Bab 23: Outcasts of the Towns
Music Recommendation: Dark Asher IQ- Nathan Barr
—
Eve sat in the carriage, staring outside the window, watching the trees pass by. The duration of the journey back to Meadow town was long enough to make her stomach whine in hunger.
Somewhere she was worried about the mansion's door that had slightly chipped because of the tip of her umbrella. Her eyes glanced at her umbrella.
The carriage window was pushed open for the ventilation of the air because of the number of passengers who stepped in and out of it. The breeze gently moved the fringes on Eve's forehead, and the piece of her hair near her ear moved.
While she sat in the carriage, holding her umbrella in one hand and the other placing it on the lunchbox that rested on her lap, the men couldn't help but sneak a few glances at her.
Upon reaching Meadow town, the coachman pulled the horses' reins to stop the carriage. Eve stepped down from the carriage.
"Thank you," said Eve, taking her umbrella from the coachman, who had offered to hold it while she got down from the carriage.
"You are welcome, Miss Barlow," the coachman held his hand at the front end of his hat.
Eve took a deep breath of the air that filled her town. As she started to walk, she heard the sound of the carriage door closing behind her.
While Eve made her way toward her home, she noticed a little commotion not too far away from where she was. Most of the folks of the Meadow town had gathered near where the commotion occurred, and unable to suppress her curiosity, Eve decided to take a peek.
"Let go of my arm, I told you I don't know anything about it!" Shouted a man who was being dragged by two guards, who were in their uniforms.
"Silence before I cut your tongue out!" A third guard warned, who seemed to hold a higher position as he wore a darker shade of uniform.
But the head guard's warning didn't stop the captured man from struggling and trying to break free from the guards.
"Let me go!" Shouted the man. Putting all his strength, he freed himself and started running away from there.
But he could get only two steps away from them as soon the head guard used his metal stick to hit the back of the man's legs. This resulted in the person falling to the ground. A couple of shocked gasps escaped from the mouths of the town's folks who surrounded the place and watched the scene, but no one tried to stop or question the guards.
"Tie his hands and legs!" The head guard ordered his subordinates.
"NO! I didn't do anything wrong!!" The man begged and flailed his limbs, but it was to no avail.
"What happened?" one of the women whispered to the person standing next to her in grave curiosity.
The person next to the woman shook his head, "I am not sure. But I think they found he's one of the outcasts," he replied in a low tone, and Eve quickly turned to look at the man, who was bound in chains and was being dragged on the ground. "I don't know which one."
Outcasts were creatures who didn't fit in the existing norms of the society, creatures who were different and who were used to high society's advantage. These creatures didn't belong to the higher society, nor the lower society were often sold to wealthy families for amusement.
The head guard then turned to look at one of his underlings and ordered, "See if he has any family members of his own,if so bring them to the cage!"
"We are humans!" The man resisted being dragged and pushed into the cage placed on a cart. "Please spare my wif—"
The man's jaw connected to the metal rod, and his mouth started to bleed.
"Now shut up and let us do our job," the head guard spat on the ground, and he turned to look at the captured woman, who was being dragged out of her house. The woman begged and pleaded, screaming for help.
"Help me!" The woman screamed, who was the chained man's wife.
When someone did try to step forward and asked the head guard, "Why are they being taken away? They have been good people—"
The head guard tapped his metal rod on the ground, which immediately got the town's man to close his mouth. He asked, "How about you mind your work and let us guards take care of things in here? Unless you wish to join them behind the bars of the cell."
Eve clenched her fists because this wasn't the first time she witnessed something like this. Whenever someone tried to stop it, they were threatened, and everyone knew that the threat wasn't empty.
"If anyone has any more words to say, you can step forward and we will see how to clear the doubts in your minds," warned the head guard, and the other two guards, who were nearby, smirked on looking at the townsfolk.
Whispers and murmurs started amongst the people, but no one dared to express their thoughts loud enough for the guards to hear.
"They are innocent people."
The head guard turned slightly annoyed and turned to see in the direction from where the voice had come from.
It was Eve who had spoken. Unable to stand on the sidelines and watch, she now met the head guard's eye.
"We are only following the orders to ensure that all of you are safe, and no harm comes to fall on you people," the head guard slowly approached her. "It seems like you show great compassion towards them."
"Why shouldn't I?" Eve asked the brazen head guard. "The blacksmiths have lived in Meadow for years. Keeping to themselves and causing no trouble to anyone. Pray tell me, how can they harm us?"
"Not everything that you see is what it seems, Miss," replied the head guard while trying to memorise the impudent woman's face who dared to question his actions. "Stop!" He ordered his men, who were dragging the poor woman towards the carriage. "Bring the woman here!"
Everyone held their breaths and looked at the woman with curious eyes, wondering what would happen now. The woman who had been captured was pulled to stand in front of the head guard, and he announced to the people while glaring at them,
"Let me show you why it is necessary that we catch these lowly, filthy creatures!"
Eve's eyebrows had furrowed. She watched the buff guardsman catch hold of the woman's neck from the back. The woman, who had been crying, her eyes suddenly turned into slits.
The townsfolk quickly stepped backwards with a look of weariness on their faces.
"What is that thing?!" One of the men in the crowd asked.
"Did you see those eyes?" Questioned another.
"That is right," replied the head guard, with a smug smile on his face, and then he said, "This here is no human, and will only cause harm." He then turned to look at Eve, glaring at her. "Is there anyone who has more questions?"
The people quickly shook their heads and collectively agreed that they take these strange creatures from here. When Eve and the head guard's eyes met, the man pushed the woman towards his men, who quickly grabbed and dragged the woman into the cage that they had brought.
The head guard then took a couple of steps toward Eve.
"Looks like you were quite close with the creatures. Did they perhaps charm you?" Questioned the head guard, who towered Eve by a couple of good inches. Then he asked in a low voice, "Or is there any other reason?"
Bab 24: Stolen light
By speaking in favour of the captured couple, Eve had brought attention to herself.
Eve wondered how the guards were able to track down the couple to be the outcasts. If they could track them, it was only time before she would be caught one day… and that meant she would have to be careful.
Eve asked the head guard, "Will they have a trial?"
"That will depend on their behaviour. People who behave and follow rules will get to live. Especially ones who will bring no harm, and the ones who don't will be put on the gallows. What was your relation with the Blacksmiths? Answer me," the head guard's voice was loud and demanding.
While the little scene was taking place, where the crowd had gathered, one of Eve's admirers stood there too.
It was none other than Patrick Humphrey.
Noticing how the head guard was trying to corner Eve, Mr. Humphrey decided to act as her knight in shining armor. By doing this, not only would he gain affection from Genevieve Barlow, but it would also warn other men who were trying to court her.
Mr. Humphrey jerked his head, pushing his blonde hair, he spoke in a loud voice, "Septimus. What do you think you are doing, by talking to Miss Barlow in such a tone?"
The head guard turned to look at Mr. Humphrey with a glare.
Mr. Humphrey stated, "Don't you know how to respectfully speak to a woman? Miss Barlow is nothing like these repulsive creatures whom you just caught. You should be lucky th—"
Soon Mr. Humphrey's collar was caught by the head guard, and he was raised above the ground, "You whimsical humans. Don't forget who you are talking to."
The people around went quiet, their breath caught in their throat, and Eve turned worried.
"Please let Mr. Humphrey go, he didn't mean to provoke you!" requested Eve, noticing Mr. Humphrey struggle to breathe.
"Move your grubby hands from me this instant before I inform the higher authorities on you!" Mr. Humphrey demanded and threatened the head guard named Septimus.
This only enraged the head guard, and he raised the human higher than before.
"That is enough, Septimus. I believe you have finished your job here and have other things to do," came an authoritative voice in the crowd that Eve was familiar with, and she turned her head. She found Noah Sullivan standing not too far from where she stood. "It isn't right to harass the townsfolk, when they are only asking for answers politely."
The head guard's eyes met Noah's eyes, and he finally let go of Mr. Humphrey, who fell to the ground with a light thud.
Septimus bowed, "Duke. I indeed have something to deliver." He then addressed the crowd, "If anyone finds something, don't forget to report it and you will be rewarded with a handsome sum of gold coins."
The head guard bowed at Mr. Sullivan again and walked away. Soon the crowd dispersed from there.
Patrick Humphrey coughed, trying to compose himself, while shaken that the head guard had lifted him as if he weighed nothing. Once the head guard disappeared, he quickly stood up and puffed his chest. He demanded,
"Where does the guard think he is going? We have to settle this matter now!"
Mr. Humphrey's servant, who often followed right behind him, pointed his hand in one direction and said to his master, "He went that way, Sire." This only ended up with the servant receiving a glare from the man.
Eve internally shook her head but then asked, "Are you alright, Mr. Humphrey?" The man did intervene the head guard.
Mr. Humphrey glared in the direction where the head guard had disappeared. Noah softly chuckled, seeing the man's flimsy attempt to regain his image.
"I would have beaten him and brought him to his knees if he stayed here for a minute longer. He should be grateful that I didn't do anything to him," huffed Mr. Humphrey, and he asked Eve, "Are you alright, Miss Barlow? That impolite mongrel didn't hurt you, did he?"
Eve shook her head and politely smiled, "I am perfectly fine, Mr. Humphrey. You do not have to worry about it." And she then turned to look at Noah, "Thank you for coming to our aid, Mr. Sullivan."
Noah returned her smile with a much politer and kinder one, "Do not thank me, Miss Barlow. I only did what I thought was right."
Mr. Humphrey gritted his teeth, unhappy that someone else stole his limelight when it was his to shine in front of the woman he was trying to court. He commented,
"Mr. Sullivan, you were here, yet you didn't bother to stop the head guard from trying to insinuate that Miss Barlow was one of the vile creatures?"
Noah turned to look at Eve and said, "I believed that Miss Barlow was perfectly capable of handling herself. After all, there is no reason for her to fear when she hasn't done anything wrong. Of course, I will always be more than willing to offer my help to her."
Mr. Humphrey scoffed and then said to no one in particular and spoke on behalf of Eve, "I cannot believe that he dared to think that Miss Barlow was related or associated with those vile creatures. Where is she and where are the hideous creatures who are cursed."
"The blacksmith couple never did anything to upset anyone. They have been nothing but kind, without harming anyone, Mr. Humphrey," Eve frowned, "They are people like us, and they deserve a life like us."
"These outcasts are poisonous, Miss Barlow. You are too kind to think that they are worthy enough to live amongst us. You never know when they will do something unforgivable. It is better to be careful than regret later," stated Mr. Humphrey, as if Eve was a naive woman who didn't know the ways of the world and how it worked. "There are only three kinds that are acceptable."
And though the man didn't elaborate, Eve already knew about it. Everyone knew about it. The lands that everyone lived on were monopolised mainly by the vampires, the werewolves. Then there were humans, who were invisibly chained down to the vampires and the werewolves.
Eve couldn't speak more on the matter because it was only two months ago when everyone found out that one of the townsfolk, who was an outcast, had been kidnapping young women and had killed them. There were good and bad people everywhere, and it was hard to stand up for the good ones because of the deeds committed by the bad ones.
Mr. Humphrey then gallantly said, "I am glad that I was passing by this place early today. Else I would have not been able to help you."
Eve politely bowed and thanked him, "Thank you for coming to my aid, Mr. Humphrey. It is very much appreciated."
"You must have been scared. Allow me to walk you to your home. It will also ease my mind," Mr. Humphrey offered Eve, not wanting to let go of the opportunity.
But as grateful as Eve was, she wasn't comfortable, nor did she want Mr. Humphrey clinging to her. She refused, "That is very kind of you, Mr. Humphrey, but I have something to talk about with Mr. Sullivan. If you don't mind."
"No worries. I shall wait for you until you finish talking with him. Please take your time," Mr. Humphrey offered a friendly smile.
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