Plain of the Fourteen Pillars - Book 1

“Briar’s gone.”

  It was Billy. He was the first to arise and notice that Briar was gone.

  In the space of five or so hands it had gone from dark to light, so now the sun shone brightly and deeply into their room on the first floor of the Cantering Burro.

  “What makes you think he’s gone?” Barret asked, sitting up and yawning loudly.

  “He’s taken the bag, and he’s taken his blanket,” Billy answered sullenly.

  Quiet followed, and Cetra stirred. Funny enough, Rod remained curled up and asleep.

  Briar’s bed was empty. It had not been slept in, and now the top blanket was missing. The leather satchel was gone, Briar’s boots were gone, and the fire had died out completely.

  What was of no significance though to the others was that Barret’s pants’ legs were rolled down, his feet were clean, and the cold bath water was just that little dirtier than it had been prior to them all having gone to bed the night before.

  “Doesn’t surprise me if he’s taken off,” Barret said.

  “Who has taken off?” Cetra asked almost incoherently whilst yawning.

  “Briar.”

  Cetra looked about the room before acknowledging the implication.

  “Maybe he is downstairs having breakfast,” she suggested.

  “With his blanket?” Billy answered.

  “Maybe he was cold.”

  “Maybe it turns out the pig-boy is just a rat after all,” Barret spat.

  Ultimately they all came to the same conclusion that Briar would be downstairs pigging into some breakfast, and that he was indeed cold, hence why the blanket was missing; and that he took the satchel so they would all be ready to go.

  So many variables, and yet, they were all wrong.

  “Caught yer piggy friend in the wee hands of the night,” Brand announced when they had all gathered before him at one of the tables downstairs. He had prepared a quick breakfast for them all; toast cooked over the fire with goats’ milk butter again to spread and choko preserve sweetened with molasses.

  “Aye, took off in the dark he did. Don’t know where he got off to though. Said ye’d all take care of the bill for him.”

  Billy was truly shocked, and again felt utterly betrayed.

  Barret huffed, feigning his disgust, and then casually declared to the room, “Am I the only one here not surprised? I mean, seriously, he’s been a traitor since the moment he disappeared that night from Ballders’.”

  They all knew to an extent that he was right; only.... Briar had shown such promise in recent days of better character. Though Billy was certainly not surprised by the Irishman’s reaction. Yes, Barret and Briar had begun to tolerate one another just a little.... well, barely enough to get them all through the last days, but they had never once for even a brief moment begun to enjoy each other’s company, and Barret had made his feelings quite clear from day one.

  “Maybe he’s around town somewhere,” Billy said.

  “He could be gathering provisions for the next leg of our journey,” Rod suggested.

  Cetra and Billy nodded in agreement.

  “In the dark?” Barret said, trying to re-establish the idea that Briar had simply gone.

  “Indeed,” Rod continued, “gathering provisions in his own special way.”

  “What, deviously?”

  Hanging in the background of their conversation, Brand witnessed the beginning of his new friend’s demise; that is to say that Barret’s plan appeared to be coming undone. The question was now, did he need help?

  Without thinking, Brand stepped up to the challenge.

  “Mumbled something about guilt and not deserving no friends like ye all,” he said loudly and off the cuff, then winked casually in Barret’s direction.

  Barret liked that, now he was getting his gold’s worth.

  “Did you notice in which direction he left?” Billy asked the publican.

  “Aye,” Brand said and then hesitated.

  This pause gave Barret the time he needed to somehow prompt Brand’s response to the question in the opposite direction to where Briar was actually stashed. To achieve this, he turned slightly away to his right, tilted his head to the side a little, and pretended to flick his hair.

  Brand, who immediately got the gist, pointed a finger in that same direction and said, “Went toward left outside the door, he did.”

  “Then that’s where we’re going too,” Billy decided, “Hopefully we can catch up to him.”

  Pleased with the outcome, Barret agreed with Billy and also suggested they leave quickly. Suspicion had been avoided, or was it just a guilty conscience now surfacing? Barret shook his head.

  They finished their toast, gathered some provisions from Brand, and payed their bill.

  “Thanks for everything,” Barret said to the barman and shook his hand, “You’ve been more than helpful.”

  “Indeed,” Rod piped up, “It was a pleasure to meet up with such a good sir as yourself.”

  Brand nodded his acknowledgment and in parting said, “Remember this my young travellers, if ye need to know in which direction the wind is blowing, just look to the fields and gaze upon the burros’ bum.”

  Thus, upon good advice, they departed; our four companions, travelling in the opposite direction to which Barret had, under the cover of darkness, carried away and disposed of his burden.

  CHAPTER THIRTY SIX