A Cloud of Dust Toward Evening
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 24007
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"The spear. I am not sure what that cloud of dust toward evening [in the
West] is, but I would feel better if I could defend myself."
This news seemed to disturb Mary. "Now that is odd, isn't it," she said, a hint of trepidation in her voice. "We weren't expecting any visitors today. Well now, I'm afraid Bennie would have nothing to do with returning your weapon, but I think maybe we should be heading on back. Remember, Checkers; if anyone asks, you are a servant of one of the hired men, and you are not going to be here long. Do not show your wings. Hurry now, get dressed and come along!" Checkers was more than happy to oblige. The fact that Mary appeared to be as concerned about the dust cloud as she was, however, only served to make her even more upset over not having a weapon. She hurredly dressed into the awkward clothing.By the time the two finally reached the farm, the dust cloud on the horizon had grown considerably larger. Benjamin came jogging up to them from the mill, the expression on his face no more comforting than Mary's uneasy remarks earlier. "Looks like we've got visitors, Bennie," Mary announced. "I'll go and fetch your crossbow. As for you, Checkers, just lay low and act natural. There's no reason to be alarmed. We go through this same procedure everytime we have unannounced visitations. This is a wild country and you just can't put your guard down - for even a second!" Checkers, doing her best to "lay low", decided to make for the cowpens. They had offered her shelter the night before, and somehow she felt safer close to them. By now she could clearly make out several men on horseback through all the dust, racing toward the farm. By the time Mary came back out of the cottage with the crossbow, Checker's could see the features of the approaching men; brutish, massive, weathered, and grim...as all of the thinking prey she had encountered in the Eveninglands looked to her. Each man was armed with some kind of short sword and wore leather armament. Their wide-brimmed leather hats looked odd(even comical) to the glider, as did the rest of their get-up.The inevitable sound of hoofbeats soon met her ears and grew steadily louder. Within moments the three horsemen were trotting up to Benjamin, their palms held outward as a symblance of peace. "Hail, Benjamin! We apologize for our unannounced arrival, but there is a grave matter that must be resolved. Ian the Lurker is spouting out charges again," said one of the men, dismounting from his steed and greeting Benjamin with a strange gesture of the hands, as was the custom of this foreign country. He bore a large scar accross his face, testament to a life of violence.Benjamin handed the crossbow to Mary and greeted the man in turn. "Hail and well met, Qan of Westmark! Long has it been since our paths last crossed! What business brings you so far out into the Eastborough? What devilry is Ian up to now?" Qan shook his head. "He's gone too far this time, though I think maybe some good will come of this yet. But I'll get right to the point; Ian charges both you and Mary with harbouring a living harpy. He claims you came upon it near yonder creek, and - get this - had a conversation with it..."Upon hearing these words, Checker's felt a horrible sinking sensation growing in her stomach. She ducked inside the cowpens and tried to stay out of sight and sound altogether. Benjamin threw his head back, laughing good naturedly. "Has he, now? Well, I'm not the least bit surprised! Only that fool could conjure up such a ridiculous charge, the damn spook! Who has ever, in living memory, seen a harpy in these parts?"Qan joined in the laughter. "But wait, there's more," he continued, giving Benjamin a friendly pat on the back. "This might be the last straw for ol' Ian. Jeremiah has ordered that he be cast out of the Four Boroughs if his charge is proven false, which I'm sure it will be." Benjamin then invited the party in for a cold ale in the cottage, signaling for two hired boys to attend to their horses."Of course you know, as a formality, I suppose we'll have to do a quick search of the premesis," Qan said, setting down his empty mug on the kitchen table. "Once all that is done we will be on the road and out of your hair, and so will Ian the Lurker." "That's mighty good to hear," Benjamin replied, "and of course you know you have the freedom to look wherever you want. Just make sure you don't make a mess - my dear wife will skin you alive!" "A simple walk through the main premesis will suffice," Qan stated, almost as if the idea of even performing the formality of a search was ludicrous. "You and Mary are good people, and Ian's underworkings and treachery never end. His ilk is beginning to plague this area again, just when we were starting to have order! If it weren't for Jeremiah, the Eastborough would be over-run with bandits! Now Ian's trying to rouse up and rekindle old fears and scare people right at a sensitive time with his far flung stories! No doubt, harpies are servants of the dragon, but the dragon has no interest in our lands. To imply a harpy would be in the Four Boroughs would be to imply a possible attack from the dragon! I'll say it, lads, just because few have the gall to say it these days: the dragon's due anytime, he's been long over due. It's been seven years since the eastern valleys were ravaged. Whether he strikes the eastern or southern valleys this time, we'll feel the effects here in the Boroughs, just like last time. Only this time around we won't be over run with refugees! Curse the valesmen and the southerlings! Let them face the dragon's wrath if they wish to live in the shadow of the Red Dolomite Mountains!"The other men in the room cheered to this, raising their swords. Benjamin joined in the chorus as well, raising his mug enthusiastically. These were uncertain times and it was nice to be on good terms with men like these. The talk then turned to local affairs; the approach of the harvest and the Harvest Festival, the fear of another direwolf invasion in the hills of Westmark this winter, the increasing number of thugs and highwaymen on the roads leading south and east, the drought... When it was all said and done, the men did not even bother with the formality of a simple walk through. They rode out by midafternoon, biding Benjamin and Mary a good day. A cloud of dust slowly shrank on the western horizon....Ian would be expelled.
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2/19/2003 5:07:08 AM
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