Chapter twelve: The Bronze Age

The chair broke into several pieces as it hit the door to my room. I roared loudly in frustration as I kicked over a small side table and flipped over the writing desk that sat under one of the two windows in my room. In a final outburst I punched one of the four bed posts, which shot pain up my arm, now I was even more angry with myself. There was no amount of healing powers in the world that will protect the bones in my hands from the abuse I put them through. One day it would all catch up with me. I kicked the side table one more time before sitting down on the end of my bed. I had waisted it. I had one chance. One opportunity to speak to Ajax and get his information and opinion on how to deal with the Baobhan sith, and i blew it. I got so wrapped up in the tournament I had arrived in time to participate in, that the thought of the Baobhan sith completely slipped my mind. It was not until I was back in Caledonia after the magic in the stone faded, that I had remembered my original reason to going back to Arrakis. Twenty-four hours. A full day. That was all the time I had and I waisted it. I cursed my stupidity and had to fight back the urge to continue destroying the room I was renting. To make things worse, I learned another had fallen victim to the creature, this time, she had ventured into the town. He was fond in his house, on the edge of town. She was getting bold. A soft knock at the door pulled me to my sense. "Aye? Come in" the door opened slowly as the inn keepers daughter pushed her way into the room, hiding nervously behind the door. "Umm.. is everything okay?" She asked glancing around the room. She was young. Early twenties, with long auburn hair and the greenest eyes I had seen in a long time. I cast her a glare that caused her to flinch slightly and was about to give a Connor typical response, but I could feel Ajax's hand slapping me outside the head and Kampi glaring at me for being so rude. I bit my tongue, took a deep breath and responded. "No, lass, things are not okay." The young girl shuffled into the room and closes the door behind her, eyeing up all the damages, her eyes lingered on my weapons, which rested against the wall beside my bed "my father sent me up to make sure you were okay.." she was clearly nervous. Did she think I would hurt her? "I'm not going to hurt ye, lass" I assured her, she smiled at me nervous and gave a slight nod. She slowly crossed the room and sat on the bed beside me "can I help?" She asked softly I looked down at her "not unless you know anything about monster hunting" I meant it completely as a joke "well I don't..but I know of someone who might be able to help you" I was caught completely off gaurd. "He is an older man, he lives with his daughter outside of town. He comes in here from time to time to enjoy a drink. Rumor around town is he used to hunt all kinds of creatures" it wasn't much to go on, but it was better than nothing, which is what I currently had. Nothing. "Thank ye lass" she smiled at me "you are welcome" she kissed me quickly on the cheek and dashed across the room to the door "cheer up!" She called out as she let herself out of the room. I stared at the door with a questioning look. Odd girl.

*****

It was not difficult to find the house. It was just outside the opposite side of town, just before the river that went around the town but just off of the road. It was a two story building, but it stood out against the rest of the buildings in Brittle. I rode my horse right up to the front steps where I slide down off the saddle and tide it to a near by post. I slowly ascend the front steps and knocked on the door.

For a moment I heard nothing. Purhaps they were not home. As I turned to leave I heard a soft click and the door opened slightly. Turning around I found myself staring down at a small child, not much older than eight or nine. He gazed back at me through the small opening of the door. "Johnathan! What did I say about answering the door?" A woman's voice came from inside the house. Shortly after the boy was pulled away from the door and was replaced by a young woman about my age. She looked tired and drained, but still held a natural beauty about her. She had long brown hair and soft pink skin with a light red tint to her cheeks, probably from the cold. "Can I help you?" She asked, not opening the door anymore than the boy had opened it. "I was told I might find some help here?" She looked at me questioningly "help? What? There is nothing we can help you with here. Sorry you have been miss informed" she seemed nervous and uncomfortable. "Baobhan sith?" I called out as she was closing the door "Kathleen!" I heard a man's voice call out to the girl, who closed her eyes and sighed heavily in disappointment at the call of her name "let the lad in" she cast me a glare that I thought might rip me limb from limb as she pulled open the door to let me in.

The inside of the house looked nothing like the outside, which made the house look old and slightly run down and unkept, but inside was beautiful. Made of dark wood with matching furniture. Large wood beams held up the ceiling and formed the door ways into each room. The house had a pleasant wood burning smell to it and was warm and homely. "Kathleen, show him to the study" the same male voice from before called out into the house. "This way please" she asked as she led me to the right from the door. We paused before a door way and she stepped aside and motioned me forward before turning to head back the way we had come. I entered the room alone. It was a large enough room. Study was definitely a good word for it. Bookshelves and trophies off all sorts lined the walls. A desk sat at the far end of the room, covered in open books and maps. Mounted to the wall behind the desk were two large flintlock rifles and several pistols locked inside a glass display case off to the right side of the desk. Other weapons like swords, axes, daggers, bows, crossbows, and even some I didn't recognize decorated the room as well.

Standing at the desk, looking over the maps and open books was an older man. He stood head and shoulders taller than me, with short white hair and matching beard. Despite being an older man with a professor like vibe about him, he held a very apposing feel to him. He may be old but I could tell this old man had many years of fighting left in him. He looked up from the desk at me "you looking for a Baobhan sith?" He asked. His accent was thick and vibrated in my chest. "Aye. More like a way to kill one.." the man glared at me over the top of his specticals. "Have you ever fought one before?" He questioned me "aye. Couple days ago" his attention fully changed to me. He pulled his specticals off and came around to sit on the front of his desk "you mean the one who has been attacking the towns folk?" I nodded. "How did you get away?" He asked "I was rescued.. by a Ghillie dhu.." the old man seemed sceptical. "I have heard tales of Ghillie dhu's. Never seen one myself.."

"Well you know the fae, secretive little buggers" he nodded in agreement.

"So rumor is you might be able to help me." The old man walked over to a near by side table and poured himself a glass of scotch. "Is that the rumor now?" He asked, taking a drink. "Aye. If you were trying to hide your monster hunter past, ye did a shite job" the old man chuckled. "No, not trying to hide. Just been out of the business for along time now." I walked over to look at the flintlocks in the display case "than why all the secrecy?" I asked "you mean my daughter? She has been like that since the attacks started. She is worried the town will come demanding I do something about it.."

"And that is exactly what has happened!" I turned to see his daughter enter the room with a tray of tea. "That is why you are here isn't it!? To demand my father do something!"

"Kathleen.." her father tried to protest

"He isn't a hunter anymore. He is just a father and a grandfather!"

"Kathleen!" He protested again

"He is just an old man!" She cried

"Kathleen!!" He yelled and his daughter caught herself, holding her head low as she fought back tears.

"You would be wrong lass" I spoke up. She lifted her head to look at me "I have no interest in demanding your father do anything. I'll deal with the monster myself. I am simply looking for some advice on how to kill this bitch" she stared at me a moment before turning to storm out of the room "please forgive my daughter" the old man asked. I dismissed it with a wave of the hand. "My name is John. How may I help you?"

**** 

"Interesting" the old man scratch his beard as I walked him through my fight with the Baobhan sith. "So you only managed to land two hits on her?" Was he making fun of me? Sure felt like it.. "at least I have actually fought one!" The old man chuckled "I meant no offense" he assured me as he stood from his chair and walked around to the other side of his desk. He opened a small wooden box on his desk and pulled out two cigars "smoke?" I accepted the cigar, which he clipped before passing it to me. As he returned to his seat he lit his. We sat in a small sitting area in his study. Two small chairs on either side of a small table, where our tea currently sat, all in front of a nice small stone fireplace. "Can I see the dagger?" He asked, referring to the dagger I had stabbed the monster with. I pulled the dagger from its place at my belt and handed it to him. He chuckled softly "this thing is an antique!"

"It was my father's!" I growled at him "aye I figured!" he said "I have one similar. Military issue. Given to those who fought in the war" I nodded. "This reminds me of something.." he handed the dagger back to me as he rose again, walking over to one of the many bookshelves in the room. He stood there for awhile, looking over all the books before calling out "ah! Here it is!" He pulled a book from the shelf and returned to his seat. He placed his cigar between his teeth and began to flip through the pages. "Here we go!" He pulled his cigar from his mouth and began to read from the book

"...I ran for my horse. The creature had killed all my brothers and I was next. I didn't want to die. She was so fast. I am not sure how I managed to make it to my horse before she could, but she would not come near the beast. I could no understand why. She had taken my eldest brother right off his horse with no problem, but she refused to come close to mine. It was my saving grace. As I mounted the horse she lashed out in anger, spooking the beast, which stood on its hind legs and brought his front legs down onto the creature. The creature hissed loudly as steam rose from her forehead where the horse had kicked her. I did not think anything of it at the time and I used that as my chance to get away. When I was sure I was safe I dismounted my horse and checked his foot. No injuries, but he still had burnt flesh from the monster seared onto its bronze shoe.." 

"Your dagger. It is solid bronze, is it not?" He asked. "Aye. But what makes you think what I fought and what is talked about in that book are the same thing?" I questioned. He flipped a few pages back an began to read again.

"...she had rolled in out of nowhere, almost as if she had rode in on the thick fog that had set. Her skin was ashen grey and she had long black hair with pale blue eyes and she wore the redest dress I had ever seen. Never had I seen a woman of such beauty. Her voice was majestic and pulled all of us into a trance with only a few words.." he paused looking up at me from the pages "sound familiar?" I nodded. There were to many similarities to think this creature being described in the book was not the same kind of creature I had fought. I eyed my dagger closely. "Bronze huh?.. it's something.." 

*****

I thanked the old man for his help and left for town, his daughter watching me from the window until I was out of sight. I returned to my room, which I found had been cleaned and new furniture had been brought in. I removed all my weapons, placing my dirk under my pillow and my claymore, and hammer by my bedside. I hung my baldric off a near by chair, my basket-hilt with it. I took off my coat, there was a soft knock at the door, but before I could answer the door opened and the inn keepers daughter let herself in. "Can I help you?" I asked, eyeing her suspiciously. "Did the old man help you?" She asked, her cheeks were a deep red. Was she blushing? "Aye. A lot. Thank you lass" her cheeks grew darker. "Don't worry about the furniture.. I replaced it before my father could find out you had broken.. so you won't have to pay for it" I looked around the room then back at her, confused "why did you do that?" She didn't say anything. She stood at the door a moment, fidgeting nervously. "Are you okay?" I asked she stormed across the room, threw her arms around me and pressed her lips to mine.

*****

I looked over at the mess of blankets and sheets that was my bed. The inn keepers daughter lay there, sleeping, her face was relaxed and peaceful. I smiled softly before leaving the room and closing the door behind me gently so not to wake her. I paid for my room and left the inn. As I stepped out of the inn I noticed the sky was clear, stars filled the sky. The air was cold and crisp and I found it relaxing the moon, although not full, cast a beautiful glow about the land. "Are you ready to go?" I jumped slightly. I had not expect anyone to be out this late. I was surprised to find John, the old hunter, before me on his horse. "What are you doing here?" I asked, noting he had my horse, ready to go, beside him. "I am not going to let you kill this creature alone" I looked down the road "what about your daughter?" He smiled "she will get over it." I shook my head but did not protest. The help would be welcomed. Not to mention I wasn't going to be able to talk him out of it. I mounted my horse and he tossed me something. Looking down I found it to be a dagger. Another bronze dagger. "You are going to need it" he said before he kicked his horse into motion. "Cocky old man" I said to myself as I slid the dagger into my boot and rode after him.

The photos used are not my own. Full credit to the owners.