Gleeson The Defender: Part 2

He wakes up to a dimly lit room. A blanket covers him and he can feel a fresh bandage wrapped around his ribs. He’s still weak and can barely lift his head. He can hear voices coming from somewhere outside the room.

“You don’t know who he is?” He hears a woman’s voice.

“Does it matter?” The man’s voice comes through the open door to the little room. He assumes it’s the man he saw last night.

“He could be dangerous.”

“He probably is. That’s why he had the sword and armor.” He laughs. “Look we need to get him feeling better and then he will leave. I can’t just let a man die outside our front door.”

“Fine. You do what you want to do.” He hears the door open and slam. The man walks into the room.

“Well now.” He walks up and sits on the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“Water.”

“I can do that for you.” The man grabs a pitcher off the bed side table and pours it into a small pewter cup. “What’s your name?” He lifts his head, helping him drink the water.

“Gleeson.”

“Well, Gleeson, I’m Jake. That lovely woman that you heard me arguing with is my wife, Mary.”

  “Water.” Is all Gleeson can say. Jake gives him some more water.

“Is she right? Should we fear you?” Jake sets the water back down on the table. He looks down at Gleeson, waiting for an answer. Gleeson averts his eyes so he doesn’t look directly into Jake’s. “That’s what I thought. Well, I hope you take me saving your life into consideration.” Jake gets up off the bed and walks out of the room.

Gleeson lies there for a moment. He pulls the covers off of him looking at the bandage. He sees a dry bloody patch where his wound is. He leans to grab more water, but the pain stops him instantly. He reaches down to his side in reaction.

He flops back down on the bed, sending more pain through his body, even though he wasn’t very high off the bed. He cringes and grunts his pain, alerting Jake to his movements. Jake comes back in the room. “You need your rest. You can stay here as long as you need and move on when you can.”

A small rap at the door causes Jake to spin quickly. He turns back to Gleeson holding a finger to his lips. He walks out of the room again closing the door behind him, leaving a small crack so Gleeson can hear the conversation.

Jake opens up the front door. “Lord Gregory.” Jake has the sound of surprise in his voice. Gleeson stiffens at the sound of the formality. “Come in, please.” Gleeson hears more than one set of boots enter the house.

“You know why I’m here Jacob?” Lord Gregory sounds older, his voice raspy but still polite and dominate.

“The man from the other night?”

“That’s correct, dear boy. Now, where is he, I’d like to have a few words with him.”

“I don’t know if he’d be up to that, my lord. He’s still unsteady from his wound and is in and out of consciousness.”

“I’d like to give it a try.”

“Yes, my lord.” The door to Gleeson’s room opens slowly. Gleeson closes his eyes, pretending to sleep. He’s not ready to answer questions right now, or is he sure he has the answers. “His name is Gleeson. That’s all I’ve been able to get out of him thus far.”

Lord Gregory sits on the side of the bed, like Jake did before him. He places a sturdy hand on Gleeson’s brow. “No fever. His wound?”

“It’s a miracle he’s alive. I traced his steps back out of town for a ways. So much blood loss and he was running.”

“Was he running from something?”

“I only saw his prints. He probably saw the town and ran for it.” Gleeson opens his eyes, looking up at Lord Gregory. He’s an old man like he thought, with long grey hair and a large fur wrapped around his shoulders protecting him from the cold.

“My boy.” Lord Gregory says with a soft smile. “Glad you can join us. I have many questions to ask you.” Gleeson looks away from Lord Gregory and at Jake. Lord Gregory turns where he sits looking back at Jake as well. He turns back, looking at Gleeson again. “I assure you that you’re in good hands and no harm shall come to you as long as you don’t pose any threats to our little town here.”

Gleeson tries to sit up so he can be at an equal level with Lord Gregory. Lord Gregory places the palm of his hand on Gleeson’s shoulder forcing him back down. “Save your strength, you’re going to need it.” Lord Gregory gets up from the bed. “You know the answers I want, I am sure of it.” Gleeson nods his head. “Good, when you’re ready to talk send for me.”

Lord Gregory slides pass Jake, motioning for him to follow. Gleeson watches them leave, this time the door closes all the way. He can hear muffled voices but nothing else. Gleeson closes his eyes again.

While he’s sleeping, Gleeson dreams of the battle that unfolded what seems like centuries ago. Swords clang all around him, his men screaming in agony. The orcs attacked without warning.

They were ambushed. The orcs came at them from all directions. Men were dying all around him and he couldn’t even kill a single one before he was cut down. “You led us into a trap!” One of his men called to him before the sword took him.

He wakens with a cold sweat on his brow. His hair is matted to his forehead. A candle burns on the table where the water once was. His side is on fire, along with the rest of his body.

“Easy now.” A calming voice comes from the door. Mary walks in wearing a simple white dress with an apron tied around her little waist. She’s tall for a woman but shorter than most men. Her brown hair is pulled into a bun and the candlelight dances in her green eyes.

She sits down on the bed next to him, touching a gentle hand on his face. “You’re burning up.” She grabs a rag from a basin on the floor. She rings it out, placing it on his forehead. The cool rag makes him shiver.

“Thanks.” Gleeson looks into her eyes. She looks back at him with a smile. He closes his eyes for a moment, thinking of all that have died. “Why are you he-” He stops when he feels the blade press to his throat.

He opens his eyes slowly. Her eyes look deep into his. “Who are you?”

“I’m Gleeson.”

“I know your name, but I don’t know who you are.”

“I’m a member of the Iron Brothers. I lead a small.” He pauses for a moment remembering his dream. “I led a small group, sent to this area to kill a rogue group of orcs that have broken the Treaty of Kran. We were ambushed”

“Are you going to hurt my family?” Her eyes are tearing up a little. “Are you dangerous?”

“No and yes.” He places a hand on hers, feeling the warmth under his clammy hand. He holds it for a moment, stroking it with his thumb and cautiously pushes her hand away from his throat. “I have no intention of harming those that are here, or that have helped me. I have killed many men, so I am dangerous, but not to you.”

“Will you help us then?” A tear rolls down her cheek, dropping onto the bed. She lets the knife drop to the floor.

“With what?”

“The orcs, they attack us. They steal our food, and our people for slavery. They kill all that resist.” She places her hands over her face to hide her tears.

“If that’s the help you need, then that’s the help you will receive. I made a promise to my dead men that I will avenge them.”

“I shall let the others know.”

“What others?”

“The others that want to fight. The ones that are tired of living in fear. We can’t let people know why you were sent here at first, not until the time comes.”

“Have you fought back before?”

“We have, most of us were slain in the process. That’s why so many of us that remain, no longer want to fight.”

“Why not leave?”

“And go where? We’ve heard news that they are attacking villages and towns all over this region.”

“What of Lord Gregory? What does he say?”

“He wants to lie down and take what they give us. They took his eldest son’s life in one of the first raids. He wants answers from you.”

“I will give him answers when my fever breaks.”

“What are you going to tell him?”

“Whatever I need to.” This makes her smile a little. Her smile makes her appear younger. 

“Sleep well, Gleeson.” She rises from the edge of the bed and leans over the candle.

“Wait.” Gleeson puts a weak hand on her shoulder. “Leave it burning. I don’t know if I can sleep.” She smiles at him again patting his hand.

“Very well.” She walks out of the room closing the door behind her. He lies there with the candlelight dancing with the shadows. He thinks about what she said for the rest of the night. As the daylight begins peeking through the little window next to his bed Gleeson slowly comes out of his trance.

He leans over, ignoring his pain, and blows out the little stub of candle that remains. He closes his eyes to sleep, knowing he’s going to have a lot of questions coming his way when his fever has broken.