2024 NanoWrimo Story

The journey begins

"Thank you for your advice and for listening."

"You are welcome. Let me know if you need any more advice."

"I will. Wish me luck. Apparently I am going to need it. I will get outside and cut that wood we agreed upon"

Jacob went out and spent most of the day cutting the wood. He saw that he had just enough time to get home before dark. He made his way back to their tent.

Harold was already there and had some bread on the table. "Hi, son. How did your day go?"

Hi, dad. I went to see the prophet today."

"How did you pay him?" Harold asked.

"I chopped some wood for him."

"Good, I am glad you were able to pay him for his advice. What did he have to say?"

"He said he would have turned us in if I had come to him before I became a man. He said it was up to me and that the journey would be long and difficult."

Have you decided what you will do?

"Yes, I am going to persue my destiny if I have your blessing."

"You have my blessing, son. Do what you feel is right for you to do."

"Then it is decided. I will travel to talk to Hagar if she is still living. I will go to her in disguise so I can find out more information. I will do some more research at the library too. Once I gather the information I need, I will begin to travel where I need to go to break the curse on my family. Once the curse is broken, I will reveal myself as the rightful heir to the throne. If I survive, I will be the king. If I fail, lives may be lost. Lives may be lost either way, but I will do my best and will try to save the kingdom."

"You are a good man son. I am sorry for all the hardships you have had to endure with me, but I raised you the best I could and kept you alive until you were old enough to make your own decision."

"Thanks, dad. I hope I can make you proud."

You already have son. You already have.

The next morning, Jacob began his 7 day journey to the city of Townsend. He had to walk. He only took what he needed. He had a small loaf of bread, a jug of water, a blanket, a pillow, and a change of clothes for his disguise. He had never walked this far before and he had no shoes. He only had some potatoe sacks that he had wrapped around his feet. It was rough traveling on foot, but he did it. He had several blisters on his feet by the time he made it to Townsend.

He only had the maid's first name to go on, and hoped that he coud find her alive. He decided to start at the town's library. Many of the towns people were poor too so it wasn't hard to blend in. He quickly found the records of the people who had been living there. Fortunately, there was only one woman named Hagar who was near his dad's age. She had an address towards the end of town. She was one of the few people who had their own property in town. He wrote down the address, and traveled to the end of the town near where she lived. He didn't know what he would say when she saw him. He stood at the end of the street, took a deep breath, and forged ahead. He strolled up to the door and knocked.

A woman of about 58 years old came to the door. It was a very small cottage. Jacob introduced himself. "Hi, my name is Jacob, and I am looking for a woman named, Hagar."

"Why are you looking for Hagar?" She eyed him suspiciously.

"I just need to talk to her. She help my dad with a bundle at the castle one day several years ago when she worked there and I was hoping to discuss the bundle if she would be willing."

"Shhh! Come in. You couldn't be...You are him!"

Jacob walked in and shut the door. "I'm who?'

Trembling she replied quietly, "You are the son of King Richard and Queen Ann."

"That's what my dad, Harold, told me. Can you tell me more about my parents?"

"I am so glad you are still alive. It has been years since Harold sent any word to me. It was too dangerous. Won't you sit down on the chair there? I don't have much furniture, but it's a roof over my head. For that I am greatful. How are you? How have you been? Oh, I am so sorry! I will tell you more about your parents in a minute. Are you sure no one has followed you hear?"

I have only went to the library since I arrived in town and I think I blend in very well with the other poor people here. As far as I know, no one knows who I am or has paid me much attention."

"Good. That's a relief. This town used to be so much different than it is now. It was flourishing when Richard was king. I much be careful what I say. You never know when someone in the town will be evesdropping. These walls are so thin." She made sure all the curtains were closed. "Ok, I think it is safe to talk but let's keep our voices down just to be safe."

"I don't want to put you in danger. I just want to know as much as I can about what I am up against and what I must do to face this curse and whatever my destiny may be."

"Oh, you poor young man. I would hate to be in your shoes. I don't envy you with this burden that you bare. It is a very hard and dangerous task you are face with my dear."

Yes, it is dangerous. That is why I want to know as much as I can before I take on this task."

"I will help you as much as I can. Tell me what you do know and I will fill in the gaps." She said.

So Jacob began to tell her all that he knew. "What I don't get is how Jon was able to become king and the rest of the family seemed to have disappeared." He added.

"That is another story all of it's own. He either killed or had someone kill the remaining family members, but no one can prove it. Then he got the town's people in an uproar and convinced them that he should be king. By the time anyone realized what had truly happened, it was too late. They had already made him king and he had control over the whole kingdom. No one dares to speak against him or their life is in danger. If he feels a threat in any way, the person will end up dead or missing."

"How did the curse get placed on my family?"

"Aparently, he has formed an alliance to the great sorcerer. Everyone is too afraid of the sorcerer to challenge it. King Jon knew of the missing baby, which you now know was you, and in case he missed any other family who would threaten his place on the throne, he had the sorcerer cast the cursed spell on your family."

"Do you know how the curse can be broken?"

"There is a locket that was broken up and hidden in places around the kingdom with guardians placed around the spot the pieces of locket were hidden. You must recover these pieces of locket, put it back together with the medallian you have there, and wash in the Angel's pool while wearing it and saying the enchanted words. There should be more information on this curse in the library, but gettting to the information may not be easy."

"How do I get the information then?"

"You don't want to go just looking for that information. It will make them suspicious of you. Anyone who looks for that information is considered a threat. You may have to try to sneak into the library after hours. I have no idea how you will accomplish that. It is guarded even at night. They will especially be watchful because they know it's been 16 years since you were born and if you are still alive, you will want to look into this information."

"I guess I will need to come up with some kind of plan then."

She watched him thoughtfully. Maybe I can get you a map of the library and the general layout without bringing too much attention to myself."

"I would appreciate that if you would be so kind."

"I will go out tomorrow. Stay here in my cabin and lay low for now. When I come back in the evening, I will hope to have you some information."

"Ok works for me. I have some blisters on my feet from walking so far. It will give me a chance to rest. I haven't eaten in a couple days. Could I please have some bread or something?"

You sit right there and I will have you something cooked up shortly. I thought you looked a bit thin."

Hagar quickly prepared a bowl of soup for Jacob and some biscuits. She gave him some goats milk and laughed. "You know? This is what I fed you the day your parents were killed. It's ironic don't you think?"

"Very. Thanks so much for your kindness. Do you still work at the castle?"

"Oh no! I was married a couple of years later. My husband and I started a bakery. He got sick and died about a year ago and we were never able to have children of our own. I have been able to keep the bakery open and have been able to take care of myself. I have been one of the lucky ones. I help the town's people as much as I can without putting myself out of business. Times are really hard right now."

Jacob had sucked down the soup and was eating a biscuit. "I am sorry to hear of your loss. I am glad you are doing well though."

"Everything happens for a reason. I'm doing alright, but thank you."

The next morning, Hagar went to work at her bakery. After she had closed her business, she stopped by the library and got the map she had promised Jacob. While she was there, she found a history book that would help explain what had happened without bringing attention to herself and checked it out as well. She had always read books about history so it was nothing unusual for her and she had checked it out before. She made her way back home and gave the information to Jacob.

Jacob studied the information while she prepared a meal. It was getting late, and Hagar wanted to take care of Jacob's feet.

They had a quick meal. Then Hagar asked, How's your feet? I didn't get a chance to check them last night. You mentioned having blisters?"

"Yeah, but its nothing I haven't dealt with before. It happens a lot when you don't have shoes."

Oh? I hadn't even noticed your lack of shoes! Let me take a look."

Jacob let her see his feet. "They definately don't look like royal feet." She observed.

Jacob laughed, "No, I don't imagine they do."

Hagar replied, "Let's soak your feet in warm water and we will clean them up a bit." (97)

Hagar got the stuff together to take care of Jacob's feet. She heated water, poured it in a bowl, grabbed some bandages and ointment, a towel, and soap.

She spent about 30 minutes fussing over Jacob. By the time she was done, she had soaked, washed, dried, placed ointment on the blisters and bandaged his feet. Then she put everything away while Jacob sat there and enjoyed being pampered a little bit. It felt good to be cared for. He almost fell asleep in the chair when she returned with a pair of socks and shoes in her hand. "You are just about the same size in feet that my husband was. I had this pair of shoes in my closet for a while. I didn't even know why I was keeping them. Something just told me not to throw them out. Now we know why." She said with a smile as she slipped them on his feet.

He got up and walked around for a couple of minutes. Wow! These fit me well! Thank you."

"You are welcome. I think I can get you a horse too if you will stay with me another day. Besides, it will give your feet another day to heal."

"I could get used to this, but I can't get too comfortable. However since you insist, I think I can relax one more day" he said smiling.(233)

Hagar said, "It's settled then. You will stay here another day."

The next morning, she went to work as usual. This time, Jacob decided to have something ready for her to eat when she got home. He got some goat's milk to drink. Then he cooked a little ham and some beans. He had just finished setting the table when she came in. "What a nice suprise! Thank you"

"it's nothing fancy. I hope you like it. You have been so nice to me and you have worked all day so I thought I would make dinner tonight. I hope that's ok." Jacob replied.

"Oh, yes! That's wonderful. I have someone coming over in a while to bring me the horse. He is a pretty grey and white one, about a year old. It is nothing unusual for me to help a stranger. I would suggest you don't stay long after you visit the library. It won't be safe after that. I will do the best I can to cover up your visit to my house. You haven't been seen by anyone have you?"

Aside from seeing some smoke from the fireplace or stove, I haven't been outside for anyone to see."

"Smoke from my house is nothing unusual either. Sometimes I keep a fire lit in the fireplace while I am at the bakery"

"Well, hopefully no one will suspect anything. I will leave early in the middle of the night. Thanks for everything." Then Jacob began gathering his things and getting ready to leave.

About 3 in the morning, he snuck outside. He made his way to the street accross from the library to take a look around, but left the horse tied up outside of town. He didn't want to get Hagar into trouble so he determined he wouldn't use the horse when checking out the library. He observed the guards for around an hour then saw his oportunity.

He ran up to the side window that was cracked open and slid in. This time it came in handy to be so skinny, He knew he would need to bulk up to face some of the challenges ahead, but for now he was just gathering information.

He made his way around the library using the map and a candle. He made his way upstairs to the forbidden knowledge section of the library. It was behind a locked door. He stopped to think for a moment. He had a small pocket knife, Maybe he could pick the lock, He carefully handled the lock, He had picked a couple locks before with a couple of his friends back home. This one looked similar to those. A couple of manuvers with the knife and he had the lock open. Fortunately he popped the lock when he did because just then he heard a guard at the bottom of the stairs. He quickly ducked behind the closed door again before the guard could catch him at the top of the stair. His heart was racing.

Jacob made his way to the desired section of the forbidden knowledge section. He found the information he was looking for. Did he dare steal it?

Jacob knew he would eventually draw attention to himself with the adventure, but he wasn't sure he was ready for that yet. Could he take it and no one notice? He didn't know if he could remember all the information. He decided to take the risk. Afterall, he had already taken the risk by breaking into the library. He still wasn't sure he was going to get out without getting cought. He may as well make it worth his while. If he got into trouble because of this, it may as well be for a good reason. He made the decision then that he was in this for the long haul and all the way or not at all. He slipped the book and a couple of other secret documents into the small bag he had brought with him.

Now he had the task of getting out of the library. He went to the door and peaked out. All was quiet. He slipped out and went quietly back down the stairs. He peeked around the corner. He could see the slightly open window. He was amazed that he had been able to slide through the small space and needed to do it again one more time. He made his was to the window just in time as the guard had made a pass and went up the stairs. At the same time, the guard outside was about to be near the window. He had to get outside before the guard that had gone upstairs came back down again. His heart was racing again. The guard outside had barely passed when he could hear the other coming back down the steps. He thought to himself, "It's now or never." He slid quickly out the window.

Jacob made a thud on the ground and the guard outside heard it. He was up on his feet and running away before the guard turned around. The guard saw him! "Hey you! You stop right there!" The guard gave chase.

Jacob was not as familiar with this city so he just ran as quickly as he could to where he left the horse. Fortunately, he was able to run faster than the guard and was able to mount the horse and gallop away before the guard got there breathlessly. Other guards had also given chase, but they had all lost sight of him. Upon further investigation, they discovered a book had been stolen from the forbidden section. The new papers printed the report of the library break in the next day and word began traveling throughout the kingdom, but no one knew who had done it. It had been too dark for the guard to give an accurate discription. However, their was a large monitary reward offered for any information leading to the Perpertrator's capture.

Jacob had ridden hard all day and knew he would have to give his horse a rest soon. He would also need to take some time to eat. He stopped at a pasture by a stream. This would give him a chance to get fresh water too and the horse could eat some grass. He would check in at the next town he passed to see if there was any news on the previous day's events.

After taking a good rest, Jacob got up when the sun came up to continue his journey back home to Havensville to let his dad know what had transpired. He traveled about 3 hours before he came upon the next town. He stopped there to see if he could hear the latest news and a loaf of bread for the ride home.

Jacob found out the news had traveled fast. It had already made it into the papers. He knew someone had to have ridden hard all night to beet him to this town with the news. It made him wonder if he would make it home before the news got to Havensville. He knew he would have to stop to rest along the way.

He only stayed in the town long enough to hear what he needed and to get his bread. He decided he would not try to travel faster than the news. He would not push his horse or himself more than necessary at this point. He traveled normal speed the rest of the way home.

Six days after the library incident he had made it back to his and Harold's tent in time for dinner. Harold said, "Hello, son! I am glad you are back safe. Did you find out what you wanted to find out?"

"I sure did. What's the latest news?" Jacob asked

Well, they say someone was in Townsend last week and broke into the library and took some forbidden material. Two guards have been put to death so far and a reward has been offered for information about who did it. You wouldn't know anything about this would you?"

"You wouldn't think I could do something like that?" He said jokingly.

By the look on his face and the that response, Harold knew he was right. "No, couldn't have been you. You were on an errand for me. Did you take care of the errand you went to accomplish?"

"Yes, I did, Dad. I met a nice lady who says she helped you with a bundle one day. She told me all about it"

"I'm glad you took care of what I sent you to take care of."

They were talking in code sort of just in case someone was close by and could hear them, especially since there had been a reward offered leading to the capture of the one who had broken into the library. Harold had been preparing dinner while they were talking. There was some stale bread and some cow's milk. Jacob was so hungry by this time, he scarfed it down hardly without tasting it. After he had eaten, he bagan to speak again. "Dad, I think I need to work some and make a plan. I think I may need to get some friends involved in finding my true purpose in life. I need to get a little healthier and gain some strength. There is a lot expected of a young man such as myself and I need to be in the propper shape and have the right tools to accomplish all that I need to accomplish."

Harold considered it carefully, "I think you may be right. Are you going to try to find a job and earn some money to start out with?"

"I think I should. Don't you?"

"That would probably be wise son. Don't go rushing in to fast before you are ready. That is a good idea."

"Thanks dad, I will begin looking tomorrow for work."

No more was said as they cleaned up after themselves and went to bed. The next morning Jacob began looking for work.

Jacob just started walking around town to see what he could find. Toward the end of the day, just before he was about to give up, he noticed there was a group of lumberjacks coming back from the woods. He decided he would ask them about a job. The boss was hesitant at first because of his lean figure. He wasn't sure he was going to be strong enough to cut the wood, but he decided to give him a chance anyway. Jacob thought this would be great because it would give him a chance to build up some of his muscles.

The next morning, Jacob rose early so he could be at work on time. He was there almost before anyone else. As the other lumberjacks saw him, some of them made fun of him, but Jacob was determined to do the work. He struggled at first, but each day he got a little stronger. He was no stranger to pain, so he was resiliant in the fact that he could still work even when he was sore. He even worked when he had blisters on his hands. Because of this, after a while, the other lumberjacks began to be impressed by his determination and stopped making fun of him.

Day after day, he worked as a lumberjack for almost 2 years, getting stronger and saving money. The incident with the library finally died down and was soon forgotten about. More guards were placed at the library and more security had been put in place.

Jacob studied the information that he had during his spare time and when he could study it properly. Once he was confident that he had saved enough money to go on his journey, he wondered how he could train himself to fight. The more people that knew about his mission, the more dangerous it would become. He decided to go back to the prophet for advice. He made a point to arange for a day that he could go visit him.

Once Jacob got to the prophet's house, the prophet didn't recognize him until he explained why he was there. The prophet said, "Oh, yes! I remember you now. You have definitely put some meat on your bones and filled out a bit more over the last couple of years."

Jacob replied with a smile, "I've been working as a lumberjack. That'll put some muscle on your body if it don't kill ya first."

"Yeah, that will do it. What can I help you with now?" The prp[het asked.

I can pay you with coins this time. I want to know if I should hire someone to teach me to fight. If I should, how do I go about it without telling all of my business?"

I think that would be a good idea. Why don't you see if you can get hired as a soldier in the king's army. That way you can get some insight into what you are up against and training and get paid for it to boot." The prophet said.

Jacob responded, "I hadn't thought about that, but that is a great idea. Do you think they will hire me?"

The prophet got a distant look in his eyes and then spoke, "I see a soldier with a secret past. He becomes a great warrior, but he must be careful. If his past is discovered, his life will be in danger. Someone close to him will also die." Then he snapped back to his normal look. "I suspect the spirits are with you. They are the ones issuing you this warning. May they be with you and protect you in all you do."

"Thank you. I know it is taking a while to prepare, but I want to be smart about this. Now I know what I must do. I truly appreciate the blessing."

Jacob left the prophet's house feeling a lot more confident. He went back home and told his dad the about the visit. His dad agreed that would be a good idea. So, the next morning, he went to the soldier recruiter's office. He inquired about becoming a soldier. They had him fill out the necessary paperwork and gave him a date to start in about a month so he would have time to take care of his personal affairs before going into service for the king.

Jacob gave notice to the lumberjacks. He spent a little more time studying the forbidden knowledge, then put it in a chest and burried it in a secret place. He figured he would be safer with the knowledge secretly in his brain in stead of a physical copy on his person. He knew he would have to go on a journey to recover the locket to reverse the curse on his family, but he hadn't figured out where to begin looking for it yet. That would have to come in time. For now, he would focus on his soldier's training. He said his good bye's and was on his way to become a soldier. He just prayed he would not have to harm anyone if he didn't have too, especially someone he knew. He wasn't completely sure what to expect as he had heard many rumers how it was in the King's army.

Soldier training lasted about 2 months. Then he spent the next year and a half serving as a soldier in the King's army. He learned how to march, fight, shoot arrows, hunt, and and handle a sword. All of these skills would come in handy for the journey to come. He got to know what he would be up against when he was considered an enemy of the king. He was trained by the very army he would be up against. He only felt bad because he knew one day he may have to fight and kill these same people he worked with now. He felt like a traitor and in a way he was. He was hoping it would all turn out for the greater good in the end though.

He had to sign up for a minimum of 2 years of service before he would be allowed to leave the army, so he had another 4 months.of required service. He began to feel restless and resentful. He felt like he was now ready to go on his quest. He had saved up money, trained and bulked up. He was definitely not the same person he was when he had begun and had a feeling that he would have much more to learn and to experience in the years to come.

By this time, most of the kingdom had gone into slavery to the king, except for a very fortunate few. The king now owned most of the land and properties. The poor got poorer and the rich became poor. Buildings began to be in decay. Prices went up as the king took over many of the businesses, Even if Jacob was able to succeed against all odds, he would have his work cut out for him if he wanted to restore the kingdom and reverse the damage done by King Jon.

Part of being a soldier was also siezing property for the king. He absolutely hated it. He hated having to do the king's dirty work.

He needed to get some kind of crew together. He would need help on his quest, but how could he determine who could and couldn't be trusted? These were all great questions to ponder. He had traveled all over the kingdom in his service to the king which helped him get to know his way around. This would also be helpful for his journey.

He made a choice to begin with friends of his that he knew he could trust and work out from there. He would need to travel back home to Havensville to begin recruiting his helpers. Riding and marching around the countryside gave him plenty of time to think about and reflect on things. Currently, they were on their way to Townsend to take over some more property for the king. He wasn't sure what property they were going to, but he hoped Hagar was doing well since they had last met. If he was lucky, he could find a little free time and visit her.

Jacob did not recognize the people or property he was there to posess. He was thankful for that but still didn't enjoy it. After they had finished their official business, they had another assignment in another town. They were to patrol this other town and take inventory of the king's property. They immediately headed to the next town.

Jacob did finish his required service to the king and then he headed home. Once there, his dad was the first person he went to see. He found his dad's tent and waited as his dad wasn't home.

It was not long before he returned. Harold was a bit more feeble than when Jacob had left. He was walking with a stick now and much slower. Upon seeing Jacob though, his eyes lit up like a christmas tree and he practically teleported across the room amd flung his aems around Jacob in a firm hug. "Jacob! You are home!" He exclaimed.

Jacob returned the firm embrace for a moment. "Yeah, dad. My required time in the army is finished now. I had to see you and tell you everthing that's happened over the last 2 years.

"I'm glad you did son. I have missed you around here. I got used to having your company." Harold said with a smile.

"I have leaned a lot. I think i am ready to look for the locket." Jacob replied. Then he continued talking and telling him of his adventures over the last couple of years. He continued, "I didn't always enjoy it, but I am glad I did it. I not only got training I wouldn't normally have had, but I also have a good idea of the forces that I will be up against. I got to travel the kingdom and familiarize myself with it. I made many aquaintences."

"Son, I am proud of you. Rather you succeed or fail, I believe you are doing the right thing in following your heart. You are a good man. I imagine you doing well on all you set out to do" Harold told him proudly.

"Thanks dad! I am glad to hear that. I do try to make you proud." He said smiling.

Harold asked, "How long do you plan to stay here?"

Jacob answered, "I am going to make another trip to the library. Then I think I will see a couple of old friends. I might even go see the old prophet again. Then I don't know after that. I figure at least a couple of weeks."

"Ok, well, make yourself at home and don't forget to tell me before you leave. It will be nice to have your company again for a few days." Harold said.

Then they cleared the table that they had eaten dinner at and went to bed. Harold was still asleep when Jacob got up. He had gotten used to getting up very early while he had been in the King's army. He decided to make some coffee. After he made the coffee, he sat sipping it at the table until Harold woke up and then poured him a cup too. After they had some coffee together, they each went their own seperate ways for the day. Harold went to his work and Jacob made his way to the library.

Jacob had wanted to see if he could find more information about his family and to start figuring out where to begin looking for the locket.

Jacob didn't find all the information he wanted to, but there had been a couple more history books written since his last visit so he sat down and read them. He went back home. Harold had not returned yet. Jacob thought this would be a great time to retrieve the forbidden book he had burried in a box and hidden. He wanted to take another look at the information inside just in case he had missed something. He had returned with the book and was sitting in the tent reading from it when Harold entered. He about jumped out of his hide when he was spoken to.

"Hi, son! I see you got back before I did." Harold said as he entered the tent,

Jacob kind of shrieked. "Hi, Dad! You scared me."

"I'm sorry about that. What are you reading?" Harold asked

"A little bit of forbidden knowledge." Jacob replied smiling.

"You should be more careful while reading that." Harold scolded.

"You are right. I should. I wanted to talk to you about it if you don't mind. I have pretty much kept it to myself until now." Jacob said.

Keep your voice down!" Harold ordered, "Don't you go getting all careless on me. You must be careful. About 2 days before you returned a King's representative came by looking for the forbidden book that had been stolen around 3 or 4 years ago. There has been a new higher reward offered for leading to the arrest of the person who stole the book. According to the representative. There was some important information in that book that could compromize the safety of the king and/or kingdom. "Don't be joking around like that! It can get us both into trouble!" Harold informed Jacob.

"Oh? I didn't know they were still looking for all of that. I would have thought the King had other more important things to worry about." Jacob had read the book. Had he missed something?

"Well, evidently, the book contained more critical information than any common people like us had thought." Harold lightened his tone. "You just never know who is listening outside or just what people are thinking. Be careful how you speak about things like that. I would think you would know that having been in the army."

"You are right. I am sorry. I was just joking and didn't mean to upset you. Do you want to talk?"

I'm talking, but let's eat these biscuits I brought home and get some goat's milk. I have had a rough day." After they sat down in the tent to eat, Harold said, What do you want to talk about?"

Jacob began, "I must be missing something important in the information that I have about the locket. I don't even begin to know where to look for it." He felt he could talk about the locket because it wasn't common knowledge.

"I am not sure what to tell you. I don't want to read it. It will be best for both of us if I don't know what that information you have contains. I would suggest you re-examine all that information from cover to cover. What you are seeking should be there somewhere. What did you do today anyway?"

Jacob amswered, "I went to the library and read all day. I guess that is what I will have to do. I will go over my information again."

Harold asked, "What are you planning to do tomorrow?"

Jacob smiled, "I plan to see an old friend or 2. Its nice to have some free time. I will tell you what. I'll bring dinner home tomorrow. These biscuits are good but they don't go as far as they used to. I have more of a mass to maintain."

"You have definitely filled out my boy! Its good to see. I barely scrape by. I wish I had more to give you."

"I understand. But remember I have been working and have some money saved up. Let me help you out a bit. I can share some of it with you."

"You will probably need your money. You have a very long journey ahead of you. Keep your money, son." Harold replied.

Dad! Let me help you a little bit. You have done so much for me and you didn't have to. I know raising me was hard.Let me pay you back some." Jacob protested.

"Ok, but only because you need more to eat and I am getting to old to argue with you." Harold smiled back at him.

Both men woke up the next morning around the same time, had some coffee, and then went their own ways. Harold went to work again like he did every day, and Jacob went to see his friends. First, he went to see his friend Francis who was a shop keeper in town.

As Jacob made eye contact with his friend, his friend greeted him like he didn't recognize him. "Hi, how can I help you today? Francis asked from behind the counter.

Jacob greeted him, Hey! Fancis! don't you remember me? How have you been man?

Fracis studied his face for a moment, "Jacob? Is that you?"

"Yeah, that's me!" jacob replied.

"I hardly recognized you. It's been about 2 years since I have seen you?" Francis said.

That's how long I've been away serving in the King's army. I served my time amd now I am out."

"What do you plan to do now?" Francis asked.

I plan to do some traveling. I've saved up my money so I could." Jacob informed him.

"That's great! I don't ever go on adventures of my own. I have my own adventures right here at the shop every day." Francis replied.

"Do you have some time and a place we can go to talk?" Jacob inquired.

"I will be taking my lunch when my assistant gets here around noon. If you are willing to wait until then, I can give you some time and my full attention. In the meantime, you could just look around the shop if you would like or come back closer to that time."

Ok, I can do that. I will be around. I might walk around a little and be back here, but I won't go far. I still have a couple of hours to waste."

Alright, I'll be seeing you around 12 then." About that time, another customer came into the shop, and Jacob left as his friend began to serve his next customer.

Jacob walked around to look at some of the other nearby shops.

When it was time, he went back to where his friend was and his friend joined him. They went down to the clearing at the end of town and began to talk. Jacob told him of his true identity and his intention to go find the locket. " I know I am taking a tisk even telling you about it. But I wondered if you, as one of my closest friends, would be willing to go on the journey with me? I could you a friend on this task before me."

"That's a lot to take in. I don't know what to say." Francis answered.

" i kind of felt the same way when I was given the information. You won't turn me in to get arrested will you?"

"No, you are one of my best buddies, but I just had no clue. This WILL make you an enemy of the king once you begin to persue it. If I join you, then I will be an enemy of the King too. Give me a weak to think it over."

How about I come back next week around this same time to have lunch again and we come here to the clearing again?

"That works for me."

They finished chatting and his friend finished lunch. Then Jacob headed to see his other friend, James.

He would find him at the town/s pub. He walked up to him and put his hand on his shoulder.

Jacob told James about his true identity and showed him the book and told him his plan to find and restore the locket to break his family's curse. Then he added, "Can I trust you not to turn me in to be arrested?"

James was shocked for a moment. "Wow! You are something. I never expected this. You haven't told too many people about this have you?"

"No, only you, Dad, and Francis knows and I didn't tell Francis about the book yet. I was hoping my 2 best friends would be willing to go with me on the biggest. most dangerous journey of my life. If you go with me, you will become an enemy of the king. I will understand if you don't. I must do this. I have to at least try. Maybe, I can save the kingdom. But our lives will all be in danger and possibly those who are close to us too."

"I don't have anything to lose. I'll go with you. When do you want to leave? At least if I die, it will be for a good cause even if I am considered an outlaw." James said with a smile.

"I won't know until next week if Francis will come along. I also need to hire some helpers without indulging too much information. You have any idea how to find someone to go with us? I don't want to be an enemy of the king until I have to be."

I don't blame you there. I know a couple of people we might bring with us with some skills.

"That's great because I don't have the faintest idea" He laughed.

James asked for a couple of days to round them up so they agreed to meet again in the woods after Jacob had lunch with Francis and got his answer. In the meantime, he would do some more research and figure out where to go looking first. They went back to town to get dinner. Jacob invited him to stay for dinner and he agreed to do so. They picked up a savery pie from the bakery and a jug of beer from the pub and headed back to the tent. Harold had returned home by this time. They sat down together in the tent, ate the pie, and drank the beer while discussing hopes and plans for the future.

The next morning, Jacob decided to go back to the library. He looked up and down the rows of book shelves. He wondered to himself how he could find out more about the locket. He read every title in the history section. Then he found it. At the very bottom toward the end of the shelf, a book was titled, What happened to the Queen's locket and baby boy? He opened the book and it was an entire documentary on the search for the locket and the missing baby (Jacob). He was surprised to find something like this outside of the forbidden section, but there it was. Jacob pulled it from it's spot and found a place to read. There were a set of tables and chairs in the center of the library. He sat down at the end and began reading.

A few moments later, a man sat down next to him and asked, "Are you interested in the history of the royal family?"

"Isn't everyone?" Jacob had an uneasy feeling about the man.

"Did you hear someone stole some forbidden information a few years back from the library in Townsend? They say there is a nice reward for anyone who knows anything about it." He said roughly.

"Yes, I heard." Jacob kept his answer short.

"Sometimes, I like to think about how I would spend that reward money if I could get my hands on it! He laughed.

Jacob shrugged, "It would be nice to have a large sum of money like that, but I just like to read about history. You can learn a lot from it."

"Yes, you can learn from history, but I'd rather have the money. Some people have whispered around town that a guy named Jacob might know more than he lets on. You wouldn't happen to be this Jacob would you?"

Jacob put on a serious face, "My name is Jacob but I hope you aren't trying to acuse me of anything are you?"

"Let's just say, you should be careful. Someone might just say some stuff about you to try to get their hands on that reward especially if they think you might know something. I think you do, but I can't prove it yet." He smiled a crooked smile.

I don't know any more than anyone else. Jacob said sternly.

"We will see." the man said and then got up and left.

Jacob wasn't sure what caused that. He didn't recall doing anything to bring suspicion to himself. Had someone overheard him talking to his friends? This encounter left him feeling really uneasy. Had someone one placed the book on the shelf as bate for him to find? He had already come this far. So, he continued reading the book in the library. He wondered if he should check it out for a couple of days so he could study it. I felt like he was getting close. Does someone recognize his true identity? He decided after a while that he would borrow the book and go home where he could at least go into the tent.

Jacob was concentrating intensely on the book he was reading today when Harold came home. "Son?"

Jacob startled "Oh, Hi! I am just reading a book from the library."

"I see that. There are some rumors going around town about you."

Oh?

Yes! I am a bit concerned. Some are saying that you might be King Richard's long lost son and that you may know more than you put on about the theft at the Townsend library. Who have you talked to about this lately?"

"I only went to see Francis and James yesterday. I don't think they would give me up like that.

The prophet has known some that I have talked about under your advice and you know."

"I don't like it. Someone is either spilling the beans or someone is overhearing conversations. Please, be careful. Did you get dinner?"

"No, I am afraid I have been caught up in this book. It is about the investigation into the missing Queen's locket and son."

I think reading stuff like this is only going to make people talk more. Did anyone see you with this book?"

Yes, a few people did. A man even threatened me about these rumors." Then Jacob told him about his uneasy encounter.

Do you think someone could have placed it there to see if you would be interested in its topic? Harold asked.

"I think it is very possible, but people have already seen me with it and reading it so I didn't try to cover it up. Why act like I am guilty?"

"True. Would you like some fish tonight?"

"Sounds good. Do you have some? I am about to go get some from someone I worked for today."
Harold left to get the fish.

Jacob put the book down and thought deeply about everything that was happening. He knew he wouldn't be able to wait too much longer to go about his business of finding the locket. People had started talking and that wasn't good.

Jacob decided that he would begin here for his search for the locket. He was the rightful heir to it anyway. He would spend the next 2 days memorizing information and writing some down so he could have it for his journey. He didn't want to steal another book and he didn't want to bring any more attention to himself than he already had. He didn't want people talking about him any more than they already were. At least, he finally knew where to begin.

The day finally came for him to meet up with his friends again. Francis and James both agreed to go on the journey with him. They all had been great friends since they had been small boys. James brought 3 people with him that he suggested would be able to be of a big help on the journey when he met his friend in the woods. Jacob agreed to hire them. He thought maybe he shouldn't hire everyone from the same town. He would hire more helpers on the way to the mountain. They all agreed that they would leave in 2 days. This would give everyone time to make arrangements to close any lose ends in their personal business and to get supplies and pack. They would all meet early in the morning at the tent so Jacob could say goodbye to Harold before they headed out early in the morning. Excitement built as the day got closer and closer. Finally, it arived. All provisions had been made and they were all ready to leave.