Forgotten Embers

71. Messengers

He stood out by the edge of the woods watching for the men to come, but they never came. It was a relief not to be running, but, even so, he wondered why they hadn't followed them.

'Perhaps, it is providence. God has stricken them with blindness; that or they're planning.'

He caught a glimpse of a rider on a horse with two other men following him, each man riding his own animal, and his eyes turned to Justice beside him.

"This doesn't look good, does it?" Justice remarked.

"They aren't Zephyr's men," Adrien assured him.

"Are you sure?" Justice asked, skeptical.

'He always was careful.'

"Yes," Adrien said again. "Completely."

"Well," Justice replied, "this may be in our favor, then."

"It may be," Adrien replied. "Down, then?"

Justice nodded, and the two men descended the rocky slope of scattered trees with swords drawn.

"Aye!" Adrien said, flagging the first man down.

He was a worn out rider on a well worked chestnut stallion, both of whom seemed to be suffering exhaustion.

"Rider, from where do you come?" Adrien asked, inspecting the sorry sight of the dust covered foreigner.

"From Asrymn, sir," the man replied, keeping tight hold of the reigns as he slumped in the saddle.

"These are your companions?" he asked, giving a nod towards the other horsemen as they approached.

The man looked back wearily over his shoulder and nodded. "Yes, sir," he said. "That's them." He paused, inhaling deeply to catch his breath again. Clearly, he was tired long past comfort. "We have others coming, also. They're maybe a day behind us. Not far back, and many more coming with them."

"Are you Kingsmen?" Adrien asked, sheeting his sword as he became satisfied by the man and his tale.

The man nodded, his eyes half closed from the troublesome journey. "We're delivering these," he said, taking a paper from his satchel and presenting it with trembling hands to the hooded figure standing before him.

Adrien looked at it and smiled with mild amusement and heartfelt gratitude.

'A Peacetime Proclamation.'

"Where is McFarland?" he asked him, suddenly pierced with concern at the representative's absence.

The man dropped his gaze, hanging his head in sadness, and the other men did the same as they came near and overheard the question. They were all of them silent, faint and sorrowful spirits all of grieving countenance.

Adrien's heart dropped with them. 'Don't tell me he's dead. I've seen far too much pain to let another man die.'

"Is he dead?" Justice asked, speaking to them directly with his usual professional coldness.

The first man shook his head in momentary dismissal. "He isn't that we know," he said, and Adrien felt a brief hope enter into his heart. "But they did take him."

"Zahaynei?" Adrien asked him.

The front man nodded. "Zephyr's folks. There were a hundred of us when we started. Now we're down to a little less than thirty, last I knew. They caught McFarland with a lot of us, but they took special interest in him. Carried him back to High Palace."

"Where?" Adrien asked him, his eyes tearing as his heart tore to pieces for them.

"East of Tyra, on our way up to Sa'ar," the weary man informed him.

Adrien looked over to Justice, who nodded. "Come with us."

They led the men up through the woods to the cabin where Ignatius stayed, and Adrien asked Kypher to go and watch the road again with Justice. "There may be more yet coming," he told him. "See that they come here."

In the warmth and safety of the home, the travelers ate and drank long and happy until they were satisfied, and Adrien bade the man with whom he had spoken before to come up and speak with Benjamin and Eliezer, also.

He opened the cabin door to a room unexpectedly filled with people. "Sam!" he said with surprise.

"Adrien," replied the happy farmer who sat sipping on his tea. "Thank you for the letter."

"Did you know it was me at the time?" Adrien asked, remembering his presentation. He had worn a hooded cloak to shadow his face and spoke barely a word as he gave it.

"Only after I saw the address," Samuel admitted. "No one else writes like my sister."

Eliezer smiled at Dorcus, kissing her cheek, and Adrien watched them gladly. There was some great relief he took from seeing the two of them so unusually expressive and happy.

'I had hoped they might find some time to relax here and enjoy each other as they should have so very long ago.'

"I wouldn't dare to contradict you," Adrien replied, smiling. "But I do have news for you all," he went on, his tone becoming a bit more serious, though he deeply regretted the need to inform them of the visitors. He would have just as gladly left the mater until the following day to afford the group another day of tranquil rest and peaceful solace. "This man is Rupert Hartman, and he is from Asrymn," he said, presenting the man to the room full of people. "He rode with McFarland, and he brings with him some news I thought you all should hear."

He motioned for the man to step forward and coming into the living room, passing him the floor. The straggly haired foreigner took his floppy taupe hat in his hand, now battered from the weather, and slowly walked his way to the center.

"Well," he said, nervously gripping his way around the brim of his hat, "ladies and gentlemen, it's my regret to be the one to inform ya that Representative McFarland won't be joinin' ya here. See, he was captured by Captain Zahaynei when we was not too far to north country, and when they caught him, they caught a few of our men. Now, most of 'em, they just got shot, but him they treated especially badly. They beat him off the horse he rode and bound his wrists and tied him to the animal. Then, they rode the horse and ordered him to follow. He walked so long as he could, then ran, and they dragged him when he could not run. We followed him as long as we were able, but there came a time we had go or run the risk of being taken. He told us when we volunteered that this would be a dangerous business, that a lot of us wouldn't make the route. He told us that when one gets caught, the rest go on, and he told us, 'Even if it's me, you still keep going on and deliver the message.' So, on we went til ya found us here."

"Good man," Eliezer muttered, closing his eyes with pained expression.

Dorcus's eyes dropped in sadness, and the atmosphere of the room changed with the news of the representative's capture.

"You delivered the message. Are there many more to come, then?" Benjamin asked him, his voice betraying his hidden concern. "Did the people receive you gladly?"

"Oh, yes. We had very good reception. You should see them coming out by the droves. The remnant from Sa'ar and from Tyra, from Pergum and from Euphess. Why, even some of the folks from Laoce seemed repentant enough when we read them the letter the Ambassador sent them. I wouldn't be surprised to see 'em. Delphi gave us the finest reception of anybody. Got the whole town in such an uproar over it that I'd be surprised to see a man still on the street, and then, of course, you have us, or... what's left of us, anyway," Rupert added with a proud and determined smile.

Adrien let out a breath, thankful for the good news as Benjamin smiled, relieved.

'He's kept a great deal of concern over this, hasn't he? Well... now he can see how truly we come to his aid. May it be a balm to his spirit as the people gather to serve him, and may we see the day that all of this is finally over and our suffering ended. Until that day, to you, O King be our lives... and our hearts.'