Nobody in Matthias Kane’s posse knows exactly how old Sir Gideon Vale is. Father Alasdair MacLeod once asked him directly and received only the observation that a priest should know better than to concern himself with another man’s age. Kane subsequently discovered references to a Gideon Vale in the Twilight Order’s records dating back far further than seemed possible. The descriptions were frustratingly brief, but each concerned a Templar fighting supernatural enemies and several appeared to describe precisely the same man.

Rumour within the Order places his age in the hundreds of years, with some claiming that Vale fought for the brotherhood when swords were still more common than firearms. There are stories connecting him with campaigns against creatures in eastern Europe, forgotten battles beneath ruined monasteries and hunts conducted long before Dracula established his power in America. None can be proved conclusively, largely because Vale refuses to discuss them. Occasionally, however, somebody mentions an event from centuries past and Vale corrects a small detail with the irritation of a man who remembers it personally.

There is nothing in his appearance to support the stories. Vale looks like a man in the prime of life, strong, composed and untouched by the passing decades. He bears scars, certainly, but none of the frailty that should accompany such impossible age. Whether this longevity is a blessing bestowed upon him, the consequence of some ancient ritual, or even the lingering effect of an encounter with something the Order would rather forget remains unknown. Father Alasdair has his theories. Vale has shown no interest in hearing them.

His manner provides rather more evidence. Modern firearms do not impress him, although he has learned to use them when necessary, and he sometimes refers to events of the distant past as though they occurred last winter. He also possesses an uncomfortable familiarity with vampires and other ancient creatures. Some recognise him. A few have even called him by name.

That worries Kane considerably more than Vale’s age.

Within the posse, Vale accepts Kane’s command without objection, although there are moments when the younger Crusader finds himself wondering who is really the senior man. The Templar rarely offers advice unless asked, but when he does, Kane listens. A warrior who may have spent centuries hunting the supernatural has earned that courtesy.

The others have gradually stopped speculating about how old Gideon Vale might actually be. On the frontier there are mysteries best left alone, particularly when the mystery in question is standing beside you and fighting on your side.

For the moment, that is enough.

Edmund Vale, the son of Sir Gideon Vale, is himself a sworn member of the Twilight Order, although the circumstances of his birth have generated almost as much speculation as his father’s impossible longevity. Edmund appears to be a man in his early thirties, and Gideon has never explained when or where his son was born, nor revealed anything about Edmund’s mother beyond insisting that she was an extraordinary woman who deserved to remain beyond the Order’s curiosity. Raised with full knowledge of the supernatural world, Edmund never experienced the terrible moment of discovery that shaped so many of his companions, for monsters were simply another danger his father taught him to recognise alongside fire, disease and armed men. He inherited Gideon’s composure and sense of duty but not his remoteness, possessing a warmer temperament and considerably greater interest in the changing world around him. Their relationship is affectionate but occasionally strained, particularly when Gideon continues to treat his adult son as though he were an inexperienced novice. For Edmund, the greatest burden of being Sir Gideon Vale’s son is not living beneath the reputation of a legendary Templar, but knowing that while he grows older year by year, his father apparently does not.

Thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with the pic of Sir Gideon Vale.