by John Booth
“What do you have to trade?”
Daniel handed Worock a small bag. Despite the bag being made of the finest muslin its contents pungent odor floated across the room. Worock put the bag close to his nose and sniffed.
“That’s a high price you are offering.”
“We can trade it down to less if that is your desire?”
Worock laughed, “Would you give me a hand with the bellows? My son has vanished after some girl he spotted in a leather skirt. Young boys have no sense in these matters, I’m afraid.”
“I understand your son’s problem perfectly. It’s something I have been known to do myself,” Daniel said as he took off his jerkin.
Cara rode in front of her brothers into Marin Farm. The three had ridden hard since early morning in order to reach their destination by early afternoon. Marin Farm was two miles outside Priven. Trails joined the ancient road the traders were following both to east and west and the two group’s paths had never crossed.
Marin Farm was essentially a village in its own right, eight large houses and five barns making up the central part of it. The family had grown prodigiously in recent years as Cara’s mother had a allergy to Gintel leaves, and therefore been almost permanently pregnant during her youth. She stopped having children when her husband died and ran the farm and family with an iron hand ever since. Bril had been her youngest child, and so naturally, her favorite.
Family heard the horses approach and left their work to stand and gawp as Cara, Mic and Don rode into the farmyard. Whispers started as people noticed the man shaped bundle lying across the back of Cara’s saddle.
Brila Marin came rushing out of the biggest house at a run. She wore the apron as she had been making bread when Shila had come rushing in with news that Cara was back.
As she ran to Cara’s horse, she saw the tightly bound package on its back and stopped and faltered. She stared at her most capable offspring in a state of horror, looking for some sign that what she saw was not her son. When she didn’t get that response from Cara, whose eyes looked bleak, she ran forward and tore her son’s body from its place. Mic offered her his knife to cut the bindings and she quickly exposed her beloved Bril’s face.
Brila screamed in sorrow as the rest of the family gathered around her. It was some time before she stopped and stared hard into Cara’s eyes.
“Have you killed the one who did this?” Brila demanded.
“No mother, she had good reason for what she did.”
Brila stood up and slapped Cara so hard in the face that she staggered back.
“There is no reason good enough to kill one of my sons. I want whoever did this dead, do you understand? I want them dead!”
“Yes mother,” Cara said as she remounted her horse. “I will see to it straight away.”
Cara rode the way she had come, back on the road that led to Priven.
“Mother,” Don began carefully.
Brila’s eyes flashed at her son, “What?”
“The woman who did this nearly killed Cara when they met. The man she is with knocked Mic out in a fair fight. You may have just sent Cara to her death.”
“Then you had better get after her,” Brila screamed. “And if you let them kill Cara, don’t bother coming home.”
“Please no more!” Hala screamed as Jalia relentlessly poured yet another bucket of ice cold water over her head and into the bath.
Mara had requested Hala take off her clothes to be measured and when she saw how dirty the girl was, insisted she take a bath before they did anything else. Jalia believed that too much time would be wasted by introducing niceties such as warming the water first. She helped Hala strip, and had been bringing buckets of ice cold water from Mara’s well ever since.
No Jalia, I can’t stand it, please stop,” Hala moaned.
“Use some soap and wash yourself properly girl,” Mara said from the warmth and comfort of her chair. “The sooner you are clean, the sooner you will be able to get out.”
Hala rubbed the soap over her shivering body while Jalia walked over to the window to check on what the traders were up to. It was clear from what she could see that Hadon was getting ready to depart.
“I have to go and find Daniel,” she told Mara. “Can you sort out Hala while I’m gone?”
“It would be a pleasure,” Mara said a little grimly. “Her family never taught her to wash herself, by the look of it.”
“I wouldn’t be at all surprised,” Jalia opined before she stepped out of the cottage door. The usual crowd of little girls and pubescent boys were waiting for her.
“Who can show me where the blacksmith lives?”
A boy of around fourteen with surprisingly well developed muscles jumped up and down in excitement. “I can. He’s my father. I’m Fader, Fad for short.”
“Good for you, I’m Jalia, short for Jalia. Lead on then.” Jalia took the reins of Swift and Blaze from the hands of a little girl and thanked her for guarding the horses. She led them through the village, following the strutting boy.
Hadon stopped her as she crossed the road.
“We are leaving as soon as we get the donkeys loaded. Tell your boyfriend to get a move on.”
“Hala and I will follow on later. We will catch up where you camp for the night. I don’t know for sure what Daniel is doing, but I will pass on your message.”
“Please yourself. We are leaving now.”
“Aha, the boy is doing some work for a change,” Jalia exclaimed, laughing at the sight. She had walked into the Blacksmith’s smithy behind Fad to find Daniel working at the bellows, stripped to the waist and sweating profusely.
“Don’t talk of things you have never tried,” Daniel advised her curtly. He paused at the bellows and wiped his brow.
“I was going to take you to see my new friend, Mara. But if she sees you looking like that, she will have you up to your armpits in cold water in a few seconds. I have just left her torturing, err, washing Hala.”
“She might scrub up quite pretty.”
“You’ve met our Mara then. She can be quite forceful, that one, despite her legs,” Worock said as he straightened up from his labors, “And my son as well. I can see why he wanted to follow you. A few years younger and I’d have been following you myself.”
Fad’s face turned a bright red at his father’s comments and he ran from the building.
“I take it you are trying to improve the knife I gave Hala?” Jalia asked as she saw the red hot blade in Worock’s pincers. The hilt had been removed. “I think that might be a lost cause.”
“We will be at it for an hour or two yet,” Daniel said. “Are you going ahead with the rest of them?”
“No, Mara needs to sort out some clothes for Hala. It seems we are going to be here until sunset at the earliest.”
“Leave your horses with me,” Worock suggested. “I am going to check the shoes on Daniel’s horse. I might as well check all three at the same time.”
“Come to Mara’s when you finish then. I’m sure someone will give you directions to her cottage.”
“I’ll just look for a group of boys lusting after you,” Daniel said with a smile on his face.
“I only seem to attract the little boys, don’t I?” Jalia replied, sticking her tongue out at Daniel before turning smartly on her heels and heading back to Mara’s cottage.
“Mara has crippled legs,” Worock explained. “But a far from crippled tongue. Your woman reminds me of her.”
“Then I pity poor Hala,” Daniel replied, before getting back to pumping at the bellows.
Cara slowed her horse to a trot as she entered Priven. She knew how the villagers loved visitors and how traders loved to be feted, so she was surprised that those she sought were not there. She rode up to the Lord’s House where Samel Rafe was most often to be found.
Samel heard the sound of her horse and he came to the door as she approached.
“Nothing but visitors today,” he said, smiling broadly at Cara. “Our
visitors said you would be on your way to us. I hope you have scolded Bril for upsetting his mother so much. Torin’s mother has been worried about him, but I told her things would be…”
Samel’s smiled faded and his voice petered out as he saw the look in Cara’s eyes.
“He’s dead Samel. Gef, Tom, Torin and Bril were killing traders on the far side of the ford and stealing their goods. They finally ran into someone who knew how to fight back.”
“The traders would have said something. We treated them as our guests,” Samel protested.
“Would you have said anything under the circumstances?”
Samel’s face paled and his smile was gone. He looked old as the laughter lines pulled down his face.
“How will I tell his mother?” he asked in a whisper. Cara shook her head.
“My own mother did not take the news well and I am on a mission. How long ago did they leave?”
“About three hours ago. Cara, you are not planning to do anything silly are you? There are many of them and they have men with crossbows.” Samel asked. Worry etched into every word.
“I have to do what I have to do. Take care of your wife and pass on my sympathies to her.”
Cara turned her horse and galloped down the road.
Samel was far too busy comforting his wife to notice another rider racing through the village a short time later.
Daniel knocked on Mara’s door just as the sun was beginning to set. He had brought the horses from the blacksmith’s yard with him.
Jalia opened the door and waved him into the house. Several lanterns burned merrily around the big chair with Mara sat in it. She was working at stitching the seams on a short skirt. Hala was standing with her legs crossed in front of her. She was wearing her first ever pair of knickers and they were making her itch. Rather than scratch herself in front of the others she had crossed her legs.
“Well bless me stupid,” Daniel exclaimed. “Can this sweet pretty young girl be the very ragamuffin we have been dragging around the country? And what pretty underwear she’s wearing too.”
“Don’t tease the girl,” Mara said sharply without looking up from her stitching. “She needs to wash regularly and I am relying on you two to see that she does. And that she keeps on wearing underwear.”
Jalia sidled up to Daniel and stood on tiptoe to get as close as possible to his ear.
“Go on. Touch her. See if you can heal her.”
Daniel gave Jalia a look that would have vaporized steel. He could not believe what Jalia was asking of him. Not that it was likely to work, but if it did, word would spread across the country like wildfire and would soon reach the ears of the Fairie.
“What are you two whispering about?” Mara asked.
“Jalia was asking me if I would spank her tonight. She is fond of such things.”
It was Jalia’s turn to blush while Hala looked on bemused. Hala wondered how anyone could enjoy being hit.
“I can understand that,” Mara replied, completely unconcerned. “There was a time and a man when I might have asked for it myself. Jalia has told me some things about you, Daniel al’Degar. She did not say you could be cruel.”
Mara put her hand towards Daniel and he took it gently in his own. Jalia had to work to stop herself from gasping, but nothing happened.
“I have my reasons, Lady Mara. You will have to take my word for it that they are sufficient.”
“She did tell me that you were sexy and could get a woman’s juices running. I can see why.”
It was Daniel’s turn to blush. Mara looked to Jalia and gave her an obvious wink. Jalia tried hard not to giggle.
Hala spun around in a pirouette, showing off her new clothes and inadvertently revealing her new white knickers. She looked much like a miniature Jalia. She wore a leather jerkin and pleated leather skirt that was a little longer in the leg than the one Jalia wore.
‘Growing room’ Mara had said. Her long dark brown hair, which Daniel had had believed to be black before her bath, was neatly plaited at the back. Hala was pleased with how she looked and spun around a second time so everybody could admire her.
“It will do,” Mara said with satisfaction. “All the clothes have some growing room. Just cut the outer set of stitches at the seams and they will gain an extra inch.”
“You will need this too,” Daniel announced, unwrapping a cloth to reveal Hala’s knife. The blade gleamed evilly and the hilt looked as though it was brand new. Hala carefully took the knife from Daniel and touched the tip of the blade with her finger.
“Ow, it cut me!” Hala cried as a blob of blood formed on the end of her fingertip.
“There is no point in owning a blunt knife,” Jalia said sagely and Daniel and Mara nodded in agreement. “Does it fly true?” she asked Daniel.
“I will let you be the judge of that later. Suffice to say that Worock and I have done our best with the material to hand.”
“Worock is good at his trade and is an honest man,” Mara remarked, “The knife will not let you down.”
“We must be going. The sun has already dropped below the trees and we need to go while we can still see the road,” Daniel said as he looked out of the window at the descending gloom.
“You could stay for the night,” Mara suggested hopefully. It had been a long time since her cottage had felt so alive and she loved the feeling it brought.
“We might have outstayed our welcome before then,” Jalia said as she rummaged in Daniel’s pack. She found four of the little bags of spice and took them over to Mara.
“That is too much in payment,” Mara protested. “One of those bags would be too much.”
“Two are for you to sell for the things you need and two are for you to put on your food,” Jalia told her firmly. “This is not a negotiation. I have determined a fair price.”
“You drive a hard bargain, Jalia al’Dare,” Mara told her, “Especially when using Daniel’s property.” Daniel shrugged, indicating he was used to it. “Will you kiss me goodbye?”
Jalia leaned over Mara’s chair to kiss her lightly on the cheek. As she was pulling back from the kiss, Mara slapped her hard on the bottom.
“Make sure that Hala wears her knickers,” Mara instructed her severely, “You might try wearing some yourself. Now Hala, will you give me a kiss for making your beautiful clothes?”
Hala leaned over Mara warily expecting to get a slap herself, but Mara accepted a kiss on her cheek without striking her.
“I expect you to wash regularly from now on,” Mara informed her and Hala nodded. “And now Daniel, will you kiss me goodbye?”
“It would be a privilege, my lady,” Daniel said formally, and he too leaned over the front of Mara’s chair to reach her proffered cheek.
At the last second, Mara turned her head and kissed Daniel on the lips. Daniel felt a strange tingle, nor unlike the others he had felt recently, but much less powerful. Mara appeared to enjoy the process and carried on kissing him.
“Ah hum!” Jalia muttered loudly when the two of them showed no signs of coming up for air after many seconds. Daniel pulled gently away, much to Mara’s disappointment.
“You like to take advantage of a man, Lady Mara,” Daniel said.
“Stuck in a chair with legs that won’t work; I take my chances when I can,” Mara said unrepentantly. Her face was lit by a smile and Daniel saw how pretty Mara was, and how much younger than he first judged.
“We have to go,” Jalia said abruptly. She turned to Mara, “I’m sorry we can’t stay longer, Mara. Certain men of this village attacked the traders we are with two days ago, and we killed them. Cara Marin or her family will soon be here to spread the word.”
“No one will care if you killed Gef and Tom,” Mara said cheerfully. She paused and became somber, “Oh, I see, Torin and Bril were with them, weren’t they?”
Jalia nodded. “Helping us won’t cause you any trouble, will it?”
Mara shook her head. “Beware of Brila Marin though. Bril was
her favorite son and she is a powerful and vengeful woman.”
“We collect such enemies,” Daniel said. “It’s a hobby of Jalia’s.”
“Go now then,” Mara said urgently. “And take good care of Hala.”
Daniel helped Hala onto Blaze and he and Jalia walked their horses through the village as silently as they could. Lantern light showed through the windows of the houses, but other than that, they saw no signs of life.
They were passing a cottage on the far end of the village when its door flew open and Samel staggered out into the evening. He carried a short sword in a scabbard in his hands. When he reached the road, he pulled the scabbard free and flung it across the road. He held the sword in a poor imitation of a trained swordsman.
It was just about the shortest sword Jalia had ever seen, and in the hands of this fat man who was already out of breath, it looked harmless. However, a sword is a sword and even the shortest can end your life if you are not careful. Daniel moved in front of Jalia and she pulled him back.
“This is my problem, Daniel.” Jalia walked slowly towards Samel.
“You killed my son,” Samel said, tears falling down from his eyes. “He was my only child and you killed him.”
Ralta had followed her husband out of their cottage and stumbled towards them as fast as she could. She had aged years in this one evening and felt old and cold. Ralta stopped a few yards from them and listened.
“I killed your son as he was aiming a crossbow at Daniel’s heart,” Jalia stated. “He and his comrades were trying to kill the traders you met today. He had already killed one of them before we arrived.”
“Lies, all lies,” Samel shouted. “Torin has always been a good boy and you killed him.”
“That wasn’t the first person he had killed. He was much too calm and collected for that. He had probably killed many times before.”
“Lies!” Samel screamed. Behind the horses, cottage doors were opening and people started to gather. Some of them held pitchforks and scythes.
“No, it isn’t,” an unexpected voice interjected. They all turned towards Ralta, who had uttered those surprising words.
