Part 4
The ride to the cabin went fast without any trouble and Scott noticed how the other three started when they saw Jonathan's horse.
"I've only seen that animal that calm when Jonathan is around", William said as he jumped off his horse.
"Something doesn't feel right", Gregory said as they walked up to the cabin and the door opened by itself. "Something certainly doesn't feel right!"
"Calm down your fright Gregory", Arthur said and entered the door after Scott.
"Old man", this called. "Are you in hear?"
"No need to yell Prince Samuel", a voice said behind them, causing all of the four brothers to jump high. "I'm right here Scott."
"Don't do that", Scott said. "Wait what did you call me?"
"Prince Samuel", the man said. "I know you are the crown prince and that this", he gestured for the others "is your brothers."
"Why do you think that?" William asked. The old man raised his hand and pointed at a mirror.
"This mirror shows that everything is not what it seems", he said and Scott startled when he saw himself in an IR uniform. "It shows me what's beneath the surface of those dirty clothes you are wearing. Let's change a little…" He waved with his hands and the princes found that their dirty farming clothes were changed to their royal ones. "That's better isn't it?"
The brothers stared at the old man.
"How did you do that", Gregory asked.
"I'm a sorcerer it is what I do…"
"Fine", Scott said and walked up to the old man. "You told me you would help us if I came back to you completed. Here I am and I am complete."
"So it seems, but everything is not what it seems Samuel."
"What is that suppose to mean sorcerer?"
"I see only four out of five princes, where is the other, the one named Jonathan?"
The princes first looked at each other then turned their gazes to the old man. They knew that this man had carried news to them of Jonathan's death. William understood what he was doing, the old man was testing them.
"He is not here in flesh and blood", he said and grabbed the pendant around Scott's neck. "But his spirit is here even though he is fallen."
"So the king has lost a son", the old man said and turned around. "You have all given up on that matter?"
"Yes", Scott said coldly. "He has fallen, he may not be here in flesh and blood but he is here in spirit through this pendant that was given to him on the day he was born." Scott held out the pendant towards the old man. The sorcerer took it and sighed.
"If you are not complete I cannot help you", he held out the pendant for Arthur to take. "Go back to your home…"
Scott felt anger rush up inside him. He took two steps forward and pressed up the old man against the wall.
"Listen here old man", he growled. "I don't care how old you are or how your sick thoughts are wandering. You'll come with us to the castle so you can help us… old man."
"Old", the sorcerer said and laughed. "I'm not older than you or William and yet I am not younger than Gregory or Arthur. I'm telling you that everything is not what it seems and that the answer you seek is right in front of you…"
Scott pushed harder and his brothers rushed forward. Arthur threw a quick glance into the mirror and saw how his oldest brother pressed up a younger man to the wall. Arthur blinked and saw the old man's reflection in the mirror. He and Gregory grabbed one of Scott's arms and William took the other.
"Samuel let him go", he said and they managed to separate Scott from the old man. When they did the old man slid to the floor. "He is just a quack… Come on let's go home." They started to walk towards the door.
"I got the answers you seek", the old man called and rose, and the pendant was still in his hands. "Don't give up on me…"
"Good bye", William said and led Scott outside. Gregory followed suit but Arthur turned and saw how the old man hung with his head.
"I was so close", the old man whispered. "So close but now everything is lost..."
"That pendant sorcerer", Arthur said softly and the old man flinched as if he hadn't known Arthur was still there. "Can you use it to find its owner?"
"I could do that Arthur."
"Then I will return in a few days and I hope you can tell me by then if you know where my brother is. Unlike them… I haven't given up on you."
"Thank you Arthur it means a lot."
"And I haven't given up on my brother Jonathan either. Nothing in this world can make me give up on him." Arthur left the cabin and pulled up the hood on his cloak and sat up on his horse.
They hadn't come long when Arthur suddenly heard a whisper through the trees.
"Thank you for not giving up on me Arthur, it means a lot…"
"Hurry up Arthur", Gregory called. "And get down from your flying thoughts or you will ride into what's right in front of you!
"Right in front of you", Arthur mumbled and looked at his hands. "What you seek are right in front of you. The answer is right in front of you… The old man, a younger man in a mirror, riddles, whispers in the trees, the horse… the mirror!" He thought for a moment and realized what he had really seen in the mirror. As soon as he realized it he held in his horse. "Jonathan!" He yelped and turned around and galloped away.
"Arthur", William called and turned his horse. "Arthur come back here!"
"Where is he going", Gregory asked.
"I don't know", Scott said and sighed. "Come on we'll meet him back home."
Arthur held in his horse when he saw that Jonathan's horse was gone and the cabin door was open. He jumped of the horse and ran inside. The cabin was deserted. But on the table was the pendant. Arthur picked it up and turned it over in his hands.
"You know", he heard someone say from behind him. "I knew that I had forgotten something." Arthur turned around and in the doorway he saw a blonde man, with eyes blue as the sky. He wore a white shirt, brown vest, dark green jacket, black trousers, black boots and a dark green cloak. Around his neck he should have had a pendant of a silver wolf and he had a silver wolf on the back of his cloak too. He smiled towards Arthur. "Thanks for not giving up on me Arthur."
"Jonathan!" Arthur threw himself at his older brother and they embraced each other hard. Arthur felt tears go down his cheeks and he knew that Jonathan was crying too.
"Where have you been", Arthur asked into his brother's chest. "Why didn't you come home? Who was that old man?"
"I've been here all along; I couldn't come home because you wouldn't recognize me and the old man… I think you know that answer yourself."
"Jonathan", a voice boomed and both men jumped and in the doorway stood an old man. "Congratulations my boy, you did what I couldn't or what Howard couldn't."
"Thank you master… May I return home now?"
"Yes you may, now I know you'll defeat that rat."
"Thank you master thank you."
The man smiled and was gone.
"Who was that?" Arthur asked and looked up at his brother.
"I tell you when we get home", Jonathan walked out the door and sat up on his dark horse. "Come on Arthur I will race you."
"Oh how I have missed this! Wait I guess you want to have this back." He held out the pendant and Jonathan hung it around his neck.
"Thank you again Arthur."
"Who was that old man really?"
"My teacher."
"It wasn't the same old man as before."
"I will tell you about that man later but I know that you already know who that was."
They took off but none of them wanted to take the lead, not now when they finally were together again. And soon they rode in through the gates and Arthur smiled satisfied. He had been right, one day Jonathan would ride in through the gates again, head held high and maybe, just maybe he had what they needed to defeat Howard.
TBC Thanks for reviews. Sorry for the long wait my computer wasn't cooperating...