Chapter 7

The Butler

It was another whole day before Jack returned without the Hero he was sent after, the Hero of Will, Garth. "Lucien." Jack said and it was enough, we all understood.

"What now?" I asked and Theresa began to talk to Jack about some Butler that was Lucien's at Castle Fairfax.

"Come on," he says running with me out of the Guild.

"Jack," I call as he's about to jump off Hero Hill, he turns back to me unsure. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you being so angry and hostile?" I ask and he shakes his head dropping off the edge. "You worthless dog!" I yell and pet Max when he whines before running off after Jack.

Jack isn't that far ahead and so it's easy to catch up with him. I walk beside him silent but on alert, if he so much as murmurs something I'll hear it. Max trots between us as if one is about to hit the other. I honestly want to know why Jack is being to shitty lately. Has something snapped? Did I say something wrong?

"Relax." I hear someone say. I stop and turn around looking for the source...it was Jack.

"So you do speak?" He shakes annoyed with me.

"I have being on edge lately haven't I?" I nod folding my arms.

"You knocked a wench up didn't you?" He smiles wryly.

"Friends?" He holds out his hand.

"Surely you know me enough to know I don't find a resolution-"

"-To a problem unless it's fixed?" Jack finishes raising an eyebrow and walking on.

"So...what's got itself wedged up your arse?" He laughs like he did when I told him about Carmel having a bun in the oven. He slaps his knee and shakes his head at me still chuckling.

"I'll uh...I'll tell you after we see this butler. You won't want me in a bad mood later." Jack replies holding me in a long, lingering embrace.

Jack pays Jeeves (the butler) 1000 gold to get the diary location and we leave for Bower Lake once more. "Aren't you worried he'll double cross us? He could have given us the location of... I dunno."

"He's far to cowardly to double-cross me. I dare him to try." Jack replies as we take the road following the directions Jeeves' note gives us. It looks like it's buried close to Hero Hill and the Hero's tomb...

When we arrive close to it the ground begins to shake and Max barks loudly almost like the blast of a musket net to your ear. Suddenly a small patch of sand shimmers and erupting from it is a forest troll. Jack and I dive as it heaves up two boulders and hauls them at us. The boulder crushes into dust on front of me and I realise it's actually just mud in a ball. I spot the beetles all over the troll and fire at them. The troll roars and Jack shoves me out of the way of the troll's fist as it slams down. Jack rolls out of the way firing at another beetle. Killing the beetles hurts the troll?...

Max stands at the troll's feet barking and biting. He nips at the ankles with an aggressive growl. I fire at the beetle on the troll's back as Max forces him to turn. The troll roars again and again when Jack hits another beetle. The troll's roar echoes throughout the lake making the waters ripple. When I turn back around the troll is gone and Max is wagging his tail like crazy. "Well that was easy." I shrug as Jack and I walk over beginning to dig. Once we found Lucien's diary we were off back to Theresa.

"Lucien's writings are fascinating, you should read them when you have the time." Theresa says turning the pages in her corpse pale hands.

"How can you...you know?" Hammer asks.

"I see other worlds besides this one." Theresa replies. "Ah, Westcliff, Lucien is recruiting guards from Westcliff."

"Westcliff? They're all thugs and mercenaries. The only bloody thing there is that arena." Hammer explains in disgust.

"There are balverines in Westcliff." I utter with a shiver. Jack takes my hand as I stare at the stone floor.

"That's true, Lydia... But it's the only way we can rescue Garth and continue to defeat Lucien." Theresa explains. I shake my head leaving through the gate, Jack has to leave with me otherwise the gate doesn't work.

I told Jack to go back into the Guild. He obeyed leaving me in the darkness of night to contemplate. Instead I just went down to the lake and stripped down into nothing but my underwear and a thin blouse.

The water is freezing to the bone but I don't care. I just need some relaxing time to think, not about Lucien for once but about me. I think about where I want to raise my children should I ever have any. I think about where I want to live...but mostly I think about Jack. What he must be going through chasing after the man who murdered his sister in cold blood. Getting closer and closer only to have so much more taken away.

I hear something splash behind me and watch Max and Jack swim over to me. "Now can I have an explanation?" I ask when suddenly he sweeps me into his embrace and presses his lips against mine.