Chapter Eleven: Band of Misfits
That ride down the quiet stretch of road was uneventful, beautiful and peaceful. It was so peaceful in fact that I believed that perhaps it would be a simple ride in the country all the way to Kincaid. I believed that perhaps all of the dark and dismal things people had told me about this journey were all superstitious nonsense. Someday soon I imagined that we would pull up in front of Kincaid and be welcomed as a Master returning to his home after a long journey.
The trees and other shrubs that doted the landscape might have given the illusion of untamed wilderness to the untrained eye. However I could see that the edges of the groves were too clean and it's lines were too straight. The wildflowers gave a lovely fragrance that drifted on the cool breeze of the sunny day.
On either side of the road I could see now and again vast stretches of tilled fields with crops growing and people out working in them. The road that we traveled down intersected with other roads that ran to the left and right off into the distance. Every so often we could see that these roads seemed to run right up into the door of what seemed to be a small castle. Fairly tall stone structures they seemed to be and looked quite foreboding and yet welcoming at the same time. From the centre of the stone complex a sole watchtower rose high. The fields seemed to surround the 'castles' in all direction. I looked them over and could see that these were not military outposts; the children running about gave that away.
"What's that?" I asked Jealile, as I remained looking at one of the stone structures in question.
"That's a Quad." Jealile responded unimpressed. "It is a collection of four Estates gathered together and arranged like that for protection. When invaders come they will not find our homes easily plundered, or so it was thought when they were built." Jealile said with a sigh as she finished the explanation.
"So, Kincaid looks like that?" I asked, looking it over with renewed interest. I was still shocked to find that I was now one-quarter owner of a castle!
"Well, Kincaid is like other Estates, it has one quarter of the quad as well as one of the four fields that surround it.
"What makes Kincaid so special?" I asked with curiosity. "Why all the fuss?"
"Well, I understand that it is at the base of mount Augustus and it is on the side that faces both the sea on its one side and the mountain on the other. The scenery is splendid to be sure; more than that, I don't know." Jealile said as she put her arm around me and rested her head on my shoulder.
"Well, we'll find out together." I said to her as I kissed the top of her head. "We'll all find out before journey's end!" I said loud enough for the group to hear and with a cheerful beat to my voice.
I got the expected cheers and happy shouts in response that I expected. Everyone sat back and quietly enjoyed the ride as the wagon lumbered along. The bodies in the wagon swayed to and fro with each bump and hole in the road along that stretch. It was some time before someone spoke; everyone was lost in their own thoughts but one person more than the others it seamed.
"I hope it's like this all the way to Kincaid." Shelea asked with a warm, reflective smile on her face.
"Most of the countryside does look like this." Treabilla said to the companion who sat beside her. "Have you never seen it before?" Treabilla inquired of her younger traveling companion with a curious tone.
"As the head healer's assistant, you don't get much chance to do much but look after sick people." Shelea said a little sheepishly. "I've never left Teroncia." She finished and looked out of the wagon at a passing patch of wildflowers.
"If you don't' mind my asking, how did you end up here?" Jealile asked with an equally curious look as she turned back to face Shelea.
"A fair question I suppose since I'm here." Shelea laughed to herself and paused for a moment before speaking. "Brian was the most curious patient I had ever cared for, being an Outsider and all. After his recovery I kept an eye on him to be sure he was okay. I was also curious to know more about this stranger to our land that looked no different." Shelea paused again and looked away, thinking again "The more I learned of what was happening to him and where he was heading the more exciting it sounded." Shelea said with a glint of excitement in her eye.
"Exciting!" Jealile exclaimed before I could. "We are riding towards a place that has claimed at least two lives mysteriously and scared off many others. Things there have turned from bad to worse and we go because that is where our future lies! We go because we have no choice but to go! I ask you again, why are you going?" Jealile finished and let her last question sit in the air heavy for a moment and Shelea pondered it for a short while.
"Because." Shelea said with a huff after a moment, her face was all screwed up and a storm of thoughts raged through her small head. "All my life I have been treated like a child!" Shelea started out still a little upset by Jealile's blunt question.
"But you are a child!" Treabilla chuckled in disbelief.
"I AM NOT A CHILD! I am SIXTEEN!" Shelea shouted with a defiant and indignant frown at Treabilla. "Two years younger than you! Are you a child?" Shelea asked angrily and expected an answer.
"No, Of course not. It's just . . ." Treabilla started out to explain herself but was cut off.
"Neither am I!" Shelea snapped. "I may be small for my age but I am not a child!" Shelea replied and folded her arms and held something dangerously close to a pout.
I did not dare point out that at the moment she was beginning to act like one. Her indignation was understandable and I started to understand her more than I had up until now. She must have lived her life always being brushed aside and treated like a meddlesome child. It could frustrate the greatest of saints, I'm sure and a lifetime of that would make anyone testy on that point, as I'm sure you'll agree.
