Chapter 16, Wrong Place, Wrong Time
Raw and Calm came out of the forest trail and unto a small village that had a few rustic houses and a small inn. Lights were few and came mostly from the inn. From the full moon they could see that the inn was like the other houses, plain and unadorned. The small sign that hung out from the porch announced that it was "The Boar Head Inn."
They walked their horses over to the hitching post. Raw dismounted and told Calm in a tired voice, "Wait here." He wearily climbed the steps to the porch and before entering the inn shook the snow from his hood.
The inside of the inn was dimly lit. A large fireplace on the far side of the room provided most of the light. The few tables and chairs were old and well worn from years of heavy use. Raw walked over to the large counter on the other side of the room and rang the bell. A large balding man came out from a back room that was concealed with a dark burgundy curtain. His apron was dirty and he smelled of old grease and wood smoke.
The innkeeper laid his large calloused hands on the counter and asked Raw in a gruff voice, "Can I help ya?"
Raw looked at him and said, "Need room for the night. For my son and I."
The innkeeper looked him over from head to toe. "Do ya have any money? Cause I don't give rooms out for free." And then he followed it up by saying condescendingly, "Especially to your kind."
Raw's eyes narrowed for a second and then he replied. "I have money. We only stay for the night, then go in the morning."
"All right then. If you have horses you can keep them in the barn in the back for the night… It'll cost ya extra though," said the innkeeper.
Raw turned to walk out the door, but the innkeeper called after him. "Wait there a second. You gotta' pay first."
Raw turned back around, paid the grubby innkeeper, and then went back out to attend to the horses and Calm.
From out of the same forest trail a small group of men on horseback appeared. The leader of the group dismounted and examined the fresh horse tracks. He remounted his horse and motioned his men to follow. They walked their horses to the inn.
Calm had lain down on one bed and Raw was laying on the other. The fire was the only light in the room. Both were exhausted from the day's travel. They had been on the road for a few days. They were traveling from their village east of Central City. It was a small village composed of other viewers that had survived the witch's reign. The last time that Raw and Calm saw DG and her family was last fall. It was time to visit again, especially in light of the events that had just happened.
Both were sound asleep when there was a loud rap on the door.
Calm groggily rubbed his eyes and asked sleepily, "What's that noise?"
Raw removed the coverlet and wearily rose from his bed as there was another loud rap on the door. "Don't know Calm," he said.
He placed his hand on the doorknob and opened the door.
The door barely opened a crack when it was violently pushed open. The door ripped out of Raw's hand and he was pushed back by the weight of three large men. He stumbled backwards onto his bed with the lead man on top of him.
Calm jumped up from his bed and yelled something incoherent. He rushed the man on top of Raw but was attacked from behind. He felt strong arms slide underneath his armpits and he growled again. The strong arms pulled him backwards, swung him around with little effort and threw him on his bed. Calm tumbled off the bed and landed on the other side, between the bed and the wall. In just a few strides the third man was on top of Calm again. He grabbed Calm by his hair and he screamed in pain.
Raw heard Calm's scream of pain and he let loose a loud growl as he continued to struggle with the lead man. The lead man grappled with his arms and the second man attempted to subdue his legs.
Calm struggled to release himself of the third man's grasp. The man still had a firm grip on his hair and with his other hand grabbed his arm. Then with all of his strength he picked Calm up and threw him up against the wall. The sickening thud stunned Calm and for a moment he stopped his struggle. It was all the time that the third man needed. He released his grip on Calm's arm, drew his arm back, and hit him square in the jaw.
Calm's body went limp and the man let his body fall to the floor. It landed with a thud.
Out of the corner of his eye Raw saw the third man punch Calm and his body go limp. It enraged him and with all his strength pushed the lead man away. He then landed a kick to the head of the second man that was attempting to subdue his legs. The second man fell away backwards and hit the edge of the door.
Raw quickly rose from the bed but was not quick enough to block the punch from the third man. It landed on the side of his face and it stunned him. Raw bent over and by that time the lead man had recovered. He brought his knee up and hit Raw in the gut as hard as he could.
Raw groaned in pain and grabbed his gut with both arms. He had trouble catching his breath. The punches came faster and landed squarely on his head. He sunk to one knee, and then to the other. A cut above his eye and his nose started to bleed. His eyes became unfocused and he moaned under his breath, "Calm", and then all went to black.
"Hey there sleepyhead," said a man's voice.
Raw's head was still bent over but he slowly shook it from side to side. He was woozy but the voice sounded familiar. He was sitting on the ground but he was leaning against a piece of wood, his hands tied behind his back.
"I said, hey there sleepyhead," said the man's voice again.
Raw slowly raised his head. His eyes still had trouble focusing and in the dim light he saw a man kneeling in front of him. The man was dressed in a long dark duster and wore a dark brimmed hat. He mumbled, "Cain?"
The man started to laugh. Then the laughter grew louder. "Pretty convincing, isn't it?" the man asked him. "I even have his dear blue eyes." Then the man laughed again.
Raw struggled to focus on the figure kneeling before him. His eyes narrowed and then with horror he realized who it was. "Zero," he mumbled again. His jaw hurt from all of the blows that he had taken earlier and it pained him to talk.
Zero rose to his feet and took off the hat. He played with it in his hands. "You sound slightly disappointed," he said to Raw. "Trust me though, I'm not."
He tossed the hat aside and it landed on a pack nearby. Raw looked at his surroundings and saw that he was in a tent. It was dimly lighted by a few lamps. Another man he did not recognize stood near Zero and he could tell that there were guards right outside the entrance.
"Never did I imagine that my trackers would stumble across some viewers." Zero continued to pace the tent. "Let alone the viewer who tried to read my mind back in that rebel camp." He stopped his pacing and stood in front of Raw.
Raw glared at him and he muttered, "Where's Calm?"
"Oh your little buddy," Zero asked. "Don't worry, he's in good hands," he sneered.
Raw continued to glare at him, "Let him go."
Zero knelt back down in front of Raw. "Really," he paused before continuing. "I don't think you're in any position to be making demands, viewer."
He rose back to his feet. "The Father has special plans for your kind." He turned to Lundgren and said, "Watch him and the other one well. His kind are hard to find."
Lundgren asked, "Should we send him and the little one away now or once we arrive in Calvert?"
"Send them away first thing in the morning. The quicker that they reach the Father the better," Zero replied.
Zero was ready to leave the tent when Raw muttered, "Friends will come…. Cain will come."
Zero stopped and slowly turned around. His anger flared and he struck Raw; and he moaned in pain in response. His head hung low again but he was still conscious. The blood started to run from his nose anew and dripped on to the ground.
"Cain's not going to be able to save your sorry ass this time viewer," he hissed. For good measure he reared back and hit Raw again.