The Righteous Way

Charter 11

“It can’t be true...” she cried, “I don’t want to be alone,”

“You’re not alone, we can help you find a new home,” said James ,

“I don’t want a new home! I want my daddy!”

She ran away through the snow. Alex stayed behind staring at the moon while James followed her. She ran towards the city, but tripped and fell into a snow-bank. She laid there screaming until James picked her up to rock her.

She only hugged him and cried as he carried her home. When they arrived she was asleep. Scarlett met him outside the hut. “What happened?”

“We informed her of the truth, she didn’t take her father’s death very well,”

“How would you expect her to take it?”

“I know, but hopefully we can find her a new family,”

“I guess we’ll worry about it in the morning,” said Alex now appearing around a corner, “We could all use a little sleep.”

The troupe entered the hut and did their best to find places to sleep. James put Isabelle on her bed and he covered her before retreating to the floor. All three drifted off.

“Wake up!” Scarlett shouted at the boys. Alex and James stirred awake to see their panicked friend looking around frantically. “She’s gone!”

“What!?”

“Isabelle is gone!”

“Pack up and move,” Alex ordered.

Within minutes they were loaded and running all throughout the streets. They woke up half the city pounding on doors asking if anyone had seen her. Nobody had.

They sprinted to the city gates and sure enough outside they could see her small prints in the snow leading away.

They chased after her, James running the fastest kicking up torrents of snow in his wake. A long distance from the city he found her, face down in the snow. She was cold to the touch and he immediately lifted her from the frozen ground. He looked around for a clear place, but they were too far from town to turn back.

Alex and Scarlett soon caught up. “I saw an abandoned shed nearby,” Scarlett said, “come with me,”

James followed and the small farm-shed was soon in view. They burst in. “Quick!” Scarlett ordered, “I need all the blankets we can spare, and get a fire going. James grabbed all of their quilts and laid them down on a dry piece of earth. Alex soon had a fire going near the makeshift bed. James turned and noticed Scarlett and the child were stripped, he was so worried however he had no desire to comment.

Scarlett laid herself and Isabelle upon the quilts and rolled pulling the quilts with her until she and the child were tightly packed inside. Alex and James moved her close to the fire and made a makeshift pillow for her. “She’s so cold,” Scarlett said, “I hope we’re not too late.”

Alex sat staring at the fire with James . Both felt guilty for the situation. “If only we hadn’t pushed her so hard,” James said, “Maybe spent some time with her first,”

“It wouldn’t have mattered, no child should live with such delusions, the death of her father is tragic, but she had a right to know, the cruelty would have been greater the longer we had waited,”

James slumped against the wall and closed his eyes. He and Alex slept while Scarlett shivered against the frozen Isabelle. After what seemed to her as an eternity of waiting she was rewarded with a gentle shrug from the young girl. Scarlett relaxed and too fell asleep her mind now at ease.

When the trio woke, the sun was shining through the cracks in the shed. Alex and James both stood up stretching. They went outside to find some food while Scarlett dressed herself and Isabelle whom was still groggy and unresponsive. Scarlett lifted her into a piggyback and then tied her hands and legs together to keep her there. She draped herself in her thick cloak and followed after the men. When she caught up they had a couple of dead foul.

“What do we do now?” Scarlett asked,

“We could take her with us,” James answered,

“It surprises me no one took her in while they knew she was alone,”

“Goes to show people still think of themselves first,”

“Like you?”

James shot her a look devoid of humor. They cooked the ducks while Isabelle slept still tied against Scarlett’s warm back. While they sat huddling around the fire two doves swooped in and landed on Scarlett’s cloak just above Isabelle’s shoulders. She shifted in her sleep, but didn’t wake. Scarlett sat perfectly still as not to disturb the strange birds. They began cooing before taking off abruptly.

“I love you too mama, papa,” Isabelle muttered in her sleep before shifted her head to look the other way. The trio all looked at one another acknowledging the odd phenomenon. After another couple of hours Isabelle stirred awake as they were walking along. Scarlett let her down. “How are you feeling?” she asked,

“I’m well now,”

“You gave us a real scare child,” James said,

“I’m sorry, but I feel better now. Mama and papa said I should trust you and then said goodbye,”

They again looked at one another unsure of what to say. “Then you’re welcome to travel with us,” James said, “but first you’ll need bedding and a few other items.” He looked at Alex .

“Yes, we’ll return to your home and acquire what is needed.”

Isabelle followed them back to her home where they collected blankets and a satchel fit for Isabelle’s size. They filled it with necessities for her and then went to the nearest shop where James bought her a thicker winter cloak. Once stocked they headed out to the snowy fields. Isabelle struggled to keep up with the adults as they walked through the snow forcing them all to slow their pacing until finally James lifted her upon his back.

“I don’t like this,” Scarlett said,

“What’s not to like?” James exclaimed, “Taverns; merchants; scallywags; this is a town after my heart!”

The four travelers entered the port town. The ocean air was crisp in the spring breeze and James welcomed it. “It’s been a while since I called the sea my home,”

“You were a sailor?” Scarlett asked,

“I was a deck hand on a quaint little ship for a season; what a glorious season it was,”

“So why not return to the sea?” Alex asked,

“Because she scares me, that mistress we call an ocean is a cold and unforgiving wench,”

“Your ship was lost to the deep?”

“It was indeed, along with our money and possessions,”

“What was the purpose of your vessel?” Scarlett asked, “Merchant? Ferry? Fishermen?”

“We were jacks of all trades, doing whatever would fill our wallets, but usually it was cargo hauling,”

“And I trust all your activities were legal,” Scarlett asked,

“We may have moved some items and people that required some secrecy,”

“Smugglers,” Alex said,

“What can I say? The money was good.”

Alex and Scarlett both shook their heads at him. Isabelle was confused and shrugged her shoulders. She then noticed a group of three men stumbling towards them. They were obviously drunk and seemed fixed on Scarlett.

“Hey there lass,” one of them said, “How’s about you and I find a nice quiet place to get acquainted,” he reached out to grab her. Scarlett grabbed the man’s hand and twisted, forcing him to the ground. “Lay a hand on me and I’ll make sure you’ll never use it again,” she said before letting go. The man stood up rubbing his wrist, his face now red with anger, “Make a fool of me will ya!?” he shouted and drew a cutlass.

James took Isabelle’s hand and rushed her away from the situation while Alex backed away. He removed his belongings and held his shield ready to assist if needed. Scarlett dropped her cloak and brandished her lance. “Yeah Wally,” said one of the man’s companions, “Show her no one crosses us,”

Wally swung his sword at her, but she blocked and kicked him down. He stumbled to get back up and swung again. Scarlett knocked the sword away and struck him in the stomach with the back-end of the lance. He doubled over and vomited on the ground. “Eww!” Isabelle cringed from behind James on the side of the pathway. Scarlett then whacked him on the back of the head sending him sprawling into the puddle of vile spew. She used her foot to roll him over. He was out cold.

“You wretch!” shouted the other man who charged her. This time Alex stepped in and blindsided the sailor with his shield knocking him down with excessive force. James also stepped in with his daggers drawn staring down the third man.

“Take your friend and go,” Alex said,

“Y-yes sir,” said the third man who grabbed the unconscious sailor by the feet and began to drag him back to town. Scarlett looked towards James who was grinning. “What are you so happy about?” she asked,

“Ahh,” he sighed, “I’ve missed this life.”

They entered the streets and Alex immediately looked for the nearest inn. “You won’t find any reasonable innkeepers here,” said James , “they’ll try and get you drunk before bargaining for a room.”

“That’s despicable,” Scarlett said,

“That’s business, especially when your best clients are a bunch of ale-chasing sailors,”

“What do we do?” Scarlett asked,

“We’ll find something,” Alex said, “I figure with all these drunkards we’ll find a tavern in need of repairs--”

Suddenly a man flew from the doors of the building next to them. Inside the clattering of a brawl could be heard and bottles broke as men beat each other relentlessly.