Brian's Adventures Ch. 11

Chapter Eleven: Band of Misfits

That ride down the quiet stretch of road was uneventful, beautiful and peaceful. It was so peaceful in fact that I believed that perhaps it would be a simple ride in the country all the way to Kincaid. I believed that perhaps all of the dark and dismal things people had told me about this journey were all superstitious nonsense. Someday soon I imagined that we would pull up in front of Kincaid and be welcomed as a Master returning to his home after a long journey.

The trees and other shrubs that doted the landscape might have given the illusion of untamed wilderness to the untrained eye. However I could see that the edges of the groves were too clean and it's lines were too straight. The wildflowers gave a lovely fragrance that drifted on the cool breeze of the sunny day.

On either side of the road I could see now and again vast stretches of tilled fields with crops growing and people out working in them. The road that we traveled down intersected with other roads that ran to the left and right off into the distance. Every so often we could see that these roads seemed to run right up into the door of what seemed to be a small castle. Fairly tall stone structures they seemed to be and looked quite foreboding and yet welcoming at the same time. From the centre of the stone complex a sole watchtower rose high. The fields seemed to surround the 'castles' in all direction. I looked them over and could see that these were not military outposts; the children running about gave that away.

"What's that?" I asked Jealile, as I remained looking at one of the stone structures in question.

"That's a Quad." Jealile responded unimpressed. "It is a collection of four Estates gathered together and arranged like that for protection. When invaders come they will not find our homes easily plundered, or so it was thought when they were built." Jealile said with a sigh as she finished the explanation.

"So, Kincaid looks like that?" I asked, looking it over with renewed interest. I was still shocked to find that I was now one-quarter owner of a castle!

"Well, Kincaid is like other Estates, it has one quarter of the quad as well as one of the four fields that surround it.

"What makes Kincaid so special?" I asked with curiosity. "Why all the fuss?"

"Well, I understand that it is at the base of mount Augustus and it is on the side that faces both the sea on its one side and the mountain on the other. The scenery is splendid to be sure; more than that, I don't know." Jealile said as she put her arm around me and rested her head on my shoulder.

"Well, we'll find out together." I said to her as I kissed the top of her head. "We'll all find out before journey's end!" I said loud enough for the group to hear and with a cheerful beat to my voice.

I got the expected cheers and happy shouts in response that I expected. Everyone sat back and quietly enjoyed the ride as the wagon lumbered along. The bodies in the wagon swayed to and fro with each bump and hole in the road along that stretch. It was some time before someone spoke; everyone was lost in their own thoughts but one person more than the others it seamed.

"I hope it's like this all the way to Kincaid." Shelea asked with a warm, reflective smile on her face.

"Most of the countryside does look like this." Treabilla said to the companion who sat beside her. "Have you never seen it before?" Treabilla inquired of her younger traveling companion with a curious tone.

"As the head healer's assistant, you don't get much chance to do much but look after sick people." Shelea said a little sheepishly. "I've never left Teroncia." She finished and looked out of the wagon at a passing patch of wildflowers.

"If you don't' mind my asking, how did you end up here?" Jealile asked with an equally curious look as she turned back to face Shelea.

"A fair question I suppose since I'm here." Shelea laughed to herself and paused for a moment before speaking. "Brian was the most curious patient I had ever cared for, being an Outsider and all. After his recovery I kept an eye on him to be sure he was okay. I was also curious to know more about this stranger to our land that looked no different." Shelea paused again and looked away, thinking again "The more I learned of what was happening to him and where he was heading the more exciting it sounded." Shelea said with a glint of excitement in her eye.

"Exciting!" Jealile exclaimed before I could. "We are riding towards a place that has claimed at least two lives mysteriously and scared off many others. Things there have turned from bad to worse and we go because that is where our future lies! We go because we have no choice but to go! I ask you again, why are you going?" Jealile finished and let her last question sit in the air heavy for a moment and Shelea pondered it for a short while.

"Because." Shelea said with a huff after a moment, her face was all screwed up and a storm of thoughts raged through her small head. "All my life I have been treated like a child!" Shelea started out still a little upset by Jealile's blunt question.

"But you are a child!" Treabilla chuckled in disbelief.

"I AM NOT A CHILD! I am SIXTEEN!" Shelea shouted with a defiant and indignant frown at Treabilla. "Two years younger than you! Are you a child?" Shelea asked angrily and expected an answer.

"No, Of course not. It's just . . ." Treabilla started out to explain herself but was cut off.

"Neither am I!" Shelea snapped. "I may be small for my age but I am not a child!" Shelea replied and folded her arms and held something dangerously close to a pout.

I did not dare point out that at the moment she was beginning to act like one. Her indignation was understandable and I started to understand her more than I had up until now. She must have lived her life always being brushed aside and treated like a meddlesome child. It could frustrate the greatest of saints, I'm sure and a lifetime of that would make anyone testy on that point, as I'm sure you'll agree.

"I never knew your age and I also made the mistake of thinking of you much younger then you are." Treabilla said with a tender look and put her arm around Shelea in a comforting gesture. "I'm sorry." Treabilla apologized when Shelea's eyes met hers and they shared a friendly smile.

"But that still doesn't explain why you're here?" Jealile asked with a friendly, more inviting tone than before.

"Well, I've never been anywhere and in two years I'll be married off, then I will settle down to the quiet life of a dutiful wife." Shelea said calmly and once again looked outside the wagon at some passing flowers. A tear rolled down her cheek before she spoke again. "Before that happens, I would like to have done something exciting! Just for once I would like to do something brave and bold." Shelea said as her little body filled with breath and pride and she held that look as she gazed off into her thoughts for a moment.

"And then no one will ever take you for granted or underestimate you again." Jealile said with an understanding smile as she looked over the small Shelea.

Shelea looked over at Jealile and examined her face for a long moment trying to discern if she was serious or not. Was she being played a fool or not? Did this woman understand her or was she about to be told she was just being silly? I could see the questions roll through her mind and after a moment of silence she spoke.

"Yes, exactly." Shelea replied with a relieved look about her. "All my life I have been pushed aside and never allowed to try anything new. Even as a healer's assistant I do little meaningful work. Herulia does all of the real healing, all she lets me do is wipe foreheads and watch the sick." Shelea finished with a frustrated sigh. "I've learned a great deal by watching her, don't get me wrong. But she never lets me do anything, she does everything and I stand there and watch, hand her this and fetch that." I wanted to do more when I joined The Healers." Shelea finished and looked around to the others in the wagon and found warm smiles smiling back at her.

"Well, you're among friends now. We're glad to have you aboard, though we hope we will not need the services of a Healer before journey's end." Yeoline said with a smile as she shook Shelea's hand. Each of us welcomed her aboard and for the first time we started to feel like a band of friends.

"However you got here, its good to see you again." I said with a warm smile over my shoulder.

"So what's you're story?" Yeoline asked Treabilla curiously. "One moment you're ignoring us and the next moment you appear out of nowhere. What gives?" Yeoline finished with a raised eyebrow.

"I wasn't ignoring you! I was busy that's all?" Treabilla laughed slightly indignantly yet at the same time she appreciated the jab of humor.

"Too busy for your friends? Sounds delightful." Yeoline replied with a bit of cheek.

"Too busy for myself more like it!" Treabilla laughed back and then fell silent for a moment. "Before my experience with the Mistress and her bunch, I was always the dutiful Daughter. I was always trying to please my Father, I was trying to be the 'Young Lady' he always told me I should be. I never questioned it, never once wanted anything else but his approval, for him to be proud of me. After my time with you Brian; after I returned to my Father's side however, I started to see things differently." Treabilla sighed a heavy sigh and fell silent again, momentarily lost in her thoughts.

"Go on dear." Jealile prodded gently.

"I saw how differently you treated me from my Father or The Mistress." Treabilla said with a sigh as she looked at me and caught my gaze for a moment. "You treated me as a person, you wanted to know what I wanted, what I liked, what I thought about things. For the first time I started to think for myself and question things in my life that I never had before. I saw that to a lesser degree, my Father treated me the same way that The Mistress had done."

"Don't be absurd, he loves you!" Yeoline said immediately, cutting off Treabilla.

"I know that!" Treabilla shot back instinctively and defensively. "I'm not questioning that. However he always wanted me to be seen and not heard. He wanted me to do as I was told and not question why, ever! When I came back to him after my time with Brian I started to see that he treated me more like a possession than a Daughter. I don't think for a moment that was his intention, but that's the way it felt like." Treabilla said and searched the faces in the wagon for any kind of understanding and found four friendly faces nodding their understanding.

"I know that feeling." Jealile said quietly and sighed in agreement

"I tried to play along, to continue as I had done so many times before, to be the 'Young Lady' that my Father wanted me to be. For a time I was able to keep up the charade, and things were well." Treabilla sighed and paused again to gather herself before speaking again. "As time wore on I started to become more and more uncomfortable with the role I was playing. I didn't like having to pretend to be someone other than who I was, but still I pressed on for my Father's sake. When he started to talk about the Harvest Festival and introducing me to various suitors my mood worsened. It was then that I knew that I would be expected to keep up the 'seen and not heard' act for the rest of my life." Treabilla sighed regretfully as she remembered the sorrowful feelings that realization had brought.

"I never knew, I wondered what it was like for you. But I never knew it was that bad." I said with a pang of regret. "I'm sorry if I ruined your life, all I ever wanted to do was help you." I finished with a sigh as I wondered if I had really done the best thing for her. I turned back to the road, not bearing to look at her at that moment.

"Don't be silly Brian." Treabilla said as she rushed and put her arms around me from behind and squeezed me tight as I drove the wagon. "You showed me what it was to be valued, to be my own person, I owe you more than you know for that." Treabilla put her arm around Jealile and put her head between both of us as we rolled along. "It was at your wedding, as you were talking about leaving for Kincaid that I decided to tag along." Treabilla said and paused. "I love you both so much." Treabilla squeezed us tight and kissed us both on the cheek. "I knew that I had to get out or I would go mad." Treabilla laughed heartily.

"So we're to blame are we?" Jealile laughed as she stroked Treabilla's cheek with a smile.

"Don't give yourself too much credit! The choice was mine!" Treabilla laughed again. "However, I knew that we would not get past the city gates with me proudly sitting with you." Treabilla laughed and I shared a laugh as I pictured the scene and found the humour in it. "I was about to sneak out of the city when this one." Treabilla said, pointing to Shelea. "Caught up with me and made a general nuisance of herself until I agreed to take her along with me. Positively blackmailed me she did! Threatened to get the nearest Guard unless I agreed to let her tag along!" Treabilla said with a light scowl in Shelea's direction. However with the innocent façade the young companion put forth you could not be angry with her for long. "And here we are all together at last our merry Band of Misfits!" Treabilla laughed and we all joined her.

We merrily rolled along for some time yet. Content in our 'Band of Misfits' the day wore on and the scenery changed little. It was a pleasant boredom as we rode on and on in that delightfully wonderful, idyllic scene. However the day drew long and road tiresomely wore on our jostled bodies in that wagon. We turned the corner in a long tree covered stretch of road and saw the end of the trees like a bright light. In that light we saw a town up ahead. It was a most welcome sight to our weary bones and I wanted to rush towards it and a good nights rest at the local Inn.

"Pull over!" Jealile shouted in a panic.

"Why?" I asked concerned and a bit confused but did as she ordered anyways.

"Guards up ahead." Jealile said as she pointed out two shadowy figures lingering just inside the darkness of the trees. As I looked longer and longer I could see the armor and helmets that was the telltale sign of The Guards.

"No doubt looking for me." Treabilla said as she spied up the road at the Guards.

"What should we do?" I asked out loud to nobody in particular. "If we keep calm, we'll be alright." I said and prepared to get moving again.

"Best not, they might recognize us." Jealile said while still pondering. "We were seen leaving Teroncia as three people, now we are five. Besides they may recognize Treabilla." Jealile finished with concern.

"Simple, tell you what. Shelea and I will sneak into town another way and meet the rest of you at the Inn later." Treabilla said as she motioned to Shelea to get out of the wagon.

"Will you be alright?" I asked concerned for her safety.

"We'll be fine, I'm used to getting in and out of places undetected." Treabilla said with a proud smile.

A moment later they had disappeared into the darkness of the woods as silently as they had appeared earlier that day. After waiting a moment, we started moving again and leisurely rolled toward the town and the Guards before it. My heart was pounding as we approached the pair, even though I had done nothing to suffer their wrath. I was uncomfortable at their sight, for I had been on the wrong side of The Guards for too long for my comfort.

"Good evening." The taller, Guard said, as she shrewdly looked the wagon and us over.

"Good evening." I nodded respectfully to the Guard on my side as the other Guard started to look through some of the stuff we were carrying. Lifting chests and packages and the like to see what was under them, rather then what was in them.

"How has the road been? Have you had much trouble?" The Guard asked while looking me in the eye, observing my whole demeanor at once.

"No, a pleasant ride in the country." I responded with a warm smile. "Nice day for it too." I added, trying to keep the discussion pleasant.

"Where are you heading with all this?" The Guard asked, as she looked the load over once.

"We are moving to the far side of the island." I replied plainly. "Kind of exciting really." I added with a smile trying to hide my nervousness.

"Well, you might want to cover that up better. Most likely it will attract bandits." The Guard added while pointing to the load that the other Guard was still looking through.

"Bandits?" I asked curiously and a bit disbelievingly.

"Yes, we're on the lookout for two of them in that are in the area. Nothing to concern yourself with, we'll catch them soon enough." The Guard replied confidently as she smiled back at me. "Move along, it'll be dark before long. Best hold up here for the night. Don't want to travel after dark with bandits in the area." The Guard replied authoritatively and stood back from the wagon and we moved along.

The town was a small one, only a few streets and a collection of buildings huddled together. The overall shape of the town was a square one and you could see clearly defined borders to it. All of the outer lying town buildings had flat roofs. Once again it had an open feel to the place but yet you could see that an eye to defense had influenced the town layout. While it did not have a solid wall around it, the outermost buildings were close together and you could almost jump from one to the other.

The Inn was in the centre of town somewhere along the main street. As we rode further into the town the buildings became more spread out and less tightly packed. Inside the town was quaint and charming, just what you would expect a country town to be like. It was not simply a smaller version of Teroncia, but you could see similar influences throughout the small town.

The innkeeper was not at all upset at helping us unload and stow the wagon. With the ample help of his family and other locals the job was done in no time. After about an hour our stuff was stowed in one of the two rooms we had rented for the night. We were settled at one of the tables in the tavern downstairs enjoying our dinner when the mood turned tense.

The door opened up and in strode two black-cloaked figures one taller than the other. The three of us recognized the pair of them as the missing members of our 'Band of Misfits' Yeoline was about to welcome them to come over when Jealile and I stopped her at the same time. Silently we nodded in the direction of a group of Guards a few tables over. They were in there after a long shift I guessed, and had started drinking a little but still it was not good to tempt fate.

We watched the pair of black figures escorted up the stairs and out of sight. Moments later they were back down and sitting quietly in a corner talking to themselves and having their own dinner. All of us wanted to go over and talk to them but we didn't for fear of attracting unwanted attention to them. It was good enough for the moment to know that they were safe and enjoying a fine meal by the fire.

The evening progressed fine and for the most part we had enjoyed our meals and was relaxing with a drink to unwind from the day. The wine was good, the atmosphere friendly (for the most part) and lively too. Even the Guards at the table near us were in a good mood and enjoyed a spirited conversation of their own. I started to relax and let my Guard down, thinking we were safe and there was nothing to worry about. I could see no suspicious characters lurking in the corners waiting to do me in. No bringers of doom or other equally unwelcome guests had arrived and I welcomed a quiet evening.

However, out of the corner of my eye I noticed a man taking an unusual amount of interest in our table. I did not look at him directly but I could see that he was looking us over and trying hard to remember something. It was as if he was looking at something or someone that he should know and was trying to remember. After a drawn out moment of this, he got up and came over to our table, he was a bit tipsy at this point but he was not drunk.