the watcher with his sword but the savage defended himself well with shielded forearms clad with some tough hide. The two others covered the exits but watched only. William tried to keep watch but his current opponent was enough to keep his mind and eyes busy. Just like before he was large and strong. Every blow that William deflected shook him. Not once did William think that his foe felt the same.
Outside it became clear that the watchers were only buying time instead of fighting in earnest. They kept a perimeter around the house clear. Several neighbors and defenders were coming now and fighting the attackers but no one was prevailing against them. Then as if some unheard signal sounded five of them knocked their attackers away and ran inside. William was only realizing the trouble he was in when four watchers at once jumped on him and the last thing he saw was the smiling face of his adversary. All the watchers outside in unison turned and ran into the trees again and disappeared. No one outside knew what happened, except that the watchers were gone, the house was in shambles, and ten people lay dead counting the family, neighbors and defenders who came to aid them. There were no blood trails to follow and as much as they left a wide and obvious trail on their approach it was as if they disappeared on their retreat.
It was not until much later as the details were pieced together that it was realized William had gone in and not come out. Everyone was helping as best they could to clean up and make sense of it all. Henry, the senior, was holding his wife outside as she had just learned of William’s absence when young Henry ran into the scene. He started to announce what he’d seen in the woods until he focused on what was happening in the town. His jaw dropped but not his staff. This is how he stood when his father caught sight of him. Something was different. At least he had not lost both sons forever, yet.
“Help me take your mother home, son. There is nothing more we can do here.” Henry said to his youngest son.
“Father, things aren’t the same anymore.” He said as his mother embraced him and they began to walk back across town.
“They never will be, son.” Neither Henry knew how true this was.
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