The Truth Seeker Chapter Three

Midway through the third day of traveling, Aveion started to recognize the familiar sights of his hometown, Kilsinger Falls. Log cabins lined the Kilsinger River, each with a dock and small skiffs that lapped up against its side . They had turned off The Outskirts Highway and merged onto the Kilsinger town road.

Muddy children dashed into the road and ran along the side Aveion’s wagon. He smiled back and tossed them some sweets from his saddle bag. They resembled chickens as they swarmed and bobbed up and down for the wrapped candy on the side of the road.

The road slithered along side the river for several miles until it veered to the into the tall trees that canopied the road. Sunbeams cascaded through the open branches and spotlighted the passing wagons loaded with fresh cut timber, making their voyage to the river to float down stream to the mill.

Cabins appeared where Aveion had known only trees and the road widened to allow enough room for three wagons abreast. He could remember riding in his father’s wagon stuffed with produce, on their way to the shipyard. During the trip, they wouldn’t encounter another person until in eyesight of the docks. Now he dodged on coming traffic and a few people cursed at him for being to slow.

The road led right into the heart of town. Buildings lined both sides of the street with little room between them. Carts with colorful signs displayed wares and their occupants screamed at the milling throng, out dueling the competitor across the street.

Aveion was amazed at the sight of how much the town had changed. He felt a stranger in his own town.

He had dreamed of being recognized as he arrived and people would mill out to surround him and give him a hero‘s welcome. But all the faces were unrecognizable. He still noticed The Gathering Tavern, though twice its size. His father used to take him there. Aveion would sit on the wooden porch with his friends while their fathers drank and talked.

As Aveion passed the tavern, he peeked inside and saw a line of men sitting on the barstools. A small red headed boy, sitting on the same bench he had twenty years ago, tossed a ball into the air and caught it.

Aveion rode a few more blocks to The Maple Inn, a converted mansion. It was originally the first mayor of Kinslinger’s home but his estranged wife turned it into an Inn after finding him at a brothel.

A black iron fence surrounded the property and bright flowers that bloomed in the gardens lining the brick pathway leading to the house. When the wagon approached the front steps, three boys ran out from the stable yard on the side of the inn and grabbed the reins. Two adolescents trailed behind and helped unload the chest and other luggage from the wagon.

Aveion and Roddick walked up the steps and through the double doors, entering into a gigantic study. Bookshelves lined the walls and a fireplace that could fit a horse sat unused. A few merchants puffed on cigars, some eating at scattered tables, while others read. Servants glided by with trays of drink and food. Near the stairway, a woman sat behind a desk and dipped her pen into a bottle of ink, jotting down something in a large black book. She looked up and jumped at the sight of him.

“Is that Aveion? My, oh my, look at you,” said the old lady. She waddled around the desk and hugged him.

“Hello Madam Weaver. It is nice to see you again.”

“Come. Come. You and your friend must be hungry.” She showed them two empty chairs beside a small round table. “Dezeray go and get these gentleman some food and a bottle of wine. From my collection, dear.”

The young serving girl vanished through a side door.

“I am so glad that you are here. We all thought you would make it back home and boy look at you. You left a scrawny thing and now you’re a man.”

Roddick grinned; it left his face as soon as Aveion looked at him.

“It is nice to be back. Things have certainly changed in ten years.”

“Oh, yes. People have been flocking here by the hundreds, mostly from down south. Houses have extended back through May Graves property now and more are going up everyday. We’ve been through three schools already.”

The serving girl came back with two plates, steaming with sliced turkey and black beans. Roddick didn’t hesitate to scoop a forkful into his mouth.

“I’ll let you finish up your meal,” Sharli said and turned to go.

“Before you go, I was wondering if I could get a message over to Dewart?”

“Sure, sweetie. I’ll go get one of the stable hands to run it over for you. You can use the paper and pen at the desk here,” she said, turning to go and nearly bumped into a stable hand. “Kelvin tuck in your shirt you lack wit.”

Aveion hurried to get the letter written before she returned. It was short and to the point, letting his brother know that he was in town and staying at the Maple Lodge.

Minutes later, the same boy that had helped him with the horses took the letter and ran off before Aveion could pull out a copper piece from his pouch.

Roddick slurped down the final scraps of his meal with wine, as Aveion started his. He wiped his face with the sleeve of his coat and belched. Several well dressed men eyed him with raised eyebrows.

“What?” Roddick said to them.

“Try to act accordingly,” Aveion said. The turkey melted in his mouth.

“I’m going to check on Roast. Those kids probably don’t know his head from his rear.”

Aveion shook his head and went back to concentrating on eating. The turkey had a slight hint of honey to it. It had been a very long time since he had a nice home cooked meal. The serving girl came back, refilled his glass and took the empty plates.

“Aveion,” called Sharli from behind her desk. “I have booked you two rooms on the second floor. I’m sorry that I couldn’t give you the south side rooms but we have some contractors that have booked that whole wing.”

“Any bed will be fine compared to the military cot. I’ll take Roddick’s key. He went to check on the horses,” he said and took the keys from her.

“Just follow Dezeray and she’ll show you the rooms.”

“Thank you so much.”

He followed the swaying hips of the serving girl up the stairs and to his room. Slipping a copper into her palm, he asked for some tea and honey. The room had everything he needed, a small desk, a comfortable bed, wash basin and a window with a view of the maple trees out back.

He settled in and took off his riding boots and a knock came to the door.

“Come in,” he said.

Dezeray brought in the tea and excused herself. He poured himself a cup and set it on the desk to cool. Pacing the room, he finally felt the weight of what he had to do. His father could be as stubborn as a wild stallion and he had to convince the man that he had made the right decision to desert the family business. He knew Dewart was more than competent to take over the business. In fact, Dewart was the born farmer, picking intricacy of farming twice as fast as him.

By the time he had unpacked and stretched out on the bed, Roddick knocked on the door and entered.

He held a sealed letter in his hand and handed to Aveion. “This just came in and the horses are fine,” he said and looked out the window.

Aveion opened the seal of his brother, two wheat plants forming an X. It said that they would meet him at The Gathering Tavern after sunset and that he was happy that Aveion had come on such short notice.

“We‘re to meet him at the tavern at sunset,” Aveion said, crumpling the letter and throwing it on the desk.

“I’m ready now,” said Roddick. “I hate wine.”