~Chapter 1- Grave News~
~Chapter 1- Grave news~
~1156~
To the east of the modest town of Ragoh was an immense pine forest, one that had stood there for many centuries. On a foggy dawn, a crew of men wielding axes and saws walked through the woods.
At the head of the group was an older woman in overalls and work boots. She had strands of silver hair intermingled with her brown hair, tied into a bun behind her. A small hand axe was looped through her belt, and she moved with a commanding gait. Beside her was a wiry man with intense eyes and matching brown hair - the foreman.
The older woman eyed the trees as they passed through, occasionally grazing her hand across the pines as she went. All watched her movements.
Her steps slowed, and she eyed a set of thick pine trees, "These will do!"
She and the foreman took a saw and began drawing it along the base of a pine tree. Without hesitation, the workers went to work alongside them. Duos of men used their saws to gnaw through trees, sputtering sawdust around them as they did. Others took turns whittling down the base of trees with their axes.
"T-Timber!" A man frantically shouted.
The crew looked and saw that a tree had already begun to bend and fall after the man had laid a decisive strike to the base of the tree. The foreman immediately placed a hand on the back of the older woman and nudged her away from the impact zone. Everyone scattered as the tree struck the earth with a quake that reverberated through the forest.
The older woman marched to the man who had felled the tree. "Warn us before you bring down a tree like that! Someone could've died!"
"I-I'm sorry, Ceptance," The burly man apologized to the little woman. He was a newer worker.
The woman, Ceptance, shook her head, "Take the rest of the day off. Come back into work with a clearer head tomorrow."
The crew turned their attention to the fallen tree, chopping it into smaller portions now that it was grounded. Once they were down to manageable sizes, groups of men lifted the logs onto their shoulders and began to ferry them to the lumber mill resting just outside the forest.
Once that tree had been completely processed, leaving only the base of a trunk in the forest, the crew turned their attention back to one of the trees that were still standing.
The foreman worked right alongside the rest of the crew, but he wasn't as burly and strong as most of them. He managed to keep up with the rest, but not without great exertion on his part. Ceptance worked alongside them as well, but when the old woman tired, she allowed one of the others to take her place as she supervised the group.
Ceptance tapped the foreman foreman on his shoulder, "Lumb, I'm going to check on the men at the bridge. Can you handle things here?"
The foreman, Lumb, took another swing with his axe at the tree before turning to her, "Let me go with you. I'm sure they'll be fine on their own."
She raised an eyebrow, "What sense does that make? One of us should stay."
"Isn't Quincy already watching the bridge?"
"Yes, but they should be finishing up soon."
"It could be dangerous work over there, mum," Lumb replied.
She scoffed and grinned, "I've been doing this long before you could walk, I'll be fine. Stay with the men in the forest."
Lumb groaned and nodded, "Alright."
She walked away, and several of the other crew members looked at Lumb with amused smiles.
He snapped at them, "What're you laughing about? Get back to work."
Lumb and the crew continued until they processed all the trees they had picked out for the day. After that, they turned to planting duty. For each of the trees they brought down, they made a point to plant the seeds for several more in their place. It was an essential, yet less exciting aspect of their jobs.
With their work finished, Lumb dismissed much of the crew for the day. For the rest, they journeyed out of the forest, into the countryside, and toward a river that ran near the town of Ragoh.
Weeks ago, a bridge that went over that river collapsed. When it fell, it shut down the primary route to the grand city of Mortel. Lumb and his mother Ceptance's company were paid a healthy sum to rebuild the bridge better than ever. Best of all, the work was local for them.
When Lumb came upon the bridge, he discovered that it was practically finished. A sturdy wooden bridge now stood over the river, and Ceptance was having Quincy ride a carriage back and forth to test its durability.
Lumb placed a hand on the bridge as he reached it, "Looks good."
The sun was high in the sky when Ceptance called for an end to the day of work. The crew departed for the town while Lumb and Ceptance traveled away from it to where a single home resided.
There was a single-story home built with logs taken from the forest. The modest home was surrounded by pastures, and a single tall pine tree sat atop a hill near it. It was the home Lumb had known for most of his life.
They entered the house. It had three bedrooms for Ceptance, Lumb, and one other. But that room had remained unused for years since they left.
Lumb took a seat at the table set at the center of their home and remarked, "You know, I can handle the crew. You don't have to be out there with us."
She rolled her eyes, "If I'm able, I'm helping out, Lumb. Besides, having a boss out there raises morale for the rest of the crew."
"That's why I'm out there," Lumb leaned back in a chair and set his boots on the table.
"Oh, shush!" She replied as he batted his feet off the table. She sat down in an opposite chair to Lumb and laid her head back, "I am looking forward to a relaxing afternoon though. Want to play dominoes?"
The two were stirred from their rest when a knock came at the door.
"Who could that be?" Ceptance voiced.
"Maybe it's Quincy?" Lumb suggested.
They stood to meet their visitor at the door. They found a man in a soldier's armor, a sword at his hip, and the Kingdom's crest on his shoulder plate. The brown-eyed soldier had neat black hair and towered over both Lumb and his mother. There was a fine horse outside of their house, his mode of transportation. What would a member of the Kingsguard be doing here?
Lumb straightened his posture, "Can we help you?"
The man swallowed before pulling a sheet of paper from his chest plate, "I am Corporal Schwartz. Is this the abode of Ceptance and Lumb?"
"Yes."
Schwartz continued, "Are you kin of a woman named Urba?"
Ceptence stepped forward, "Yes. She's my daughter."
Schwartz seemed to hesitate before continuing to speak. He seemed nervous. Lumb looked down before noticing someone else was with him. A little girl with long brown hair stood behind him. She couldn't have been more than eight years old.
Ceptance noticed as well. "Who's the little one with you?"
Schwartz anxiously spoke, "Yes, well, this Deporah. Urba's daughter."
Both Lumb and Ceptance looked at the little girl... she did look like Urba quite a bit. But this was their first meeting. The girl, Deporah, looked up at them with curious but sad eyes.
Schwartz spoke quickly, "Since you are the next of kin, I brought her here to see if you'd take care of her."
Ceptance squinted curiously at him, "... I'm happy to see her, but what about Urba and her father? Why can't they take care of her?"
Schwartz grimaced before answering, "They're... They're dead, ma'am."
Both Lumb and Ceptance couldn't process what they heard.
"You must be mistaken. Perhaps you're thinking of someone else?" Ceptance protested.
Schwartz shook his head, "I'm sorry, ma'am."
Ceptance's legs became unsteady. Before she could fall, Lumb grabbed her and helped her inside. He wasn't feeling well either. But his focus was more on his mother than himself. He helped Ceptance to a seat in their house.
"May I come in?" Schwartz asked.
"Go ahead," Lumb muttered as he placed a hand on his mother's back, hoping to calm her. He glanced back at the sad little girl beside the soldier, "What happened to her parents?"
"Deporah's father, Gregor, was murdered." Schwartz answered solemnly.
"What about Urba?"
Schwartz grimaced. Lumb couldn't help but wonder. He's already given us the bad news. What else could he be anxious about?
Schwartz answered, "Executed."
Lumb narrowed his eyes at the soldier, "For what!?"
Schwartz took a deep breath, "She killed Gregor and one other man."
Ceptance shook her head, "No no no! My girl wouldn't kill anyone! There must be a mis-"
"She confessed to it."
Ceptance recoiled. She simply wrestled with the thoughts swirling within her in silence. She didn't cry, but perhaps, she wanted to.
"I know this is a lot for you... But Deporah still needs caretakers. You two are the only family we could find. If you're not willing to take her, we'll have to put her up for adoption."
"We'll take care of her," Ceptance looked at the girl, the orphan, and forced her own grief aside. She stood and knelt directly in front of Deporah.
Ceptance gently smiled, "Hi there, Deporah. Your mom sent me a letter about you when you were born. I'm so glad to finally meet you."
Deporah didn't smile. She'd make brief eye contact with Ceptance, only to look away afterward. The girl must've gone through so much.
Ceptance took her hand gently, "I know! You and I can take a walk into town. We can buy whatever you like. I want you to be comfortable with us."
Deporah briefly made eye contact with Ceptance. She quietly muttered, "Thank you."
"You're very welcome, my dear," Ceptance smiled. Like Lumb, she was able to bury her grief by focusing on another.
Ceptance grabbed her coin purse and prepared to take a walk into town. She did her best to keep a lighthearted mood for Deporah's sake. Perhaps, it was a way to cope. She rushed off to town with her granddaughter, leaving Lumb and Schwartz alone at home.
"I'm very sorry for your loss," Schwartz solemnly said as he stepped outside towards his horse.
"Not your fault. I'm sure you weren't happy to be the one to deliver that message," Lumb replied, burying his own emotions, "Why did Urba do it?"
"She wouldn't say. We didn't find any evidence that her husband abused her in any way. It's like she snapped," Schwartz replied, seeming as confused as they were.
Lumb crossed his arms and leaned against their doorway, "I see..."
"You seem like good people. I feel better now that you're going to be watching that little girl. After everything she's been through, she deserves a good life."
Schwartz mounted his horse and bid Lumb one final salute, before riding off into the countryside. He was headed in the direction of the city of Mortel - the place that Urba had run off to a decade ago.
Lumb leaned against his doorway for a while. A soft breeze passed by him, and he looked at the single pine tree that sat near their home. He remembered when they were children. He and Urba would sit under that tree and listen to stories told by their mother.
Lumb took a deep breath.
Urba was always stubborn and unyielding. She hated living out in the country like they did. He was furious at her when she ran away. How could she just leave mom like that?
That was the last time he ever saw her. Sure, she sent a few letters. But she never visited them in the country, and they never visited her in the city. He wouldn't get the chance now.
Lumb took a deep breath.
When they were children, their mother was often busy with work and couldn't tell them stories. So, when Urba grew older, she began reciting the stories from memory to Lumb. He enjoyed that.
Lumb took a deep breath.
She would never hurt anyone.
Lumb had his disagreements with his sister, but she'd never kill anyone. There had to be more to what was going on.
Lumb looked up and saw Ceptance and Deporah returning from town with a pack filled to the brim. The sun was nearing the horizon.
"How did it go?" Lumb asked as they approached.
"This one is so quiet. She didn't want much. So, I just grabbed a few things and introduced her to folks in town," Ceptance replied cheerfully. She was putting on a strong masquerade, but Deporah still seemed as dour as she did when she arrived.
"I figure she can take Urba's..." Ceptance's strong façade nearly cracked. But she kept herself together, "She can take Urba's old room. Would you like that, sweetie?"
Ceptance smiled down at Deporah. The little girl politely nodded, "Thank you."
"No problem, sweetie."
Ceptance brought Deporah to her new room and asked her to get settled in. Lumb lit a few candles to illuminate their home before taking a seat at the table, "Mom, I was thinking..."
"Urba wouldn't kill anyone. Not my Urba. I don't know what happened, but there must've been something else going on," Ceptance sternly replied before Lumb could say anything.
Lumb nodded, "That's exactly what I was thinking. We need to figure out what happened. Even if it means going to Mortel to find out."
"We can have Quincy look over the company while we're gone. I'm just not sure about Deporah."
"Maybe we can have one of the townsfolk look after her until we get back?"
"That could work..." Ceptance replied.
A quiet voice entered the conversation. "I want to go with you."
Lumb looked and saw that Deporah had stepped into the light and was listening in.
"Are you sure, honey? Do you really want to go back there?"
Deporah confidently nodded, "Yes, please."
Ceptance smiled softly, "Okay. We'll stay together."
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