Prudence curiously examined the cape he was wearing. It was an old black and red cape made of fur.
“If you don’t mind, Miss Clarke...” he suggested to Prudence.
“Oh, yes. Sorry. This way, please.” She made a gesture for them to follow her. “My house is at the other side of the bridge.”
They strolled down the cobblestone street until they arrived at a lovely little thatched cottage built with stone and oak. It was very similar to all the other homes in the village. It had two stories. The front yard had a long rose walk, and creeper plants framed the doorway. Once there, they knocked on the door.
A little old man answered the door less than a minute later. His name was Frederic Clarke. He looked right into Prudence’s eyes and his face suddenly brightened.
“Hello, Grandpa,” Prudence said.
“Thank heavens, you’re fine!” the man cried and hugged her. “We were so worried about you...” He suddenly stopped talking.
Skuld and Kotal stood behind her. There was no need to say anything, as he looked at them and stepped aside to let them in. He knew what was about to happen.
“We will wait for you outside,” Kotal warned.
“Why? Please, come in,” Prudence offered.
“This is a family conversation—we will wait for you right here.”
“Please, I insist,” she said. Kotal finally approved.
The house was small and cozy inside. The living room was modest and was nicely warmed by a fireplace with tons of wood to burn.
“I’ll just go wake my wife up,” the old man explained as he went upstairs.
“Please, have a seat,” Prudence indicated to Kotal and Skuld. They settled in a purple French-style sofa.
Grandma Mary got down the stairs as fast as she could and pulled Prudence into her arms.
“My little girl—I’m so glad you’re home,” she exclaimed, and then turned to Kotal and Skuld.
“Would you like some coffee? Tea, maybe? I better make some tea. This will take a little time.” She disappeared into the kitchen.
“Grandpa, I have questions,” Prudence said.
“I’m afraid so...” he whispered.
“Apparently, there are things nobody told me. Is there anything you didn’t tell me about my parents?” she asked, trying to sound as calm as possible.
Grandpa Fred released a deep breath, and then nodded. “We didn’t tell you because we don’t know much. We investigated everything we could, but without good results. What we know are just comments from people with whom your mother had spent time with in London.”
Grandma Mary placed a little plate with three cups of hot tea on a side table and then sat down next to him.
“The day your mother put us in charge of you, she said she needed to solve a couple of things, and that you needed to stay in a safe place,” he continued. “That was the last time we saw her.”
“Your mother was young and beautiful—almost as beautiful as you are,” Grandma Mary added. “Apparently she fell in love with a very powerful man and that got her in trouble. We didn’t even know she had a baby.”
“But then you came into our lives and completely changed them. We never expected you to be like us. You were a very special girl, ever since you were little. Magical, I would dare to say. But, what else could a poor old man like me say about his wonderful granddaughter?”
Prudence smiled with tears in her eyes.
“I’m afraid we don’t have any further knowledge about your parents’ past. Although, many years ago we got a letter with directions to get to her resting place. We could never find it. We're not even sure that it’s located in the country.”
“Do you still have that letter?” Prudence asked.
“Yes, I have it in the bedroom. I’ll go get it.”
Once Grandpa Fred was back with the yellowish envelope, he handed it to Prudence. She held it in silence for a few seconds before opening it. She examined the letter, but found that it was written in a strange calligraphy she didn’t understand.
“Can I keep it?” she asked.
“Of course. It’s yours,” said Grandma Mary.
“It would be wise to get back now,” Kotal whispered. “It’s getting late.”
“Yes,” she said, wiping her eyes.
They all got up and headed towards the doorway.
“Prudence...” Grandpa Fred said when she was about to go. “I’m sorry we couldn’t help you more with this. Sometimes it’s hard to deal with who we are, or who we think we are. But we love you, and we are sure that no matter what you go through, you will know what to do when the time comes.”
“Thank you, Grandpa.” Prudence hugged both of them before waving her hand and closing the door.
Back at Borghild, it was a different story.
The crowded Great Hall was once again hosting dinner for the occupants of the palace. Prudence barely ate—she had, of course, lost all of her appetite.
“Lessons will start tomorrow morning—it would be better if you go to bed early and have a good rest,” Kotal suggested once dinner was over. Prudence shuffled miserably into the main corridor, and crept up the staircase and into her bedroom.
When Prudence opened her eyes the next morning, there was a maid in her room placing a pile of clean clothes on the dresser. She was a bit older than either Prudence or Skuld.
“Good morning, Miss Clarke,” the maid said.
“Good morning,” Prudence answered, still a bit disoriented. “Where is Skuld?”
“I’ve been informed that she is busy arranging everything you will need for your first training session.”
“Oh...”
“I’ll be at your service today. Anyway, my lady—what would you like for breakfast?”
“A cup of coffee would be fine.”
“Should I bring it up here or serve it in the common hall?”
“I’ll take it downstairs,” Prudence said. “Thank you.” The maid nodded and quickly disappeared.
When Prudence descended the double staircase to the main floor, she saw Lord Kotal standing at the base.
"I see you're ready for your first day of training, my dear Prudence."
"I regret to say I have no choice."
“Don’t be so stubborn, my lady. It will be fun. Besides, training is required. In our world it is better to be prepared to knock first.”
Prudence entered the common hall and sat at an empty table. The servants rapidly set the table with a fancy tray, some freshly cut flowers, and a cup of coffee.
“Miss Clarke, what kind of exotic concoction is that you are drinking?”
“Good morning, Goldine. It’s just coffee.”
“Coffee? I have never drank coffee before. Is it good?”
“It is a pleasure of the gods.”
“Oh! A cup of coffee, please!” Goldine ordered to one of the servants, who quickly tended to her request.
“I’ve heard you are being tested this morning,” Goldine said excitedly while grabbing a chair and sitting in front of Prudence. “Aren’t you excited?”
“To be honest, Miss Pfeffer—I’m more like nervous. I really don’t know what to expect. I’ve never been physically skilled.”
“Oh—you don’t have to worry about anything. We all went through these tests. Besides, Philibert and Ferghild have told me you are teaming up with Miss Godfarr. She is one brave young lady.”
“Of course she is! I’ve wanted to team up with her since I got here. She is an absolute delight,” Prudence exclaimed ironically. She could just not believe her luck.
That last piece of information made Prudence want to never finish her breakfast. When she eventually ended it, Dedric came for her. She barely exchanged words with him on their way to the dungeons.
“Why so serious?” Dedric asked.
“You know why. Can’t I choose my training partner? I would have preferred Skuld to come with me.”
“Skuld? She is not assigned to this kind of activities. You really have
no idea where you’re going, do you?” Dedric asked as the entrance to the dungeons emerged from the woods.
It was a beautiful circular building with a pointed roof. Genuss was waiting for them at the front door.
“It was about time,” she said and opened the door, ready to enter first.
What was hidden behind the door differed a lot from the gorgeous outside of the building. A musty spiral staircase ramped down to unknown territory. Genuss descended right away.
“Here ends my journey. You will continue with Genuss from now on,” Dedric said to Prudence as she examined the underground from the edge of the staircase.
“Do we really have to go in here? Can’t we go somewhere else? It’s clear and beautiful outside,” she protested, reluctantly taking the first steps inside.
“Shut up!” Genuss shouted.
“What is that smell? It’s disgusting!” Prudence exclaimed as they continued to descend.
“You’ve clearly never been in the presence of a troll before. I can distinguish its smell from miles away. Besides, I’ve killed hundreds of them.”
“Kill? How can you talk about killing? I’m against any kind of violence.”
“It’s not violence if it’s against a beast that would kill you otherwise. It’s survival.”
“Well, I don’t mess with such things.”
“Too bad then. Let me tell you the news: we’re fighting trolls down here,” Genuss announced as they arrived at a lower level.
Below the surface, the dungeons spread along huge corridors and halls, and connected to other extensions through tunnels and bridges.
“What? No! I don’t want to do this!”
Prudence started looking for an exit, but at that moment, the doorway to the staircase became a solid brick wall that closed in front of her eyes. Her heart started beating quickly and her breathing became intense.
“I want to get out of here.”
“You are such a coward,” Genuss sneered.
“Please, let me out.”
“Don’t be so noisy, you’re going to get us caught! If you aren’t going to fight them, at least don’t be a hassle.”
Genuss took a dagger from her pocket and spun it artfully between her fingers. Her eyes fixed on the darkness at the end of the corridor. She moved forward; Prudence followed.
“Try not to hurt yourself too badly—although I see that might be difficult. If you make it out of here without a scratch on you, I’ll be your servant for a week.”
They walked in silence, only hearing the sounds of their footsteps.
“Listen!” Genuss whispered, her voice not as brave as before. Both of them stopped their march. Prudence held her breath in order to hear what Genuss had. From somewhere in the darkness, the sound of sharp claws clacking against the musty stone became clear.
Genuss handed her dagger to Prudence. In its place, she took a bow and arrow she had fixed on her back.
“If something happens, you stick the dagger into the heart of the beast,” Genuss warned.
“What are you talking about? You said you have killed hundreds of trolls before.”
“Trolls don’t sound like this. This is an Oltra.”
“Is it worse?”
Genuss rolled her eyes at Prudence.
“I don’t want to know.”
The steps of the beast sounded closer every second. Genuss pulled back the bowstring and adjusted her vision to find her target in the middle of the darkness.
A frightening growl was heard and a gigantic shadow jumped onto them. The Oltra was a horrifying six-legged creature with the head and body of a wolf. From its back emerged two long, flexible arms, like whips with spines on each end. The Oltra’s jaws had sharp fangs that stuck out of its mouth. It observed the girls with its shining white eyes.
The beast moved guardedly, examining Genuss’s movements. She took a fighting stance, never taking her eyes off of the Oltra.
“Be aware. They always move in pairs,” Genuss cautioned Prudence. “Whatever you do, do not try to escape. If you do, it will be your end.”
The beast leapt towards Genuss to attack her, and she shot. The Oltra avoided her shot and jumped on her with its claws extended. She rolled on the floor but quickly regained her position. Genuss ran into the Oltra, and jumped on it. With a turn, she positioned herself above its back, taking it by the neck. The beast screamed and released her, throwing her into the air. Genuss looked at Prudence while the Oltra approached in a dominant position, ready to strike again. The Oltra jumped forward and Genuss could not avoid it. Quite suddenly, she found herself flanked by the body of the beast above her. Its jaw clenched furiously as Genuss struggled to avoid being eaten. The bow that stood between her face and the beast began to creak, weak under such force. Finally, the wood of the bow relented. Horrified, Prudence raised her hands to her face to cover her eyes, but stopped when she felt Genuss’s dagger in her hands. Quickly, she slid it across the floor and the dagger landed right in Genuss’s hands. She did not hesitate for a second before burying it in the heart of the Oltra.
A stream of black blood gushed out of the wound, covering Genuss. The Oltra fell, surrendered, next to her.
Prudence looked up. In the poor light of the corridor, she saw another Oltra behind the dead one. This second Oltra seemed to be even a little larger.
The furious animal began to run straight towards Prudence. She closed her eyes, trying to hold back the urge to run, as Genuss had warned her.
But what else could she do?
Prudence started to run as fast as she could, leaving Genuss behind.
"Prudence, no!" Genuss shouted.
Prudence turned another hallway, and entered a big vaulted space with a bridge in the middle. The depth of the ground was indistinguishable. For a moment, Prudence thought she would be able to escape the animal if she crossed the bridge. But when she was halfway across it, the Oltra slid furiously behind her. It extended one of its flexible arms and entangled Prudence among its thorniest ends. The strong arm, like a whip, raised her up and tossed her through the air, slamming her violently against one of the wet stone walls at the opposite end of the bridge. Her head rapped on the floor, and then all around Prudence faded.
CHAPTER 6
Prudence woke up a day and three broken ribs later in the infirmary wing of the palace. She was lying in bed, covered with impeccable white sheets. She sat on the bed and glanced around the empty room. The silence was broken by the sound of footsteps coming from the corridor outside. Skuld came through the door with a tray containing strange instruments.
“Good to see that you’re awake,” she said. “How are your ribs? Do they hurt? They shouldn’t, you know.”
“My ribs are fine—why?” Prudence placed a hand over her stomach, trying to detect what might be wrong with her.
“You flew over fifty feet and crashed against a solid wall, resulting in three broken ribs. Two of them even overlapped and almost stuck out of your skin—but don’t worry. I’ve healed them, as if nothing had ever happened.”
“You healed me?”
“Yes—and now I have to take care of your other wounds.”
“What other wounds, Skuld?” Prudence asked, horrified.
“The ones on your back.”
Skuld held Prudence’s shirt up, revealing four long, awful cuts in her skin. The marks had been left when the Oltra took Prudence between its spiked arms.
Skuld placed a hand mirror in front of the wounds so that Prudence could see.
“Holy heaven!” she exclaimed.
“It’s fine. I’ll fix this,” Skuld replied as she positioned her hands over Prudence’s back. Quickly, the wounds started to bubble as if the skin was renewing. The cuts became smaller until they completely disappeared. Skuld smiled at the look of amazement on Prudence’s face.
“Before coming into the dungeons, Dedric said that you don’t fight. So I suppose this is what you do—you heal,” Prudence surmised.
Skuld nodded in agreem
ent.
“He said the same thing about you—you don’t fight. In fact, he said you can’t fight at all. That’s why he wants to see us as soon as possible. Put on some clothes and follow me.”
“Where are we going?”
“Put on the cloak,” Skuld ordered as they entered the main corridor.
“Why are you acting suspiciously?”
“Right now, we are up to no good. So naturally, nobody can find out about this.”
“Why not?”
“Because this exceeds the Council’s matters. Other forces are intervening. Now please, enter the chamber.”
Prudence hadn’t even realized that they were in front of the transportation chamber.
“I still prefer the idea of an appearing cape, you know? I just don’t like to travel like this.”
“Since when did you become so selective?”
Once again, they closed their eyes in the freezing chamber and when they opened them again, the Borghild Palace was far behind them.
“What is this place?” Prudence asked, stepping outside the edge of the forest to reveal a wonderfully vivid village, full of people, horses, and oak houses in varied shapes and sizes.
“This is Fort Are. Let’s go. We need to find Dedric at The Weary Wanderer.”
“What is The Weary Wanderer?” Prudence inquired in a curious voice.
“It’s a tavern.”
“It’s a little early to have shots, don’t you think?”
“They are not drinking, Prudence. They are waiting for us, undercover. So please, put on your hood so we can blend in.”
They walked down between the stone streets, mingling with the common people who came and went to the rhythm of their daily chores. The tavern was three floors of stone and wood. At its entrance, a pair of horses were waiting for their owners.
The dark tavern was filled with the most colorful characters. Individuals of varied races were mixed together. There were many dwarves, as they enjoyed having drinks during their free time, between tasks or just at any time of the day. There were also wizards and faeries. Some were sitting peacefully, enjoying a drink, while others held vivid talks. In an almost out-of-sight corner of the tavern, Dedric and Dunhill waited the arrival of Prudence and Skuld.
The Elven Tales: The Company of the Rose Page 4
