Journey to Oakfield

Chapter 4
==Journey To Oakfield==
Having travelled a few miles from Rookridge we were enjoying the trek through the forest. So far we had seen but not encountered Hobbes and Balverines but we were on constant alert because a Balverine could drop down from anywere. "It's strange" "What's strange? Henry" Logan said. "It's strange that I never really noticed how beautiful Albion really is. I mean take Bowerstone for example, before the Industrial Revolution Bowerstone was a clean and happy city and look at it now. Its mad how much change the Industrial Revoloution has brought "It is, but Bowerstone changed following the Great Fire" Logan said. After walking for about two hours we reached a small farm. "Hello" I said. "Hi are you two travelling to Oakfield?" said the farmer looking up from his vegetable patch. "You know it's another good 32 miles away and it is starting to get dark. Why don't you stay in the barn tonight? And continue in the morning." I looked at Logan and then back to the farmer "Ok" I replied. The farmer lead us into the house. "Sharon cook extras we have guests." "What do you mean guests?" asked a pretty but tired looking woman. She stopped chopping the carrots and turned to look at us. "You have brought complete strangers into our house, you fool they could be bandits or Highwaymen, and if they kill us what then eh?" " We are not Highwaymen or Bandits. We are just two men travelling to Oakfield and your husband was kind enough to let us stay the night." Logan said as the woman resumed cutting the carrots.
Dinner passed quite quietly and was awkward since Sharon kept eyeing us from across the table. "So where are you to from?" Sharon said, still eyeing us. "Bowerst oww." "You OK?" said the farmer "Yeh I am. As I was saying we are from Bower Lake." She continued to eye us. "You mean Millfields. No one has called it Bower Lake for 50 years" Logan looked at me and then turned and faced her and said "Everyone living around the lake still calls it by its original name." After dinner Sharon washed up while me, Logan and John sat in front of the fire. "So why are you two going to Oakfield?" said John, as he put some logs on the fire. "We are visiting the Temple of Light." "The Temple of Light, what a usless addition to the world." Sharon said leaving the kitchen. "Why do the people of Oakfield have the Temple? It just takes their money, the stupid fools." "They need it because the Temple performs the Goldern Oak Ritual that gives the fields around Oakfield life." John said sitting back down. Later that night Sharon went to bed and John lead us to the barn at the back of the house. "Sorry it's not a nice warm tavern." "It's grand, thank you" I replied. John smiled then turned and left closing the door behind him, "They're strange aren't they?" What do you mean by strange?" "I mean she criticises the Temple he defends it. It's strange." "Very, let's get some sleep we have a long journey ahead."
I awoke to the sound of wood being chopped by Logan. "Good morning." "Morning" Logan replied. "What time did you get up?" I said. "About 6am" "Had to find something to do before we set off." "Morning gents want some breakfast?" it was John the farmer. "Thanks but we should be on our way, sorry" "Ah that's not a problem. I hope we will meet again sometime in the future." "I think we will." Logan said shaking Johns hand. "Goodbye John" and as we walked around the front of the house we shouted "GOODBYE SHARON" she just looked out of the window. "Oakfield is 32 miles away and when we get there I want to go to the Sandgoose Tavern" "You know I have never been to the Sandgoose or Oakfield but from the stories of our father's journey to the villiage 61 years ago. I have heard that it is a very peaceful place." As we walked onwards toward Oakfield, we didn't notice that we had walked into a graveyard. "Er Logan where are we?" "I don't know" came Logan's reply "But we could be in Lynchfield." Logan said looking around. "Lynchfield, never heard of it" I said. Before Logan could say anything else a bunch of Hollowmen started to attack us. As soon as we put the first wave down, more came until we had to flee into a cave. Inside it was even worse. The smell of death was everywhere as were a family of Balverines. "Oh crap, let's get out of here." As we left the cave the Hollowmen came back for round two. "Back for more you brittle bag of bones?" Logan shouted as I shot one of the Balverines that emerged from the cave behind us. "Let's run" "No let's fight" I said as the second Balverine emerged. "You take on the Hollowmen, I will take on the Balverines." "Ok" said Logan as he cut the head of a Hollowman off, the next two Bavarines set their sights on me one of them even spoke "The Order will come for you". It then jumped on top of me and as it went in for the kill I plunged my sword deep into its chest. It let out a loud cry and fell dead beside me. The other one fled further into the graveyard. As I turned around the sun had started to appear on the horizon and the Hollowmen stumbled off back to their graves. The battle was over.
We approached a fork in the road. There was a sign posted which read: North for Oakfield, Northeast for Driffield and South for Rookridge and Bowerstone. "North I guess, just hope that it will be a peaceful journey. Only two miles left." I said turning to look at Logan. "Lets go. Wonder if anything interesting has happened in Bowerstone?" "You never know. We will find out when we get back." I said as we set off along Oakfield Road. After about an hour and a half we had arrived.