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Post by Brandwyn on Dec 21, 2009 23:58:45 GMT -5
Rick lowered the arrow and relaxed the string on his bow as Darrell complied with his instructions.
But when Tam said something about the guy throwing up on a ship, Rick turned to stare at Tam in surprise. He was confused. Just who was this Darrell guy and what connection did he have to Tam?
Rick turned his attention back to Darrell, not trusting him and yet not as concerned now that he meant Tam any harm. Holding his bow and the knocked arrow with his left hand, Rick tossed another log on the abductor's fire and settled down on a log where he could keep both Darrel and the other guy in sight.
"So, you two seem to know each other and you both have some interst in Tam. Why were you following him?" Rick motioned to the abductor. He kept an ear and an eye on the forrest and could hear Domingo and Horse cantering through the trees.
The two horses came into the clearing and Domingo stood behind Rick, as if guarding him. Horse moved over to Tam and gently nuzzled him on the shoulder, happy to see his master safe. "Just who are you anyway, Darrel?" Rick asked him.
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Post by Firehead on Dec 22, 2009 11:27:19 GMT -5
Tam was positive that Darrel was the man he scarcely remembered being seasick onboard a ship. The memory had always seemed out of place, so he'd mostly forgotten about it. Until now. Oh, there'd been the odd quiet times when he would recall it and ponder it, but he had never been able to make heads or tails of it, and so he would give it up, and the memory would flee back to it's hiding place in the back of his mind. That, and the odd quiet times were few and far between.
Tam again turned his attention to the grown-ups, figuring that he'd probably learn something if he paid their conversation strict attention. And now that he had time to notice it, he was hungry, too. No sense in letting all the kidnapper's dinner preparations go to waste.
"So, you two seem to know each other and you both have some interest in Tam. Why were you following him?" Rick motioned to the abductor.
Darrel gave the abductor a cursory glance. "I wasn't following him. I was following Tam. Trying to make sure he stays safe and doesn't get into any--" Here he hesitated, "-- trouble."
The abductor gave a derisive snort of contempt at this statement, and Tam looked up from where he sat by the man's saddlebags, looking for supper and frowned, as memory struggled through the recesses of his mind, trying to come to the fore. Tam wasn't sure he wanted for it to. Something about his former abductor was familiar, but the thought vanished away, as Horse loped into the clearing and came to a halt directly behind him, bumping him with his muzzle. At least he didn't slobber. Tam reached tentatively over his shoulder and gave the pony a light pat on the nose. "Hi Horse."
Darrel grew tense when the two horses burst into the clearing, but relaxed again when he saw the two go to their respective owners-- the Ranger and Tam. That explained itself.
"Just who are you anyway, Darrel?" Rick asked him.
Darrel studied the Ranger for a moment, not entirely sure of what the man wanted to know. But then he gave a mental shrug and answered. "My name is Darrel. I am a former ballistics expert for the Araluen army. First and foremost, I am Tamlin Fletcher's guardian."
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Post by Brandwyn on Dec 22, 2009 18:32:45 GMT -5
Rick was more confused than ever, but he was beginning to believe that the guy didn't intend to harm Tam.
The man looked indignantly at Rick. "I wasn't following him. I was following Tam. Trying to make sure he stays safe and doesn't get into any--" Here he hesitated, "-- trouble."
Rick didn't like the thought that this man had been following Tam, and therefore him, without him knowing about it. The thought made him highly uncomfortable and he looked the guy over thoughtfully, wondering what training the man had that allowed him to track a ranger undetected. Maybe Rick had spent too much time in the city and was loosing his edge.
He studied the man as they chatted and noted the tenseness when the horses arrived and that the man seemed to relax after he realized the horses were not a threat.
"My name is Darrel. I am a former ballistics expert for the Araluen army. First and foremost, I am Tamlin Fletcher's guardian."
Rick was taken aback, having believed the boy to be an orphan. He was silent as he pondered the hidden meanings behind Darrel's words, his face betraying nothing. He had said "guardian" not "father" but something about the guy set off Rick's alarms. He wondered if this man had anything to do with Tam being so skittish of everyone.
"Guardian, not father?" Rick asked him. "If you are not his father, then who appointed you his guardian and why have you let him live on the streets all of these years, fending for himself?"
If the man was telling the truth, Rick didn't think much of his parenting skills. Another thought was flitting around in Rick's mind, and if he was right, this man was going to become a problem in the not too distant future.
Rick indicated their tied up prisoner, "How is it you know this man and what is it he was up to by abducting Tam?"
There was something Rick was missing and he could tell by the look on Tam's face that the lad was trying to remember deep memories from his early childhood. So it was obvious that Tam did know the man - or had at least met the man when he was much younger, even though he didn't 'know' him now.
All in all, Rick was developing a dislike for the guy, but he tried not to show it. Rangers were trained to be fair, after all and hear all sides of a story before passing judgement, so he tried to exercise his training and keep an open mind.
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Post by Firehead on Dec 28, 2009 11:31:31 GMT -5
"Guardian, not father?"
"That is correct."
"If you are not his father, then who appointed you his guardian and why have you let him live on the streets all of these years, fending for himself?"
Darrel paused, wondering where to start. Rick's cascade of multiple questions in one sentence, reminded Darrel of something his teacher had once said. "One question at a time, student."
"First off Tamlin's father made me his guardian. Secondly, I did not let him live in the streets by himself. He lives with a woman named Elizabeth Barker, who lives in Araluen City."
Tam looked up again. "No I don't. I ain't lived wi' no one fer th' last 6 years." There came that feeling again, that there was a memory in the back of his mind, trying with all it's might to be remembered. But he just couldn't put his finger on it.
Meanwhile the abductor had been lying on the ground being quiet. At least, up until this point. At the mention of Elizabeth Barker, he jerked his head up. "Barker? That woman's been dead for nigh on 5 years! Cal ki--" he broke off suddenly, as though he'd just remembered who was listening. He scowled ferociously at the two men.
But he didn't have to say anymore, for what he had already said brought Tam's elusive memory to the fore all too clearly.
Darkness. Heavy breathing nearby as his aunt tried to stay alive. Heavy thumping from above, then the sound of the 10 locks and dead bolts being thrown back. The thick oaken cellar door groaned as it swung open on rusty hinges. Light blinded him, and he brought his hands up to block it out. Loud laughter, ringing in his ears, the sound of moaning and then screaming mingling in. He could see now, just barely, the tall, hulking figure coming down the steps. The laughter turned harsh, as the man lit a torch, then a lantern. The solid sound of the man's feet treading heavily upon the stairs. Maybe he would leave them this time. It was a forlorn hope, as the man merely shut the trapdoor, grinning savagely. "Now that I've made sure you won't be leaving, buy, time to see if I can't persuade you to reconsider."
"No, don't give in to that bully, Tam!" His aunt struggled for breath in between words, as she continued. "Don't ever be--" she cried out as the big man swung his fist violently around, striking her in the side of the face, hard. The boy winced as the burly man caused the bruised skin on her cheek to break. "You keep yer mouth shut, when I ain't talkin' to you--" The boy clamped his hands over his ears, trying desperately to shut out the sounds of violence that followed. But his eyes refused to shut. They stayed fixed on the gruesome scene, as the big man proceeded to slash his aunt's face, hands, and feet with a blunt knife.
Time crawled slowly past, each second lingered long beyond it's separate span. The boy crouched in his corner, now, hiding his face in his hands. The metallic smell of fresh blood and the cloying one of burned flesh hung thick in the air. Screams from a throat rubbed raw from the constancy of doing so and harsh, grating laughter assaulted his ears. Then his world turned black and a solid thump announced the big man's departing. The screaming died, and now there was only the sounds of those that know loneliness, pain, and fear as constant companions. It must have been hours before either spoke. "Tam." The boy lifted his head, turning his face toward the sound of painful breathing. "Tam." He was silent, waiting for her to continue. "Tam. I want you to promise me that at the first chance you can, you'll run away from here, without me. Get as far away from here as you can, Tam." He could hear the pain in her voice, the pain speaking caused her. Trembling, the boy spoke, softly, his voice coming out in a combination of rasp and squeak. "I promise."
Now everything came in a whirlwind.
Time passing. The heavy trapdoor crashing back on it's hinges. The burly man bellowing angrily. "Look what you did...!" The big man beating his aunt savagely. Slipping free of his chains. One last look at his aunt. Dashing up the stairs. Slamming the trapdoor shut, the big man inside. Dodging the big man's hench-men. Sprinting down the streets of Araluan City. Hiding in a half-empty barrel of frozen rain water."...keep the Rangers busy..." Hiding in an abandoned building. Running away from a gang of older boys, clutching a link of sausage in his cold hands. Fighting a group of boys for a ragged blanket. Curling up on a window sill, the snow flying think around him. Digging in a garbage heap for clothes. A hand grabbing him from behind, spinning him around, and a stern voice. Looking up to see a strange face that morphed into the familiar one of Rick.. The memories vanished.
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Post by Brandwyn on Dec 30, 2009 10:20:53 GMT -5
Rick glanced sharply at his prisoner. 'Very interesting.' he thought, remembering the murder of the woman in question. He hadn't been able to bring her killer to justice. It seemed he now had a new lead, a guy named Cal that both these gents seemed to know.
It was also obvious that Tam's "guardian" hadn't paid much attention to the boy for the last 5 or 6 years. Rick ground his teeth in anger, but didn't comment on it.
Rick held his questions in as he saw the look on Tam's face and waited for the lad to search the dark recesseses of his mind. When it looked like he was back in the present, Rick asked him, "Tam, are you okay? Did you remember something?" He kept his eyes on the other two men though, ready to put an arrow through either one of them should the situation warrent it.
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Post by Firehead on Dec 31, 2009 17:24:07 GMT -5
Darrel tipped his head to one side, studying the bound man. "Ah. And just what have you been doing all this time, besides hiding out in the city?"
The man's reaction wasn't the typical sort that you'd expect.... whatever the reply you'd expect happened to be. He turned slightly pale, and swallowed hard, but then he tried to cover it up and look tough. Darrel remained seated, yet his voice conveyed a threat. "If you're hoping that I've forgotten, you might want to reconsider."
"Tam, are you okay? Did you remember something?"
Tam nodded. "Calum Barclay. I wish I hadn't." he said, his voice soft and low.
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Post by Brandwyn on Jan 4, 2010 13:32:55 GMT -5
Rick listened to Darrel with great interest, noting the other man's reaction. He was afraid of Darrell and this raised Rick's suspicions. This Darrel character may be Tam's guardian, but did he really have the boy's best interests in mind? Rick would be putting that to the test shortly, but for now he wanted to find out more about these two and just why Tam was important to either of them.
Rick looked gravely at Tam as he said in a fearful voice, "Calum Barclay".
The name didn't ring any bells with Rick. "What do you remember about him?" He asked Tam and shot Darrel a look, warning him not to interrupt. He fingered his bowstring absentmindedly, without relaxing his vigilance on either of the other two men.
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Post by Firehead on Jan 4, 2010 14:45:05 GMT -5
Over the past half-hour, Darrel had been getting the feeling that the Ranger didn't like him. But at least he wasn't trigger-happy. Darrel couldn't recall meeting anyone called Calum Barclay, and apparently, neither had the Ranger.
"What do you remember about him?" asked the Ranger, as he shot a look loaded with warning at Darrel.
Tam frowned, as he recalled the now vague and blurry images in his head. "I think he owned a tavern.....He had greasy, dark hair. Tall....Kinda heavy built.......Gruff voice, kinda harsh, like a crow.....Dark brown eyes.....Had a scar on the back of his head, I think... He's his henchman..." he nodded toward the bound man.
Darrel listened intently to Tam's description of the man, while going through the possible people who had the characteristics. Then Tam mentioned the scar, and Darrel knew. He muttered softly, "I knew I shouldn't have trusted him. He had bad breath and he sold bad brew, too." He paused, then added, "And that's the sad truth for both of us."
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Post by Brandwyn on Jan 5, 2010 12:04:00 GMT -5
Rick was starting to get the picture, or at least some of it. "So this Calum Barclay killed Elizabeth Barker with whom you were living?" Rick asked Tam, "And this guy works for Barclay?" Rich motioned with his arrow to the bound man. "Do you remember why he killed her?"
He watched the reactions of the bound man carefully. He still didn't know what they wanted with Tam, though he was fairly certain Darrel wasn't in on whatever they were up to. No, Darrel seemed to have his own agenda and Rick still felt it wasn't just to see that Tam was safe. Tam seemed to be just as afraid of him as of the bound man.
Either way, the only way they were getting Tam was over his dead body, Rick resolved.
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Post by Firehead on Jan 5, 2010 12:36:16 GMT -5
"So this Calum Barclay killed Elizabeth Barker with whom you were living?"
Tam hesitated. "Not while I was there, but yeah."
"And this guy works for Barclay?" Rich motioned with his arrow to the bound man.
Tam nodded.
"Do you remember why he killed her?"
Tam shrugged. "Might a been anything. He wanted me ta run an errand fer 'im-- don' ask me what it was, 'cause I fergit. He coulda kilt her 'cause I 'scaped. He hated her, too. Or coulda been 'cause I didn't tell 'em where I come from, er anythin'."
Darrel listened to Tam and watched the bound man, but remained silent. He knew where Tam came from, but he couldn't tell. Not without breaking a promise.
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Post by Brandwyn on Jan 7, 2010 12:33:19 GMT -5
Rick stood up and crossed to the fire, keeping an eye on the two men. He picked out a stick that was glowing a nice cherry red on the end and examined it critically. "mmm too dull I think..." He dropped it into the fire and picked up another one that was smaller in diameter and the burning end of the stick was somewhat pointed. "Yes, yes... much better." He eyed the bound man out of the corner of his eye, the threat clearly visible.
"I don't suppose you would care to fill me in on what happened to miss Elizabeth, would you?" Rick asked him pointedly, twirling the red-hot stick casually in his fingers as if fascinated by the whirling light it made.
He tried to avoid 'cohesive interrogations' whenever possible, but he suspected this grim fellow wouldn't talk without a bit of persuasion, and being from a tribal people that lived on the southern plains, he knew a few things about the art of 'persuasion'. Crowley wouldn't approve, but what the Ranger Commandant didn't know, wouldn't hurt him. Well, at least this wouldn't anyway.
Over his shoulder he said, "Tam, maybe you had better go tend to the horses and make sure they are set for the night." Tam had been through enough already and didn't need to see what was likely to follow. He kept his eye on Darrel as he approached the man on the ground.
"Well?" Rick's face was as impassive as granite and his eyes just as cold There was no mistaking that he meant business as he twirled the stick casually in front of him.
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Post by Firehead on Jan 7, 2010 13:12:20 GMT -5
Darrel watched the Ranger stride over to the fire and pick up a stick from the coals. It didn't take him long to figure out what Rick was up to, now. The threat of torture. So, this is where the fun begins, eh?
Rick studied the the stick in his hand. "Hmmm too dull I think..." He dropped it into the fire and picked up another one that was smaller in diameter and the burning end of the stick was somewhat pointed. "Yes, yes... much better."
Tam tipped his head to one side, not sure what Rick was up to. But from the way he glanced over at Darrel and the bound man, didn't bode well.
"I don't suppose you would care to fill me in on what happened to miss Elizabeth, would you?" Rick asked the bound man, pointedly. Over his shoulder he said, "Tam, maybe you had better go tend to the horses and make sure they are set for the night."
Tam looked from Rick to the bound man, then back to Rick, and got the picture. All thoughts of dinner were now a long way from his mind. He nodded, and left the circle.
"Well?" Rick's face was as impassive as granite and his eyes just as cold.
The bound man looked into Rick's face and gulped. He gave a quick glance in Darrel's direction, but Darrel hadn't moved. He remained as still as ever, his eyes on the Ranger, looking almost fascinated by the man. As though he had sensed the man's eyes on him, Darrel looked casually over at him. "He means it."
The bound man swallowed hard, and looked back at Rick. Then decided he didn't want to be tortured. "Calum killed her because the little br--" he stopped short and quickly changed what he'd been about to say, " the boy escaped. He was mad, because he wanted something from the boy. I don't know what it was, but he didn't get it!" he yelled, clearly panicked by now.
Darrel watched, and listened, as the bound man blurted out what he knew. He thought he knew what they'd been after, but he wasn't sure. But if it was what he thought it was, he wasn't about to say anything about it, either.
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Post by Brandwyn on Jan 7, 2010 14:01:10 GMT -5
"You don't know what it was? Are you sure?" Rick asked casually as he moved closer and checked the man's bonds with a quick tug. They were still holding. He held his bow in his left hand, the arrow still knocked, but pointed at the ground as he knelt down next to the man, the burning brand in his right hand. He still had a clear line of view to Darrel and watched him out of the corner of his eye. If the man so much as twitched... thought Rick.
The man on the ground looked panicked, but Rick wasn't entirely sure he was being 100% truthful. He looked at the stick and waved it in front of the man's eyes. "Now why don't I believe you?" he asked calmly.
Rick leaned in a bit, ready if the man tried to kick at him or head butt him or anything. He said very softly, in a low, cold voice, "Do you know that the water in a man's eyeballs will actually boil if a hot stick is shoved in it? I find that rather fascinating, don't you?" He waved the red hot embers closer to the man's eyes and cheek. "Not to mention that just the slightest slip here and you will have a beautiful scar all the ladies will swoon over."
He let those comments sink in for a moment. "Now, here are a couple of easy questions; What is your name and what do you want my apprentice for?" This time the anger he felt at Tam being threatened showed in is voice. He glared at the man, his patience was running out.
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Post by Firehead on Jan 7, 2010 14:38:15 GMT -5
"You don't know what it was? Are you sure?"
"Yes!"
"Now why don't I believe you?"
"I don't know anything about it! I don't!"
Darrel watched the Ranger studiously, tensed for action. He couldn't do anything to actually help the bound man, but if the Ranger did begin to torture him, Darrel knew that he would have to step in. He just hoped that it wouldn't come to that point.
"Do you know that the water in a man's eyeballs will actually boil if a hot stick is shoved in it? I find that rather fascinating, don't you?" Rick waved the red hot embers closer to the man's eyes and cheek. "Not to mention that just the slightest slip here and you will have a beautiful scar all the ladies will swoon over."
Tam led the horses away from the camp a little distance and stripped their gear from them, before he began rubbing them down with a wad of grass. His thoughts swirled about in his head, and he tried to eradicate them, by focusing on the horses' coats. Horse nickered, bringing Tam back to the present. It was then that he realized that he'd been grooming the same spot on Domingo's coat for several minutes. He gave the horse a pat, and moved to the other side. Staring at the horse's side, he suddenly wondered where Kira had gone. He hadn't seen her with Rick.
"Now, here are a couple of easy questions; What is your name and what do you want my apprentice for?"
The man gulped and glanced in Darrel's direction again, eyes pleading for him to do something. Darrel stared back, emotionlessly. "A- Aram." he gulped. "C- Calum has out a standing reward on the kid, dead or alive. W- When I ran into the b-boy back there, I figured 'why not?' T- Take the boy back, and collect the reward."
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Post by Brandwyn on Jan 11, 2010 13:16:57 GMT -5
Rick sat back and moved the burning stick away from Aram's face a bit. He appeared to be telling the truth and truly terrified of the burning brand.
"So, if you just happened to stumble upon Tam, then what were you doing over here in Gallica near the Grizzlies camp?" Perhaps these men were tied to the Tuetlandt mercenary group somehow.
He hadn't missed the look Aram had shot Darrel either, he just wasn't sure what was going through Darrel's head. The man definately knew more than he was letting on, of that Rick was certain.
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Kira had sensed Rick's agitation and slunk under a bush to watch the two-legs intently. Her tail slashing back and forth. Then the smaller two-leg approached with the yummy smelling horses and she decided to make her presence known.
She silently padded out from under the thicket and up behind Tam as he was rubbing off the horse and she gently rubbed against his leg affectionately. She looked up at him and purred, waiting expectantly for him to pet the top of her head. She liked the small two-leg. He was closer to her size and not nearly so frightening as the big two-legs.
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