The Patchwork Knight (Chapter 51)

     The return to the Palace was long. Rolf and I oversaw the villagers, and all their needs. We were forbidden form scouting for the remainder of our time out in the Realm, and it was frustrating. As soon as a scout would return I would be there first to question them on what they saw, and it was always the same, nothing but barren land and wilderness. I suppose it was all for the better that I couldn't go out and scout. I probably would have kept going until I found something instead of just verifying our path forward.

     It took the better part of two weeks before we reached the gate at the base of the mountain. The villagers were relieved to finally be in a secure location and would be even more full of joy when they reached the top of the mountain, it would take a half a day for them to reach the top, with the wounded and the week but I would not be going on that trip.

     "Pitre, you have served your punishment well. I'm going to send you, Rolf and Sir Constance out to patrol the path to the North. My orders are similar to last time. You are to locate and then report any Raiders in the area. You are not to engage them. I know you are skilled beyond any man that I have met, but Rolf and Constance's lives will also be in your hands. Please don't let me down this time Pitre."

     "My word Sir Darius. I will only locate any Raiders and then follow until they camp. I will then make haste to the Palace and report what we found. I will not engage unless engaged myself."

     "Try your best not to be engaged. Don't let yourself get caught just so you can fight. I know that ploy, I used it myself in my youth. Keep a fare distance when you follow so as not to be seen at all. With your sight, you should have no troubles with that."

     "Yes Sir."

     He had called me on my plan. I was going to try to be seen so that I would have to take out my attackers.

     "I gave Rolf and Constance the same orders, with one exception. They are to keep you in line as well. I gave them what provisions that we had left, so you should be well prepared for a few days to a week."

     "I can live off what the land provides if necessary."

     "Very well then, head out and good luck to you. I will expect a report from you within a week."

     I found Rolf and Constance and we rode off together to the North.

***

     "I feel that we are being tested. This path will lead us to the heart of the Raiders. You aren't planning on fighting any Raiders are you Pitre?"

     "I'm going to follow orders as Darius gave them to me. I agree, he is testing us, to see if we follow orders."

     "I always follow orders, I don't know why he sent me along with the two of you. I was looking forward to sleeping in a bed."

     "I'm sure he just wanted to get away from you Constant."

     "Face it, you all love the tales I tell. The nights would go by so much slower if I weren't around the campfire telling stories to take you mind off of things."

     "Slower is not the word I would use."

     "Pishaw, I will regale you with a tale that will have you think that tonight passed in an instant."

     "I'm taking first watch then, and it will be far away from the fire."

     "Oh no you don't. I will take first watch Rolf, and I my just let the two of you sleep through the night. You do look like you need some rest."

     "Pitre!" 

***

     It was as Constant said. He began telling a tale of maidens in a stream. I walked as far away as I could and still keep my eyes on them, and I still heard the tale. When Constant finally ran out of breath and tale, I walked around the camp to see if there was anything out of the ordinary. It was a very quiet night. It was too quiet. When I had made my way back to my post, I heard the twang of a bow. I turned as fast as I could, and entered the Euphoria. I saw the silhouette of a man with bow, he had a slim border of gold around him. The arrow was heading to one of the lumps near the fire. The lumps that were Rolf and Constance. I ran as fast as I could, but I didn't reach the arrow in time. It sank into Constance, and he let out a gargled scream. The arrow had punctured his lung through his back.

     "Rolf help Constance as best you can. I'm going after the archer."

     I didn't turn, to see if Rolf was moving or not. I ran towards the archer. He was fifty yards farther down the trail. I could see him draw another arrow and begin notching it. I reached out for the stone and gathered the aether and ran faster than I had ever ran before. When I was within ten yards of him, he let loose the arrow. I drew my sword and cut it in two. When I was three yards from him I dropped into a slide to take his legs out from underneath him. It worked, and we went sprawling into the air and landed with a heavy thud. I gathered myself quickly and pounced on top of him. My sword slide underneath his neck. I held it there waiting for any movement on his part.

     "One move, and your neck will open. Where are your men?"

     "I am alone."

     "Raiders don't travel alone."

     "This one does."

     "If that is the case, then your men won't be too far away. Where are they?"

     "They are dead along a lake."

     "Your men where the ones that captured the villagers that we saved."

     "The very ones. I'm here to avenge their deaths. I saw you and that other one murder my friends and then just leave them by the lake to rot."

     "They deserve far worse for what they did to this villagers and their home. Were you there when they did it, or were you scouting the next victims of your destruction."

     "It's true, I am the advance scout, but I was there when that village burned to the ground. I reveled in it's fall. your kingdom will suffer at the hands of the Mudwood. You stopped us once, but you won't do it again. We will rid this world of all Targens."

     "I don't believe you will see that happen."

     "Maybe not, but I will die knowing that I did my part to make it a reality."

     "No, you will die knowing that you did nothing to see that end."

     At the end of my words, I pulled the sword from underneath him, opening his throat. I stood up and ran back to the campfire. I could see Rolf holding Constance in his arms. His head was handing low and he was shaking.

     "Rolf what is it?"

     "He's dead Pitre. He was drowning in his own blood. It was horrible."

     "Let me see him. I can try to save him. I did it with Sir Paljin, I can do it with him."

     "Pitre, Sir Paljin wasn't dead yet, I don't think you can bring someone back from the dead."

     "Hand him too me. We need to get the arrow out. We will have to cut into his back so that we get the entire arrow from his back."

      I pulled my dagger out and moved Constance on his side so that I could get to the wound. I cut in deep, and gently pulled the arrow from his back, head and all. I entered the Euphoria and reached out the stone for the aether. I focused all the energy to my hands and pushed it towards the wound. My hands began to glow. They would pulse and flicker and the wound began to close. It went from a gaping wound to a soft pink scar. I quickly turned Constance over on to his back again. His eyes were empty. The wound had repaired itself, but his life didn't not come back. I pushed my hands towards his chest, but the light didn't not surround my hands. it wouldn't come.

     Rolf had moved behind me and rested his hand on my shoulder.

     "He's gone Pitre. You did all you could for him."

     I slunk sitting beside Constance. I had failed. I couldn't save him. It was all my fault. I should have used my sight when I walked around the camp. I should have see the assassin. His death was as if I had shot the arrow myself.

     "Pitre, we need to cover his body, and then take him back to the Palace. This is no place for him to rest."

     "I did this. I killed him."

     "Pitre, you didn't kill him. You stopped the Raider. He could have killed us all if you hadn't moved as fast as you did. You saved me Pitre."

     "I should have seen him before he attacked. I should have used my sight to scan our area. I should have seen him."

     "Pitre, you can't do this to yourself. This is the one area that we should have been complete safe. No Raiders have been seen this close to the Palace in months. I wonder where he came from."

     "He followed us from the lake. He was the scout of the war band we encountered."

     "He told you that?"

     "He did, right before I opened his throat."

     "Let's take care of Constance, then we can throw that trash into the forest for the animals to feed on. In the morning we will head back to the Palace to buy Constance so that he can rest amongst his people. Pitre, you can't save everyone. You can only do what you can. Granted that is quite a lot, but every man is fallible, even you."

     I stayed silent for the rest of the night. we wrapped Constance's body in a tarp that we would ordinarily use for rain cover, and then threw the body of the archer deep into the woods. Rolf and I then stayed up the rest of the night in silence. The morning came and we headed back to the Palace, with Constance riding slung over the back of his horse.