The Four as One

by R. F. Pace

      The tubs went cold before anyone even thought of getting out.  George said, “Hey Jake, try the fire spell on the water to heat the tubs back up.”  Jake smile at the visual he had of the inn on fire and said, “I think that’s a bit risky.  I would probably burn the inn down if I tried.”  The two started laughing.  George said, “You know the queens will want their servants to provide some substance to their liking very shortly.”  Jake laughed even harder and said, “Shall we take them to get deep fried troll with a side of boiled kobold.”  George pretended to gag and started laughing again.  It didn’t take the girls as long as they thought it would to get ready.  Before the guys were ready, they were knocking on the door.  Tammy said, “I hope you two didn’t drown in there.”  George replied, “No, Jake won’t wash my back.  Will you?”  Laughter was now on both sides of the door.

       The guys quickly finished getting ready and opened the door.  Both stood staring at the girls with their mouths hanging open.  Sara said, “What?”  Jake blushed.  Sara commented, “Thoughts like that will get you into trouble little boy.  I’ll tell my daddy.”  The girls went into a fit of laughter and Jake went crimson red and stammered, “I forgot how beautiful you two looked is all.”  George just played bobble head and silently agreed with Jake.  Jake and George extended their arms for the girls to take.  Sara slid her hand into the crook of Jakes arm, as did Tammy with George.  She looked up at him and murmured, “Don’t forget to close the door, dear.”  George turned red and replied, “Yes, my queen.”  Laughing, they headed down the stairs.

       They enjoyed a very nice, dirt free, meal.  They had a couple of light ales each, along with their dinner and splurged on desert.  It was still early and the four chose to go for an evening stroll.  They didn’t stay out very late, as everyone was still exhausted.  They paired off again and went to their rooms.  They no more than laid their heads on the pillow and they were asleep instantly.

   

  ***

   

       The following morning Jake and Sara awoke earlier and had just finished breakfast when George and Tammy arrived to have theirs.  They talked for a few and made plans to do absolutely nothing and when they finished doing nothing, they would do it some more.  Laughing and cutting up, the four were more relaxed than when their adventure had begun.  Tammy and Sara decided to walk around and ‘window shop,’ and with nothing else to keep them occupied, Jake and George accompanied them.

       As evening approached they returned to the inn for dinner, then lounged about talking with some of the other patrons.  Jake noticed Sara trying to stifle a yawn and announced, “I think I’m going to turn in.  I would like to get some rest before we have to move on.”  He smiled at Sara and held his hand out for her to take.  Tammy also stood up and looked at George.  “Come on sweet prince, you also need your beauty rest.  I don’t want you turning into a toad,” Tammy remarked.  He stood and she placed her hand in the crook of his arm, then followed Jake and Sara up the steps.  Once again they were all fast asleep before noticing their heads were on pillows.

  CHAPTER 42

   

       The following morning their leathers arrived looking good as new.  Well maybe not new, but they were clean and free of the stench that had been on them.  All four had gathered in George and Tammy’s room trying to decide when they were going to leave.  Jake said, “I’m not crazy about getting back on that horse and riding over the mountains, but we need to get it done.”  Sara said, “Two more weeks of riding in the mountains is a long time if you ask me.”  George asked, “Do we leave now or tomorrow?”  No one answered the question.  George said, “I agree.”  Jake said, “I know none of us want to go, but there are six wardens out there that would like to get home and see their families.”  They were all frowning a bit, but everyone got up and changed from their formal clothes to their traveling clothes.  While the others gathered their belongings, Jake walked down stairs to settle the bills.  The innkeeper greeted him with a smile, “I see you have decided to continue your travels.”  Jake said, “Sad as we are to do it, we must get back.”  The innkeeper then asked, “Where are you traveling to?’’  Jake was about to reply when the others came walking down the stairs.  There were a few people sitting in the dining area and Jake wanted to be polite and answer the innkeeper, but it was never wise to disclose where you were going to total strangers.  Jake just replied with, “Thanks again.”

      Sara and Tammy went to purchase some traveling supplies while Jake and George collected the horses.  With the gear stored, they mounted their horses and were heading out the gate.  George said, “I wonder where Ralnor and the others are?”  Jake smiled a bit and pointed, “About a half mile that way.”  Sara noted, “So you did learn the spell.”  Jake said, “I’ve been practicing it for the past few days.  When I first started using it, I was a bit disoriented for a few minutes, now it doesn’t bother me.  It’s a cool spell to know.”

       As they rode toward the mountains, Ralnor and the other wardens joined them.  Ralnor asked “How was your stay at the Queen’s Inn?”  Sara said, “I love it there.  The beds are soft and they use a soft water for the tubs.  The food was not as good as Fontun’s, but well worth the cost.”  Sara was about to say something else when Jake cut her off.  Jake asked Ralnor, “How did you know we were at the Queen’s Inn?”  Ralnor just smiled, but didn’t disclose his secret of how he knew that information.  Sara then said, “I didn’t even think about that.  See, I knew kept you around for something.”  Jake blushed again.”

       They rode most of the day with very little conversation.  The only time anyone spoke was to conduct a nature call or eat.  This part of the traveling was enjoyable for now, but they could see the hills and mountains coming into view ahead of them.  Tammy shivered just thinking about the cold.  A couple leagues into the hilly area, Ralnor stopped, and told the group they would be setting up camp for the night.  The scene did not depict the turmoil of the area.  It was a semi-quite area with birds chirping and various animal sounds as they scurried about.  There was a light breeze that was refreshing.  The mood of the camp was still somber.  No one was in their usual jovial mood.

       Jake and Sara got stuck with the middle watch of the evening.  The two were both sleepy and lacked any motivation to scout around.  Jake found a rock that was slightly elevated and decided to take seat.  Sara snuggled up against him and was fast asleep as her head rested on his shoulder.  The watch was uneventful, and Jake cherished the time having her close.

       The next four days they rode at a steady pace.  They entered the mountains on the fifth day and the track up the snowy elevation was slow and tedious.  Snow had been falling, but not enough to cover up the trails or reduce visibility.  Ralnor and Jake had been rotating who was riding in front of the group.  The lead rider was having the hardest time of all, because he was the windbreaker.  They made camp in a small cave just after they crested a tall mountain.  It was more of a deep indented area then a small cave, but it worked all the same.  Wyn, Sontar and Halfar were able to gather enough wood to make a decent fire for most of the night. George placed some of the wood in a make-shift fire pit near the opening and used the fire spell he had learned to start it.  Ralnor said, “I’m going to cover the horses tonight, I think the weather is going to get worse.”

       Halfar showed up a few minutes after the fire had been started with a mountain goat.  Jake went out and cut a few small trees to make a rack.  When Ralnor returned, the smell of the cooking meat and warmth of the fire had filled the cave.  When the goat was finished cooking, Halfar served it up. He looked at George and said, “There will be no bad comments about my cooking.”  George just shook his head and grinned at him.  The other wardens busted out laughing at Halfar.  Ralnor said, “So that is what you call what you have been doing to the food.”  Everyone joined in the laughter except Halfar, he was just shaking his
head and pretending to be disappointed and hurt.  The goat was tender and tasty, not as good as what Fontun had made, but respectable.

       The wind and snow had picked up since they had stopped for the night.  Ralnor said, “It looks like we may be in for a heavy snow tonight.”  With the wind whirling, Jake pulled out the canvas and started rigging it to cover up the front area.  Jake had it set up in a matter of minutes.  It didn’t stop the cold from coming in, but it did limit the wind greatly.  Most of the heat was retained and the smoke was able to flow out without being restricted. Ralnor was admiring Jake’s handy work and said, “I have never thought about using canvas to rig a shelter before.”  Jake explained how to attach various pieces together to make a tent.  The other wardens also took an interest in the conversation.

       When Jake finished Sara whispered to him, “An airplane would make travel easier for them too.”  Jake smiled at her and said, “I only told them about a tent.”  Sara snuggled up to him and said, “When Norhorn took our gear, we agreed not to bring our world into this one.”  Jake nodded his head and replied with, “I guess I didn’t think about it like that.”  Sara said, “We don’t know what effect it will have on this world, so as your punishment you will have to keep me warm tonight.”  Jake said with a smirk, “That’s not fair, can’t I just go to bed without dinner?”  Sara slapped him on the arm and laid her head on his shoulder.

   

  ***

   

       The following morning the snow was still coming down steadily and the pile in front of the opening was over a foot deep.  Ralnor hadn’t bothered to wake anyone up for the morning watch, he just sat there enjoying the peace and quiet.  It was close to mid-morning before the first person started stirring.  Soon after, the rest followed.

       When Jake had gathered himself, he asked, “Did it snow all night long?”  Ralnor said, “Yes, we are stuck here for a day at minimum.”  Jake said, “At least we still have some wood and leftover goat from yesterday.”  Ralnor said, “We will need to gather more wood if we are to keep a fire throughout the night.”  Jake suggested, “We can grab a few pieces each time someone goes out.”  The pile of wood increased greatly as the day went on.  The fire wasn’t large, but provided enough heat to keep everyone warm.

       Ralnor had gone to check on the horses several times though out the day.  The last time he returned, Tammy asked why he was checking on them so much.  Ralnor replied, “I would rather ride five more days then walk ten.”  George said, “It’s not very cold, just snowy.”  Ralnor said, “There are hungry creatures in the mountains and a horse is easy prey.”  Later in the evening when Ralnor did his last check, George accompanied him.  Before they left the horses, George had cast a vine spell locking them in that area.  George said, “That should keep them in and the creatures out for the night.”  Ralnor replied, “Or it will give us the time to save them from whatever is after them.”

       The two were heading back to the cave when Ralnor stopped and suddenly ducked behind a bush.  George followed Ralnor’s lead and went to a nearby tree for cover.  Ralnor watched for a couple of minutes before he moved away from the bush.  He crept up to an overhang and watch down the side of the mountain.  George remained in place until Ralnor motioned for him to join him.  Ralnor was pointing near the middle of the mountainside.  For the life of him, George couldn’t see what Ralnor was pointing at.  Ralnor waited without moving.  George finally saw a small amount of movement, but just barely.  George asked, “What is it?”  Ralnor said, “It looks like another goat from here.”  He continued to watch it for several more minutes before he got up and started walking toward the cave.  Ralnor said, “It’s just a goat.  At first all I could see was movement and didn’t want to take any chances.”  “Well you scared the tar out of me.  I thought I was going to have a heart attack,” George said dramatically.  They returned to the warmth of the cave and settled down for the evening.  The snow had tapered off and looked as though the sky might be clearing.

   

  ***

   

       They awoke the next morning to the sun shining and various animal noises.  Ralnor went outside first, followed by George and Jake.  Jake pointed out, “The snow is a little deep, but I think we can travel today.”  Ralnor agreed, “I think it best we get as far away from here as soon as we can.  The weather in this area can change without warning.”  They went back into the cave and informed everyone they would be moving out shortly.  Ralnor, George, Jake, Rotan and Halfar went to retrieve the horses.  Once they returned, it didn’t take long to repack the gear and mount up to leave.  The trail was just a big wash of white power.  The wind wasn’t blowing which was both good and bad.  Good for the warmth of the sun and bad for the removal of the snow that covered the path.

       Ralnor took the lead and was moving at a very slow pace.  He instructed everyone to let their horse move more on their own as they traveled down the side of the mountain.  Ralnor said, “Don’t give them too much freedom, but guide their movements if they stray too close to the edge.  I wouldn’t want one to just walk off the side of the mountain.”  George was the only one effected by Ralnor’s words.  Every time his horse moved slightly toward the edge, he would rein back on it.  Tammy had to instruct him on what Ralnor was talking about.

       The mountain trails looked the same from one to the next.  Sara could have sworn they had been in the mountains for two or three weeks by now, but in fact it had only been just over a week since they entered.  Ralnor told them, “We should be out of the mountains in a couple of days.”  That was the first sign of hope or anything good happening in a while.

      The following day George inquired, “Isn’t this the area where the troll attacked us.”  Everyone was now looking more for trolls than the area they were in.  It took a few minutes before Sara said, “Yes, it’s the area where we got attacked.”  Jake got quiet and said, “I don’t detect anything in the area for a good ways.”  Ralnor smiled and said, “Remember not to rely on magic for everything.  Some things will not be detected, while others may appear falsely.”  Jake said, “I really don’t rely on it, but use it more as an additional way to check.”  Tammy said, “That means we are only about two days from leaving the mountains, right?”  Jake smiled and said, “Yep.”

       With the end in sight, the hours were now dragging.  The nights seemed longer and the days appeared to last forever.  The anticipation of leaving the mountains was killing the teens.  Ralnor said, “Right now, we need everyone focused on the mountains, not the trail beyond here.”  Jake nodded his head.  Sara and Tammy grinned and kept thinking about the hot bath that they would soon be in.  George was in a daze, not doing a whole lot of anything.  The other wardens were totally focused, which was a good thing for the group.  There were still many dangers between here and their destination.

  CHAPTER 43

   

       As everyone started down the last bit of mountain trail heading into Oron Ostar, Ralnor said, “We will meet you the day after tomorrow on the trail.”  Jake replied, “I was only planning to stay the one night here and then getting out of this dreary town.”  Sara suggested, “We should just skip it and keep riding toward Malta.”  “A warm room and a hot meal sounds good to me,” Tammy protested.  George and Jake were both in agreement with her.

       The wardens went one way and the teens went the other.  They entered town a couple hours before sunset.  Jake said, “Let’s try the other inn this time.”  As they rode into town, the few people that were on the streets just looked at them and went about their business without a second glance.  Sara commented, “That’s a different reception from the first time we came into this town.”  George stated with a grin, “They know we’ll kick their butts if they make us mad.”  Jake smiled and said, “It isn’t any different than the first time we were here.  It’s just late and they want to get home to th
eir families without any trouble.”  Sara said with a smirk, “I think George is right.”  She turned and winked at Jake.  For the first time Jake didn’t turn red, he just smiled back at her.  Tammy said, “I think they can smell us and the odor is driving them inside.”  Everyone started to chuckle at that.

       They arrived at the front of the Mountain View Inn and Jake and Sara went inside.  This place was better kept than the Falling Rock Inn and the innkeeper smiled and said, “Can I help you?”  Jake said, “We would like two rooms please.”  The innkeeper said, “It will be a silver per room.”  Jake dug in his pocket and produced a silver coin and placed it on the counter.  He dug in this pocket and dug in the other pockets until he found a second silver coin.  Jake smiled at the innkeeper and said, “Don’t want to keep all that wealth in one pocket, you know.”  The innkeeper smile and said, “Can’t blame you.”  Sara inquired, “Do you have a livery for our horses?”  The innkeeper smiled at her, “Yes, Miss, it will be a copper per horse.”  Once again Jake started to search his pockets when Sara held her hand up and said, “I will take care of this.”  She handed the coppers over to the innkeeper, who had a grateful smile on his face.  Sara wasn’t sure if it was due to the extra money he just made or that he didn’t have to wait for Jake to find his ‘wealth.’  As Jake and Sara walked out, the innkeeper rolled his eyes and shook his head.  Sara hit him and said, “What was that all about?”  George asked, “What happened in there?”  Jake smiled, “Nothing really, but I’ll tell you when we get to the rooms.”