Aresan Clan pt 62

The raider Noone and Amida saw appeared to have been hiding within the grass, having stood up, in anticipation of Jule’s arrival. In the faint starlight, they saw that it was a large, strong man, wearing a vest of animal skin and bearing on his body the three sheaths that indicated he was a member of one of the itinerant tribes.

As soon as Jule approached him, a few words passed between them, well out of the range Noone and Amida’s hearing. Noone hastily whispered to Amida, “Go to your room. Pack a bag. You’re following that man!”

Amida hesitated for only a moment, somewhat surprised by the sudden command, before she sprinted back to the entrance and towards her room. While she was away, Noone tensely watched the two figures, whispering to herself, “Hurry Amida. Hurry. They’re not going to be there forever.”

In her room, Amida was pulling out the backpack that she’d just recently used to transport her meager possessions back from Lamosa. She immediately dumped the contents out onto the bed and picked the few items that she thought would be useful: a heavy cloak, leather boots, a blanket, and a dagger, among other things. She ran to the kitchen, snatched a loaf of bread and a block of cheese, and, wrapping them in a cloth, plunged them into her bag. With the bag on her shoulders, she raced down the hall.

While Noone watched the meeting between the two men in the distance, a quick handshake passed between them, and Jule started to ascend the slope back towards the wall of the cloisters. The other man didn’t wait, and immediately started to walk briskly downslope towards the floor of the valley. Noone could see the faint shadow by starlight as it slowly shrank, becoming more and more indiscernible in the shadows of night.

Just at that moment, Amida reached Noone’s side, a bag on her back and ready to run.

“There! Do you see him? Keep him in your sight!” Noone said pointing to the small, moving shadow in the distance. Amida squinted, just barely able to see the tiny object that Noone pointed to.

Amida started to run, when Noone grabbed her and gave her final instructions, “Follow him! Be stealthy. He’s assuredly just a courier. Try to overhear what message he passes on. Importantly, see who he’s with. And then get back here. And most important of all: be safe!”

Amida nodded her head and replied, “Yes, Eldest,” before she turned and started to run down the slope in the direction of the disappearing shadow. As she started to broach the distance and moved closer towards the distance shadow, she started to slow down, and keep her steps as silent as possible, while she stalked him from a distance.


As the light of dawn began pour through the windows of the Private House where Anders resided, the servants and staff began to rise from their beds and prepare the house for morning. The house itself sprawled out from the center of a large garden in the heart of Lamosa. Four two-story wings extended in each of the cardinal directions around a central hub, which was capped by a round dome.

In an interior room within this home, Samuel slept. One of the servants, Eldeba, opened the door to this room and peaked inside. A black cloth had been placed over his head and secured around his neck so that he couldn’t remove it. This cloth-covered head Samuel upon a pillow and breathed heavily while he slept.

Eldeba told Samuel to get up, and when the boy didn’t respond, he stepped forward and touched his shoulder, causing the boy to jolt and rise from his sleep. Samuel silently reached out a hand to touch the person who had awoken him. Thin, cotton gloves covered his hands, and with these he reached out and touched the face of the servant.

“Your breakfast is here,” the servant said, as he set a tray of food on a table next to the bed. Eldeba then carefully removed the head covering from the boy’s head. The sweet innocent face of the boy was exposed, but he still had another cloth wrapped as a blindfold around his eyes. Eldeba helped Samuel’s hands to find the food. Once Samuel recognized the texture of food on his fingertips, he leaned down and inhaled the warm aroma of the food and gave a broad smile.

“You’ll want to eat well, my boy,” Eldeba added, “They’re going to be testing you today. Nothing harrowing, I hope. But you’ll need your strength.”

<-- Go to Part 61         Go to Part 63 -->

You can see what's been written so far collected here.

The raider Noone and Amida saw appeared to have been hiding within the grass, having stood up, in anticipation of Jule’s arrival. In the faint starlight, they saw that it was a large, strong man, wearing a vest of animal skin and bearing on his body the three sheaths that indicated he was a member of one of the itinerant tribes.

As soon as Jule approached him, a few words passed between them, well out of the range Noone and Amida’s hearing. Noone hastily whispered to Amida, “Go to your room. Pack a bag. You’re following that man!”

Amida hesitated for only a moment, somewhat surprised by the sudden command, before she sprinted back to the entrance and towards her room. While she was away, Noone tensely watched the two figures, whispering to herself, “Hurry Amida. Hurry. They’re not going to be there forever.”

In her room, Amida was pulling out the backpack that she’d just recently used to transport her meager possessions back from Lamosa. She immediately dumped the contents out onto the bed and picked the few items that she thought would be useful: a heavy cloak, leather boots, a blanket, and a dagger, among other things. She ran to the kitchen, snatched a loaf of bread and a block of cheese, and, wrapping them in a cloth, plunged them into her bag. With the bag on her shoulders, she raced down the hall.

While Noone watched the meeting between the two men in the distance, a quick handshake passed between them, and Jule started to ascend the slope back towards the wall of the cloisters. The other man didn’t wait, and immediately started to walk briskly downslope towards the floor of the valley. Noone could see the faint shadow by starlight as it slowly shrank, becoming more and more indiscernible in the shadows of night.

Just at that moment, Amida reached Noone’s side, a bag on her back and ready to run.

“There! Do you see him? Keep him in your sight!” Noone said pointing to the small, moving shadow in the distance. Amida squinted, just barely able to see the tiny object that Noone pointed to.

Amida started to run, when Noone grabbed her and gave her final instructions, “Follow him! Be stealthy. He’s assuredly just a courier. Try to overhear what message he passes on. Importantly, see who he’s with. And then get back here. And most important of all: be safe!”

Amida nodded her head and replied, “Yes, Eldest,” before she turned and started to run down the slope in the direction of the disappearing shadow. As she started to broach the distance and moved closer towards the distance shadow, she started to slow down, and keep her steps as silent as possible, while she stalked him from a distance.


As the light of dawn began pour through the windows of the Private House where Anders resided, the servants and staff began to rise from their beds and prepare the house for morning. The house itself sprawled out from the center of a large garden in the heart of Lamosa. Four two-story wings extended in each of the cardinal directions around a central hub, which was capped by a round dome.

In an interior room within this home, Samuel slept. One of the servants, Eldeba, opened the door to this room and peaked inside. A black cloth had been placed over his head and secured around his neck so that he couldn’t remove it. This cloth-covered head Samuel upon a pillow and breathed heavily while he slept.

Eldeba told Samuel to get up, and when the boy didn’t respond, he stepped forward and touched his shoulder, causing the boy to jolt and rise from his sleep. Samuel silently reached out a hand to touch the person who had awoken him. Thin, cotton gloves covered his hands, and with these he reached out and touched the face of the servant.

“Your breakfast is here,” the servant said, as he set a tray of food on a table next to the bed. Eldeba then carefully removed the head covering from the boy’s head. The sweet innocent face of the boy was exposed, but he still had another cloth wrapped as a blindfold around his eyes. Eldeba helped Samuel’s hands to find the food. Once Samuel recognized the texture of food on his fingertips, he leaned down and inhaled the warm aroma of the food and gave a broad smile.

“You’ll want to eat well, my boy,” Eldeba added, “They’re going to be testing you today. Nothing harrowing, I hope. But you’ll need your strength.”

<-- Go to Part 61         Go to Part 63 -->

You can see what's been written so far collected here.

Aresan Clan pt 62