Silver Chain

The carriage came to a halt outside the inn, and the coachman knocked on the carriage door to alert Maverick. "Sir?" he called out, his voice muffled by the door. "We have arrived at the inn."

There was no response from inside, so the coachman knocked again, a bit louder this time. "Sir?" he repeated, his concern growing.

Inside the carriage, Maverick stirred awake from a deep doze. He rubbed his eyes, momentarily disoriented, his mind still lingering on the dream about his childhood.

Realizing that he must have fallen asleep from exhaustion, he shook off the remnants of the dream and opened the door of the carriage.

"I apologize," Maverick said to the coachman, stepping out into the cool evening air. "I must have been more tired than I thought."

"It's no trouble, Sir," the coachman replied with a respectful nod. "Shall I help you with your luggage?"

Maverick shook his head. "No, thank you. I can manage."

He gathered his belongings and made his way into the inn. The innkeeper greeted him warmly, offering to prepare a meal for him. However, Maverick politely declined, preferring to retire to his room for some much-needed rest.

"I appreciate the offer, but I think I'll just rest for now," Maverick said.

"Of course, Sir," the innkeeper replied. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Maverick nodded in thanks and headed to his room, where he quickly settled in and lay down, letting the quiet of the inn lull him to sleep.

Around midnight, Maverick was abruptly awakened by the sound of horses neighing loudly and the commotion of raised voices outside. He got up and went to the window, opening it to see what was happening.

Below, he saw a group of men dressed in all black, attacking the coach and the innkeeper. The coachman shouted, "Thieves! Thieves!" to alert the guests inside the inn.

Reacting quickly, Maverick climbed out of the window and leaped down from the second floor, landing gracefully on the ground. He charged at the thieves, who were armed with sharp weapons, and engaged them in combat.

The fight was intense, with Maverick using his agility and skill to dodge their attacks and counter with his own. However, the thieves outnumbered him, and their weapons made it difficult for him to gain the upper hand.

Seeing Maverick struggling, the innkeeper tossed him a silver dagger. "Catch, Sir!" he shouted.

"Thanks," Maverick caught the dagger and immediately felt a surge of confidence. With the silver blade in hand, he fought back with renewed vigor, disarming and incapacitating the thieves one by one until they were all subdued.

Once the thieves were defeated and secured, the coachman and innkeeper approached Maverick, their expressions filled with gratitude.

"Thank you, Sir," the coachman said, shaking Maverick's hand. "You saved us."

"You're a true hero," the innkeeper added, patting Maverick on the back. "Please, join us for a meal. It's the least we can do to thank you."

Maverick, feeling a bit hungry after the exertion, agreed to join them. They set up a table in the common room of the inn, and as they sat down to eat, Maverick's eyes were drawn to the silver chains hanging on the walls.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Maverick asked, "I couldn't help but notice the silver chains and the dagger you lent me. Is there a story behind them?"

The innkeeper nodded, his expression turning serious. "A few years ago, this inn was attacked by a strange creature in the middle of the night. It moved too fast to see, and it killed people swiftly and brutally. We were terrified, and we didn't know what to do."

He continued, "Fortunately, there was a guest among us who was able to fight the creature and end the terror. He told us that the creature could only be killed by silver, and he left us that dagger to protect ourselves."

Maverick listened intently, piecing together the story. It sounded like the creature was a vampire, and the guest who had saved the inn must have been someone from his squad. However, Maverick chose not to reveal this to the innkeeper.

"Thank you for sharing that with me," Maverick said, nodding thoughtfully. "It's good to know that the inn is well-protected."

Maverick looks at the silver dagger he borrowed from the innkeeper, he can't help and slightly smiles when he remembers the silver dagger Julius gave him, but later got bargain away because of the travel fare.

After the meal, Maverick thanked the innkeeper and coachman again for their hospitality, he then returned to his room, he reflected on the event and wrote down in his book.

The next morning, Maverick woke up earlier than usual, feeling refreshed despite the previous night's excitement. He dressed quickly and made his way down to the first floor of the inn for breakfast.

 The dining room was quiet, with only a few early risers scattered among the tables. The innkeeper greeted him with a warm smile as he brought a plate of freshly baked bread, butter, and a cup of hot tea.

"Good morning, Sir," the innkeeper said cheerfully. "I hope you slept well."

"Good morning, I did, thank you," Maverick replied, taking a seat at a table near the window. He enjoyed a leisurely breakfast, savoring the simple yet delicious meal.

As he ate, he glanced out the window, watching the sun slowly rise over the horizon, casting a golden glow over the landscape.

Once he finished his breakfast, Maverick gathered his belongings and stepped outside, where the coachman was already preparing the carriage for the next leg of their journey. 

He approached the coachman and asked, "How long will it take for us to reach Birmingham?"

The coachman paused and looked up from his work. "We should arrive by tomorrow evening, Sir," he replied. "We'll need to stop for another night on the way."

Maverick nodded, a bit surprised by the distance. "I see. It seems so much farther than I remember."

He climbed into the carriage and settled in, his thoughts drifting back to his childhood. When he was young, he had often traveled with his mother, following her everywhere without a word of complaint. 

He smiled at the memory of their many adventures together, the way she would hold his hand and point out all the fascinating things they saw along the way.

After his parents' death, Maverick went to live with his uncle, Lawrence Beecham. Lawrence, who was only a twenty year old bachelor, took on the responsibility of raising his young nephew. The two of them faced many challenges as they adjusted to their new life together.

Maverick recalled the night of his eleventh birthday. His uncle had been working late and hadn't returned home until nearly midnight, just an hour before Maverick's birthday was over. 

Lawrence burst into Maverick's bedroom, breathless and apologetic, "Blow the candle, Maverick, it still got one hour."

He insisted that Maverick blow out the candle on a small cake he had brought. He handed Maverick a hastily wrapped gift, and then promptly fell asleep on the floor.

"Uncle, I don't need a birthday celebration anymore. I have grown up."

The next morning, Maverick had told his uncle that he didn't need a birthday celebration anymore. Lawrence had broken down in tears, apologizing profusely to Maverick for not being there for him as much as he wanted to be.

"I'm sorry, Maverick, I was too busy last night." He said while sobbing.

"It's alright, Uncle," Maverick had said, trying to console him. "I understand that you're busy. You don't have to do anything special for my birthday."

It taken Maverick over an hour to calm his uncle down, and eventually, they reached an understanding. From then on, they celebrated Maverick's birthday in their own quiet way, the dates can be changed according to Lawrence schedule with a simply meal together.

Maverick also remembered the time when he tried to cook a meal for himself when their nanny was on sick leave. He accidentally started a fire in the kitchen, and the fire department had to be called.

Lawrence come home in a panic, fearing the worst, and when he saw that Maverick was safe, he had hugged him tightly and thanked God for his mercy.

"Thank you, God. Thank you brother and sister in law, Maverick is still alive." He said, hugging Maverick while crying out loud.

Maverick chuckled softly at the memory of those early years with his uncle. Lawrence look just like his father, yet has a totally different personality, makes Maverick feel likes he live with a different version of his father.

But despite the challenges they faced, they managed to build a life together and form a strong bond. 

As the carriage continued on its journey, Maverick looked out the window, watching the passing scenery and reflecting on how far he and his uncle had come.

He felt a deep sense of gratitude for him. Especially when he welcome Maverick into his team on his fifteen years old birthday.