Chapter 3: The Dispatching of Lord Barkley

Jacquilt and Stephen sat on the bench and watched Kat and Bitsy spread out the blankets and open the picnic baskets, as the men took off their jackets, rolled up their sleeves and started kicking the ball Rav had brought around. Hank felt like crying, he wanted to join in so badly, he started to walk back to the bench, his whole body seemed to shrink in defeat. Rav ran over picked Hank up and tucked him under his arm, laughing "where do you think your going, you can't go sit on the bench, when there's a ball to be kicked about." Hank with tears in his eye's shook his head at Rav "I can't, I will just fall down and look stupid." Brand kicked the ball over to Rav and Hank, Rav leaned down and said "try kicking the ball with your bad leg, not standing on it, if it doesn't hurt, there is no reason why you can't play." Hank tentatively kicked the ball, it didn't hurt but he lost his balance and fell down, Rav picked him up and grinned at him "not a bad kick for a first try." Hank beamed up at Rav, it didn't matter that he fell down, it didn't matter if he couldn't kick like the others. A thirsty, hungry group attacked the picnic baskets, they all lay or sat on the blankets, laughing and joking about this missed ball, or that silly fall. Hank, just about to take a bite of a piece of chicken, stared, his mouth hanging open. He whispered to Collin sitting next to him "its an elf, do you see him walking down the street, I have to go talk to him, maybe he knows where the Unicorns are, do you think he will run away if I try and talk to him?" Collin looked around and grinned down at Hank then whispered back "his name is Trink, and I don't think he will run away, if anything he will probably eat all our food." Wide eyed Hank watched the elf walking towards them, he looked up at Collin and whispered again "you know him? could you tell him my name is Hank and I'm searching for the Unicorns magic circle." Jacquilt who had heard the whispers said silently to Collin "Hank wants to find the Unicorn so it can heal him and make him strong and fit." Nodding Collin had to look away for a moment as he felt a sudden rush of tears and emotion. Trink grinned at the group and muttered "just don't invite me along for a nice picnic in the park," then he rummaged around in the picnic basket finding a bottle he took a long drink. Choking, coughing and spitting, Trink hopped around "by the ancient ones what is that horrid stuff, it almost poisoned me." Laughing Bitsy said "its called lemonade, Trink," With a look of horror on his face he glared at Bitsy "you could of warned a body, why that's enough to turn a mans innards inside out, it is." Trink saw Hank staring at him and grinned "well now who do we have here? Still staring wide eyed Hank whispered "my name is Henry, do you know where the unicorns magic circle is?" Hank standing looking down in awe at Trink waited. "Well now, Unicorns be an illusive lot, not anti-social mind you, they just like to keep to themselves. Got their feelings hurt a few centuries back when people stopped believing in them, so they got all miffed and went off on their own, silly if you ask me but then unicorns are hard to figure out at times." Trink motioned to Hank and the two walked off in the direction of the lake, Trink telling Hank unicorn stories. Brand started to grin "I think Trink just found someone who will actually listen to him." with that they all started to laugh. Rav said quietly "she hasn't done a bad job of raising the boy, he just needs a man to help him grow up." Collin looked at his son "and you plan on being that man, I take it." Rav nodded "yes I do, do you object?" Kat touched Rav's cheek, "we only want what will make you happy, I'm just concerned that such a cold woman will never give you happiness." Rav smiled at his mother "she isn't cold, Mother, she uses that to hide, its all a sham, inside there is a woman of warmth and love, I just have to show her its alright to be that woman." Brand coughed and nudged Collin, everyone looked at Collin, "Brand and I happened to hear a conversation between Natalie and her aunt last night, he relayed the gist of the conversation to them. Rav's hands turned into fists as he heard about Barkley, he was almost growling by the time Collin was finished.

Jacquilt calmly told the group about what Hank had told him, seeing Rav glare at him, he simply said "I wanted the family here for this, Natalie needs a woman's touch, not her aunts, but a woman who can bring out the beauty in her, what better women to do that then your mother and aunt." then he brought up the masque ball and the costume he had in mind. Kat and Bitsy were almost rubbing their hands in glee at the thought of dressing Natalie. By the time that Trink and Hank returned, they had all made their plans. They all gave Hank hugs before they left, Kat kissed him on his cheek and told him he was welcome to come visit anytime he liked. They all watched Hank limp slowly home, a huge smile on his face and a ball clutched in his arms. It was late when a knock was heard at the front door, Brand walking past, opened the door, Hank stood there with a tear stained face, "Is Rav here? I have to return the ball, I can't keep it." then he thrust the ball at Brand, and painfully limped down the front steps. Brand bounded down the steps, picked Hank up and went inside, kicking the door shut. He strode into the library and set the boy on a chair, "now lad, tell me what this is all about?" Brand said as he rang for a footman. With short little choppy breaths, from crying, Hank told Brand that he couldn't keep the ball, that a cripple with a ball was just stupid, so he was returning it. A knock sounded on the library door, Brand opened the door and gave the footman instructions then went back to Hank. With looks of concern, Collin, Kat and Bitsy came into the Library. Brand asked about Rav, Collin made a motion towards the window "he is out at the moment." Nodding Brand knelt down in front of Hank. "when you left the park, keeping the ball was not a problem, what happened in the mean time to change your mind?" Hank was about to answer, when Bitsy came to stand next to Brand, she made a little noise and looked at Brand then back at Hank "why are you hurting so bad? who hurt you?" A little sob came out of Hank but he shook his head "no one hurt me, your wrong." Brand saw the fear in the boys eye's and frowned. Hank started to get up "I have to leave, I just wanted to return the ball and thank you for letting me play this afternoon." as Hank stepped down on his bad leg he let out a moan of pain and fell, trying to push Brand's hands away from him, he tried to stand up. "Enough" said Collin, his voice a fierce lash across the room, he picked up Hank and set him on a sofa, then ran his hands down the boys leg, frowning as he saw the pain in the boys eyes. Stripping off the boys pants, after much tugging, trying to keep them, on Hanks part, Collin snarled as he saw the terrible welts on the boys bad leg and on his hip. "Who did this? Hank, your Aunt?" With a sobHhank told them about Lord Barkley coming to call at the house, he had been out on the patio with Natalie, showing her how he could kick a ball. Lord Barkley came out to the patio and had laughed at Hank, calling him a cripple and why bother trying to kick a ball, all he was good for was sitting in a chair and maybe if he had a little wit, he might learn to do numbers and work as a clerk. Then he told them about Natalie and Lord Barkley getting into an argument, and Lord Barkley starting to hit Natalie with his cane, how he had tried to help her, that's when Lord Barkley had hit him with the cane too. That Natalie had hit Lord Barkley in the nose making it bleed all over his face and that Lord Barkley had told her, she would pay for that once she was his wife, then he had left. That Natalie and Aunt Patricia had gotten into a big fight and that's when he left to return the ball. Hank almost choking on his sobs once again tried to get up "I have to go back before Natalie misses me and gets worried and starts to look for me." "Don't worry about that, we will send her a note saying your here and that your safe." Kat looked at Collin who nodded. She left the room to send the note to Natalie, her hand trembling as she wrote the note, she was so upset. With an almost begging look Hank sobbed "is Rav going to be home soon?" Silently Collin said to his son "your needed at home right away." putting a tone of urgency into it. Collin settled Hank back onto the sofa, "he will be here any minute, just don't be surprised if he doesn't look like the Rav you know." Bitsy touched Collins shoulder "let me take care of Hank, he is in a great deal of pain, Collin." Collin shook his head "I know he is, just ease his pain, I want Rav to see what was done." Bitsy gently touched Hank, he jerked back with a cry of pain, "its all right Hank, it won't hurt anymore in just a second." Hank wasn't looking at Bitsy any longer he was staring at what had just appeared in the room, next to the window. Whispering he said "don't move, there is a dragon behind you, if we are very quiet, maybe he won't eat us." Hank tried to scramble back as the dragon walked towards them "if you all run now, I will let him eat me first, then you can get away." Brand who had heard Hank started to laugh, Hank looked at him as if he had lost his mind. "That's Rav, lad, your very own dragon." Hank blinked several times as the dragon turned into Rav. Rav looked down at Hank, he saw the tears, he saw the welts, and felt the pain that was just now leaving the boy. He turned and looked at his father "who?" he snarled. Hank touched Rav's arm "I always knew that unicorns were real." then he started to cry again. Rav held Hank in his arms and hugged him tight, then set him on his lap "let Bitsy fix you up, while my father tells me what happened." Hank held on a little tighter to Rav as he watched Bitsy as she touched him, her hands were glowing blue. Trink and Jacquilt wandered into the room both a bit unsteady, grinning at each other Trink was saying "didn't I tell yea that pretty was amazing, what did you call her again? a contortionist?" Trink was giggling then stopped "here now what's this going on? something happen to my boyo Hank?" Trink rushed forward hopping for foot to foot, wringing his hands like a mother hen. Brand literally picked Trink up by the back of his collar and moved him, then explained to Trink and Jacquilt what had happened.

If Trink could have snorted fire he would have, he headed for the door, Brand grabbed him and pulled him back, "not yet, lets get the lad taken care of first." Jacquilt said calmly to Brand "do we know how badly Natalie was hurt." Brand shook his head at Jacquilt, "Kat sent a note to tell her Hank was here, she should be arriving any time now." Kat came back into the room with a worried frown on her face, "I sent the note, the footman returned with it, he said the old woman had answered the door, told him that Lady Natalie was unavailable and shut the door in his face without taking the note." Rav stood up and carried Hank upstairs, telling him that he would be staying with them. Bitsy opened the door to Rav's bedroom with a questioning look, he nodded and went inside, Rav carefully undressed Hank and put him in a night shirt that Kat came in with. Tucking him under the covers Rav ran a hand over the boys forehead telling him to sleep. Trink still wringing his hands, told them, he would sit with Hank while the others took care of business. Kat smiled at Bitsy "shall we go retrieve a certain young lady, while the men take care of Barkley." Bitsy grinned "a wonderful idea" and the two left the room, like two clipper ships at full sail. Kat knocked on the door very loudly, Bitsy standing right behind her. Patricia with a sigh about late night callers opened the door, seeing who was there she put on her best smile. "what an unexpected pleasure, I had no idea you would be paying a visit." Kat walked right past Patricia, followed by Bitsy, In her most regal tone Kat looked at Patricia "we are not here to visit, we are here to get Natalie and take her to our house." Patricia's smiled faltered a bit, "That's very kind of you, but Natalie is indisposed at the moment and can not see any company, perhaps another day would be better." Bitsy looked at Patrica closely then turned to Kat "Natalie isn't here, she is out looking for Hank." With concern on her face Kat asked "can you find her?" Bitsy nodded "I think so." The two turned without another word and left Patricia standing there looking very worried. - Lord Barkley was sitting in his study, holding a cold rag to his face, drinking, when he heard the door open, He saw a very tall blonde man standing in the doorway "here now, who are you? you just can't waltz into a mans home unannounced." snapped Barkley. With a very unpleasant smile the man walked into the room and locked the door behind him. Barkley stood up and back away as the man walked towards him, he jerked on the bell pull frantically. "No one will answer, they've all been given the night off." Brand grabbed Barkley by the front of his shirt, then tossed him across the room, standing over Barkley, Brand snarled "I don't like men who hurt children and women, Barkley, you did both tonight, you have a choice, you can leave town now, or you can be pummeled into tiny pieces, the choice is yours, if you think to ever go near the Lady Natalie or Lord Henry, you will regret it instantly. If you doubt me, just ask my two friends." looking over his shoulder. Standing in his study were two dragons, one platinum, the other pitch black. The black one advanced on Barkley who was cowering in a corner "you are ruined, all your money is gone, all your investments turned bad, you will never have a son and your line will die out with you, never again will this land be plagued by such vileness as you." The dragon snapped its sharp fangs as if to emphasize his point. As the dragon turned his tail slapped Barkley sending him sprawling. The two dragons vanished, Brand looked down at Barkley, "leave town before they decide not to be so lenient." Then Brand kicked the study door open, not bothering to unlock it and left the house. - Kat and Bitsy entered the park, they could see Natalie going from bench to bench, looking under bushes calling Hanks name, the lantern she was carrying swinging about as she moved. Walking up to her, Kat soothingly said "Hank is with Rav, Natalie, he is safe." Natalie felt like dropping to her knee's in relief, as long as Hank was safe that was all that mattered. "Thank you both for finding me and letting me know where Hank is, I will go and get him right away." Bitsy started to say something but saw Kat shake her head. The three walked towards Rav's house, neither Kat nor Bitsy noticed the slow movements of Natalie, at times her steps faltered, but she would stiffen her back and walk on. They had almost reached the steps leading up to the house when she started to sway. Bitsy looked at Kat, Kat nodded and Bitsy barely touching Natalie took her into the library. Natalie's tired mind told her that she had just been out front, not standing in the library, but she really didn't care at this point. Rav set his glass down and walked over to Natalie, he reached up to take off her hooded cape, she stepped back, swaying slightly, "I'm here to take Hank home, I want to thank you for keeping him here with you." Calmly Rav said "Hank is upstairs sleeping, morning will be soon enough to take him home, why don't you let me have your cape and have a cup of hot tea, it will help." Shaking her head, Natalie, with a tired sigh turned "I had better go home then, I will return in the morning for Hank, once again, thank you for keeping him here." Bitsy walked in carrying a large tray, she set it down and poured several cups of tea, holding one of the cups of tea, she went and sat on the arm of Brand's chair. Brand slipped his arm around her waist and gave her a squeeze. "I give her five minutes before she folds," he said quietly, Bitsy shook her head "her stiff back won't let her fold in front of others, she will wait until she is alone." Kat handed Natalie a cup of tea, they all watched the cup and saucer shaking in her hands. Rav reached out took the cup from her and without warning swept her up into his arms, "your staying the night also, this is ridicules." he said as he carried her out of the room.