The Forgotten

Chapter 3

"Who was that Suzy? Where did he even come from? We are miles from any town, village or even any home." Said Rolf as he stood shaking. The pain from his torso causing him to lean on his right side, clutching at it with his hand.

"I don't know." She replied, staring in the direction Rendall ran.

"We need to find him," she continued. "He can't stay out there. It is nearly dark and who knows what might happen to him."

"There is nothing we can do my love, we owe him our lives. We are beaten and bruised as we are and won't be catching him anytime soon. Besides, it looks like he can handle himself better than we can, especially with that wolf following him".

"Rolf! He was a boy and only God knows what he has been doing out here. And the wolf, how and why is that beast with him?" Suzy replied, getting frantic at the idea of Rendall being alone.

The couple were travelling back to their home in Tocking Vale after they had been asked to recruit some new servants from the local settlements nearby. Their effort was successful and new staff would arrive at the castle later that week, though both knew it would not be enjoyable. They would be knocked and tortured, even Suzy and Rolf knew they would get lashed after being late back to the castle, no matter if they were getting robbed or not. It was believed the king enjoyed the screams of his victims, always having someone nearby to torment.

They looked at the scene and damage around them. Two bandits lay on the floor unmoving, one with an arrow through his neck and blood pooling around him. The man was a large fellow who seemed to enjoy the thrill of his trade. The smile that plastered his face while he dragged Suzy harrowed her, and while she didn't want to admit it to herself, she was glad the man suffered before he died. The man's expression though while dead was one of confusion, eyes while and mouth slightly open. Pondering Suzy wondered if it was the shock of imminent death or the boy.

Muttering to herself, "Did he know the boy?"

Confused and still shaken Suzy would never know, at least not at the moment. The boy had ran and the thug was long dead.

"What was that Suzy?" Rolf said while staring at the scene around them.

"Nothing, just trying to understand."

The other man, further down the road, was barely recognisable. The wolf had done a thorough job. Her face tightened as she noticed the blood on the surrounding stones and grass, thanks to the body being thrown around.

"No one will recognise him," Rolf said as he walked up beside his wife.

"No, certainly not," she replied passively.

"We need to leave Rolf, people will ask questions and no one will believe us if we said a boy and a wolf did this. We will be painted with their murder."

A moment's silence went between them before Rolf agreed. He wasn't sure what the right thing to do was. He wanted to go after the lad as he was clearly in pain but knew he was long gone and seemed to know his way.

Ralf bent down and picked up a knife that had been dropped by the man that ran away. It was quite a long blade nearly a foot and a half in length that had clearly been used as it was blunted. Its handle spun with brown leather, giving good grip for Rolf should he ever need to use it. Holding the weapon in his hand Rolf saw specs of dried blood all over the blade. Rubbing it on his clothing the dried blood seemed to be almost engraved into the edges and despite his effort, would not budge. Looking at the knife in his hand again he hoped never to use it, but after the events that had just unfolded, he did not want to be caught unarmed again.