Shades of the Past: The Morcyth Saga Book Six (10 page)

Illan stops there in the hallway and stares
at his son. A rage begins to develop at the way he and his family
have been treated. He reaches up and removes his helm.

“Father!” his son exclaims when the helm
comes off. His wife looks up from where she’s holding their two
children and a smile comes to her thin face.

“Alric,” Illan says. To Faetherton he says,
“Let them out.”

Giving Illan a glare, he moves to the cell
and removes a key from his belt. Inserting it into the lock, he
opens the door. Alric pushes the door open and comes to greet his
father. “Father,” he says as he gives him a hug. “Mother’s
dead.”

“I know,” he replies. “Let’s get you and your
family out of here then we’ll deal with that.

Just then, Ceadric and his men enter with the
other guards and proceed to put them into the cells. To Ceadric,
Illan says, “Take my son and his family home.”

“Yes, sir,” he says and once the prisoners
are securely within the cells, he and his men help them out of the
jail.

Once they’ve left and he is alone with James
and Faetherton, Illan turns to Faetherton and asks, “Where’s my
wife?”

“She’s dead,” he says with some small
satisfaction.

Illan strikes out and connects with
Faetherton’s jaw, sending him flying backward off his feet to land
on his back. “I know that,” he replies. “Where is she buried?”

“Over in the cemetery,” one of the guards in
the cell tells him.

Turning to the guard, Illan asks,
“Where?”

“Let me out and I’ll show you,” he says.

Taking the key, Illan opens the cell door and
lets the man out. “If I show you, can I be allowed to leave?” the
guard asks.

Illan glances at him and then nods his
head.

“This way,” the guards says and begins
walking to the back door.

Illan replaces his helm on his head and says,
“You too, milord.” Picking Faetherton from off the floor, he
propels him to follow the guard.

James follows them out the back and they turn
down the alley to the right. Coming to where the alley opens onto
the street, the guard turns to the left and begins moving away from
the jail. “Be right back,” James says as he turns to head back to
the front of the jail to get the others.

“Tell Ceadric to gather the men and bring
them to Brook’s Hollow at dawn,” Illan tells him.

“Okay,” he replies then hurries to the front
of the jail. He finds Alric and his family are already mounted and
Ceadric was about to take them home.

To Ceadric he says, “Illan wants you to
gather the men and have them at Brook’s Hollow by dawn.”

“Do you know what he’s planning to do?”
Ceadric asks him.

“Yes,” he replies and when Ceadric looks
askance at him for more information, remains quiet.

“As you will,” he says. Turning to his men he
raises his voice and says, “The Hawk wants us at Brook’s Hollow at
dawn.” Then he kicks his horse and they ride away down the street,
with cries and whoops, his men follow.

James gets into his saddle as Jiron asks,
“What’s going on?”

“Seems we’re going to have company,” he
explains. “Right now we need to catch up with Illan, he’s on the
way to the cemetery to find his wife.”

“Right,” Jiron says and they get moving.

Illan’s group hasn’t progressed all that far
down the street by the time James and the others arrive. They
remain behind them as they wind through the streets toward the far
side of town where the cemetery is located.

When they get there, Illan has Jorry and
Uther keep an eye on Faetherton while he and the guard proceed into
the cemetery. They all watch Illan as he and the guard make their
way through the headstones and crypts, toward the last resting
place of his beloved Alaina. About midway through the cemetery,
they come to a stop and Illan falls to his knees.

It looks as if the guard says something to
him and then Illan replies. The guard then begins walking away from
where Illan is kneeling beside his wife’s grave.

“Should we stop him?” Jiron asks James
indicating the guard.

Shaking his head he says, “No. Illan told him
he could leave if he showed him where his wife was buried.”

The guard glances toward them and by the time
he’s reached the edge of the graveyard has broken into a run and
looks to be fleeing for his life. “Guess he felt there might be a
change of heart,” offers Miko.

“Looks that way,” agrees Jiron. Turning to
James he says, “How long should we wait?”

“As long as he needs,” he says quietly.

Faetherton stands there quietly for several
minutes. Then when Illan isn’t making any move to leave he says,
“You know you all are in a lot of trouble.”

Jiron laughs, “I suppose.”

“So?” Yern says.

“If you let me go I’ll go easy on you when
the time comes,” he says.

“I doubt if you’ll live that long,” Uther
says.

“Are you threatening me?” he says
offended.

Uther looks at him and nods over to where
Illan is returning, “I’m not the one you should be worried
about.”

Faetherton turns to see Illan stalking from
the graveyard wearing a grim expression. The color drains from his
face as he sees Illan’s hand resting on the pommel of his
sword.

Illan comes to stand before Faetherton, the
others gathered around. “I charge you with the death of my wife,
the wrongful imprisonment of my son and his family. I also charge
you with the illegal seizure of power here in Seastar. How do you
plead?”

Faetherton gasps when he hears that. “How do
I plead?” he replies indignantly. “Who are you to make charges
against me? You, who killed with reckless abandon many years ago.
You hold no authority here.”

“Is there anyone here who has anything to say
on this man’s behalf?” he asks. A silence hangs in the air as he
looks to each in turn, finally settling on James, of everyone
there, he’s the most likely to voice an objection. To the surprise
of all, he shakes his head.

“So be it,” he says and draws his sword.

“Wait!” Faetherton cries, the doom of the
moment finally becoming real to him. He tries to make a break for
it but Jorry and Uther grab him and drag him back. Forcing him to
his knees, they hold him there to face Illan’s judgment.

“You are found guilty, the sentence is
death!” he says as he lashes out and severs his head from his body.
Jorry and Uther quickly back away to avoid being sprayed by the
blood as it fountains from his neck.

“Battlefield justice,” Potbelly says.

Wiping his sword on the dead man’s clothes,
Illan says, “Let’s go.” Moving to his horse, he mounts and leads
them back through town and to his estate. As they leave, James
glances back to the dead man and shudders.

Arriving at the estate, they find two of
Ceadric’s men standing watch in front by the gate. They come to
attention when he arrives and one opens the gate to allow them
through. Up at the manor house everyone’s in a flurry of
activity.

As they leave the gate behind them and make
their way toward the house, word begins to spread of their return
and all activity ceases. The front door to the house is open and
before they arrive, Ceadric, Delia and the others come out to greet
them.

“Are they settled in?” Illan asks
Ceadric.

“Yes, sir,” he replies. “They’re in the
dining room having a bite to eat, they were all quite famished. I
have riders out to gather those who will have time to reach Brook’s
Hollow by dawn.”

“Good,” he says as he dismounts. Caleb and
Moyil come forward to take their horses. Illan moves into the
house.

James signals for Delia, Jiron and Miko to
follow him and he takes them from the bustle surrounding the manor
house to an area where they can have some privacy. “I guess you
realize things have changed slightly?” he asks.

“You could say that,” Jiron replies.

“Poor man,” Delia says, saddened by Illan’s
loss. Then an angry look comes to her as she says, “Those children
were on Coryntia’s doorstep. Any longer and none would have
survived.”

James nods in agreement. “Illan took care of
Lord Faetherton.”

“He’s dead,” adds Jiron.

“Good,” she says. “I don’t usually wish ill
of another, but this was reprehensible.”

“I agree,” states James. “Our small band is
now practically an army.”

Delia looks questioningly at him and Jiron
explains. “It’s Illan. As Black Hawk, he commanded a sizeable force
of men, men it would seem who are still loyal to him. Tomorrow at
Brook’s Hollow, wherever that is, we’ll see just how much our group
has grown.”

“Do you think he’ll revert to his old ways?”
she asks.

“I don’t know,” replies James. “He said he
still follows me. If I don’t ask him to, he will likely continue on
as he has been. Only this time with an army at his back.”

“With what we have coming ahead, that can
only be a good thing,” interjects Miko.

Silence fills the air as James glances from
one to the other. “I was hoping to have a small band which may
remain unnoticed and easily escape. If I take an army into battle,
what chance do we have of that?”

“Good point,” says Jiron.

“So what do you plan to do?” Miko asks.

“Play it by ear,” he tells them. “As a wise
man once said, ‘No battle plan ever lasts past the first fall of
the sword.’ Already the plans I’ve made are undergoing change.” He
glances over to the dozen or so men beginning to set up camp on
Illan’s front lawn. “More men can’t be a bad thing, can it?”

Jiron laughs, “Hardly. Have you actually
looked at these guys? They’re battle hardened veterans who are no
strangers to war. A better bunch of men you couldn’t ask for. True,
they’re getting on in age, but not so much that it will hinder
them.”

Nodding, James says, “Perhaps you’re right.”
Already, plans and strategies for how he’ll use these men in the
upcoming battles are beginning to take shape. “Yes, perhaps you are
right.” Smiling, he takes them back to the manor house.

The following morning, Illan takes his leave
of Alric and his family. He and his son were up talking through the
night about his wife, their future and more inconsequential
matters. He offered to leave some men behind for protection, but
Alric assured him that with Lord Faetherton out of the picture, he
had little to fear.

Alric had been surprised when he learned of
Illan’s past, that his father was the feared and renowned Black
Hawk of legend. In a way hurt that his father never entrusted that
knowledge with him, but understanding the motivations behind it.
All Illan had to say was that it was his mother’s wish he was never
to learn, told him all he needed to know.

James and the others, including Ceadric and
his men, wait on horseback out front while he finishes his
goodbyes. Moyil stands holding the reins to his horse until he
appears. At last, he comes through the door, his two grandkids
holding onto him, begging him not to go. In the short time he’s
known them, they grew awfully fond of him. Alric’s wife finally has
to take charge and disengage them from him.

“You be careful now,” his son cautions.

Taking the reins from Moyil, Illan mounts and
then turns toward his son. “I will. You take care of my grandkids
and I’ll be back when I can.”

“I will father,” he says. His wife stands
there with a sad smile as she holds onto the kids to prevent them
from charging forward.

He gives her a wave and salutes his
grandkids, which gets them even more excited. Then he turns and
begins making his way down the lane to the gate. “Goodbye grampa,”
the boy hollers. He turns in his saddle and waves one more time
before turning back.

As they leave the gate and the manor house
behind, Illan rides in silence. Memories come to him unbidden of
his life here and the family he has left. He glances over to
Ceadric and sees him smiling. “What are you smiling about?” he
asks.

Ceadric grins at him and says, “I never in my
life thought the ruthless Black Hawk would ever be called
‘grampa’.” At that he chuckles as does many of the others who
overheard the exchange.

“We all get old,” he replies, “if we’re
lucky.”

In the fore of the column ride James and
Illan with Ceadric and Jiron just behind them. The rest follow
along at the rear. They ride toward town and when they get there,
James is surprised at how many of the townsfolk have turned out.
Seems rumors have been circulating about the events of the night
before, that Illan is actually Black Hawk and that he’s going to
thump the Empire just as he did before.

“Illan!” he hears from those in the street.
“Is it true you’re going to take on the Empire again?”

“Looks that way,” he replies.

“Give ‘em hell!” another shouts out.

“That’s the plan,” he exclaims and a cheer
erupts from the onlookers.

They work their way through town and the
people steadily fall behind until finally dropping out of sight. He
takes them along a dirt road which he says will lead to Brook’s
Hollow. Before they even get there, the smell of wood smoke reaches
them.

Along the way, several riders come up from
behind, those just now arriving in answer to Illan’s call. When
they reach the group, they fall in behind with the rest of Black
Hawk’s men.

What awaits them at Brook’s Hollow is even
more than what Illan expected. Five hundred men at least await them
there. The majority are those who served with him before, but many
brought their sons along to follow his banner. The banner bearing
Black Hawk’s insignia stands proudly in the center of the assembled
men, blowing proudly in the breeze.

“I didn’t realize there were that many left,”
Illan says in amazement.