The Forgotten

Chapter 8

Rendall walked through the street down to the market. It had previously been filled with people walking to and from stalls. But at this late hour there were only a few people about, who seemed to be roaming in search of another place to drink. At the other end, there was a man passed out by the door of a house. Clearly, he could not hold off sleep before stepping inside.

Few noises could be heard. Those that could were children arguing with their parents and others were merry songs growing louder.

Walking towards the inn he stayed the previous night, he wondered if he should go there at all. The only reason he came back was to be with Lynden. Was he really craving human companionship that much? Thinking back to the confrontation at the gate, he had no idea what would happen to him.

Guilt flooded Rendall's thoughts. He let someone who didn't deserve it be taken advantage of, just like his parents. They were now dead, lying at the bottom of a grave with no one but Rendall remembering them. Perhaps Lynden would be joining them.

Half an hour passed before he brought his head back up. Realising he had been lost in thought, he had taken several turns which led him down side streets where the only light came from glimmers of candles.

Before he started looking for a way back, Rendall heard the sobs of a little girl down an alleyway being interrupted by faint laughs between words. Though of what, he couldn't make out yet.

He saw an alleyway and followed it, a small path with no light. The ground was a dirt track between houses. After his eyes adjusted to the pitch black of the alley, he could just make out several fresh footprints in the dirt. There were four in total, three were large while the other set were small, almost childlike.

Another turn not far down, a flicker of torchlight gave away three guards, one holding a young girl who was weeping in fear and pain. One man had his armour off though and was taking off his clothes while another man was standing and watching.

Rendall didn't give them a chance. He drew the bow off his back, nocked an arrow and fired at the guard taking off his clothes. The arrow pierced the guard's left kneecap, he fell to the ground with a loud crack and screamed in pain.

Nocking the second arrow, he fired at the guard watching. He had seen Rendall point the arrow at him but it was too late. The arrow hit him through the eye socket and came out the back of his head, with spurts of blood spitting onto the wall behind him. His body fell into a puddle of water which soon turned red.

The final guard was drawing a knife from the scabbard at his waist though he was too slow. Rendall had already fired his final arrow. It hit him in the same spot as the last man. He released the girl from his dying grip as he fell to the ground, jolting.

The girl with tears flowing down her face stood there in shock and looked at the unknown boy holding a bow. She ran up to Rendall who had placed his bow back on his back.

"Th...Thank you." She said in between sobs.

He hugged her back, embracing her and then whispering "Go home. If you have nowhere to go run to the woods to the north. Run through the dead woods until you reach a burnt-out house with a huge tree within it. You'll be safe there, the forest will protect you."

She nodded and ran. Rendall didn't know what she would do, and he didn't know why he told her to go to the woods. Would she really be safe? Hopefully, Celer will figure it out.

Rendall walked up to the guard with an arrow in his kneecap. He was still screaming.

"You disgust me. Don't worry, I'll make this as painful as possible."

Without another word, Rendall gripped his bow and put an arrow in the other kneecap, then his elbows and feet. The arrows pierced the guard's body and sank into the ground, trapping him alive. He kept screaming.

The boy looked at the rapist. Before he could say anything, he heard guards on horseback approaching. He drew another arrow, one of two he had left, and aimed at the trapped guard's head.

"Stop. Don't you dare kill another of the king's army, you'll hang for this." Said one of the mounted guards.

"If I'm already to be executed, what more can you do to me?" Rendall replied in a cold voice.

He released the arrow at point-blank range. It pierced the eye socket and his screams died with him.

Rendall had nowhere to go. It was a dead end and the mounted guards were charging towards him with a troop of armoured soldiers behind them. He could not win. He dropped his bow and fell to the ground.

Gazing at the floor, he said "And I'd do it all over again to help the innoc-." Then the world went black.