Hard to believe a week has gone by already, as she arrived for the morning meal, sitting down in her chair.
“Did you sleep well, dear?” Ivoka grabbed some bread from the basket in front of them.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good, because Vigdis has a surprise for you.”
“What surprise?”
“I’m not allowed to say. I swore a vow of silence.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No, sorry.”
El scarfed her food down as fast as possible, “See you later,” as she ran down the hallway straight out into the training area. She ran right up to Vigdis, “I heard you have a surprise for me?”
“You did, where did you hear such a rumor?”
“Ivoka told me at the morning meal. She also stated she vowed not to say a word.”
“Well, you’re right I do have a surprise for you, I’m adding weapons training to your schedule.”
“Seriously, that’s it?”
“What, were you expecting something different?”
“Well, yeah, kind of.”
“What surprise would you have liked?”
“I don’t know, maybe armor of my own?”
“You think you're worthy of wearing armor?”
“Well, I don’t know.”
“When the time is right, you will be honored with armor. First, you need to learn how to use a sword.”
As she watched, Vigdis grab a wooden sword from the rack.
“When you hold your sword, don’t grip it too tight, but you also don’t want to hold it to lose to the point you drop your sword either. Swing your sword from your shoulder like this.”
El did as Vigdis had instructed. She swung the sword at the stick figure. The sword was heavier than what she had imagined. Vigdis had made it look easy.
“Yes, ma’am.” El swung her sword, hitting the stick figure.”
Several hours later, Vigdis came to stand next to El. She watched her while she swung the sword. “You're doing well with your swing; you're holding the sword as I told you. Ready to do something else for the afternoon?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good, put away the sword, and we’ll do some hand to hand combat.”
El walked over to the weapons rack, replacing the sword. “Ok, what’s first.”
“You never want to underestimate your opponent; looks can be deceiving.”
“Yeah, ok, bring it on.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I am sure. I feel stronger than ever.”
“Ok, you asked for it.” Vigdis swung, trying to grab El’s arm.
El dodged out of the way. She was hot to stay away from Vigdis as she bounced back and forth while dodging Vigdis.
“Good, I see you have had some type of training.”
“Yes, a bit, nothing as like the training you all do here.”
“It serves you well, now let's see you throw a punch, hit my hand.”
El balled up her fist, then swung just like Lesa had taught her, stepping into her punch with a follow-through she connected with Vigdis’s fist. Pushing it back to the point, Vigdis had to take a step backward. She was shocked when she saw Vigdis shake her hand afterward.
“You did well for your first lesson. Therefore, I am calling it a day. You may go.”
“Thank you. Is your hand, ok? I saw you shaking it.”
“Yeah, you do have one heck of a left hook.” Laughing, she walked with El to the door to head back inside.
Three days had passed, El had finished her morning lesson with Vigdis when she heard the horn blow, she looked over at Vigdis to see the curiosity on her face.
Vigdis looked at El, smiled, “Let’s go see who it is.”
She didn’t have to tell El twice, walking next to Vigdis into the Great Hall. Their guest hadn’t come in yet. It was a few moments when in walked King Oberson and Lazeen. They had returned. Both men looked tired from their trip. They walked over to were Ivoka sat.
“How was your trip? You both look tired, “why don’t you go and rest now. We can discuss this more in detail later.”
“Thank you, I, for one, am exhausted,” Oberson smiled.
“I second the exhausting part; this old man is weary from his travels.”
Everyone stood as the two men walked off out of the room.
Ivoka turned to El, “Well, how was your surprise?”
“Not quite what I was hoping for, but then again, I should have known it would be another part of training worked into my schedule.”
“Vigdis speaks highly of how well you have been doing in training. Now then why don’t you go freshen up before the evening meal.”
“Yes, ma’am.” El stood as she walked back to her room. She was still bussing with today’s events. It was weird to hear Vigdis had praised her to Ivoka, about her training. She entered her room, walked into the bathing area. She washed the dirt from her face and hands. Redid her hair to make herself look more presentable for the evening meal. Finished, she had some time to kill. She headed out of the room. Who did she run into, Elva? Either she had terrible luck, or that woman was watching for her. She headed for the balcony. At least there she could watch the wildlife and relax.
It wasn’t long before everyone had joined her at the table. As soon as the food arrived, Oberson started, “When we arrived, everyone was very distant. If it wasn’t for Lazeen running into an old buddy of his, I don’t think we would have gotten any information at all.” He revealed the only thing left of the bodies was their clothes and a couple of bones. He took us to the sites where the bodies were when they’d been discovered.
“How many were dead?”
“Fifteen, there were three families involved.”
“This is horrible, were there no leads as to who did this awful crime?’
“No, Lazeen and I looked around the areas we even when out further to see if we could find anything, but no such luck.”
“I am sure the people of Elmston Forest are terrified, giving them a good reason to be cautious.”
“Yes, I don’t like the situation there, and it’s not my kingdom.”
Chapter Four
GURK WAS ARRIVING AT one of his favorite small villages at the outer rim of the kingdom. Walking through the door of the Barking Dog, he could smell the delicious aroma of Charlotte's cooking.
“Well, look who it is, Gurk dear, where you been?”
“I’ve missed you too. What’s cooking?”
“Chicken and Dumplings.”
“Hmmm... Sounds good. I’ll take a room and a bowl.”
“Same room as usual?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Ok, take a seat I’ll get you a bowl.”
Walking over, he took a seat at the table in the corner of the room. It was dark even though it was by the fireplace. He liked to sit here to warm himself. It also gave him an advantage point. He could see everything going on in the room. He didn’t like surprises, especially in the work he does.
“Here you go, a bowl of soup with some ale and a bowl of bread. I’ll be back to check on you shortly.”
“Thank you, Charlotte.”
“You’re welcome.” She walked off to take an order of a couple who had just come into the Inn.
Gurk had a spoonful of the soup. It was better than he remembered grabbing a piece of bread, taking a bite while washing it down with the ale. It didn’t take long before he’d finish. He stood as he headed for the steps. He climbed the stairs then headed down the hall to the end, where the room was located, number three. He opened the door, setting his bag down at the end of the bed. He walked over, sat on the feathered mattress, bending over he pulled off his boots. He smiled upon seeing the tub full of hot water in the corner. Charlotte was the best. She always knew what he wanted. If he could have married, she would have been the lady of his dreams. He couldn’t bring himself to put someone in danger, and that’s what he’d be doing, considering he lived under her Grace’s rule. Climb
ing into the hot water, he sat down, leaned back to relax.
A while later, he climbed out of the tub. He felt fresh, walking over he grabbed some clean clothes out of his bag. After he dressed, he washed his dirty clothes in the bathwater before hanging them in front of the fire to dry. He climbed into bed for a good night's rest.
When he opened his eyes, sunlight filled the room. He was ready for a hardy morning meal with a good cup of coffee. He grabbed the dry clothes from in front of the fire. Packing them in his bag, he closed it as he headed out the door.
Grabbing his seat, Charlotte came up to the table, placing a plate full of biscuits and gravy in front of him with a cup of coffee.
“Thank you.”
“Anything for one of my best customers.”
Smiling, “You know you're my favorite person to visit.”
Charlotte turned her head to the side with a half a smile, “Flattery has always been one of your strong suits.”
“Food is delicious as always.”
“Are you trying to butter me up for something, Gurk?”
“Maybe.”
“What can I do for you?” A twinkle in her eye.
“Can I have some of these wonderful biscuits to take with me?”
“Only for you, my dear.”
“Thank you again.”
Laughing, “You’re most welcome.”
It wasn’t long before Charlotte placed a basket on the table before him.
“What’s all this?”
“Well, I figured the wretched woman of these lands has you on another assignment. I want to make sure you have plenty of good eating food to remember me by until you stop back by again.
“You are way too kind to me. I could never forget you.”
“Good keep it that way. I want to see you back at my Inn soon.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Standing, he hugged Charlotte then walked out of the Inn. It would be about three miles before he crossed into the Kingdom of Valorin. He set out it was a little on the cool side. He wrapped his cloak around him to hold in as much body heat as possible. The sun was out, but you couldn’t feel the warmth from it due to the wind blowing hard.
Four hours later, he stopped on the side of the stone path where there was an open spot with a tree line, he took his blankets tied it to the tree to make a makeshift tent blocking some of the wind. He gathered some wood to build a fire a foot inside the door. Now shivering the cold had crept into his bones, he placed his hands over the fire for the heat. He was huddling within his cloak. There wouldn’t be much sleep on this night since he’d be feeding the fire all night long. He grabbed the pack and dug out some bread to nibble on to fill the void of his stomach. Grateful, he’d had a large meal at the Barking Dog.
It seemed like forever before the sun rose over the tree line, along with its warmth. Packing the belongings, he had pulled out before he took off walking. He wanted to make up for the ground he’d lost yesterday due to the weather.
As he walked down the stone path, he came to a bridge made of stone. On the other side, the ridged peaks covered with snow lined the left side of the stone path he was walking on. There were patches of dried grass plus flowers on either side of the trail. The only noise to be heard was the river rushing by on the right of the path. Several deer had been eating took off running as he approached.
It was now high noon with the sun beating down on Gurk as he peeled out of his cloak for the weather was the opposite of yesterday, which was most welcome. Placing his cloak in his pack, he pulled out an apple which he ate as he walked along the path. There was a three-tier waterfall ahead with a bridge to cross to go into the lands of the Wood Elves. He planned to spend the night at the ruins of the castle. It would give him plenty of coverage to get a good night's sleep. The woods around the castle would provide enough game for him to restock his meat storage.
Several hours later, he arrived at the Wood Elven ruins. Going through the door which had been left open, he went through the door, which led into a large hall. There were several corridors, two in the back of the large room, and one off the side. He went through each of the passages to see where they led. One led to a kitchen, another led below, which he assumed when to the dungeons, he chose not to go down this corridor all the way. He then took the other passage, which led to the sleeping quarters. He found a room with a rather comfortable bed setting his bag down he went back down below and back out the door. He gathered firewood in his arms, which were full now. He headed back up to the room, dropped the wood next to the fireplace. There was still enough sunlight to hunt for fresh meat. He took off, not wasting a moment longer.
Sitting on a tree limb high above the ground, he watched for any movement below. Becoming worried for there had been no sign of any animals at all, Gurk wondered if he had chosen the wrong place to settle, even though there had been fresh droppings nearby. Crack, he turned to see what had made the noise? Low and behold, it was a deer. It looked to be an eight-point buck. Tickled within, he pulled his bow back, aiming to breathe slowly, for he knew he was downwind, which was to his advantage. He let the arrow fly. It hit home on its target square in the chest; the buck took flight. He knew it wouldn’t get very far.
Following the path the deer made, it didn’t take long before he found the deer. He was cutting his throat to bleed him out. Tying a rope around his feet, he strung him up a tree. Cut him from stem to stern, clearing out all the guts from within. Releasing the deer, he pulled it over his shoulders, carried it back to his room. There he built a fire to light up the room. Skinning the deer, he scraped cleaned the surface with lye and the back of his knife to remove all the debris, before smoking to ensure the skin remained soft. It would be an excellent addition to his bedroll to keep him warm. Next, he cut up the meat smoking each section until thoroughly cooked. Wrapping the meat within the cloth, he had cleaned from the dried meat. He was leaving out a part of the meat for him to eat off during his stay.
He went in search of freshwater to clean the floor from skinning the deer. Once the floor was clean, he left the bucket he found in the kitchen in the room. Closing the door, it didn’t take long for the heat to warm up within the room. He was laying out the bedroll on top of the bed. He walked over to the meat, sliced off several pieces, sat on the bed while he ate.
The next morning, he sliced up the rest of the meat-eating some as he placed the rest into his bag. Everything now packed, Gurk walked out the door. As he looked into the sky, the clouds were dark as well as thick as cotton. He feared the clouds would shed the droplets of water any minute. He pulled out his cloak swung it onto his shoulders, clasping it at his neck. He headed down the path toward Valorin. He hoped the weather would hold out, though he was doubtful from the way the sky looked. Now in Elven territory, he had to be extra careful not to be noticed for Elves were a stealth sort. They’d be on you before you knew they were even there. The good thing is they’ve gotten a bit relaxed since they’ve joined clans. He decided to walk off the path a few feet into the woods in case any were any out walking.
IT WAS RIGHT BEFORE Spring Solstice when her father had joined El in the library for their daily lesson. He had taken over upon his return. She was doing much better at learning the Fairy language from her father. She wasn’t sure why, but she assumed it’s because he speaks the language daily, which allowed him to pronounce the words better, which made it easier for her to understand them.
“I think it’s time?”
“Time for what?” El looked confused at her father.
“Well, for you to move onto Magic Lessons with Lazeen.”
“Seriously, you mean I’m done with Fairy Language lessons.”
“Yes, you are correct. You’ll start this afternoon.”
“Woohoo!” Standing, she bent over, gave him a big hug. Then bounced out the door and down the hall.
El was thrilled Oberson believed she knew the Fairy language well enough to start her Magic Lessons. Hmmm, what would it be like to learn magic, not to mention how t
o control it? She didn’t want to hurt anyone because she became mad or overly emotional. She bounced off down the hall.
As El came through the door into the training area, she had eaten way too much at the mid-day meal. The training area looked deserted. She looked around; she could feel the presence of being watched when she sensed the magic trait within the air. “Lazeen, is that you?”
Total silence. El felt with every fiber of her being someone was there. She followed her instincts, raised her hands to feel the power run down her arms, releasing her magic at the spot where she sensed the magic trait was the strongest. She heard a scream; chills ran down her spine. She remained in place as she listened, when the door behind her opened, turning with her hands raised, ready to release more magic at whoever had come through the door until she saw it was Lazeen. If he was at the door, who in the world was out there? She turned back around, looking back at where she had sent her magic. She no longer felt their presence.
Lazeen saw the look of shock on El’s face, he watched her look out into the training area, “I say, child, what is going on here?”
El looked at Lazeen, “There was a presence of magic in the area over there, but I didn’t see anyone,” she pointed to show the Wizard the area. “I sent my electric bolts flying in the area there when I heard a scream. When the door opened, and I saw it was you. However, I no longer feel their magic trait anymore. I believe they are now gone. Who in the world do you think was out there?”
As he listened, concern gave way on his face. “I don’t know, my child, but this place is no longer secure. If they are invisible, they may know who you are.”
“Oh, what have I done?”
“Look, you did what comes naturally to you. Don’t ever doubt yourself. If you hadn’t done what you did, we wouldn’t have known there’d been a breach within these walls, so don’t feel bad about you using your magic. The stars gave it to you for a reason, like to protect yourself.”
Dragon Fusion Page 6
