Holding his breath, Gideon stalked forward through the dense undergrowth. The distinct earthy aroma of loam filled his nose, last night's rain transforming the normally serene forest. Each footstep seemed to sink into the bed of moss and dirt that coated the ground, thankfully muting the sound of his presence. It wouldn’t do to spook his prey. Not when he was so close. The soft cooing reached his ears again, and he couldn’t help but lick his lips. Dinner was so close.
Peering out from behind a tree, he spied his quarry. The Brown Bush Turkey pecked at the dirt, seeming to have found a particularly delicious grub buried in the moss. Thankfully, it hadn’t noticed him, his mottled cloak doing a good enough job at camouflaging him. Taking in a deep breath, he lifted his bow and, with a deep breath, slowly pulled back on the string. The bow bent under his strength, the arrow shaking slightly as he aimed at the clueless bird. Just as he was about to let it fly, a flash of movement to his left gave him pause.
The turkey let out a short cluck, a large discoloured grub writhing on the floor below it, and to Gideon’s surprise, a chorus replied. Out from the bushes came five smaller turkeys, all fluffy and bald. Their high-pitched chirps filled the forest as they rushed up to the poor grub and began pecking it. The mother shook her feathers and let out another soft coo as she watched her young hop about.
A quiet sigh escaped Gideon as he slowly released the tension on the bowstring. Shaking his head, he watched from his hiding spot as the yearlings gobbled up the grub and began playing with each other in the dirt. The hen seemed quite proud of her children and, with an authoritative cluck, started to walk off in the other direction. After a moment, the five other turkeys followed along behind her. Watching them wander out of sight, he couldn’t help but smile a little. He was glad he’d stopped before it was too late. His heart fluttered at the thought of it, but he waved a hand, trying not to dwell on it.
Slinging his bow, he stood up from his hiding spot and stretched his sore limbs. He’d been hunting for a few hours at least, with that turkey being the only quarry he’d come across. He’d left late morning after a long sleep in, and the sun had already passed its zenith, not that you could tell with the dense canopy. His stomach rumbled, and he decided to listen to his body and finish up for the day.
“No fresh meat for dinner tonight then,” he thought as he wandered through the trees. “Mum’s not going to be happy. Another night of vegetables and dried meat.”
It wasn’t long before the forest gradually thinned, and the scent of smoke and animals laced the air like pollutants. As Gideon stepped beyond the verge where the forest met farmland, the smell of manure grew overpowering. The fields had recently been sown, spring having arrived but a month ago, and the vile odour came from the generous helpings of animal dung that coated them.
A grimace contorted his face as he attempted to breathe as shallowly as he could. Meandering along one of the many dirt paths that cut through the outer farms, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Something tickled the back of his head, but as he examined his surroundings, nothing seemed to pop out. It wasn’t until he’d passed several farms that the realisation struck him.
“Where is everyone?” he thought, confused. Scanning the landscape, he couldn’t make out a single figure. No one out tending the fields, no figures moving about their homes, going about their days. He realised he hadn’t seen a single soul since he’d left the forest. Strangely, he felt oddly calm, like a tranquillity had befallen his home that he had never experienced before.
“I wonder where everyone is,” he murmured to himself, his pace unchanged. The warm spring sun warmed his skin as he walked, thoughts flicking by. “A beast attack, maybe? But there hasn’t been one in the area for almost a decade. Maybe not that. Maybe the Chief called a meeting?” He slowly sifted through his best explanations, but none felt right.
“I guess I’ll find out when I find out,” he sighed to himself. Sometimes it felt like the whole world was just rushing by without him.
The buildings of the village grew near, and with them his home. He and his mother lived on the outskirts of the village, their place a meagre dwelling. Parts of the walls were cracking, and the thatch roof was starting to show its age, more and more of it missing with each winter. Some would call it rundown, but to him, it was his home. Despite its many flaws and problems, it was familiar like an old friend, a refuge from the world that would always welcome him, rain or shine.
Stepping through the back gate that squealed whenever it opened, he removed his bow and quiver from his back and set them down gently. Making sure they wouldn’t fall, he pushed open the heavy wooden door and entered. Despite the daylight shining outside, the living room was dark and quiet. “Odd,” he thought.
“Mum. Mum, I’m back,” he said, peering into each room just long enough to scan it thoroughly. “Hello?” he called again to no response. “I guess she’s out.”
Scratching his head, his rumbling stomach reminded him of why he’d finished up his hunt. Opening the pantry revealed a bounty of root vegetables, fruits, and pots full of different grains. Paralysed by the options, he tried to choose what to eat. Maybe an apple?
“GIDEON!” a voice cried behind him, the front door slamming shut.
“Oh mum you’re home,” he said, turning around, only to pause. “Mum?”
“Gideon you have to get out of here. You have to hide. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t,” she said, her eyes wide with fear.
“Wha-” Gideon said, taking a step towards her.
“Don’t let them take you, Gideon. Please, PLEASE,” she said, her eyes glistening. “I can’t lose you too Gideon, I can’t.”
Walking up to her, he enveloped her in his arms. She shivered, as if terrified. He patted her back as she muttered something unintelligible under her breath.
“What’s going on Mum?”
Shoving him away, she lifted her eyes to gaze directly into his. The fear was still there aplenty, but something else he couldn’t quite place joined it.
“Please mum just calm down. What happened?” Gideon asked, concerned.
Shifting from foot to foot, his mother looked around rapidly, as if afraid someone was listening in. “Gideon, you have to promise me that you’ll hide from them. You can’t go with them no matter what, I forbid it. I don’t care who they are, they can’t take another one from me. I won’t let them,” she raved feverishly.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
“Who’s they, Mum? Why would anyone want to take me? Please just calm down, you’re starting to scare me,” Gideon said.
“The Duke’s men,” his mother whispered weakly, barely audible. Something seemed to break in her as she uttered those words, her legs wobbling unstably.
“The Duke?” he asked nervously, not understanding what she meant. “What would the Duke want with me?” he thought.
“YES! Those terrible men want to take you like they took your father. THOSE BASTARDS!” she said. “HOW DARE THEY TRY TO TAKE MY ONLY BOY!”
It was as if a bolt of lightning went off in Gideon’s head. “Like dad. You mean, the army?” he asked carefully.
“YES! A horseman rode into the town and talked with the Chief this morning, and then he made an announcement. All able-bodied men between 17 and 30 were to be enlisted in the Duke’s army. The recruiter will be here soon, so you have to run. You have to hide,” his mother said rapidly. “Don’t let them take you, Gideon.”
The revelation solved the strangeness that had been bothering him. All the missing people were in the village proper, probably the village square. Saying their goodbyes, and spending what time they could with their loved ones. Looking at his mother, the panic and fear painted clearly across his face, he couldn’t help but feel regret. Wrapping her in another hug, he held her as she struggled in his arms, constantly telling him to hide.
“You already know Mum. You know I can’t,” he said quietly.
Her body fell deathly still at his words. Drops of water began to fall onto his arm, and when he looked down, he saw tears streaming down his mom's face.
“No,” she said mutely. “Please.”
“I’m sorry, Mum,” he said, hugging her tighter.
“Why. Why are you leaving me?” she said.
Running a hand over her head, he sighed inwardly, his heart breaking at the state of his mother. He wanted to join her and weep into her arms, but he couldn’t. It would just make things harder, more unbearable for her. She didn’t need that.
“It wouldn’t be right that I would stay while they would go. I am no better than the others, that I would hide like a coward as another took my place. The kingdom has called for aid, and like father, I must answer it. Not for them, but for myself. If I don’t, I will not be able to live with myself, who I will become,” he said calmly. “I promise I’ll come back.”
“You’re just like him,” she whispered. His mother looked up at him, a look of nostalgia in her puffy red eyes. She shook her head. “Go then, Gideon. Go, but do not make promises you can’t keep. I’ve already lost once, I don’t think I can do it again.”
“I-.” Before he could speak, she cut him off.
“I cannot bear to watch it, so this shall be our goodbye. I love you Gideon, I love you so much,” she said, hugging him tight for a moment before breaking away. Walking towards the back door, she looked back for a moment before walking out the door. Through the window, he was able to see her look up at the sky, her mouth moving as she spoke words unheard by him. Despite the pain in his heart, he knew his mother was feeling much the same. Losing his father had broken her in a way she had never seemed to recover from.
“I will come back,” he muttered to himself. “I promise.”
The feelings of hunger had disappeared completely, replaced instead with excitement. Stuffing the few clothes he had into a satchel, he looked out the window at his mother one last time. She was still in the same spot, speaking to the air. His confidence wavered for but a moment, making him turn away from the sight. Taking a deep breath, he walked through the front door, away from his simple life.
He didn’t know when the army would be leaving, so he made his way through the cramped village roads hastily. As he went, his mind swirled with expectations of what was to come. He finally had a path.
As he neared the village square, he started to see more and more people milling about. It seemed like almost everyone was there. Such gatherings were usually reserved for festivals, so it was rare to see so many people in the same space, with such sad looks on their faces. It seemed his mother wasn’t the only one with intense emotions about what was unfolding.
“Gideon, good to see ya lad,” a hearty voice called from his left.
Turning, a grin grew to cover his face. “Holt, it’s great to see you.”
“Look at you, finally becoming a man ay,” he said as he examined Gideon head to toe. “Gonna need to pack some more muscle on them wee arms of yours though,” he chuckled.
“At least my arms aren’t wasting away,” Gideon said, raising an eyebrow. “Your apprentice doing most of the smithing these days?”
“Damn rascal, don’t you know you’re supposed to respect your elders,” Holt said shaking his head. Turning his head, he looked around them. “Your mother around?”
“No. She uh, she didn’t take it well,” Gideon said, grimacing.
“Ah,” Holt said, scratching his head. “That’s rough kid. I’m sure she's proud of you; she’s just worried, that's all. Why, I remember when your father and I joined up back in the day. Our folks were so angry at us that we showed up to training with bruises,” he said, chuckling.
“Heh, I bet you deserved it,” Gideon said.
“Atta boy, just make sure not to give the instructors too much lip. They won’t be as forgiving as I,” Holt said. Placing one of his rough, calloused hands on Gideon's shoulder, Holt looked at him warmly. “You’ve grown into a fine young man, Gideon. If your father saw you now, I know he’d be proud.”
“I hope so. Honestly, I don’t know how I’ll do,” Gideon said. “It’s a little intimidating.”
“You’ll do fine kid," he said with a chuckle. "You’ve a good head on your shoulders, just do whatever you feel is right,” Holt said sagely. “Trust your instincts, the military’s a tough place, but I believe in you. Just make sure to give those Ashkar dogs what’s coming for ‘em.”
“You can count on it, I’ll send them your regards,” Gideon said, nodding.
Just then, the people around him in the village square started to point behind him, the crowd getting louder. Turning to see what the commotion was, he saw the faces of several large warhorses, their dark eyes staring forward menacingly. Atop the horses sat armoured men, their weapons bouncing as they approached. The foremost rider was particularly imposing, his large frame towering a head above the others. A large, dull scar covered the entire left side of his face, his beady eyes giving off a cold indifference that made Gideon shudder subconsciously.
Tugging on their reins, the group of riders came to a stop. Angry snorts rumbled from the warhorses as they smashed their hooves into the dirt road, sending it everywhere. In one smooth motion, the scared man dismounted, landing with a thud.
At the other end of the square, the chieftain shouted orders at his son. “Quickly ring the bell, ring the bell.”
The discordant chime of the old copper bell filled the air. Once, twice, thrice. The sound echoed throughout the village, across the empty fields until it reached the forest's towering walls and dispersed.
“This is it,” Gideon thought.
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The clanging of the bell startled her from her trance. It wasn’t until a few seconds later that she realised what she was hearing. Tears started running down her face again, her mournful sobs muffled by the bell.
“Please come home safe Gideon,” she cried into the sky.
