For this stretch of road Raam rode apart from the cast of individuals comprising his now ever present entourage. He uneasily patted the neck of his large ebony warhorse. He had named the steed 'Miras' the draconian word for companion.
Raam looked up and spied the small farmhouse slowly approaching. Only days ago he had met with the family during his investigation of the murders. It seemed like weeks ago now. The sky was as gray and cold as it was that day.
As he approached the home he held up his hand to signal the cavaliers to hold the group a short distance behind him.
He dismounted Miras and stepped into the slushy mud of the road. He ran his fingertips along the arcane headband on his brow nervously. As he approached the home he saw light from the barn. Raam straightened his shoulders and changed his path to head towards the open barn door. He could see a small lantern slowly swinging on a hook. The sway of the lantern caused the light to move across the entrance and the straw covered floor of the humble barn.
"Hail, it is the Baron Raam Corso." he said in a determined voice into the open door.
Raam could hear the movement within the barn stop momentarily and then a weak voice cried out "Yes m'Lord."
Raam pulled the door open a bit and stepped inside.
He saw the farmer on his knees with wet, red soaked rags in hand and a small bucket sitting beside him. The man had been sobbing. He could see the lines of tears on his soot covered face.
"I'm sorry m'Lord. I am unfit to be seen by you. I just had to clean this up. The missus couldna come in the barn no more. It tore her up to see her.....her all over the walls and in the straw." With that the farmer looked down and began sobbing again.
Raam slowly stepped forward and knelt down with the man. He pulled a fine silken scarf from his pocket and offered it up.
The farmer looked up to speak, but Raam moved his head from side to side to wordlessly tell him that there was no need.
Raam pulled back the sleeves of his shirt and took one of the rags from the floor. He dipped it into the bucket of lye filled water and began to scrub a small patch of the wall. Soon the farmer did the same. Without speaking a word they cleaned as best they could the maroon colored stains from the woodwork. When the scrubbing was done Raam picked up a shoddy wooden rake and swept away the blood stained straw out of the back of the small barn.
He placed the rake back against the barn wall and looked up.
"The man responsible has been apprehended."
With that he caught the eyes of the farmer who was gently sobbing once again. Raam bowed slightly and left the barn.
Without speaking a word he climbed into Miras' ornate saddle. He raised his hand to signal the cavaliers to resume their journey.
The only sound heard on the road for many miles was the sloshing of the horses through the cold winter mud.
