Excerpt: The Exiled

The next morning, Garv bought some bread and cheese at a shop, filled his water bottle and headed north on the only road through the village. When he came to the last house he looked for a sign, and found one that pointed west along a path that headed up into some hills. The road continued north, but there was no sign that indicated what lay that way. He stood in the road, scratching his head. The signpost was old and may have had more than one pointer on it in the past, but now there was just a block of wood nailed on in such a way as pointed up the path. The writing on it was illegible, but could have said "Fae". He shrugged and started up the trail.

"Hi! Where are you goin'?"

Garv looked into the fenced enclosure on his right. There was a boy there throwing slops to a pig.

"Hello. Perhaps you can tell me. Where does this path lead?"

"To a robber's den."

This sounded interesting.

"Tell me about it."

"There're two brothers that live up there, and they like to trick people. I know, but no one believes me. They trick strangers into going up there, 'specially young men like you, from Adolan. You people must be really gullible."

Heat suffused Garv's face. "And just what do you mean by that? Talk plain, or I'll climb over this fence and box your ears for your cheek."

"Nothin' to get riled up about. I'm tellin' ya, ain't I? Those two brothers, one's Dan and the other's Ned, they like to tell young fellows like you to find the land of the fae up that path. That's what they do. Then they set on 'em, and rob and murder 'em."

Garv went cold. "Murder! Wait. How can they walk around town and rub elbows with the other folk so free and easy if they are murderers?"

"Well, 'cause they don't murder nobody but strangers what come through here once and are never seen again, don't they?"

"Haven't you told your parents? Or the watchmen?"

The boy snorted. "Didn't I just tell you that no one believes me? I've seen 'em. I followed a fellow up there about this time last year, and I seen it happen. He went in their shack and never come out. I waited and waited. Then it got dark, so I went home. Then another came by a few weeks later, and the same thing happened. He went in and never come out."

"That does not mean they were murdered. They probably got to talking and the men stayed the night and left early in the morning."

"Not them. Every time anyone goes up or down this path, the pigs squeal. They make good watch dogs. Every time."

"Well, they didn't squeal this time. I didn't hear them."

"Well, I'm here feedin' 'em, ain't I? 'Course they aren't squealin' now, but I can see with my own eyes, can't I? I'm tellin' ya, if anyone goes up or down this path, I know it.

Garv was stymied. Should he believe this boy? Or go on?

"Maybe you can tell me something else."

"Maybe," said the boy, his eyes narrowed.

Garv held up a copper coin. "Have you heard of a land called Fae?"

"Nope."

Disappointment stabbed Garv like a cold knife. Was he really so gullible that the strangers from this land had all led him astray?

"I've been a fool, then. I thank you for putting me straight, lad." He tossed the copper over the fence. The lad grabbed for it but missed.

"Wadja do that for?" the boy said disgustedly, looking around for the coin. "D'ja do it on purpose? I ain't done nothin' fer ya to treat me like that for. Or do ya just have really bad aim? Now I have to dig in the mud fer it."

Garv began to stammer an apology but caught himself. Nothing would make him humble himself to this rude lad.

"That was an easy catch--for someone who can catch."

The boy jumped up angrily. "You sayin' I muffed it? Me, what can catch an acorn falling from a tree better'n any man in the village? No, sir!"

Garv sighed wearily. "What is it with you people in this land? You're all unfriendly as can be and looking to make a traveler as miserable as can be. Goodbye!"

Garv turned and walked back down the trail to the main road. He didn't care who was lying or who was telling the truth. He wasn't going to regard any of these people. He'd just do the best he could on his own.

"Wait!"

"Wait for what?" he called over his shoulder. "For you to sass me again? No, thank you."

"No, wait, please."

The boy ran from the enclosure to the front of the house and around a hedge to meet Garv as he came to the end of the path. "I found the coin," he grinned. "It's not just a copper--it's a ten-piece!"

"Well, that's fine," Garv said grumpily. "Don't waste it."

"But you wanted to know somethin' about the fae."

Garv stopped. "What, do you think you can milk a little more amusement out of me? You said there isn't any land of the fae. What are you playing at?"

"I never said nothin' o' the kind. You asked me if there was a land called Fae. There isn't. But there's a people called the fae, and their land is called Boreenooey. Or somethin' like that. It's hard to pronounce."

Garv looked hard at the lad. "Are you telling the truth or having me on?"

The lad held his right hand up in the universal gesture of good faith. "Honest, it's the truth. You can ask my sister if you don't believe me."

"Alright. Let's ask your sister. And if I believe her, I'll give you both a ten-piece each to make up for my lack of trust in you."

The lad beamed at him and ran into the house. "Lilia, there's a man to see you."

Garv heard a feminine squeal from inside the house as he approached the threshhold. He paused there, wondering what that squeal portended.

"Oh, Bran, what're ya doin' leavin' the gent'man standin' on the doorstep." Then Garv heard a loud whisper. "Who is it?"

The boy Bran answered in his normal tone. "It's no one I know, Lil, just a stranger."

"Oh, bother you, I thought it was somebody come callin' at last." Garv heard a smack and a loud yelp of protest from Bran. Then the door opened.

Bran's sister Lilia was a slim, but sturdily built young woman of about eighteen, Garv guessed. Too old to still be expecting suitors--she should have been married by now. Garv was worried by the look of delight on her face when she saw him.

"What can I do for you, young gentleman?" she asked brightly.

Garv's blood ran cold. "I--I--Good day, I--uh, your brother--"

"What's the matter with you?" the boy interjected, rubbing his cheek and looking wonderingly at Garv. "You talked alright just a bit ago." He turned to his sister who was coyly lowering her eyes and lifting them again, her head tilted to one side as she gazed at Garv. "He wants--what are you doin', Lil?"

A little frown appeared between her brows, and her simpering smile tightened. "Nothin'. Get on about feedin' the pigs. Go on with you!"

The boy looked at his sister, puzzled, then he burst out laughing. "Oy, he hasn't come to see you!"

Lilia looked startled for a moment, then put her nose in the air haughtily. "Well, of course not, idiot. He's a perfect stranger." She turned to Garv. "Please don't pay any attention to my brother, sir. He is a very stupid boy."

"I am not!" Bran said hotly.

The boy was about to say more, but Garv interrupted hastily. "Excuse me, Bran, but perhaps you should explain to your sister just why I am here." He could imagine these two siblings were capable of getting each other into a temper and both forgetting about him.

Bran glanced at him sulkily, but complied. "He's just lookin' for the fae folk," he told Lilia, "and he won't believe me. You tell 'im, then maybe he'll believe."

"Tell him what?" she asked, addressing her brother but looking daggers at Garv. "Why don't you believe my brother, sir?"

"Because I have met with nothing but contrariness and contradictions since arriving in your village. A little simple and honest help would be much appreciated."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "I'm sorry. People around here--well, they are kind of . . . closed. But they are good, honest folk for the most part. They just don't take to strangers. We know. We were strangers here, a few years back." She put her arm around Bran and pulled him closer to her. "They still treat us like outsiders," she finished, wistfully.

Garv was filled with sympathy. That explained why such a healthy, eligible girl--not bad looking either--was still unmarried.

"Excuse me, but--I don't mean to be curious, but--where are your parents?"

"They're dead."

"And so you came here?"

"Oh, no, Pa bought this place when I was a little girl. Bran was born here."

Garv didn't feel it was appropriate to ask any more prying questions, but he couldn't help wondering about these two--how long had they been without parents, and what had possessed the parents to settle their family here? Did they have family or friends back where they came from originally? And who in the world would take an interest in these two and see that Lilia got a husband and Bran got a trade? What was going to happen to them without a sponsor?

Lilia suddenly sniffed at the scents emanating from the kitchen. "Oh, um, we were about to have dinner. Would you care to join us?"

"Thank you," Garv smiled. "I would love to."