Vows of Silence (5/5)

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Author: Kaci 
Vows of Silence
5/5
 
 
Adam rode home a few hours later to get a piece of equipment; when he saw  
Joe ride off in the distance but not in the direction of Carson City. After  
questioning Hop Sing he decided to follow Little Joe to see where he was going.  

Joe rode into the monastery late that day, it was never far away from  his 
home, but this was the first time he had returned to the place of his  
captivity. Stabling Cochise, he entered the door of the monastery, there he took  his 
gun belt off, it was forbidden to have arms on hallowed ground. He quietly  
walked through the rooms, until he came to his room, a six by six cell of cold  
stone. This had been his room for two years. It hadn't changed at all, an old  
mattress laid on the floor with an Indian blanket thrown across it. He smiled  
remembering how that blanket didn't keep him warm at night. Shutting the door 
he  traveled throughout the corridors until he came to the room at the end. 
This was  Adam Pierson's room. Opening the door on this room was like opening 
the door to  the world. 

The room was spacious with faint light shining through the  windows, all of 
Adam's books resting in the bookcases. An oriental carpet lay on  the floor 
next to a desk with a lamp sitting on it. A book lay open on the top.  Joe read 
the inscriptions in the book, the last entry was 1863. So, it had been  two 
years since Adam Pierson had been here. Sitting in the chair Joe pulled the  book 
close so he could read it. 

Adam opened the door and noticed Joe's  guns laying at the entrance. Frowning 
he crept silently through the rooms until  he saw a faint light in the last 
room. He quickly opened the door with his gun  drawn, Joe sat inside at a desk 
reading a book. 

"Joe, what are you  doing?" 

Joe smiled and motioned to a comfortable chair in the room.  "Adam, why am I 
not surprised to see you?" Joe turned the page of the book  continuing to 
read. 

"You said you were going to Carson City?"

"I  lied." Joe spoke quietly. "Sit down, you must be tired, would you like a 
drink?"  Joe poured a brandy for his big brother, handing him the glass. "I 
was reading  this book, it's very interesting."

"Joe...is this where you were held  when you were kidnapped?" Adam drank the 
brandy letting it warm his insides. He  really wanted to know about his baby 
brother's ordeal in captivity.  

"Oh...yes.' Joe smiled. "I even talk like Adam Pierson sometimes."  

"So, it was Adam Pierson that took you away from your family. But why? I  
don't understand why?" Adam leaned down with his elbows on his knees, as if the  
floor would have a answer. "Tell me Joe." Adam waited until Joe nodded his 
head  in agreement.

"Adam, I was so scared at first; there were two men that  took me from my 
family, I thought it was going to be for ransom. Two of the men  dragged me 
inside this monastery and threw me into a stone cell. It was so cold,  Adam... I 
started crying and I couldn't quit, but after one man, Koren, saw me,  I tried 
never to cry again."

"What did he do you, Joe." Adam held his  breath in fear. 

"He thrashed me." Joe lowered his head then looked  straight into Adam's 
eyes. "I thought I would die...but then....Adam Pierson  came to me, he helped me, 
he saved my sanity." Joe closed the book. "Adam, none  of that matters now. 
Can't you see that I'm still the same person inside? At  least I think I am." 
Joe drained his glass pouring another brandy.  

Adam's head came up staring into Joe's green eyes. "No you're not, Joe.  Why 
do you never scar and how do you heal so quickly, how do you always survive  
fatal injuries?" 

"You don't want to know, Adam. It will change our  relationship forever and I 
don't think you could help telling Pa and Hoss.  Sometimes I feel the same 
old Joe but you're right, I am different. Life might  have been so wonderful, 
but I can't change it." Joe set the glass down gently,  when a strange look 
settled on his face. "Someone's here, be quiet." 

Joe  left the room shutting the door behind him. Adam could hear murmured 
words then  heavy footsteps following Joe along the stone corridor. The door 
opened again,  and Joe entered the room with a priest and another man. 

"Adam, this is  Father Darius. He's going to be spending the night, I have 
given him Adam  Pierson's room." 

Joe turned to Darius, "We'll be in the kitchen cooking  some dinner, I'll let 
you know when it's ready. Father, will your friend be  staying with you?"

"Yes, my son, he's very tired. Joe may I speak you to  alone a minute?" Joe 
followed the priest and the man from the room; leaving Adam  to find the 
kitchen alone to rummage through the cupboards looking for food. He  was surprised 
to find it well equipped with food and dishes. 

Adam had  potato soup on the stove by the time Joe returned. Joe opened some 
bags making a  quick batch of cornbread which he placed in the oven. The two 
brothers worked  quietly together both lost in thoughts. As if shaking off a 
great weight Joe  turned to Adam. 

"Looks good." Setting the table he placed four bowls on  the table. "You will 
like Father Darius, Adam. He's traveled extensively in his  life, he's very 
knowledgeable."

"Did you know him from before, Joe?"  

"No, but I know all about him from my friend Adam Pierson."  

"What about his friend?" 

"I don't know him...but I wouldn't ask  too many questions, Father says he's 
very touchy." Finishing dinner preparation  they called their guests to the 
table. 

Adam indeed liked Father Darius,  the man had an abundant of knowledge about 
Europe. Adam longed to travel and  listening to the man he couldn't help but 
marvel at the man's knowledge. It was  as if he knew every country in the 
world. 

The other guest to Adam was an  enigma. He didn't want to speak and barely 
grunted thank you for the meal. A  strange pair of men to be together. Adam, 
kept sneaking looks at Little Joe, but  Joe was only talking to one man, ignoring 
the other. As Adam listened he was  amazed at the knowledge of his little 
brother, as Darius switched to Spanish Joe  never missed a beat responding to 
him. Adam knew Spanish, but he had never heard  Joe speak it so eloquently. 

"I want more cornbread!" The man burped and  rubbed his belly. "Get me more 
cornbread." 

Joe made a face but stood up  quickly to fetch the food as Darius gave the 
man a hard look. Dinner finished  they parted company; the man going to his room 
to sleep. 

"I'm glad he's  gone...Darius why do you travel with that man?"

"Joe, you know, it can't  be helped sometimes. Excuse me I'm exhausted, I 
need an early night." Darius  bowed to his friends leaving them together. 

"Adam, choose a room but  bolt your door tonight. I don't trust that man." 
Joe wanted to hug his brother  but he could feel the distance between them. 
"I'll see you in the morning." Joe  turned but then almost against his will he 
pulled his brother into an embrace.  "Adam, if something should happen to me, 
you'll tell Pa and Hoss I loved them,  right?"

"Joe, tell me what is going on, I know I can help you, buddy."  Adam tried to 
look into his brother's eyes but Joe turned away to hide his face.  "Joe!" 
but Joe strode away without turning around. 

Adam lay in deep  thought wondering if he would ever be able to tell his 
father about the things  he'd seen. A deep clanging noise brought him wide awake, 
he rose from bed  opening his door to listen, deciding the noise was outside. 
Putting on his gun  belt he hurried outside but the noise was further away 
than he thought. He ran  to the gates of the monastery and passed through them to 
a deep wooded area, the  noise had intensified. Adam had no idea what he 
would see but never in his  lifetime would he ever forget. 

Joe and the man fought with large  broadswords, they hacked at each other, 
not a duel in the normal sense, but this  was and all out attack to kill each 
other. Time after time each man would get  the upper hand, then his opponent 
stabbed Joe in the arm bringing a scream to  his lips, but Joe still fought on, 
as if one wound didn't matter to the outcome  of the fight. Back and forth they 
maneuvered trying all the attack tactics they  knew but Joe was the victor in 
the end, bringing the man to death in one fatal  stroke. 

Adam backed away the terror running his through his veins. He  couldn't 
comprehend the horror of the battle, but then lightening lit the sky  and the air 
crackled with electricity, illuminating the deep woods with a  glowing light. 
Joe raised his arms and screamed when the lightening hit him,  running into his 
body and sword, then it stopped as suddenly as it began and Joe  collapsed to 
the ground. 

"Joe!"Adam swayed where he stood afraid to go  near his brother. For the 
first time in his life he was afraid of his little  brother. 

"Adam." Joe whispered as he stared into his brother's wide  eyes. He knew now 
there was no turning back, Adam knew his dark secret. "Go  away, I'll see you 
in the morning." Joe pulled himself to his feet hanging onto  his sword, 
unsteady but not yielding. "Go." 

"Don't be ridiculous, Joe."  Adam rushed to Joe's side helping him to his 
feet. "I don't understand anything  that is going on. You have to tell me, no 
more lying." 

Joe tears ran  down his face, he had been so afraid to tell his brother, but 
Adam stood there  to back him up. "Adam, it's all right now, please go back to 
bed, I'll see you  in the morning." Adam hesitated, but he finally let his 
brother go when Joe was  steady on his feet. Sighing, he turned away to walk 
back to the monastery,  feeling he was deserting his little brother. 

Laying down on his pallet,  his mind numb with dread, he fell into a light 
sleep, interspersed with crazy  dreams. 

The next morning, the day was bright and beautiful, Adam could  smell 
breakfast cooking in the kitchen. He wondered if he had a nightmare last  night. He 
cautiously entered the kitchen to find Joe and Darius at breakfast.  

"Join us, Adam."Darius waved to an empty plate on the table. "You must  be 
hungry." 

Sitting at his place he poured himself a cup of dark rich  coffee. "I...I had 
a strange dream last night, Joe." He sipped the dark brew  hoping his brother 
would agree with him. 

"It was no nightmare Adam, it  was real. I've been trying to come up with a 
logical explanation for last night,  but there isn't one." Joe fixed his eyes 
on Adam hoping to convey his love...but  Adam refused to look at him. 

" I see...." Adam paused, and then said.  "Tell me."

"I am immortal Adam, I can't die. At least not in the usual  sense." Joe let 
the words sink into his brother's mind. "Look, Adam, it's all  very 
complicated, but that is the gist of it. I found out when I was kidnapped  by Adam 
Pierson, the reason he took me was because he wanted to help me, to  teach me, to 
survive until the game ends."

"Game? What game?"

'The  game of the immortals. We kill each other for sport...we kill each 
other for  power....the man last night; I took his power at his death, his 
knowledge  resides in me, his soul his mine." 

Adam couldn't speak but stared at the  men at the table. It was hideous, a 
wicked thing. 

"At the end, the last  man standing, receives all the power of every immortal 
that ever lived. That man  could rule the world.There can be only one, Adam." 

"And you want to be  it?"

"I don't want to die." Joe said simply. "But...I don't want to kill  either, 
so I try to stay away from my kind, it's not a sport for me." Joe waited  but 
he could see that Adam was having a hard time concentrating on his words.  
"Look, you remember Gerald Eskith? You thought you had killed him in the mine,  
but he would have returned to kill you, Adam. I did what needed to be done that 
 night."

"The lightening in the clear dark night...I barely remember  thinking how 
strange that was...it was you and Gerald fighting to the death."  Adam remembered 
Eskith and Joe fighting in the room with Marie's swords, dueling  in play, at 
least he assumed it was play. "I thought you liked Eskith,  Joe?""

"I did. But...I knew he would return for you Adam. I love you, I  couldn't or 
wouldn't let him hurt you. We do have a few rules, not to hurt  mortals, you 
have such limited time on earth it's not fair for immortals to kill  you." 

"But...why are you immortal?"Adam was trying to understand but he  felt lost. 

"I don't know exactly. Adam Pierson told me and" Joe pointed  to Darius. "the 
Father says that I'm a new breed of immortal, they don't know  why. There are 
very few like me, I'm born of woman. Most immortals are found  alone as 
babies then adopted as mortals until their death...but Marie was my  Mother and Pa 
is my father. To tell you the truth it's worrying the immortals as  well, soon 
they will have a price on my head to be rid of us strange creatures."  Joe 
laughed softly, "So you see you might outlive me after all." 

Adam  turned to Joe's friend and the question slipped out, "how old are you 
Father  Darius?"

Darius smiled with a look of understanding; as if explaining to  a child. "I 
walked the Earth with Caesar, Adam. I knew the great philosopher's  and poets 
of the ages, I've seen more battles on Earth than can be imagined.  I've lived 
and died hundreds of times, always to be reborn again. My son it is  hard not 
to question but you must leave it alone for Joe's sake as well as your  own. 
Now, excuse me." Darius bowed at Adam, placed a hand on Joe's shoulder and  
squeezed it hard. "Good bye, Adam." 

Adam and Joe sat in silence, Joe  afraid that Adam would ruin his life with 
his father, Adam not daring to  contemplate the life of an immortal. They 
packed up and headed for home, both in  silence both afraid to speak. Joe fell into 
despair as he knew that if Adam told  his father Joe would have to leave his 
home. He thought about pleading with Adam  but...he just couldn't. Why did 
this have to happen to him? 

"Joe, Adam!"  Ben called as they rode into the yard. "Where do you think 
you've both been? I  want an explanation!" Ben's voice thundered across the 
yard,and then he noticed  the look of utter desolation on his youngest son's face 
and hurried to Joe's  horse. 

"Pa..." Joe slipped from the horse into his father's arms so  grateful to be 
held by the man he loved above all others. 

"What's the  matter, Joe, are you hurt?" Hugging his son they walked into the 
house.  

Adam eyes watered, he knew he would never tell Joe's secret, he would  not 
break the bond of father and son. He knew he must leave to seal his vow, it  
would be so tempting to tell his father the truth. He made secret plans and told  
his father at the last minute that he was leaving for Europe...knowing he was 
 breaking his father's heart, but the knowledge was not to be shared with his 
 family. The fewer people that knew about Joe's immortality the better it 
would  be for Joe. 

On Adam's last night at home... he found the chance to speak  to his young 
brother alone. "Joe, I leave Pa in your care, you must promise me  to take care 
of him while you live." 

"I promise Adam. Pa will never find  out my secret, but I will care for him 
until his death. I love you, Adam...I  wish you could stay, but I know you 
secretly fear me." Joe's eyes glittered with  tears. 

"It's not that Joe, it's really not that. I've been thinking  about your 
immortality. Joe, there has to be an answer, don't you see? I'm going  to Europe 
to find out about immortals. Why are there people like you, why do you  have to 
kill each other? You just can't accept it!"

"But, Adam. They told  me it's been this way since the dawn of man, you can't 
change anything, I have  to accept it."Joe tears clogged his throat. He 
wanted Adam to stay home with the  family. 

"I just can't stay to worry about you being killed by a madman  with a sword. 
In a way, it's easier knowing that you can't die in ordinary  circumstances. 
All of those nights we sat by your bed worrying you would die  before morning, 
never knowing that if you died you would return. Look, Joe, I  will come 
back, maybe I'll have an answer to this question."

Joe had  turned away from Adam, he couldn't let him leave without his 
knowledge, but he  had pledged Adam Pierson with a vow of silence.

"Joe, what's the matter?  Tell me!" Adam knew Joe was hiding something from 
him. "If you know something  you have to tell me!"Adam shook Joe shoulders 
roughly. 

"Adam Pierson  made me promise not to tell, but..." Joe twisted his hat then 
gave up. "There is  a secret society in London, they're called the Watchers. 
That's what they do,  they watch us, they never interfere with our game. That's 
all I know, Adam  didn't tell me much about them." 

"Joe, that's enough, thank you! I'll  find them, don't worry about it."Adam 
pulled his little brother into his arms,  hugging him hard, he would save Joe 
somehow. " Joe, if you live a long time, I  hope that you can keep the 
Ponderosa the way it is now, a place the Cartwrights  would be proud of."

"I'll try Adam, I'll try." Joe hugged his brother to  him then smiled. "I 
promise to be the caretaker of the Cartwright family."  

2006

"So, Adam is now laid to rest on the Ponderosa, you have  kept your promise. 
You still own some of the Cartwright land." 

"It's  been hard to keep as you can imagine, some had to be sold, but the 
main house  and yard area is still Cartwright." 

"How did you handle your death, I  see your grave marker in the cemetery." 

"In 1899, before my father's  death, I rushed off to join Teddy Roosevelt on 
his famous ride, but I was killed  in battle. So, I had a body sent home in my 
place which they buried. Then two  months later I came home as my grandson, 
an out of wedlock father then son. Of  course, I looked just like Little 
Joe....I had cut my hair, washed out the gray  I kept putting in it over the years, 
lost the weight I had gained from Hop  Sing's cooking, dressed as a seventeen 
year old and showed up to explain  everything to Pa; how I was Joe's grandson. 
He was very upset with my death, but  having me back as his grandson made his 
life happy. 

"So, you have a dead  body in your place?" 

"No, it's gone. I'm reserving that spot for me if  I'm ever killed. I have 
left instructions where to be buried. It was all so  easy, to be a lost 
grandson, nephew, etc. for the last hundred or so years." Joe  filled Adam Pierson's 
glass again. 
"You know after living all these  years....my father is still the best man I 
ever knew. He was compassionate,  loving, he taught my brothers and I respect 
for each other and for all people. I  still love him." Joe's eyes misted with 
tears. "The love I felt for my brothers,  Hoss and Adam will always stay with 
me. My only regret is that I would have  gladly traded my life for Hoss. Why? 
I've asked myself that question a thousand  times."

"Joe, it's one of the many mysteries that we live by. I have had  sixty seven 
wives and loved each one passionately...I never forgot them."  Hugging Little 
Joe Cartwright he smiled at his friend. Since first meeting Joe  at ten years 
old; he had a soft place in his heart for him. "Did Adam find the  Watchers?"

"Yes, Adam was a force to deal with in those years. He found  them and joined 
them. He watched immortals until his death, leaving his  journal's to the 
society. But I'm sure you know all about that  Methos."

"Methos, what do you mean? My name is..."

"Methos/Adam  Pierson. What's in a name right? Of course it's different for 
you since you're  the oldest immortal in life and a watcher, too!" Joe laughed 
softly. "Only you  would combine both professions. It must make it easier to 
stay out of the  Watcher's reach when you are watching yourself."

"Where did you hear  about it?" Joe laughed giving Adam's shoulder a shake. 
"Where else but your best  friend Amanda." Joe raised his eyebrow when he saw 
Adam look away. "Don't worry,  I won't tell." 

"Let's go somewhere I need to feel energized." Adam  changed the subject 
quickly. Next time he saw that little minx Amanda there  would be words. 

"How about going to Las Vegas tomorrow, I love to  gamble, my father always 
said I wanted to be a riverboat gambler." The two men  laughed together they 
would remain friends until the prize called them to fight  in the distant 
future. 


Finis

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