Chapter 6
The chirping of birds assaulted Calebs ears as he awoke the next morning, cold dew from the plants had fallen on him and now he was chilled. Someone had started a fire and there were already several people warming by it. Others were packing things onto a few black horses that Caleb had not noticed the night before. The ground had not done his back kindly the night before, he pushed himself up on his elbows. Stiffness pulled at his legs, and his body ached from captivity. After he had gotten himself out of bed and onto his feet, he started looking for Blackfox.
“Ah you're up, I was just about to wake you, we are preparing to move camp soon.” Blackfox seemed to materialize out of the bushes beside him. “We will pass by Strim this morning, mind you, we will not be tarrying there. It would be... unwise.” Caleb was still confused at Blackfox’s attitude towards Strim, but he let the matter go for now, after all he was just a kid, Blackfox was a grown up, they knew things he didn’t.
After only about an hour traces camp were all but gone, and the men were getting ready to move. Caleb had had a small breakfast consisting of some left over rabbet from the night before and a few sips of wine. The wine was a bitter and acrid taste, he had never had wine before and it did not agree with him. After that he decided that he would just have water, it was a little old, but at least it didn’t make his stomach lurch at the smell. As he was finishing up the last of the rabbit, Blackfox approached him carrying a saddle and a small black cloak. “You ever saddled a horse before kid?” He asked.
“N-no, I haven’t seen a horse before today other then Old man Dweren’s, and they were for plowing not riding.” Caleb stammered.
“Well today you're going to learn, and you’re going to learn to ride one too. Here catch” Blackfox tossed the black cloak to Caleb, “So you blend in with the rest of the zebra’s” Blackfox paused at the word as if considering something and then laughed, “what am I thinking, you’ve probably never even heard of a zebra, let alone seen one. Just consider it a token of friendship, and wear it proudly.”
He was right of course, Caleb had never heard tale of a beast called zebra, he imagined it must be black, with big wings like a dragon and claws the size of his head. The thought frightened him and so he cast it aside. He happily accepted the cloak and fastened it around his neck. It was warm, but light, and had the feel of a fur cloak. Except there was no fur, only a thin fuzzy fabric. When he asked Blackfox about it, he replied, “It's a rare fabric from the eastlands, they call it Fa’leece. Keeps you warm in the cold and cool in the heat, even when colored black like that. My men and I fancy that; it's beneficial to our... profession.” Caleb wondered what Blackfox’s profession was, but he didn’t want to ask.
The morning grew overcast as the band of men trotted out, there was a slight breeze and the trees swayed to its whispers. They rode out in an organized jumble, Caleb rode beside Blackfox at the head of the group, he still felt like he was in danger of falling but several of the men gave him reassuring nods when he saw them. Very quickly the trees engulfed them in shadow and the campsite from the night previous was lost to view. The scent of moss and damp earth permeated the air, a welcome aroma to cover the stench of the sweaty horses and men alike. For a long time it was silent, the only sounds coming from the clip clop of hooves and an occasional snapping twig under foot. Here and there birds could be heard in the distance, singing their lullabies, but beyond that the forest was silent.
After a few hours of riding, and more than a few bumps that hurt Calebs legs, the trees started to thin. The smell changed somewhat too, the air was heavy with smoke. It was a mixture of, to him, what smelled like a campfire, and the smell that always came from the house when Mommy was cooking. His stomach commented then about just how much he would love a meal prepared by her. Some warm bread with butter, a chicken leg, juicy and dripping with flavor. Some fresh cheese, tomato slices, peppered ham with mashed potatoes. Soon this will all be over, he thought to himself, soon I’ll be home.
All thoughts of food fled as they crested a small hill, Caleb didn’t comprehend at first what his eyes were seeing. But after some moments of disbelief he understood what he saw, and his stomach made room for his heart as it dropped from his chest quicker than a flying brick. Where the sleepy, cozy little town of Strim once stood, there was now black, scorched earth. Houses were charred heaps of rubble, with smoke still rising from many. And the bodys... the half burned half mutilated bodies of the dead... It was something out of a nightmare.
Without thought, he clumsily got off the horse and started walking toward the thing that had once been his home. Blackfox called after him but he heard nothing except the wind, whistling through the ruins. He smelled nothing except the choking fumes of death and fire. He saw nothing but ash, emptiness, and waste. He felt nothing, not the fall of his feet on the ground, nor the heat still emanating from the ruins. He drifted in numbness towards where his house was, some part of him still sure that when he got there he would see his mother and father. That they would help him to understand this nightmare.
There it stood, the remains of his home, a few frame pieces were still standing, and the stone chimney still stood. Smoke rising slowly out of it as if mocking him. He walked inside, the table where he had eaten almost every meal of his life lay smashed and burned. “Mommy!” He called, “Daddy!” then more desperately, “Mommy! Daddy! Please come out, I’m scared!” He heard something fall and he turned to his parents room, or at least where it used to be. He walked numbly closer, he saw the source of the noise just a board finally collapsing after smoldering for so long. “Mom-” His voice caught in his throat, something else caught his eye behind the board, something that made every part of him go colder than a winter storm blown in from the shadow. A skull, charred in places, and half buried in soot, but he knew what it was.
He stood there in a stalemate with himself, it couldn’t be, but it must, but, but... He fell to his knees, and there he stayed for some time, until a hand rested on his shoulder.
“Come on kid, you don't want to stay here.” came a voice, “Trust me kid, I’ll have some of the men give them a proper burial, but you need to let this place, these things-” the voice paused, “This is what I feared, I knew you wouldn’t like what you found here... but if I had prevented you from coming you would have only resented me for it. Found a way to come anyway, and then what would you have thought. No. You needed to see this. You deserved closure. You cannot remain here though, it is not safe. Go your own way or stick with us, its up to you, but personally I think you’d be better with us.” The hand began to pull him up, he resisted.
“No! They can’t be! NO!” He shrugged away the hand, the person persisted.
“Come on kid, hey are you even listening to me?” the hand shook him, and then the voice came into view. Blackfox nealt down to his side, “I’ll give you some time, but when I come back you need to be ready to go.” Caleb continued to stare at something far way. Blackfox put a thumb on Calebs chin and gently forced him to look at him, “Do you understand?” He nodded numbly.
The movement had broken the strange trance that had taken him when he saw the skull. Feeling began to come back to his body, his knees hurt from falling on them, and his head was throbbing. After some time, he realised that it was almost midday, the sun had peeked out of the clouds and seemed to shine a shaft of light at him pricking at his eyes. He had been there for the better half of the day. Soon after the sun, Blackfox returned, “Alright, we should leave this place, come on kid.” Caleb stood, and followed Blackfox away from the nightmarish place.