CH-2 The Road In

For the first few miles or so no one said a word.  The only sounds were those of foot steps on the road.  Gwen and my foot steps.  Michael and his people apparently walked with complete silence when they wanted to.  After following and watching a while I realized it was from a combination of carefully choosing where they stepped and making a conscious effort to always place and pick up their feet vertically.  If they dragged their feet and made noise as Michael had done earlier, it was to help mask the noise of others.  When ever Gwen or I would stumble they gave us stares as if we had called down a den of thieves upon us.  Their technique was something we could learn, but would take a bit of practice.  After months on the road I was just too tired.  It would have to wait for the moment.

From time to time they would leave the road, taking a more protected path or higher ground.  As we reached one high ridge line Lydia said to one of the young men, "Mark, there she is!" and pointed up into the sky.  Off to the west I could make out an aplomado falcon soaring. Paralleling us.  Periodically it would make a circle to keep from overtaking us.  Gwen reached into her pouch and withdrew a small piece of meat, then stopped and while holding out the meat, raised her arm to expose a thick leather gauntlet from under her lose fitting sleeve.  She stood steady as a rock while the falcon came in for it's treat.  I must confess, I was so hungry I considered reaching for the food myself.

Michael stopped, turned, and was awaiting an answer to some unspoken question.  Lydia turned to him and said, "It's clear the rest of the way into town."  Gwen took the words right out my head, "and we know this how?"  We got the stares once again.  At times I think if i thought too loud they would hear me, but after a pause it was Michael who spoke, "in part because Sickle" he pointed to the falcon "would not have returned if there were anyone hiding in the under brush out ahead of us and in part because those two" he gestured to both Sickle and to Lydia, "seem to communicate with each other better than they do with either of their own kind."  Michael shook his head, "can't say i understand it either, but they're never wrong" then he turned and continued to lead the way into Marble.  Continued in silence.  These people sure didn't talk much.

After the initial drop off the cap rocks of the ridge, the path became a gradual slope that rejoined the main road just before the edge of town.  Marble in many ways was just like any other community.  It's main street had once been paved back in the days of the old world.  Since then it had reverted back to crushed stone, gravel, and lots of dust.  Some older brick buildings still lined the main street.  most of the newer ones were wood.  Others were a mix where someone had tried to fix an old brick building by closing off the damaged areas with wood.

Certain businesses would be easily found on it's main street.  some reputable, others less so.  There would be inns, taverns, junk stores, and even a stable on the good side of the street.  On the down wind side you'd find the ones you'd best not be seen entering.  The lawyer offices, the banks, and of course the jail and constable's office.  nothing good ever comes from such places.   Oh they pretend to be pillars of the community but if the truth be told, they feed off it.  Somethings are just human nature I guess.

One block to the upwind side of main street you'd find the nicer parts of town.  Restaurants, maybe a general store, and a farmers market or a bazaar.  beyond that would be the residential areas.  if you went a few block over from the down wind side of main street you'd find the slums and parts of town that civilized people just don't discuss.

As we approached some people began to stare. others turned away as if to deny our existence.  Gwen and I had grown accustom to this sort of treatment.  The "good" people of any given community never pass up an opportunity to look down on outsiders.  Especially those who are down on their luck or haven't seen a hot bath in a while.  I wish i could say this was a trait of the Southlands, but we'd had to endure it in the Midlands and even our native Northlands as well.  Somethings are just human nature.

It didn't seem to bother Michael and his people much.  Maybe they just didn't take it personal since Gwen and myself were the new comers.  They walked on without acknowledging it.  Then I realized it wasn't Gwen and I they were reacting to, at, but Michael and his people.  Tired as I was, i picked up my pace to catch up with Michael.

"Sir, may I ask a question of you?"
Michael turned and replied, "It would be best to wait till we reach the bridge"
"why?"
"I'll be more than happy to explain, if you'll wait till we reach the bridge"
Michael was in a hurry.  There was something we hadn't been told.

Down some dusty back road I heard my name called.  I have a common name so I thought little of it.  Then I head another call, "Gwen! Kyle! Stop!"  My insides turned into a knot.  It was James!  We'd found him or rather, he'd found us.  Gwen had already covered half the distance between him and our selves.  I was about to thank Michael for helping us complete our journey, but he had never broken stride.  Mark and the others were doing the same.  As Lydia passed me she smiled and said, "we must go, Sickle wishes you well."  I stuttered out a "thank you", as our guardians left me standing alone in the dusty main street of Marble.  "you too."

I turned to greet James.  Gwen had almost tackled him when She slammed into him to gave him a hug.  It had been a long time since I've seen her smile like that.  This trip had taken a lot out of her and I'd wondered a few times if there would be anything left of her.  The smile was a good sign.

James had changed a bit as well.  He had adopted the styles and dress of the region.  He wore his hair a little longer which looked sort of funny with his cotton top hair coming out of the sides of his hat.  I guess I just wasn't used to it. I'm not sure why i would expect him to be the same person who had left home to find his fortunes years ago.  Finally Gwen let him catch his breath and he stepped over to me, shook my hand, smiled and said, "You two look like ghosts, come to the house and we'll get some food in you."  Food, we'd been several days with out anything.  We'd been trying to eat the beans that grow on the thorny trees, but I'm still not sure if they can be called food.  Gwen had declined eating more, and i suspect she was having the same stomach pains i was.

"you have no Idea how wonderful that would be", I thought out loud.
"I think I do.  To travel all the way from the Northlands is not something to be taken lightly.  Things must be getting bad."
Gwen closed her eyes and lowered her head slightly, "Mom died.  They took the family lands.  All of our friends suddenly treated us like we were lepers."

James was silent for a moment, "I'm sorry to hear that."  after a moment, "We didn't always get along, but she was a good person"
I considered pointing out that James hadn't gotten along with a lot of people.  It was part of the reason he'd left.  But I held back.  This wasn't the time, and in hind sight, maybe he wasn't the problem after all.

He turned to lead us towards his home when a commotion broke out up the street.  "Geez, the Guildsmen can never seem to stay out of trouble for long" James said with no surprise in his voice.
"They seemed like decent enough people to me, they helped Gwen and myself from three highwaymen north of town."
"They saved our lives", Gwen added.
James was about to walk on anyway when I grabbed a hold of his sleeve, "James, if there's a problem, we owe them.  The last batch of thieves had every intention of killing us whether we'd had money to give them or not."
It was James' turn, "You don't know the Guildsmen.  They can't so much as pass through town without getting into trouble with someone.  I've heard they'll kill you at the drop of a hat if you so much as look at them wrong."
I didn't think of it as a drop of a hat, but in the few hours I'd known them, Michael's people had killed one man and threatened to kill two others.
James continued, "they steal from you when you're back is turned and then have the high and might gall to look down on us and call us scavengers.  Trust me, you don't want to get mixed up with them anymore than you already have.  They are not the sort of people you want to be defending in private, let alone in public."
"That doesn't change the fact that we wouldn't be having this conversation if they hadn't been there for us.  Yes, they could have kept walking past and no one would have never known they were there.  They could have let the men with the crossbows kill us.  Instead they drew attention away from Gwen and myself, putting themselves in harms way."
James just looked at me, "You shouldn't do this.  I can guarantee, it will end badly."

Gwen stood there with James, the look of horror on her face.  She was torn between helping those that had helped us and the need to wake from a bad dream and it all be over.  I could have used a little support but understood how she felt.  James had indeed changed.  There was a time he would have been the first to charge head long into a fight.  He'd picked a hell of a time to become respectable on me.  Now he was only concerned with being part of this community and staying off the radar.  Before he'd left the Northlands he'd said that all he wanted was a chance to start over.  The fortune he had searched for was a chance.

I turned and started making my way to the Commotion with Michael and his Guildsmen at it's center. There were shouts and accusations of "Murderer!" and "Lying thief!"  This was great!  they'd caught the highwaymen that had stopped us and must need Michael as a witness.   James would see.  Then I saw a familiar face step up from the street onto the sidewalk above the crowd.  Tristan pointed at Mark and shouted to the growing mob, ",,,and he still carries my blade!  the same one he used to kill my other traveling companion after he'd murdered the first with his bow!"  There was a roar from the crowd and he continued, "My friends and I had traveled to the Midlands and back in search of trade opportunities.  Through hard work and sacrifice we'd done well and had returned to share our wealth with those of our home."  I couldn't believe my ears, and these people were buying it lock stock and barrel.

"Tristan, You are a lying scum! The only sacrifice that's been made were by those you stole from!", that was my voice that turned Tristan and his mob to silence.  After months on the road with no one to talk with except Gwen i suspect I've developed a few bad habits.  Right now the most obvious was that i kept thinking out loud.  Maybe James was right, but someone still had to do something.  Since not only was I the only one interested, I'd already put my foot in it.  In for a penny, in for a pound.

I addressed the crowd, "Oh Yes!, there is a lying thief here but his name is Tristan and I'm looking at him right now!  Him and his two side kicks tried to rob my sister and I north of town!  when we said we had nothing to steal he threatened to have us killed."
"A remarkable tale, but hardly the truth",Tristan tried to cut me off but I'd already hit my stride.
"Michael and his people stopped them.  When Tristan ordered his men to fire on Michael and ourselves with crossbows, they defended us with their bows.  They only shot one of the thieves and it was in self defense.  If both are dead now, then one would be by Tristan's own hand.  He boasted that he would kill the other himself for using his name in front of us."

Except for the blood pounding through my head there wasn't a sound.  I turned to Michael, "Tell them what happened."
"Kyle, I do not waste my time defending myself to these people.  They lie to each other.  They steal from each other.  They stab each other in the back.  But they always blame us.  They pretend that laws exist here and expect us to follow them when they only remember those laws when it suits their agendas.  My words would fall on deaf ears.  It is for this reason we of the Guild have as little to do with them as possible."

"Pfft, Guild?  Guild of what?  Paper?  That's all anyone's ever seen those people make." said a new man walking up.  He wore a brass star on his top hat.  I guess that made him the local Constable.  well, there was that and that he'd come from the Constable's office across the road.  Tristan either was an all out psychopath or he just knew how to work the crowd.  He'd waited and picked his battle right in front of the constables office.  The Constable approached me, extended his hand and introduced himself, "I'm Constable Evan Rucker of Marble.  If you are going to accuse a man of murder, you should start by coming into my office so we can make this official."
"Does that rule apply to Tristan as well?" I said tilting my head towards the first member of this community I'd found myself introduced to.
"Of course, but I haven't heard my brother-in-law make any such claims.  Until I came out of my office, I didn't even know he was still alive."  Evan turned to Tristan, "Have you spoken to Joanna?  Does she know you're back?"
"No, I've just gotten into town.  And by this man's own admission those people killed one of my companions.  I've come to you first."
I had to jump into this family reunion, "Funny a minute ago you were selling the crowd on your claims that he'd killed two people."
Evan Turned to me, "Do you have any witnesses to verify your story other than Michael and his family?"

This was Michael's family?  In hind sight I suppose there was a strong resemblance.

"Just my sister Gwen and myself"
"and where is she now" Evan asked.
I turned and point back up the road to where they stood, "With our cousin James."
Evan raised an eye brow, "someone shoot me."
Ok, so I'm not the only one who thinks out loud.
"Excuse me Sir?"
Evan stood thinking for a moment.  searching for options.  I didn't know the details, but somehow I knew he was now in more trouble than me.
"James! get your ass down here now!"
James and Gwen started walking towards us.
Evan turned back towards me, "I have a problem.  You've publicly accused a member of a good family of murder and theft.  My wife's brother no less.  Now I find that you are James' family?"  Evan let out a long string of obscenities.  "I always knew that boy would bring trouble, but damn.  You've pretty much put the nails in your own coffin.  If Michael and his people will have you, I'd recommend you go with them.  You won't be welcome here."  "James will probably want Gwen to stay with him and Joanna's sister Beth."
I was confused, "So being Constable gives you the right to say who is welcome in my cousin's house?"
"You have no idea the hornet's nest you're stirring up here son.  James has worked himself into the ground to earn the respect of this community and win Beth's hand.  He's not going to get involved in this.  Trust me."
Yeah, that sounds like the new James.
"Wait!"  my mind was just catching up on a few things, "You said I could go with Michael?  You're not going to arrest them?"
Evan shook his head, "Not yet.  Right now there are more witnesses saying you're right, but this is far from over."
Evan introduced himself to Gwen with a tip of his hat and a slight bow, "Miss, I wish I could be welcoming you to our community under better circumstances, but forgive me I need to jump to the problem at hand.  Is it true you were robbed and threatened with death north of town?"
"Yes, that man there" Gwen said pointing at Tristan.  "He had two men working with him.  One was shot when he was going to shoot us and the other left with him when those people", Gwen said looking at the Guildsmen, "spared their lives if they would disarm and leave."

Evan looked as if his favorite pet had just died.  This wasn't what he wanted to hear.  He motioned for Michael  to step over but, they all came.  "Are you staying at the south bank or will you be going to the plateau?"
Michael had completely lost his carefree tone from when I first met him.  "We will be stopping at the Halls on the south bank of the river for the night and then moving on to the Library in the morning.  Are we free to go?"
"yes and no.  I need to see the site of the robbery, but I may have to ask you to come back."
"Constable, you've never used your office or the laws of this community to ensure that we were given the same rights as those who live north of the river.  why would we wish to return?"
Evan was about to blow his top, "Dammit old man, just this once could you not be a pain in the ass!"
Michael probably didn't pick the best time to smile, but he did, "you know where to find us.  May we go on our way before another mob forms?"
"Only if you take him with you", Evan replied nodding towards me.
Michael looked around at his family, then nodded to me and without another word headed to the old iron bridge that spanned the river.
I turned back to see Gwen hiding behind James.  She wouldn't even look at me.