Post by Resonance on Feb 28, 2007 19:58:13 GMT -5
Rider Renglain’s farm was typical of the farms north of Archet. A small wood and stone main house, close to a large wooden barn, a small well in between, with fields of vegetables and pipeweed arranged neatly behind them on the back half of the property. It was peaceful and idyllic… and Resomer had come to hate it the way only a young man craving adventure could hate his own home.
Night was falling as Resomer dusted off his worn leather boots at the house’s front door before going inside. The interior of the home was warm and inviting, yet clearly had all the markings of being a home of a proud horse-lord of Rohan. Resomer’s mother was setting the dining room table for dinner as he came in.
“How was your trip”, his mother asked.
“Fine, Adso’s camp is coming along nicely”, replied Resomer as he sat down at the table.
As Resomer’s father Reglain came into the dining room from the back of the house, he noticed that his father’s limp was especially bad today. An orc spear had ended his father’s career as a Rohirrim, and had left him unable to continue his service under King Theoden. It had not, however affected the large man’s imposing stature or bearing.
“You’re late”, his father said gruffly as he sat down at the table.
“I stopped in Archet to talk with Cal Sprigley for a bit. There’s rumors of bandits roaming the Chetwood and he was trying to recruit me into the militia he’s forming.”
“I need you here”, his father replied as they began to eat their evening meal. “Cal Sprigley has an overly active imagination. These bandit sightings are just rumors, nothing more.”
“Did Amdir come by today,” Resomer asked his mother, attempting to change the subject. “We were supposed to go hunting in the Chetwood tomorrow after he returned from the Shire.”
“No”, his mother replied. “I don’t like you spending so much time with him…filling your head with tales of ancient battles and glory and all.”
“Besides”, Renglain interjected, “I need you to come with me to Hengstacer’s farm tomorrow. There’s a horse up there that’s gone lame and they want me to have a look at it.”
Resomer put his fork down and pushed his plate of food away and looked his father in the eye, “I’ve been of age for two years now…you can’t keep treating me like a child. If I want to go hunting tomorrow…”
“As long as you live in this house, you will do as you’re told. Tomorrow we are…where are you going,” Reglain asked angrily as Resomer rose to leave.
Resomer walked towards the front door, before looking back over his shoulder at his father, “I’m going to bed. I have to get up early tomorrow and have a look at a lame horse.”
Resomer shut the front door to the main house loudly then strode across the farm to the large barn just west of the house. Resomer entered the barn and climbed the wooden ladder to his loft at the top of the barn. Instead of preparing for bed, he pulled out a small pack from underneath his bed and began filling it with camping gear. He strapped a small hunting dagger to his waist, slung a quiver of arrows over his shoulder, grabbed his bow and pack and waited. After an hour, the lights in the main house dimmed and Resomer made his way quietly out of the barn.
He would sneak off to the small lake just north of Chetwood and camp there tonight. That was where Amdir usually met him when they went on their hunting trips together. His father would be upset to say the least, but that didn’t concern Resomer as he had decided that living on his father’s farm no longer appealed to him.
Rustling in the bushes off to Resomer’s right pulled him out of his dark thoughts. “Probably a wild boar,” he thought as he reached for an arrow. Before he could fit the arrow to his short bow, Resomer felt a sharp pain on the side of his head and his world went dark.
Jasper Mudbottom stood over the limp body of the young man as one of his men emerged from the bushes. “Is that him,” the man asked Jasper.
“No, it’s the son. We’ll take him back to camp after we’ve finished here. He may provide us with some sport later. Are the men ready?”
“Yes, milord.”
The tone in the man’s voice told Jasper that he had questions, questions he was hesitant to ask.
Jasper sighed, “What is it?”
“Well beggin’ your pardon milord, but why so many men? He’s just a simple farmer after all.”
“He’s Rohirrim…or used to be. They think he may be a threat to our plans.”
The man nodded, not fully understanding. Jasper sighed impatiently again, “We all have our orders. I have mine and you have yours. Light the torches.”
Resomer awoke to Amdir shaking his shoulders. He had the worst headache he could imagine. “Good, you’re awake”, Amdir said. He looked at the wound on the side of the young man’s head. “That’s going to leave a scar. I’ll get it stitched up once we get out of here.”
“Where are we”, Resomer asked.
“Listen Res, I have some bad news…your parents…”
“What about them,” Resomer asked suddenly alarmed.
“Bandits attacked your home last night…Jasper Mudbottom…Resomer, your parents are dead.”
Resomer’s faced turned even paler than it already was. The shock of the news was almost too much for him to bear.
Amdir, took Resomer by the shoulders and looked him in the eye, “Grieve for them later my friend. You’ve always said that you wanted to be a warrior. A warrior has to put aside his emotions and focus on the task at hand.”
Resomer nodded his head slowly then rose to his feet. “We’ll find this Mudbottom character and deal with him soon enough”, Amdir said. “For now though, we need to get you out of here. One other thing…two hobbits are also being held here. We need to free them as well. I fear there is something larger going on here and we all need to get free of these bandits if we’re to find out what it is. Are you with me?”
Resomer stood up straight, stared Amdir in the eye and nodded his head silently. He had barely heard what Amdir had just said to him. A name kept echoing in his mind…a name that would drive him down a path he could never have predicted for himself…”Jasper Mudbottom”.
