The Patchwork Knight (Chapter 36)

     We rested along the trail for another hour before heading after the caravan.  We mounted up and rode along the trail at a firm trot watching the trail of the caravan as we went. A few miles down the trail we came across a burned out village. The caravan had stopped there over night. We could see the disturbed earth from the horses and carts. They had circled everything to create a makeshift defensive wall.

     "This must be where they stopped after the attack. You can see that the carts and wagons were circled up."

     "Over here!"

     Sir Paljin and I turned in our saddles to see Rolf near the base of the forest on the far side of the burned down village. We rode over to see what it was he was looking at. As we rode near him, we could see the mounds of earth. They were fresh graves. Clearly the caravan had buried those that fell in the ambush. We counted 5 very large mounds. They could have fit 4 people to each grave. They wouldn't have had the time or more likely the energy to dig individual graves, so 5 would have had to do.

     "I'm sure that it pained Sir Jacob to dig mass graves for those that died."

     "Desperate times call for desperate measures. He would have had no way of knowing if they were being followed or hunted by the Raider General that ordered that ambush at the trail."

     "This is true Pitre. Are you sure that you are only 14 years?"

     "I am."

     "You speak like a man that has seen far too much of this world. We are still a day behind them, and it will take nearly a week to get to the Crystal Palace along this trail. We should be able to ride at a faster pace than the caravan can go. If everything goes well, we should see them with in another day."

     "I hope you are right. We should leave here and gain as much of the gap as we can."

     We rode away from the village in a gallop, it was time to make up some time. For the rest of the day, we rode at a gallop, resting the horses when they needed. As the sun began to fall, it was time for us to rest. We were definitely weary from the trail and riding all day. We found a clearing near a small lake and tied our horses near the water.

     "I'll take the first watch, you two get some rest."

     "I won't hear of it Sir Pitre. I know for a fact that you have had no rest for two days. I'll take the first watch, and I'll wake Rolf when it is time for his watch. You need an uninterrupted sleep. Rolf will wake you for your watch early in the morning. Is this ok with you Rolf?"

     "It is. I can't believe he is still standing. Pitre take the rest, it will do you some good."

     "Two against one huh, I've faced greater odds, but none so compelling of argument."

     I found a tree between the trail and the lake and laid my bed roll on the ground. I watched as Sir Paljin found a tree near the trail and sat down watching both directions of the trail. Rolf laid his bed roll a few yards from Sir Paljin so he would be close by for his turn at the watch. It was only a matter of a few blinks of my eyes before they could no longer hold their own weight.

***

     "Pitre, wake up."

     I woke to Rolf shaking my shoulder. The night was still in full and it was quiet.

     "I'm guessing there was no trouble during the night?"

     "Non at all. Sir Paljin is resting under the tree near the lake. The only thing that has moved has been the horses."

     "That's good. Now you get your rest, we will be hitting there trail at first light to catch the caravan."

     Rolf wandered back to his bed roll near the trail. I walked past him and the tree that Sir Paljin had set the watch and walked down the trail from where we had come. I entered the Euphoria and used my sight to see if anything was coming along the trail. It was clear as far as I could see, so I walked along the trail in the other direction. It too was clear. The night was quiet, far more quiet than I was used to. It seemed unnatural. I later learned in life, that silence was a cost of war. Battles affect everything around where they took place. Living things don't like the smell of death, and they abandon the areas where it is prevalent.

     The sky began to grow light as the sun slowly made it's way to the horizon. I had this feeling that this would be the last peaceful night that we would have, so I let Rolf and Sir Paljin sleep until the sun was fully above the horizon. I woke Rolf first since he slept nearest the trail.

     "The sky is fully lit, I thought we were leaving at first light?"

     "I thought it would be better to let you two sleep a while longer. There is no telling when we will get a night like this again."

     I could see Sir Paljin beginning to stir as we made our way towards him. 

     "It would appear that the night remained calm. That is both good and troubling."

     "How so."

     "It is good that we were able to rest completely, but it is troubling in that there is always a calm before a storm, and this was a far greater calm that I believed would be possible right now. That mean s the storm that is coming is going to be a far cry from a whimper."

     "If that is the case, than we are rested for a battle. Do you need anything to eat before we set off?"

     "I could use a bite. I still have some jerky in my bag. I can share."

     "Well, Sir Paljin it appears that breakfast is served."

     I let the two of them split the remaining pieces of jerky and I snacked on some dried fruit. I still had a saddle bag full of that and dried vegetable. We finished our brief meal and gathered our bed rolls. We rode from that peaceful clearing into the unknown in search of a caravan that was badly in need of our assistance.