Forever Young The Beginning (8 page)

The owner came out and thanked Ian and
Angus enthusiastically. Had it not been for them he said, he would
have surely lost his home and business. The mayor had arrived by
then, hearing of the tumult. He also was quick to thank them
realizing that it was possible that it could have turned into a
real fire and might have consumed several buildings.

Ian spoke up “Well lads, it is a sure
thing we won’t be drinking ale here tonight.” Lorn said “I know a
place not far from here. We can be there in less than ten minutes.”
Angus said “Let’s go then. By Heaven I’m thirsty enough now to even
tolerate French ale!”

They arrived at a large
building with a red dolphin painted on its front façade. The sign
said ‘
Red Dolphin’
in French. The place was easily twice as big as the
Blue Oyster
, but was in a
seamier more dilapidated part of the city, and closer to the wharf
district. Ian again felt prickly about the back of his neck and
turned about, looking intently in the shadows under the trees
nearby. He saw a figure in a dark red cloak as he was swept through
the door by his eager shipmates.

The prickly feeling passed
as they came into the
Red
Dolphin
. They found their way to a corner
and spread themselves about, occupying five tables. Soon a trio of
wenches was taking orders and the men began to have a round when
Angus stopped them by clanking on his cup with his dagger. “Lads,
let us raise a glass to the crew of
Tico
for an example of fine Scottish
seamanship in getting her here safely. To Ian McCloud and the crew
of
Tico
!” A chorus
of ‘aye’ and a few of ‘Hear-hear’ followed as they drank. The owner
of the establishment came over and introduced himself as Erin
LeBlanc. A large and muscular man, he easily topped two hundred
forty pounds and was taller than Ian by three inches. As if sizing
them up, his dark eyes darted everywhere. He said that he assumed
they were the men who rescued the ambassador’s daughter from the
pirates and that they were welcome. Angus confirmed that with a nod
and a few customers came over to question him. Ian translated as
best he could until Lorn parted the curious crowd with his
girlfriend in tow, and began to translate.

The time passed pleasantly enough, and
Ian conned Tom into a game of darts. They had several throws each
with Tom ahead for once. Ian suddenly felt the prickly feeling on
the back of his neck, and before he could look around, something
happened that would bring a profound change to his life
forever.

A boy younger than Mustafa was busy
cleaning tables and he bumped a serving wench. This caused her to
spill an entire tray of ale all over several customers who in turn
cursed and all got themselves up and left the place without paying
their bill. The owner came over to investigate, and upon learning
what had happened, cuffed the boy knocking him across the now empty
table. Ian ran to him as he reached to grab the boy again. Spinning
him around, he drove the heel of his hand up under the chin of the
man, knocking him flat on his back and cutting his tongue severely.
He then gently helped the lad off of the table, taking his sash off
and wiping the blood from his lips.

“
Watch out Ian!” shouted
Angus as LeBlanc jumped to his feet, making straight for Ian,
hatred distorting his face, his teeth bared in rage. Ian pivoted
smoothly to meet him and at the last second when LeBlanc had
stretched his arms to grasp Ian’s throat, Ian grabbed the wrist of
his right hand and moved back using LeBlanc’s own momentum while
turning and thrusting his hip into that of the giant. LeBlanc was
thrown over the table to land in a heap on its far side.

Patrons scattered everywhere, clearing
the area. Ian kicked a chair aside and waited calmly, feet apart,
hands at his sides. He didn’t have long to wait as LeBlanc
scrambled to his feet cursing in rage. He rounded the table and
moved in, but slowed at the last, and circled Ian who only made
slight adjustments with his feet to face the giant. Suddenly he
threw a mighty right hand that whistled past Ian as he rocked back
and downward to his left, just out of reach of LeBlanc, then like
lightning he brought his right arm up from his side, straightening
his legs as he did so and struck LeBlanc a mighty wing-arm blow
with his forearm across his mid-section as his upper body rotated
past Ian. Likely it cracked a rib because LeBlanc grunted in
pain.

Before he could recover Ian had
stepped in and driven his right knee into LeBlanc’s stomach, then
while stepping back, he pivoted quickly and he hooked his left foot
behind LeBlanc’s right foot and brought him sprawling onto the
floor flat on his back. LeBlanc rolled and regained his feet
quickly, spinning to charge Ian. He was intent on overpowering him
and getting him to the floor where his size and weight would be an
even greater advantage. Again Ian grasped his wrist and pivoted,
throwing LeBlanc like he was a sack of grain to sprawl across a
table and slide onto the floor.

Again LeBlanc recovered quickly but
now he was holding a wicked looking curved dagger. Angus hollered
“He’s got knife lads! Get him!” But Ian said in a low voice, “Nah
laddies, I have him.” While speaking he snatched a tablecloth from
the nearest table and danced back three steps while winding it to
pad his forearm.

The two circled warily, and then
LeBlanc lunged with a sudden thrust at Ian’s stomach. Ian brought
his padded left arm up from his side in an outward circling sweep
and first parried, then trapped LeBlanc’s knife arm in his arm pit,
while driving his right knee into the giant’s groin twice in rapid
succession. He hurriedly and smoothly followed that by sweeping his
right leg and hip behind LeBlanc while encircling his throat with
his right arm and throwing him once again.

The giant turned a backwards
somersault in the air and came crashing down quickly rolling to his
knees whereupon Ian delivered a blindingly fast snap kick straight
into his face, knocking three teeth out of his mouth. LeBlanc
rolled backwards with the kick and came up with the knife, slashing
wildly as he advanced with a snarl, face contorted with rage, blood
streaming down his chin.

Ian circled warily, never once
crossing his feet, hands loose, but raised to chest height. Again
LeBlanc advanced with the knife low, holding it like it was a
sword. He faked a kick at Ian’s groin, and then at the last minute
made a fast thrust for his throat. Ian started to block the kick,
then ducked under the knife hand and spinning like lightning, he
simultaneously grabbed LeBlanc’s knife-hand at the wrist with both
hands, while twisting it to where LeBlanc’s elbow was facing the
floor. Then he pulled down with all of his might. LeBlanc’s arm was
brought down, his elbow meeting Ian’s shoulder as he straightened
his legs and rose.

An audible crack sounded and LeBlanc
screamed as his right arm was broken backwards at the elbow.
Dropping the knife he roared in rage. Ian had quickly spun away
from the man and just as quickly he aimed a mighty side kick at his
mid-section. LeBlanc flew back literally leaving the floor briefly,
landing in a heap with three broken ribs. He didn’t get up but
rolled onto his side screaming curses in his pain. Then he got up
and limped, doubled over, passing through a door towards the rear
of the inn. The sounds of his cursing faded as he took the back
stairs to the second story of the building. Gunny un-cocked his
pistol and put it back in his sash.

It was suddenly quiet in the place.
Again Ian felt warm and prickly on his neck. Li stepped up to him
and spoke quietly saying “I told you that you were my best student
ever.” Angus joined them saying “That was a fight the like of which
I never saw before! Let’s look at those cuts.” Ian looked down and
saw he had a cut across his stomach and one on the inside of his
right forearm. He didn’t even remember getting them. Lorn came over
and helped Ian out of his shirt. He then took a small flask of
scotch whiskey from his breast pocket and poured some of the liquid
on the cuts. They were very shallow, barely past a scratch and
already were bleeding less.

“
Well lads, I wonder if the
King’s Gendarmes will be called to this mess. Let’s be leaving now
before someone comes down those stairs with a pistol.”

Ian said “Uncle Angus, I wonder about
the safety of the lad. When that bully gets to thinking about it,
he may kill the boy. Let’s learn what we can of him.” Ian and the
others cast about looking for the boy and Tom spotted him watching
from the kitchen door. Four of the crew besides Gunny who had them,
checked their pistols and then put them back in their
sash.

Ian went to the boy and held
out his arms. The boy came to him and hugged him just as the
prickly feeling started again on his neck. Beckoning to Lorn, Ian
had him translate and they soon learned that the boy had only been
recently orphaned and his older sister had died of illness shortly
afterwards. Homeless, the boy worked at the
Red Dolphin
for little more than food
and a dirty closet to sleep in.

“
That settles it lads. By
heaven, we will take the boy to the Harbormaster tonight. If others
of his family can be found, we’ll leave him with the King’s
Gendarmes or whoever has to do with that tomorrow morning.
Otherwise I’ll make a case for adopting him. He can help Mustafa
and Li.” Lorn translated for the boy in the French
tongue.

Angus said “Let’s be gone.” As they
were leaving the place, Ian was bringing up the rear and searching
to see if the girl in the red cloak was there. Lorn came to him
with his girlfriend Corinne, saying “Ian, I’d like to stay with her
tonight if you’ll permit.”

“
Aye, Lorn. We’ll walk with
you to her door. He called to Li, who agreed to join him. Ian
caught up to Angus and told him what was happening. They parted
company then, agreeing to meet aboard Elsie. This would prove to be
a life-altering decision for Ian and Li.

As they made their way
through the streets towards the neighborhood of the
Blue Oyster
, they talked
and both Lorn and his girlfriend questioned Ian about the fight. He
let Li answer why each thing was done and how because that prickly
feeling had again come back. They finally reached the
Blue Oyster
and parted
company with Lorn and his girlfriend. Before parting company, Lorn
handed Ian his knife, saying “I won’t need this tonight or
tomorrow, but you might.” That turned out to be
prophetic.

Li and Ian made their way
back towards the harbor, which would take them past the
Red Dolphin
. As they
walked Ian told Li that the prickly feeling had been with him since
leaving that place. Li was concerned and after that he looked about
behind them even more. “Li, it almost feels warm… friendly towards
me now. I just can’t explain it.” Li couldn’t fathom how he’d come
to that conclusion. He explained that he had been getting the
prickly feeling off and on since the first time they ever went to
the
Blue Oyster Inn
. Relating the instances that had occurred since, he admitted
that he hadn’t seen the lady in the cloak since, but only glimpses
of a figure now and then.

They had slowed their pace
as they walked, and were just then passing the
Red Dolphin
. They looked at the place
in passing, and Ian thought he saw a movement at an upstairs
window, but couldn’t be sure. A small man with a lamp came out a
door shortly afterward and hurriedly caught up with the two,
calling out to them. He had a bad limp, so they turned and waited
for him. He held up the lamp as he approached the two and asked if
they had seen his dog. Ian answered the man in broken French that
they hadn’t seen a dog. The man lifted up his lamp and swung it
from side to side, and turned and left without a word, limping back
to the doorway he came from. They had already turned and resumed
their walk towards the wharf area.

The area had many two-story buildings
on both sides of the dark street. Ian heard a clatter from the
direction of an alley. It sounded like a roof tile falling onto the
pavement. They looked about and Ian again felt the warm prickly
feeling on the back of his neck. He glanced back and could see no
one so they kept walking south in the darkness.

Suddenly the warm prickly feeling
changed to one of icy dread that extended down Ian’s spine. It
chilled him to his core, and he exclaimed to his companion “Li,
something’s wrong! Drawing his dagger he whirled around just in
time to barely see a black form leap from the roof of a two story
building. He thought he heard the distant voice of a woman shout
his name, even as the creature landed running at an unbelievable
speed and was on him like a whirlwind. He stabbed straight into
its’ belly as it hit, nearly knocking him breathless. While falling
he felt a sharp bite on his neck even as he drove the long blade of
his knife to its hilt in the creature, twisting and pulling it
upwards. There was a scream from it as they hit the cobblestones
together, Ian landing on his back under the creature. He thought
that the blade was caught in some tough clothing because he was
having trouble ripping and cutting flesh where it should have been
easy . He smelled the foul, fetid odor of its breath as it screamed
again while grabbing Ian’s knife hand in a grip of iron. Li had
stepped forward and was stabbing the creature in its’ back
repeatedly. It turned and half-rose in the blink of an eye to reach
out and backhand Li, knocking him against the side of a building
with such force that he slumped, dazed. Scarcely three seconds had
elapsed, so quickly had everything happened.