Vows of Silence (2/5)
Kacik@aol.com
Sat, 22 Apr 2006 15:25:14 EDT
Author: Kaci
Vows of Silence 2/5
1859
Ben Cartwright finished the papers on his desk as a feeling of exhaustion
washed over him. He decided to put the work away for the evening and he was
definitely going to hire a book keeper one of these days, as there wasn't any
time for paperwork after a hard days ranch work. The front door opened and his
middle son Hoss entered the room with a large smile on his face.
"Hey Pa, Bessie had her calf she's a beauty."
"That's fine son. What are you going to name her?" Ben smiled kindly.
"Oh, I'm not sure yet, maybe Martha." Chuckling he glanced toward the table
to see if Hop Sing had dished up supper yet. "I'm sure hungry."
"As soon as Adam gets in we'll eat."
Hoss grabbed an apple out of the bowl, munching it loudly, when Adam finally
arrived.
"Well, son, Hoss was getting ready to eat the bowl, if you didn't get here
soon," laughing they found their places at the table.
Dinner that night was like any other; they discussed branding, moving the
cattle to other pastures, how much feed would be needed now the weather was
warming, plus numerous other ranch problems, when Hoss remembered he had picked
up the mail earlier.
"Oh, Pa, I have a few letters for ya," Hoss pulled the letters from his
vest, and handed them to his father. "I don't reckon them papers on them bulls I
was lookin' for is there?"
"Let's see." Ben slit the envelopes reading the correspondence inside, until
only one remained. The letter was very thin, so he assumed it probably was a
flyer of some kind, maybe an advertisement for feed. Opening the letter the
words at first didn't make any sense, but then he abruptly stood up.
"Pa? What's the matter?" Hoss looked over at Adam; his light blue eyes
troubled.
"I...I can't believe this!" Crumpling the note Ben walked to the fireplace
to throw it inside, when he felt Adam's hand on his.
"Let me see, Pa."Adam spread out the thin filament of paper and read it
slowly,
"Ben,I have your son. He's been a handful as you can imagine, but he has
learned to behave his mentors. I must keep him a little while longer until he
learns his lessons of life. He's only been in my care for two years and there's
been a wonderful transformation. Be very brave my friend, your child will one
day return home to you." Adam choked but continued, "The lessons of life are
hard to learn, but to those that try...success is the prize."
"What!" Hoss ran over to Adam dragging the letter from his hand. "Pa, could
it be true?"
"NO! We know Joe is dead...we looked everywhere, it's just a cruel hoax!"
Ben collapsed into his red chair. How many detectives had he hired to look for
his son?
"But, Pa...we never found his body or nothin'." Hoss ran over to the door
grabbing his hat, "I'm gonna' find him!"
"HOSS! Stop it! How long have we searched for any sign of Joe? How many
bounty hunters and detectives did we hire, only to be let down?" Adam ground out
harshly, "Pa's, right. It's just someone wanting money."Adam pulled the
letter from Hoss's hand walking to the fireplace, tossing the note into the fire,
where it curled and burned.
"There's something fishy goin' on here and I'm gonna' find out what it is."
Hoss slammed the door as he hurried outside, he knew that Little Joe needed
him, he didn't care what Pa and Adam said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joe knelt in the dark chamber where he was told to think about his
transgressions. His mind going over everything from his day... his work, his lessons,
his room, never going beyond the borders of the monastery. Sighing, he moved
a little to the right, resting on one knee at a time, they had grown callused
over time, but they still hurt after a few hours on cold hard stone. Joe had
tried to escape many times and still often thought about doing it, but the
men had always caught him, bringing him back to be punished harshly, now he
stayed safely in the monastery boundaries at all times.
A few days after his arrival he had been brought before a tribunal of four
men. The leader explained in great detail why they had kidnapped him and what
he had to do to stay alive.
"Joe, you must try to understand. I know you're very young but I've watched
over you for many years. Remember when I first met you when you were ten? I
knew that someday this would happen to you. I can see the disbelief written in
your expression so we have to make you understand the ramifications of your
situation. Koren, if you please." Adam held Joe's arm stiffly out from his
body.
Koren picked up a knife from the table walking coldly toward Joe. The scar
on Koren's face seemed to stand out in red as his eyes narrowed with hate.
"Don't, don't!" Joe tried to move but his arm was held tightly by Adam
Pierson.
"So, my friend, you need convincing, do you?" Koren grabbed Joe's arm
slicing it open with knife. "There, my boy, that should do you!" Laughing, he threw
the knife onto the table. Adam frowned at Koren's theatrics, he didn't mean
for him to scare the boy half to death.
"Joe...Joe! Listen to me...you're all right, look at your arm." The blood
had already stopped flowing from his wound.
The pain had lessened and finally Little Joe stared in fascination at his
arm. The cut was healing itself until nothing remained but clear unblemished
skin.
"It's healed..." he whispered quietly. "I am immortal." Joe turned to Adam,
feeling like his whole world had turned upside down. "You mean I died when I
fell from the horse?"
Hugging Joe hard, Adam whispered, "It's all right, Joe, you'll be fine."
Joe nodded but the surprise was almost to much to bear.
The leader laughed, "yes, my friend, you're fine and you'll stay that way as
long as you follow the rules." Patting Joe on the back he then put his arm
around him walking him to his cell for the night. "Joe, it's a grand thing to
be an immortal being...but it also comes with a lot of mishaps. You have to
watch out for other immortals that would love to kill you, to take your soul
and your power. You can be killed but you will always return to life, no
matter the serious nature of your injuries, unless you lose your head or are
killed by another immortal. Now I know it's hard to believe but tonight should have
convinced you. You rest..."
Joe lay for a long time that night thinking about his mentor's words and
going over the things they had tried to teach him. If he was to live the life of
an immortal, he had to come to grips with his life. 'I have to follow the
rules. Always be on guard against another immortal...even friendly immortals
sometimes turn on you. I might die hundreds of times, but will not stay dead;
so I must be prepared to leave at any time, people must never learn that
immortals live in the world. I must practice every day with my sword so I will be
able to defend myself against another immortal. All hallowed ground is
sacred...One day only two immortals will be left...they will fight to the
death...the winner will be the most powerful man alive. There can be only one.' The
words kept going around in Joe's head until he fell asleep from exhaustion,
dried tears on his cheeks. Many months would pass before Joe would accept
everything he had learned from his leader...his mentor...Adam Pierson.
The bell ringing brought him slowly to his feet, pulling his robe up so he
wouldn't trip, trying to return circulation to his legs, then the slow walk
down the corridor to the dining room. He almost laughed but kept it inside,
knowing that it would be counted as a transgression in the harshest way.
Sometimes he felt so silly trailing around in these long robes, he longed to pull
them up to his knees and run. He had asked Adam why they had to wear the robes
and the man had said what better way to be invisible than a monastery full of
monks?
An old wooden table sat in the middle of the room with six chairs around it.
Sitting straight in the chair he waited for the others to appear, always in
the same order, never a deviation from routine. Four men took their places at
the table, sitting straight to be served their food, by the old woman who
worked in the kitchen. Joe wished just once to be allowed to speak, but silence
was the rule for mealtimes. Only one man sat with a twinkle in his dark
eyes, the leader of the strange group. Joe's meal consisted of dark dry bread,
milk, and a thin gruel at noon, while the rest had everyday fare. This was
supposed to teach him the value of substance, then after a rest in his chambers,
he would go to lessons. Lessons...he loved the sword fighting lessons...it
seemed he had a natural flair for the art of swords as well as being a
excellent marksman with a gun.
~~~~
The long corridor stretched endlessly, Joe wiped his brow, and then resumed
cleaning the stone floors with harsh lye soap, it had to be spotless or he
would again be on his hands and knees with a stiff wire brush. Dunking the
brush in the bucket, he let his mind travel back through the past. His family had
probably given him up for dead; but he would return home soon. They had
promised to release him as soon as he had learned all the rules.
His time at the monastery wasn't really so bad, oh, he didn't like scrubbing
the floors, but he knew this taught humility, he didn't like the lessons on
geography, math or languages either, but he had learnt these lessons and he
did enjoy the others.
"Joe, I see a spot on this side, clean it."
Joe nodded his head, intent on cleaning the spot. As the man walked away his
mind drifted again. One problem he did have was the dislike of two of the
men, both of them scared him senseless, he kept out of their way as much as
possible; but they had been absent most of the time he had been here. They were
the enforcers of his stay at the monastery, he could never escape them. The
other two men had turned out to be good friends. Jonah was as large as Hoss
with a childlike quality about him, he treated Joe as a playmate. His mentor was
harder to understand, but he knew it was this man that helped him the most.
Now he would be leaving to find his own place in the world.
~~~~
Joe made his way down the long stone corridor for the last time. He would be
leaving as soon as he talked to Adam Pierson. Tapping lightly on the door he
entered the chamber with a large smile on his face.
"Sir, I'm leaving in a few minutes, but I just want to say how much I
appreciate the way you have helped me." Joe felt so strange to be dressed in
regular clothes again. "Thanks for the new clothes, Adam."
"Joe, there's no need to thank me." Adam smiled at his young pupil. "We all
are survivors helping each other; your case is unique, only three or four
that I have knowledge of, but I'm sure it will work out. Now, I have another
present for you." The young man held out a long wooden case to Joe. "This is
yours; keep it safe and it will be your friend."
"Thank you...." Joe's eyes glittered with tears then he carefully held the
wooden box. "Will I see you again?" Joe longed to hug his friend, to make
contact with this extraordinary individual.
"Oh yes.....mi casa es su casa." Hugging Joe in his arms Adam laughed, "You
definitely will be seeing me."As if hiding emotion, he turned and looked out
the window, "now remember your story to tell your family, keep it simple,
never let on that you are different in any way than you were. Play acting is the
hardest part of our lives. Go on, I'll miss you, Joe."
Joe fell to knees and kissed the man's hand, then abruptly left the room,
before he lost his composure.
The buckboard stopped and Joe jumped out, grabbing his wooden case. "Thanks,
Jonah." Joe stepped away from the wagon watching as it turned to go back to
the monastery.
Joe had wanted to return the Ponderosa so many times, but now that he was
here he felt helpless. First he had to hide the case, turning he spied some
rocks back in the trees. He pushed his case inside a crevice, and then tossed
some limbs and rocks over it. He would be back soon to pick it up.
~~~~