Daxton - Episode 25
The 5th Compass | Tales of Stonehaven [2,395 words]
Daxton is the first book in the 6-book series, The 5th Compass, which takes place in Stonehaven. Released in serial form, two episodes each week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The audio version is coming in the future for paid subscribers only. Visit the table of contents for a list of previously published and upcoming episodes.
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“You cannot expect us to steal his bow in daylight? The bloody king's bow,” Barton whispered to Nelle who remained still and quiet, trying to imagine in her mind where this wagon was taking them. She tried shushing him multiple times, but it was no use, Barton kept asking the same question over and over again.
“We’re going to wait till nightfall you imbecile. Now, quiet. I am trying to determine where we are going. I think to the king’s stables where he keeps his horses.”
“Horses? What does one man need with more than one horse?”
“I must admit I do not know. Yet, I thank Zoldir for giving humans but one mouth, for yours is more than I can stand right now. You are lucky I do not have my full powers.” He made to respond to her insult but stopped when the wagon finally came to a halt and they felt it rock back and forth as the driver climbed down.
“Get down from there this instant.” Neither one of them moved a muscle. What if it was a trap and he had guards standing by waiting for them to show themselves before capturing them? They could take no chances and stayed right where they were. “If you don’t climb down from there, I will be forced to stab my pitchfork into this hay until you do.” He slammed the forked end into the hard ground as Barton shot his head up, pieces of hay in his hair and all over his front as well.
“do not!” He quickly looked around and saw they were inside of a stable and there was no one in sight except this elderly man. He nudged Nelle. “it is okay, no one here but us. And him.” Nelle sat up and the man holding the pitchfork let it fall to the ground from the sight of her.
“Blimy, well if it isn’t Nelle!” Both she and Barton looked at each other, just as shocked that he knew who she was.
“Do I know you good sir?” she asked as she skidded towards the edge of the wagon. The old man gingerly stepped over the pitchfork and took her hand, which she was not expecting, to help her down. He did not seem to mind her appearance and not only that, he recognized her right away. This was either good news or bad and she did not know the answer to that just yet.
“do not you remember your old pal, Griggs?”
Nelle’s eyes instantly began to tear up at the mention of the name. It was a name she hadn’t heard in over two decades now and she was overwhelmed to know her oldest and best friend was still alive.
“You bastard! I thought you were dead!” They embraced each other and Barton found himself rather uncomfortable, interrupting a reunion amongst old friends. He decided to explore the barn and give the two of them time to get reacquainted.
“Dead? How could you think I was dead? I thought someone had finally figured out a way to destroy the greatest witch that ever lived!”
“Shh! Not here, Griggs. Look at me. I am not destroyed but I am certainly not who I used to be either. So, tell me, what happened to you? Why are you back here and not out on the…what was her name again?” She tried to remember the name of Griggs’ ship and blushed when it came to her.
“The Nelle was lost at Sea I am afraid. She was a great ship, but we came across a creature unlike any I’d ever seen or heard tale of. Off the coast of—.” He stopped when he heard men in conversation walk by the entrance of the stable. Griggs quickly picked up the pitchfork and began to stab it into the hay, pulling chunks of it onto the ground as he tried to hide Nelle who was crouched behind a wheel. The men did not even so much as glance inside the stable as they kept on walking past. “That was close. Are you alright? Why are you here anyway? Who has done this cruel thing to you?”
“So many questions Griggs and I hope to one day sit down with you back at the Serpent’s Head and tell you everything. But for now, time is of the essence. My companion and I need a place to hide until night fall. Would the stable be secure enough?”
“It’s about the most secure place on the entire grounds. it is the only place that isn’t guarded. Ever. That stupid cow thinks his horses hate the color the guards wear and it makes them anxious. Their anxiety makes it difficult for him to ride them. Personally, I think the horses hate him as much as the rest of us.” Nelle and Griggs share a laugh. “Where is that companion of yours? Should I be worried?”
“Stop, he’s just a child.” She stood up and brushed the hay from as best she could from off her as she and Griggs looked around the stable for him. He was not anywhere in plain sight and she began to worry the idiot wandered outside, until she heard a horse nay and the sound of someone trying to calm it down. “What are you doing in here?”
“Isn’t he amazing? I want him. The king’s got six horses in here. He won’t notice if one of them goes missing.”
Nelle placed her hands on her hips as she watched Barton fawn over the horse, brushing and patting its side. The horse didn’t seem to mind much, and she had to admit it was a magnificent looking steed. “We do not have time for this, Barton. We have to find a place to hide out in here. Besides, although the king cannot possibly ride all six at once I am sure he’d notice if one went missing. This might be his favorite one.” She tried to reason with him, but he just was not listening.
“Let the boy stay in here for the rest of the day. He can help me feed them if he wants.” At hearing this, Barton nodded his head vigorously in agreement. “No one will come in here besides the king himself and he only makes an appearance when he’s choosing which horse will be lucky enough to be seen with him. From what I gather he doesn’t really have a favorite. He’s only interested in the amount of horses he owns.”
“I am starving,” she said, grabbing her stomach as it made a sound everyone heard. Barton was reminded of his hunger as well as his stomach made a similar noise to hers.
“Coming right up.” Griggs hobbled back to his wagon to retrieve a bag he had in the seat next to him.
Barton gave Nelle a look of question and concern. “Not to worry. He’s an old friend. We can trust him.” Before he could question what she meant, Griggs was back with pieces of cheese, bread, and even a water skin full of what Nelle assumed would be ale. She’s never known him to drink anything else.
As the day wore on Barton and Griggs fed all six horses while Nelle carried buckets of water for them. When they had finished, they found an empty stall and laid a blanket they found on the ground to sit, eat and talk, undisturbed.
“How long have you two been such good friends?” Barton asked, his mouth full of bread and cheese.
“Oh, we’ve known each other for ages. Griggs was a neighbor of our family back when my brother and I would play together out in the woods behind our house. Those were happier times.” She looked down at the bread in her hands and turned it over again in her hand, not wishing to make eye contact with either of them.
“You know, I was supposed to marry her, except she ran away. It was like she knew it was going to happen before I did. The whole town searched for her—.” He silenced himself when she looked up at him with anger in her eyes.
“I didn’t run away, and you know it. I wanted nothing more than to… Oh, what does it matter now. The past is in the past and I am sure we’ve both moved on in our own ways. I’ll admit I never imagined this is what you’d amount to; the king’s horse-feeder?” Her words cut his heart, but he knew she did it out of spite for what he said. Barton was just as confused but busied himself eating to press either of them further.
“So, what are you two planning to steal tonight? Perhaps I can help?”
“No, absolutely not. it is too dangerous. I would not wish to be responsible if something were to happen to you. With the Paragon roaming around I cannot take any chances.”
“The what?”
At this Barton decided to chime in. “do not bother, her answer will be cryptic and leave you as confused as I was.”
“I did not mean it as it came out. I have heard tales of the Paragon but if what you say is true, I wouldn’t wish harm upon you either. Why would you want to cross paths with that thing if you could avoid it? Are you mad?”
Barton giggled and Nelle leaned over to slap him in the back of the head, to which he was quicker than she and avoided her hand. “Lesson number two, never underestimate your enemy.” He winked at her as he went back to eating.
“I have no choice Griggs. I need the sword—.”
“you are risking your life over a sword? Does it contain some sort of powers?”
“You mock my decision, yet you do not understand. Look at me? What life could I hope to live when I am like this? I cannot live my life this way. The sword will help me get what I need to undo this cursed spell.”
Griggs looked upon her with sadness in his eyes. He recognized her so readily because he always loved her and no matter what she looked like he would always know her. He did not even realize her appearance was not a pleasant one and was taken aback by what he perceived to be her vanity showing. “I meant no insult. Who did this to you?”
“He did.” She pointed her chin out and Griggs took it to mean Barton did it to her, to which he reached for a dagger he kept hidden away in his boot.
“I’ll gut him like a fish.” Barton backed away quickly, a piece of cheese sticking out of his mouth.
“Not him you imbecile. I mean the Paragon. He did this to me after I told him what he needed to know. So, now do you see why I must undo this and go back to my former self?”
“You mean he just did this to you but didn’t kill you?”
“Exactly.” Barton swallowed the last bit of food he had as he watched their conversation bounce back and forth. He knew there was something hidden beneath the surface that they were not saying aloud, and he was getting frustrated hearing their secretive conversation.
“What? Is it not a good thing that her life was spared?” Both Nelle and Griggs looked at him in disbelief that he was not smart enough to realize why the Paragon leaving Nelle alive was probably a worst fate than Death.
“The Paragon, my dear lad, is best known for leaving no one alive. Its entire reason for existence is to kill until he is sent back to wherever he came from. I have never heard of the Paragon leaving someone alive. This can only mean one thing; he intends on finding Nelle again because she has something he wants. And when he gets it, that will surely mean the end of her.”
Silence fell amongst the three of them as Griggs’ words hung in the air. Barton realized if what little he’s heard about the Paragon from Nelle were to be believed, then her life was in danger.
“It is dark now. Let’s get that sword so we can get the sword and help Daxton escape.” Nelle slapped her hand to her forehead and disbelief that Barton would say as much as he did. She was trying not to tell her friend the entirety of their plan in case he should be captured and tortured. If they put him through even half of what she had to endure he would tell them everything they wanted to know and unlike her, he would leave nothing out.
“Wait, Daxton? Who is that?” Griggs asked, looking back and forth between the two of them. Barton realized his mistake in speaking out of turn and decided to look down in shame, hoping Nelle wouldn’t take it out on him later.
“Griggs, trust me when I tell you, the less you know the better off you will fare when we are gone, and you are left behind here to answer how two horses rode off with the King’s Bow.”
Griggs’ jaw fell to hear her mention the King’s Bow. “You have gone mad. No one, and I mean no one, could ever hope to go near the king’s most prized possession. And with you at half your powers and the Paragon present, how could you ever hope to do it?”
“That is why I need the aid of Barton here and his best friend, Daxton. In exchange for helping me I intend to help them.”
“I see. And once you have the entire royal army at your back have you given any thought to how you are going to put enough distance between you?” The look on her face answered his question. “It is lucky for you I am here then. Do you remember what I did in the old days whenever you’d get caught stealing in the market?” Her eyes lit up as the memories flooded her mind and he winked back at her.
“Thank you, old friend.” She placed her hand on his arm and he placed his on hers as they looked at each other with mutual love and affection.