“Brother!"
"---."
The world persisted in heeding its old and usual routine, as it was foreknew of it, however, at this moment, on the road leading north to the Down River village, six riders were currently hogging it, proceeding towards the village at a speed far swifter than what normal horses could, yet despite so, their steeds did not show any sign of weariness or fatigue from their strong and continuous galloping movement.
Though while the sun was slowly closing in on the horizon to the west, preparing to make way for the oncoming darkness of the night, the six riders, were but oh so barely visible as they were trotting under the dense dark shade of the trees. Wearing various and rough kinds of clothes, each and every one of them presented the feeling of not being individuals with the finest of intentions on their minds, although, the two men in the lead could be somewhat excluded, as they gave a slightly different sense about themselves when compared with the rest.
But in the meantime, above their heads, the glittering stars in the black of the void above were becoming more prominent with the retreat of the sun, which at this moment was but a smear of red above the trees at the top of the hill that they were moving around and on the hill to their left on the east.
"Sorry to interrupt, brother. But we are about to reach the last village on our route.”
The second to the front, was a square-ish and stone-faced man wearing leather armour, who appeared to guard the first man who stood leading them all. And as the six men were approaching ever closer to the village, the squarish face man closed the distance to the leading rider, with a somewhat pre-known distance so as to not scare the man with his sudden approach.
“Finally---!"
The foremost rider was a somewhat lean and tall man in light clothes, appearing to space and zoom out with an unfocused gaze into the distance, while sporting a dumb look on his face. However, from time and time, a sharp glint appeared in his eyes, as though remembering that he was currently riding a horse, in need to stir the path of his steed.
"Tsk---, I have become so bored from this worthless expedition, that I have even begun to cultivate unknowingly at some point."
"---."
"Anything else?”
Yet at the call of the squarish-faced man, the dumb-looking man had a total shift in his countenance, as a click of his tongue escaped him and a somewhat apathetic and cunning look arose on his face, but in a second moment, he posed an inquiry to the squarish-faced man, who simply let him vent the anger stuffed in him.
“Yes, the two scouts we have dispatched, had sent confirmation on the fact that the County guards have acted, and displaced the grand majority of the villagers on this part of the hills.”
“Fuck---, everything is ruined, no---------, the situation is simply fucked! That idiotic Dog and his bloody slaughters, have indeed fucked us all---, after all, it is not like the villagers and the guards, have been so kind as to leave the provisions for us to just take them.”
However, upon receiving the answer from the squarish-faced man, the man in the lead became extremely incensed and he commenced to curse left and right, albeit his voice and tone stayed in a low breath, not fluctuating at all, despite the twisted countenance that he had on himself.
“The scouts have reported only a few old people, and sighted some of the food that had been left with them, it is the exact same situation as in all the other villages.”
“Hmmm---, a little bit. It is very likely that the guards will try to sweep the old people in the succeeding days. They have properly prioritized the young ones, who could move the grand part of their provisions. Send notice to those two, to look and find out where they are all moving. Still, the fact that we have encountered absolutely no one on the road, is a bit of a problem. Either they have moved earlier than us, or they are moving through the hills and the forest. Tell them to send notice, at the first sign that they may encounter in the woods or on the road, and to meet us later.”
However, the anger of the man was transitory, as the apathetic-cunning rider at the lead of the group, finished his interpretation of the situation with a rather calm mind and voice, after which, he poured out a set of orders towards his companion.
“Yes.”
"---."
"---."
At the orders of the first rider, the squarish-faced man took a blue, flat, and rectangular stone to his forehead, as he closed his eyes for a dozen breaths of time, after which, he met the gaze of the man once more.
“Alright. Once we are done here, we will retreat immediately, and regroup with the bastards to formulate something that might resemble a plan, if that is even possible as things stand.”
With the squarish-faced man having accomplished his task, the cunning man moved his gaze up ahead, not wanting to meet his companion's face as he continued to speak.
“Do you think we will attack the guards and the villagers at the same time?”
With the man looking ahead of himself, the squarish-faced man posed a question of his own, wanting to see the reaction and answer he might be provided with by the man.
“Do I think? No---, I know for a fact that the current provisions are not enough for the numbers we have.”
And an answer came from the cunning-looking man, short and dry, as though there was not much to be told of his response, as though he knew that the situation was nothing good no matter what.
“Then do we cut down the provisions for each member---?”
Having been provided with an answer from the first rider, the squarish-looking man tested a solution back at the man.
“Tsk---, that is exactly the problem here. What do you think you can do among these bloody brutes? As things stand, we might be put in a situation where we might have to run or die. Do not look for me at that time and try to think for your own skin if that will happen, as I do not believe I can save you. Not that my chances are any different.”
But as the squarish face man tried to give a reply, the cunning-looking man became more and more irritated at the remark of his trusted second, at the same time, his eyes revealed nothing but disdain for the four behind them, even as his face was but a dark blank of near hopelessness.
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“What good and bad premonitions?"
But as the riders were close in their approach to the village, the countenance on the old village's Chief's face was becoming ever more severe and stern, yet his own eyes and words were saying a whole other story, one of lamentation, at his own powerless and the dupe of his own life.
"If I have no power, if I can not change a single aspect of this written life, is there even a point to such hunches?!”
And as though caring rocks on his back, the pessimism pushed down on his body and onto his shoulders. And so, he supported himself on a thick wooden stick, a simple and crude cane, made by old Ato some years back.
Then the old man turned around, to observe the Village, to gaze upon the old villagers and to see old Ato who was returning back, only for a greater resolution to rise in his eyes. And once he turned, he faced the northern road with eyes closed, and he began to move his lips without releasing any sound.
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
“Do not be afraid, son of Ato."
"Hmmm?"
Yet the words of the old village Chief did not come to resound around himself, but hundreds of steps away from where he stood, to where little Levis was currently hidden, as the boy was in the midst of trying to find the answers to his own questions.
"Do not move from where you stand, and do not come out. Listen very carefully, anything that might happen to your Grandpa Ato and Grandma Hel, or to me, is not something that you can change. Stay silent and stay hidden. The other villagers are with the guards of the County. To find them, just follow the river till it will bend to the left, and then continue to follow in between the hills and the prairie for a day or two at foot, till the moment where the hills are no more, and the forest begins."
But while little Levis was still in the midst of trying to find the answers to his own questions, the voice of the old man came to him all of a sudden, spooking him a tad bit. The voice of the old Chief could be listened to as though he was whispering into his ear, yet the man was as far from him as the birds in the sky, a matter which perplexed him as to why the senior's voice could reach him.
"Prevail well, boy.”
“Mmmm---, yes!?”
Although still uncertain of where and how the voice was reaching from, the boy could do nothing but reply doubtfully, as the old man was nowhere to be seen, whilst he was looking all around his immediate surroundings to see if the old village Chief was to appear all of a sudden and scare him.
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“Wha---, what---, what happened?!"
However, at the same time, Old Ato who just approached the old village Chief, to ask him about the whole strange situation, got himself a dangerous fright, as he found the man white in the face, while droplets of sweat trickling off him, as though he was, an ill old man, in the last moment of his life.
"Did you fight a bear while I was away? I have left you for just a moment, and you look like you are about to die.”
“Fate---, is truly akin to a bear. We think we can kill it---, only to find ourselves powerless--, dragged and swung around-, while bleeding to death by its claws and jaw's bite.”
Unperturbed by old Ato's reaction, the old village Chief began to talk offhandedly, almost deliriously, while he was regaining his strength and breathing with large mouthfuls of air.
“You sure you are alright? You want me to call the old woman to look at your head, as you started to blabber nonsense again.”
“No need. I have to stay here and greet our incoming guests. You just call everybody else here as well.”
On top of being undisturbed by old Ato's reaction to his own state, the old village Chief, staved off his small concern, as he gave a clear indication to his old friend of what was to be done.
"Oyyy---! You old fools! Round up here!!!"
After speaking with the same sombre yet paler face, even the stoned head Ato could understand that the situation was far worse than he could suspect. And not a moment later, with a shout from him, the other eleven old men and women began to walk toward him and the old village chief.
"-."
"--."
"---."
“I cannot say this on good terms---, but bandits are most probably looming over us. And in all likelihood---, death awaits to take us all this day.”
With everyone around him and without turning around, the old village Chief began to confess about the predicament, which by his instinct was about to fall on them.
"---."
“Haha---, what do you need to be so serious.”
“We were aware of that already. Who were you trying to fool, you old fool.”
But as the word of the man sank into the ears of the aged villagers, they began to grin and chuckle, uncaring of what could possibly happen to them as of this moment.
“Slap!”
"You!"
“You old bastard!"
And as the rest of them grinned and talked among themselves, an expected and resounding slap resounded, as surprise emerged on the old chief face, while old Ato smacked him, on his back.
"Do you think we are children who need to be lied to?! The only child here is you----, and my brat. Now let me see what we have here and then we will talk about this another day.”
With encouragement and so some snarky sarcasm, old Ato spoke, as he looked at the old fellow who had his body leaning downwords from a weight that could not be seen.
“Then if we die, we die together---, and you no need to worry about your boy. As I have already told him everything, so he will know what to do in any possible case.”
Turning around, the old village Chief faced his old friends with a grin on his face, while having parted away from any problematic and unnecessary thoughts that were covering his mind, as he slowly came to accept his own fate.
Although, a surprised and baffled look appeared on old Ato’s face, as he was listening to the old village's Chief's words, yet he did not have the time to spare to question him, because as time passed, the sound of hoofs hitting the ground could be heard, and they were reaching fast on towards them.
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Six riders could be seen, approaching the cluster of thirteen old people at a swift speed, yet slowly, they slowed their own pace.
The cunning and the squarish-face men in the lead, alongside four other men, that were rougher and wilder on the edges when compared to the first two.
At the same time, the thirteen old men and women could see the six riders, from different stances, approaching at galloping speed towards the inner part of the village.
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“Old people, no traps, no hidden forces anywhere, we are too late.”
Muttered the cunning man, in a soft voice that only he could hear, as he did a fast examination of the village and villagers ahead of him.
“Listen up, you bastards! Be smart and be fast. We will enter fast, and leave even faster, as we need to return, reach the base and regroup with the other Captains and vice-Leaders. Do not---, fuck around!”
And as said, they immediately entered the village, and orders came out from the cunning man's mouth, as they were closing on to the villagers.
But as they were approaching, slow and slowly still, the horses lost their speed and they came to a stop, to face the villagers, who were looking at them with suspicion, worry, and anger in their eyes.
"---."
"---."
“Greetings, gentlemen. May I inquire, what brings you to our little Down River Village?!”
And as the six of them stopped, the old village Chief immediately treated them with a sudden question, while opening his arms and wearing an amicable smile on his old face.
“We are lost, tired, and hungry, we hoped you could share some of your food with us, old man.”
However, the cunning man was fast to respond, sporting the same amicable smile, as the old man in front of him.
“We are very sorry, but we are short of food as of now. The most we can do is a glass of water and a piece of bread, if you and your friends may accept.“
“Is that true? Or is it that the other villagers took the food with them when the county guards came to warn you.“
“It could be."
Nonetheless, as they continued to talk, the cunning man's smile came to be undone little by little, as his words came to rattle and slowly make the old village Chief's smile disappear.
"Or it could be, that there are no such villagers or guards that you speak of---.”
“Old man! Stop with this shit, or I will kil---!”
"---."
However, as the old village Chief was using his theatrics with the man before him, one of the four riders behind the cunning man's back, interjected.
Still, before that man could finish, he was forced to stop, as he found himself pushed and flying off of his horse for ten or so meters, as he crashed into a house, from the force adequately strong enough to leave a recess and a circle of spider web-like cracks on the mud wall of the house, from his impact.
And as the man was rising from the ground to recover himself, he could see the cunning-looking man gazing at him, from the corner of his eye, as though he was looking at a dead man, while his right arm and hand remained open towards him after pushing him. At the sight, the man began to shiver to no end, as he knew that if it were to be his head and not his torso, he might have had his neck snapped back and died on the spot from the monstrous strength of that fast hand push.
“You insolent creiton! How dare you interrupt your Captain? Even if you are not beneath Captain Zuger, you should know your place, you fool!”
But before the man could recover and get to his feet, the squarish-face man rebuked him with loud words that scared everyone just as much as they were surprised to hear him speak, yet the fear came from having applied force and pressure to subdue him, which was why the man had his head and knees bent downwards, almost kneeling to the ground. In the end, not only the man but the other three men as well came to be frightened.
"---."
“I am truly sorry for this ugly display of etiquette, but animals have a hard time behaving as humans.”
And to change his entire demeanour back to normal in an instant, was the cunning man who tried to excuse and explain himself to the old man in front of him, with an almost instant response after the whole ordeal.
But to his reply, the smile on the old village's Chief's face recessed, as he witnessed something that even he did not fully comprehend. However, it was not as though he was not aware that certain people had the power to kill bears like chickens, just as his own voice-sending gimmick, which had been something that a roaming stranger had once taught him at a great cost, while on a journey when he was young. However, to do so, he had to always pay a heavy price of exhaustion to use it, as it was immensely overtaxing for his mind every time he made use of it, whilst having never fully understood the work behind the trick itself and only believing in it, and the words that he had heard from the said stranger.
But the man before him was different, as he gave him the feeling that he was one of those strong men, that was always in search of more strength. One of those who understood his power and made it his own, through effort and talent that most could not.
As for the other villagers, they were in no better situation than the old village Chief, as they realized they were standing in front of a monster, and not a human.
"---!"
At the same time, because of the loud noise and ruckus made, little Levis could not help himself to peek and look over, only for him to make the leaves and branches of the bush that he was in rustle and yield some low noises from his movement.
As such, the already tense bandits, in particular one of them, pulled his bow and shot instinctively towards the bush which had startled him.