Shadows At Dawn: Chapter 5
Penance
This is it.
The final chapter of Shadows At Dawn and if you haven’t caught up with the rest of the novelette yet, I recommend going back through the rest of the chapters.
Chapter 1: Sorrow
Chapter 2: Regret
Chapter 3: Reprieve
Chapter 4: Revelations
Long days and sleepless nights of riding across the pastures. Rueben was battered by rain and cold and he kept going, refusing to let anything get in his way. He was alert to every shadow, every small detail that existed in the landscape. Anything could be a trap set by the Cartwrights to delay him.
To distract himself, he focused on what he would say to Pa, on how exactly he could explain what he’d been hiding all these years. He’d played the scenario in his head a thousand times and there was never a happy ending. None of it mattered anymore. He’d been running for too long and McNabs faced up to their demons.
Rueben ran into a scouting party two miles outside of Black Rock. The group of four were led by a senior Quester named Host who was around Pa’s age. He was cordial enough and if he’d heard anything about what Rueben had done he didn’t show it. Rueben agreed to ride with him the rest of the way until he saw the dark, basalt wall of Black Rock looming on the horizon.
Rueben followed Host up the trail and underneath the jaws of a wide, iron gate. Fort Myers squatted atop the hill overlooking the rest of the city. The fortress had lasted since the time of the first Questers and even after so many centuries it still formed an intimidating sight. People made a living beneath it, grateful for the protection of The High Quester and The Council while simultaneously being in fear of what they could do.
Rueben was halfway up the road to Fort Myers when he spotted the familiar flash of a chain catching the light. Pa waited on his steed, face pinched into an inscrutable expression. Rueben rode ahead of his escort until he stopped a short distance away.
Rueben wet his lips. There was so much he needed to say, but he couldn’t quite put it into words. “I came as soon as I could.”
“What have you done, boy?” There was a haggardness in his voice Rueben had never heard before.
Host and the others had caught up with Rueben and they formed a circle around him. He felt fifteen again, being scolded in training for missing a target, being clipped round the ear for not being good enough and the weight of Pa’s disapproval boring down on him until he couldn’t breathe.
Rueben wouldn’t hang his head in shame anymore. He raised his chin. “What I thought was right, Pa. You have to listen to me. The Cartwrights are -”
“Everything to be said will be spoken during your trial. The High Quester has ordered you be brought before The Council for the murder of Everett Foster.”
“The Cartwrights are coming here, Pa! You need to prepare.” Rueben shouted, wanting the whole city to hear. “Put me in a cell if you have to, but at least get The Council to bolster the outer defences.”
Pa said nothing, his face inscrutable as stone. He was looking through Rueben, like he wasn’t there at all. “Bring him to the fortress. He’s not to be harmed under any circumstances.”
He turned his steed around and Rueben wanted to call to him, to scream all the things a son should say to their father about living their own life and being accepted no matter what. But the moment would undo them both and as angry as he was with Pa, he couldn’t bring himself to speak the words. He didn’t put up a fight as Host took his chain and revolvers and led him up the road.
The room they put him in was large, with a comfortable bed and view of the city. There might not have been any bars but it didn’t stop the place from feeling like a prison. Rueben sat on the bed and listened to the footsteps of guards outside the door. He squeezed the enchanted coin and went to the window, looking to the sky and hoping Maddie would appear. Only clouds greeted him and he was alone.
Rueben slept in short bursts, waking every so often to the rapid beating of his heart. The door opened and he sat upright as Pa came in.
“We’re alone,” Pa put both his hands on Rueben’s shoulders. “Are you alright?”
Rueben shook his head.
Pa nodded. “No...I don’t suppose you would be. You shouldn’t worry about the trial. All you need to do is state your side of the story and once sufficient doubt has been cast on the younger Foster’s accusations things will fall in your favour.”
“I instigated the duel and killed Everett to save a girl accused of witchcraft,” Rueben said. “That’s all The Council will need to hear before making a decision.”
Pa touched his shoulder again. “If she worked magic to cloud your judgement you need only explain. It’s not the first time a man has been led astray by a woman. Witches are cunning, they’ll do all in their power to bend you to their will.”
Rueben stepped back. “There was no magic, only the greed of two desperate men. The girl was innocent. I know you’ve seen a lot in your life but not all witches are evil.”
“I’ve never been proven wrong, lad,” Pa said. “And I don’t plan to start now.”
It was the kind of statement that should have finished the conversation, but Rueben was only getting started.
“So it makes them all guilty just because you say so? You don’t think they have the ability to change or want to live their lives in peace?”
Pa looked at him steadily. “Let it alone, son.”
“I miss Ma too, but she wouldn’t want you putting what happened on every woman you see.” Rueben shouted. “It ain’t healthy and it ain’t right. And I’m done pretending I can keep living with the choices you make. I’m guilty of a lot of things, Pa. But I won’t feel guilty for loving a witch or having a boy of my own.”
Pa grabbed him by the collar of his coat and shoved him up into the wall. For a moment, Rueben thought he was going to hit him, for there was violence brewing in the blue-grey flecks of his eyes. Violence and betrayal. Rueben met the storm face-on, unwilling to break away from the glare. They stood like that for a long time, breathing heavily.
When Pa let go his hands were trembling. He didn’t say anything. He flexed his fingers and left the room, closing the door behind him. Rueben sat on the bed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
Where was the relief? Where was the sense of freedom for standing up for himself? The pit of despair inside his gut went deeper and deeper, and Rueben wasn’t sure he had the strength to climb out of it.
The next morning guards arrived and Rueben went with them to the Trial Hall. The Council were already seated at the long table, and the first thing Rueben noticed was the empty chair where Pa should have been sitting. Godfrey stood patiently in the middle of the room.
The High Quester beckoned Rueben forward, the sleeves of his robe fluttering.
“It’s a sad day when I see such an accomplished young man brought before me,” the High Quester lamented. “Your father has chosen not to be at this Trial because he feels he cannot be impartial and so we will begin.”
“Do as you see fit, High Quester. I already know my crimes.” Rueben said.
“You may proceed with your case, Godfrey.”
Godfrey moved in front of the table. “My case is simple - This traitor broke his own terms and the honour of duelling etiquette. He murdered my brother in cold blood and helped a witch escape custody.”
“Your brother is dead,” Rueben acknowledged. “But it wasn’t by my hand. You call me traitor and I call you the same. I know the two of you planned to kill an innocent child for the sake of a bribe you received from the Mayor of Appleby. The girl told me as much.”
“Lies spun from the mouth of an inhuman creature and her pet. High Quester, allow me --”
The High Quester put his hand up and Godfrey was silent. “An interesting claim. Yet it’s not the dispute we’re here to discuss. You say Everett didn’t die by your hand. What happened?”
Rueben stared at the empty chair and swallowed. Before anyone could say anything the heavy oak doors crashed open and Pa marched in, alert and focused. “High Quester, wolves have infiltrated Black Rock and they’re attacking the city. We need to turn them back.”
A greying Councilman grunted. “Impossible. They could never get past the wall.”
“Find a window and hear the screams if you doubt me, Severyn. Now isn’t the time to sit by and do nothing.” Pa growled.
His words had an effect on the room, as even the High Quester paused in consideration. “I want you to gather as many men as you can find and remind the dark why it fears us. Protect the city at all costs and stop them from breaching the fort.”
Rueben cleared his throat. “High Quester, I know have no right to ask...but let me help. Black Rock was my home for years and if I must lay down my life for the people then I’ll do it gladly.”
Severyn snorted and Godfrey looked ready to strangle him on the spot.
Pa spoke up. “I’ll need all the help I can get. I’ll take my son into custody. You have my word that when the city is safe he’ll be back here to face up to everything he’s done.”
The High Quester’s fingers locked together into a ball. “I trust your word, Clay. I’ll release the boy into your hands. Return him to the Hall as soon as it’s done. Take Godfrey with you as well.”
Rueben exhaled and followed Pa into the corridor. His revolvers and chain were on a table in the corner and he picked them up. “Thanks, Pa.”
“Shut up,” Pa hissed. “Just keep your mouth shut and do as you’re told.”
Godfrey came up behind them, his gaze full of venom. “Awaiting your orders, sir.”
“You hold onto the anger you have when you walk out the door. You channel it into keeping innocent people safe and you fight until every last one of those bastards is in the ground. Am I understood?”
“Yes, sir.” Rueben and Godfrey said in union.
Pa gathered twenty Questers from the barracks and set out on horseback. The others kept pace and as soon as they were beyond the fort, Rueben heard the screams. Bodies of men and women were strewn across the square and black figures prowled among them.
A man-sized wolf ripped a chunk of flesh from a dead Quester and raised its half-human head, snarling through a bloody maw. Throngs of people barrelled in from a side street, blocking Rueben’s view of the carnage.
The wolf pounced on a man with long hair and tore into his throat, howling with delight. Pa called for the men to split into two groups. He fired two iron bullets at the wolf, catching it in the gut. It growled in pain and tumbled backwards. The sound alerted more wolves and they stopped feasting, ears pricking up to the prospect of fresh meat.
The first half of the cavalry peppered the beasts with bullet fire, keeping them at bay. Rueben opted to put himself between the wolves and the crowd, yelling for people to take shelter in Fort Myers.
Over the din of gunfire came an angry snarl that jolted Rueben. A large, grey wolf stalked out of a townhouse. It walked on its hind legs and the scarred, blood-stained muzzle haunted his dreams. Rueben felt a thrumming in his pocket and saw the enchanted coin was glowing.
The Alpha uttered a raucous howl and bounded across the square. Half of the pack tore away from the fighting and Rueben searched for Pa among the chaos.
“Pa! The big one’s up to something. I’m going after it.”
Pa shouted something but it was lost to the clamour of families running and ducking. Rueben took off after the wolves, galloping into the Blacksmith District. The street opened up into a series of forges sheltered by low-hanging roofs. A wolf suddenly leapt out of nowhere and as Rueben brought his gun up he realised the creature had no control. It hurtled through the air, missed him completely and crashed into a window.
Rueben slowed his horse in time to see another wolf careen over a roof and disappear. Agitated baying came from up ahead. The pack were keeping their distance from the centre of the district and as Rueben got closer he understood why.
Maddie stood by a fountain, holding a silent Charlie close to her chest. A magical barrier made of pure light cocooned them and every time a wolf tried to get near it was hurled off its feet. But it seemed to take a little more effort on Maddie’s part, a little more energy to keep the shield up when another stepped into her path. The fountain was surrounded on all sides and cracks formed in the edges of the barrier.
Rueben drew both guns, unleashing a bellow that could surely have woken the dead. He caught two wolves in the back, one in the head and swivelled, trying to find the best way to Maddie through a sea of fur and malformed faces. A grey blur collided with his horse, knocking Rueben to the ground. He landed roughly on his elbows, pain spasming up into his arms.
His revolvers were gone and as Rueben started to move, the Alpha loomed above him. The stench of death collected in his throat, forcing him to cough as a large hand pressed hard on his stomach. Long claws scratched at his coat, and the Alpha’s red eyes glinted with satisfaction. Somewhere in that mess of man and beast was a creature of low cunning.
It lifted its hand for the killing blow, only for red sparks to explode across its jaw and set it on fire. The Alpha yelped, springing away from Rueben in a mad scramble of claws and teeth. More fireballs rained down on the pack, scattering them. Maddie chanted the spell in a fever pitch, turning the sky red and orange.
Rueben sat up and rested against a pillar as battle cries surged from the street. Pa burst into the square with a dozen Questers, like a flock of ravens come to pick the bones of a great carcass. They swarmed over the wolves in a black tide of righteous fury, dropping them with a hail of bullets.
The Alpha roared from somewhere above Rueben and the beasts that were still alive retreated, leaping across rooftops. Rueben staggered away from the pillar, making his way to the fountain. The barrier had melted and Maddie was nursing Charlie in her lap.
“Are you alright?” Rueben put a hand on her shoulder.
“Tired,” Maddie grunted. “I’ve been running for days...The pack were waiting as soon as I left the marsh.”
“Charlie?” The worst possible scenarios ran through his mind when the boy didn’t make a sound.
“He’s in a magically induced sleep,” Maddie said gently. “It was the only way I could keep him safe on the road. Those damned wolves chased me everywhere.”
Rueben held Charlie. His eyes were closed, his breathing steady. Rueben sighed in relief and stroked his son’s tiny forehead. “I’ll never leave you again.”
Click. A revolver was loaded. “Step away from the witch, Rueben.”
Pa had his gun aimed at Maddie. His men were silent, watchful.
Rueben hugged Charlie protectively. “Pa, stop pointing that thing at my wife and child. Please.”
Pa didn’t budge, his brow furrowed.
“I said stop pointing that fucking gun at my family!” Rueben yelled. “Are you really going to shoot your grandson? His name is Charlie. He’s your family.”
“He’s the spawn of an abomination,” Pa said. “And you’ve consorted with it. Step aside. I won’t tell you again.”
Maddie calmly moved in front of Rueben. “No, Clay McNab. It’s you who is the abomination. For years you’ve hunted us, paying with your soul until there’s nothing left but hate and emptiness. Your son will never be you.”
She turned to Rueben, kissing him as a declaration, her line in the sand. Rueben inhaled the scent of Maddie’s hair and saw a figure break free of the Questers from over her shoulder.
“Witch-loving scum!” Godfrey screamed, drawing his revolver.
Rueben pushed Maddie aside as a bullet crashed into his neck. He lost his grip on Charlie, keeling over onto the cobbles. His vision was full of vague silhouettes. Maddie clutched a shape that looked like Charlie, but it was fading, disappearing into golden dust.
“I’m sorry,” came her voice, soft as an autumn gust. She sounded far away, trapped behind walls he would never be able to break. Silver chains cracked, reflecting harsh sunbursts that bounced off window panes.
In the blinding heat, Rueben felt Pa’s hand touch him. He’d ripped off a piece of his coat and pressed it onto the bullet wound. Tears streaked his face and in all the years he’d known him, Rueben couldn’t remember seeing Pa cry.
“Stay with me, son,” Pa pleaded. “Stay with me.”
Rueben coughed, unable to speak. The world turned from red, to grey, to black on the wings of a crow soaring above him. It landed on a roof and turned a curved beak to the sky, cawing until dusk’s shadow swept over the plains.
Enjoyed Shadow At Dawn? Be sure to share it out with your network or sign up to Tales Of The Frontier for more free fiction.