Deeds of Their Past - 3. Chapter Three

Golden morning light streamed through the windows of Nathan’s quarters. After the luxurious bath the night before, he had slept soundly. Though he was awake now, he decided doze awhile longer on the downy bed, listening to distant birdsong. After all the recent travel, it was nice to take it easy.

After a long stretch, he rolled out of bed, only then realizing he was naked and without his clothes. After his bath, he’d come back wearing only a bathrobe. The maid, whose name he managed to pry was Thera, told him she’d have his clothes laundered. Slipping into the bathrobe, he opened the door to find a guard standing just outside. The man straightened and looked in his direction.

“Sir?”

Nathan was surprised to know someone had been standing outside his door, likely all night. “Uhm . . . I’m looking for Thera,” he stammered. “She took my clothes last night and I need them back.”

The guard, slightly put off by Nathan’s choice of words, offered an imperceptible smile on his face. “Thera should be here soon enough.”

Nathan thanked the guard and quickly closed the door. Gazing out the window, the morning sun shone brightly, allowing him to experience the majestic mountains in their full glory. Swinging open the pane, he half expected the same mysterious wind to blow into his room, but nothing happened. He stuck his head out, deeply breathing in the crisp air. He couldn’t help but smile at such a beautiful day.

A knock at the door announced Thera’s arrival, carrying in his clothes in one hand and a small tray of food in the other.

“Good morning,” she said cheerfully. “I trust you had a pleasant night?”

“Indeed. Please, let me take that for you.”

She handed him the folded clothes, and rushed to place the tray onto the table.

“Is there anything else you need?”

“No, this is fine, thanks.”

“Very well.”

She smiled before briskly darting toward the door. Nathan idly pondered if she was always in a rush. After taking one bite of food, another knock rapped at the door.

“Come in,” he called out with a mouthful.

Tarn poked his head in. “Good morning, sir.”

“I was hoping it was you. Come in.”

Tarn dismissed the guard standing outside the door and entered.

“Take a seat. Have you eaten yet?” Nathan asked.

“Uh . . . Yes, thank you. I wanted to inform you that Lord Helmsley won’t be able to see you until late in the day. He apologizes for the continued delay, but has matters he must attend to before seeing you.”

“Oh,” Nathan said simply.

“I’m very sorry, sir.”

Nathan smiled at the guard. “It’s not your fault. Don’t worry about it.”

“You’re my charge during your stay. What would you like to do to pass the time?”

“Tarn, I’m sure you have other duties besides playing escort. I’ll be fine. I’ll just explore the grounds.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t have you wandering on your own. Besides, my duty today is to be your escort.” The guard stepped closer and whispered in his ear. “Trust me. This is much more interesting than my regular duties.”

Nathan laughed. “Okay, let me finish up here and you can give me the grand tour.”

* * *

Over the course of the day, Nathan tried his best to ease Tarn away from the mindset of being on duty. Instead, they were just two men, friends even, spending the day together. It was a rare experience for Nathan, and one he enjoyed immensely.

They ventured down every corridor and peeked into nearly every room, all the while Tarn supplying details for their use. They chatted idly about life in general while enjoying a long lunch. Nathan made a point to steer the conversation away from anything relevant toward his personal life, and kept Tarn talking about his own instead. As the afternoon wore on, they strolled the well-maintained grounds of lush green grass, and gardens smelling of sweet flowers.

“I have to say, this keep is a hidden gem. It’s really out of the way, but I can understand why this location was chosen,” Nathan said, peering up at the mountains.

“Yeah. I rarely get a chance to enjoy the sights. It’s been a pleasure being with you today,” Tarn said with a smile.

“Likewise. One thing I was wondering though. I was under the impression a village was nearby. Where is it?”

Tarn shook his head. “There’s nothing like that around here. Just the keep.”

In the distance, Nathan caught sight of a guard heading their way. “You’ve got a friend coming.”

Tarn trotted over to meet the guard and they spoke briefly. When the guard turned to leave, Tarn beckoned Nathan to join him.

“Lord Helmsley is ready to see you now. Let’s go.”

After a short trek through the maze of corridors, they came upon a large doorway flanked by two guards. One of them opened the door and they entered a cozy reading room. Ornate mahogany shelves lined the walls, crammed with books and tomes of every size and shape. A man, slightly past him prime, sat in a plush velvet chair. He radiated a subtle strength, and his eyes spoke of wisdom.

“My lord, your guest has arrived,” Tarn said, his voice returning to a professional timbre.

Nathan bowed. Lord Helmsley stood to accept his guest, and gestured for him to sit in the chair opposite his.

“Thank you. You may take your leave,” he said to the guard.

Tarn performed a crisp salute and left, closing the door behind him.

“Lord Helmsley, I—”

“Please, call me Patrick. I might be a lord, but even after all these years, I’ve never been comfortable with that title.”

Nathan smiled. “Thank you for your accommodations. Your staff has been very kind, but I’m surprised by the number of guards you keep.”

“Ah well, you can never be too careful.”

“Someone would want to do you harm in these peaceful times? I find that hard to believe.”

“You would be surprised,” Patrick said with a knowing smile.

Pulling the stopper from a crystal carafe, he poured deep red wine into two goblets.

“Drink up,” Patrick said, handing him a goblet, and taking a healthy sip from his own.

Nathan joined him, enjoying the aroma and taste of the superb wine. “Shall we get down to business?”

“Business. Yes. Tell me, do you enjoy your line of work?” Patrick asked.

“Enjoy?” Nathan wasn’t sure what answer the lord was looking for. “With respect, I don’t think enjoy would be the right word. I’m skilled at what I do, and the coin is good.”

“Coin. I see. Is that what drives you?”

Nathan tried his best to pick the right words. “Unfortunately, coin is what drives this world. Wouldn’t you agree?”

While Patrick swirled his drink in thought. “I suppose it does.”

Nathan’s throat suddenly felt dry and he took a nervous sip.

“So, how many lives have you ended for money?” Patrick blurted out.

Nathan’s eyes widened ever so slightly. “I apologize, but is that an appropriate question?”

“Why? Have you lost count?”

Nathan’s mouth moved, but no words came out. Patrick, taking another large sip of wine, watched him closely. “I’m waiting for an answer.”

Nathan decided to dig into the heart of the matter. “Tell me why you’ve requested my services if you clearly don’t approve of them?”

“I just wanted to know what kind of man you are. I’ve been searching for you a long time. You’re a hard person to find.”

Nathan’s skin grew cold. “There’s no girl, is there?”

Patrick calmly put down his goblet. “No.”

Silence filled the room. Nathan glanced back at the door, knowing there were two guards on the other side.

“A hard man to find . . . but I finally did manage to track you down,” Patrick continued. “My alchemist is a smart man. He dabbles in magick and offered a way to track your movements. To see where you go and who you meet in your travels.”

He gestured at Nathan’s hand. “A ring. I just needed a way for you to wear it. And how do you get a man to do what you want?”

Nathan removed the ring and dropped it on the table.

“With the promise of coin, of course,” Patrick said.

“The wind,” Nathan said to himself.

“Ah yes, he can ride the wind in his mind. The ring acts as an anchor. Brilliant if you ask me.”

Patrick picked up his goblet and emptied it, offering Nathan a devious smile. “My alchemist also concocted the poison in the wine we drank.”

Nathan wasted no time and stood up, but his legs wobbled. Strength sapped from his body, he fell over, causing the crystal carafe to fall and shatter. Concerned by the commotion, the two guards burst into the room, taking in the scene with hands at the ready to pull their swords free. Patrick stood up and loomed over Nathan.

“The only difference is I drank the antidote first.”

The poison worked quickly and Nathan struggled to speak. “Why are you doing this?”

Patrick’s face turned scarlet. “You truly have no idea?”

In his muddled state, Nathan tried to piece it together, but failed.

“You murdered my son! And I shall have my vengeance!” His voice shook with rage. “Remove this filth from my sight. Take him to the dungeon! Tomorrow at noontide, we’ll have a hanging.”

The guards wasted no time, picking Nathan up by his shoulders and dragged him out of the reading room. Head lolling from side to side, he attempted to see where they were taking him, but lifting his head proved too difficult a task.

After a time, Nathan’s feet hit stone as they dragged him downstairs. He was aware of the smell of wet earth and the roar of crackling torches as they passed them, his blurry vision alternating between periods of light and dark. Hands groped him, checking for weapons or tools. They found none.

And then everything stopped.

Ringing keys, a heavy lock turning, the screech of metal grinding on metal. He felt an odd weightlessness, only to land roughly on his face. The gate slammed shut and heavy footsteps slowly faded away.

Nathan’s last thoughts before losing consciousness were of Samuel’s warning.