8

His family stood around him at daybreak on the day he left. His mother, Falicia, old beyond her years from worry, hard work and child bearing, cried and moaned about her first born leaving her to go seek his fortune. While she hoped he would come back rich, she did not believe in a golden treasure; she only knew hard work.

Next to his mother stood his father, Pontid, crippled from a fall five years ago, hunched over crutches under each arm pit, his knees pointing in, his feet pointing out in opposite directions. He had a defeated and sad look permanently on his face, depressed that his wife and children had to keep him clothed and fed. Jared’s father had tried to kill himself three times over the last five years and had so far been unsuccessful, but he kept trying and had to be watched carefully. Jared was afraid that at some point, his mother would be too tired and exhausted to keep watch. He feared this was what his father waited for, too. Jared’s father looked Jared in the eyes and gave him a nod. Jared walked up to him and gave him a hug.

“Hold on until I get back,” Jared told his father. “It will be better, you’ll see. Do it for me.” Jared looked his father deep in the eyes, but did not get the reassurance he wanted. His father just nodded at him, again. “I will take that as your promise,” said Jared.

Jared had five brothers and two sisters. The oldest, a boy, Stebin, took after their dark father, already showing signs of a beard and with black hair and black eyes, was two years younger than Jared at fourteen and the youngest, a girl, blonde and blue eyed like their mother, named Lucia, was five. These two along with the other boys, Greco, thirteen, Donid, ten, Halbert, eight and Kenid, six and the oldest girl, Catin at eleven, stood around Jared alternating between complete silence and all of them talking at once. Jared hugged each in turn, even Stubin who wanted to leave it at a manly punch on the shoulder.

“Take care of each other and our parents,” Jared said. “I expect you to do your chores everyday without complaint and when I return, we will hire others to do the work for us.” Jared’s brothers and sisters cheered loudly at this announcement.

“We will keep the home fires burning,” said Catin. She gave Jared one of her beautiful impish grins. She took after their father in hair and eyes, both black as coal, but her skin was fair and white like their mother’s. Both of Jared’s sisters, though very different in appearance, were the most beautiful girls in the region. Jared wanted to find his treasure before his sisters’ beauty faded and died they way his mother’s had.

“We will maintain the old homestead,” said Stubin. He gave Jared a double thumbs up and grinned. Stubin had brooding good looks that radiated vitality and strength and lit up a room when he smiled. Stubin told the best jokes and always kept everyone one laughing. Jared wanted to make sure that his brother never lost his sense of humor.

Each of the children were very fetching in appearance and with money behind them, they would all be able to marry up in station, thus ensuring the prosperity of the family for generations to come. Jared himself was a more contrasting combination of his parents in both looks and temperament. He had black hair, smooth and deep as raven’s wings, like his father, along with his father’s intelligence and daring. He had his mother’s crystal blue eyes and her pixyish humor that kept everyone going even in their darkest times.

Jared was well satisfied that his brothers and sisters would work hard as always while he was gone. They were in good spirits and he hoped it was enough to counteract the dull and down faces of his parents. He promised himself he would not be gone long, so that he could get back and make all of their lives easier.

Last for “fare thee wells” was Jared’s betrothed, Rosamund. Jared and Rosamund had been friends since they were toddlers and totally inseparable their whole lives. They were the exact same age, born the same year on the same day, May first. At sixteen, Rosamund was old to be yet unwed, but no one would dream of separating Jared and Rosamund. Rosamund had thick blonde hair but she had green eyes and no one knew where the green eyes had come from. Jared always told Rosamund that she was especially bless by the Oak Gods, for green was their favorite color. Rosamund was raised by a family totally unrelated to her. No one knew who her father was. Her mother had stumbled into town one day, pregnant and already in labor. She had fallen against the first door she had come to. The good wife Sossa and her good husband Harolt opened the door to see Rosamund’s mother in agony. They carried her into their home, placed her to bed and Sossa, a midwife, helped pull Rosamund into the world while her mother died. They never knew the name of Rosamund’s mother as the only sounds she uttered were birthing screams. Sossa and Harolt, never having children of their own, buried Rosamund’s mother, had a naming ceremony for the baby girl they now found themselves with, calling her Rosamund after the Rose Moon shining that May first and raised the girl as their own. Rosamund’s mother had brown eyes.

Sossa had delivered Felicia of her first born boy three hours before Rosamund came into the world, thus making Jared older than Rosamund, a fact of which he reminded her whenever he felt the need to boss Rosamund around. Of course, she never listened to Jared, as she was head strong and determined and more often than not, right. When Jared told Rosamund that he wanted to marry her and that he needed to seek his fortune before he could do so, Rosamund told him he would be successful beyond his wildest dreams. Rosamund’s positive, encouraging outlook on life was one of the things Jared loved most about her. She gave him the courage to want to go out and slay dragons. She also believed in all of his wildest dreams making him feel like a god.

She stood bravely in front of him, on the day of his leaving, a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. They just looked at each other for many minutes, memorizing their faces for the days and nights ahead when they would be alone.

They recited their usual sayings of goodbye.

“I will not be gone long,” said Jared.

“I will think of you until I see your face again,” replied Rosamund.

“I will dream of you until you are once again before me.”

“It is almost next time.”

Then they fell into each other’s embrace and held each other for a long while, not speaking.

Jared broke away from Rosamund and turned away from her before he changed his mind and decided not to leave. They had never been apart except for at night to go to their separate homes. He knew he was going to be very lonely without her. He wanted her to come with him and she wanted to come also, but they decided that since she was with child it would be best for her to stay home. At least he knew that if he did not come back, he would live on in his child, but he did not want his child to be fatherless and poor. He needed to find the fabled treasure.

He walked away from his family, waving to them as they waved and cheered him on his way. He kept looking back at them until he rounded the bend in the path that led up the mountain. Then, he faced forwarded and strode on with a determined step.

The sun was on its way to mid-day, but with two more hours to go. The day was clear and bright with little wind. Just enough of a breeze blew to keep him cool when the sun got too hot for him. He had only his shirt on right now. He wouldn’t put on any of his other close until dark and when he got further up into the mountains.

For a while, he sang and whistled a tune his mother hang sung to him as a child. Then he just listened to the birds twittering and small animals scampering through the brush. When the sun was directly overhead, Jared sat on a fallen tree trunk and sipped some of the water from the bladder he carried at his waste. At this time, he did not need to take care of his water. He knew there were several streams on the way to the opening of the caves. Right now he only need carry enough to get him up to the peaks. Before going into the caves he would fill the bladder he drank from now plus the other two that were empty right now.

From this resting point Jared looked down the mountain and he could see the tops of the village huts and houses. He could see his family’s hut on the edge of the marsh. Rosamund’s house was three houses in from his. There were twelve other homes in their village of Thorntown. He missed the village already.

Jared got up and started moving again before he had a change of heart. He started telling himself about the treasure again. Gold coins, gold and silver chains, torques and platters, uncut gems, some the size of his fist all waited for the soul brave enough to go and get it. He remembered the day the traveling story teller came to them. He told them many exciting tales and Jared listened carefully and enjoyed them. But when the man told of the treasure Jared really paid attention. When the tales were done for the evening, Jared went to the man whose name was Beando, and Jared asked Beando to tell him the treasure story again. Beando obliged, adding more details than when he originally told the story.

Beando told Jared the treasure was hidden in these very mountains that rose up from Jared’s village. They were deep in a cavern, across a saline lake, placed there by a king of long ago and then forgotten when the king died before he could retrieve his treasure. Beando told Jared that the cave entrance was at the base of the very last peak of the mountain just before the snow glaciers, where the trees stop growing and only scrub grass covered the rocks. After entering the cave, all one needed to do was to follow the single small stream that led down the natural stairs within the cave until the stream became the lake. Once someone swam across the freezing cold salt lake within the caverns, the treasure would be sitting on the other side when they got out of the water. Getting the treasure back would be easier than reaching it as it sat in the boat the old king used to put it there. And once back across the lake the boat acted as a sledge to get the treasure back down the mountain.

Jared had asked Beando why Beando had not gone after the treasure. Beando said he had no need for such riches and just as soon would leave it for a young man who had a future and big dreams. Jared told Beando, that he, Jared, was just such a man. Beando said he thought Jared just might be the one to do it. Jared wanted to know why no one else had gone looking for the treasure and Beando told him no one else believed the story. Beando also told Jared that for a silver piece now, Beando would tell Jared a special secret that would make retrieving the treasure easier. Jared thought a silver piece invested now was well worth a huge treasure for the future, so Jared ran home and got his savings and gave the silver piece to Beando. Beando leaned into Jared and whispered into Jared’s ear. Jared’s eyes were wide with astonishment and wanted to ask Beando what the secret meant. Beando told Jared he could not explain, but when the time came, Jared would know what it meant. And Beando reminded Jared to keep the secret a secret or its power would vanish when Jared needed it most.

So, Jared kept his secret but made plans to go after the treasure. At first, every one thought he was crazy. The only person that believed in him was Rosamund. The others still thought he was crazy but they became resigned to his going as he gathered the things he would need for his trip. Now here he was on his way to the last mountain peak. It would take him three days to get to the top.

He was passing the spot where the blueberries grew. There were still many on the bushes, so he stopped and ate his fill. When he had eaten enough for now he picked more to go with whatever meat he caught for the night. He filled one of his empty pouches then began walking again. This part of the mountain was fairly easy going. The path was well worn as this was the same way the shepherds went for summer pastures. They had already come down as snows were threatening to fall in the mountains.

Jared would camp at the first alpine hut tonight. It would still be light enough by the time he got there for him to place one the traps always kept there and to look for wood for a fire. By the time he got a good fire going, he should have something caught to eat. A nice mountain hare would make a great roast to go with his blueberries.

Jared was thinking himself into a good hunger so he picked up his pace. He reached the hut in record time and with plenty of daylight left. Jared placed his pack in the hut. He took one of the small game traps that hung on a hook from the hut’s wall. Jared went out into the bush and using some of the blueberries as bait, he set the trap. Then he went to the woods on the other side of the clearing to look for fire wood. There was plenty of wood to be had lying all over. Jared made four trips to get wood so that he’d have enough to cook his food and keep himself warm all night, plus there would be extra for the hut’s stores. He would burn plenty of wood tonight and stay very comfortable because he did not know how many comfortable nights he would have on this journey.

After getting a good fire roaring in the pit, Jared went back to check his trap and he had a big fat hare in the noose. Jared cut the rabbit down and took it to the stream that ran behind the hut. There he skinned the animal and skewered it on a branch. He took the hare back to the fire and put it on the spit. While the rabbit roasted, he went back and cleaned the hare’s skin then stretched it on one of the frames he found leaning on the side of the hut. He checked his fire and his roast, went back to the creek to clean his tools and himself and then went back to the hut. By this time it was dark so he sat by his fire waiting for the rabbit to finish cooking.

Jared didn’t have long to wait for his dinner. He took the rabbit off of the fire and pulled it apart. He enjoyed his fill of the hare with his blueberries for afters. He had plenty of both to break his fast in the morning. He covered the outside fire pit with dirt to put out the fire. He brought the remainder of his food inside the hut, closed the door and hooked the rope latch over the peg on the door frame.

Jared hung his leftover food from the rafters. He added wood to the gently glowing coals in the fire pit. He laid his leather cape over the relatively fresh straw in the sleeping corner, laid himself down and covered himself with his woolen cape. He was asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.

9

Jared’s dreams were filled with shining sun bright gold. He slept well until morning when he dreamt of being smashed under boulders being tossed at him from the top of the mountain. He woke in a fright and it took a moment for him to realize he was safe in the shepherds’ hut. He rolled out from under his covers, added wood to his fire and peeked out of the door. It was still dark without any sign that the sun was ready to rise. He got back under his cape, laid his head down and slept some more. He did not have any more dreams of avalanches.

A little while later, he woke very refreshed. He gathered his belongings together and packed up. He ate more of his cooked hare and a hand full of blue berries. He saved a haunch for his midday meal, wrapping it in leather and putting it away in his pack. He covered the fire in dirt and dowsed it with water. Satisfied that it was out, he went down to the stream and refilled his water bag. He came back to the hut and gathered his belongings. He set out up the trail on his second day of his quest.

The path got steeper on this section of his hike. Rocks and gravel made up the bed of the trail and the trees became made up more of spruce with fewer leaf trees. Jared was coming up to the part of the mountain where the cougars had their haunts. He became more cautious and kept his ears peeled for rustling in the trees and brush. He hiked through the morning without seeing any animals at all. He stopped for a break as the sun began its downward cycle towards night. He ate the rest of his rabbit and berries. He drank some of his water, splashing some on his face as the sunshine up this high made him hot and sweaty.

Jared began walking again. The incline continued to rise but he was very happy with how uneventful his trip was. If things continued in this fashion, he thought to himself, he’d be back home and rich in no time. By the time the sun began to set, he was almost to the tree line. From where he was now, he could see where the trees stopped growing and there was only scrub grass and bushes. He had about an hour to go before getting there. It wasn’t far now and when he got there another hut was waiting for him for the night. This would be the last man made shelter he would have on the trip.

While he was thinking about his break for the night, he heard a sound off to his left. He stopped to listen more carefully because he wasn’t sure if he had actually heard anything. He did hear movement in the bushes; first slow and quiet rustling, and then a rush of noise, with breaking branches and a bark.

A small black bear, probably not even six months old dashed out of the woods, running and jumping without a care in the world. Jared stood stock still, staring at it, barely breathing. The cub ran out onto the path and skidded to a halt barely ten feet away from Jared. They stood looking at each other, neither of them moving. Jared tried looking out of the corners of his eyes to see if he could find the mother. He didn’t see anything but she couldn’t be far behind. He wondered what he should do.

The cub took one tentative step towards Jared. Jared took a step back. The cub took three steps forward as Jared stepped back and fell over backwards landing on his ass and hitting his head on the ground. He passed out. He woke up to the cold and damp on his face. The cub was licking him around the mouth and on his nose. Jared yelled out in fright and surprise, startling the cub that yelped and scrambled back away from Jared. Jared pushed himself up on his elbows and then sat up. Once he was upright again and rubbing the bump on his head, he looked across the path and saw the cub’s mother just nosing out of the woods.

She came out of the trees sniffing the air. The cub sat down next to Jared. The mother bear stood on her hind legs and bellowed to the sky, raising her front legs up and waving them like she was shaking her fists at Jared. Jared tried to quietly shoe the cub to his mother but he wasn’t moving. He sat by Jared like a trained dog. The mother bounced down on all four legs and called angrily to her cub who just sat there with its tongue lolling out. Jared crawled slowly backwards, inches at a time. The cub swung its head from its mother to Jared, looking back and forth between them. Jared kept moving away from the cub and so far the mother was not moving forward.

Just when Jared thought he’d be able to get away without any more troubles, the cub moved towards him which made the mother start running towards them. Jared jumped up, dropping his sack and ran back down the path. He could hear the cub following him and the mother bear following them both. Then all he could hear was the sound of his won labored breathing. Jared turned his head to see how far the bears were behind him. He couldn’t see them so he turned the top half of his body to get a better look while he continued to run. This caused him to overbalance so awkwardly that he fell again, tumbling head over heels.

When he finally righted himself, Jared looked back up the path to the two bears ripping his back pack apart. Jared figured they could smell the dried meat he had stored in his bag. Jared could do nothing. He had to sit there and wait for them to tear his things apart and hope they didn’t destroy things too badly.

The sun was almost down when the bears left Jared’s things and sauntered off into the woods for the night. Jared waited some minutes more to be sure they were not coming back. He got up and made his way back up the path. He had lost precious time because of the bears. He had also lost very important supplies due to their attack. With hardly any light left by which to see, Jared gathered as much of his things as he could find and tried to pack them back in his pack. He had an hour trek to the next hut, but he felt it would be best to get there and start a fire and see how things really stood at this point.

He set off at a brisk pace, hurrying his way along, trying to get to the hut as soon as possible, stumbling several times on the way. He finally reached the hut and was thankful that someone had left wood in a pile out back. He put his belongings inside and then went and got two arm loads of wood. He found his flints in his pack and had to strike it many times before he got some sparks going. Finally a fire blazed in the hut’s in door fire pit. Jared was warming up and reviewing his aches and pains. His head hurt where he had fallen and hit it on the ground. He had scraped hands and bruised knees. But other than these few injuries he was relatively unhurt considering he could have been torn apart by the bear’s claws. The thing that bothered him most now that he was out of immediate danger was his hunger. He would have to go to bed with his stomach growling because he had no more rabbit and no dried food and it was too dark to try to look for berries (even though he knew he was too high in the mountains for berries) or to hunt for small game.

His ordeal made him tired and sleepy. He pulled out his leather cape a spread it out on the ground to warm by the fire. Then he went out back and hauled in more wood so at least he could stay warm all night if not well fed. Once he thought he had enough wood, he closed the door tight and put on the rope latch. He added more wood to the fire, wrapped his wool cape around himself and lay down for sleep. He would check his belongings in the morning in the light. He may even need to go back down to where he met the bears if he was missing some key items. Soon his exhaustion had him snoring away until morning.

Jared woke the next morning to the sounds of hawks calling over head. He ached all over. He put wood on the embers in the pit and got the fire going again. He sat and stretched out, trying to get rid of the kinks and tight muscles. He felt every bump and bruise all along his legs, butt and arms. Then his stomach made a very loud sound. The first thing he needed to do was to get food. Once he had eaten then he could think of where he stood.

He still had his bow and two of the twenty arrows he had left home with. He was a pretty good shot, but still he hoped that two arrows would get him what he needed. He had not expected to be in such a bad situation so early in his trip. Stringing up his bow, he went out to a clear bright morning. He looked around to get his bearings. The hawks he had heard earlier were perched atop their own trees, just looking down upon their kingdom. Jared didn’t want to have to compete with such excellent hunters, so he hoped they had gotten their fill the night before.

Jared set off into the woods, moving stealthily, watching the placement of his feet so he did not snap any twigs and scare off any potential prey. After walking about a half hour, he found a good spot to hunker down and hide in some bushes, allowing any animals to come his way so he did not have to go too far away from the hut.

He squatted down, bow and arrows at the ready and waited. Luckily he did not have long to wait. A rabbit crossed his path not too far in front of him. He took aim, pulled back and got his arm caught in a branch behind him. The arrow flew off course and the rabbit bolted. Jared knocked his second arrow quickly, aimed and shot again. This arrow nicked the rabbit in the rear, but it kept on going. Jared dropped his bow and took off after the rabbit. He was desperately hungry and that made him fast. He lunged at the rabbit and just barely got it by one of its hind legs. He pulled his flint knife from his belt and slit the rabbit’s throat. He tied the rabbit to his belt with leather thongs.

Jared followed his trail back the way he had come to retrieve his two arrows and his bow. He wended his way back to the hut. On the way back, he saw a pheasant in the brush ahead of him. He fit an arrow in his bow and let it fly. He got the bird clean in the neck. It dropped over dead. Jared now had a choice of two meats for his meals. It would still be a long while before he ate. He hurried even more now to get back to his camp.

Jared cut up part of the rabbit and skinned it. The piece was just large enough to feed his hunger now. He got it on the fire so it could begin cooking. While the rabbit piece cooked, he cleaned the rest of the rabbit and plucked the pheasant. By the time he had done all of that the sun stood high in the sky and his meal was done. He ate heartily, finally breaking his fast and no longer feeling like a starving man. Once he was satiated, he spitted the uncooked meat and placed it over the fire. He collected more wood from the edges for the forest where he could keep an eye on his food. When he had enough wood to last him until tomorrow, he looked through his belongings to see what was missing.

He had lost several things he would need. He decided he would spend another night here. Go back down to where he lost his things and see what he could recover. He would also try to catch more food along the way. He’d have to carry cooked food with him instead of the dried meat. It would not last as long, but it would be the best he could do now.

By the time he had cleaned up around the creek where he had cleaned the animals and reorganized his pack, he was very tired. The sun was getting ready to dip down to the horizon, so he thought he’d just take it easy for the rest of the night and help his hurts to heal more. When the sun went down, he covered the outside fire in dirt and went inside. He brought the fire up to burn, wrapped up in his covers and went to sleep.

He awoke just before sunrise, well rested and ready to go. He ate some pheasant, packed everything up, dowsed the fire and set off back down the path. When he found the spot from the day before, he also found many of the things he was missing. He gathered everything up, including his missing eighteen arrows and their holder. He did not want to hang around long in case the bears were still in the area. Once he had everything he could find which included everything that mattered, he headed back up the mountain. He made the hut before noon even taking time out to get another rabbit. He would have to spend another night here but he’d be back to pretty good shape even though he’d have lost two days. He may have been a little too optimistic in his eagerness for his quest, but all was not lost. He would need to be more careful in the future so as not to lose any more time.

Next morning he was ready to go. Right after sunrise he was off again ready to do the last leg to the cavern opening. He had on his wool cape as it had gotten colder over night. The path was less obvious than it was lower on the mountain. He had to do more climbing over rocks and boulders. He saw tiny blue flower growing from rock crevices and even a few of the white wooly soft flowers that were so prized by lovers. He would pick one on the way down to give Rosamund as a token of love and to commemorate his quest and success.

Jared caught glimpses of the ice glaciers further up. He kept up his pace even though it was getting more difficult to get a good breath. He had to stop periodically to catch his breath and take a rest. At noon he took a longer rest and ate and drank. He sat for a little while for a break. Then he set off again.

He reached the mouth of the cave when it was still light. He had made good time. The ice came down around the peaks and wrapped around them nudging their noses close to the cavern opening. It was quiet up hear. No animals skirmished around. No birds were soaring up here. The only sound Jared heard was a moaning that came form the cave it self. The moaning seemed to be separate from the whoosh the wind made as it came out of and got sucked back into the cave itself. Jared could not think what was groaning as if it had a perpetual ache. It made him nervous. It had to be a trick of the wind as it snaked through the tunnels.

Jared decided to set up camp here at the mouth for the night. He moved off to the side where some boulders would break the rush of the wind and afford him some shelter. There was no wood for a fire so he huddled in his cloaks to keep warm. He ate some rabbit and drank some water. He thought about how he would see in the tunnels. Somehow this problem had completely escaped his attention. There were not even any branches that he could use for torches. He would have to figure it out tomorrow. His hike wore him out and wedged between boulders he fell sound asleep.

In the morning, he woke aching and stiff. He stretched and ate standing up. Then he went off to check out the cave. He walked into it with care. It seemed that there was only one way to go and that was back and down. The only thing that bothered him was that he could see. There was a glowing light all over inside the cave. It was a soft glowing light but it was more than enough for Jared to see by. He couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. It seemed to glow like the light in corners thrown off by many candles. He had no choice no matter how bizarre he thought the light was. He had to go on.

He walked through the large cavern at the cave’s opening to the tunnel at the back. The same soft glowing light shown back here and he could see his path down into he tunnels. It looked as if there were man made steps down the tunnel path. His way was easy for him. Nothing blocked his way. He could not understand why no one had come this way before. The easy of his journey through the tunnels was making him a bit nervous and puzzled. He began to wonder if Beando had played him for a fool and taken his silver and given him a lark and sent him off on a wild goose chase. But then how could there be stairs? Why were they there and who had put them there if it were not the long ago king to hide his treasure? Still wondering, Jared went on since there was not anything else that he could do. He went further down and turned many corners, still marveling at the light and the stone stairs that he tread upon.

He turned one more corner and fell into a pile of bones. Human bones, picked clean and bleached white, covered the floor of the tunnel in front of him. It seemed that many people had been here before and not made out very well. Jared was astonished. He almost called out in his shock, but stopped just in time. There across the floor on the other side of the field of bones slept a giant.

10

A giant was sleeping peacefully right in the path of where Jared needed to go. And on the other side of the giant, the lake Jared needed to cross and lo and behold on a shelf on the other side of the lake, Jared could see the treasure sitting next to the boat, with a skeleton hanging over the bow.

Many things about his situation scared Jared. He thought his quest might not be as easy as he thought he would be. He had not counted on a giant. That was a definite problem, but as the giant slept, he could sneak quietly around him. The lake turned out to be much bigger than he expected, but the skeleton suggested that it was crossable. Of course, a skeleton probably wasn’t a good sign of a favorable outcome. The treasure was real though and it was still there, so Jared had hope.

Jared walked around the giant and surveyed him from a distance. He figured going around the giant by its feet end was his best bet. He could see part of the lakes edge too and the best place to get into the lake was right behind the giant. The rock floor sloped down gently into the water. He would not need to make a splash to enter the lake. He hoped it wasn’t too cold, but he figured it would be frigid.

He put his pack near the stairs he would need to go back up to get out of the cave, and then stopped dead in his tracks. How was he going to get back with the treasure without making any noise? Well, he had some time yet to figure that out. He took only his bow and quiver full of arrows with him, strapping both high on his back to keep them out of the water. He took a good look at the giant again, hoping to get a hint of how soundly he slept.

The giant must have been thirty feet tall standing up. He looked like a man in his early twenties with a light reddish blonde beard and mustache in contrast to his blonde hair. He slept with his hands under his head and curled up on his side like he slept in a feather bed. His clothes were the colors of the deep woods, mossy greens and mushroom browns. He breathed deeply and evenly, without any snores escaping from his mouth. Jared expected to see cobwebs draped over the giant but he was clean and debris free. That disturbed Jared.

He had to do something if he was to get anywhere. He tiptoed along the cave wall down to the giant’s feet. Jared’s soft leather soles on his shoes made no sound as he walked around the feet of the giant which were a spare four feet from the water’s edge. As he round the giant’s heels, a midget jump up and out of the crook in the giant’s knees and started screaming at the top of his lungs.

Jared jerked back, tripped over a rock and fell into the lake which nearly made his heart stop. He thrashed around, splashing and bobbing, trying to get his breath. He felt himself jerked out of the water by the nape of his neck and hung in the air dripping. Now he couldn’t breathe because the giant’s fist was cutting off the air in his throat. His feet thrashed and kicked out, arrows spilled out of his quiver and he grabbed at the giant’s hand, trying to pry it loose.

All this while, the midget continue to yell and rant somewhere below him. The drone from the midget and the lack of air in his lungs made Jared pass out. He was shocked awake when the giant dunked him in the freezing lake and the tossed him across the cavern. Jared hit the wall and slumped to the floor. The midget ran up to Jared and continued to scream right in Jared’s face. Spittle flew in his eyes but he was too stunned to wipe it away. Eventually it dawned on him that the midget wasn’t actually saying any thing, he was just screaming at the top of his lungs.

The giant had come over to them. He stood above Jared and the midget, fists on hips and looked down at them. Then he punched the midget on the head. The midget crumpled to the ground and stopped screaming.

“Thank you,” Jared said to the giant.

“Uh.” The giant seemed to be a real conversationalist.

“Why was he screaming like that?”

“Scared.”

“Really? I’m that frightening?”

“Surprise see man.”

“I just want to get across the lake.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Mine.”

“What do you need it for?”

“Mine.”

“You said that. But I really need it and I’ll put it to good use. And you just leave it sitting there.”

“Mine.”

“What if I give you something to replace it, something better?”

“What?”

“I could be your friend. You and your midget could come live with me and my family. That way you’d have company, still be near your treasure and I could use it too. We would all be happy.”

“Friend?”
“Yes, help me cross the lake, get the treasure out of the cave and back down the mountain and then you can just stay with me and my family. The kids would love you two. And it is so much nicer at the bottom of the mountain; sunny, warm, happy. And there’s fish in the lake.”

At this point, the midget woke back up and started screaming again. The giant stuck a finger in the midget’s mouth. The midget started turning purple.

“Now cut that out,” said Jared. He pulled the giant’s finger. The giant farted. The midget started breathing again but did not start yelling again. Every one looked at each other. Jared began laughing. The other two looked at Jared as if he were weird. The midget shook his head, and wiggled a finger in his ear. He plopped down on his butt and sat quietly looking between Jared and the giant as they continued to talk.

“Will you help me?” Jared asked the giant.

“Can’t.” The giant shook his big head. He scratched the back of his neck.

“Why not? With your help we could be out of here and home in no time.”

“You.” The giant poked Jared in the chest. Jared nearly fell over. He stumbled back into the wall.

“I have to get the treasure myself? I have to do it on my own?”

“Yup.” The giant sat down next to the midget. The ground underneath them shook and a something crashed deeper in the caves. Ripples moved across the surface of the lake. Jared thought he saw something poking up out of the water but when he looked more closely, nothing was there.

“Don’t get, can’t keep.” The giant and the midget nodded in unison.
“I have to get the treasure myself in order to keep it. Makes sense to me. Well, I guess I better get going then.” Jared took a couple steps towards the sloping edge of the lake. He wasn’t looking forward to getting back in that fridged water.

The midget jumped up and began clapping and dancing from foot to foot. The giant turned around knocking the midget over with the toe of his shoe. Jared turned around to look at them when the midget began yelping.

“Well, here I go. My named is Jared. In case I don’t get back, remember me. I know I’m stalling, but do you two have names?”

“Me Tiny,” said the giant. “He Sparky.” Tiny pointed at the Midget.

“Tiny, Sparky. It was nice meeting you. If I really didn’t need the gold and jewels to help my family, I’d say let’s just get out of here, but we are really poor.” Jared shrugged his shoulders and Tiny and Sparky mimicked him.

“Are you sure you can’t give me a hand?” Jared looked at Tiny hopeful. Tiny looked back at Jared with a blank stare, then a light seemed to go off in Tiny’s eyes. Tiny shoved Jared in the water.

Jared sputtered and floundered in the water. Each time he broke the surface he saw Tiny grinning and Sparky clapping. Finally, Jared found a flat surface to stand on. He stood up, wiping water from his eyes and wringing his hair out.

“Very funny,” said Jared. His teeth were already chattering. He clamped them together, turned in the water and pushed off towards the opposite shore. The movement helped him warm up a bit, so he kicked his legs extra rapidly. His foot hit something. He thought the lake must be rather shallow if he could kick the bottom. He swam about a third of the way across the lake and felt himself get winded. He decided to stand in place for a minute to get his breath.

He stopped stroking and drifted to a standing position and sank under the water. He immediately began treading water to get his head above water again. He must have kicked a boulder hidden under water before. He would just have to keep swimming. He struck out again, only this time with a little less vigor to save some of his energy. He pulled his arms through the water which was getting more difficult. His muscles were feeling very heavy. On one stroke through the water his hand brushed against what must have been a big fish. He was now three quarters of the way to the other side. He stopped to tread water again and to take a little rest before his final stretch.

He turned to look back at Tiny and Sparky. Tiny waved a big hand at Jared and grinned, then waved him on. Sparky was jumping around again and pointing at Jared. Jared turned back towards his goal and began swimming again. It wasn’t long and he reached the opposite ledge. This side had no sloping ledge he could crawl up on, but a rock shelf jutting over the water. He held on to the ledge and tried to find a foot hold. As he moved his legs around a fish slithered up his leg. He kicked out to shake it off, but it kept rubbing up against his leg. Jared’s foot finally found a toe hold under the ledge and hoisted him self up onto the rocks.

Jared lay there shivering and breathing deeply. He rested for a few minutes to regain his strength, rolling over and looking at the ceiling of the cave. The gold and gems reflected light and rainbow colors that Jared watched as he rested. He had thought of this moment for so long and now here he was just laying here on the ground. He thought that if he looked at the treasure and touched it, that it would vanish. He thought it best to get it over with and see if it was real or not.

He rolled over and stood up. He took a few steps towards the boat draped with a skeleton and loaded with precious metals and jewels. It looked real from where he stood. He walked over and touched the skeleton which fell apart into individual bones and dust particles. A ring slipped off of a finger bone and rolled to Jared’s feet. He picked it up. It was a signet ring. This must have been the old king who had left the treasure here. Jared wondered why the king had died here.

Jared gathered the old king’s bones, said a short prayer and dumped the king’s bones into he water. He looked up and saw Tiny and Sparky waving and shouting at him. He couldn’t hear what they were yelling. The noise echoed around the vaulted ceiling. The sound was so loud that it affected the water, which had begun to boil and churn. That made no sense. He looked more closely and he saw something rise up out of the water. A thick broad head broke through the surface with huge round black eyes and a mouth filled with long needle like teeth. It came up and slithered above Jared its nose barely inches from Jared’s head. Jared fell over backwards in his fear. He lay looking up at the vicious long teeth of the beast. He saw that they were so long that the beast could not open its mouth to bite. In fact the teeth looked like a comb or a sieve used to winnow grains.

Jared crawled like a crab back away from the monstrous beast. As he moved back it moved forward. It followed him as he inched his way back but it never touched him. Jared banged his head into the boat, making the boat rock on its keel. The big snake like animal hovered over Jared and moaned. It whined and whimpered like a hurt puppy dog. Jared sat up leaning against the boat’s side. The ferocious looking wormy creature rested his chin on Jared’s knees and Jared saw why it was crying. One of its sharp pointy teeth stuck up through his upper jaw poking through the skin.

He reached out a tentative hand and gently stroked the animal’s nose. It made a sort of purring noise deep in its throat. The offending tooth had come loose from the worm’s jaw but was entangled with the other teeth. Jared continued to pet the animal’s snout with one hand while he grabbed the tooth from the pointy end and yanked. The beast let out a yowl, thrashed its head around and knocked Jared into the water. Jared hit his head on the edge of the rocks and passed out. He sank to the bottom of the cave lake.

11

The eel dove into the water down to where Jared lay. It nudged Jared. When Jared didn’t move, it used its lips to grab a hold of Jared’s shirt and hauled Jared up out of the water and gently placed him on the ledge by the boat. It breathed on Jared, a warm steamy sort of air that brought color back to Jared’s cheeks. Then it laid its top of its long thick body next to Jared, its tail end still in the water. It closed its eyes and to a peaceful nap.

Jared woke with a start wedged between the boat’s hull and a slick smooth body the color of a hen’s egg. He thought he actually heard snoring. He rubbed his head where it hurt and found a lump the size of a hen’s egg. Gosh, he was hungry. He wished he had a hen’s egg right about now. He pushed on the boat with his feet and he pushed on the worm with his hands. This woke the worm up. It snaked its way from Jared so he could stand up. The worm watched Jared.

Jared went over to the boat. He touched a few golden coins lying at the top of the heap. They did not disappear. He looked over his shoulder at the beast. It just looked back at him with a kind of silly grin on its face. Jared thought he was going a little nuts. He fingered some stones. There were so many different colors; deep reds, mossy greens, bright blues and shiny clear ones. Jared couldn’t focus on the treasure yet. He needed to get it out of the cave and back home first.

He checked out the boat for holes. There weren’t any. It seemed very sound but it could still leak through the boards. He looked around it for oars. He didn’t see any. There was a chain hanging off of the prow of the boat. He would have to swim back pulling the boat behind him. He wasn’t sure if he had the strength any more to do it. He ached all over, he was tired, and he was hungry. He tried to move the boat towards the water. While it rocked, it would not move from its spot. He got behind it, pushing on the stern end. It still didn’t budge.

Jared got into the boat and sat on top of the loot. He hung his head, burying his face in his hands and began to cry. He felt like such a failure. He had a dream and he came so far and here he was with a stuck boat. He felt something wet and cold touch is ear. He looked up to see Wormy’s face right in front of his. Wormy nudged him under the chin as if to say chin up. This gave Jared an idea. He leaned forward and picked up the chain. He held it up to Wormy’s mouth. Wormy took hold of it in his mouth.

Jared tugged on the chain and motioned for Wormy to go in the water. Wormy got the hint. He slithered back down the rock ledge until most of his body was submerged. Jared sat back in the boat. He pointed to the other side of the lake and Wormy began to move in that direction. Jared was ecstatic that it was working. The chain got taut, the boat creaked and scraped and worked itself free of its years long resting place. Wormy continued to move through the water, swimming gently across the lake. Jared looked over and saw Tiny and Sparky wave at them, both with big grins on their faces. They got to the other side in no time without a drop of water touching Jared.

Wormy handed the chain off to Tiny who pulled on it while Wormy nudged the boat from behind. They got the boat up the sloping rock where it came to a gentle rest. Wormy rubbed his muzzle on Jared’s arm. Jared pet Wormy’s head and thanked him for all of his help. Wormy purred and slowly sank back into the water. In seconds the lake surface was calm and smooth as glass.

“I have the treasure. Will you both help me get it back down the mountain and come live with me and my family?”

Sparky bounced on his feet, clapping and smiling. Tiny nodded his head.

“Sparky, can’t you talk?” Jared asked.

“Not want,” said Tiny.

“That’s fine,” said Jared. “There’s too much jabbering in the world as it is. How are we going to get this back out? Maybe you could pull the chain and Sparky and I could push from behind.” Jared moved to the back of the boat to push while Sparky got in the boat.

“No, Sparky, we’ll push while Tiny pulls.”

“In,” said Tiny, pointing from Jared to the boat.

“You are just going to pull us?”

“In,” said Jared.

Jared was tired so he really wasn’t going argue with getting a break. He climbed in and settled next to Sparky. It felt good to rest. Tiny bent over, put both arms under the boat and lifted it like a pile of sticks. He hefted it securely against his chest and began the climb back up the stone steps. In minutes, they had reached the top of the tunnel steps; Tiny had taken them four and five at a time. Now they were at the cave entrance and in the fresh open air of the mountain top.

While Jared had been in the caves it had snowed. A thick covering of white lay all over the land and more snow fell from dark the sky. It was night. Sparky jumped out of the boat and ran around dancing in the moon struck flakes, laughing and giggling. Tiny smiled on indulgently. While Sparky played, Jared went to find his pack. It was right there where he had left it. He brushed off the snow and took it back to the boat. He looked through to see if everything was there. The only things missing were his bow and arrows which he had lost in the caves. He could afford to spend as much time as he wanted making new ones now. He could even afford to have someone else make them for him. No, he thought, that he would never do. He enjoyed making them himself too much.

The moon was full over head tonight. That meant he had been in the caves for ten days. No wonder he was hungry. He told Tiny to move the boat back in to the mouth of the cave. He went to the hut and gathered up some wood and took it back to the cave. They would need to spend the night here and start out for home in the morning. And Jared needed a fire. He was still damp and very cold from his several dunkings in the lake water. He piled all of the wood together and struck off his flints. Sparks flew over the wood and Sparky came over to watch, laughing and smiling and pointing. The wood caught and soon they had a blazing fire. They got more wood from around the hut to keep the fire going all night. Jared offered Tiny and Sparky one of his cloaks but neither of them wanted one. They were happy with the fire. Jared wrapped up in all three cloaks, laid down near the fire and fell asleep.

Jared woke the next morning to bright sunshine and a foot of snow on the ground. He jumped up and looked for the boat. It was there. It was real. He sighed a sigh of relief. He thought he had dreamt the whole adventure. Sparky and Tiny were not there though. He looked around and saw two sets of foot prints leaving the cave and going off into he woods. The sun was already up half way in the morning sky. Jared had slept late. Did the other two go off exploring or had they left him? Jared’s stomach grumbled. He would need to do something about getting food. He looked over to the woods. There was a lot of snow on the ground. That would make hunting difficult, he thought.

Just then, Tiny came out of the woods carrying Sparky in one hand and a little piglet in the other. Tiny dropped Sparky and the pig by the fire. He went back into the woods and came back with a couple of dead tree trunks, which he broke into logs and put on the coals. When they caught fire, Tiny spitted the pig on a branch and held it over the fire. The three of them sat around quietly listening to the pig fat crackle as the porker cooked. Jared’s mouth was watering. When it was finally done, they pulled it apart and chowed down. Tiny and Sparky ate like they hadn’t had food in years. After they had gotten some food in them and felt a little satisfied Jared wondered about the two of them.

“You two seem hungry,” he said.

“Miss food.”

“Didn’t you have any food in the cave?”

“Not need. Magic.”

“How long were you down there?”

“Hundreds years.”

“I bet you are glad to get out of there then.”

“Yes, happy.”

Sparky nodded his head vigorously throughout the conversation.

“I’m happy, too.”

Between the three of them, they finished the entire piglet. Sparky ate the most. Now that they were full, they needed to think about getting down the mountain. Jared figured he had been gone from home for about three weeks. Another three days and he should be home again. As long as they did not get snowed in on the way back down they should make good time.

“Are you ready to go home?” Jared asked.

“Home!” Tiny’s booming voice echoed around the rocks.

Sparky jumped into the boat.

“In.” Tiny pointed Jared to the boat. It worked well to get out of the cave so Jared wasn’t arguing. He grabbed his pack, climbed in the boat and wrapped his cloaks around him. Tiny stomped the fire out, grabbed the boat chain and began running down the mountain. The ground shook as Tiny bound down hill towing the boat behind him like a sleigh. Snow on the branches of the trees that lined the path down the mountain sifted to the ground in white showers.

They flew over the snow and Tiny never seemed to tire. They reached the next hut in two hours and passed right on by it. They got to the base of the mountain in another three hours. Tiny pulled them into the center of the village and no one was about. Everyone must be in their houses because of all of the snow. Jared called out as he ran up to his house.

The door flew open and out ran Jared’s brothers and sisters who grabbed onto Jared, hugging him and knocking him to the ground. Jared’s parents came out of the house more slowly. Neighbors peeked out of their doors to see what all of the commotion was. Rosamund ran out of her house to greet Jared home. She stopped dead in her tracks before she reached Jared though and screamed. Everyone looked at her and then looked to where she was pointing.

Someone yelled, “Giant.” And others took up the call, chanting giant around the village center. Jared got his siblings off of him and he got up and went over to Tiny and Sparky, holding Sparky’s hand and Tiny’s finger. The village people got quiet.

“These are my friends. They have come to live with me, with us. They helped me get the treasure home.” Jared looked around at the people staring at them. He looked at his parents. He looked at his brothers and sisters. He looked at Rosamund.

“Treasure,’ said Tiny. He pointed at the boat with his free hand. He smiled. Sparky jumped up and down and giggled.

Rosamund was the first one to take a few steps towards Jared, the giant and the midget. She was followed by Stebin and Catin, Jared’s oldest brother and sister. Then, Lucia, Jared’s five year old sister, fascinated by Sparky, broke free of her brothers and sister and ran to Sparky and the two of them jumped up and down laughing and dancing around in circles. Rosamund and the rest of the children joined them. The other villagers tentatively came to join them, slightly wary of Tiny, but being more comfortable as the minutes went by. Only Jared’s parents did not join them.

Jared broke free of the others and went to his mother and father who were still standing by their door way. He walked up to them and took their hands.

“Come see the treasure,” he said.

“There really is a treasure?” His father asked Jared his question in a quiet, trembling voice. His hands shook.

“Yes, father, there is a large, heavy, shiny treasure. Come see it.”

Pontid had tears in his eyes. He struggled forward, leaning on his wife. Jared guided them both to the boat. They walked slowly to accommodate Pontid. Falicia looked very tired and weary. She never really looked up as if she were afraid it was all a bad joke.

“You are not hurt?” Falicia asked her son. She looked at him sideways, sneaking looks at his clothes. “There is blood on your shirt.” She totally ignored the people around her, the giant towering in her village and the midget dancing with her youngest daughter. The boat did not even exist in her world. She reached over to Jared and tugged his shirt where it was ripped.

“Mother, I am fine and healthy and happy.” Jared beamed a huge grin at his mother. “Look at me. Do I look hurt? Look at my face, mother.”

She looked Jared full in the face and she broke down in tears. She collapsed to the ground on her knees. She sobbed into her apron, crying like an inconsolable soul.

“You were gone so long. I thought you were dead.” She got out these words between sobs and wet hiccups. “I did not want a treasure if you had died. We were fine without a treasure but we would have withered without you.” She continued to morn.

Jared bent do to her and lifted her up. He took her in his arms and hugged her.

“You can see I am fine. I have returned. I am unhurt. I have brought new friends. And I have the treasure.”

“I know,” cried Falicia, “I am so happy.” She continued to cry into Jared’s shoulder for several minutes more. When she quieted down, Jared walked her over to the crowd who parted to let her through. She stood next to Pontid, who had hobbled over to the boat by himself while Falicia cried on Jared’s shoulder. The two of them stood hand in hand, tears streaming down their faces. Everyone gathered round them, joined hands and looked at one another. They made sure that Tiny and Sparky were part of the group and then they all started singing a song of thanksgiving. It was an old song that may even have been sung by the old king who first brought the treasure to their mountains. They sang all ten verses, shouting out the chorus at the top of their lungs like drunken fools. When they were done, they were laughing and hugging each other.

Jared went up to Rosamund who was standing next to Tiny and holding his hand. She let go of the giant and moved into Jared’s embrace. They hugged each other and kissed passionately for the first time in their lives.

“I promised you a treasure and a better life,” Jared said, “and I have kept my promise.”

“I would have been happy with you alone. I did not need these other things.” Rosamund kissed Jared again.

“I wanted you to have these things. I wanted the best for you.”

“You are the best for me,” Rosamund said.

Jared took Rosamund’s hand, knelt down on one knee.

“Will you marry me?”

“Yes.”

Jared took the old king’s signet ring from off of Jared’s finger and placed it on Rosamund’s finger. The village cheered. Every one hugged and kissed again.

12

Over the next few weeks, they prepared for the wedding. The village tried to build a house for Tiny, but he didn’t want one. He said he was only staying long enough to see Rosamund and Jared married, then he would be off on a journey to find his own family. Jared didn’t want Tiny to go but he insisted he needed to be with his own kind. In the end, Jared understood. In the mean time, Tiny slept outside with a leather tarp strung between buildings for cover. He didn’t get cold. While he was still with them, Tiny helped with new building projects, hauling stone from the mountains and stacking them into sturdy walls and he put new slate on roofs and mended chimneys. He also helped fell trees for furniture projects, easily striping bark and branches. People loved having him around and by the time the wedding arrived he was speaking in full sentences.

Sparky spent most of his time with the children. He would be invited to sleep over at different houses each night. He delighted in every thing he saw and was so happy to be with other people that his happiness was infectious. Whenever he was around people were laughing and even dancing. They found out one day that he knew how to play music. One of the villagers had a wooden flute and a lyre. Sparky would play the flute and make people weep and laugh. He played the lyre while others sang. Rosamund asked him to play some special music for their wedding.

The village made lots of extra candles for the wedding. They gathered evergreen branches and wove them into wreaths and garlands that were strung around the village square. They decorated the bows with holly berries, mistletoe and pinecones. In the morning before sunrise, venison and wild pig that had been caught over the past week were spitted over big pits and roasted. Fresh fish caught from the lake were layered around the pit and covered with rocks. Crab apples were brought up from cellars and baked into tarts and fresh wheat loaves were baked in the coals.

At noon everyone gathered in the village for the big wedding feast. They all ate together sharing food and ale. Sparky played his flute while they ate and during breaks in the eating some people sang while he played. When everyone had eaten their fill, Jared stood by the village wise woman with his parents on one side and Rosamund’s adopted mother, Sossa, on the other. He stood tall and clean, his black hair tied back from his face. He wore a new tunic in a pale blue cloth made by his mother. She had embroidered it around the neck in dark greens and blues. It was mid-day and the sun still shone bright.

Harolt, Rosamund’s adopted father, walked her down the village street with rays of sun shining on them. Sparky played a low powerful music on the lyre as they walked to Jared. Rosamund had on an uncolored dress which she had made herself and she had embroidered at hem, neck and sleeves in dark blues and greens. They reached Jared and Harolt placed Rosamund’s hand in Jared’s. They promised themselves and the village that they would work together for a better life, take care of each other and love each other. Rosamund handed the wise woman a cloth Rosamund had embroider with special symbols. They wise woman tied this cloth around Jared’s and Rosamund’s clasped hands. They were now married and they lived happily ever after.”

Everyone in the room clapped and cheered when Greydere finished his story. He bowed slightly to their acclaim. He bowed to Alena.

“An excellent story with a very happy ending. You have done wonders to take our minds off of our recent troubles.” Alena waved Marta over with a bowl of beer for Greydere. He took it from Marta with a nod of thanks and drained the dish in one gulp.

“Where did you hear such a story?” asked Alena.

“It is an old story of this very village and these very mountains,” said Greydere.

“Ah, Lady, we recognized it immediately when he began, but he told it better than most,” said Marta.

“I had not heard it before,” said Alena.
“Perhaps that is because you did not grow up in this town.” Greydere held out his bowl to Marta and she refilled it. He drank from it more slowly now that his thirst had been satisfied. He looked around the room. Everyone was still watching him. His eyes passed by the door and there he saw three people who had not been there when he had begun his story.

“It seems that Georg arrived while I was entertaining you madam. I will go now.” Greydere bowed to Alena. He bowed to the room. He walked over to Georg, whispered something in his ear. Georg smiled and nodded his head. Greydere nodded to Balder the Druid and Tomas the Magistrate and passed through the door to the outside.

Tomas came into the room and sat at the table. He joined the men already sitting there. Someone poured him a bowl of beer.

Balder the Druid took Georg to meet Alena. He took her hand and brought her fingers to his lips. She gestured for him to take the chair across from her. Balder joined Tomas and the other men at the table.

“Greydere is an interesting slave,” said Alena.

A puzzled looked passed across Georg’s face briefly then he smiled a brilliant big white smile. “Yes, interesting slave.” Georg chuckled.

“From where did you get him?” Alena looked at Georg with anticipation.

“Do you wish to speak of slaves in our brief time together today?” Georg was still smiling.

Alena looked away in embarrassment, pink blushing her cheeks. She changed the subject by asking Georg what he liked to do during his days when he was home and not traveling looking for brides.

Georg laughed. His laugh was hearty without be excessive. When he laughed, he smiled, showing perfect white teeth in a tanned and healthy complexion. Hi laugh and his smile were infectious. Alena could feel the spirit of the room lift from the one of peaceful relaxation left by Greydere when he had finished his story to one of jovial conviviality. People in the room laughed out loud with one another in a boisterous way that distracted them from their work. Leni was looking back at one of the groomsmen while she carried a large kettle of stew. He was telling her a joke and she looked at him, smiling and laughing at the punch line. She tripped on the hem of her skirt, bumping into Marta, her mother, sloshing hot soup down both their aprons. Luckily only a little spilled and the groomsman rushed to help. Georg laughed as if it was a play on a stage and this forestalled Marta boxing Leni’s ears for her clumsiness.

Georg smiled and laughed at everything. Alena found herself telling him the most mundane events of her day and he smiled as if her darning was the most interesting thing he had ever heard. While she had asked him questions about himself, he never really seemed to answer her questions. He managed to turn her questions back on her and getting her to talk at length about herself, her life and her people. She found this very disconcerting and got the feeling that he was lying about something but since he never really said anything she couldn’t figure out what he might be lying about.

She decided to ask very specific questions about his age, his family and things he might like to do. She very consciously asked her questions and kept answering until she got a definite answer. If she did not get a satisfactory answer, she made a mental note of the question he evaded and how he didn’t answer it. He was very spotty on personal information. He was born in the town of Neumarkt. He currently lived in the town of Haye and his rooms were in the hall called Stagmere. He was twenty five years old. He was the second son in his family and looking for a way to make his fortune. He spent most of his days hunting, practicing his swordsmanship and touring the region. He was not much of a drinker as he found he couldn’t get up the next day for a hunt if his head was fuzzy. His favorite color was green.
Questions, for which he did not give clear answers or any answers at all, included how many brothers and sisters he had, the season of his birth and the name of his mother. He also could not give clear answers as to what he required in a wife, whether he liked children or how he planned to help run her holdings if she chose to marry him. She could not put her finger on what the problem was with his answers. He seemed to respond to her questions but they were never quite right. For instance, when asked if he had any sisters he said that sisters were a brother’s greatest joy and then changed the subject quickly by asking her a totally unrelated question. When asked his mother’s name he responded with a poetic litany of the family tree, saying the name of the mother of the second son of Stagmere was Wilamina, the most beautiful mother and woman in the entire world. When she asked him which season he had been born in, he told her that he had always liked the fall the best, with its clear sky and air and the gold leaves. It season invigorated him and he could ride all day. When she asked him how he would help her run her estates, he smiled winningly and waxed eloquent on her intelligence and abilities. Weren’t the last few months proof that she was capable and knew what she was doing, and any man would be wise to defer to her knowledge and experience?

She could not come right out and say he was lying to her or somehow evading the truth. That would have been too rude. But she would tell Balder the Druid about their entire conversation. Perhaps Balder would understand why this man would not give her straight answers.

He was charming in all ways, though. She really liked him and thought he would be a happy, easy addition to their town. He was a big man, well muscled and his physique gave proof to his assertions that he spent much of his time at physical pursuits. He would be able to help in so many ways and his affable personality would help in dealing with the people and possibly even outsiders such as traders and the Roman government.

She thought she could also stand him for herself. He was a ruggedly handsome man and she thought they could easily be partners in life, if it weren’t for the nagging questions she had about him hiding something. She like his laughing blue eyes and while he had shaved his head completely smooth, an usual thing for a man in this area to do, his beard and mustache were a very light blonde that sparkled in the fire’s light. He had a gold hoop earring in his left ear and heavy golden bands around his thick with muscle wrists. His clothes were of the moss green color he favored, in an expensive close weave that appeared to be of the softest wool. His tunic was plain without any embroidery but it was obvious that much care went into it. His leggings looked new and barely worn. When she commented on this fact, he said he liked nice things and did his best to see that everything he owned was of the highest quality possible. During the time that he sat with Alena, almost two hours, he never looked at anyone else. He rose to leave, took her hand and briefly kissed her fingers. He turned and strode out of the hall without looking at or speaking to anyone else.

So far out of the thirteen possible men that she had to choose from for a husband, seven were account for and only two of those seven, Georg and Dierk, were possibilities. Two of the seven were now dead, murdered in their lovers’ bed and three were unsuitable for several reasons. She still had another six men to interview in the coming two or three days. She hoped that several more of these would be eliminated quickly and easily.

That evening, over a roast of venison, Alena told Balder the Druid about her conversation with Georg and how he seemed to be avoiding answering certain questions in a straight forward manner. Balder the Druid said he would speak with Georg at length to see if Balder could see what Alena was referring to. Balder thought that perhaps Alena was getting tired and restless with all of the interviews. It was not after all normal for her to spend her days inside sitting all of the time. She was an active woman who liked to be out and about the town helping people where she could with their ailments or just generally overseeing things and making suggestions or asking questions. Balder the Druid decided that the next day there would be no interviews and Alena could have a free day to do as she pleased. She was very grateful for his thoughtful kindness and said so.

Alena looked forward to the morrow, thinking about what she would like to do with her day. She got ready for bed, planning different things she might do with her day. No one had come seeking her herbs or her healing help, but she could check in on a few households with small children to see how they faired in this weather. Springtime brought on some colds that could quickly turn into flu which could easily take the life of a young child or even the very old. It had been several days, almost more than a week in fact, since she had checked on the records for the mines. That was something she needed to do too but the running of the salt mines went very smoothly and if she missed even a month or two, it would not really matter. She could inspect the village stores. They had communal warehousing for imported items such as wine and spices and a certain wares like cloth and pottery, but they never changed much either and unless a thief came through totally unnoticed by every town member, there really was no need for her to do that either. In the end, just before falling asleep in her big cozy bed, she decided to wait to see what the weather brought in the morning before deciding what to do. Maybe she would spend the entire day alone. That settled she thought about the two men who could possibly end up being her new husband, Dierk and Georg. She spent a few moments comparing the two in looks, visualizing them in her mind, only to have the face of Greydere intrude upon the pictures. She shook her head, wondering why he had pop into her mind and then fell sound asleep.

13

The next day was sunny and bright. The air was warmed by the sun and a lovely little breeze blew in off of the lake keeping everything cool despite the bright sunshine. Alena dressed quickly after rising with the sun. She did not want any breakfast, but instead had Marta pack her a leather flask of wine and bread and cheese in a leather bag. She tied both of these to her girdle, grabbed her favorite walking stick and went out into the town center.

She had no real idea as of yet as to where she wanted to go. She looked in all four directions that she could choose from. She looked down the south road which would take her to the lake. The fisher men were just loading their nets into their boats. They used large woven nets that they would throw between each other’s boats and scoop up the fish between them, dividing their catches evenly between all of the boats. The morning launch was always fun to watch. She went down to the lake. The men sang while they loaded their equipment, bawdy songs about the sea that none of them had ever seen. They continued to sing, even after they had seen Alena perch herself on the wall ringing the lake. Some of the men waved to her and called her name in greeting. She waved back. Once they pushed their boats off into the water and began rowing out to the center of the lake, Alena closed her eyes and faced the rising sun. The natural warmth and light felt good upon her skin. She stayed there for a little while, watching fish jumping in the lake and birds diving to catch them. The lake lapped right up against the town. The town sat at the base of the mountain on a ledge of ground that seemed to cup all of the fertile material that washed down from the mountains in years past. The town held less than two hundred people, about twenty five families and it could hold no more. Children growing up had to move to the towns on the other side of the lake or travel over the mountains to other towns if they wanted a house of their own. Most though stayed on with parents and grandparents, living in ancestral homes that had been built at this site for hundreds of years, long before the Romans came and long before anyone’s memory held. Only Balder the Druid had stories of generation after generation of families who dated back to the opening of the salt mines. The houses were built up rather than out, most having four stories. They leaned on each other for support and stepped up the mountainside until there was no room to go any further. The granite under the top soil was so thick and strong that it could support any weight.

The lake itself was deeper than anyone knew. Some people in the past have tried to see how deep it was by diving down as far as they could but at a certain point it became too dark to see and too cold to stand the temperature. Other have tried to send down a rope with a weight on the end but most ropes just kept going down, seemingly without end. While no one in resent memory has seen it, it is said that a great beast lives at the bottom of the lake. It is a protector beast which only wakes and surfaces when the town has been under threat of invasion or attack. This has not happened in hundreds of years as the town is not easy to reach, taking several days to climb down to over the mountains and men would need to be funnels through narrow streets and alleys and the lake crossing would take over an hour and the white gold it produces flows so freely out to the provinces there is no need to mess with something that works so well. Either way, an attack would be known long before anyone could reach the town and the villagers had many ingenious was of dealing with unwanted company.

As a matter of fact, the town had never been invaded. Roman diplomats had come to see the town elders when they had taken over the area and the town, in its own best interests had made a deal with the Romans and a very good one at that. For a few, the town would be left to its own devices. The fee was hefty, but not burdensome to the town. Based on what they produced, they were getting off easy but no one knew the exact workings of the mines but the towns people and they were not about to betray their families. Outsiders were shown a perfectly choreographed operation that told the outsiders only and exactly what the villagers wanted them to know.

Since the town was run in a very democratic and social way, no one complained and no one told their secrets. Life was good for everyone, in and out of the town because of the way the town was run.

Once the sun had begun climbing the sky, Alena decided to go over to the meadows and fields that sat to the right of the town. She walked down along the lake, the walk way narrowing into a path just big enough for two to stand side by side. Here there was only this narrow shelf between the lake and the mountains rising straight above Alena’s head in a shear wall. There then came a gap covered by a small bridge where there was a crevice between two mountains. Water flowed out between the mountains into the lake. No one had ever been able to figure out if this water came from under the mountains or if it was run off from the snows at the mountain peaks. The crevice was narrow enough so that a person could jump from one side to the other, but the edges were of slipper rock and many people had slipped and drowned before the little bridge had been erected. Once across the bridge, the land opened up to a green meadow field divided in half by a river that formed from the water fall that fell from the mountain tops fifty feet in the air. The water fall was magnificent, falling down in a straight drop of a watery curtain that ended in a plume of mist like a foggy morning. The land here was too soft to build on with stone and trees were not easy to come by. The trees grew up the side of the mountain and besides not being very large, the villagers had found out in generations past that if they took down the trees the mountains would soon follow. These fields were used to grow vegetables in the summer months. It was too early yet to begin the plantings so the fields were open and deserted.

Alena walked through the grass to her favorite spot that was just far enough away from the mist to be dry but yet close enough where she could see the rainbows as the sun shone on the droplets. This was a favorite spot because as the sun moved across the sky the rainbows moved too, changing colors and forms to match the plumes of water. Stone benches had been set into place along this spot because it was a favorite resting place for the field workers and for families when they had their Sunday breaks and monthly extra day off from work and chores. A shallow pool was at this spot where children could swim and frolic in the pond without danger of drowning.

Birds flew in and out of the meadows catching the insects that lived in the spring grass. Herons used the area as a stopping point to places farther away. White or blue, it was not unusual to see the birds resting on one leg in the grass. Occasionally one could even see fox or deer taking a quiet stroll through the meadows when no one else was around.

The sun had reached its zenith. Alena removed her flask and bag from her belt and placed them on the stone bench next to her. She opened up her sack and spread it out like a small table covering. She broke off pieces of bread and cheese and broke her morning and mid-day fasts at the same time. After not eating the morning meal and her walk to this spot she was very hungry. She ate all of the cheese and most of the bread, washing them down with hearty gulps of wine. This was very pleasant. The rest of the bread she threw into the water and watched the small fish wrestle each other over their unexpected treats.
The sun and the walk and the food combined with the wine were making her sleepy. It hadn’t rained in several days so the earth was dry. She decided a little nap would be just the thing she needed. She had carried her light cloak with her, not needing to wear it on such a warm day, but knowing the temperature could change so fast that a person would be foolish to go without a covering. She spread it out on the ground and lay down. The sun played on her closed eyelids. Lights flickered like fireflies in the night and the warmth of the sun soon had Alena sound asleep.

She couldn’t breath. She dreamt she was drowning in the lake, the air cut off from her lungs and a pressure weighting down her body. She struggled upward, kicking a flaying to the surface, but the water was too much for her. She opened her eyes to find a masked man covering her mouth and nose and sitting upon her rib cage. The man had his head covered so she could not see his hair or his face. The hood had slits for the eyes and mouth. He did not make any sound. Alena struggled fiercely, knocking the man’s hand from her face. As she fought, she screamed and her voice echoed across the mountain faces, bouncing back and forth. The man attempted to hit her to shut her up but she struggle so much that he missed and only got her a glancing blow on the chin. She bucked and kicked while she yelled, her screams giving her strength. She dislodged him from her body, kicking out at him, her heel striking him in the mouth and knocking out some teeth and cutting her foot. She scrambled away from him but he grabbed her ankle and pulled her back. He grabbed the neck of her kirtle in the back and pulled. The material came away from her body ripping down the side seams. While this exposed her back, it also gave her more room to get away from him. She crawled and scrabble on the ground, desperate to escape, but he had some how managed to get a hold on her skirts. He pulled her back to him, grabbed her legs and flipped her over. She beat at his chest and tried to push him away using her knees but her strength was giving out. She tried got a hold of his hood and pulled it off planning to scratch his eyes out. When she got off his disguise, the will left her for a brief moment because the man attacking her was Wolfram. Her little pause in her struggles was the break he needed. He had her pinned to the ground, skirts to her waist and legs spread apart.

“I will have you one way or another,” he whispered in her ear as he placed both of her wrists in one of his hands and he used the other hand to grope between her legs.

After the initial shock wore off, she got back her will and began fighting Wolfram again. She also continued to scream. She bucked and kicked and struggled so much that he could only hold on to her. Soon she got a good kick to his groin which caused him to loosen his grip on her wrists. She got one hand free and raked her nails across his face causing deep bloody welts that went from eye to chin. This angered him so much that he let go of her and punched her in the face. Stars burst forth in front of her eyes and caused tears to spring into them too. But she knew she was fighting for her life. Regardless of what else he may do, she knew he would not let her live. She struggled around, hitting him with her fists. He slammed her body on the ground and her hand flung out into the grass and her wrist hit a rock. She scrabbled around it, got a hold of it and hit it into Wolfram’s skull. He toppled over sideways, stunned. She had just enough time to crawl out from under him, stand, back away and pull her dagger. She stood there watching him trying to catch her breath. He was not dazed enough for her to make a run for it yet. And she was so winded and sore that she didn’t think she would be able to escape him.

He was already on his feet, circling her. He reached for the knife at his belt but it must have fallen somewhere in there struggles because it was not in its holder. This disturbed him for a brief moment but didn’t slow him down much. She knew she had to keep out of his reach. If he got near her again, she would not be able to fight him off. They circled each other he moving forward her stepping back. She couldn’t figure out how she was going to escape him. She had stopped screaming. It was just taking away her energy and if no one had heard her by now they were not going to hear her. She had to play for time until she could form a plan of escape. Besides stalking her, he was now taunting her with lewd words, calling her names and detailing what he planned to do to her once he caught her again. He leered and salivated, drool actually dribbling down his chin and onto his tunic. She thought he might be mad, foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog. As there never was any talking to him in more sane moments, she did not even attempt to reason with him now.

She was becoming dispirited and desperate. Alena pointed to a man coming across the fields behind Wolfram. He shook his head, laughing manically. He wasn’t falling for that trick. But she had relaxed a bit and smiled. He thought she must really be a good bluffer and quite a cool cookie to act this way or there really might be someone behind him. Then he heard the whinny of a horse. He took a quick look over his shoulder and sure enough, a man on the biggest grey destrier Wolfram had ever seen was riding up to them. He came at a slow pace, picking his way in the soft earth. Wolfram wasn’t sure if the man knew Alena was in trouble but he wasn’t going to stick around to find out. Just then Alena began screaming again and pointing at Wolfram.

Wolfram took off across the field pounding into Alena as he went knocking her to the ground. She turned over and raised herself on her elbows to see Wolfram jump into the stream running across it to the other side, weaving his way through the grass. This turned out to be a smart move as the man on the horse had strung his bow, knocked an arrow and let it fly. His aim was true but he was so far away and Wolfram moving even further away that while the arrow made contact in Wolfram’s leg it did not lodge there securely. Wolfram, while hurt, was still able to keep moving. Soon he was into the mountains and it would be impossible to follow him from here on horseback.

14

As the man rode up to Alena, she turned over to look at him and was stunned to see the slave, Greydere sitting atop the war beast. He sat the horse as if he had been born and raised on it. He looked down upon Alena, quietly looking over her ripped clothing and dirty, blooding and bruised face. He looked off in the distance where Wolfram had run, seeming to debate whether he should follow the culprit or if he was needed here to care for her.

Alena made up his mind for him. She told Greydere that she knew the man who had done all of this to her and they could send people after him once she was back at home. Without saying anything in response, he climbed from the saddle and helped her from the ground. He walked her over to the stone bench. The horse silently followed, munching the fresh green grass along the way.

Greydere went about the business of gathering Alena’s belongings, picking up her cloak and putting it across her bare back. In the mean time the horse had gone to the stream for a fresh drink of cool water then it had come back to where Alena sat and appeared to stand guard over her. So far Greydere had not spoken a word to her. He hadn’t so much as looked at her again after his first review of her appearance. He was really making her mad.

“Have you nothing to say to me?” Alena stood there with her hands on her hips. She looked daggers at Greydere who ignored her. “I command you to speak to me.” She was yelling at him. He packed her belongings in the bags hanging over the back of the horse. He still did not speak to her or look at her. She walked up to Greydere and slapped him in the face and immediately collapsed in a heap at his feet sobbing hysterically. Greydere knelt beside Alena, waited a moment and then took her in his arms. She could feel him shaking, his body vibrating like a plucked string. Alena looked up into his face, startled by what she felt. She looked at his face. His jaw was tight, the muscles pumping blood through his temple. He looked ready to explode. He looked into her eyes. She reached up, grabbed his head and pulled his face towards hers, locking onto his lips. At first he held back, but then he plunged into her mouth, ravaging her lips and tongue. Alena gave back as good as she got, biting Greydere’s lips, sucking his tongue.

Greydere pushed Alena from him. They both sat back on their heels looking at each other and breathing heavily. He was shaking his head. Alena was not sure if he was trying to clear his head or if he was telling her, no. Maybe he was doing both. She couldn’t imagine what had gotten in to her. She supposed it must have been delayed shock setting in and her need for human comfort after being attacked by a mad man. What would people think if they knew she had acted like a harlot with a slave? They would be disgusted at her lack of self control. Her behavior made her sick to her stomach. She had a distinctly queasy feeling some where in her lower abdomen and her legs were shaking.

Greydere was taking deep breaths and still shaking his head. He stood up, stumbling slightly, only to place his feet wide apart to balance himself. He continued to breathe deeply, his back turned to her.

“It is best if we do not speak of this moment to anyone,” he said. “Neither of us would want anyone to know what just happened.” He walked over to the horse and grabbed its bridle, leading it to her.

“Can you mount this horse to ride back? I can move him to the stone bench to make it easier.” He would not look at her.

“Greydere, I will speak of this to your master,” said Alena. “Look at me, please.”

He looked at her with confusion in his eyes. There was also some emotion there that she could not define.

“My master?” His eye brows were drawn together as he stared at her as if she spoke another language. Then his face relaxed and he smiled. “No, we would not want you to tell my master. That would not be best for either of us.” He pointed at the horse.

She shook her head.

“I’ll walk back. I do not think I can manage riding a horse that large right now.” She moved over to Greydere’s side to get out of the horse’s way. Greydere dropped the horse’s reins. It followed behind them as they slowly walked their way back to the village. They walked slowly as Alena’s injuries were starting to pain her now that she had nothing else to occupy her mind. To take her mind off of her body’s feelings and her own thoughts she began to ask Greydere questions.

“What were you doing when you came upon me?”

At first, Alena thought he wasn’t going to answer her question. He took so long to before he spoke.

“I was out exercising Brutus. He has not had much to do lately.”

“You brought him across the lake to exercise him? Surely there are better places near Zell? Why would your master want his horse brought across the water?”

“I did not bring him across the water. I brought him over the mountain and he is stabled in Deepshade; a small stable with little room. This seems to be the best place for him to stretch and an enjoyable valley in which to spend an afternoon. At least, it was until today.” He gave a crooked smile. A breeze picked up, playing with Greydere’s hair, blowing the curls slightly into his face. Alena was taken with a nearly irresistible urge to brush his hair from his face and stroke his eyebrows and cheeks. She moved closer to him, her hand brushing against his arm. He jumped away from her as if he had been burned.

“You must not,” he said. She could hear the pain in his constrained voice. He turned to her and grabbed her by her upper arms holding her tightly but not causing pain. She looked into his blue eyes and leaned into him. He held her back. His breathing had become rapid again. She held his gaze. Her mouth parted and she licked her lips. This seemed to be too much for him to bear. He pulled her to him and locked onto her mouth. Their tongues wrestled with each other as they ground their bodies together.

The horse broke them apart by nudging his nose between them. It whinnied and nodded in the direction of the town. They looked over and realized they were in easy view of anyone who may be looking in their direction. Luckily though, no one seemed to be about. Greydere pulled the horse between them and they walked back the rest of the distance in silence with the horse as a chaperone.

When they got to the bridge, Alena went across first followed by Brutus who made the wood of the bridge creak under his weight. Greydere followed across last. They had to walk back in single file and still Greydere kept Brutus between them. When they reached the square, they saw the first person since entering town. This was Leni out on an errand. She looked at Alena and screamed. Both Alena and Greydere had forgotten how badly hurt and disheveled Alena looked. Leni started to run home, but Alena stopped her.

“Leni, come here child,” Alena said.

Leni stopped in her tracks and came back to Alena.

“You must calm down. Come here by me so I can lean on you. I find I am suddenly very tired.” Alena went to put her arm around Leni’s shoulder, but before she could use Leni to rest upon, Alena passed out and collapsed to the ground.

Greydere wrapped the reins to Brutus around a fence post. He called Leni over to him. He told her to go home and let her mother, Marta, know that he would be bringing a hurt Alena home and she needed to get her bed ready and call The Druid. Leni ran off, yelling to a few people she saw along the way, the news that Alena had been hurt.

Greydere scooped Alena up in his arms and carried her home. He savored the closeness he felt with her against his chest, but did nothing that would be considered in any way wrong.

He found himself greeted at the door by many towns people trying to ask him questions about what had happened. He just shook his head and told them all later. Marta was at the door and she let out a little yelp when she saw Alena’s face, which Greydere realized was quite swollen. He hoped that everyone assumed it was from her injuries and not from the brutally raw kisses they had shared.

Marta ushered Greydere back to Alena’s bedroom. He carried her in and laid her gently atop the furs and blankets piled there. He tried to stay but he was shunted out of the way by maids bringing in cloths and fresh clothing and grooms bringing in leather buckets of hot water to fill the bath tub more quickly and extra wood to keep the fire burning hot in the grate. Marta told one of the grooms to usher Greydere out of the room. He was pushed gently but firmly out into the main hall room and shown to the seat by the fire he would not take the day before. He saw Balder the Druid pass by and go into Alena’s room. It wasn’t long before all of the men were shoed out including Balder the Druid. Then most of the maids were sent out, a couple let back in; one carrying cold water in a pitcher, another with wine and the third with warm honey mead.

Balder the Druid came to sit with Greydere by the fire. He asked Greydere to tell him what had happened. Greydere explained the scene he had come upon in the meadow. He did not know who the other man was. He had never seen him, but he said that Alena had told him she knew the man. He felt sure that when she was able to talk she would be able to identify him. Balder asked Greydere if he had fought the other man.

“No, he ran off before I could reach him. I am sorry.”

“I do not ask to chastise you. You seem to be injured. There is a bruise on her cheek and your lips appear to be swollen.”

“I fell down,” said Greydere.

“Ah,” said Balder. That one sound served to make Greydere feel very guilty. He looked at Balder and he did not think Balder believed him. As a matter of fact, he thought that Balder may actually know what ad happened between Greydere and Alena. He could not see how that was possible but Balder’s next comment confirmed his suspicions.

“Why do you not tell the truth?” Balder looked Greydere directly in the eyes. “Why do you continue with this pretense?”

Greydere jumped up, muttering something about having to take care of his horse. He left, bumping into Tomas the Magistrate from Zell. Tomas joined Balder by the fire. Balder filled Tomas in on what he knew so far, keeping any suspicions he had about Greydere to himself.

Marta had brought Alena around with a bowl of vinegar under Alena’s nose. She woke sputtering and coughing and crying out at the pain her coughing was causing her ribs. Marta scooted everyone out of the room, leaving herself alone with Alena. She gave Alena the honey mead and let her sip at it while Marta finished getting the bath ready with lavender, rue and mint. She then helped Alena out of bed, to a standing position, so Marta could help Alena off with her ripped, dirty and bloody clothes. Once Marta had Alena naked, she helped Alena into the tub. Alena laid back and began to relax. Marta checked out Alena’s clothes and decided they could not be repaired. She almost threw them into the fire in disgust then thought better of it. Maybe she should give them to Balder and Tomas as proof of the injuries Alena had suffered.

Marta took a quick look over at Alena to see that she was doing alright and not passed out in the water, then she slipped out of the room and brought the clothes to Balder and Tomas sitting by the fire.

“Has she said anything yet?” asked Balder the Druid.

“No. She just woke and I have her relaxing in the bath tub. What did Greydere tell you?”

“Only that he had come upon Alena being attacked. He only got a brief look at the man before he ran off up into the mountains. He did not follow but stayed to help Alena.”

“He did not fight the man?” asked Marta in puzzlement. “He was injured.”

“No, he says he fell and hurt himself.”

Tomas snorted into his mustache. Marta shook her head. They all knew something was not quite right with Greydere. Balder thought he might know what it was but he was not ready to say anything to anyone yet.

“You had better go back in to Alena,” said Balder. “She may need you. When she is cleaned up and dressed and in bed call me and I will look at her injuries and I will give her something to sleep. But Tomas must also speak to her so that he can start looking for the man who did this to her. And we must know exactly what he has done, too.”