Heima: Challenge to the Crown

by S. W. Gunn

  “I remember the first time I saw that material.” He told her as he touched the sleeve of her tunic.

  She reached out and touched his hand before saying, “Oh really? Tell me please.”

  “I’d just left the negotiations with the Hyggja and arrived in a small stable-town called Stydja. There were people of all races movin’ quickly towards Kunnadi. They almost all were wearin’ it. The colors were excitin’ to me at the time. In my village people only wear basic white and brown clothin’.”

  She grinned at him and extended her hand for him to hold. He clasped her hand and followed her as she led him to the doors.

  Shivering a little bit, she said, “They kind of remind me of that horrible man from Kunnadi.”

  Daell looked at her curiously and asked, “What horrible man?”

  “Skyansam, to think I almost ended up married to him. I suspected he had a mean streak, but during your fight with him, he exposed himself as a mean person.”

  Daell shrugged as he said, “I hold no animosity towards him, he was only doin’ what he was taught to do. His goal was to become the King. I just happened to have a much nobler goal.”

  She glanced up to him and asked, “What goal was that Daell?”

  “I was fightin’ for the love of my life.”

  She stopped and pulled him close for a deep kiss. After they had the morning meal, they slowly walked out to the royal gardens.

  “I love your garden, it’s beautiful.” Daell told her.

  “It is our garden your Highness.”

  He grinned back at her.

  “Have you seen the garden maze?” Astir asked him.

  He was perplexed just thinking about the idea of a garden having a maze so he shook his head.

  “Let me show it to you!” She said excitedly and then pulled his hand, almost dragging him along.

  He picked up his pace and they found themselves running through the garden like two small children. She suddenly stopped when they arrived at a massive bush. It must have stood about twenty hands tall.

  “What’s this?” He asked her, confused.

  It was unusual to him that they would have a bush that you could not see over!

  “It is the maze!” She said excitedly.

  Dragging him to an open spot of the massive bush she then explained, “This is the entrance of the maze. We have grown bushes tall enough to block your view. You must wander through the maze until you find the exit. I will walk around to the exit, if you can find your way through, I shall reward you.”

  Daell chuckled and stepped forward. She sprinted off to the right along the outside of the maze. After she was out of sight he slowly began walking through the maze. Running into a dead end four or five times left him realizing that he underestimated just how difficult a maze was. Suddenly an idea struck him. Kneeling down and placing his palms on the ground he thought to himself that maybe Heima herself could guide him through this maze. Closing his eyes, he felt the earth below him pulse through his hands. His mind wandered to the nearby bushes and almost immediately he was hit with a new sensation. He could sense the bushes! They pulsed at a different beat than the earth. It was as if the bushes themselves had a heartbeat.

  Show me the path out friends, He implored to them in his mind.

  The shape of the bushes as the maze began to form in his head. Daell reached his thoughts out to them and released his emotions of happiness. He was unsure if they could sense him, but he felt lifted from the experience. Standing up, he strode confidently with perfection through the maze. Astir looked to be in shock as he exited the maze.

  “How did you find your way out?” She asked, “It usually takes a writing feather and a piece of scroll paper to make a map for people to find their way out.”

  “I must confess my dearest love, I cheated.”

  She looked quite confused by his answer and after a brief moment she asked, “But how? Did you rise above the maze and see the way through?”

  Daell shook his head. He was impressed by his own abilities because he was continuing to grow as an earthcrafter.

  “I asked Heima to guide me.” He told her.

  She still looked confused. Daell wondered if it were possible to just show her, he decided to try.

  “Kneel with me Astir.” He instructed her.

  She followed him as he knelt to the ground.

  He placed his palms on the ground and instructed her, “Place your palms like this Astir.”

  She followed his direction. Daell then reached out to her hands and placed his hands on top of hers, making sure that his fingers interlaced through hers to touch the earth beneath them.

  He said to her, “Now close your eyes and relax, think of the earth beneath us.”

  She closed her eyes. Daell closed his eyes and began to reach out once again to Heima. It began to slowly pulse beneath his fingers. However this time, He could sense it pulsing through Astir’s hands as it rose to greet him. He savored the feeling. The earth beneath him began to tremble slightly. Suddenly Astir pulled her hands off of the ground, which roused Daell from his concentration.

  “Oh my! I felt it, I felt it pulsing!” She said ecstatically.

  Daell smiled broadly at her.

  She reached out and touched his brow saying to him, “My love you are truly a being of great power.”

  Daell flushed before saying, “I don’t think so my love, I’m just earthcraftin’.”

  “But no one can do that. I have spoken to many other Jordlings who were at the Kostir and not one of them who saw you then said they knew of anyone with that power. You are truly unique Daell.” She said.

  Daell grinned and stood up and then helped her back to her feet.

  With a roguish smile he announced, “I’m happy to know that my wife feels this way about me. Now, I believe I’m due a reward for successfully navigatin’ the maze.”

  “Indeed you are.” She said before kissing him passionately.

  Suddenly she broke their kiss and said excitedly, “Oh! I must show you the pond.”

  “Pond?” He asked.

  She nodded enthusiastically to him and proclaimed, “It is my favorite place in the whole garden.”

  “Then it’s my favorite place too.”

  Taking his hand, she guided him to the pond. Daell was impressed by what he saw; it was a small pond that was nestled into a nearby wooded area. There was a small wooden dock with a rowboat tied to it.

  She turned to look back at him and asked, “What do you think?”

  Daell could see the anticipation in her eyes. She plainly wanted him to love the pond as much as she did. Daell had to admit that he was in awe of it. The ocean that he had ridden on before the Kostir was the only large body of water that he had ever seen in his life. He slowly stepped away from her and walked to the end of the dock. Kneeling down he reached out with his hand and slowly dipped it into the water. It felt cool to the touch. Astir walked up to him and sat down on the edge of the dock. Her bare feet splashed and swirled slowly in the water.

  “Astir, it’s beautiful.” Daell told her slowly.

  She laughed lightly and said, “It is indeed my love, take off your boots and join me please.”

  Daell nodded and removed his boots. The water felt wonderful against his feet. Astir leaned her head against his shoulder as they sat there.

  She told him, “The last time I sat here I was a confused and scared girl. My mother sat with me and tried to assuage my fears of the upcoming Kostir, and now I sit here a woman. It is funny how life moves is it not?”

  “It is indeed.”

  Chapter 8

  Astir found herself deeply enjoying the free time with Daell. He was warm and caring, everything that she had only dreamed she would have in a husband. She honestly had expected to marry a complete stranger and spend several harvests trying to bond with him. Instead, she instantly bonded with Daell. It turned out that she had so much more in common with him than she ever had thought that she would. As they sat at t
he small dock she wondered what he would look like with long hair. Her father had long hair, and she always loved the look.

  She decided to ask him, “Would you ever consider growing your hair long?”

  He sat thoughtfully for a moment before speaking, “I’ve never thought of it, for a Jordlin’ blacksmith long hair could be a hazard.”

  She could see his logic but she was very disappointed because she had always loved a man with long hair.

  “I guess since I changed professions, I could give it a try.”

  She glanced up at him and saw that he was smiling broadly at her.

  “I would not make you do it, if you do not want to.” She told him.

  Giving her a shrug he replied, “Honestly I’d never had thought of it because of the hazards, but I’m always willin’ to try new things.”

  After a short pause he then announced, “Shall we now explore a village?”

  Astir nodded and stood up.

  As she slipped her slippers back on her feet she told him, “Let me summon the Royal Guard and a carriage to take us there.”

  Daell stood and looked extremely disappointed.

  “What is wrong?” She asked him.

  He scratched his left ear as he answered, “To be honest, I was kind of hopin’ it would just be us. People don’t want to converse with you when you’ve got armed guards standin’ nearby.”

  She was appalled by his words. He was proposing that they leave the palace alone. The Queen never left the palace grounds without the Royal Guards. Even if she wanted to leave there was no way she could make it through the net of guards. Their numbers were still at the levels her mother had ordered to keep her within the palace grounds. Astir had not tried to sneak off in two harvests because of the number of guards made it impossible. If she tried and was caught she knew that she could order the guards to let her pass, but she also knew the guards would inform the Head of the Guard and she would then have an army of guards out searching for her. Once they found her, they would follow her anyways. It was best to just summon the guards and have them there while they explored the village. She told Daell all of this. He acquired an evil grin on his face. She had not seen this side of him yet.

  He asked, “My dear wife, would you care to make a wager with me?”

  She was curious so she asked, “What is your wager?”

  He wiped his feet dry and then put his boots back on his feet.

  “Not only can I get you off the palace grounds, but we’ll make it to the village and make new friends there.”

  Astir was intrigued. She had not felt the itch to sneak out and explore since her mother had trapped her within the palace grounds with the large net of palace guards.

  “And what is the reward for the winner of this wager?” She asked him.

  He smiled widely at her. She had assumed he had something sensual in mind, something very similar to the last few evenings that they had spent together.

  The response he gave was quite surprising, “The loser of the wager must cook the evenin meal and then provide the winner with a massage of their feet in full view of our friends. After all we’ll be walkin’ quite a bit either way.”

  She snickered at his reply. After a brief moment she was hit with a sudden realization; she did not know how to cook! Fregna had never taught her how. Why would she know? She was a Princess, and now a Queen. Cooking anything was foreign to her.

  “I would agree, but there is one problem my love.”

  Daell looked slightly confused.

  “What’s the issue?”

  “I do not know how to cook.”

  “You don’t?” He said with a very shocked look on his face.

  Astir stated, “A Queen does not need to know how to cook so I was never taught.”

  He nodded thoughtfully at her answer before saying, “That makes perfect sense.”

  She could see that he was thinking of what do with this new information.

  “Very well, after I win the wager I’ll teach you how to cook a meal, somethin’ simple should suffice. You’ll cook it for all of our friends, do you agree?”

  Daell had quite an evil little grin on his face as he made the proposition. She knew deep down that she was about to get a very stern talking to from every person in the palace about security, but she just could not bring herself say no to him. Especially after all he had done just to be with her.

  After waiting for dramatic purposes she finally answered, “Very well, I agree to the terms with one condition.”

  “What condition would that be?

  She slowly started to run away from him.

  Once she got several paces away she laughed as she called out, “That you are the one who gets yelled at when we are caught.”

  He laughed loudly and called out, “I accept.”

  He then began to chase after her. They made it back to their quarters quickly. Daell began to shuffle through the drawers of the two dressers that were provided in the room for him. Astir was curious what he was searching for.

  “What are you looking for?” She asked him.

  “My old clothin’, it would help us greatly if I was dressed like a normal person. The beautiful clothin’ that was provided to me would make me stick out like a Jordling in a line full of Vatune bureaucrats while we’re out there.”

  Astir laughed uncontrollably. He was both funny and sweet. She had to think for a second but then she remembered that her handmaidens had put his clothing in a container and then set the container in one of the closets.

  Pointing towards the closets she said, “I believe they are in a container in one of the closets.”

  She helped him look through the seven closets until they finally found it tucked away behind some of her many dresses.

  “They almost threw away all of your clothing.”

  “Who?” He asked.

  “My handmaidens, apparently they were aghast at your normal wear.”

  He chuckled before stating, “They wouldn’t be the first, but I’m especially glad they did not dispose of this.”

  Daell pulled out a sword, which was resting in a sheath.

  “What is so special about it?”

  “My father made it for me. It’s probably his finest work, much better than any I could’ve mustered.”

  He smiled thoughtfully as he removed the blade from its sheath. Astir knew very little about swords, but she could tell it was well made. She then noticed the maker’s mark. It appeared to be the small rodent that was on some of Daell’s clothing.

  He saw her looking at it and he blushed before saying, “Even my family called me mus; it’s a term of endearment from them.”

  She nodded. After some time picking through the container he finally settled on a very basic light brown tunic and pants. He changed his boots and then strapped his sword about his waist. Now he truly looked like an ordinary Jordling blacksmith.

  “The disguise is complete,” He said with an evil smile, “Now we need to fix you up a bit my beautiful Queen. We’d be even more obvious with you dressed as a Queen.”

  Turning toward her row of dressers he began shuffling through them. Eventually he found some older clothing from her youth. He separated faded green tunic with dozens of black splotches splattered all over it and worn brown trousers from the pile. She reminisced about them. She last wore the tunic during an alchemical accident. After looking at them she felt they probably would fit, although a little tightly.

  “Do you have that cloak you wore when you followed me to the docks in Heimili?”

  She nodded. It was probably stored away with the other cloaks. Her handmaidens had wanted to dispose of it, but she would not let them, especially after what had happened. She went into one of the closets and brought it out, which she then passed over to him.

  As he took the cloak he said, “Perfect, now change into this and we’ll be ready to go.”

  “Are you trying to get me out of my clothing again Daell Skeidsson?”

  He looked at h
er with an evil grin before firmly stating, “Always.”

  Astir chuckled and then quickly changed into the clothing he picked for her. They were indeed quite tight fitting. Once she finished putting on the tunic and trousers, she glanced up at him. He was admiring the close fit of the clothing on her form. She blushed a bit and gave him a quick poke in his chest.

  “Stop staring! I have a wager to win.”

  Daell laughed as he draped her cloak around her shoulders.

  “Wait one more thing!” He exclaimed.

  He turned and began shuffling through the container. After a few moments he pulled out an old stained looking brown rag. It looked quite foul.

  “What is that for?” She asked him.

  Stepping closer to her, he began rubbing it into her face. It smelled foul, which caused her to gag from its wretched smell. He stepped away from her and looked at her.

  “Much better.” He declared.

  The smell of the rag was still stuck in her nose.

  “What was that thing?” Astir asked loudly.

  Daell laughed as he answered, “It’s my polishin’ sheet, I use it to keep my sword clean.”

  “It smells revolting!” She complained.

  He laughed even harder.

  After his stopped laughing he said, “Perhaps, but now you look much more like a commoner.”

  She turned to look at a nearby mirror. He was right. She was wearing basic clothing and her face was quite smudged, she could not even recognize herself. She laughed.