The Many, Part One (standard:fantasy, 1973 words) [1/2] show all parts
Author: Vincent Collevera	Updated: Apr 04 2010	Views/Reads: 3236/2050	Part vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Celebrated heroes are few and far between, but the men and women who constantly stand vigil, and do their deeds with no accolade or acknowledgement are many. These are their stories.

Click here to read the first 75 lines of the story

quarter-keg of whiskey lashed to the back of the saddle with a note.  
"It was a real pleasure having you with us Master Eddon.  I knew it was 
only a matter of time before you headed out, so I left instructions to 
provision you well for your journey.  Fare you well and know you've 
been a boon and a blessing on this town.  All that we have is open to 
you and no door will bar you shelter should you ever ask it."  It was 
signed with a simple X.  He chuckled.  The man elected to be Mayor here 
had been a simple farmer when he'd arrived and hadn't even known how to 
read.  Carl had fixed that, and made certain that no one in the town 
would want for the learning of simple letters and numbers in the 
future.  The X was a jest, and one that he took for what it was.  He 
knew he would miss the people of this town more than most, and hoped he 
would find his way back through here again some time in the future. 

Two days later found him on the road, traveling along at a good clip on
his way to the next nearest town.  It would be another four days before 
he arrived there, and by that time he expected to have a trap laid out 
for the individual who'd been following him discreetly from a few miles 
back for the past day or so.  The day faded on into evening and he 
stopped off to the side of the road just before dusk to make camp.  
Much to his surprise, he was nearly done preparing a simple stew when 
his stalker rode right up to the edge of his campground and dismounted. 
 The person was fairly short, being just above five feet, and 
well-concealed in a hooded cloak and shawl that left only a pair of 
pale green eyes showing. 

The eyes were familiar, but he couldn't place them.  He'd made a lot of
enemies over the years and there was no telling which of them had 
chosen this time to seek him out.  The person tied his horse well away 
from Chord, so as to avoid contention between the two, and sat down on 
a stump just inside the light of the fire.  He or she said nothing.  
Carl shrugged and helped himself to a bowl of stew, sitting it on the 
ground beside him to cool before he began eating.  The stranger just 
sat and watched him. 

"When you reach the next town, will you do the same there as you did for
us, Master Eddon?"  Came a solemn voice just breaching puberty.  Carl 
blinked a few times before replying, as though trying to convince 
himself of what he was seeing.  "Stev, what in the nine hells do you 
think you're doing following me?"  He asked.  The boy tossed back his 
hood and unwrapped the shawl.  His skin was tanned and slightly 
weathered from working most of his young life outdoors.  He smiled, and 
his apparent youth shone through the two days worth of road dust.  
"Well, you said you had nothing left to teach the folks 'round here.  
And you said you were needed elsewhere.  As I recall, one of your 
lessons was to learn by watching others' examples and do a good turn 
when able just because it needs doing.  There's more I can learn from 
you out here than I could ever learn cooped up in a stable, and I want 
to help people the way you do.  And before you say anything, I'll tell 
you now that I'm not taking no for an answer.  If you send me back, 
I'll just continue to follow you until you give in or kill me." 

Carl had never heard such a lengthy speech from the usually shy lad and
his words sparked something in him.  He'd been followed by boys and a 
few ladies out of towns before, but they had never persevered long 
enough to catch up to him.  And they had never been adequately prepared 
for lengthy travel in the first place.  He knew this boy was good with 
horses, and possessed of an able mind besides.  "Well, I suppose you'll 
be hungry then.  I trust you brought a bowl with you, as I've only got 
the one."  He said, gesturing to his own steaming on the ground.  Stev 
grinned again and pulled forth a cracked clay mug from within his cloak 
with a flourish.  "Dig in then.  Long ride tomorrow."  He smiled back 
at the boy and was strangely comforted by the prospect of company on 
what was usually a long and lonely ride. 

Three days later and he was beginning to regret his decision to allow
the boy to accompany him.  The constant questions and prattle were 
slowly driving him mad.  "Master Eddon?"  He sighed deeply.  "Yes, 
Stev?"  The boy was sitting his horse easily, staying abreast of him 
and not really paying attention to where they were going.  "Could you 
build a bridge from one side of the Great Rift to the other?"  He 
chuckled.  "Actually, yes.  I've often considered what it would take to 
undertake such a task.  It would have to be a suspension bridge with 
great stone towers at either end of the bridge to take the strain.  And 
the ropes would have to be things such have never been made before.  
You'd need miles and miles of rope as big around as a horse's belly.  
Then there's the actual spans.  They'd have to be made from the 
tallest, thickest trees you've ever seen to hold the weight of the 
bridge.  It would take ten years or better to construct it and more 
manpower than the Aenervalian military to do it.  Why, just the- "  He 
stopped in mid-sentence and pulled his horse to a stop in the middle of 
the road.  "What is it?"  Young Stev asked. 

"Something's amok at the Lord Julian's keep.  It's been bothering me for
the past hundred yards or so.  I was wondering what it was that had me 
looking over my shoulder.  Listen, boy."  Stev tilted his head to the 
side and listened.  "But I don't hear anything."  Carl looked at him 
grimly.  "Exactly my point.  From here we should be able to hear sounds 
from the keep, the blacksmith, the Guard calling out the watch, 
something.  Even the animals are quiet.  No birds, no woodland 
creatures scuttling through the leaves.  Take caution and stay behind 
me.  I need to know what's going on." 


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