Free Shades of the Past: The Morcyth Saga Book Six by Brian S. Pratt Page B

which I
wished to put behind me.”
    “So why come here and don your old armor?”
asks James.
    “My Alaina is gone. There will be those who
remember the Black Hawk, both here in Madoc and within the Empire,
which may be to our advantage. It was a name to strike terror in
the enemy, and it may serve us with what’s to come.”
    He walks away from the room, leaving the
banner behind. “Aren’t you taking the banner?” Miko asks.
    Shaking his head, he says, “No.” He glances
to James and says, “Now let’s go find my son.” Securing the secret
door behind which the banner lies, he then takes them from the
treasure room and closes the secret door. With their help, he puts
the chests back in front of the hidden door and takes a moment to
hide the fact they were ever moved. When he at last is satisfied,
he turns and heads back up the stairs.
     
     
     
     

Chapter Five
______________________
     
     
     
    When Illan comes out of the manor house,
whatever conversation the others were engaged in comes to an abrupt
halt when they see what he’s wearing. Murmurs of ‘Black Hawk’ and
other awed exclamations are heard as each comes to understand just
what they are seeing.
    Some of the recruits, having come from
Cardri, are not familiar with the significance of the emblem he’s
wearing. The others quickly fill them in.
    James comes out behind him and says, “We camp
here this evening. Delia, you’re going to be in charge for awhile.
We have some business in town to take care of.”
    “Very well,” she says.
    Illan steps down off the porch and comes to
where Moyil is holding his horse for him. Moyil’s eyes widen as he
draws near. Without saying a word, Illan takes the reins from him
and mounts.
    To those gathered around, James says, “We’re
going to rescue his son. Jiron and his group will join us. Delia,
you and your slingers will remain here to look after the prisoners
until our return.”
    The recruits look upset at not being allowed
to accompany them, but realize there is little use in protesting.
Those who are leaving with Illan and James mount up and follow them
down the lane to the gate.
    As they near the gate, Shorty and Scar see
him riding toward them in his new armor. “I knew it!” exclaims
Shorty with a holler.
    “I can’t believe this,” Scar says somewhat at
a loss for words, for once.
    When Illan draws close, Shorty stands there
with a grin on his face and says, “I knew there was something about
you.”
    “You did, did you?” Illan replies from the
back of his horse. “You two stay here and watch the gate.” Without
any further explanations, he continues through the gate and heads
into town.
    As Potbelly passes Scar he says, “Things
should be more interesting from here on out.”
    “You got that right,” agrees Scar.
    Once past the gate, James drops back a little
bit and rides between Uther and Jorry. To them he asks, “So what’s
the full story behind the Black Hawk?”
    On the way into town, they fill him in on the
details.
     
    About twenty five years ago, the Empire made
a push into Madoc in an attempt to swallow up a section of fertile
farmland to feed its growing populace. The army was sent to expel
them back to the Empire but the fighting raged for many years until
a sort of stalemate was achieved.
    Unfortunately for Madoc, that stalemate
happened to be where the Empire had decided to stop anyway. A
portion of the lands now held by the Empire was known as
Barrowman’s Field and thus the name for the war.
    Some believe that the Ruling Council in Madoc
decided to create a band of men whose job was to destroy as much of
the Empire as they could to force them to draw off some of their
forces defending the area known as Barrowman’s Field.
    The Black Hawk was in charge of that band.
Black Hawk and his raiders somehow got through their lines and then
it began. The destruction of town after town, some say they
slaughtered every last man, woman, and child. They’re also