Visitors - Friends Or Foe?
1590 Words
"What now, Your Majesty? The patients and Her Majesty had been evacuated to the domain. Do you think there would be trouble since I had prepared the garrison? Any other updates that we need to know of right now?"
Old Mann was worried as his garrison had just had a confrontation albeit a one-sided one and now they were going to be involved with another and this time with a more intelligent opponent.
"Thank you for your hard work, Old Mann. There's nothing but for us to wait. We won't know the intentions of these unexpected visitors, so we'd just wait and hold the Fort. Most importantly, if they acted adversely, you know what to do by then."
I advised Old Mann but frankly, I knew nuts about military movement. There are some handbooks on military tactics and manoeuvres but I hadn't taken notice of them at all. The only thing I knew was to make a 3-panel shield for archers to peek and shoot from...!
Unknown to me, Eagle had assembled 3 Shadow members with him and had flanked from the Western entrance as they hid within the forested area and snooped from their position to gain the best advantage. Their trump card — The Element Of Surprise.
After some time as I was flapping my arms and putting my hands under my armpit to keep them warm, the group of unexpected visitors arrived and I approached the southern gate, acting like a guardsman.
"Halt...! Who goes there? Whom do you seek to address? Do you have any business undertaking?" I asked with a cracked voice as I approached the barricade and leaned on it, looking all aloof at them.
But on the interior, I was silently observing their ride as well as their gear plus weapons and armour that they were wearing. From their looks, they were actually common men dressed up like ghouls to scare the living daylights of unsuspecting people.
And the leader of the group doesn't have any distinctive features on the mask at all...!
"Open up...! There's the business to deal. We wish to address the leader of this place. And also to seek the necessary papers for this land acquisition." said the masked man as he steadied his horse.
"It's late. We don't have a tavern or temporary housing for you. Could you..." my sentence was cut short when someone from the group fired a projectile at my feet and I was taken aback. Not because of the loud bang, but because the projectile somehow struck a rock and send shrapnel and cut my shin...!
"Open up... We have a decree from the King that states this land is acquired in an illegal manner...! You have many houses empty. Our horses need rest, food and water. We too need food and you have leftover dinner, right?"
A man from the group sneered and I glanced at the Shadow guardsman as he ever slightly nodded his head as I pull the barricade aside and let the group of uninvited guests enter. There were 7 of them and all of them spelt trouble, especially the one that was wearing the oddly shaped mask with no features on it.
"Old Mann, bring them to the courtyard." I sent out instruction as I slam the bamboo barricade back into place. I then walked briskly and soon reached the courtyard where the place had been cleared off all benches and tables.
"Old Kayla, please serve the guests." seeing me sitting down on the two-seater bamboo throne with my bow and quiver at my sides, several men helped to place 2 tables and benches some distance away from where I was sitting while some men helped to tend to the horses and secured them away near the stables.
Two huge serving bowls of pottage and thick slices of bread were served along with bowls and spoons as the 7 men sat down and began to unceremoniously eat without being offered. Jugs of ale were brought from the Gracehaven's Greasy Spoon and served as the 7 men lapped at their foods and drink as if they had not seen food for 3 days and 3 nights.
We all noticed that there was a small swinging door where the nose and mouth were on the mask and it allowed the person to drink and eat as if the mask was part of his head.
After eating, the men sat with their legs on top of the benches and were sucking their teeth noisily to capture stuck morsels of food between the gaps of their teeth...!
Someone spoke up from the group. "This is Faceless. Our leader. There are more men camped out there and don't think of doing anything funny, eh."
The leader named Faceless harrumphed on an acknowledging manner and continued to use a piece of bread to wipe down his teeth before biting on it. HEY HELLO... You can ask for a refill of the pottage if you want to...!
YOU DON'T HAVE TO ACT SO DISGUSTINGLY IN THIS MANNER...!
Someone took a scroll from a satchel bag and unfurled the scroll. He then read aloud, "The King denounces the existence of this town or village because it does not conform with the records of the office."
"Therefore, all that sits on this land belongs to the King and all sizable items would be handed over to the representatives to bring it back for the King."
"Anyone who defies this King's order would have their heads chopped off and hung on a 20-foot stick as a reminder for all."
After he had done reading it, he places the scroll on the table and gave very high regard to it. Somehow, I knew that I smelt something rotten... Its either those men had really stinking feet or the scroll was just a dubious to pull a fast one.
"So, everything has to go to you then? I mean every single sizable item. Do you have a logistics to cart them away? Besides, would I take a look at the scroll, if you don't mind?"
As people were 90% generally uneducated during that time, that scroll would state anything and so I knew something was made up and I wonder how many settlements or towns had fallen for such a trick.
I acted as if I was lamenting on the future as I too say with one of my legs on the throne and I placed my head in my hands as I looked down but kept them close watch from the corner of my eye.
I shook my head and acted as if I was in despair and I took out my coin pouch that normally had a few coppers inside it as I toyed with it before I went over to the table and plopped it down before the 7 men and my hand reached out for the scroll.
"That's the King's order... You can't take it away...!" someone raised from his seat and tried to swipe the scroll from my grasp as I slowly staggered back to my seat.
"Ahem... Let me see if I could understand what the scroll reads..." I explained and the moment I had scanned reading it once and then I scanned reading it twice, I discovered that the scroll was nothing more than a...
PAWNBROKERS DEED...!
It was originally from Moor Monkton...! Eh, why does the name of this town sounds familiar?
It read that someone by the name of Aaron Cole had pawned away a mule for the price of 2 silvers with an interest of 2 coppers a month. From the looks of it, the pawnbroker's deed had already expired...
And the cheek to use this as a King's decree... Who are these numbnuts imbecile was trying to prove...?!
I was shaking... Not from the cold but from the anger that I had been bottling up ever since they came over and sat before me like bloody royals, eating and drinking without care and passing pawnbrokers deed as a King's decree.
They really were illiterate red butted chimpanzees...!
"Aaron Cole... Quit your drama, please... Remove your mask and face reality. Don't be a hypocrite... Aaron Cole from Moor Monkton... Where have I heard your name and town before?"
I sat with one leg on my bench as I dangled the scroll in my hand and use it to point at them as if it was a matchlock pistol.
"How do you know it was me...?! No one knows my full name and where I come from...! Who the devil are you?!" the so-called Faceless threw down his mask as he shouted at me while slightly foaming at his mouth. White thick spittle gathered at the corners of his mouth as he raised his voice like a rabid dog.
"Aaron...! Hey, you sick old mad dog...! After you had done bashing me and throwing me over the ravine, you would never realise that I would be alive, do you?!" a voice sounded far off on the left-hand side of the courtyard as someone came out, wielding a bow and arrowhead that was equipped with a concussive one and was nocked and ready to be let loose.
It was from Andy... And he finally met his nemesis after more than 2 years...!
His brother, the one that wanted all the fame and attention in the family. Even if blood is thicker than water but in those Andy's eyes, the only blood he wanted to see was to be spilt in the courtyard tonight...!
- Writer
