Gleeson The Defender: Part 7

Mary finds Gleeson behind the barn next to the water pump. Gleeson picks up the bucket underneath the pump and dumps it over his head. The dirt and blood wash off of him in an instant.

“I could draw you a bath.” Mary walks up to him.

“Don’t have time for that. Once Jake and Erik are done talking, we’re leaving.” Gleeson pumps more water into the bucket. The pump squeaks each time Gleeson moves the handle.

“How long will you be gone for?”

“Don’t know. I don’t know how long I was walking before I got here. I don’t know how long it’s going to take for us to find the clearing where I found the road or if we even can find it.” Gleeson still pumps on the handle waiting for the water.

“Then we should get going.” Erik comes around the barn. He has a quiver of arrows strapped to his back and a bow in his hand.

“Did you get what you needed to find the battle?” The water spits out of the horse head spout. It flows into the bucket after a brief moment. Gleeson picks it back up and dumps it over himself one more time. He pushes the wet hair from his face and Erik gives him a quick nod.

He places the bucket back under the spout. “Then it’s time we leave.”

“I’m coming with you.” Jake comes around the corner. He’s holding a bow as well but he carries two quivers. The quivers of arrows are strapped to his waist band like a sword sheath. The bottoms are tied to his legs keep them from flopping around too much.

“You can’t.” Mary looks at Gleeson. “Can he?” Gleeson looks down at her and then to Jake.

“He’s a man and if he wants to go, I’m not going to stop him.” Mary shoots him a look. “Say your goodbyes, because we gotta go.”

“Mary, I can’t sit here and let others defend our family, I have to go.”

“I understand.” She walks over to him and wraps her arms around him. “I love you. Come back safe.”

“I will. If the orcs show, you stay hidden.”

“I will.” She kisses him passionately. She lets him go turning away. “You better bring him back to me.” She points at Gleeson.

“He’ll be fine. Let’s go.” Gleeson walks over to the barn and grabs his claymore. He cleaned his blades long before he cleaned himself. He carries the claymore with one hand over to the cart they had set up ready to go. He places it in the cart with it ready to pull if he needs to.

Gleeson commands no horses other than the one pulling the cart. He was on foot when he came through, so he needs to be on foot when he tries to find it. He needs to feel the earth beneath his feet, because the darkness blocked any vision he had.

Mary walks with them until the tree line just outside of town with Adeline in tow. Gleeson allows Jake to say goodbye one more time before they fade into the trees. The sky all but disappears under the trees.

Gleeson just assumed that it was the clouds causing him not to see the stars on that snowy night. Thinking back on that cold night causes a shiver to run through him. He looks at Jake and Erik to see if they saw him. If they did they weren’t showing any indication of it.

They walk for a while with Gleeson trying to remember where he came from. He goes as far as closing his eyes. It’s hard for Gleeson to pick up on anything. He can’t tell the difference between memories or the fever dreams.

“How much longer do you think?” Jake turns and walks backwards looking behind them.

“I don’t know.”

“Anything look familiar?” Erik looks over his shoulder. He spends most of his time in the woods, so he’s leading and tracking. He stops them every now and then to look around or walk into the trees off the road.

 “The only thing that I keep coming back to is that I remember almost walking back to where I came from.”

“The switch back.” Erik turns around. “Let’s go, I know where to go.” He jumps on the back of the horse. Gleeson and Jake jump in the cart. Erik gets them up to a trot, moving faster than what they could on foot.

“Where are we going?”

“There’s a switch back a few miles up the road. It makes you feel like you’re heading back the way you came, because it’s so long.” Erik turns back to watch where they’re going.

Gleeson closes his eyes, feeling the breeze on his face. “I thought it was just a dream.” He smiles.

They ride for only a little while when they come to the first curve in the switch back. Erik can feel the horse tense up as it starts up a steeper incline. He brings it to its walking pace. He hops off the horse and walks beside it holding onto the rains. Gleeson and Jake follow by jumping out of the cart.

“We should reach the top in no time at all.” Erik looks around making sure all is well. They walk up the road at a brisk pace. Gleeson is the only one panting.

“I’ve spent too long in bed, I no longer have my stamina.” Each word escapes him with a pant. He laughs at his own flaws.

“This trip should help with that.” Jake laughs along with him. The switchback comes faster than they expected. They slow their pace allowing Gleeson’s senses to pick up where he came from.

“Nothing is coming to me.” Gleeson looks around. Everything feels the same to him. Gleeson comes to a halt quickly. He closes his eyes, sniffing at the air.

“What is it?” Erik smells the air as well.

“The scent is familiar. It’s like the smell of roasting meat.” Gleeson smiles. “It was here the night I came off the mountain.”

“To the trees, move.” Erik runs past them to the horse. Gleeson looks over at Jake. Jake shrugs his shoulders looking at Erik. “Get your weapons and move.” Erik unhooks the horse, slapping it hind quarters sending it off on its own.

He draws an arrow, readying it on the string of his bow. He stealthily moves to the trees. Gleeson grabs his claymore from the cart and follows him. “What are you doing?” Gleeson hides behind a tree next to Erik.

“Trolls.” Erik hisses not taking his eyes off the road.

“Why do trolls smell like roasting meat?”

“Roasted meat. They’re mountain trolls. They are the only trolls that cook their food.”

“Should we be here when they come? They may be trolls but you’d think the cart would even raise their suspicions.” Jake points to the road.

“We can’t abandon the cart. It’s the only way to get the weapons back.”

“Did you forget that Erik let the horse go?”

“Damn it.” Gleeson runs out to the cart. He grabs both shafts of the cart and lifts. Gleeson turns to the trees and runs, pulling the cart behind him. “Let’s go.” Gleeson runs into the tree line and doesn’t stop.

They come to a large rock formation. Gleeson pulls the cart behind it so he can catch his breath. Erik leans out with his arrow still ready. “I can’t believe this.”

“What?”

“The orcs, they’re with the trolls.”

“What to do you mean they’re with the orcs.”

“What I mean is that the orcs have them chained. They’re prisoners.”

“It’s time we move.” Gleeson grabs one shaft this time. “Jake, I could use your help.” Jake grabs the other and they carefully make their way away from the rock formation. Erik stays behind them, keeping an eye out behind them.

They trudge along for what seems an eternity until they reach the battle ground. Gleeson falls to his knees. “My brothers, I’ve come back.” They’ve been picked down to their bones.

Scavengers have been feeding on them all winter long. Gleeson stands up and walks around the battle field. Flashes of the fight unfold around him. They were caught off guard and never had a fighting chance.

He was only able to take a few hits before he fell. He walks over to where he thought he had fallen. He looks around the area, trying to find the claymore his father gave him. It’s nowhere to be seen.

“They took it.”

“They took what?”

“My father’s sword.”

“Well, let’s get it back.” Erik walks by him grabbing some armor off a corpse. Gleeson looks at him with disgust. “It’s what we came for isn’t it?”

“It is.” Gleeson closes his eyes trying to remember his friend’s faces. “Let’s do this so we can get back.”

It’s dusk when they finish loading the last of the weapons. For the most part the orcs took the majority of the weapons before they left. Only a few were left behind, mainly spears. Armor is more valuable to them at this point anyway. The blacksmith in town has been working on crafting weapons since they started training.

“We stay the night here.” Erik walks into the trees.

“I need to get back to my family.”

“The orcs have enslaved trolls with them. We may not make it back in the dark. I’m surprised I did.”

Erik comes back from the trees carrying an armful of wood. “You should of thought about that before you came.”