"Aidan... Aidan, wake up!" a voice whispered harshly.
"Honest, Mum, it really wasn't me..." Aidan mumbled in his sleep, rolling over onto his stomach and shoving his face further into his pillow when suddenly someone gave him a quick, hard shove that sent him tumbling with the covers onto his back on the floor.
"What the bloody hell is the big idea of waking me up so goddamn early?" he shot in a sharp voice as his eyes snapped wide open upon hitting the floor with a hard thud to reveal Brant standing above him, smirking ear to ear.
"Good morning!" he said in mock cheer.
"What's so good about it? It's half past four in the morning!" replied Aidan grumpily.
"Well you're late then. Col. Tavington is already up, bathed, dressed, and getting Asmodeus, Ember and Phantom ready to take to town. And since I too, am already up, clean, dressed and ready, we're waiting on you."
"Wonderful..."
"Isn't it though?" replied Brant sarcastically. "Oh, and do try to be quick. The colonel was already slightly impatient when I woke up thirty minutes ago."
Aidan scowled.
"Alright, I'll 'be quick about it'.
Brant smiled mockingly in response and left the room.
"Just because the colonel was already 'slightly impatient' when he woke up... good god, what the hell is up with him? Ancestor or not, he's fucking mad to get up so goddamn early!" Aidan mumbled, seething to himself as he quickly picked up the covers and threw them hastily onto the bed before walking over to the closet in the far left corner of his room to begin sifting quickly through various outfits to wear, deciding in a matter of moments to wear a hunter-green outfit.
Quickly struggling out of his evening wear, Aidan pushed, pulled, and buttoned on the outfit he had chosen and left his quarters, grabbing a mint Listerine strip from his bag and sticking it in his mouth on the way out and made it only inches from the front door when Lady Tavington, who was up with Brielle, stopped him and told him to straighten out his jacket and vest before leaving.
Meanwhile, Col. Tavington and Brant waited outside with Asmodeus and Ember who were already hitched to the wagon, the colonel tapping his foot slightly in impatience as Asmodeus snorted derisively, nipping him equally impatiently on the shoulder and earning a swat on the neck with harsh words in return. Even Ember snorted at the large chestnut stallion warningly as they continued to wait, a scowl now fixed upon Col. Tavington's features.
What the bloody hell is taking him so long? he wondered as he continued to tap his foot impatiently. My wife is faster than he is and she has a two-year-old and a newborn to handle!
Turning to Brant, the colonel inquired in a sharp voice, "Where in God's name is your brother? Buttering toast and eating it too, perhaps?"
Brant turned a brilliant shade of red and replied, "Sir, I went into his room and woke him up but I haven't the frankest idea of what is impeding him."
"My clothing is what was impeding me."
Col. Tavington and Brant turned to see Aidan stalking towards them looking even redder than his brother.
"Ah, having trouble with the buttons and making sure everything was perfectly aligned?" asked the colonel, unable to resist a jest at Aidan's frustrated state.
"Sure!" Aidan replied tightly. "We'll go with that."
His brother laughed, eyes shining with mirth.
"Brant!" Aidan barked, unable to say anything else in the heat of his embarrassment while Col. Tavington leaned against the wagon and watched the scene in amusement. "Forget it, let's just go."
"Yes, why don't we do that?" suggested the colonel with a smirk. "Oh, and being as you're late, you can drive the wagon with your brother; I shall ride Phantom."
Aidan's mouth fell open slightly and he made to protest when Brant ribbed him with his elbow, whispering, "Don't push it."
"Fine.." huffed Aidan as he rolled his eyes and climbed into the wagon with his brother who immediately handed him the reins, which he fumbled around with momentarily while Col. Tavington mounted Phantom who was saddled and waiting eagerly at a nearby post.
"Are you two quite ready yet?" the colonel asked as he patted Phantom on the neck.
Brant nodded and glanced pointedly at Aidan who glowered back and then reluctantly nodded in turn.
"Very well. Now, if you two will just follow Phantom and I, we'll be in town in about an hour."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was nearly six in the morning when Col. Tavington, Aidan and Brant arrived in town. Tethering Phantom to a post near the local armory, the colonel turned to the twins who were clamoring out of the wagon and said, "I suppose you two want to know what we're here for.."
"Please.." replied Aidan.
"We're here for several things." Col. Tavington explained as he tethered Asmodeus and Ember to a couple of posts, taking care to be sure that Asmodeus was far enough away from Phantom so that the mild-tempered black gelding wouldn't be bitten or kicked. "First, we have to get food and hay for the horses as well as look at some horses they have for sale in town as I need another stud horse, as well as an even tempered mare for Jae. Then, I have to buy material for dresses and finally, I have some... business to take care of at the shop my brothers and I run here, as it seems that there are issues to take up with the man who does the dealing for us in town when we're not there. "
"Dresses?" Brant inquired, cocking an eyebrow.
"Yes, dresses." Col. Tavington replied rolling his eyes. "For Jae. Honestly, do you really believe she's going to stay that small over the coming months? And I have to pick up material for my daughter's christening outfit."
"Oh..."
Brant's ears began to grow hot.
Well someone is in a grouchy mood and it isn't my brother...
"Yeah Brant, Oh..." Aidan whispered mockingly into his brother's ear.
"Shut up, Aidan." Brant hissed back.
"Boys.."
Brant and Aidan paused their little 'argument' and looked back over Col. Travington, who shrugged and said haughtily, "Well you are! Look at yourselves! Acting like my son!"
The twins shrank slightly, both taking their turns to mumble, "Sorry, sir".
Col. Tavington raised his eyebrows and gave a slight nod.
"Very well. The place where we purchase our feed is right across from the armory."
With that, the colonel, Brant and Aidan headed across the street and into a medium sized shop, brimming with grains and oats. A small young man with sandy hair and light brown eyes sat at a counter reading a book, a grim look upon his face.
"Good day, Edmund." the colonel spoke, stepping into the shop, followed by Brant and Aidan.
Edmund looked up from his book and smiled eagerly.
"Good day, sir! And where is the young master?"
Col. Tavington chuckled, giving Edmund a one-sided smile.
"The young master is at home with his mother and sister."
Edmund's eyes widened.
"So it's true then. Your wife did have the baby. A little late, isn't it? I thought she was due two weeks ago."
"Yes, she finally did. And both of them are well; Mary is a little tired but that is to be expected."
"Of course." Edmund agreed understandingly. "I'm sure the little one is beautiful."
"She is.." replied the colonel proudly. "Brielle looks just like Mary."
Edmund laughed softly.
"Well then, she'll be the envy of the town when she's older." he said.
"Probably so." Col. Tavington agreed. "However, in the meantime, I'm here for some oats and hay for the horses."
"Very well." Edmund said, jumping to attention. "Though, might I ask who the two men with you are?"
The colonel smiled and gestured at Aidan, replying, "This is Aidan Tavington; he is a relative of mine and the man next to him is his brother, Brant."
"Ah, twins too.." said Edmund, eyeing Aidan and Brant. "So, is it the usual amount of hay and oats for you then, Colonel?"
"I need a bit more than the usual amount as I'm looking to get a couple of new horses."
Edmund cocked an eyebrow.
"Really? What temper types do you have in mind?"
"Well I do need a stud. Preferably large and black, though gray is acceptable. However, I want him more mild tempered than Asmodeus. And I need a mare as well. Not too large, but not necessarily small either. A strong, fast, yet even tempered mare with a lean build will do. Her coloring doesn't matter."
"Hmmm..." Edmund paused with a thoughtful look upon his face. "I believe David may have a couple down the street that you might want to look at."
The colonel chuckled.
"Your brother usually does."
Edmund grinned.
"Why don't you go take a look and Aidan and Brant can load the hay and oats for you?"
Col. Tavington glanced over at the twins who nodded in response and then replied, "Alright, I'll go take a look. I shall be back soon. Thank you, Edmund."
Heading out of the store, Col. Tavington walked back over to where Phantom, Asmodeus and Ember waited, chomping at their bits and stomping their feet, ears pricked eagerly as he approached. The colonel paused and stroked Asmodeus' and Ember's noses and necks before moving towards Phantom and untying him from the post. Asmodeus whinnied in protest, glaring enviously at Phantom who looked positively delighted and eager to be chosen by his master over his 'preferred' stallion.
"My apologies, Asmodeus." Col. Tavington said as he mounted Phantom. "I haven't your saddle today."
Asmodeus snorted, pawing angrily at the ground.
"Asmodeus..."
The large stallion stopped pawing and reluctantly looked back over at his master who gave him one last glance before riding off on Phantom, weaving his way carefully through early-morning road traffic until he reached the opposite end of town and dismounted the black gelding, tethering him to a post near a man of about medium height and build who was tending to several horses.
"Ah, David.. Good morning."
The man turned, pulling a strand of very red hair from his freckle-flecked face as a lopsided grin found its way across his lips.
"Good morning, Colonel! My my, you're in town early.."
Col. Tavington smirked, laughing lightly.
"I wanted to get here and get out before the real crowds came."
"True, true, the crowds can be a nightmare to get through around midday. Well, is there anything I can do for you today?"
"Your brother referred me to you again; he said that you had a couple of horses I might be interested in buying."
"Looking for another mare for breeding, I suppose?" asked David in an amused tone.
"Not exactly. I need a good, strong stud though. And yes, another mare as well, though she won't be used for breeding."
"You're in luck then. I have four horses left to sell and I believe a couple may be up to your standards. Have a look."
Col. Tavington nodded and walked over to the first horse, a tall white gelding with black skin and a long tail and mane.
Hmmmm... I know I wanted a mare for Jae, but a gelding might do as well...
"What is this one's name?" he asked.
"That one is Prince. He's about five years old; even tempered, though he can get a bit jumpy at times, especially around loud noises; with the proper training though, I believe his jumpiness will cease to be a problem." replied David promptly.
"Thank you, David." said the colonel, patting Prince on the nose and moving on to a towering stallion, nearly as large as Asmodeus, with a black coat save for a small white star on his forehead. He snorted and tossed his head proudly, letting out a shrill cry before snorting again in a disgruntled manor and finally stilling himself, staring at the colonel intently through coal black eyes.
"What of this one, David?"
David smiled.
"That magnificent stallion is Raine. He's about nine years old and quite mild for a stallion. He does all right with children so long as they don't pull at his mane and tail or startle him and he fares satisfactorily around other horses. Raine is not as aggressive as your Asmodeus. Though you may want to keep them in separate pastures, as he still might get into a fight with your lead stallion. But on the whole, as I've said before, a good horse. He'd make a fine sire."
"Indeed, he would." agreed the colonel, patting the stallion affectionately on the neck. "And I trust that all of these horses are healthy..."
"Of course! No sir, I would not sell you an unhealthy horse without telling you first."
"I expected as much; I hope you were not offended."
David shook his head, again pulling some hair out of his eyes.
"Not at all, sir. I know it's out of habit that you ask me."
Col. Tavington continued past Raine, to a mare unlike her compatriots, for she was a Friesian and they were Thoroughbreds, save for Prince, who was an Andalusian.
Staring at the mare intently, the colonel reached out and patted her soft, velvety nose, admiring the natural crimps in her ebony mane and the beautiful shine in her obsidian colored coat.
"This one is a beauty." he commented, stroking her neck as he took in her muscular build and lightly feathered feet.
"Do you want this one?" David's voice broke the colonel's thoughts as he gestured at the mare.
"What is her name?"
"She is Morgana. A very gentle soul indeed. Wouldn't hurt anyone. And she doesn't spook easily either. She's a very agreeable horse, with a smooth desirable gate."
"How old is she?" Col. Tavington inquired, already very sure that he would purchase her for Jae.
"She is seven years old, and I'll give you a reasonable price for her."
The colonel nodded in agreement and glanced at the last horse, which was a small chestnut mare with a lean build, shiny coat, and a white blaze going down the middle of her face. Another quick inquiry with David led the colonel to learn that her name was Angel and that her personality very much lived up to the moniker. She was a young mare, energetic, yet very friendly to people of all age groups and other horses and though Col. Tavington might have wanted to purchase her, he decided that three would be enough. Yet, he promised that if Angel did not sell within the next week, he would take her as well, though he privately doubted such a thing would happen to such an amiable little mare.
"She'll go to a good home; my brother, Thomas, may be in town in a few days and I believe he's looking for a mare of his own, so I might still see her anyway."
David smiled.
"Perhaps so. Would you like to take the other three now, or do you have other business to attend to?"
"I do have other business to attend to, actually."
"Well then, they'll be here waiting for you when you're finished."
"Thank you, David. Shall I pay you now, or later?"
"Whatever you choose, sir."
"I'll pay you now and I'll give you extra for holding them while I'm running errands."
David shook his head.
"Sir, you don't need to pay extra-"
"No, I insist." Col. Tavington cut in firmly.
After paying for the horses, the colonel mounted Phantom and made his way back to Edmund where he, Aidan and Brant were just finishing loading the last of the hay and oats into the wagon.
"Colonel, glad to see you back!" Edmund greeted him as he loaded the last bag of oats into the wagon while simultaneously dodging a nip from an impatient Asmoedeus. "Did David have what you wanted?"
"Yes, as always.."
Edmund laughed.
"Well, it's a pleasure to do business with you, sir."
"Likewise." replied Col. Tavington with a grin, shaking Edmund's hand.
Then, tying Phantom to a post the colonel started on foot back down the street with Aidan and Brant following closely behind at a brisk pace until they arrived a small shop and stepped inside; the little bell that was attached to the door, announced their arrival with a light, high ring. A man of about the colonel's age, short and stalky, with graying hair and a round face greeted them with a fleeting smile, a slightly odd look in his brown eyes that Aidan couldn't quite decipher as he watched Col. Tavington approach him, an expectant and impatient look crossing his face.
"Well? Did you get the material in yet?" the colonel asked.
The man flinched and replied shakily, "No sir, I did not. But I have been trying. They should be in tomorrow. The cargo was delayed. I-"
"I don't want to hear your excuses!" Col. Tavington cut in, his temper and fatigue getting the best of him momentarily before he recollected himself .
"My a-apologies, Colonel!" the shopkeeper squeaked in an uncharacteristically feminine voice. "But we do have the same material in crimson!"
"No. I ordered emerald material two weeks before the baby was born because that was the color my wife and I decided would work for either a boy or a girl. Already, I have had to hear you tell me four times before that you didn't have it in yet."
"I-"
"Please have the material personally delivered to my doorstep by tomorrow at noon. I'm already lessening your pay..." Col. Tavington finished.
"Yes sir. My deepest apologies..."
"And don't be late."
With that, Col. Tavington headed for the door and Aidan, who had been watching the scene warily, slightly unsettled by his ancestor's show of subtle, yet still dangerous aggression, hesitated and allowed Brant to go before him before he reluctantly followed the two out of the shop.
"Sir, don't we have to purchase material for Jae's dresses as well?" Brant dared to speak up once they were out of the shop.
Col. Tavington rounded on him, an angry glint still in his eyes, yet his tone was more even as he replied, "Yes, but not here. I will no longer give that man my business. We shall walk a couple more blocks down, to another shop for her things."
Swiftly walking down the street into a shop, Col. Tavington spent no more than five minutes picking out and purchasing exactly what he wanted before exiting with the twins and backtracking up the street to a medium sized shop that he ran with his brothers. The Tavington family crest hung on the front and back walls while portraits of all four brother hung on the left and right walls. On the far right wall of the shop, there was a door that led to a storeroom for crops and towards the back of the shop, there was a large mahogany desk, occupied by a man not quite as old as Col. Tavington, with a slight, pale frame. Presently, he was going through paperwork when he looked up and saw the colonel and froze, his quill halfway to the parchment.
"Ah, Mr. Wolfe, good morning.."
"Colonel..." Wolf answered in an unnatural voice. "Good morning. You're here early.."
"Well, I wanted to see how we were doing on earnings for crops and the like."
"As usual, sir, excellently." replied Wolfe a little too quickly.
"Oh boy..." Brant whispered to Aidan as the two sidled over to a corner in an effort to fade into the background.
"Yeah.." Aidan whispered back, trying to glance discreetly over at the colonel, who was now leaning closely towards Wolfe.
"Really, Wolfe? That is not what I heard. In fact, I believe I heard from a Mr. George Lennox, that our prices were getting very steep and unaffordable." Col. Tavington said softly in a calculating voice that caused Aidan to shift uneasily from one foot to the other as he looked away from him.
"Colonel, he is just one man-"
"Of high esteem and morals. Also, an excellent businessman from personal experience. Now, who am I to believe? Someone twenty years my senior who has excellent records in business, or you? You were virtually unknown before we hired you in hopes that you wouldn't damn the business because we couldn't find anyone else. And for a while, yes, you did well. However, you've been twitching and uncomfortable since I walked in here. But that's not all, is it? You've also been keeping much more than your fair share of the earnings we pay you."
"Please, I've nowhere else to go-"
"Then you'd best start looking, and fast because you no longer work here. I want every cent of the money you stole paid back to my brothers and I by the end of the month."
"But sir! I've a family-"
"That is not an argument to make with me!" Col. Tavington bristled. "You don't even have children yet and I doubt you're new bride will want to care for any if you don't have the proper finances."
"Yes s-s-sir!" Wolfe screeched.
"Good. You're dismissed."
Wolfe nodded vigorously and stumbled out the door before the colonel himself made his way to the entrance, locking the door as he was followed by Brant, but Aidan stood rooted to his spot in the corner of the room, eyes wide and glazed over.
"Aidan... Aidan!" Brant called impatiently at the door.
"Huh? What?"
Brant rolled his eyes and said impatiently, "Come on! We've got to leave!"
"Right..."
Aidan walked reluctantly towards the door, catching the still angry and belittling gaze of Col. Tavington on the way out and nearly rushed back in, but his brother grabbed his shirt.
"What's the matter, Aidan?"
"Nevermind, Brant!" Aidan hissed curtly as he pulled away from his brother.
Brant shrugged and started towards Col. Tavington who was already striding heatedly away while Aidan stayed behind a moment longer as he tried to collect his bearings from being spooked by the infamous Butcher. He had underestimated him and the fact that Col. Tavington still had plenty more temper below the surface from his military days did nothing to soothe Aidan as he let out a troubled sigh and continued down the road after his brother.
A/N: Just for future referernces: though he hasn't been officially 'introduced' into the story, the character, Brentan Garrick, has undergone a name change, so his first name is now Leal. Chapters 17 and 18 have undergone editing with the new name in place. Thanks!
-SteeleRanger