Kale: The Dryad Chronicles, page 12
“Well I hope the Watch sets that one straight,” Sam said.
CHAPTER 13
KALE
Kale looked over his drink, it was water and not very good water. Kale could feel the impurities inside of his drink and could tell someone tried to boil it and then serve it to him. No this was more than boiling, this water was distilled. It was turned to steam and then collected, whoever did it was competent at their job. This water at one point contained no minerals, when water is too pure it starts to take minerals and its taste from whatever it is stored in. This water was stored in a wood barrel and had a strong wooden taste to it. Kale drank it anyway as he leaned against the merchant's cart. The man only sold water and Kale doubted he was making much money from it. The only reason Kale stopped is because he knew the man, his name was Darrell and he was one of Trevor’s friends. The man had slapped him around once and apparently thought so little of Kale that he didn't even remember what Kale looked like.
Kale was just about finished with his drink when he saw a familiar carriage pull up. Kale wanted to laugh when he saw it. It used to be painted every other month and cleaned daily. It was dirtier than he had ever seen it and Kale doubted it had been painted all year. The horses pulling it were still good looking. They still looked fed and they pulled the carriage easily. Trevor climbed out of the carriage and went into a store, no he unlocked a store. Kale wanted to laugh when he saw Trevor unloading fruits and vegetables from the inside of the carriage along with his driver. They were using it as a wagon to haul produce. Kale downed the rest of his water and gave the cup back to Darrell. Kale slowly walked over and leaned on a building as he saw Trevor stocking his store. Kale looked at the storefront and saw Lord Trevor put a big glass in a slot for a makeshift window. Kale quickly figured out the problem.
If Trevor left the window open then anyone could run by and rob him. If he left the window out then someone might break it to get inside when he was gone. Instead Trevor had wooden slats that he could close and remove to put a glass in its place during store hours. Kale could see from the vegetables that they were helped along by dryads. Kale knew there were two dryads that he couldn't get to. They were happy where they were and he couldn't force them to leave. Kale was just surprised that none of the Goatmen had told on him and wondered what he could do.
“We will be open in a bit Sir,” Trevor said as he barely glanced at Kale. “I just got to finish unloading my stock. I used to leave it inside the store but vandals stole it. It was those damn Goatmen, they made sure to leave their droppings everywhere when they did it.”
“Good for them,” Kale said. “You deserved more than that.”
“What?” Trevor said as he turned to face Kale. “Kale?”
“I just stopped by to see how the mighty have fallen,” Kale said. “I can honestly say that I am living my best life right now. You are getting by because of the two dryads you have hidden in your home.”
“You shut up about them,” Trevor said as he got in Kale’s face.
“Am I supposed to flinch or run?” Kale laughed. “You are nothing. The Watch would carry you away like garbage. I should tell everyone about the slaves you are still keeping.”
“They are not slaves,” Trevor said in a low growling tone. “I take care of them like I used to take care of you. I trusted you to stay back and see about my mother and instead you left her, you coward.”
“I hate your mother,” Kale said. “And I hate you. I dare you to try beating on me like you used to. I think I am going to tell everyone about the dryads and lead them right to your home.”
“I’ll kill you,” Trevor growled.
“Not if I get you first,” Kale laughed. “Now finish your work. I have to go do my duty as a law abiding citizen. I wonder what I would get as a reward.”
“Kale wait!” Trevor said as he reached out and grabbed Kale’s sleeves. “Why are you acting like this? I took care of you.”
“You beat me whenever the mood struck you,” Kale said. “And you still didn't wind up with Emma. I am not going to leave two dryads to be mistreated by you and to have their branches trimmed and be forced to lay down with you.”
“They are not there for that reason,” Trevor said. “They are happy and I am like their big brother. I spend all of my time there and so does the rest of my family.”
“That is between you and the Magister,” Kale said as he freed himself of Trevor’s grip. “You have yourself a good morning and don't hurt your back unloading all of this.”
Kale could see Trevor glare at him as a City Watchman walked through the square. Kale ran up to the man and made small talk about the weather and kept gesturing and pointing to Trevor and his store. Kale was only telling the Watchman about how expensive the food was and how great it tasted in the belly. Kale knew Trevor didn't know this as the man looked frightened and pulled away in his carriage, leaving his driver looking dumb and wondering what happened. Kale would need to make his way over to where the Dryads were. He would tell them who he was and what he could do for them. If they wanted to go he would take them. If they wanted to stay he would leave them there.
The walk to the estate wasn’t too long. Trevor had a small army waiting for Kale when he came walking up. Kale smiled as he looked at them, he had many tricks, some of which they had never seen. Kale stopped fifty paces from the group and methodically took off his shirt and other clothing items. Being naked wasn't anything that concerned Kale, humans cared about it more than he did. Kale looked at the small army Trevor and his father Faramount had arrayed in front of Lord Trevor’s home. They were armed, most with swords but Kale saw Trevor’s mother Margaret had a crossbow with her. Kale didn't think it would matter as he started walking forward.
“Is this supposed to scare me?” Kale asked.
“Why are you doing this?” Trevor asked angrily.
“Why did you beat me whenever the mood struck you?” Kale asked.
“We took care of you,” Maragret screamed. “We took care of you and this is how you treat us?”
“If you were such caring people,” Kale said. “Where are the rest of your workers? Why did they leave? You were evil people, real evil people. Just look at you, you are nothing and I am not scared of you anymore.”
“Back away or we will kill you,” Faramount said as he gripped his sword.
“You all owe me money,” Kale said. “But I am not expecting you evil humans to pay. I’ll get my coin another way.”
Kale charged as Trevor readied his sword, as soon as Trevor stabbed out, Kale bursted into a cloud of mist. Kale could see Trevor was confused as he looked around, Kale thought he would give Trevor exactly the kind of beating that he used to get. Kale made one of his fists solidify and caught Trevor square in the mouth with it. Trevor backed away in surprise and started swinging his sword wildly as Kale caught him again. Trevor brought his hands up to guard his face as Kale caught him in the stones, Kale thought this fight was going even better than it had in his dreams. Kale was hitting Trevor at will and all his opponent could do was attempt to cover himself. Kale knew his blows hurt, Trevor winced or moaned as Kale was able to land heavy blows on each of the softer areas of Trevor’s body. Men attempted to pull Trevor away when Kale got serious, instead of kicks and punches, Kale started slicing into men with one of their own daggers until they backed away. Kale had a beating to hand Trevor and his one time owner was going to receive it.
When Kale finished, Trevor was on the ground and as bloody as he used to leave Kale. Kale solidified and everyone forced to watch the beating was wary of Kale. Margaret had cried during the beating and Kale decided that if she said one thing ill to him that she would be next. Kale didn't want to hand out the beating at all, if anyone deserved to be beat down then it was Emma’s father. Trevor standing there with his army ready to fight in order to keep two dryads was enough to make Kale snap. Kale turned his back and walked up to the door of Trevor’s home. The young ones didn't want to leave the first time Kale came to them, now Kale wondered if they were ready to go. The door offered zero resistance to him as he flowed under and around the door. The young dryads appeared from their trees immediately, Kale was about to speak to them when he felt the presence of someone behind him.
“Leave now,” Kale said as he turned to see Maragret and her husband.
“He is trying to take you away from us!” Margaret yelled as she was hit solidly in the stomach followed by the face.
“Stop!” Paramount screamed as he grabbed his wife.
“If she speaks again, I will kill her,” Kale said. “I saw plenty of goat men beaten and one almost killed on her orders. You see us as animals, I see you as less than that.”
“STOP!” one of the dryads screamed, Kale thought her name was Chance.
“Leave this place,” Kale said as Faramount gathered his wife and dragged her away.
“Why would you hit Mother Margaret?” Chance said angrily.
“Because she is evil,” Kale said. “I came here to see if either of you wanted to live with the rest of our kind.”
“I remember you,” Hope said as she walked over. “You talked to us before.”
“You were too young and maybe too scared,” Kale said. “The rest of us have left this place.”
“You didn't appreciate what Brother Trevor and his family has done for us,” Chance said.
You or the others.”
“They used to beat us,” Kale said. “They beat us unless we were working hard so they can sit back and relax. None of us wanted to work hard while they relaxed and beat us. Dryads had their branches snipped and the goatmen were made to eat grass, which they hate. It seems like you both like it here.”
“Brother Trevor treats us well,” Hope said. “You just want to take us away.”
“If you are happier here then I will leave you be,” Kale said. “I don't know the next time that I will be back.”
“You are just going to leave?” Hope said as Kale smiled. Hope had a pink rose growing in her hair surrounded by small white cherry blossoms. Kale thought they went well with her red hair and green eyes. Right now those eyes were filled with confusion.
“I am,” Kale replied. “If you are happy here, then you should stay. Maybe they treat you differently than they treated the rest of us now all they have is just you.”
“How is it, wherever the rest of us live?” Chance asked.
“It is nice,” Kale said. “We have three islands and the land went from rocky to incredibly fertile. There are dryads younger than you there, some are even boys.”
“Can you bring them here?” Chance asked.
“Here?” Kale said laughing. “They wouldn't want to come here and I wouldn't take them here either. We were treated horribly here, they wouldn't want to come and their family members wouldn't let them. I came from here, it is awful. Where I live, we do what we want, when we want. We treat each other nicely and the humans leave us alone.”
“I can't leave Brother Trevor,” Chance said.
“You both have a good day,” Kale said as he turned around. Kale left the building and could see Emma was there talking to a bleeding Margaret. Kale knew the woman was scared that her posh life was ending, that she would be just like everyone else. Kale wanted to take the two but perhaps these humans had treated them better.
“Your pets are happy in their ignorance,” Kale said as he walked up to the pair.
“You are a monster!” Margaret said as she looked at Kale with hate in her eyes.
“You stood by while your son used to beat me unconscious,” Kale said. “You have seen many goatmen beaten unconscious, one whose only crime was wanting to eat some of the things he had to work hard for. Just look at this place, it looks nowhere near as nice as it once did. Have you beaten the people who work for you or injure them the way you used to do us?”
“Kale,” Emma said slowly. “I just came to talk.”
“You want to talk?” Kale laughed. “Why don't you bring your father over so I can give him some of what he gave me.”
“This isn't like you Kale,” Emma said. “This isn't like the boy I knew.”
“I’m not the boy you knew,” Kale said in a look of disgust. “I’m nothing like him. If you are worried about me telling about the dryads, I’m not like you. They are happy, until they are not, I have no business here. They aren't made to work themselves into exhaustion or do other horrible acts. They don't get their branches trimmed and they are actually treated like family instead of vermin.”
“You said something about the dryads not dying,” Emma said.
“No they didn't die,” Kale said. “I want you to go try for them. I want you and your evil father to get a group together and set sail. You would die and it would still be better than you deserved.”
“Kale I am not your enemy,” Emma said. “I was a stupid girl who didn't realize what I was doing. My father did horrible things to you and I know Trevor and his family did as well. I am not either of them Kale, I am a healer.”
“We took care of him,” Margaret said. “We took care of him and look at what he did to us.”
“You took care of yourselves,” Kale said. “Now that you don't have anyone to beat, your lands look horrible. I see your men gathering again, you should tell them to go away. If I think any of them are trying to put me back into slavery I can guarantee that you will be the first to die.”
“Kale I just want to talk,” Emma said. “I know you don't like me, you may even hate me and I cannot blame you for that. You had a lot of nasty things happen to you but we were once friends. All I want is a conversation, and for you to um, put on some clothes.”
Kale was about to speak but stopped. He was still naked and that was one of the things he had to get used to. The wood dryads could grow their own clothes in a fashion and they did. Just as many wood dryads walked around naked as often as they were clothed. Kale didn't really wear clothes since whenever he used his power his clothes would always be left behind. Kale walked over to his pile of clothes and slowly put them on. The humans were surrounding him and were unsure of how they should proceed. Kale thought they realized that he was no one to play with. Kale wondered how different things would be if he had come into his power earlier, he doubted he would have been taken. Kale thought if he was playing the wishing game then he would wish he never met Emma.
“Kale,” Emma said as Kale finished dressing. “Can we have our talk now?”
“What do you want, Emma?” Kale asked. “We have nothing we need to say to each other.”
“Can we talk away from here?” Emma asked.
“Whatever you have to say, I don't care if the others hear it,” Kale said. “My days of being quiet so I will not get beaten are over.”
“Kale, I did not know what my father had planned,” Emma said as she faced him. “I only thought that you could help save so many people. If I knew what he had planned, I would have never said anything.”
“I told you, no I begged you,” Kale said. “You are evil, you went to get your father and now you are trying to make yourself seem like a good person.”
“I was a girl,” Emma said. “A stupid girl. Think Kale, when you were in that sack, you had to have heard me screaming at my father. You had to have heard him strike me and my mother and father start fighting.”
“Doesn't matter,” Kale said. “Does it change anything? You are the reason people I loved were hurt. You had young dryads ravished and thrown into slavery. You did that, so save whatever else you have to say.”
“I did do that,” Emma said. “And I have had to live with it ever since. I caused a lot of pain and suffering by trying to do the right thing. I loved my father back then, he could do no wrong. Never would I had of ever thought that he could be so evil and be the cause of so much evil done. I am not evil Kale, I was just a stupid girl. Even before the Jarlenians came, I was engaged to Trevor. He had orphanages and fed the poor. I ended it because he kept Menials, I did something stupid once when I was a little girl who didn't realize what she had done. I am not that person anymore.”
“None of you humans are that person anymore,” Kale said. “It is because you don't have anyone you can push around. I just left two dryads who are being treated much better than I ever was, than any of the other dryads that were here ever were. No one would have left if we were being treated with respect.”
“I am only talking about me Kale,” Emma said. “I know it means nothing to you and I doubt it will mean much to anyone I helped hurt. I still want to apologize, Kale. I am sorry for all of the pain and the hurt that I helped cause.”
“Am I supposed to jump around all happy and submit myself to being treated like garbage while all of you humans pat yourself on the back and talk about how great you are for taking care of me? We took care of you and it has been proven by just looking around you.”
“I don't know what you are supposed to do,” Emma said. “I have wanted to tell you that for a long time. I didn’t like losing the war to Jarlan, I didn't like the way they did things. I do like that they freed your people, I like that they freed them and I hope in the future everything will be better.”
“What do you mean by better?” Kale asked.
“Things for humans in this area were nice before the war,” Emma began. “People were fed and homelessness was wiped out in. Everyone had food and we were one of the better places to live in the Kingdom.”
“Yes, I am well aware how good humans had it,” Kale replied and rolled his eyes.
“Do you remember how bad things were before?” Emma asked. “When you used to sneakily give me food and how I would get so surprised and happy off a simple cabbage? How bad the people here had it?”
“The humans didn't have it bad, the humans around here still ate well,” Kale said.
“The nobles here ate well,” Emma corrected. “The poorer people did not.”
“And I am supposed to care?” Kale asked. “You all got fat and happy at the cost of our misery.”
