Rick entered the open space of the ruins just as the sun was disappearing over the hills, the air had changed to a much colder biting frost, what little warmth the sun have given the land was gone in an instant. For a little time as he stood there surrounded by the crumbling stones he questioned his motives for being there. For so long he searched for this man, his dreams forged his methods to the mans death, even had a script of hatred and angry words to say to him as he saw his life leave his eyes. But now the moment was here, he felt like the lost boy again when his Father had died, alone, so very alone.
Footsteps ringing into the cold echoing space brought him away from his given moments of a changed mind to leave, it was too late. A man approached dressed in fine Armour and a thick dark beard was near, a stupid grin on his face, almost like he found his prize..
"Well, if it isn't the bastard" were his first words, and by sod he remembered that voice, even though he was only four when he first heard it, you don't forget it.
"I honestly thought you wouldn't come, but then your little spy informed me you had been tracking me for a long long time, well here I am"
Anger began to boil inside Rick's heart and pierce out his eyes to the man, glaring with full hatred and death wishes.
"You murdered my mother" he spat, full of emotion, were he a weaker man he might have cried, yet his eyes only moisture due to his lack of blinking, he wasn't going to take his eyes off his man for second.
The man simple continued with his stupid grin, almost proud..
"That I did Bastard, that I did. What is this your revenge is it?"
"I want to know why."
"Do you really, did not your brainless Father tell you- Wait, he didn't did he? You are completely unaware? Oh how marvelous, then I am delighted to tell you, do pull up a chair" his level of sarcasm and lack of consideration was sickening.
Rick stood were he was, his hand now coiled tightly around a dagger, he didn't even remember pulling it out from inside his boot.
"Your dear beautiful mother claimed I was your Father, and though once I did delight in her screaming limbs, there was no way I was letting a Bastard enter my family, especially a peasants son. I offered to pay her off to keep her mouth shut, yet she started mouthing it to places, my wife found out, that got me very angry. Your mother threatened charges, so. I had to shut her up"
Rick stared at him, feeling a ball of sick in his stomach, he was unable to comprehend what he was told, yet it only increased his anger to a dangerous level.
"You..You raped my mother?"
"I did, and?"
The grip on the blade grew so tight, it cut off the blood to his fingers.
"Then, why didn't you kill me?"
"Kill you- Ah you mean the night I came to your shed of a house? I don't kill babies, besides, given the fact your "Father" was away, I was hoping you'd starve of your own accord."
The man took off his cloak and set it down on a ruin stone.
"Well, we are here now, as my letter said, death or life-"
That was all Rick needed to hear, before the man finished his sentence he lunged forward, not even bothering with his dagger in the end after all,instead his surprised tackle and his own muscular heaviness knocked the man backwards, crunching his head on the stone hard. Rick had his hands on the mans throat, crushing the air out of him with all his might.
A blow to the back of his head with what he believes to remember being a shovel knocked him onto his side, grunting and groaning. Followed then by several rough kicks to his ribs and mid section. He chance looked up and saw the man, gasping for breath fleeing on his horse into the now dark night. The cheater, he thought, just as a heavy blow came down onto his face, whether that was by fist or by this supposed shovel, he can not remember. But at that moment he realized it was a plan all along, probably to bury his body after.
This new wave of anger brought him to his feet, much to the surprise of the two men hired to finish him off. With a loud shout of this anger, Rick flared into them with all the pent up frustration and hard work his long years had given him. He didn't kill them, but he left them a mess on the ruin floor, they would lay there for a good long while.
Now with only the silence of the night to greet him again, Rick looked over to the glow in the sky, in which in that direction the town of Bree lay, knowing that somewhere there busy at work serving patrons in the Inn, Cedwyn would be there, and what was she going to think of this? For a second, he said he wouldn't tell her, but he couldn't lie to her.
With a newly formed limp, bruised ribs and a lovely fresh bruise on his cheek bone, he headed back into town, his spirit broken to tiny pieces.
That man was his- possibly was his Father? No it's not true.
