by P. G. Thomas
“Krisp, Leese. Have you ever heard of Earth Daughters?”
Both nodded, then Krisp added, “We hads one in our village in da Newlands.”
Lauren had hoped they would know of them, as then they would also know of Mother, “Did they help those in your village?”
“Ours healed my Pa and my brother,” Leese offered.
Krisp added, “Broke my fever good.”
“Would you both like to help others like that?”
Krisp looked at Leese, rolled her eyes, “Lady, ya crazy. Earth Daughters we ain’t.”
“If you could help, like they did with Mother’s gifts, then would you want to?”
Leese looked up to Lauren, “Krisp only got one gift, and from that mother she did not git it.”
“Leave my Ma outa this.”
“What about us?” one of the boys asked.
Lauren stood, leaned the staff against the stump, and held out her hands to the two young girls who accepted her offer. When they were on their feet, she scanned the group of young boys, issuing a simple Earth Bond, “Wait.” Walking around the lot with the two girls, she pointed out the plants, telling them what they could cure. “That one, it was the one that freed you from Midnight Sun, but there are other gifts here from Mother, which can help stop the suffering.”
Krisp looked at Lauren, “Mother?”
“Yes, she’s still present and sent me to help, but I also need the same. I can give you the knowledge of these plants, so when you find those who suffer, you can assist them. As well, we’re also trying to make jobs, so when you free your friends, they’ll see hope, not despair.”
Leese shook her head, “Just da two of us?”
Lauren headed back towards her staff, her arms wrapped around the two girls. “When you find others who’re worthy, they can help. So would you like to become Earth Daughters?”
Krisp shrugged her shoulders, “Got nothin’ else to do.”
“But do you want to help?” asked Lauren.
“Yes,” Leese replied, enthusiastically.
When they were back at the stump, Lauren grasped her staff, placed her right hand on Krisp’s shoulder, hoping it would work. “I bestow Mother’s gifts unto you, her knowledge of the bounty that grows, proclaiming you Earth Daughter.” However, Lauren never saw Krisp grasp the staff, causing her to let out a long exhale after the proclamation. Then she placed her hand on Leese’s shoulder, “I bestow Mother’s knowledge of the bounty that grows, and proclaim you an Earth Daughter.” Pulling out a cloth from her pocket, she opened it to expose seven berries inside it. Pointing to three, she asked Krisp to name them and their purpose. After Krisp had done as requested, Lauren pointed to three more, asking Leese to do the same, which she did. Then she pointed to the last, and both answered at the same time, “Full berry.” Kneeling down, she looked at both girls, “Will you now go out, finding those who need help to ease their suffering?”
They both nodded, and then Krisp added, “What should we call you?”
“Earth Mother.” Then she turned to the dozen boys who had patiently waited. Observing them, she noticed several looking up at the blue sky. “I have just proclaimed Leese and Krisp to be Earth Daughters, and they’ve agreed to help those who suffer. However, they’ll also need help, so I’ll ask you to be their Earth Guards. To serve and protect them, so they can help lessen the burden that consumes the Bright Coast. Will you accept this honor?” She was uncertain if it was her words, or if the staff sensed the urgency, but all twelve boys nodded. “I proclaim all here to be Earth Guard.”
“Earth Mother, how does we find you if we needs help?” asked Krisp.
“Call to me, and I’ll know.” Then Lauren walked up to Gayne in the wagon. “They need some new clothes and a chance to get cleaned up. I’ll find a way to repay you.”
He smiled, “You just did.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a handful of coins, which he gave Lauren. She, in turn, divided the coins into two piles, giving one each to the new Earth Daughters.
Krisp looked at her in surprise since it was more gold than she had ever had, “What does we do with this.”
“In you, I place my faith, and I know you’ll do the right thing.”
*******
Ryan wiped the sweat off of his brow, immediately realizing his mistake, as he could smell the stain on his forehead. When he looked at Sam and Hope, they both shook their heads, advising they had failed to pick up any new scents.
“Mirtza, keep the wagon pointed upwind. The day isn’t over yet,” ordered Steve.
*******
That morning, before Gayne had taken Lauren to see those who she would proclaim Earth Daughters, they had stopped off at his school. From there, he had dispatched several runners to deliver messages, and being eager to see the responses, he stopped off before heading home. As he expected, there was a reply from Jedimac, which had several cheap properties listed, and a second from a friend who used to run a popular restaurant north of the Key, but he had recently sold it. Quickly penning replies, he found a runner in front of the school and dispatched him.
Chapter 24
The next morning, Lauren hugged Ryan, wanting to go with him, but knew her focus needed to be on Mother, not being a mother. Unable to find words of encouragement for him, she simply gave him a small kiss. He felt her conflicting emotions, wanting to stay with her, but his children needed them both. As he kissed her forehead, she saw the expression of hope on his face, and the fear of failure in his eyes.
“I’ll find them. We only have five days until the segregation election.”
To Lauren, it sounded like a guilty man pleading his innocence, as they placed a noose tightly around his neck standing on the gallows. She heard Eric cough and turned to him. “Yes, I need you to go with them. If something happens to Sam or Hope, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”
Eric nodded, stepped out into the rainstorm. Should’ve gone with John.
An hour later, Logan, Gayne, Lauren, and her dwarven protectors boarded the carriage, heading into the Bright Coast.
*******
John pushed away his plate from the morning meal, which was still stacked high with food. He looked at Fodu. “It seems pretty quiet around here.”
The Master Armorer remained silent.
“I thought that Aaro and Bor would join us this morning?”
Still Fodu remained quiet.
Pulling off his belt, John handed it to Fodu, thinking that the unusual design might be the catalyst that he sought. “I was hoping you would be able to melt this down with the other mithril so that you don’t have to mine more. I need that cloak hooked up to the kites as soon as possible.”
Fodu picked up the belt, running his hands along the finely crafted metal, and for a brief second, turned towards John like he was going to say something. Then he stood, taking the belt, and headed for the door.
“When dwarf remains quiet,” John began, “I know they’ve something to say.”
Fodu continued to the door, ignoring John’s last efforts to make him speak. It was the only way he knew how to both keep his pledge not to tell John, but also to advise him that bards were looking for a source of new ink.
*******
Mirtza paid for the lunch, and after the owner had counted the coins, he pointed to the door. While the storm had lost some of its intensity, light rain still fell. Once on the street, he led them across to the other side to a small park. Finding a spot under a large tree, he laid out the cloth with assorted sandwiches on it, placing a jug of water beside them.
“Why are we not allowed to go in and sit down?” asked Hope.
“We are not welcome,” replied Mirtza.
Then Sam stated the obvious, “We stink.”
“There is that,” added Ryan, “Are you two sure you haven’t picked up their scent?”
“It might be easier if we took a different form,” advised Sam.
Steve shook his head, “Maybe tomorrow. Even though they may not be
watching us, they know you were in the wagon when we crossed over. If any of the Darkpaye Watch becomes inquisitive, because of your absence, they might start to ask questions.”
Eric just stared at the wagon the entire time, making sure nobody looked under the cloth in the front seat.
*******
Logan came walking out of the kitchen, rubbing his right temple, “While it might work, the whole place is in sad shape.”
Shaking his head, Jedimac looked at Gayne, “With the criteria you supplied, this is the last location. There may be a few others who are behind on payments that I can take action to acquire if you are interested.”
Gayne turned to his friend with the restaurant experience, “What do you think?”
It was apparent that Iljam liked food since his girth exceeded his height. Standing less than five feet tall, none were sure of how much he weighed, but when he entered the carriage that morning, all were surprised that the magic transport accepted the new burden without tilting. The Guardians, who had been inside, secretly wondered if the large, short man may have actually been a small dwarf clan, as they had never seen one so large and so small at the same time. Running his hand through his thinning hair, Iljam caressed the large bald spot on top of his head, and then brought it around, stopping at his unshaven chin, “Ovens are for bakers. Dining room is beat up, and I have no idea why this place is still standing.”
Lauren came walking down the stairs, holding the staff in her left hand, followed by two Guardians, “Jedimac, you should’ve boarded it up when you took it over. More than animals have infested the upper floors, and the smell is horrific. We could tear it down, rebuild, but while that would be expensive, it would probably still smell.”
“I know! I imparted the security of it to the local guild, and I will be seeing them shortly for an extensive refund, but if you want a palace, then offer gold.” Jedimac headed towards the door, “I have other business that requires my presence. Be more specific, or go looking on your own.”
“We might be able to strike a deal.”
He stopped, “How would we do that, Gayne?”
“You have contacts, and I would need help with restoring this—relic. Not to mention the furniture, supplies, the kitchen apparatus, and other things. If the price should include support, in the form of discounts to make it operational, we may be able to strike a deal. Face the facts, as every day you own this place, your investment is just falling apart.”
“We will talk outside.”
When Gayne returned, he was holding his finger up to his lips, suggesting silence.
Iljam shook his head, “Need to replace the floors, walls, ceiling, maybe more. While the kitchen needs to be scrubbed, it could take a year to make it clean. Cold rooms are warm, ovens are cold, and more bugs than in a forest.” For twenty minutes, they listened to Iljam rant about the terrible conditions.
Then Gayne smiled, “You all did great, and he even lowered his price, promising more limited support than I was going to ask for. I told you that if we said we liked it, we would be unable to afford it, but you did exactly as I asked. He even threw in free protection for the first six months, and Iljam, that last act in case he was still listening, it was award winning. ”
“I wasn’t acting.” Everybody turned to him, “Place is a crap palace. You might as well open it up as a public toilet, not a restaurant. It is too far from the street, the front yard is paved, and the only greenery is weeds growing out of the stones.”
Gayne turned to Lauren and Logan, “Do you two like it?”
“All those ovens and wood burning,” began Logan. “The food will be awesome.”
“It needs a bit of motherly love,” added Lauren, “but I think I can help. Everybody back to the carriage.”
While none were sure of what Lauren was going to do, they all did as requested, as there was a heated passion in her eyes, burning so bright that even the Guardians left. Closing her eyes, grasping the staff with both hands, she started to recall the images of the building that was unfit for human occupation. After the staff had collected those thoughts, in her mind, she watched various rooms form like a holographic projection, which assembled into the building she now stood. Thinking of what Gingaar had done, she commanded the Old Wood staff, “Be young.” The image in her mind began to change, starting with the cold rooms, where shifted blocks moved back to their original positions, allowing cracks to refill so that once again the temperature would drop. The wooden structure was old, the wood dried out, but the ground was wet with all of the rain. With the dated timbers in the building at one time being part of Mother, the staff coaxed them to absorb the moisture from the soil. Creaking floorboards once again flexed, floor joist began to straighten out, and walls transformed from aging firetraps to freshly cut wood, some even dripping sap. From the lowest level to the roof, the staff righted the wrongs in the structure. If it sagged, it was now straight, warped became true, and broken became fixed. From the inside to the outside, the magic in the staff sensed the desire, fulfilling the request. Including the bugs and other assorted life forms, which fled the building to the safety of the outdoors, knowing their welcome had been overstayed.
As Logan, Iljam, Gayne, and the Guardians watched, the weeds on the patio began to whither, and growing straight up, trees appeared that would provide shade for when the suns once again returned. When Lauren sensed the building was new, she opened her eyes, and the image took her breath away, for that which was, was no more. The neglect had vanished, as the building had willingly accepted the gifts of Mother, and it was young again. Walking to the front door, she issued her most unusual Earth Bond, “Let none enter until I return.” However, as the door opened, she never saw the breeze that entered the now airtight building, which blew away the large pile of ash where her staff had rested, but heading outside, she realized that it was now six inches shorter.
As she entered the carriage, Iljam looked at Gayne, “What just happened?”
Logan answered, “She didn’t want to wait,” and then added in his best Italian accent, “Donta worry, for today, you gonna meeta special lady, and her name is pizza.”
Iljam shook his head, “If it looks as good on the inside, you will have full occupancy in those upper rooms within the week, but I ain’t never run an inn before.”
“They’re not for guests,” advised Logan, “they’re for the staff, and Iljam, you’ll treat them with respect.”
Before they headed back to the house, Gayne stopped off at the school, dispatching a dozen runners to different shops.
*******
Iljam picked up another piece of pizza, “Now this one, it lacks salt. While it is a pleasant change from the last, the balance is all wrong.”
“Do you like it?” asked Gayne.
“Presentation is new, ingredients are old, but it is different, and that might be enough. New trend and all, something uncommon.” Iljam stuck his finger into one piece, which had a bubble of excess sauce, “This is bland, and it needs some—something. It is unusual, but I just need some time to cook up a solution.”
As the front door opened, Sam and Hope, shivering, ran into the house, and then Lauren saw Eric and Mirtza.
Before she could ask, Eric spoke, “Steve is talking to Ryan.”
Outside, standing in the rain, she could see them both.
Ryan was leaning against the fence, “It’s been over two weeks.”
“Kid, where doing everything we can,” replied Steve.
“It’s not enough!”
“Your wife is trying to help heal that Mother of hers, so you just need to keep your focus on your daughters.”
“Focus, I can’t see them. Hell, in these lands, they could be a million miles away.”
“Kid, we’ve only been looking for a few days. The kids found the trail to the bridge, so we just have to find it on the other side. With our new freedom to move around, we’ll find their scent soon and them. Let’s do what Sam suggested, taking them out as otters tomorrow. E
ven though wolves or bears might have better abilities in the sniffing game, one of those critters would put too many eyes on us.”
“I know,” began Ryan, “I was just hoping we would’ve found something by now.”
Steve wrapped his arm around him, “If you stay out in this rain much longer, you’ll get something, a cold. Then what good are you to your daughters?” Trying to break the tension, he added, “Hey, are you just trying to become sick, so I have to do all of the shoveling?”
Ryan saw Lauren, holding a towel, standing in the door and headed in her direction, “You’re right, it’s just—”
“Frustrating, yeah, I know, Kid,” and then Steve followed him to the house.
As Ryan stepped inside, he wrapped his arms around her, embracing both her love and the dry towel.
However, she did not have one for Steve, “What am I, chopped liver?”
“Sorry,” Lauren replied, “No, you’re not, but there’s a pizza inside with liver on it, absolutely disgusting.”
As she walked Ryan up to their room, Steve headed straight for the kitchen. Once there, seeing his objective, the path was blocked. Logan and Gayne were talking with a very unusual man, or possibly a small mountain. He politely interrupted them, asking Logan to pass him the pizza.
The short or large man turned, looking up, “We are talking food, so leave us alone.”
Logan shrugged his shoulders, “Iljam, this is our friend Steve.”
“Who cares? Now, about this sauce.”
Even though Steve was wet, cold, and hungry, he checked his anger, not wanting to cause any trouble. When Iljam turned around, he took two steps closer to the rude man and waited.
“Who crapped in their pants,” and then Iljam turned to look at Steve, “You smell like a SHET wagon.”
Steve smiled, “Tough times. Logan, pass me the pizza, now!”
“Give it to him before that smell kills my taste buds.”
Once Steve had the desired delicacy in hand, he headed out to the dining room table where Eric, Sam, Hope, and Mirtza were waiting for him.
“Ryan’s pretty messed up, isn’t he?” asked Eric.
