Gleeson The Defender Part 9

That night, they burn the bodies of the dead on mounds of lumber the town gathered in true Claville fashion. Each family member that’s able to work must spend time gathering and building the spire for the deceased to be burned upon so their spirit can join the afterlife.

Those without families help where they are needed, usually with families now with only one parent. Gleeson stares at Mary’s spire as Jake takes the torch around the bottom, lighting it in multiple places. He turns away as the flames dance around her lifeless body. The street glows as smoke bellows above their roofs. 

Gleeson walks behind Jake’s house towards the barn. He can feel the heat as he moves to the back of the house, his shadow flickering with the flames behind him. He opens the barn door and pauses, he turns around looking back at Jake and Adeline as they say goodbye to Mary. He turns back, closing the door behind him, blocking out the town singing the song of mourning. He sits on a stool with his claymore, sharpening it as tears roll off his face. He’s never cried for anyone before, not even when his father died.

Mary was different though. She was someone that he could see himself spending his life with but he knew it would never happen. She loved her family and there was no place for him. “What does it matter now?” He grinds the stone along the section of blade he’s sharpening. “She’s dead and you made a promise. Get your wits about you.” His anger helps dry away the tears.

The noise at the barn door takes him out of his sharpening trance. Erik walks into the barn and closes the door behind him, blocking out the singing again. “I can’t handle it out there.” He leans up against one of the posts.

“I’m glad you’re here.”

“Why’s that?”

“I need you to send out some scouts for the night and some sentries at each end of town.”

“You think they’ll come back so soon?”

“I would if I were them. If it were my brothers getting slaughtered by some nobodies, I’d take them out as quickly as I could.”

“Why?”

“What are you, a child? What’s with all the questions?”

“I need to know the plan. Jake isn’t going to be much help and Mary’s-” Gleeson holds up a hand, stopping him in mid-sentence. He can’t bare hearing that she’s dead again, not right now.

“Well, it could show weakness. That isn’t good amongst the orc ranks. I would bring everything that I had to take out any threat that came my way.”

“You think the whole orc clan is coming tomorrow?”

“I do, and we must be prepared. If they don’t, then we march.” They sit in silence for a while listening to the stone sing off the steel as Gleeson slides it across his claymore. They hear the muffled singing come to an end drawing their attention.

“Should I gather everyone?” Gleeson nods at Erik and he slips through the barn door leaving it open behind him. Gleeson puts his sword down and walks to the door. He looks at the glowing town in front of him. The fire puts off heat that he can feel at the barn door.

            He can hear raised voices coming in front of Jake’s house. Curiosity gets the better of him so he moves to see where the voices are coming from. He rounds the corner to see several people confronting Erik, Jake is one of them.

“Is there a problem here?” Gleeson leans up against the porch.

“We need time to mourn.” Jake turns his attention to Gleeson.   

“And I gave you time. You gathered your wood, you built your spires and you sang your song.”

“We need more time than that.” The old woman from earlier shows her bravery once again.

“You need to train.”

“Look around you. We can’t take on the orcs like this.” Jake points behind him at all the fires. Gleeson humors him by following with his eyes.

“Well, events have been put into motion that can’t be undone. This discussion is over.” Gleeson looks over to Erik.

“Form up.” Erik walks into the street waiting for the others to form their lines.

“No.” Jake folds his arms at his chest.

“So this is how it’s going to be then?”

“It is.” Jake holds his ground.

“You did this to us.” The old woman steps between them. He realizes at this moment that he still doesn’t know her name.

“You asked me to. Now form up.” The anger rushes back to his face. Some of the men listen and move quickly to their line.

“My wife is dead. I’m not moving a muscle until I mourn her.” Others join in with Jake in their contempt of training.

“Your wife was dead when she got the cough. I can’t believe that you’ll be so selfish as to let your child die.” Gleeson’s words releases anger in Jake he’s never seen before. Jake is on him in a second. Gleeson wasn’t prepared for an attack like this.

Jake takes Gleeson off his feet and both land on the ground hard. Jake is on him with a knife drawn going for his throat. Gleeson grabs his hand holding inches away from certain death.

“This must be what she fell in love with.”

“I’m going to kill you, you son of bitch.”

“No you’re not. You want to know why?”

“Why?” Both men are grunting while they struggle with the knife.

“Because I made a promise to Mary, and I’ll keep at least half that promise but I don’t think you want Adeline to be an orphan, do you?”

“Daddy?” A small voice comes from the porch. “Why are you and Mr. Gleeson wrestling?” Adeline’s voice distracts Jake long enough for Gleeson to push him off. Jake gets up dropping the knife.

“He was just showing me something that I needed to know.”  Jake gets up to the porch, tears rolling down his face.

“What’s that daddy?”

“That what I still have is more than what I’ve lost.” Adeline bends down and gives Jake a kiss on his forehead.

“Don’t worry daddy. Mommy will watch over us.”

“She already has honey.” Jake looks over to Gleeson.  “Now run along and go to bed. I’ll be up when I can.” Jake gives her a kiss back and walks over to stand next to Erik. “You heard the man. Form up.” The people at the porch look at each other in confusion. “I said form up.”

They quickly move around to get in line. They train in the light of the fires. The spirits of the dead are drifting in the smoke about them as they train. They train until the fires are a dull glow before they go to bed with soot covered faces.

The morning comes faster than most wanted. They spend the morning getting ready to leave. Everyone that’s going after the orcs is preparing for war and those that aren’t get ready to flee if things go wrong.

Gleeson and Erik make the plans they need while Jake helps those that are to flee to only grab what they need. Jake is going to help those flee so he can stay with his daughter but only after a huge protest and argument with Gleeson.

The whole town is about to move in their desired directions when one of Erik’s riders gallops up. “They’re coming.” He jumps off his horse before his horse comes to a complete stop.

“How far?” Gleeson runs up.

“At the tree line. They’re coming to destroy us.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because sir, they captured me. They told me that they brought the whole clan and will destroy us all.”

“Mountain trolls are quiet.” Erik lets the scout know it’s not all his fault.

 “We aren’t ready for this.” Gleeson turns to address the town. “We need to run. We can’t take them without the element of surprise.”

“Gleeson.” The orc voice calls to him. Gleeson spins around to see the orc clan riding slowly into town. There are trolls chained in collars in front of them.

“Shaman.” Gleeson points to the staffs behind them. Erik locates the staffs high in the back. “That’s how they control the trolls.”

“They must be strong. Trolls have a huge immunity to magic.”

“That’s why we need to take them out first. Looks like two shaman per troll. I want your archers taking them out first.”

“I want to talk to you.” The orc clan leaders points to Gleeson.

“Then halt your clan and meet me in the middle.” The orc clan stops as Gleeson requests. The clan leader gets off his horse and walks to the middle of town with his hands held high. He sees a short sword on his side and his father’s claymore on his back. “Get the troops ready. We’ll hold them off so they can flee.”

As Gleeson points to the other side of town he sees the other group of orcs coming in on the other side of town and filling in between houses, the heads of the sentries and scouts with them. The town is surrounded by orcs.

Flashbacks of the ambush that took his men flash in front of him. Gleeson has a look of terror in his eyes. “What have I done?” Erik and Jake come up to see him.

“What are we going to do?” They see the look in his eyes. “Gleeson.” Jake slaps him in the face. “You made a promise.” Gleeson glares at him. “Now what are we going to do?”

“We do what Mary wanted us to do.” Gleeson smiles, anger coursing through him.

“What’s that?” Jake smiles with him.

“We kill them all.”