Jarryd: Chapter 12
The next afternoon, Jarryd cleaned up after working, put on his hat and got ready to head into town. Scruffy came running up, looking excited. The little dog had completely taken to the farm. She’d spent all day exploring and sniffing everything. She seemed to have boundless energy.
Jarryd had kept an eye on her at first, worried she would chase the chickens or bark at Old Jess, the cow. But Scruffy only sniffed Jess once, and when the rooster drew himself up and got aggressive, Scruffy ran and hid under the chokecherry bush.
“I’m heading into town now, Scruffy. You wait here and guard the place, okay?” Scruffy looked at him, her head cocked to one side.
Jarryd started walking away. Scruffy followed.
“You have to stay here.”
Scruffy stared at him, head cocked.
“You don’t understand a word I say, do you?”
What should he do? He could tie the dog, but he’d always hated seeing dogs tied up. It seemed wrong to him.
He could lock her in the house. There was a risk she would chew up something, but at least she’d be safe.
When he headed into the house, she followed. Jarryd closed the doors to the bedrooms and made sure there was nothing chewable that she could reach.
“I’ll be home later.” He hurried out the door before she could follow.
He’d only gone a few steps when the howling started. It was such a lonely, sad sound that he couldn’t bear it and turned around straight away.
Scruffy came boiling out of the house, tongue lolling, eyes lit up.
“Well, I guess you’re coming to me. You better behave. Jenine doesn’t tolerate poorly behaved dogs in her inn. Believe me, you do not want to cross her.” Scruffy barked once, almost like she understood. Jarryd scratched behind her ears and got licked in return.
He wiped off the dog spit. “Ugh. I saw what you had in your mouth earlier. No thanks.”
They headed into town, Scruffy exploring everything on the way. He had to admit that he was growing attached to the little dog already. She was relentlessly cheerful and good-natured. He thought probably she would be good with kids too.
Slow down, he told himself. You’re not even married yet.
But Kath had said yes. She’d said yes! It still felt like a dream. How long had he had to live with the awful knowledge that he couldn’t get married, he couldn’t have a family, all because of his curse?
Yet now, here he was. Back home. The farm was doing well. Kath had agreed to marry him. He even had a dog. If only his parents were still alive, everything would be perfect.
“Stay close when we get to town,” he told Scruffy. “I don’t want you getting lost or run over by a wagon.”
He needn’t have worried. Once they got close, Scruffy stopped her exploring. She stuck to him like glue, staying right at his side, regularly looking up at him to be sure he was still there. No doubt she was afraid of being abandoned again, Jarryd thought. He was glad she’d found a new home.
“Where’d you get the dog?” Swick asked, stepping off his porch as Jarryd went by.
“She followed us back from Creekside.”
“Watch she don’t eat your chickens.”
“She won’t.”
“I heard you and Kath were set on by bandits.”
“We were.”
“I bet they were nothing after fighting dragons.”
“I never said I fought a dragon.”
“You never said you didn’t, neither. Every time, you just sidestep.”
Jarryd decided not to reply.
“You headed to the town hall?” Swick asked.
“I am.” Then Jarryd decided he needed to try to be nice. “Are you?”
“Yep. If we got bandits overrunning the town, I mean to do my part.”
“No one said anything about them overrunning the town.”
“You never know with outsiders. They might do anything.”
The inn was already quite full. Jarryd worried at first that Scruffy was going to get stepped on, but the little dog clearly had some experience with crowds. She stayed right by Jarryd’s heel and kept a sharp eye out.
Dana and Hervin, an older couple who farmed near Jarryd, were the first people to greet him. “I’m glad you two are okay,” Dana said, a worried look on her normally smiling face. “I shudder to think what might have happened.”
Mickel and Jordey were there. They called out a greeting. Charl, the teamster who’d lost one hand, waved his stump at Jarryd. Old Bert, the biggest dairy farmer in the area, gave Jarryd the barest nod. Vern and Delthy, whose farm bordered Jarryd’s, gave a friendly wave.
More were entering the whole time. Terince, the owner of the general store, came limping in, leaning on his cane. Old lady Polly and Winton came in together and took seats, their perpetual feud laid aside for the time being. Polly called out his name.
Others were there who weren’t so friendly. Nathen, who owned the mill, was there with his son, Chestar. Nathen ignored Jarryd. Chestar glared at him. Next to him, Alferd also glared. Sitting with them at their table were a handful of people Jarryd didn’t know well. Two of them he didn’t know at all. They must have moved in while he was gone. None of them were giving him friendly looks. They put their heads together, talking earnestly.
He also saw Barrin the blacksmith there, sitting alone in the corner. Barrin looked ill at ease.
Kath was standing with her father, Lenno, behind the bar. Since it was a town hall, they weren’t serving. Jarryd joined them.
“Practically the whole town is here,” Jarryd said.
“Word of the attack traveled fast,” Lenno said. He clasped Jarryd’s hand. “Thank you for protecting Kath.”
A few more people came in. It was standing room only now and precious little of that.
Lenno banged on the bar. “Let’s get this started, shall we? I know we had some other things we wanted to talk about tonight, but I think we all agree this is more important right now.”
The door opened again. The black-clad figure of the Rector entered. People shifted away from him.
Charl was the first to hold up his hand to speak. Lenno nodded at him. “Tell us what happened. I’ve heard a dozen versions so far, each more outlandish than the last. I don’t know what to believe.”
“We were passing through the woods near Kern’s Hill,” Kath said. “Four of them jumped out of the bushes.” She went on to share the rest of the details. Jarryd noticed she left out the parts where he used kriyana.
When she was done, everyone started talking at once. Lenno had to bang on the bar several times to get quiet back.
“One at a time, people!” he yelled. “Let’s not be here all night.”
Nathen stood up. The mill owner was a shriveled-up man with a sour expression and a bad temper. “I say bullshit.”
More excited talking. More banging from Lenno to bring order back.
Nathen hitched up his pants. “You expect me to believe you fought off four men with swords? By yourself?”
“Hey, Jarryd fought a dragon!” Swick yelped.
Nathen sneered. “We’ve only his word for that.”
Under his breath, Jarryd said, “I never said I fought a dragon.” Kath squeezed his arm.
“I say it’s a lot of hooey,” Nathen continued. “Probably one old beggar with a stick and nothing more. They’re making it all up.” The others at his table nodded in agreement.
“Why would they do that?” Terince wanted to know. “What’s the point?”
“Ever since that boy came back to town he’s been strutting and preening like a rooster. He probably came up with this whole thing to show off.”
Kath spoke then, her voice cold. “Are you saying I’m a liar?”
Nathen grunted. “Ever since you took up with him, there’s no telling.”
“I did not take up with him. He is my betrothed.” She looked like she wanted to take a piece out of Nathen.
Whispers went around the room. Apparently that news hadn’t spread everywhere yet.
He waved her off. “All the more reason to lie for him.”
Now Lenno spoke up. His face had grown very dark. “You go too far, sir. My daughter is no liar. Take those words back right now or consider yourself banned from the Red Eel.”
Nathen swallowed a little at that. There wasn’t anywhere else in town to go at night. But neither did he want to lose face.
He mumbled something that might have been a retraction, then spoke to the others at the table. “Let’s go and leave these damned fools to chase ghosts in the night.”
His son and the other men at the table followed him out.
The Rector spoke. “I told you, oh, I told you.” His sharp features were darkly outlined in the lamplight. “I warned you again and again that the boy is a tool of demons. They work through him, can't you see? Now that the Emperor has fallen, they will flock here. Mark my words.” His voice was very shrill. “If you follow him, you condemn yourself before Vidon. You will pay. You will all pay.”
He left the inn.
Lenno looked around the room. “Now that we got them out of the way, let’s discuss what to do. Jarryd, is there anything you want to say first?”
“Yes. Those men were soldiers. No, not from Rensfire. From south of the Blade Mountains. Now that the Emperor has fallen, there will be thousands of soldiers just like them, men with nowhere to go. Many will be far from their homelands. They will be desperate.”
Heads were nodding as he spoke.
“You’re saying we’re likely to see more of ‘em,” Hervin said.
“I am.”
“How many?”
“I have no idea. We’re pretty far north. That helps.”
“Maybe those will be the only ones,” a woman said. She was wringing her hands.
“We can’t count on that, though,” Hervin replied. “What are you proposing?”
Jarryd realized Hervin was asking him. Looking around, he saw that everyone was looking at him.
“I think we should start a patrol.”
That started everyone talking again. Once order was restored, Charl spoke.
“That sounds sensible, but how are we to do this? It would take every man in town to patrol properly, and we’d still be spread pretty thin. And how are we supposed to work all day if we’re patrolling all night?”
Others spoke their agreement with him.
“We don’t have to patrol everywhere,” Jarryd said. “Just along the road leading south. Anyone coming from the south has to use that road. If we put a few men on top of Kern’s Hill, they’d know if anyone came this way.”
More voices as people assessed his words.
“What if they don’t use the road? What if they come through the woods?” Terince asked.
Charl shook his head. “They could, but the undergrowth is thick. It’d be a lot of work. Most won’t put in that much effort. Especially if they don’t know we’re watching for them.” He looked at Jarryd. “You can count me in. I’ll lend a hand.” He held up his stump with a grin while a few people groaned. Charl was always making bad jokes about his missing hand.
They agreed to set a watch on top of Kern’s Hill, with four men on watch each night. Plans were made to share weapons. It was decided that each team have a horse with them. That way, if a force of men too large for the patrol to handle was spotted, someone could be sent to the town to raise the alarm.
“I’ll take the first watch,” Jarryd said.
Swick instantly stuck his hand in the air. “I’ll go too.”
Jarryd suppressed a groan.
Otto and Lerg, the twins who owned the tannery, stood up. “We’ll go.”
“We should start tonight,” Jarryd said.
“So soon?” Swick asked, his eyes flicking to the bar. “Wouldn’t tomorrow night be better?”
“No. We don’t know where those men who attacked us went. They might even be part of a larger band. I’ll need a little time to go back to the farm and get my horse and some things, but then we can head on out. Bring any weapons you have and a blanket. Food and drink if you want them.”
When he said drink, Swick’s eyes lit up. “Yes, drink. I’ll bring a bottle of something to keep the chill away.”
Jarryd shook his head. “This isn’t a party. If something happens, I can’t have you drunk.”
Swick’s face fell. “Maybe just a quick mug before I head out?”
“No. You don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”
“I’ll go, I’ll go. I just don’t see why we can’t have something to pass the time.”
Around them, people were leaving.
“You’re no fun,” Swick said.
Jarryd gave him a look. “This isn’t meant to be fun. You know that, right? It could be dangerous, even deadly.”
Swick gulped visibly. “I don’t like the way you said that.”
“It’s the truth. You need to be aware of that.”
Swick drew himself up. “You’re right. You can count on me.”
Jarryd put his hand on Swick’s shoulder. “It’s okay to be scared. I am.”
Swick snorted in disbelief. “Sure, you are. I don’t believe that.”
“It’s true. I’ve been through a lot of battles, but it never stops being terrifying.”
“If you say so.” Swick still looked skeptical.
The twins came up. “Meet back here,” Jarryd told them. “Don’t waste any time. If we hurry, we should still be able to make it out there before dark.”
Jarryd ran home. He put on his scarred, leather armor and strapped on his sword. He packed some food and a water flask. While saddling Juney, he noticed that the leather cinch was cracking and would have to be replaced soon.
When he got back to the inn, all three were waiting for him. The twins wore long cloaks and each carried a spear. Swick was wearing a battered breastplate and carrying a short sword that had seen much better years.
“Where did you get those?” Jarryd asked him.
“My gramps served in Rensfire when he was young. He gave me this stuff before he died.”
Jarryd turned to the twins. “Can you use those?”
“Ready to stab, sir!” Otto said loudly, banging the butt of his spear on the ground.
“Watch this.” Lerg tried to spin his spear but dropped it instead. He frowned. “I used to be able to do that.”
“Okay, then,” Jarryd said. “The important thing is you know which end is the pointy one.”
They headed for Kern’s Hill, reaching it shortly before darkness fully settled in. They left Juney tied at the base of the hill and climbed to the top. As Jarryd expected, they had a good view for some distance in both directions. The top of the hill was flattened, with enough space for several people to lie down. There was an old fire ring and a long-dead tree.
“We’ll take turns standing watch,” Jarryd said. “Two sleep while two watch.” He’d thought about this and decided it would be best. With two people on watch the chances of them both falling asleep went down.
Swick scratched under his breastplate. “I’ll stand watch with you.” He shifted the breastplate to a more comfortable position, then shifted it again.
“You can take that off,” Jarryd told him.
“I don’t know if I will. I don’t fancy a sword in my ribs.”
“If we see anyone coming, you’ll have time to put it back on.”
“You’re not taking off your armor.”
“Mine’s a whole lot less uncomfortable than yours is. Plus, I’ve worn it so much I almost forget it’s there.” It was true. Though it seemed awkward at first, he’d quickly readjusted to the feel of it.
“Maybe in a little while.” Swick was clearly nervous. He kept looking up the road as if expecting to see a troop of soldiers bearing down on them right then.
Jarryd turned to the twins. “Do you want the first watch or the second?”
They looked at each other, sharing silent communication. Otto spoke up. “We’ll take the first watch.”
“I don’t want first watch,” Lerg said. “Don’t speak for me.”
Jarryd shifted a little, trying to move to where he wasn’t downwind of them. They didn’t smell much better outdoors than they did inside. “Figure it out and let me know.” He moved away, leaving them arguing.
Swick snapped a limb off the dead tree and threw it into the firepit.
“What are you doing?” Jarryd asked.
“I thought a nice fire would help make it cozy. And I brought a sausage to cook for supper.”
Jarryd sighed. “Really, Swick?”
“What?”
“We’re on top of a hill. It will be dark. People will be able to see us for leagues.”
Swick frowned. “Oh. Yeah. I hadn’t thought of that.” He looked at Jarryd. “Good thing we have you here to explain the rules.”
Otto spoke up. “We decided to take the first watch.”
“Fine.” The stars were coming out. Jarryd pointed to the Peddler, one of the constellations. “When that drops to the horizon, wake me up.”
Jarryd laid his blankets out and lay down on top of them.
“You’re going to sleep already?” Swick asked. “It’s so early.”
“The second watch will come around before you know it. It’s best to sleep while you can.”
Swick drooped a little. “I guess so.” He rolled out his blankets on the opposite side of the fire ring from Jarryd and lay down.
The twins moved over to the lip of the hill and sat down under the dead tree, leaning against the trunk.
“You shouldn’t both be sitting down at the same time,” Jarryd pointed out. “It’s easy to fall asleep when you’re sitting.”
That started an argument between them about who got to sit first.
Meanwhile, Swick was tossing and turning on his temporary bed. “This is terrible. The ground is so hard. I’ll never get to sleep.”
Jarryd smiled to himself. He remembered feeling the same way. The ground was an unforgiving mattress. “You’ll get used to it.”
“No. I won’t.” With a frustrated sound, Swick got up and tossed his blankets aside. “This rock is poking me in the back.” He pried a rock out of the ground and tossed it over the edge. He put his blankets back and lay down.
“How is it worse now?” he said after a moment. “How can you stand it?”
“Practice.” Although, the truth was that Jarryd felt pretty uncomfortable himself. His months of living indoors were already having their effect on him. He wasn’t used to this lifestyle anymore.
Jarryd fell asleep to the sound of the twins arguing in low voices.
When Lerg awakened him, he was dreaming of the small girl and the bat winged creature. He sat up, rubbing his eyes, trying to remember what the child looked like, but his memory was too fuzzy.
Swick sat up with a groan. “I don’t think I slept at all. How does anyone sleep like this?” He pulled on his coat. “Don’t tell me I’ll get used to it,” he growled. “I never will.”
Jarryd and Swick moved to their positions under the dead tree. “Sit down if you want,” Jarryd told him. “I’ll stand first and tell you when I need a break. You can even go to sleep if you want.”
“I’ll try, but I won’t be able to.” Still, Swick took a seat and leaned against the tree. “You did this a lot, I bet. When you were out chasing dragons.”
“Just so you know, no one chases dragons. You run from them. You hide from them. But you don’t chase them.”
The twins fell asleep right away. From the racket that arose from them, it was clear they were champion snorers.
Swick was silent for some time. Jarryd thought he’d fallen asleep when he spoke. “What was it like out there? I’ve never been anywhere.”
“I was terrified most of the time. Exhausted. Dirty. Sore.”
“I don’t believe that, about being terrified. You’re the bravest person I know.”
Jarryd thought about fleeing from Shadar after rescuing Hamisi. About being nearly eaten by the huge ape creature in the jungle. The gladiator pits. The running battles with Imperial assassins. The Selaki, shark people of legend. The hopeless battles with the Emperor.
“Believe me, I was scared all the time.”
“You don’t make it sound like very much fun, being a hero.”
“That’s because it isn’t.”
“You don’t even let people buy you drinks.” Swick sounded disbelieving. “If I was a hero, I’d spend all day at the inn, letting people buy me drinks in exchange for stories. But you won’t even talk about the things you did. Why is that?”
It was Jarryd’s turn to think. “Lots of reasons. I did…things. Things I’m ashamed of.”
“Not you.”
“Yes. Me. I made heaps of mistakes. I killed people. I hurt my friends.”
“It couldn’t have been that bad.”
Jarryd remembered how angry Hamisi was with him after he lied about the Thaumaturge Stone. “It was. Worse than I can tell you.”
“But you won. You defeated the Emperor.”
“What? I never said I defeated the Emperor.”
“No, you just sidestep that like you sidestep everything else. Why won’t you just talk about it?”
“Because I don’t want to. I want to put all that behind me. I just want to be a normal farmer.”
“Who’d want to be a farmer when you could be a hero instead?”
“Me. That’s who.”
“I’ve never understood you, Jarryd. You were always so…different. It was like you were always somewhere else.”
“Because I was.”
“Am I supposed to know what that means?”
“Go to sleep, Swick.”
“I’ll never be able to sleep on this ground.”
Yet it was only a little while later that Jarryd heard him snoring. Jarryd decided not to wake him up when it was his turn. He could finish the night off by himself. Besides, in a strange way, he liked having the night all to himself. It was peaceful. It gave him time to think.
His thoughts went back to his latest dream. Was it truly a vision? Was it something that was going to happen here?
He needed to start asking around town. If he could find the girl, then he could go to her home and see if anything there looked familiar. He could warn her parents.
(Are you enjoying Jarryd's tale? Would you like to read his adventures before this, when he fought the Dragon Queen? Just click here to check it out!)
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