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Sunday, March 18, 2018

The Headless Knight of Sleepy Trees Part 1

The Headless Knight of Sleepy Trees
Draft_2
By: Chase L. Currie

(Tales of The Bat)

“He made a bet with the Devil and lost his head.”
-The Royal Bard Seathan Coattail, The Traveling Bard-

In the year of our Lord 1433 
In Seneh Forest
Town of Sleepy Trees
Kingdom of Thornwood
Late Autumn

“Sir,” the young Knight said opening the door of the carriage and bowing a little. “Welcome.”
            “Thank you, son,” Seathan Coattail said smiling down at the brown squirrel in old armor, more than likely pawed down from his father’s father. The Knight helps Seathan down into the mud of the small town. They stood on the main street which was a few buildings, a shop and a church at the end. The land around the town was clear of trees, but some farmers lived within the trees growing apples and pumpkins. The trees shattered with thorns and black bark like all the trees of Sened Forest in Thornwood.
            The cold Autumn winds pulled the last dying leaves from the trees and raced to touch Seathan and his cotton whitetail. He pulled the Royal Blue cloak and hood of Whispering Oaks around his body and stared at the wind with his dark eyes. He hated the cold, but most squirrels did. He wished to be back home in the library with a good book beside a warm fire, not in a small town in the middle of nowhere, but orders were orders, and there was nothing he could do about them.
            “Would like to go to your room?” The Knight asked.
            “What is your name son?” Seathan asked untying his traveling pack from the back of the carriages before the Knight help with it.
            “I am Sir Danial Riverpaw the fourth,” he said proudly.
            “Nice to meet you Sir Riverpaw,” Seathan smiled at him a little. “Now take me to your Lord Ruler, please. Which his name is?” Seathan lead into the Knight.
            “His name is Lord Ichabod Longears,” Danial told the Bard.
            “Good to know,” Seathan smiled. “It would be kind of rude for me not to know his name.”
            “I doubt he knows yours,” the Knight said leading him down the road. “Are you sure don’t want to drop off your stuff first?”
            “No thank you,” Seathan said. He was more than comfortable carrying the heavy pack on his back for hours and days. He still spent most of his time walking around the Realm for the Royal Bard Guild gathering stories for the Oak library. It feels comforting to have the pack on his back. It felt like home.
            “Very well,” the Knight nodded.
            “How many deaths have happened?” Seathan asked. “Since the last reports have come to me.”
            “There has been six altogether,” Danial said, holding on to his sword.
            “And who were they?”
            “I think we should wait to talk to the Lord,” the Knight responded.
            Seathan stops walking looking for his pipe. He pulled it out and then started packing it for a moment. He looked for a match but couldn’t find one. The Knight lite one up for him holding it over his pipe while Seathan covers the flame from the howling wind. He breathed in the smoke for a moment and then said, “I found Lords like to keep this thing hidden a little because they don’t like the idea of being taken out of power. After all, they must protect their squirrels and Lord ---”
            “Lord Icabod Longears,” Danial said.
            “Right, Icabod has failed to do that.” Seathan bite on his wooden pipe,
            “So why are you here then?” asked Danial.
            “I’m here to find out what is going on,” Seathan grin. “And trying to make sure this threat stops.”
            “And if its Lord Longears fault?”
            “That is not my decision,” Seathan said letting some of the orange flavor smoke out of his mouth. “It’s up to your Queen on what to do with him.”
            Danial nodded, “I see why he would keep some things from you, but what about me?”
            “Because you’re the head Knight of the town,” Seathan pointed out.
            Danial nodded yes.
            “I’m also afraid that is up to your Queen,” Seathan shrug, “but I’ll tell you this it’s a lot harder to replace a Knight than a Lord.”
            Danial gives Seathan flat stare not sure what to say to the Bard.
            “Let’s go see your Lord,” Seathan grin nodding in the directions they were walking before.
            Danial showed Seathan to a small building near the church. It was an old building made from the trees that once stood there. Some of the hints of the thorns still sung out of wood, where they were pushed back into the frame of the house. The front door was made from a different wood or was painted to look as such. Danial knocked on the door and waited for someone to open it. Danial went in only to come out a moment later.
            He showed Seathan into the back room where Lord Ichabod Longears was writing beside a big fireplace, carved in stone with a lion’s head above it. He was writing letters near the fire. He was tall and angular like an underfeed tree. He lowers the pen pushing up his reading glasses.
            “So you are the Royal Bard the Emperor sent,” the black squirrel said in a cold voice.
            “So they tell me,” Seathan said setting his pack down and shutting the door. He winked at Danial as the Knight walked away.
            “You are here to help, right?” Ichabod question.
            “I am,” Seathan said walking toward the wall of books looking at the title knowing a lot of the authors. Some them he knew personally. “I must find out why a Headless Knight in green armor has killed three squirrels or, so the letter said.”
            “It’s what I was reported.”
            “Was there anymore else killed since you sent the letter?” asked Seathan running his finger along the book spines.
            “No,” Ichabod kept an eye on him.
            “No more?” Seathan glanced over his shoulder.
            “Like I said no one,” Ichabod said. “Are you here to find out what is going on or is a witch hunt to replace me.”
            “If that is the case then yes,” Seathan said turning to face him. “But first I have to find out what is going on here. Look,” Seathan told him walking over to stand next to the fire. It felt great to feel the warmth of the flames against his fur. “The deaths are more important than your rank, and, it’s much harder to replace a Lord then let’s say a Knight.”
            Ichabod scowls deeply at the Bard turning back to the fire to say, “Well, I am here to help however I may. It is the orders I have been given by the Queen so I will follow them.”
            “I will do my best to stay out of your way,” Seathan said.
            “I asked for a Hood or a Knight,” Ichabod said before Seathan could walk away. “Why didn’t I gain my request? The last time I check Bards were not known for the deadliness class in the Realm.”
            “Indeed,” Seathan agree with him, “but if I find it needed to send in a Hood or more Knights my word would be the reason behind it.” He lifted the pack back on watching Icabod stare into the flames.
            “They do not trust me?” He asked wounded at the idea.
            “It has nothing to do with trust,” Seathan said, “but they did send me, and they want to know without a shadow of a doubt your words are true. A lot is going on in the Realm these days, we both know it.”
            “We do,” he nodded. “But I have seen this Headless Knight with my own eyes. I have watched him cut down my friend, and they do not believe my words.”
            “All that matters,” Seathan said opening the door, “is that I believe them.”

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