Although Dwyn had rested and her wounds had healed, her injured hip still felt sore during the long walk through the swampy woods. Doubtless it was all in her mind, but nonetheless the painful sensation lingered.
The entire plan to track down the wayward captain of the Black Arrows had left her feeling uneasy and irritated. Dwyn understood why it was important to the Troubleshooters. After all, locating the missing commander was the last piece of the “what happened to the Fort?” puzzle. Then they could return to Magnimar with sad news but a task completed.
Except - no! They couldn’t very well abandon the place yet. Black Magga was still on the loose, the horrid Snake Lady was still on the loose, Fort Rannick was still vulnerable to attack, the Dam was still vulnerable to collapse, and therefore all the innocent residents of Turtleback Ferry were still in imminent danger. Sure, the mayor hadn't hired the Troubleshooters to protect the town, but Dwyn couldn’t bear to think of all those people and the kindly old priest being left to their own devices in this situation. She hadn’t even seen Ki Xa in ages – at least, it felt like ages! And if it had been a long time since she had seen her horse, well, it was even longer since she had seen others…
Nevertheless, here she was, tracking down some lovelorn turncoat who had abandoned his post just when his troops needed him most. The swamp was creepy, Yap was creepier, the ghost ship was creepier still, and Myriana was creepiest of all. Of course Dothan had been swept up in the tragic romance – she loved a good story, and this had all the makings of one – but why did the Troubleshooters have to promise Myriana anything? What did she really want, this murky and mysterious creature, and could she be trusted? Dwyn was ready to be done with strange forests and their inhabitants. She never thought the day would come when she was longing to be back in a town, of all places, but Sandpoint, Turtleback Ferry, and even Magnimar would be wonderful in comparison to a haunted swamp. Why couldn’t anyone else see that something was wrong with the very trees, not to mention everything else in the place?
The climb up Hook Mountain aggravated her hip again, even though she couldn’t find anything medically wrong with it. Every step forward felt like a step farther away from home. She wondered how long Lamatar been gone before Myriana started to despair. And then, how long had she herself been gone on this expedition, anyway? A month? No, not quite yet. Nearly four weeks? It seemed much longer and she was so tired. Would anyone be worrying because she wasn’t back yet?
Maybe she was distracted by her worries when the whole party finally met the Hill Giant and his “friends” on the mountain. Once more she allowed her opponent a slight opening and paid the price with a huge gash in her side. The Giant paid a far steeper price for his trouble – she made sure of that – and the Troubleshooters made quick work of the ogres inside the mountain. Yet Dwyn felt disoriented and anxious even after her wounds had been healed. Where was the Snake, and would she get away again this time? What were these horrid witches capable of? She had the sense something bigger was going on but couldn’t quite put a finger on it. Not only had the ogres invaded Fort Rannick, but now they were making a bunch of weapons up here. For whom, and why? What were a bunch of hags and giants and ogres doing together in the mountain in the first place? Did they set Black Magga loose into the river on purpose? And what was with that giant statue? Did they build this place themselves or was it like the dam – or even like Thistletop – resting on the smoldering remnants of some ancient evil?
TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
Weeks passed without any sign of Dwyn or word from Dwyn. It was Neth, and then it was Sunday, and once again Kjell took his post by the Lodge door. He looked over at the bench where Dwyn had been sitting last month, as if by looking he could make her appear there again. He watched Father Fendus’ mouth moving as the service dragged on; his ears heard the sound of words. And then he walked his patrol route and went straight home.
Once again his mother wasn’t expected back until suppertime. He was glad she had been so distracted by Mrs. Rast and the wedding, even though he suspected she didn’t truly like Mrs. Rast or her daughters all that much. She was out of the house, sewing dresses and throwing herself into something other than worrying about Kjell. And that left Kjell free to stay at home alone and worry about Dwyn.
If nothing was wrong at the Fort, surely she would have been there and back by now. She wouldn’t return to Magnimar without showing up at the Lodge – he felt certain of that, at least. Even if she had forgotten about him or it had all meant nothing, she would have gone to Sunday services. The Mayor himself probably would have announced something – the continued success of operations in the East, perhaps, or some threat diverted. Yet no word came and there was no news of Fort Rannick or even the towns upriver. Couldn’t she have sent a letter? Weren’t messengers traveling back and forth once in a while, not to mention barges coming down the river with goods and a mailbag?
If she hadn’t sent a letter and she wasn’t back yet, something must be wrong. Kjell felt the same heavy sense of foreboding he had felt many times since Dwyn left. He tried to sleep but woke in an uncomfortable sweat, having dreamt about a large snake slithering down a hole. Usually he prayed for her safety at such times but today he felt inexplicably angry. “I’m so sick of it!” he muttered. “I don’t want to think about this stuff anymore. Probably she’s never coming back, so why should I sit here thinking about it?” He threw his cloak and bow back on and stomped down into the street, wandering east until he reached the shore. “Maybe if we’d had more time… maybe she wouldn’t have wanted to leave. Or maybe I could have gone with her. But it was too soon. We barely knew each other.” He sat on a post near the docks, not minding the cold wind, watching the boats coming back in before sunset.
***
Fireday the 6th of Neth was the first day of Marget Rast’s wedding – the first one where lots of guests were invited, anyway, though other events had been going on all week. Weddings were no small matter in the church of Erastil. The whole gory affair wouldn’t be over until Sunday. Kjell’s mother had been busy all day helping prepare the feast while Kjell was training with the Archers. He wasn’t interested in anything Rone had to say today; Rone needed to mind his own business and keep mouth shut.
Dinnertime couldn’t come soon enough and for a short time Kjell was blissfully occupied by nothing but food. Even Bekka and her friends did nothing to dampen his enthusiasm when they joined the table. At least Bekka didn’t rattle on as much as those other girls did, and she got him another bowl of stew without even being asked. He could tell she was hoping he would dance with her when the performances began – the bride’s family and groom’s family spent the evening trying to impress one another with their talents, musical and otherwise, though in most cases “talent” was far from the proper description – but Kjell managed to avoid her pointed glances and instead drank far too much ale. Later he got into an actual fistfight with one of the guys from the Dome who was hanging around the park, and Evan and Rone had to walk him back home and deposit him in bed. The room was spinning crazily.
In his dreams he had blown up to the size of a giant and, as he laid in bed, was being struck repeatedly by a tiny man wielding a club. It was surprisingly painful, particularly on the forehead.
Once again his mother wasn’t expected back until suppertime. He was glad she had been so distracted by Mrs. Rast and the wedding, even though he suspected she didn’t truly like Mrs. Rast or her daughters all that much. She was out of the house, sewing dresses and throwing herself into something other than worrying about Kjell. And that left Kjell free to stay at home alone and worry about Dwyn.
If nothing was wrong at the Fort, surely she would have been there and back by now. She wouldn’t return to Magnimar without showing up at the Lodge – he felt certain of that, at least. Even if she had forgotten about him or it had all meant nothing, she would have gone to Sunday services. The Mayor himself probably would have announced something – the continued success of operations in the East, perhaps, or some threat diverted. Yet no word came and there was no news of Fort Rannick or even the towns upriver. Couldn’t she have sent a letter? Weren’t messengers traveling back and forth once in a while, not to mention barges coming down the river with goods and a mailbag?
If she hadn’t sent a letter and she wasn’t back yet, something must be wrong. Kjell felt the same heavy sense of foreboding he had felt many times since Dwyn left. He tried to sleep but woke in an uncomfortable sweat, having dreamt about a large snake slithering down a hole. Usually he prayed for her safety at such times but today he felt inexplicably angry. “I’m so sick of it!” he muttered. “I don’t want to think about this stuff anymore. Probably she’s never coming back, so why should I sit here thinking about it?” He threw his cloak and bow back on and stomped down into the street, wandering east until he reached the shore. “Maybe if we’d had more time… maybe she wouldn’t have wanted to leave. Or maybe I could have gone with her. But it was too soon. We barely knew each other.” He sat on a post near the docks, not minding the cold wind, watching the boats coming back in before sunset.
***
Fireday the 6th of Neth was the first day of Marget Rast’s wedding – the first one where lots of guests were invited, anyway, though other events had been going on all week. Weddings were no small matter in the church of Erastil. The whole gory affair wouldn’t be over until Sunday. Kjell’s mother had been busy all day helping prepare the feast while Kjell was training with the Archers. He wasn’t interested in anything Rone had to say today; Rone needed to mind his own business and keep mouth shut.
Dinnertime couldn’t come soon enough and for a short time Kjell was blissfully occupied by nothing but food. Even Bekka and her friends did nothing to dampen his enthusiasm when they joined the table. At least Bekka didn’t rattle on as much as those other girls did, and she got him another bowl of stew without even being asked. He could tell she was hoping he would dance with her when the performances began – the bride’s family and groom’s family spent the evening trying to impress one another with their talents, musical and otherwise, though in most cases “talent” was far from the proper description – but Kjell managed to avoid her pointed glances and instead drank far too much ale. Later he got into an actual fistfight with one of the guys from the Dome who was hanging around the park, and Evan and Rone had to walk him back home and deposit him in bed. The room was spinning crazily.
In his dreams he had blown up to the size of a giant and, as he laid in bed, was being struck repeatedly by a tiny man wielding a club. It was surprisingly painful, particularly on the forehead.
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
The wedding had demanded a great deal of awkward, uncomfortable dancing and Kjell was no dancer, either by nature or inclination. The wedding meals and musicians were excellent and his mother seemed more relaxed and happy than she had in months. But the ridiculous expectations created by the smallest actions on his part were becoming an irritation. Kjell had consulted Father Fendus and was trying to convince himself it wasn't Bekka's fault that everyone had begun treating them as if they were a couple. He did nothing to encourage this. Nevertheless, he wouldn't treat Bekka discourteously simply to avoid gossip.
The constant preoccupation of his mind was whether Dwyn had survived the trip to Fort Rannick. After a month with no word, Kjell was assuming the worst, but on Sunday his prayers were finally answered. As usual he had arrived at the Lodge well before dawn to help prepare for the day's services. Fendus pulled him aside after the meeting of the Temple Archers.
"I've had a message from Dwyn. It came in a dream just before I woke - I don't know the Priestess who sent it but the vision was suffused with light and kindness. She warned of a possible attack on Sandpoint. I gather the group had been fighting ogres and that they plan to return soon."
Kjell stared open-mouthed, unable to conceal his reaction. "What else? Are they okay? Is she... "
"Yes! They're safe, for now. But they warned us about a dragon attacking Sandpoint - it doesn't sound like their mission is over yet. At the end, Dwyn said 'Hi!'"
"Hi?" Kjell repeated.
"Well, technically the Priestess said it. "Hi from Dwyn" - that's the message!" Fendus smiled and clapped his hand on Kjell's back. "See? Everything's okay. Now, this talk of a dragon is something else. Not sure what to make of that - we don't have dragon attacks around here. Maybe I didn't understand correctly. But we can send a warning to Father Zantus at the Sandpoint cathedral, just in case."
Kjell nodded slowly. "Hi. And... a dragon?"
"Yes. Well, let's get on with our business, son," he said briskly. "Whatever it is, if she needs our help she'll be back." The priest tried to hurry Kjell along the hallway but he was no longer paying attention, so Fendus sighed and walked on. "One person's troubles have arrived; those of another are on the way," he muttered.
Kjell made his way out to the yard like a zombie and adjusted his jacket. The cold morning wind sent a shiver through him as he headed for the Park. "What did that mean?" he thought to himself. "A dragon attacking?! How can she be safe if a dragon is attacking? And won't they be in Sandpoint now? Should I go there?" For a moment he thought of running home to pack a bag and head out on the road, but quickly realized he couldn't leave his mother alone in the city, especially if danger was involved. And he certainly couldn't take her along with him.
"Hi from Dwyn. What does "Hi" mean? After a month of nothing, no word at all, now suddenly she says "Hi?" Is that it?" He paced along, not paying any attention to the people headed past him to the morning service.
Kjell didn't know what to make of it. Yes, she was alive - an incredible relief! But it didn't sound like she was coming back any time soon. If Fendus was right, she was about to get herself killed by a dragon! How could they be going on with morning services at the Lodge like nothing was happening, when a terrible threat might be approaching? Shouldn't they be sending people over to help the little town? Or at least preparing supplies? But if Dwyn had wanted his help, surely she would have said so. All she had to say was "Hi." That meant... nothing! Hi? Kjell didn't sleep well that night and was feeling particularly lousy by Moonday morning.
The constant preoccupation of his mind was whether Dwyn had survived the trip to Fort Rannick. After a month with no word, Kjell was assuming the worst, but on Sunday his prayers were finally answered. As usual he had arrived at the Lodge well before dawn to help prepare for the day's services. Fendus pulled him aside after the meeting of the Temple Archers.
"I've had a message from Dwyn. It came in a dream just before I woke - I don't know the Priestess who sent it but the vision was suffused with light and kindness. She warned of a possible attack on Sandpoint. I gather the group had been fighting ogres and that they plan to return soon."
Kjell stared open-mouthed, unable to conceal his reaction. "What else? Are they okay? Is she... "
"Yes! They're safe, for now. But they warned us about a dragon attacking Sandpoint - it doesn't sound like their mission is over yet. At the end, Dwyn said 'Hi!'"
"Hi?" Kjell repeated.
"Well, technically the Priestess said it. "Hi from Dwyn" - that's the message!" Fendus smiled and clapped his hand on Kjell's back. "See? Everything's okay. Now, this talk of a dragon is something else. Not sure what to make of that - we don't have dragon attacks around here. Maybe I didn't understand correctly. But we can send a warning to Father Zantus at the Sandpoint cathedral, just in case."
Kjell nodded slowly. "Hi. And... a dragon?"
"Yes. Well, let's get on with our business, son," he said briskly. "Whatever it is, if she needs our help she'll be back." The priest tried to hurry Kjell along the hallway but he was no longer paying attention, so Fendus sighed and walked on. "One person's troubles have arrived; those of another are on the way," he muttered.
Kjell made his way out to the yard like a zombie and adjusted his jacket. The cold morning wind sent a shiver through him as he headed for the Park. "What did that mean?" he thought to himself. "A dragon attacking?! How can she be safe if a dragon is attacking? And won't they be in Sandpoint now? Should I go there?" For a moment he thought of running home to pack a bag and head out on the road, but quickly realized he couldn't leave his mother alone in the city, especially if danger was involved. And he certainly couldn't take her along with him.
"Hi from Dwyn. What does "Hi" mean? After a month of nothing, no word at all, now suddenly she says "Hi?" Is that it?" He paced along, not paying any attention to the people headed past him to the morning service.
Kjell didn't know what to make of it. Yes, she was alive - an incredible relief! But it didn't sound like she was coming back any time soon. If Fendus was right, she was about to get herself killed by a dragon! How could they be going on with morning services at the Lodge like nothing was happening, when a terrible threat might be approaching? Shouldn't they be sending people over to help the little town? Or at least preparing supplies? But if Dwyn had wanted his help, surely she would have said so. All she had to say was "Hi." That meant... nothing! Hi? Kjell didn't sleep well that night and was feeling particularly lousy by Moonday morning.
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
"I can tell something's wrong," Bekka said as they walked up the hill toward the Park early Moonday morning. "You don't have to tell me, but I know you're upset. Is it... your mom? I know she doesn't like me that much, but I'm trying, I really am!"
Kjell shook his head. He just wanted to get to morning target practice. He picked up the pace, eager to drop Bekka off at the house where she worked. He preferred to be alone in the mornings but wasn't sure how to extricate himself from these walks. Once Bekka had realized they were going in the same direction each day, she had suggested they go together. She wasn’t wrong to ask - Magnimar’s streets weren’t entirely safe before daylight. What’s more, these were his official duties, to help take care of the parishioners and secure the neighborhood. Still, it meant talking.
"Okay, if it's not your mom, is it Rone? What did he do this time?" She glanced at his face quickly and went silent for a moment. Should she even ask? She wasn't sure she really wanted to know, but she had to find out. "Um, is it that girl... you know, the one who visited the temple a while ago?" Another glance gave her the answer.
"Well, what happened? Is she okay? Is she... here again, in the city?"
Kjell shook his head. "No. They sent a message to Father Fendus. They fought ogres..." Bekka gasped audibly. Kjell wasn't sure he ought to make the rest of the message public. No sense making people panic when they weren't sure what the part about the dragon meant. "They fought ogres and are coming back. Maybe. Or back to Sandpoint? I don't know." Kjell shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant.
"Oh." They had almost reached the house. "Well, that's amazing - fighting ogres! Can you imagine? Maybe it doesn't seem like much to you Archers - you're always training for things like that."
Kjell shrugged again. “More like to stop pickpockets and gambling in the park,” he sighed. “We’ve never faced anything like an ogre. Anyway, I’m going to be late,” he said, turning quickly up the street as she went in the gate.
“Will I see you later?” she called tentatively, but he kept walking.
Kjell shook his head. He just wanted to get to morning target practice. He picked up the pace, eager to drop Bekka off at the house where she worked. He preferred to be alone in the mornings but wasn't sure how to extricate himself from these walks. Once Bekka had realized they were going in the same direction each day, she had suggested they go together. She wasn’t wrong to ask - Magnimar’s streets weren’t entirely safe before daylight. What’s more, these were his official duties, to help take care of the parishioners and secure the neighborhood. Still, it meant talking.
"Okay, if it's not your mom, is it Rone? What did he do this time?" She glanced at his face quickly and went silent for a moment. Should she even ask? She wasn't sure she really wanted to know, but she had to find out. "Um, is it that girl... you know, the one who visited the temple a while ago?" Another glance gave her the answer.
"Well, what happened? Is she okay? Is she... here again, in the city?"
Kjell shook his head. "No. They sent a message to Father Fendus. They fought ogres..." Bekka gasped audibly. Kjell wasn't sure he ought to make the rest of the message public. No sense making people panic when they weren't sure what the part about the dragon meant. "They fought ogres and are coming back. Maybe. Or back to Sandpoint? I don't know." Kjell shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant.
"Oh." They had almost reached the house. "Well, that's amazing - fighting ogres! Can you imagine? Maybe it doesn't seem like much to you Archers - you're always training for things like that."
Kjell shrugged again. “More like to stop pickpockets and gambling in the park,” he sighed. “We’ve never faced anything like an ogre. Anyway, I’m going to be late,” he said, turning quickly up the street as she went in the gate.
“Will I see you later?” she called tentatively, but he kept walking.
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
At first the Troubleshooters seemed mildly amused by Dwyn's pacing. This is what happens when you trap someone used to running every day on a boat. After a few days it was simply annoying. In the mornings she would clean up after Ki Xa and the other horses, wolf down breakfast, and then spend hours circling the entirety of the boat, looking for any sign of interesting life on the shore. She was fascinated by the towns they passed and waved wildly to anyone they saw. On Wealday a group of older kids ran along the riverbank, waving and shouting, trying to keep up with the boat's passage while Dwyn tried to hurl biscuits all the way across the water. Finally Eldthor had to remind her that they only had so many supplies onboard.
Illian and Carbohal tried to distract her with a little swordfighting and, true enough, it was fun to practice for a change instead of having to kill things for real. She used Halifax's old ringed sword, since the barge didn't have much free space to swing Lucille around in, and she needed to practice with a different weapon. It took time to get used to the particular balance of a weapon, and you never knew when a sword might come in handy again.
The daily pacing grew even worse when Samadriel started doing her Sendings. The first one had to be to the Mayor. Dwyn understood why. She had to be patient. Alma was next, and Dwyn didn't want to say so even to her friends, but she had more faith in her cousin to alert the important people in town than she did in Sheriff Hemlock or Mayor Deverin. After all, Alma's son had been the Sheriff before the Chopper had murdered him, so Alma knew exactly who could be asked for help, and nearly everyone visited her bakery regularly. People trusted her in a way they didn't necessarily trust others - they could depend on her for information. And Alma would trust that if Dwyn was warning of a dragon, she meant it. Dwyn wouldn't do that idly.
After Alma's Sending, Dwyn had to wait even longer before Sam was able to contact Father Fendus at the Deadeye Lodge. The poor elf did need her sleep once in a while, and she did have other spells that needed praying over, especially in case Black Magga should make a surprise appearance. From Dwyn's perspective, she walked around all day because she didn't want to be caught off guard if that monster decided to smash the boat! But they never did see Magga, and eventually Dwyn paced restlessly because she wasn't sure what message should be sent to Fendus. Should she mention Kjell directly? Should she tell all that had happened? The message had to be brief and clear. After long deliberation, by the end of which all the rest of the Troubleshooters were well and truly sick of Dwyn's footsteps thumping across the deck, she settled on just the right thing: "Hi from Dwyn." That summed everything up and had the right happy, relaxed tone, she thought, quite pleased with herself for coming up with it.
That message went out in the wee hours on Sunday, and that evening the barge's captain said they would reach Magnimar by morning. Dwyn thanked Samadriel profusely for all her help with communications, went straight to bed, and then woke before sunrise. She kept thinking she could see faint outlines of the docks, as the river gradually widened, but by the time they actually came into view she was distracted by talking to Kay.
"Okay, I want to head straight back to the same place we found Lucille. I don't know if that guy has armor, but if he doesn't I bet he can tell us where to find what I want, and fast! We don't need many other provisions - we can refill everything else once we get to Sandpoint. But what about arrows? Are there certain kinds of arrows that might hurt a dragon?"
Kay and Eldthor looked through her remaining arrows and gave their advice. Thor asked if any of Dwyn's friends from the Lodge might be convinced to help defend Sandpoint, and Kay wondered if she would be stopping there.
"I don't know," Dwyn said anxiously. "I don't want to waste a moment getting back, and they have their own job to do."
Eldthor assured her it would take a while for everyone to find their new weapons and armor, and for Dothan and him to visit the Mayor and explain all that had happened at the Fort. Sam and Anna were willing to head for Sandpoint as soon as Dwyn was ready, but Dothan had little trouble convincing Dwyn that the Troubleshooters would be much better prepared to face a dragon, or any other threat, if they were better armed and sticking together. Dwyn stood impatiently with Ki Xa while the boat was secured at the dock, and as soon as the gate was lowered she jumped out and mounted the horse, waiting for everyone else to get assembled.
Finally they were off to the armorer's, and he did indeed have masterwork half-plate just as Dwyn was hoping. She needed something much more heavy-duty if they were going to be fighting things like Stone Giants. At first she was worried that the narrow suit the man brought out wouldn't fit, but it latched right on to her body like a second skin. "Magically enhanced - and powerfully so," murmured Kay. "This is good." Dwyn didn't need to try on anything else, but the man was only willing to give 400 GP for her breastplate in the deal.
Dwyn stammered a bit and turned back to Kay. "You're right," Kay whispered, "it's worth well more than 400. Don't be afraid to tell him." Dwyn nodded resolutely but wasn't able to come up with anything to say, so Dothan whispered into her other ear. "It's worth well more than that--a quality piece with such a storied history. Go ahead - say that." She smiled encouragingly at both Dwyn and the shopkeeper, who smiled back. It was hard to look at a smiling Dothan and not return the expression.
"Well, sir," Dwyn began, "this armor has a lot of quality stories in it. And... and I know it's more than 400." The man didn't answer, but simply pulled out a cloth to shine up the half-plate.
Dwyn huddled up with Dothan again. "What now?"
"Okay," whispered Dothan. "Tell him this..." but when she saw Dwyn's furrowed brow she decided to simply handle it herself. Approaching the counter with the same winning smile, she began, "Sir, we are in Magnimar often, and we have found that we will be in regular need of an honest armorer whom we can trust - and Dwyn here has purchased her war hammer from you already. Certainly the breastplate is worth 700 to you. You can get twice that for it." She smiled brightly again and the man relented. "Fine, I can do... 675. Now, what were the stories you mentioned?"
Dwyn quickly slipped out of Nualia's old armor while Dothan gave the man a thumbnail version of the fight at Thistletop, and he grinned, knowing it would make a great pitch to the next customer.
Dwyn needed Kay's help to get securely into the half-plate - both she and Dothan had agreed to help Dwyn don her armor going forward, as it took a few minutes even with help. Dwyn thanked them for getting the right price in the shop, and they magically transformed the new armor to bear the same elk-colors that had improved Nualia's breastplate before - deepest brown on all the joints, fading to a soft golden beige everywhere else. It looked natural, not so much like cold metal.
"Okay then, I'm off to lunch while you see the Mayor," she called, untying Ki Xa's rope. She hoped he didn't mind the sudden extra weight of her armor. "Let's hurry - maybe we can leave for Sandpoint before nightfall!"
"Whoa, there! Dwyn... wait up!" called Kay. "I know you want to see your friends but... Don't you think you should freshen up a bit first? How about if you let Dothan and I do your hair up before you go see ... the guys at the lodge. I bet they would be really surprised!"
Dwyn frowned. She hadn't considered that before and the situation wasn't promising. After a week's travel on the river, cleaning up after the horses, her braids looked rather like the straw in the stables. And frankly, she didn't smell very nice. "Okay," she said reluctantly, dismounting the horse. "But let's hurry. I don't have my mirror on me to see what you're doing, so keep it simple, eh? Braids. Or a plain bun."
Kay and Dothan exchanged a look. After a few minutes of prestidigitation Dwyn was all freshened up, in her gleaming new suit of armor, with an enormous mass of ringlets and little pastel-tinged braids worthy of a bridesmaid piled high upon her head. "It looks like normal, right?" she asked, unable to feel her own head without removing her thick gloves. They nodded happily. "You look fine. See you in a few hours - we'll meet outside the Mayor's."
Illian and Carbohal tried to distract her with a little swordfighting and, true enough, it was fun to practice for a change instead of having to kill things for real. She used Halifax's old ringed sword, since the barge didn't have much free space to swing Lucille around in, and she needed to practice with a different weapon. It took time to get used to the particular balance of a weapon, and you never knew when a sword might come in handy again.
The daily pacing grew even worse when Samadriel started doing her Sendings. The first one had to be to the Mayor. Dwyn understood why. She had to be patient. Alma was next, and Dwyn didn't want to say so even to her friends, but she had more faith in her cousin to alert the important people in town than she did in Sheriff Hemlock or Mayor Deverin. After all, Alma's son had been the Sheriff before the Chopper had murdered him, so Alma knew exactly who could be asked for help, and nearly everyone visited her bakery regularly. People trusted her in a way they didn't necessarily trust others - they could depend on her for information. And Alma would trust that if Dwyn was warning of a dragon, she meant it. Dwyn wouldn't do that idly.
After Alma's Sending, Dwyn had to wait even longer before Sam was able to contact Father Fendus at the Deadeye Lodge. The poor elf did need her sleep once in a while, and she did have other spells that needed praying over, especially in case Black Magga should make a surprise appearance. From Dwyn's perspective, she walked around all day because she didn't want to be caught off guard if that monster decided to smash the boat! But they never did see Magga, and eventually Dwyn paced restlessly because she wasn't sure what message should be sent to Fendus. Should she mention Kjell directly? Should she tell all that had happened? The message had to be brief and clear. After long deliberation, by the end of which all the rest of the Troubleshooters were well and truly sick of Dwyn's footsteps thumping across the deck, she settled on just the right thing: "Hi from Dwyn." That summed everything up and had the right happy, relaxed tone, she thought, quite pleased with herself for coming up with it.
That message went out in the wee hours on Sunday, and that evening the barge's captain said they would reach Magnimar by morning. Dwyn thanked Samadriel profusely for all her help with communications, went straight to bed, and then woke before sunrise. She kept thinking she could see faint outlines of the docks, as the river gradually widened, but by the time they actually came into view she was distracted by talking to Kay.
"Okay, I want to head straight back to the same place we found Lucille. I don't know if that guy has armor, but if he doesn't I bet he can tell us where to find what I want, and fast! We don't need many other provisions - we can refill everything else once we get to Sandpoint. But what about arrows? Are there certain kinds of arrows that might hurt a dragon?"
Kay and Eldthor looked through her remaining arrows and gave their advice. Thor asked if any of Dwyn's friends from the Lodge might be convinced to help defend Sandpoint, and Kay wondered if she would be stopping there.
"I don't know," Dwyn said anxiously. "I don't want to waste a moment getting back, and they have their own job to do."
Eldthor assured her it would take a while for everyone to find their new weapons and armor, and for Dothan and him to visit the Mayor and explain all that had happened at the Fort. Sam and Anna were willing to head for Sandpoint as soon as Dwyn was ready, but Dothan had little trouble convincing Dwyn that the Troubleshooters would be much better prepared to face a dragon, or any other threat, if they were better armed and sticking together. Dwyn stood impatiently with Ki Xa while the boat was secured at the dock, and as soon as the gate was lowered she jumped out and mounted the horse, waiting for everyone else to get assembled.
Finally they were off to the armorer's, and he did indeed have masterwork half-plate just as Dwyn was hoping. She needed something much more heavy-duty if they were going to be fighting things like Stone Giants. At first she was worried that the narrow suit the man brought out wouldn't fit, but it latched right on to her body like a second skin. "Magically enhanced - and powerfully so," murmured Kay. "This is good." Dwyn didn't need to try on anything else, but the man was only willing to give 400 GP for her breastplate in the deal.
Dwyn stammered a bit and turned back to Kay. "You're right," Kay whispered, "it's worth well more than 400. Don't be afraid to tell him." Dwyn nodded resolutely but wasn't able to come up with anything to say, so Dothan whispered into her other ear. "It's worth well more than that--a quality piece with such a storied history. Go ahead - say that." She smiled encouragingly at both Dwyn and the shopkeeper, who smiled back. It was hard to look at a smiling Dothan and not return the expression.
"Well, sir," Dwyn began, "this armor has a lot of quality stories in it. And... and I know it's more than 400." The man didn't answer, but simply pulled out a cloth to shine up the half-plate.
Dwyn huddled up with Dothan again. "What now?"
"Okay," whispered Dothan. "Tell him this..." but when she saw Dwyn's furrowed brow she decided to simply handle it herself. Approaching the counter with the same winning smile, she began, "Sir, we are in Magnimar often, and we have found that we will be in regular need of an honest armorer whom we can trust - and Dwyn here has purchased her war hammer from you already. Certainly the breastplate is worth 700 to you. You can get twice that for it." She smiled brightly again and the man relented. "Fine, I can do... 675. Now, what were the stories you mentioned?"
Dwyn quickly slipped out of Nualia's old armor while Dothan gave the man a thumbnail version of the fight at Thistletop, and he grinned, knowing it would make a great pitch to the next customer.
Dwyn needed Kay's help to get securely into the half-plate - both she and Dothan had agreed to help Dwyn don her armor going forward, as it took a few minutes even with help. Dwyn thanked them for getting the right price in the shop, and they magically transformed the new armor to bear the same elk-colors that had improved Nualia's breastplate before - deepest brown on all the joints, fading to a soft golden beige everywhere else. It looked natural, not so much like cold metal.
"Okay then, I'm off to lunch while you see the Mayor," she called, untying Ki Xa's rope. She hoped he didn't mind the sudden extra weight of her armor. "Let's hurry - maybe we can leave for Sandpoint before nightfall!"
"Whoa, there! Dwyn... wait up!" called Kay. "I know you want to see your friends but... Don't you think you should freshen up a bit first? How about if you let Dothan and I do your hair up before you go see ... the guys at the lodge. I bet they would be really surprised!"
Dwyn frowned. She hadn't considered that before and the situation wasn't promising. After a week's travel on the river, cleaning up after the horses, her braids looked rather like the straw in the stables. And frankly, she didn't smell very nice. "Okay," she said reluctantly, dismounting the horse. "But let's hurry. I don't have my mirror on me to see what you're doing, so keep it simple, eh? Braids. Or a plain bun."
Kay and Dothan exchanged a look. After a few minutes of prestidigitation Dwyn was all freshened up, in her gleaming new suit of armor, with an enormous mass of ringlets and little pastel-tinged braids worthy of a bridesmaid piled high upon her head. "It looks like normal, right?" she asked, unable to feel her own head without removing her thick gloves. They nodded happily. "You look fine. See you in a few hours - we'll meet outside the Mayor's."
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
Dwyn wasn’t sure whether she should stop for lunch or head straight for the Lodge. On Moonday the Archers might be out patrolling. When she reached the Keystone district she saw a corner stand where a man was selling rolls stuffed with crabmeat and cream cheese. “‘Decide after breakfast’, like the Parable says,” she thought.
Everyone in line stared at her, as did the people eating their lunches. “Guess they’re not used to seeing folks run around in full armor here in the city,” she concluded. “At least I’m not wearing the helm!” She ate one of the rolls quickly and took another along to eat on horseback. With a great snort, Ki Xa made known his distaste for the smell.
The Lodge looked fairly deserted. After tying Ki Xa and getting him some water, she greeted the two white-robed priestesses at the entrance. They smiled and appeared to recognize her, but one said only, “Father is in study now. He’ll be done soon.”
Dwyn took a seat in one of the pews and watched the dappled patterns of noonday sun sway gently on the floor. “Elk Father,” she began her prayer, “thank you for bringing us all back safely from the mountains. And watch over the soul of the girl who died in Turtleback Ferry. I can’t help thinking if we had been there, we might have saved her. But I know you needed us to stop the lamia and the giants. I just hope we can stop whatever might be headed to Sandpoint. I’ve never even seen a dragon! I’ll admit, I’m scared. For everyone in the town, and for me and my friends too. But I know with your steady guidance we can defeat this evil.”
She paused and was silent for a while. “Thank you for letting me defeat the lamia, Great Father. I know it was your purpose for me – I could feel it. I’m only sorry I couldn’t get the job done the first time we tried, or before they defiled your beautiful chapel in the Fort. Now that she’s gone, what happens next? We’re going to Sandpoint. Is that where you want me to stay – maybe forever? Maybe my job is to guard the town like my cousin before me, rest his soul. A few months ago I was sure you wanted me to leave Sandpoint and serve you in some other way. And we did leave, and we were needed. Is all of that over now?”
Dwyn had an uneasy feeling, as if everything they had done would be for naught if the journey came to an end here and she had to retire back to a quiet life in Sandpoint. Could she go back to the bakery after this? Should she go back home to the farm, now that she had plenty of money to support them? She wished she had some kind of sign, something to show the right path.
After a few more minutes, Fendus emerged from the hallway and joined Dwyn in the sanctuary. “My dear!” he exclaimed, grabbing her into a hug, “I received your message. We’re so glad to hear you’ve returned safely.”
“Thanks, it’s good to be back!” Dwyn replied. “Never thought I’d be so happy to see the big city. But we fought ogres up in the mountains, and killed another lamia – all kinds of undead creatures, and, well, it would take hours to tell everything. But here’s the thing: we found a note in the pocket of a giant we fought. He was with the snake. It sounded like some group of them were going to make an attack on Sandpoint soon – maybe with a dragon!”
Fendus shook his head, confused. “I believe you, but it seems so unlikely – a dragon? In Sandpoint of all places? Why?”
“I don’t know,” Dwyn said, “we don’t know when it might happen or even if it will, since we killed those giants. But we have to be ready. We have to help the town prepare. I want to leave tonight, or right now, but my friends need time to gather supplies. They’re talking to the Mayor right now. Father, this isn’t a secret, and I’m not asking you to hide it, but I don’t want to scare people over a note we found. Know what I mean?”
“Of course my dear,” Fendus assured her, taking her hand. “I plan to send a message to Father Zantus, and I’ll warn some others here, but only those with discretion. I told Kjell about it already – he’s out right now, down to the south gate. I didn’t know the Priestess who reached me – was she from the mountains too?”
“She’s one of our group now, actually,” explained Dwyn. “Her name is Samadriel, and she’s a great healer. I hope you can meet her someday, but right now we need to hurry. I probably won’t have time to come back today,” she added, with an inadvertent glance at the door.
Fendus got up and thanked her for coming. “I understand, you should go now. Come back again once you know the town is safe, and may His blessings keep you, child.”
* * *
On her way down the road, Dwyn rode past Rone and another man carrying a longbow whom she didn’t recognize. Rone didn’t recognize her at first either. He stared for a moment as she went by, and then shouted “Hey! Dwyn! Is that you?” By then she was far enough past that he assumed she couldn’t hear him.
She rode all the way to the south gate, looking up and down the side streets for any sign of a patrol of Temple Archers. The guards at the gate said they had seen some Archers earlier – yes, one of them had long brown braids - but they didn’t know which way they had gone. Finally she gave up and swung Ki Xa’s head to the north. “It’s a long ride through these streets to the Mayor’s,” she considered. “I don’t want to be late if we’re leaving soon.”
Yet when she reached the street and found a few of the Troubleshooters already gathered, Dothan and Eldthor were still inside talking. When they finally emerged, Eldthor’s expression was inscrutable but Dothan was clearly scowling. Nobody seemed ready to start riding for Sandpoint before supper. As the group made their way back toward the inn they had stayed at before, Dothan explained angrily that the Mayor had given them Fort Rannick in exchange for their success, and she for one wanted nothing to do with it!
Eldthor tried to explain the details, but it quickly became clear that they wouldn’t understand the true nature of the offer until they could read carefully through all the paperwork the Mayor had suddenly handed them. One detail did jump out: Dwyn Anyonsdottir’s name was on the papers too. Did that mean she owned… a Fort?
Subsequent discussion over ales at the inn suggested that living at Fort Rannick was a real possibility, but one that Dothan hated. Some of the Troubleshooters felt that the Mayor was simply ridding himself of an annoying problem by dumping it into their laps. If they succeeded, they might be stuck performing official duties and paying tributes to Magnimar. If they failed, the Mayor would have an official scapegoat and could cut the whole distant outpost loose. Nor was it certain whether they would actually own the place or simply manage it on behalf of the city – and nobody knew what the status of the only remaining Black Arrows, Vale and his prisoner Kavan, might turn out to be.
On the other hand, it was a whole Fort, given to them in some way! And the whole region around the Fort clearly needed their help. It was premature to speculate without even knowing what would happen in Sandpoint, but what if they made plans to return to the Fort and try to fix the place up for real? What if they restored protection for the area, which obviously was in desperate need of it? What if they brought in experienced miners to work in the mines they had just found? And engineers to restore the dam and develop irrigation for the valley? Turtleback Ferry was in trouble too, after all their struggles with the gambling boat and the latest demoralizing deaths. They could use a friendly outpost nearby for trade and development.
Dwyn mulled over all these things as she sipped her ale, but most importantly she wondered if this surprise announcement was just the sign she had prayed for earlier in the day. “Maybe Sandpoint isn’t the end of the road,” she thought. “Maybe the Earthshaker is calling me back to that wild place. Think of all the unnatural abominations – the undead creatures, the snake lady, the ogres and giants, the hags, the giant octopus, the demon, that creepy swamp – even the terrible weather out there! We’ve been cleaning the place out. Why stop now? Maybe that’s our job: to rebuild it, and help make it something even better than it was before.”
She tried to communicate some of that sentiment to the others, but by then Dothan and even Illian were entirely unyielding and focused more on downing their ales. Eldthor seemed optimistic about the possibility, given the Fort’s wilderness location, and Hal at least seemed open to the idea. Dwyn wasn’t sure if Kay would feel the same way, or if their new friends Sam and Anna might want to return to the area. She hoped they would – the group had felt stronger and more effective, especially during their fight in the mountains. She made a mental note to find out more about them, and about whatever story had led them to navigate that tiny boat through the floodwaters.
No decisions were going to be reached today but nobody seemed ready to go yet, either. Dwyn thought she might scream with impatience, in her desire to get back out on the road to Sandpoint. The note they had found didn’t have a date. Who knew when a dragon might be arriving to terrorize everyone – including her cousins! And all those kids they had once saved from the crazy goblins. She excused herself quietly from the table and walked back on foot towards the Park. The Lodge’s yard was starting to fill up with people stopping by on their way home from work. It looked like something might be happening in the meeting hall – perhaps another potluck supper, judging by the bowls being carried inside.
Finally she saw Kjell on the other side of the yard, tending to a horse and talking to its owner. She ran over with a wave and a sudden loud shout, accidentally startling the horse and scaring the two men nearly out of their wits. The horse’s owner calmed his animal and led him away, eyeing Dwyn warily, and Kjell froze for a long, confused moment as if he had seen a ghost.
“Is that… is that really you?” he said, gaping at her. “We just got your message.” He couldn’t believe she was already here, the very next day.
“Yes!” she exclaimed, beaming. “It’s me!” She couldn’t help running over to give him a quick hug, though she restrained herself from being too expressive, knowing he was on duty and that a bunch of people were around. It was amazing to see him again, standing before her, and to feel his strong arms and smell the grassy, pine-needle smell of his hair. “I’m back, but I’ve got to go again as soon as we can, to Sandpoint.”
“Yeah,” Kjell mumbled. “Father Fendus said something about it. Do you need us to help?”
“I don’t know - we’ll be okay for now, I hope,” she replied. “We just need to get there as soon as possible and make sure everyone is okay. We can figure out how to defend the buildings and evacuate people if it comes to that. We have a Priestess with us now who can send messages if we need to. And maybe I’ll send you a boy I know from Sandpoint – his name is Ven and he’s about 13, 14? I’d be happy to know he was safe here for a while, just in case.”
“Sure, yes,” Kjell nodded. “Send him. So… is everything else okay?”
“Yeah, I have so much to tell you. We fought two giants, and ogres, and I killed that other lamia – it’s a giant snake, basically.” Kjell looked horrified. “It would take forever to tell it all – we’ll talk later. But how are you? How is your mother? And the Lodge?”
“Everything’s fine,” he said. “Mom’s doing better than she has in a long time. She’s been getting out more. We had a big wedding here last week, and then…” his voice trailed off. “Just the usual. Nothing happening.”
Dwyn looked around and wished they could go somewhere else to have this conversation. People kept walking by them and some did little to hide their curiosity. She wasn’t sure if she should say anything about the Fort, but she might not get another chance for a long time. It was now or never. “Hey, I know this sounds crazy, but… what? What are you looking at?”
Kjell was staring at her hair with a strange expression. “Nothing, no – you just… you look different.”
“I do? Well, I’ve been on a river barge for a week. It’s terrible, like being trapped in a cage! They said it would be faster than horses but I’m still not sure I believe it. Wait, is something wrong with my hair?”
“No, no, it’s fine – it’s just… different. You’ve got… a lot of hair today.”
Dwyn rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what they did – that was Kay and Dothan. You met her once, remember? Anyway…”
She was rattled by the interruption and tried to buck up her courage to speak again. Two women were watching them from across the lawn – she didn’t know who they were but they were certainly whispering together.
“This may sound weird but I think the Mayor just gave us a Fort. The one we were sent to investigate, Fort Rannick. You know?”
Kjell nodded, bewildered. “He gave you the whole Fort? What?”
“I know, it’s weird. I don’t even know what it means yet. But my name is on a deed, they say. Anyway… I don’t know what’s going to happen in Sandpoint, or how long we’ll be there, but if it works out I think maybe I’m going back to the Fort to live for a while.”
Kjell looked crestfallen. “You are? When – I mean, where is it exactly?”
“It’s way out past Turtleback Ferry. You get to Nybor and you’re not even quite halfway there. You can take a barge, but… the octopus. That’s another story for later. The point is, it’s up in the mountains, surrounded by forest. But the little town isn’t far away, and there are mines in the other direction. You might like the woods out there – one of the forests was really spooky but I think we helped solve that.” She paused and realized she was rattling on very quickly. “The point is, you should think about coming out there. Since the place is ours now, maybe, I guess we can have whoever we want join us. Some of my friends were talking about inviting dwarves to develop the mines, or even goblins – uh, yeah, that’s another story for later. So, what do you think?”
It was all a bit much for Kjell. “I don’t know, I’d have to think about it, obviously. I’m not sure what … would be involved.”
“Me either. We only heard of this a few hours ago. It’s just an idea. I’m not even sure it’s going to work – I might need to stay in Sandpoint if anything bad happens.”
Kjell brightened a little. “Yeah, Sandpoint isn’t all that far away. It sounds like they need you all there, at least until you know what’s going on.”
“Right, well, I thought I would tell you about the Fort since I have to go away again now. Maybe think about it, ask your mom.”
“Wait, you’re serious. You… you really want me to ask my mom? To move… to a Fort we’ve never seen? With you?”
Dwyn looked around uncomfortably at the people milling about in the yard. “Yeah, I guess so. Why not? I thought you didn’t really like the city. Maybe you both need a fresh start.”
Kjell glanced behind him at the Lodge, his second home, and thought of Fendus, who had been just like a father to him all these years since losing his own. He could see people watching his conversation with Dwyn, and one of them was Bekka. She started moving across the yard toward him. The whole thing was nearly too much. After so many lonely days, hoping against hope she was okay, to have her here suddenly laying out a plan? It was overwhelming. It was one thing to want Dwyn back, to want to spend time with her again, and yes, perhaps even to build a future together. He had thought of it so many times, though in truth he barely knew her. Maybe he was crazy – he certainly felt like he had gone crazy. He could sense Bekka getting closer and wondered if any of the Archers were watching, or if his mother had even walked over for the potluck. What would they be thinking? What would his mother think of this? How was he supposed to answer this invitation? This sudden, enormous, vague invitation?
“I’m sorry, I can’t be having this conversation now,” he said curtly, though his voice quavered. “Gotta go inside. We’ll talk again when you get back.”
He turned and headed quickly toward the building, leaving Bekka trailing in his wake. She glanced over at Dwyn, who looked completely stricken. What a strange sight she was, this tall, powerful woman in a gleaming suit of armor, an array of menacing weapons strapped to her back, with a fabulous hairdo nobody at the Lodge had ever seen the like of outside the Alabaster district! She looked as if she might cry, right there in the yard next to the horses. Bekka didn’t mean to stare but she couldn’t help it. She felt in some strange way that she was looking at her opposite. Dwyn stared back at her, with a little flicker of recognition, and then watched Kjell’s retreating form as he entered the Lodge. She had no idea what she was feeling. Was it embarrassment? Sorrow? Anger? Disappointment? Whatever it was, she was very sorry she had mentioned the Fort at all. No, this meeting had not gone at all as planned.
Everyone in line stared at her, as did the people eating their lunches. “Guess they’re not used to seeing folks run around in full armor here in the city,” she concluded. “At least I’m not wearing the helm!” She ate one of the rolls quickly and took another along to eat on horseback. With a great snort, Ki Xa made known his distaste for the smell.
The Lodge looked fairly deserted. After tying Ki Xa and getting him some water, she greeted the two white-robed priestesses at the entrance. They smiled and appeared to recognize her, but one said only, “Father is in study now. He’ll be done soon.”
Dwyn took a seat in one of the pews and watched the dappled patterns of noonday sun sway gently on the floor. “Elk Father,” she began her prayer, “thank you for bringing us all back safely from the mountains. And watch over the soul of the girl who died in Turtleback Ferry. I can’t help thinking if we had been there, we might have saved her. But I know you needed us to stop the lamia and the giants. I just hope we can stop whatever might be headed to Sandpoint. I’ve never even seen a dragon! I’ll admit, I’m scared. For everyone in the town, and for me and my friends too. But I know with your steady guidance we can defeat this evil.”
She paused and was silent for a while. “Thank you for letting me defeat the lamia, Great Father. I know it was your purpose for me – I could feel it. I’m only sorry I couldn’t get the job done the first time we tried, or before they defiled your beautiful chapel in the Fort. Now that she’s gone, what happens next? We’re going to Sandpoint. Is that where you want me to stay – maybe forever? Maybe my job is to guard the town like my cousin before me, rest his soul. A few months ago I was sure you wanted me to leave Sandpoint and serve you in some other way. And we did leave, and we were needed. Is all of that over now?”
Dwyn had an uneasy feeling, as if everything they had done would be for naught if the journey came to an end here and she had to retire back to a quiet life in Sandpoint. Could she go back to the bakery after this? Should she go back home to the farm, now that she had plenty of money to support them? She wished she had some kind of sign, something to show the right path.
After a few more minutes, Fendus emerged from the hallway and joined Dwyn in the sanctuary. “My dear!” he exclaimed, grabbing her into a hug, “I received your message. We’re so glad to hear you’ve returned safely.”
“Thanks, it’s good to be back!” Dwyn replied. “Never thought I’d be so happy to see the big city. But we fought ogres up in the mountains, and killed another lamia – all kinds of undead creatures, and, well, it would take hours to tell everything. But here’s the thing: we found a note in the pocket of a giant we fought. He was with the snake. It sounded like some group of them were going to make an attack on Sandpoint soon – maybe with a dragon!”
Fendus shook his head, confused. “I believe you, but it seems so unlikely – a dragon? In Sandpoint of all places? Why?”
“I don’t know,” Dwyn said, “we don’t know when it might happen or even if it will, since we killed those giants. But we have to be ready. We have to help the town prepare. I want to leave tonight, or right now, but my friends need time to gather supplies. They’re talking to the Mayor right now. Father, this isn’t a secret, and I’m not asking you to hide it, but I don’t want to scare people over a note we found. Know what I mean?”
“Of course my dear,” Fendus assured her, taking her hand. “I plan to send a message to Father Zantus, and I’ll warn some others here, but only those with discretion. I told Kjell about it already – he’s out right now, down to the south gate. I didn’t know the Priestess who reached me – was she from the mountains too?”
“She’s one of our group now, actually,” explained Dwyn. “Her name is Samadriel, and she’s a great healer. I hope you can meet her someday, but right now we need to hurry. I probably won’t have time to come back today,” she added, with an inadvertent glance at the door.
Fendus got up and thanked her for coming. “I understand, you should go now. Come back again once you know the town is safe, and may His blessings keep you, child.”
* * *
On her way down the road, Dwyn rode past Rone and another man carrying a longbow whom she didn’t recognize. Rone didn’t recognize her at first either. He stared for a moment as she went by, and then shouted “Hey! Dwyn! Is that you?” By then she was far enough past that he assumed she couldn’t hear him.
She rode all the way to the south gate, looking up and down the side streets for any sign of a patrol of Temple Archers. The guards at the gate said they had seen some Archers earlier – yes, one of them had long brown braids - but they didn’t know which way they had gone. Finally she gave up and swung Ki Xa’s head to the north. “It’s a long ride through these streets to the Mayor’s,” she considered. “I don’t want to be late if we’re leaving soon.”
Yet when she reached the street and found a few of the Troubleshooters already gathered, Dothan and Eldthor were still inside talking. When they finally emerged, Eldthor’s expression was inscrutable but Dothan was clearly scowling. Nobody seemed ready to start riding for Sandpoint before supper. As the group made their way back toward the inn they had stayed at before, Dothan explained angrily that the Mayor had given them Fort Rannick in exchange for their success, and she for one wanted nothing to do with it!
Eldthor tried to explain the details, but it quickly became clear that they wouldn’t understand the true nature of the offer until they could read carefully through all the paperwork the Mayor had suddenly handed them. One detail did jump out: Dwyn Anyonsdottir’s name was on the papers too. Did that mean she owned… a Fort?
Subsequent discussion over ales at the inn suggested that living at Fort Rannick was a real possibility, but one that Dothan hated. Some of the Troubleshooters felt that the Mayor was simply ridding himself of an annoying problem by dumping it into their laps. If they succeeded, they might be stuck performing official duties and paying tributes to Magnimar. If they failed, the Mayor would have an official scapegoat and could cut the whole distant outpost loose. Nor was it certain whether they would actually own the place or simply manage it on behalf of the city – and nobody knew what the status of the only remaining Black Arrows, Vale and his prisoner Kavan, might turn out to be.
On the other hand, it was a whole Fort, given to them in some way! And the whole region around the Fort clearly needed their help. It was premature to speculate without even knowing what would happen in Sandpoint, but what if they made plans to return to the Fort and try to fix the place up for real? What if they restored protection for the area, which obviously was in desperate need of it? What if they brought in experienced miners to work in the mines they had just found? And engineers to restore the dam and develop irrigation for the valley? Turtleback Ferry was in trouble too, after all their struggles with the gambling boat and the latest demoralizing deaths. They could use a friendly outpost nearby for trade and development.
Dwyn mulled over all these things as she sipped her ale, but most importantly she wondered if this surprise announcement was just the sign she had prayed for earlier in the day. “Maybe Sandpoint isn’t the end of the road,” she thought. “Maybe the Earthshaker is calling me back to that wild place. Think of all the unnatural abominations – the undead creatures, the snake lady, the ogres and giants, the hags, the giant octopus, the demon, that creepy swamp – even the terrible weather out there! We’ve been cleaning the place out. Why stop now? Maybe that’s our job: to rebuild it, and help make it something even better than it was before.”
She tried to communicate some of that sentiment to the others, but by then Dothan and even Illian were entirely unyielding and focused more on downing their ales. Eldthor seemed optimistic about the possibility, given the Fort’s wilderness location, and Hal at least seemed open to the idea. Dwyn wasn’t sure if Kay would feel the same way, or if their new friends Sam and Anna might want to return to the area. She hoped they would – the group had felt stronger and more effective, especially during their fight in the mountains. She made a mental note to find out more about them, and about whatever story had led them to navigate that tiny boat through the floodwaters.
No decisions were going to be reached today but nobody seemed ready to go yet, either. Dwyn thought she might scream with impatience, in her desire to get back out on the road to Sandpoint. The note they had found didn’t have a date. Who knew when a dragon might be arriving to terrorize everyone – including her cousins! And all those kids they had once saved from the crazy goblins. She excused herself quietly from the table and walked back on foot towards the Park. The Lodge’s yard was starting to fill up with people stopping by on their way home from work. It looked like something might be happening in the meeting hall – perhaps another potluck supper, judging by the bowls being carried inside.
Finally she saw Kjell on the other side of the yard, tending to a horse and talking to its owner. She ran over with a wave and a sudden loud shout, accidentally startling the horse and scaring the two men nearly out of their wits. The horse’s owner calmed his animal and led him away, eyeing Dwyn warily, and Kjell froze for a long, confused moment as if he had seen a ghost.
“Is that… is that really you?” he said, gaping at her. “We just got your message.” He couldn’t believe she was already here, the very next day.
“Yes!” she exclaimed, beaming. “It’s me!” She couldn’t help running over to give him a quick hug, though she restrained herself from being too expressive, knowing he was on duty and that a bunch of people were around. It was amazing to see him again, standing before her, and to feel his strong arms and smell the grassy, pine-needle smell of his hair. “I’m back, but I’ve got to go again as soon as we can, to Sandpoint.”
“Yeah,” Kjell mumbled. “Father Fendus said something about it. Do you need us to help?”
“I don’t know - we’ll be okay for now, I hope,” she replied. “We just need to get there as soon as possible and make sure everyone is okay. We can figure out how to defend the buildings and evacuate people if it comes to that. We have a Priestess with us now who can send messages if we need to. And maybe I’ll send you a boy I know from Sandpoint – his name is Ven and he’s about 13, 14? I’d be happy to know he was safe here for a while, just in case.”
“Sure, yes,” Kjell nodded. “Send him. So… is everything else okay?”
“Yeah, I have so much to tell you. We fought two giants, and ogres, and I killed that other lamia – it’s a giant snake, basically.” Kjell looked horrified. “It would take forever to tell it all – we’ll talk later. But how are you? How is your mother? And the Lodge?”
“Everything’s fine,” he said. “Mom’s doing better than she has in a long time. She’s been getting out more. We had a big wedding here last week, and then…” his voice trailed off. “Just the usual. Nothing happening.”
Dwyn looked around and wished they could go somewhere else to have this conversation. People kept walking by them and some did little to hide their curiosity. She wasn’t sure if she should say anything about the Fort, but she might not get another chance for a long time. It was now or never. “Hey, I know this sounds crazy, but… what? What are you looking at?”
Kjell was staring at her hair with a strange expression. “Nothing, no – you just… you look different.”
“I do? Well, I’ve been on a river barge for a week. It’s terrible, like being trapped in a cage! They said it would be faster than horses but I’m still not sure I believe it. Wait, is something wrong with my hair?”
“No, no, it’s fine – it’s just… different. You’ve got… a lot of hair today.”
Dwyn rolled her eyes. “I don’t know what they did – that was Kay and Dothan. You met her once, remember? Anyway…”
She was rattled by the interruption and tried to buck up her courage to speak again. Two women were watching them from across the lawn – she didn’t know who they were but they were certainly whispering together.
“This may sound weird but I think the Mayor just gave us a Fort. The one we were sent to investigate, Fort Rannick. You know?”
Kjell nodded, bewildered. “He gave you the whole Fort? What?”
“I know, it’s weird. I don’t even know what it means yet. But my name is on a deed, they say. Anyway… I don’t know what’s going to happen in Sandpoint, or how long we’ll be there, but if it works out I think maybe I’m going back to the Fort to live for a while.”
Kjell looked crestfallen. “You are? When – I mean, where is it exactly?”
“It’s way out past Turtleback Ferry. You get to Nybor and you’re not even quite halfway there. You can take a barge, but… the octopus. That’s another story for later. The point is, it’s up in the mountains, surrounded by forest. But the little town isn’t far away, and there are mines in the other direction. You might like the woods out there – one of the forests was really spooky but I think we helped solve that.” She paused and realized she was rattling on very quickly. “The point is, you should think about coming out there. Since the place is ours now, maybe, I guess we can have whoever we want join us. Some of my friends were talking about inviting dwarves to develop the mines, or even goblins – uh, yeah, that’s another story for later. So, what do you think?”
It was all a bit much for Kjell. “I don’t know, I’d have to think about it, obviously. I’m not sure what … would be involved.”
“Me either. We only heard of this a few hours ago. It’s just an idea. I’m not even sure it’s going to work – I might need to stay in Sandpoint if anything bad happens.”
Kjell brightened a little. “Yeah, Sandpoint isn’t all that far away. It sounds like they need you all there, at least until you know what’s going on.”
“Right, well, I thought I would tell you about the Fort since I have to go away again now. Maybe think about it, ask your mom.”
“Wait, you’re serious. You… you really want me to ask my mom? To move… to a Fort we’ve never seen? With you?”
Dwyn looked around uncomfortably at the people milling about in the yard. “Yeah, I guess so. Why not? I thought you didn’t really like the city. Maybe you both need a fresh start.”
Kjell glanced behind him at the Lodge, his second home, and thought of Fendus, who had been just like a father to him all these years since losing his own. He could see people watching his conversation with Dwyn, and one of them was Bekka. She started moving across the yard toward him. The whole thing was nearly too much. After so many lonely days, hoping against hope she was okay, to have her here suddenly laying out a plan? It was overwhelming. It was one thing to want Dwyn back, to want to spend time with her again, and yes, perhaps even to build a future together. He had thought of it so many times, though in truth he barely knew her. Maybe he was crazy – he certainly felt like he had gone crazy. He could sense Bekka getting closer and wondered if any of the Archers were watching, or if his mother had even walked over for the potluck. What would they be thinking? What would his mother think of this? How was he supposed to answer this invitation? This sudden, enormous, vague invitation?
“I’m sorry, I can’t be having this conversation now,” he said curtly, though his voice quavered. “Gotta go inside. We’ll talk again when you get back.”
He turned and headed quickly toward the building, leaving Bekka trailing in his wake. She glanced over at Dwyn, who looked completely stricken. What a strange sight she was, this tall, powerful woman in a gleaming suit of armor, an array of menacing weapons strapped to her back, with a fabulous hairdo nobody at the Lodge had ever seen the like of outside the Alabaster district! She looked as if she might cry, right there in the yard next to the horses. Bekka didn’t mean to stare but she couldn’t help it. She felt in some strange way that she was looking at her opposite. Dwyn stared back at her, with a little flicker of recognition, and then watched Kjell’s retreating form as he entered the Lodge. She had no idea what she was feeling. Was it embarrassment? Sorrow? Anger? Disappointment? Whatever it was, she was very sorry she had mentioned the Fort at all. No, this meeting had not gone at all as planned.
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
Fireday, 20 Neth
Dear Diary,
My second whole day in the City! There are SO MANY people here! Since last night everyone is talking about the Sandpoint dragon and like I said yesterday I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE WAS A REAL DRAGON IN SANDPOINT!!!!!!!!!
Today we walked down to the shore and it took forever. We went to the fish market. I would have been lost if I was alone. There are lots of other guys here but I am one of the youngest. The youngest one (he's 12) lives here at the Lodge because his parents died. Most live in the city. They come to the Lodge early in the AM and go home before supper.
Father Fendus is really nice. He's different from Father Zantus and the service is totally different from church back home. It's ok, not too boring. He's busy all day so I am helping the Archers. I thought my bow was awesome - it was better than any other kid in Sandpoint. It's nothing compared to their bows here. From now on I am saving all my money from the bakery so I can get a new bow!!!!!!
I don't know when I can go home. Dwyn said she would come get me or send a message but we haven't heard anything except THEY KILLED A DRAGON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so scared about Mom and Dad and Grandma but they said they would hide in the cellar if any dragons came. Most people wouldn't leave but Anika rode with me because she's going to have a baby. She was worried that Dwyn was right, and she was!
The whole fall harvest I was practicing with the scythe like Dwyn said but I hate it. I want a better bow or a polearm like Dwyn has or maybe a HUGE ax! I chop so much wood every day and I am doing that here too in the morning. Kjell can chop wood faster than anybody in the world. He looks so mad when he does. He doesn't talk much but is mostly nice. Dwyn said they are friends but I don't think he likes her. Yesterday I said if a dragon comes Dwyn is going to kill it with her hammer and he goes "That's ENOUGH VEN!!!" like he was mad about it! He wanted to know all about Alma and the bakery and also Dwyn's family but I barely know them because they live out on a farm.
OK I am going to bed. I hope Dwyn comes tomorrow. We have to get up even earlier here than for Alma! They have no good bakeries here.
Dear Diary,
My second whole day in the City! There are SO MANY people here! Since last night everyone is talking about the Sandpoint dragon and like I said yesterday I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE WAS A REAL DRAGON IN SANDPOINT!!!!!!!!!
Today we walked down to the shore and it took forever. We went to the fish market. I would have been lost if I was alone. There are lots of other guys here but I am one of the youngest. The youngest one (he's 12) lives here at the Lodge because his parents died. Most live in the city. They come to the Lodge early in the AM and go home before supper.
Father Fendus is really nice. He's different from Father Zantus and the service is totally different from church back home. It's ok, not too boring. He's busy all day so I am helping the Archers. I thought my bow was awesome - it was better than any other kid in Sandpoint. It's nothing compared to their bows here. From now on I am saving all my money from the bakery so I can get a new bow!!!!!!
I don't know when I can go home. Dwyn said she would come get me or send a message but we haven't heard anything except THEY KILLED A DRAGON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so scared about Mom and Dad and Grandma but they said they would hide in the cellar if any dragons came. Most people wouldn't leave but Anika rode with me because she's going to have a baby. She was worried that Dwyn was right, and she was!
The whole fall harvest I was practicing with the scythe like Dwyn said but I hate it. I want a better bow or a polearm like Dwyn has or maybe a HUGE ax! I chop so much wood every day and I am doing that here too in the morning. Kjell can chop wood faster than anybody in the world. He looks so mad when he does. He doesn't talk much but is mostly nice. Dwyn said they are friends but I don't think he likes her. Yesterday I said if a dragon comes Dwyn is going to kill it with her hammer and he goes "That's ENOUGH VEN!!!" like he was mad about it! He wanted to know all about Alma and the bakery and also Dwyn's family but I barely know them because they live out on a farm.
OK I am going to bed. I hope Dwyn comes tomorrow. We have to get up even earlier here than for Alma! They have no good bakeries here.
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
Starday, 21 Neth
Dear Diary,
Dwyn is here! Everything was true - they killed a dragon and a whole bunch of giants AND I GOT TO SEE THE DEAD DRAGON!!! It was red and there were arrow holes and black marks all over where it was burnt! I didn't think fire could hurt dragons that breathe it but Dwyn says that was something the wizard did. I really wish I was there to see when they killed it! But I can't believe I got to see A REAL DRAGON even if it was a dead one. They brought it here to town and I went with when they sold it. The parts are good for making a lot of things. They already took off the wings to do that with. Dwyn is keeping the scales to make something. I'm not sure what.
We're going back home on Moonday which means we get to stay for church tomorrow. This morning was awesome too - I got to shoot a huge bow like the Archers use! We had to get up really early and then we got to practice shooting for a long time. The bow is so heavy, your arms really get tired fast. Tomorrow a bunch of people from the lodge are going out to shoot on horseback and I am going with! Dwyn has an extra horse because they had to bring the dragon in on a wagon. I'm too tired to write more now. I'll write again when we get home!
Dear Diary,
Dwyn is here! Everything was true - they killed a dragon and a whole bunch of giants AND I GOT TO SEE THE DEAD DRAGON!!! It was red and there were arrow holes and black marks all over where it was burnt! I didn't think fire could hurt dragons that breathe it but Dwyn says that was something the wizard did. I really wish I was there to see when they killed it! But I can't believe I got to see A REAL DRAGON even if it was a dead one. They brought it here to town and I went with when they sold it. The parts are good for making a lot of things. They already took off the wings to do that with. Dwyn is keeping the scales to make something. I'm not sure what.
We're going back home on Moonday which means we get to stay for church tomorrow. This morning was awesome too - I got to shoot a huge bow like the Archers use! We had to get up really early and then we got to practice shooting for a long time. The bow is so heavy, your arms really get tired fast. Tomorrow a bunch of people from the lodge are going out to shoot on horseback and I am going with! Dwyn has an extra horse because they had to bring the dragon in on a wagon. I'm too tired to write more now. I'll write again when we get home!
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
“Yeah, she’s back,” Kjell said, with a nonchalant shrug, but Rone was hardly fooled.
“Since when?”
“Tonight. She was here a few hours ago. She came to get Ven – yeah, that kid she brought from Sandpoint. She wanted him to see the dead dragon before they sold it. Her friends were waiting with the wagon up in Alabaster so they took off in a hurry.”
“So it’s true – a dragon was really in Sandpoint!”
“Yep.” Kjell shook his head. “A bunch of giants, too. They’re not sure what they wanted or why they had a dragon. She didn’t say how they killed it – we just talked for a minute and she got Ven and ran off.” Kjell paused. He was accustomed to hiding his thoughts from Rone, and the less said the better where that was concerned, but tonight for some reason he felt like talking.
“She said they have two nights here – just enough time to sell the dragon and buy some other stuff – and they’re headed back on Moonday. But they’re not going to stay in Sandpoint. They’re going to track down where those giants came from. She didn’t seem very happy about it – I guess she thinks it’s too dangerous because the giants almost killed one of them and there’s going to be all kinds of fucking giants out there, wherever they’re going, but she feels like they have to do it or else more giants are going to come back to Sandpoint… it all sounds really fucking insane and stupid if you ask me, which of course she didn’t.”
For a change, Rone found himself without anything to say. They sat in silence for a while, drinking.
“Did I tell you she asked me to move to Fort Rannick?”
“Uh, no… are you serious?”
“Yep, me and mom both. She wants us to move there - said it again tonight! She’s like, “sorry that was so sudden last time, it didn't really come out the way I wanted, but did you ask your mom already?” I’m like, “no,” obviously, and she says, “well, I’m serious, we’re going out there to work on it – you can come too!” like we’re going to just drop everything and move to some fucked up place we’ve never been.” Kjell got up to refill his mug. “Want another one?”
“Sure. So… are you going to tell your mom?”
Kjell shot him a withering glance.
“Hey, just asking. She must be serious about it if she asked you to move. Twice!”
“Right, she doesn’t even know where she’s going next week, much less where she’s going to live. Are you kidding? I’m supposed to tell my mom about this when she’s finally acting like a normal person for the first time in years? She leaves the house now just to see people, do you know how big a deal that is?”
“Yeah, but…” Rone began slowly, “you always said she hated it here. And so do you! You hate the city, right? Except for the Lodge, that’s what you say. You’re always talking about leaving – you just don’t want to go back home. Okay, that makes sense, but maybe you need to go somewhere else. Get back out in the country a little more.”
Kjell gulped down his ale. “Yeah, of course I hate the city. Everybody hates the city, but our little corner of it is really nice. That’s our job, right? To keep it that way. I can’t just leave. What would Fendus say? And what about Bekka?”
“Oh!” Rone exclaimed, laughing, “I knew it! I knew you wanted that. Everyone thinks it’s all her but I knew it was you too. Come on, she’s so fucking desperate, it’s sad. You’d be so bored. I’m not saying I’d want a girl like Dwyn – most people wouldn’t. She’s totally fucking scary and kind of dumb…”
Kjell’s face hardened instantly and Rone decided to walk that one back. “I mean, you just said she wants to run off and kill a bunch of giants – all kinds of stuff like that. I don’t mean she’s dumb – I mean more like reckless. She doesn’t care what happens to her. She’s not like normal girls. But you’re not really normal either.”
Kjell eyed him suspiciously. “You’re not fucking normal. What’s wrong with me? I’m doing what I’m supposed to. There’s nothing wrong with Bekka, she’s fine. She doesn’t bother me. She’s not fighting any dragons, that’s for fucking sure. You know what she likes? She likes to sew.”
“Okay, whatever. She’s not even close to Dwyn. You know what? I just think you’re mad because you know you want to go out there and you're scared.”
“Since when?”
“Tonight. She was here a few hours ago. She came to get Ven – yeah, that kid she brought from Sandpoint. She wanted him to see the dead dragon before they sold it. Her friends were waiting with the wagon up in Alabaster so they took off in a hurry.”
“So it’s true – a dragon was really in Sandpoint!”
“Yep.” Kjell shook his head. “A bunch of giants, too. They’re not sure what they wanted or why they had a dragon. She didn’t say how they killed it – we just talked for a minute and she got Ven and ran off.” Kjell paused. He was accustomed to hiding his thoughts from Rone, and the less said the better where that was concerned, but tonight for some reason he felt like talking.
“She said they have two nights here – just enough time to sell the dragon and buy some other stuff – and they’re headed back on Moonday. But they’re not going to stay in Sandpoint. They’re going to track down where those giants came from. She didn’t seem very happy about it – I guess she thinks it’s too dangerous because the giants almost killed one of them and there’s going to be all kinds of fucking giants out there, wherever they’re going, but she feels like they have to do it or else more giants are going to come back to Sandpoint… it all sounds really fucking insane and stupid if you ask me, which of course she didn’t.”
For a change, Rone found himself without anything to say. They sat in silence for a while, drinking.
“Did I tell you she asked me to move to Fort Rannick?”
“Uh, no… are you serious?”
“Yep, me and mom both. She wants us to move there - said it again tonight! She’s like, “sorry that was so sudden last time, it didn't really come out the way I wanted, but did you ask your mom already?” I’m like, “no,” obviously, and she says, “well, I’m serious, we’re going out there to work on it – you can come too!” like we’re going to just drop everything and move to some fucked up place we’ve never been.” Kjell got up to refill his mug. “Want another one?”
“Sure. So… are you going to tell your mom?”
Kjell shot him a withering glance.
“Hey, just asking. She must be serious about it if she asked you to move. Twice!”
“Right, she doesn’t even know where she’s going next week, much less where she’s going to live. Are you kidding? I’m supposed to tell my mom about this when she’s finally acting like a normal person for the first time in years? She leaves the house now just to see people, do you know how big a deal that is?”
“Yeah, but…” Rone began slowly, “you always said she hated it here. And so do you! You hate the city, right? Except for the Lodge, that’s what you say. You’re always talking about leaving – you just don’t want to go back home. Okay, that makes sense, but maybe you need to go somewhere else. Get back out in the country a little more.”
Kjell gulped down his ale. “Yeah, of course I hate the city. Everybody hates the city, but our little corner of it is really nice. That’s our job, right? To keep it that way. I can’t just leave. What would Fendus say? And what about Bekka?”
“Oh!” Rone exclaimed, laughing, “I knew it! I knew you wanted that. Everyone thinks it’s all her but I knew it was you too. Come on, she’s so fucking desperate, it’s sad. You’d be so bored. I’m not saying I’d want a girl like Dwyn – most people wouldn’t. She’s totally fucking scary and kind of dumb…”
Kjell’s face hardened instantly and Rone decided to walk that one back. “I mean, you just said she wants to run off and kill a bunch of giants – all kinds of stuff like that. I don’t mean she’s dumb – I mean more like reckless. She doesn’t care what happens to her. She’s not like normal girls. But you’re not really normal either.”
Kjell eyed him suspiciously. “You’re not fucking normal. What’s wrong with me? I’m doing what I’m supposed to. There’s nothing wrong with Bekka, she’s fine. She doesn’t bother me. She’s not fighting any dragons, that’s for fucking sure. You know what she likes? She likes to sew.”
“Okay, whatever. She’s not even close to Dwyn. You know what? I just think you’re mad because you know you want to go out there and you're scared.”
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
Karin woke earlier than usual, dressed for church, and paused to take a closer look at her face in the mirror. She didn’t usually bother. Her face looked so worn and tired, and her hair was going gray more quickly than she had realized. Usually she tied back it in a tight bun, but today she decided to brush it out and fashion an elaborate braid.
How quickly the years had passed since they had first come to this city, with its unbearably hot weather and smelly, crowded streets! She had done what she needed to do here. She had accomplished her vengeance. It brought no joy but at least an odd sort of relief – she was free to mourn now without the suffocating, trapped sensation she had felt while the murderers were still alive. She tried not to share too much of her grief with Kjell, though she knew he suffered too. Luckily the Lodge was like family and had given him a way to make sense of an unfair, capricious fate. He was doing well here.
The same could not be said of Karin, though lately that’s just what people had been saying. She was “getting out more”, involving herself in things, and meeting more people. To her it all seemed pointless and cold. The Lodge community accepted the order of things and took the world, like the Elk Father, to be straightforwardly good. Karin wasn’t so sure – indeed, she was certain the cosmos was neutral and indifferent. Things didn’t always happen for a reason no matter how perfectly good and providential Erastil might be, and sometimes you had to balance the scales yourself. These weren't thoughts she could share with anyone, not even Father Fendus. All that bitter, cynical doubt had to be tamped down, and she had long since resolved to go through the motions of a quiet, invisible life for Kjell’s sake.
This morning finally felt different – as if the heavy shadow cast upon her days had lifted a bit at the edges. She hadn’t seriously considered leaving Magnimar even though they had spoken of it many times before. Kjell was completing his training and had true friends here. After a life spent in the frozen forests of the northwest, she felt it almost a penance to be trapped in the bustling, humid city – her punishment for remaining alive while others had passed on. She couldn’t bear to return home without them.
Last night a real alternative had come into view for the first time. Kjell had seemed reluctant to tell her about it, although she was certain the idea intrigued him too. She knew how he felt about Dwyn, and she wasn’t eager to see him settle down here with someone else out of some misplaced sense of duty or inevitability. Karin also knew something of Turtleback Ferry. It was even farther from their distant homeland than Magnimar, but was surrounded by forests and closer to the mountains. She had heard the winters were cold. Fendus already had told Kjell about Father Maelin Shreed, whose church of Erastil was in desperate need of assistance after a devastating flood and other events. It would be nice to live in a smaller town again, someplace where they were truly needed. Kjell could probably remain a Temple Archer here forever, but would that really suit a man with his unique gifts? He should be nearer to wilderness, where he could commune with the animals and carve out his own path in life. In Magnimar he would always be a follower, living out the same comfortable routine every day.
And what of her own gifts? Something tiny and long-forgotten stirred inside and she stared fiercely back into the mirror. Was she to remain here forever, doing other people’s mending and washing? Would they have wanted this life for her?
“Come on, Karin,” she muttered, “you’re going to be late!” Her step was brisk and sure as she made her way to the Park and found Kjell outside the Lodge. Most of the parishioners were already inside. Usually she sat with some older women who came alone, but today she waited until Kjell was finished with his duties and then drew him inside from the door. He wasn’t expecting this and had to put down his bow awkwardly.
Holding firmly onto her son’s hand, she looked around until she spied Dwyn sitting up tall in one of the pews on the left, next to another young woman and an older boy. Kjell was right – she really did look something like Karin’s own mother, stern expression and all. She was wearing those strange boiled-wool pants with a lovely blue sweater, and her hair was in an elaborate updo (thanks again to Kailianna).
Dwyn looked surprised to see Karin and started up to greet her, but Karin smiled and motioned for her to sit. At least a quarter of the congregation already had managed, in their naturally nosy way, to take notice of what was going on. Karin held out her hand to Dwyn, who paused for a moment to look at her and Kjell closely before taking the proffered hand. Then they all sat down together, with Karin in the middle holding both their hands. A low murmur of whispers rolled through the assembly, and Bekka actually jumped up and walked quickly down the aisle toward the stairs at the back of the hall. Rone suddenly left his post at the front and quietly followed her downstairs. An observer unfamiliar with the church of Erastil might have thought nothing of these events, but all those in attendance knew exactly what had happened. It was the talk not only of the rest of the day but the entire week, until Susannah Olstrom refused to invite her best friend Mirtya to her wedding and nobody had the faintest idea why.
How quickly the years had passed since they had first come to this city, with its unbearably hot weather and smelly, crowded streets! She had done what she needed to do here. She had accomplished her vengeance. It brought no joy but at least an odd sort of relief – she was free to mourn now without the suffocating, trapped sensation she had felt while the murderers were still alive. She tried not to share too much of her grief with Kjell, though she knew he suffered too. Luckily the Lodge was like family and had given him a way to make sense of an unfair, capricious fate. He was doing well here.
The same could not be said of Karin, though lately that’s just what people had been saying. She was “getting out more”, involving herself in things, and meeting more people. To her it all seemed pointless and cold. The Lodge community accepted the order of things and took the world, like the Elk Father, to be straightforwardly good. Karin wasn’t so sure – indeed, she was certain the cosmos was neutral and indifferent. Things didn’t always happen for a reason no matter how perfectly good and providential Erastil might be, and sometimes you had to balance the scales yourself. These weren't thoughts she could share with anyone, not even Father Fendus. All that bitter, cynical doubt had to be tamped down, and she had long since resolved to go through the motions of a quiet, invisible life for Kjell’s sake.
This morning finally felt different – as if the heavy shadow cast upon her days had lifted a bit at the edges. She hadn’t seriously considered leaving Magnimar even though they had spoken of it many times before. Kjell was completing his training and had true friends here. After a life spent in the frozen forests of the northwest, she felt it almost a penance to be trapped in the bustling, humid city – her punishment for remaining alive while others had passed on. She couldn’t bear to return home without them.
Last night a real alternative had come into view for the first time. Kjell had seemed reluctant to tell her about it, although she was certain the idea intrigued him too. She knew how he felt about Dwyn, and she wasn’t eager to see him settle down here with someone else out of some misplaced sense of duty or inevitability. Karin also knew something of Turtleback Ferry. It was even farther from their distant homeland than Magnimar, but was surrounded by forests and closer to the mountains. She had heard the winters were cold. Fendus already had told Kjell about Father Maelin Shreed, whose church of Erastil was in desperate need of assistance after a devastating flood and other events. It would be nice to live in a smaller town again, someplace where they were truly needed. Kjell could probably remain a Temple Archer here forever, but would that really suit a man with his unique gifts? He should be nearer to wilderness, where he could commune with the animals and carve out his own path in life. In Magnimar he would always be a follower, living out the same comfortable routine every day.
And what of her own gifts? Something tiny and long-forgotten stirred inside and she stared fiercely back into the mirror. Was she to remain here forever, doing other people’s mending and washing? Would they have wanted this life for her?
“Come on, Karin,” she muttered, “you’re going to be late!” Her step was brisk and sure as she made her way to the Park and found Kjell outside the Lodge. Most of the parishioners were already inside. Usually she sat with some older women who came alone, but today she waited until Kjell was finished with his duties and then drew him inside from the door. He wasn’t expecting this and had to put down his bow awkwardly.
Holding firmly onto her son’s hand, she looked around until she spied Dwyn sitting up tall in one of the pews on the left, next to another young woman and an older boy. Kjell was right – she really did look something like Karin’s own mother, stern expression and all. She was wearing those strange boiled-wool pants with a lovely blue sweater, and her hair was in an elaborate updo (thanks again to Kailianna).
Dwyn looked surprised to see Karin and started up to greet her, but Karin smiled and motioned for her to sit. At least a quarter of the congregation already had managed, in their naturally nosy way, to take notice of what was going on. Karin held out her hand to Dwyn, who paused for a moment to look at her and Kjell closely before taking the proffered hand. Then they all sat down together, with Karin in the middle holding both their hands. A low murmur of whispers rolled through the assembly, and Bekka actually jumped up and walked quickly down the aisle toward the stairs at the back of the hall. Rone suddenly left his post at the front and quietly followed her downstairs. An observer unfamiliar with the church of Erastil might have thought nothing of these events, but all those in attendance knew exactly what had happened. It was the talk not only of the rest of the day but the entire week, until Susannah Olstrom refused to invite her best friend Mirtya to her wedding and nobody had the faintest idea why.
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
After the service Dwyn said goodbye to her cousin Arika, who wanted to skip the afternoon’s excursion to the countryside. Pregnancy didn’t agree with her stomach very well and she needed rest before their trip to Sandpoint the next day. Karin and Kjell hugged Dwyn goodbye and went off to help get the lunch and wagons ready. The youth group wanted Ven to climb into their wagon but he politely declined; he wasn’t giving up a chance to ride on his own horse next to Dwyn.
She decided to take him the long way through Magnimar so he could see what remained of the old clocktower where they had fought the first lamia. Ven was suitably impressed. They stopped by the inn to talk with Kay and Anna about buying potions – Ven was suitably impressed by them, too - and then headed toward the city gates. By the time they arrived at the farm south of town, the picnic was well underway and some of the Archers were setting up targets at distant corners of the field.
Dwyn found Kjell and Karin and helped spread out their blanket while Ven pleaded to be allowed to race. Dwyn didn’t trust Ki Xa not to throw him and didn’t think much of Dothan’s latest rental horse. “She should’ve kept that donkey,” Dwyn thought to herself, but in the end she agreed to let Ven try. He turned out to be pretty decent at shooting on horseback, especially for his age.
Father Fendus pointed out the man he had promised to introduce to Dwyn. Roy was about fifty, with several grown children settled around Varisia. He and his crew had worked on a long list of construction projects both in and outside of Magnimar. Dwyn had been reluctant to search for an engineer without getting a recommendation, given the corruption that seemed to run rampant in the city – particularly in connection with the sawmills! Roy had no part in any of that, at least as far as Fendus knew, and he’d been showing up on the odd Sunday at the Lodge for years now.
“Are you sure you don’t mind leaving town for a whole month, or maybe even more?” Dwyn asked. Roy shook his head. “We go all over. Most of my crew, they’re not from the city anyway. I guess it depends how cold it is out East this time of year, whether they feel like staying on another month. Sandpoint’s no problem at all – I’ve been there many times.” Yes, he had been to Sandpoint Savories, though he diplomatically refused comment on whether it was in fact the best bakery he had ever tried, anywhere. He agreed to head to Sandpoint with his crew as early in the week as possible, and Dwyn paid him the first advance on the project.
Relieved to have that settled, she went back for another plate of food. Karin said she’d be heading home once the contests were over but wanted to see Kjell's race first. The runners would make laps around a figure eight while shooting targets at all four corners of the field. “You should stay for the bonfire,” she suggested. “I’ll ride back on one of the wagons.” Dwyn nodded. “Ven won’t want to miss the bonfire either. If I don’t see you again before we leave, be well. I wish I knew what was going to happen. I don’t know how long it takes to travel where we’re going or how long we’ll be there. Last time we were gone about a month but most of that was traveling and a wedding. If something bad happens to me, my friends will send a message here. So if you don’t hear anything, that’s good news.”
Karin smiled her usual mirthless smile. “Unless something bad happens to all of you, I suppose. But let’s not expect the worst. ‘Avoid being morose,’ as the Parables say.”
“We give thanks for His wisdom,” Dwyn replied. “You know, I was a little surprised this morning, in church, but I thank you for your faith in me. I hope you can meet my family someday. My dad passed away year before last. His family was from the northwest too.”
“He was Ulfen, yes?”
Dwyn nodded. “Not from as far north as you. I’m sure we still have cousins up there. The ones in Sandpoint are my mom’s family.”
“Chelaxians,” said Karin, looking up to see if the race was starting soon. “I would be delighted to meet them, and I hope soon, but none of us can predict the future. Well my dear, you’re a sensible girl and you don’t waste words or time, so I won’t either. You should know that if you and Kjell decide to marry, any daughter you have will be a witch.”
Dwyn gasped a little. “What? How… do you know something about me?”
Karin shrugged. “That’s just the way it is in my family. I had no daughters so I’m last in a very long line, for now. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, and I don’t do anything with it. I suppose I could if I wanted but I don’t. Sometimes things happen whether I want them to or not.”
“Oh,” said Dwyn. “I thought you were worried about my family. None of them are witches – at least, as far as I know - but some of them have… you know, like my friend Dothan. They like to sing, they love music, and they can do things with it. My mom especially – she can do some amazing things with singing.”
“Ah, that’s nice,” said Karin. “We all love music. Well, maybe you won’t decide to marry, or you’ll only have boys and it won’t matter. But I felt you should be forewarned just in case. No surprises.”
“Okay, no surprises. Is it okay with Father Fendus? With Erastil?”
Karin wasn’t sure. “I’ve gone to church my whole life, that’s all I can say. Fendus doesn’t know. I wouldn’t ask you to lie but I’d ask you not to tell on your own, and hopefully he’ll never think to ask. You never know how people will react and I didn’t want to cause any trouble for Kjell. I think that’s why I want to go East, to be honest - maybe I can start over there and things will be better. But these people are lovely – they took us in when we were desperate and had nothing. They know one bad thing about me but they haven’t judged us for it. Kjell is truly one of their own now.”
Dwyn nodded. “I think I know what you mean. Kjell told me about the Dome.”
“Well, they could forgive me for that, considering what happened, but I’m not sure how they’d feel if they knew me better. It’s a pretty straight-laced place. Not the city, of course – quite the opposite! Maybe that’s why they’re so traditional at the Lodge. It’s a little island in the midst of some real ugliness.”
“Yeah, I love it there. It’s the best thing about the city. That’s why I feel bad for even asking him to think about leaving. He should probably stay here.”
Karin shook her head. “No, I think he’s ready to leave – and I know I am. We talked about it for a long time last night. This place has been so good for him. They helped him find his way in life but now he needs a new challenge. And of course, I think he loves you.” She smiled sincerely. “It’s worth taking big chances for that, but even if you weren’t there, he needs to find his own path. And look – there they go!”
The race had started and they tried to spot Kjell in the pack of runners. He did very well – not the swiftest but definitely the most accurate shot. When it was over they said their goodbyes and helped Karin into the wagon with those who wanted to get home before dark. Kjell grabbed Dwyn’s hand and they ran back to their blanket. They didn’t have to be careful about being seen together like this now that his mother had given their union her official, public sanction. They could even be married if they wanted, except that Dwyn would never do such a thing before having Kjell meet her own family.
“I still can’t believe my mom did that,” Kjell mused. “I never expected it. She knows how I feel about you, though. We talked about it for a long time last night. I was really mad at first when I got home - I'll be honest. I was mad that you're leaving again, and worried about leaving here, and scared even to tell mom what you said about the Fort. I really can’t believe she wants to move to Turtleback Ferry, but she said she’d go out there whether you showed up at the Fort or not. Isn't that crazy? It will be so perfect when you do, though,” he added, kissing her again.
“So perfect!” Dwyn exclaimed. “Ever since I saw that little chapel at the Fort, I thought how great it would be if they had someone like you to run it. But Father Shreed probably needs you more right now.”
“I know. Fendus is worried about them since the last letter we got. They have a gambling problem up there or something.”
“Had one, I guess. Well, maybe they still do.”
“Either way, it would be a good place for me. There’s a lot I can do to help. We have to think about when to move. Maybe we’ll go up there with your builders when they’re done in Sandpoint. Maybe you’ll be back in time to go with us…”
Dwyn interrupted him. “Oh, please don’t talk about it. I really don’t want to think about it right now. I have to trust my friends on this thing and I just don’t know… I don’t like any of it. I wish I could take both of you to my mom’s and then stay in Sandpoint until we’re sure the town is safe. I don’t even want to go on this crazy mission but they all think it will be worse for Sandpoint if we don’t. Better to meet some giants out in the countryside, I guess, than let them get close to town.”
“Ok, I thought you didn’t want to talk about it,” Kjell said. “You know my opinion. I don't want you going into any danger, ever again! It drives me crazy - you can't even imagine how worried I was when we heard about the dragon. I feel like I should be there fighting with you, but I know that's not my job. And yeah, of course I'd want to go with you tomorrow, but I can’t leave mom here alone and we don't even know if Sandpoint will be safe.”
“I know. This may sound weird – I don’t mean this in a bad way, but you shouldn't come with me if there's any risk of giants. It’s too dangerous. I know you’re good at what you do but the things we’ve seen lately are really crazy. Illian’s been a fighter for years – he’s so fast you can barely even see his blades moving – and he came so close to dying out there. Seriously. I’m almost never scared, but this time…” She clung to him for a moment, embarrassed to be cowardly.
“It’s okay,” he said, “I don’t like it either. I don't like any of it, and I wish you didn’t have to go but I get what your friends are saying. They're probably right. I'm not sure I'd be much good in a fight against a dragon, myself! But it’s nice that you need me at least a little. I never felt like you needed me much. I mean, you can deal with way more stuff yourself than I could.”
“Yeah, that’s different. It’s just fighting - it comes naturally. But I'm never really sure what to think about things and I worry all the time. I struggle over what the best thing to do next is, and I really need you for that.”
Kjell hugged her closer. “Well, you have me for that any time you want, though I doubt you need it." He paused to examine her face for a moment. "You know, this is going to sound even weirder, but sometimes you remind me of Wallis. When you show up at the Lodge all excited about something, or when you look at me a certain way… you just remind me of Wallis.”
“Wait a minute,” Dwyn said, poking him hard in the chest. “Wasn’t Wallis your dog? You’re saying I remind you of your dog?”
“Yeah,” he said, “but Wallis was my favorite person in the world. We’d be out together and Wallis would look at me that way, like you always do, and he’d be all excited and he’d say stuff like, “there’s a squirrel! I see it! A squirrel! Come on, don’t you want to get it? Hurry, let’s go get it! And he’d wait for me to get out my bow, but the whole time he’s laughing about how slow and clumsy I am…”
“It’s so weird, I forget that you literally could talk to him!”
“Yeah, we talked all the time. He was so sweet, he was the best dog in the world. I don’t mean you’re like a dog, obviously!” he protested as her fingers stabbed him again, harder, “you look nothing like a dog! You’re beautiful! I just mean you have that same happy look he would get in his eyes, that excited look, when you’ve got a plan.”
“Oh really? Then what I am planning to do now?” she asked, grabbing one of his braids suddenly. At that point they were interrupted by Ven, who let them know the bonfire was going and they didn’t want to miss it. The fire was lovely on the crisp, late-autumn night, and the stars were bright in a cloudless sky. Kjell was amused to learn that Rone had personally brought Bekka out for the lunch but that they had gone back to the city together already. Dwyn was a little concerned – wasn’t this the same girl who had walked out of the service? He tried to explain. She was a nice girl – kind of like a little sister – who apparently liked him. He was sure Rone would be a capable distraction and was only surprised how eager he seemed to play the part, considering the things he said.
They stayed until the bonfire was put out, even though Dwyn felt guilty about letting Ven stay up so late without his parents around to ask. “It’s his last night here,” she reasoned, “he might as well enjoy it.” Eventually he was so tired that she put him on Ki Xa with her and had Kjell ride the other horse back.
The streets were quiet when they dropped off Ven at the Lodge. “Kjell’s going to bring that horse to the Inn for me,” she whispered. “I’ll be back to get you bright and early tomorrow.” Kjell figured she would’ve just led the other horse along on a rope, but he didn’t mind any excuse to accompany her. They put up the horses in the inn’s stable and he was about to head back on foot when she shushed him, though he hadn’t spoken. “Take off your boots and step when I step, you know?” she said, opening the door that led to the stairs. They crept upstairs, stepping in unison like one person, and slipped into her tiny room. Kjell felt a little wave of panic in his stomach and then found himself unable to form any coherent thoughts at all. He couldn’t quite believe any of this was really happening, all the way back to that first day he had met Dwyn and her horse outside the Lodge. “Hey,” she whispered, pulling him down onto the bed with her. “I think I saw a squirrel… let’s go get it!”
She decided to take him the long way through Magnimar so he could see what remained of the old clocktower where they had fought the first lamia. Ven was suitably impressed. They stopped by the inn to talk with Kay and Anna about buying potions – Ven was suitably impressed by them, too - and then headed toward the city gates. By the time they arrived at the farm south of town, the picnic was well underway and some of the Archers were setting up targets at distant corners of the field.
Dwyn found Kjell and Karin and helped spread out their blanket while Ven pleaded to be allowed to race. Dwyn didn’t trust Ki Xa not to throw him and didn’t think much of Dothan’s latest rental horse. “She should’ve kept that donkey,” Dwyn thought to herself, but in the end she agreed to let Ven try. He turned out to be pretty decent at shooting on horseback, especially for his age.
Father Fendus pointed out the man he had promised to introduce to Dwyn. Roy was about fifty, with several grown children settled around Varisia. He and his crew had worked on a long list of construction projects both in and outside of Magnimar. Dwyn had been reluctant to search for an engineer without getting a recommendation, given the corruption that seemed to run rampant in the city – particularly in connection with the sawmills! Roy had no part in any of that, at least as far as Fendus knew, and he’d been showing up on the odd Sunday at the Lodge for years now.
“Are you sure you don’t mind leaving town for a whole month, or maybe even more?” Dwyn asked. Roy shook his head. “We go all over. Most of my crew, they’re not from the city anyway. I guess it depends how cold it is out East this time of year, whether they feel like staying on another month. Sandpoint’s no problem at all – I’ve been there many times.” Yes, he had been to Sandpoint Savories, though he diplomatically refused comment on whether it was in fact the best bakery he had ever tried, anywhere. He agreed to head to Sandpoint with his crew as early in the week as possible, and Dwyn paid him the first advance on the project.
Relieved to have that settled, she went back for another plate of food. Karin said she’d be heading home once the contests were over but wanted to see Kjell's race first. The runners would make laps around a figure eight while shooting targets at all four corners of the field. “You should stay for the bonfire,” she suggested. “I’ll ride back on one of the wagons.” Dwyn nodded. “Ven won’t want to miss the bonfire either. If I don’t see you again before we leave, be well. I wish I knew what was going to happen. I don’t know how long it takes to travel where we’re going or how long we’ll be there. Last time we were gone about a month but most of that was traveling and a wedding. If something bad happens to me, my friends will send a message here. So if you don’t hear anything, that’s good news.”
Karin smiled her usual mirthless smile. “Unless something bad happens to all of you, I suppose. But let’s not expect the worst. ‘Avoid being morose,’ as the Parables say.”
“We give thanks for His wisdom,” Dwyn replied. “You know, I was a little surprised this morning, in church, but I thank you for your faith in me. I hope you can meet my family someday. My dad passed away year before last. His family was from the northwest too.”
“He was Ulfen, yes?”
Dwyn nodded. “Not from as far north as you. I’m sure we still have cousins up there. The ones in Sandpoint are my mom’s family.”
“Chelaxians,” said Karin, looking up to see if the race was starting soon. “I would be delighted to meet them, and I hope soon, but none of us can predict the future. Well my dear, you’re a sensible girl and you don’t waste words or time, so I won’t either. You should know that if you and Kjell decide to marry, any daughter you have will be a witch.”
Dwyn gasped a little. “What? How… do you know something about me?”
Karin shrugged. “That’s just the way it is in my family. I had no daughters so I’m last in a very long line, for now. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, and I don’t do anything with it. I suppose I could if I wanted but I don’t. Sometimes things happen whether I want them to or not.”
“Oh,” said Dwyn. “I thought you were worried about my family. None of them are witches – at least, as far as I know - but some of them have… you know, like my friend Dothan. They like to sing, they love music, and they can do things with it. My mom especially – she can do some amazing things with singing.”
“Ah, that’s nice,” said Karin. “We all love music. Well, maybe you won’t decide to marry, or you’ll only have boys and it won’t matter. But I felt you should be forewarned just in case. No surprises.”
“Okay, no surprises. Is it okay with Father Fendus? With Erastil?”
Karin wasn’t sure. “I’ve gone to church my whole life, that’s all I can say. Fendus doesn’t know. I wouldn’t ask you to lie but I’d ask you not to tell on your own, and hopefully he’ll never think to ask. You never know how people will react and I didn’t want to cause any trouble for Kjell. I think that’s why I want to go East, to be honest - maybe I can start over there and things will be better. But these people are lovely – they took us in when we were desperate and had nothing. They know one bad thing about me but they haven’t judged us for it. Kjell is truly one of their own now.”
Dwyn nodded. “I think I know what you mean. Kjell told me about the Dome.”
“Well, they could forgive me for that, considering what happened, but I’m not sure how they’d feel if they knew me better. It’s a pretty straight-laced place. Not the city, of course – quite the opposite! Maybe that’s why they’re so traditional at the Lodge. It’s a little island in the midst of some real ugliness.”
“Yeah, I love it there. It’s the best thing about the city. That’s why I feel bad for even asking him to think about leaving. He should probably stay here.”
Karin shook her head. “No, I think he’s ready to leave – and I know I am. We talked about it for a long time last night. This place has been so good for him. They helped him find his way in life but now he needs a new challenge. And of course, I think he loves you.” She smiled sincerely. “It’s worth taking big chances for that, but even if you weren’t there, he needs to find his own path. And look – there they go!”
The race had started and they tried to spot Kjell in the pack of runners. He did very well – not the swiftest but definitely the most accurate shot. When it was over they said their goodbyes and helped Karin into the wagon with those who wanted to get home before dark. Kjell grabbed Dwyn’s hand and they ran back to their blanket. They didn’t have to be careful about being seen together like this now that his mother had given their union her official, public sanction. They could even be married if they wanted, except that Dwyn would never do such a thing before having Kjell meet her own family.
“I still can’t believe my mom did that,” Kjell mused. “I never expected it. She knows how I feel about you, though. We talked about it for a long time last night. I was really mad at first when I got home - I'll be honest. I was mad that you're leaving again, and worried about leaving here, and scared even to tell mom what you said about the Fort. I really can’t believe she wants to move to Turtleback Ferry, but she said she’d go out there whether you showed up at the Fort or not. Isn't that crazy? It will be so perfect when you do, though,” he added, kissing her again.
“So perfect!” Dwyn exclaimed. “Ever since I saw that little chapel at the Fort, I thought how great it would be if they had someone like you to run it. But Father Shreed probably needs you more right now.”
“I know. Fendus is worried about them since the last letter we got. They have a gambling problem up there or something.”
“Had one, I guess. Well, maybe they still do.”
“Either way, it would be a good place for me. There’s a lot I can do to help. We have to think about when to move. Maybe we’ll go up there with your builders when they’re done in Sandpoint. Maybe you’ll be back in time to go with us…”
Dwyn interrupted him. “Oh, please don’t talk about it. I really don’t want to think about it right now. I have to trust my friends on this thing and I just don’t know… I don’t like any of it. I wish I could take both of you to my mom’s and then stay in Sandpoint until we’re sure the town is safe. I don’t even want to go on this crazy mission but they all think it will be worse for Sandpoint if we don’t. Better to meet some giants out in the countryside, I guess, than let them get close to town.”
“Ok, I thought you didn’t want to talk about it,” Kjell said. “You know my opinion. I don't want you going into any danger, ever again! It drives me crazy - you can't even imagine how worried I was when we heard about the dragon. I feel like I should be there fighting with you, but I know that's not my job. And yeah, of course I'd want to go with you tomorrow, but I can’t leave mom here alone and we don't even know if Sandpoint will be safe.”
“I know. This may sound weird – I don’t mean this in a bad way, but you shouldn't come with me if there's any risk of giants. It’s too dangerous. I know you’re good at what you do but the things we’ve seen lately are really crazy. Illian’s been a fighter for years – he’s so fast you can barely even see his blades moving – and he came so close to dying out there. Seriously. I’m almost never scared, but this time…” She clung to him for a moment, embarrassed to be cowardly.
“It’s okay,” he said, “I don’t like it either. I don't like any of it, and I wish you didn’t have to go but I get what your friends are saying. They're probably right. I'm not sure I'd be much good in a fight against a dragon, myself! But it’s nice that you need me at least a little. I never felt like you needed me much. I mean, you can deal with way more stuff yourself than I could.”
“Yeah, that’s different. It’s just fighting - it comes naturally. But I'm never really sure what to think about things and I worry all the time. I struggle over what the best thing to do next is, and I really need you for that.”
Kjell hugged her closer. “Well, you have me for that any time you want, though I doubt you need it." He paused to examine her face for a moment. "You know, this is going to sound even weirder, but sometimes you remind me of Wallis. When you show up at the Lodge all excited about something, or when you look at me a certain way… you just remind me of Wallis.”
“Wait a minute,” Dwyn said, poking him hard in the chest. “Wasn’t Wallis your dog? You’re saying I remind you of your dog?”
“Yeah,” he said, “but Wallis was my favorite person in the world. We’d be out together and Wallis would look at me that way, like you always do, and he’d be all excited and he’d say stuff like, “there’s a squirrel! I see it! A squirrel! Come on, don’t you want to get it? Hurry, let’s go get it! And he’d wait for me to get out my bow, but the whole time he’s laughing about how slow and clumsy I am…”
“It’s so weird, I forget that you literally could talk to him!”
“Yeah, we talked all the time. He was so sweet, he was the best dog in the world. I don’t mean you’re like a dog, obviously!” he protested as her fingers stabbed him again, harder, “you look nothing like a dog! You’re beautiful! I just mean you have that same happy look he would get in his eyes, that excited look, when you’ve got a plan.”
“Oh really? Then what I am planning to do now?” she asked, grabbing one of his braids suddenly. At that point they were interrupted by Ven, who let them know the bonfire was going and they didn’t want to miss it. The fire was lovely on the crisp, late-autumn night, and the stars were bright in a cloudless sky. Kjell was amused to learn that Rone had personally brought Bekka out for the lunch but that they had gone back to the city together already. Dwyn was a little concerned – wasn’t this the same girl who had walked out of the service? He tried to explain. She was a nice girl – kind of like a little sister – who apparently liked him. He was sure Rone would be a capable distraction and was only surprised how eager he seemed to play the part, considering the things he said.
They stayed until the bonfire was put out, even though Dwyn felt guilty about letting Ven stay up so late without his parents around to ask. “It’s his last night here,” she reasoned, “he might as well enjoy it.” Eventually he was so tired that she put him on Ki Xa with her and had Kjell ride the other horse back.
The streets were quiet when they dropped off Ven at the Lodge. “Kjell’s going to bring that horse to the Inn for me,” she whispered. “I’ll be back to get you bright and early tomorrow.” Kjell figured she would’ve just led the other horse along on a rope, but he didn’t mind any excuse to accompany her. They put up the horses in the inn’s stable and he was about to head back on foot when she shushed him, though he hadn’t spoken. “Take off your boots and step when I step, you know?” she said, opening the door that led to the stairs. They crept upstairs, stepping in unison like one person, and slipped into her tiny room. Kjell felt a little wave of panic in his stomach and then found himself unable to form any coherent thoughts at all. He couldn’t quite believe any of this was really happening, all the way back to that first day he had met Dwyn and her horse outside the Lodge. “Hey,” she whispered, pulling him down onto the bed with her. “I think I saw a squirrel… let’s go get it!”
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
Sunday morning, Kuthona 6
Before the first light appeared at their camp outside Jorgenfist, Dwyn woke with a sudden start. She had been dreaming that Kjell sent a greeting. It had been two weeks since he had last seen her, he said. He hoped she and her friends were safe and well, had defeated the Giants, and were on their way back south. Upon waking, she realized this must be what it was like to be on the receiving end of a divinely inspired sending, like those she had witnessed Samadriel and Father Fendus perform. She knew immediately that what had seemed like a dream was in fact real, its fading images framed by the arcs of longbows fashioned from antlers, like those carried by the Lodge's white-robed priestesses.
For the first time since they had departed on their trip, she felt optimistic about the challenge before them. When they had first arrived to find the massing armies of the stone giants and other tribes arrayed around the spires of Jorgenfist, her spirits were very low. How could their little group ever make it out of this place alive, much less find and kill Mokmurian?
She felt the whole trip was a bad idea even though they were forced to try. Who else was going to get rid of Mokmurian? Growing up she had assumed Magnimar's armies were fearsome and immense - or so went the tales passed around the countryside. Even Sandpoint had seemed like a well-fortified and large town, though compared to Magnimar it had turned out to be rather small. Without their help, it seemed the town could not have defended itself against a small raiding party of giants, much less a dragon!
Thinking back, she should have known this was true a few months ago, when she had first used her trusty scythe as a weapon against the goblins who attacked the Swallowtail Festival. At the time, she figured she and her friends had accidentally landed amidst a fight the town guards and sheriff would have easily won, had they been present in the right place and right time. But now she realized Sandpoint never had been very well defended. Perhaps when her late cousin Cass had been the sheriff, things were different. Today, Dwyn and her friends were the only thing standing between the menacing armies of Jorgenfist and Sandpoint.
Samadriel and Anna were already awake - they often took the last watch. Sam rose early to greet the dawn in celebration of her Goddess, and Anna liked to get her sleep first, to be sure of having replenished herself as much as possible before any new threats appeared. While Sam was praying, Anna helped Dwyn don her thick, weighty armor. On top of the felted wool long johns she usually wore, she first had to pull another tightly woven layer with metal reinforcements at all the joints. These were magically enhanced and prevented blades or other pokey weapons from sliding between the plates. The suit of half-plate never looked as if it would fit, yet had been enchanted to mold smoothly to the wearer's form beneath. It didn't even need to be tied on, but someone had to hold each piece up while Dwyn moved into it, and the whole process took nearly five minutes. Dwyn wasn't very comfortable with that, especially out here in the homeland of the Stone Giants. Was their camp being spied on even now, while they conducted their surveillance? At least she wasn't entirely unprotected now without the armor, and the advantages far outweighed the inconvenience.
When Sam was finished, Dwyn sat down to share some breakfast with her and Anna and talk about best strategies for approaching the fortress. Dwyn thought they might be able to use some sort of illusion or magical disguise to walk straight in, but Sam convinced her that plan was far too risky. If anything went wrong? We'd all be slaughtered on the spot, no match for entire armies! Dwyn started to feel the waves of pessimism coming back, but then she thought about Kjell's message and was heartened.
"My friend from the Lodge, back in Magnimar," she explained to her friends, "sent a message this morning, like the ones you more powerful clerics can do. Everything is okay." Sam was about to volunteer her services again to make a reply, but they all quickly agreed that under the circumstances, nobody could afford to waste any energy or concentration on things that weren't essential to defeating Mokmurian.
"I know you would help me if you could," Dwyn assured Sam. "Usually I'm not scared when we do these things. I figure we'll give it our best shot, and we usually find a way to win. But this time I feel nervous. I don't know why. It's nice to know Kjell is thinking of me. If we make it out of here in one piece, maybe we'll even get married someday. His mom is okay with it. He has to meet my mom and grandma, though. If... if something does happen, you have to tell everyone back home. I know Kay and Dothan will take my things to my mother, and tell Alma and the girls. But don't forget Kjell - he's at the Lodge in Magnimar, at least for now."
* * *
The next days passed in a blur. There was no time to think - just survive. Listening for danger, fighting, willing their bodies to keep pushing through the caves and tunnels that led beneath the fortress.
Now at last Dwyn found herself face to face with the corpse of the most terrible giant. She could no longer think of him as terrible - not now that he was dead, and not after what his mother had said. To imagine they once had been another normal family serving the Earthshaker, providing for their people, untroubled by these foul ancient currents - it was almost too much to bear. Whatever Thassalionia had been, it now meant the total corruption of everything pure. The worst of all possible crimes - a parricide! A broken-hearted mother, willing to help sacrifice her own son rather than see him lost forever to the thrall of evil!
Dwyn couldn't stop a few tears from escaping her eyes as she leaned over the giant's body. In death his noble grace was somehow restored, as if whatever wicked voice had burst from him a few moments before had left behind an empty shell. Quickly she recited the prayer for the dead from the Parables, and folded his hands across his chest even as the blood was still leaking from his many wounds. Somehow she was surprised to see that his blood looked like any other - did she suppose, perhaps, that his flesh was actually made from stone in some degree, or that his blood would be gray like mortar? It was strange, too, to think that the rest of the giants under his command might now be liberated. They might never be friends, but could they at least not be enemies now? Or were those marked with that sinister symbol doomed forever to serve evil?
Her friends found a map that raised more questions than it answered. Yes, that X was undoubtedly right atop Sandpoint, but why were the other marked spots now under the sea? Had the coastline not always been where it is today? What did Mokmurian hope to find there, and would some other lieutenant now take up the cause in service of this mysterious evil?
Dwyn was exhausted from the long series of battles and didn't want to think about it any longer. She prayed silently to Erastil for having protected her, and then sat quietly while her friends searched for further clues. She was more than ready to get back home now but afraid more needed to be done before that could happen. What of the cave they had seen before - Eldthor had seemed sure the dragon they killed in Sandpoint couldn't have been its only inhabitant. If they didn't clean the place out, someone would step into Mokmurian's shoes and the whole southern lands would be in just as much danger. With a heavy sigh she considered it had been almost a week since Kjell's message. She probably wouldn't hear from him for another week or more, if he stuck to the same pattern. And of course none of her loved ones had heard from her - for almost three weeks now. They had worried when she traveled to Fort Rannick, and surely they would be worried again now. Dwyn consoled herself with the thought that Erastil must have wanted her for this task, since he had granted her the ability. A few months ago she wanted nothing more than a little adventure - something to take her away from the boring routines of life and give her a glimpse of what her late father's life must have been like, years ago. Now she was beginning to pine for an end to all this, a way to root out the source of all the troubles they had faced these past months, and some time to relax again and build a normal life. Or at least something closer to it.
One thing obviously stood in the way, she thought, staring at the sihedron symbol on the key they had found. All of these ancient ruins, all of the old demons from the dungeons of Thistletop to the depths of the Skull's Crossing, all of these wicked sorcerors trying to harness the unnatural magic of the long-dead past - they all needed to go. People needed to live the way they were intended to live: simply, in harmony with one another and with the wilderness around them. The ancient world was all about greed and lust and madness - no wonder its empires had fallen and vanished! Surely the good gods would not permit it to stand. Surely it was her job to prevent any of it from intruding into their world.
Before the first light appeared at their camp outside Jorgenfist, Dwyn woke with a sudden start. She had been dreaming that Kjell sent a greeting. It had been two weeks since he had last seen her, he said. He hoped she and her friends were safe and well, had defeated the Giants, and were on their way back south. Upon waking, she realized this must be what it was like to be on the receiving end of a divinely inspired sending, like those she had witnessed Samadriel and Father Fendus perform. She knew immediately that what had seemed like a dream was in fact real, its fading images framed by the arcs of longbows fashioned from antlers, like those carried by the Lodge's white-robed priestesses.
For the first time since they had departed on their trip, she felt optimistic about the challenge before them. When they had first arrived to find the massing armies of the stone giants and other tribes arrayed around the spires of Jorgenfist, her spirits were very low. How could their little group ever make it out of this place alive, much less find and kill Mokmurian?
She felt the whole trip was a bad idea even though they were forced to try. Who else was going to get rid of Mokmurian? Growing up she had assumed Magnimar's armies were fearsome and immense - or so went the tales passed around the countryside. Even Sandpoint had seemed like a well-fortified and large town, though compared to Magnimar it had turned out to be rather small. Without their help, it seemed the town could not have defended itself against a small raiding party of giants, much less a dragon!
Thinking back, she should have known this was true a few months ago, when she had first used her trusty scythe as a weapon against the goblins who attacked the Swallowtail Festival. At the time, she figured she and her friends had accidentally landed amidst a fight the town guards and sheriff would have easily won, had they been present in the right place and right time. But now she realized Sandpoint never had been very well defended. Perhaps when her late cousin Cass had been the sheriff, things were different. Today, Dwyn and her friends were the only thing standing between the menacing armies of Jorgenfist and Sandpoint.
Samadriel and Anna were already awake - they often took the last watch. Sam rose early to greet the dawn in celebration of her Goddess, and Anna liked to get her sleep first, to be sure of having replenished herself as much as possible before any new threats appeared. While Sam was praying, Anna helped Dwyn don her thick, weighty armor. On top of the felted wool long johns she usually wore, she first had to pull another tightly woven layer with metal reinforcements at all the joints. These were magically enhanced and prevented blades or other pokey weapons from sliding between the plates. The suit of half-plate never looked as if it would fit, yet had been enchanted to mold smoothly to the wearer's form beneath. It didn't even need to be tied on, but someone had to hold each piece up while Dwyn moved into it, and the whole process took nearly five minutes. Dwyn wasn't very comfortable with that, especially out here in the homeland of the Stone Giants. Was their camp being spied on even now, while they conducted their surveillance? At least she wasn't entirely unprotected now without the armor, and the advantages far outweighed the inconvenience.
When Sam was finished, Dwyn sat down to share some breakfast with her and Anna and talk about best strategies for approaching the fortress. Dwyn thought they might be able to use some sort of illusion or magical disguise to walk straight in, but Sam convinced her that plan was far too risky. If anything went wrong? We'd all be slaughtered on the spot, no match for entire armies! Dwyn started to feel the waves of pessimism coming back, but then she thought about Kjell's message and was heartened.
"My friend from the Lodge, back in Magnimar," she explained to her friends, "sent a message this morning, like the ones you more powerful clerics can do. Everything is okay." Sam was about to volunteer her services again to make a reply, but they all quickly agreed that under the circumstances, nobody could afford to waste any energy or concentration on things that weren't essential to defeating Mokmurian.
"I know you would help me if you could," Dwyn assured Sam. "Usually I'm not scared when we do these things. I figure we'll give it our best shot, and we usually find a way to win. But this time I feel nervous. I don't know why. It's nice to know Kjell is thinking of me. If we make it out of here in one piece, maybe we'll even get married someday. His mom is okay with it. He has to meet my mom and grandma, though. If... if something does happen, you have to tell everyone back home. I know Kay and Dothan will take my things to my mother, and tell Alma and the girls. But don't forget Kjell - he's at the Lodge in Magnimar, at least for now."
* * *
The next days passed in a blur. There was no time to think - just survive. Listening for danger, fighting, willing their bodies to keep pushing through the caves and tunnels that led beneath the fortress.
Now at last Dwyn found herself face to face with the corpse of the most terrible giant. She could no longer think of him as terrible - not now that he was dead, and not after what his mother had said. To imagine they once had been another normal family serving the Earthshaker, providing for their people, untroubled by these foul ancient currents - it was almost too much to bear. Whatever Thassalionia had been, it now meant the total corruption of everything pure. The worst of all possible crimes - a parricide! A broken-hearted mother, willing to help sacrifice her own son rather than see him lost forever to the thrall of evil!
Dwyn couldn't stop a few tears from escaping her eyes as she leaned over the giant's body. In death his noble grace was somehow restored, as if whatever wicked voice had burst from him a few moments before had left behind an empty shell. Quickly she recited the prayer for the dead from the Parables, and folded his hands across his chest even as the blood was still leaking from his many wounds. Somehow she was surprised to see that his blood looked like any other - did she suppose, perhaps, that his flesh was actually made from stone in some degree, or that his blood would be gray like mortar? It was strange, too, to think that the rest of the giants under his command might now be liberated. They might never be friends, but could they at least not be enemies now? Or were those marked with that sinister symbol doomed forever to serve evil?
Her friends found a map that raised more questions than it answered. Yes, that X was undoubtedly right atop Sandpoint, but why were the other marked spots now under the sea? Had the coastline not always been where it is today? What did Mokmurian hope to find there, and would some other lieutenant now take up the cause in service of this mysterious evil?
Dwyn was exhausted from the long series of battles and didn't want to think about it any longer. She prayed silently to Erastil for having protected her, and then sat quietly while her friends searched for further clues. She was more than ready to get back home now but afraid more needed to be done before that could happen. What of the cave they had seen before - Eldthor had seemed sure the dragon they killed in Sandpoint couldn't have been its only inhabitant. If they didn't clean the place out, someone would step into Mokmurian's shoes and the whole southern lands would be in just as much danger. With a heavy sigh she considered it had been almost a week since Kjell's message. She probably wouldn't hear from him for another week or more, if he stuck to the same pattern. And of course none of her loved ones had heard from her - for almost three weeks now. They had worried when she traveled to Fort Rannick, and surely they would be worried again now. Dwyn consoled herself with the thought that Erastil must have wanted her for this task, since he had granted her the ability. A few months ago she wanted nothing more than a little adventure - something to take her away from the boring routines of life and give her a glimpse of what her late father's life must have been like, years ago. Now she was beginning to pine for an end to all this, a way to root out the source of all the troubles they had faced these past months, and some time to relax again and build a normal life. Or at least something closer to it.
One thing obviously stood in the way, she thought, staring at the sihedron symbol on the key they had found. All of these ancient ruins, all of the old demons from the dungeons of Thistletop to the depths of the Skull's Crossing, all of these wicked sorcerors trying to harness the unnatural magic of the long-dead past - they all needed to go. People needed to live the way they were intended to live: simply, in harmony with one another and with the wilderness around them. The ancient world was all about greed and lust and madness - no wonder its empires had fallen and vanished! Surely the good gods would not permit it to stand. Surely it was her job to prevent any of it from intruding into their world.
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
Karin woke to find Kjell at her bedside. “What is it? What time is it?” she grumbled, seeing no sunlight at the window.
“Early,” he whispered. “I’ve just had another message from Dwyn. Everything is okay. In the first week of Abadius she should be back at Sandpoint, and she wants us to join her there.”
“Both of us?” Karin asked, rubbing her eyes.
“Yes. Then we’ll travel with her to meet her family. Go back to sleep, Mom, it’s just before dawn,” he added.
“No, it’s fine, I’ll get up,” she replied, yawning. “If we’re going to meet her family, I have things to prepare.”
* * *
Kuthona had not been Dwyn’s favorite month, and it was not much improved even after the triumph over Mokmurian, the dispersing of armies, and the death of terrible creatures in the tower. After spending weeks traveling and fighting side by side with her dearest friends, she nevertheless felt strangely distant from them.
Her poor mood worsened after witnessing Conna’s treatment of Mokmurian’s corpse. Her friends accepted it as a mere cultural difference – unpleasant, perhaps, but to be observed patiently and tolerated. Dwyn couldn’t wrap her mind around it. This family once had been together and happy, smiled upon by the Earthshaker and loyal in his service. The idea that things could go so badly wrong from that foundation was unfathomable.
What if she and Kjell had a son? What if evil powers seized and twisted him so badly that he killed his own father? Perhaps Dwyn would want to see him dead too, just as Conna had. Yet she could never imagine herself making a grim spectacle of her own child’s demise, waving his head above a crowd.
One thing was clear now: the sinister magic of ancient Thassilon was indeed responsible for the nightmare they had witnessed. The lure of its ancient runes had driven a whole people to the brink of ruin; what was to stop her friends from being infected somehow, while spending all day buried in rune-books? Maybe now that the library had lost one terrible master it would try to awaken another!
Dwyn was convinced of Anna’s goodness and kind nature, but was any wizard strong enough to resist the treacherous forces that once bent Mokmurian to evil? She and Dothan scarcely emerged from their huddle in that dank, depressing chamber – one couldn’t help but compare its circular outlines to the dark tomb in the black tower. Simply being down there, standing guard – or mostly, sitting and grumbling to herself – put Dwyn in a restless, foul humour.
Dothan seemed to grow more brilliant with every book she read, but she was as impulsive as she was a genius. Would she know how to use this knowledge wisely, protecting herself from whatever dark currents emerged? Would she finally locate the key to curing Illian?
Kuthona dragged on like this, through endless days of bookreading and homesick nights. At least Samadriel was doing Sendings, after the harpies were dispatched and everyone felt reasonably safe again. On the best day, Dwyn was able to check on her loved ones and warn Fort Rannick about the ogres. On the worst day, her friends found an old picture of some creepy, evil wizard who looked like Kjell. They insisted on showing her the book and wondering at the resemblance, which was horrid and added insult to the injury of not being able to see Kjell for weeks on end.
Dwyn had seen more than enough of Jorgenfist. She wanted to burn the whole place down - purify it with fire. That was the only way to be sure. She was a bit taken aback by how vigorously her friends argued against that common-sense plan. No one was willing to consider it, not even Hal or Sam, and of course it was anathema to Anna and Dothan, for whom these books were the greatest prize.
Luckily, Kay and Illian finally had grown wary of their sihedron medallions and were discussing what to do about them. The power to preserve corpses seemed a bit fishy to Dwyn – too unnatural, too kindred to forces that could raise things back from the dead. On the other hand, letting the dragon bodies decay would be wrong, when they were so valuable for protecting lives once put to the proper use. Hal and Thor had tried to explain these things but seemed a bit impatient with Dwyn’s stubbornness. She understood their reasons but still felt like smashing the medallions, just as she had once shattered the lamia’s sihedron.
Kuthona did not improve upon their arrival in Galduria. The townspeople were hanging decorations and singing paeans to Zon-Kuthon before the festival of Crystalhue, reminding Dwyn of her mother’s lovely songs and the rollicking party her family would be throwing at solstice-time. The winter chill, which she normally relished, stung harder far from home.
Seeing Ki-Ja again was the one great consolation. She rode him into the countryside late on Crystalhue’s Eve while her friends were celebrating. After praying, she realized how sullen and withdrawn she had become during their journey. Days on the road had passed without her saying more than a few words to Thor and Hal, who had been fairly subdued themselves after the triumph at Jorgenfist.
Dwyn fished around in her saddlebags, realizing anew the annoyance of being without one of those magical sacks Dothan and the others used. She wanted to carry everything herself, figuring that anything she couldn’t hold was pointless excess. Did the parables not say, “Coarse grains to eat, water to drink, my bended arm for a pillow. There lies happiness.”? They didn’t say to carry around giant sacks of loot. Yet to guard against all the harpies and mummies and lamias and rune giants and Erastil knew what else, they had to sell everything of value they could find. And even better, no one in Dwyn’s village would be going hungry this winter, now that she had this much treasure. The Deadeye Lodge in Magnimar would be able to feed everyone in the neighborhood for weeks.
Dwyn didn’t want to get attached to being wealthy, though. Nor did she want any children she might have someday to grow soft and contented, unable to fend for themselves after years of living easily. Finally she dug out the little cloth package she had been hunting for and gingerly unwrapped it, turning Ki-Ja toward the last fading sunlight so she could see better. This was the longest night of the year, sacred to Shelyn, her mother’s favorite. Ki-Ja stamped his hooves restlessly, melting away the traces of early snowfall.
From the cloth she drew forth a little silk-wrapped Zonzon doll, no bigger than her finger. It had long, dark hair, like Dwyn’s mother Isolde, and was dressed in bright blue and crimson garments. Carefully Dwyn stroked the woolly hair, giving thanks for her mother and praying for her protection. One by one she took out the other dolls, each resembling one of her sisters, and laid them across her palm. The one with white fuzzy hair was the first she had ever made – her grandmother. Last came the dolls for father and grandfather, both of whom were now passed over into Erastil’s care.
All bunched together in her hand they made a bright, cheerful little group. Dwyn remembered when they had first come down to farm near her mother’s old village. They had traveled down the Lampblack river from the mountains where her father had been working, just as she and her friends were doing now on the return from Jorgenfist. She realized that, if everything went according to plan, she would soon need two more dolls, for Kjell and Karin. And truly she needed another whole bag of dolls for each one of her friends. To them she owed not only her life, but the protection of her family and everyone else in this beautiful, green land that might have been destroyed by Mokmurian’s armies and dragons.
How quickly her life had transformed! Just last spring she had been milking cows behind the bakery, feeling like a newcomer to the vast, unfamiliar metropolis of Sandpoint. What a difference a few months and a whole lot of good friends could make! She needed them and they needed her, too. But they didn’t need morose, suspicious Dwyn; they needed an energetic, optimistic Dwyn.
She said a prayer to Shelyn for each of them and resolved to get her cheer back. After all, they had been victorious! She resisted the urge to add, for now. Yes, for now and at least until the next challenge. Erastil had called her to this path for a reason – she was more certain of it now than ever. She and her friends were needed to stop whatever evil was stirring from the dead past of Thassilon. If Erastil willed it, then surely they would prevail.
“Early,” he whispered. “I’ve just had another message from Dwyn. Everything is okay. In the first week of Abadius she should be back at Sandpoint, and she wants us to join her there.”
“Both of us?” Karin asked, rubbing her eyes.
“Yes. Then we’ll travel with her to meet her family. Go back to sleep, Mom, it’s just before dawn,” he added.
“No, it’s fine, I’ll get up,” she replied, yawning. “If we’re going to meet her family, I have things to prepare.”
* * *
Kuthona had not been Dwyn’s favorite month, and it was not much improved even after the triumph over Mokmurian, the dispersing of armies, and the death of terrible creatures in the tower. After spending weeks traveling and fighting side by side with her dearest friends, she nevertheless felt strangely distant from them.
Her poor mood worsened after witnessing Conna’s treatment of Mokmurian’s corpse. Her friends accepted it as a mere cultural difference – unpleasant, perhaps, but to be observed patiently and tolerated. Dwyn couldn’t wrap her mind around it. This family once had been together and happy, smiled upon by the Earthshaker and loyal in his service. The idea that things could go so badly wrong from that foundation was unfathomable.
What if she and Kjell had a son? What if evil powers seized and twisted him so badly that he killed his own father? Perhaps Dwyn would want to see him dead too, just as Conna had. Yet she could never imagine herself making a grim spectacle of her own child’s demise, waving his head above a crowd.
One thing was clear now: the sinister magic of ancient Thassilon was indeed responsible for the nightmare they had witnessed. The lure of its ancient runes had driven a whole people to the brink of ruin; what was to stop her friends from being infected somehow, while spending all day buried in rune-books? Maybe now that the library had lost one terrible master it would try to awaken another!
Dwyn was convinced of Anna’s goodness and kind nature, but was any wizard strong enough to resist the treacherous forces that once bent Mokmurian to evil? She and Dothan scarcely emerged from their huddle in that dank, depressing chamber – one couldn’t help but compare its circular outlines to the dark tomb in the black tower. Simply being down there, standing guard – or mostly, sitting and grumbling to herself – put Dwyn in a restless, foul humour.
Dothan seemed to grow more brilliant with every book she read, but she was as impulsive as she was a genius. Would she know how to use this knowledge wisely, protecting herself from whatever dark currents emerged? Would she finally locate the key to curing Illian?
Kuthona dragged on like this, through endless days of bookreading and homesick nights. At least Samadriel was doing Sendings, after the harpies were dispatched and everyone felt reasonably safe again. On the best day, Dwyn was able to check on her loved ones and warn Fort Rannick about the ogres. On the worst day, her friends found an old picture of some creepy, evil wizard who looked like Kjell. They insisted on showing her the book and wondering at the resemblance, which was horrid and added insult to the injury of not being able to see Kjell for weeks on end.
Dwyn had seen more than enough of Jorgenfist. She wanted to burn the whole place down - purify it with fire. That was the only way to be sure. She was a bit taken aback by how vigorously her friends argued against that common-sense plan. No one was willing to consider it, not even Hal or Sam, and of course it was anathema to Anna and Dothan, for whom these books were the greatest prize.
Luckily, Kay and Illian finally had grown wary of their sihedron medallions and were discussing what to do about them. The power to preserve corpses seemed a bit fishy to Dwyn – too unnatural, too kindred to forces that could raise things back from the dead. On the other hand, letting the dragon bodies decay would be wrong, when they were so valuable for protecting lives once put to the proper use. Hal and Thor had tried to explain these things but seemed a bit impatient with Dwyn’s stubbornness. She understood their reasons but still felt like smashing the medallions, just as she had once shattered the lamia’s sihedron.
Kuthona did not improve upon their arrival in Galduria. The townspeople were hanging decorations and singing paeans to Zon-Kuthon before the festival of Crystalhue, reminding Dwyn of her mother’s lovely songs and the rollicking party her family would be throwing at solstice-time. The winter chill, which she normally relished, stung harder far from home.
Seeing Ki-Ja again was the one great consolation. She rode him into the countryside late on Crystalhue’s Eve while her friends were celebrating. After praying, she realized how sullen and withdrawn she had become during their journey. Days on the road had passed without her saying more than a few words to Thor and Hal, who had been fairly subdued themselves after the triumph at Jorgenfist.
Dwyn fished around in her saddlebags, realizing anew the annoyance of being without one of those magical sacks Dothan and the others used. She wanted to carry everything herself, figuring that anything she couldn’t hold was pointless excess. Did the parables not say, “Coarse grains to eat, water to drink, my bended arm for a pillow. There lies happiness.”? They didn’t say to carry around giant sacks of loot. Yet to guard against all the harpies and mummies and lamias and rune giants and Erastil knew what else, they had to sell everything of value they could find. And even better, no one in Dwyn’s village would be going hungry this winter, now that she had this much treasure. The Deadeye Lodge in Magnimar would be able to feed everyone in the neighborhood for weeks.
Dwyn didn’t want to get attached to being wealthy, though. Nor did she want any children she might have someday to grow soft and contented, unable to fend for themselves after years of living easily. Finally she dug out the little cloth package she had been hunting for and gingerly unwrapped it, turning Ki-Ja toward the last fading sunlight so she could see better. This was the longest night of the year, sacred to Shelyn, her mother’s favorite. Ki-Ja stamped his hooves restlessly, melting away the traces of early snowfall.
From the cloth she drew forth a little silk-wrapped Zonzon doll, no bigger than her finger. It had long, dark hair, like Dwyn’s mother Isolde, and was dressed in bright blue and crimson garments. Carefully Dwyn stroked the woolly hair, giving thanks for her mother and praying for her protection. One by one she took out the other dolls, each resembling one of her sisters, and laid them across her palm. The one with white fuzzy hair was the first she had ever made – her grandmother. Last came the dolls for father and grandfather, both of whom were now passed over into Erastil’s care.
All bunched together in her hand they made a bright, cheerful little group. Dwyn remembered when they had first come down to farm near her mother’s old village. They had traveled down the Lampblack river from the mountains where her father had been working, just as she and her friends were doing now on the return from Jorgenfist. She realized that, if everything went according to plan, she would soon need two more dolls, for Kjell and Karin. And truly she needed another whole bag of dolls for each one of her friends. To them she owed not only her life, but the protection of her family and everyone else in this beautiful, green land that might have been destroyed by Mokmurian’s armies and dragons.
How quickly her life had transformed! Just last spring she had been milking cows behind the bakery, feeling like a newcomer to the vast, unfamiliar metropolis of Sandpoint. What a difference a few months and a whole lot of good friends could make! She needed them and they needed her, too. But they didn’t need morose, suspicious Dwyn; they needed an energetic, optimistic Dwyn.
She said a prayer to Shelyn for each of them and resolved to get her cheer back. After all, they had been victorious! She resisted the urge to add, for now. Yes, for now and at least until the next challenge. Erastil had called her to this path for a reason – she was more certain of it now than ever. She and her friends were needed to stop whatever evil was stirring from the dead past of Thassilon. If Erastil willed it, then surely they would prevail.
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
As they drew nearer to town, Dwyn was pleased to see a few little lookout posts set up among the trees at high points along the path, just as she had arranged before leaving Sandpoint. She wasn’t as excited about the elderly halfling she found staffing one of the posts, who seemed to be treating her watch shift as an excellent opportunity to knit baby blankets in the treetops. Hopefully she still would have noticed the ruckus of approaching giants, or dragons, or a forest fire, but Dwyn wasn’t sure.
“Have things been quiet in Sandpoint, then?” Dwyn inquired.
“Well, if you don’t count the dragon, and the giants, and the bears… mostly quiet ever since,” the woman replied.
“Great,” said Dwyn. “My friends and I tracked those giants down and they’ve all been sent away. Gone back home, or wherever they came from before. Turns out they had a really bad leader but he’s dead now. No more dragons – at least, none that we know of.”
“That’s a relief,” said the woman, without looking up from her knitting again. “Oh, I suppose we’ve had a few incidents, like that guardsman from the east bank who went down in the hole and never came out. But who knows what really happened – some say he ran away because his parents wouldn’t let him run the farm.”
Dwyn frowned. “The hole?”
“Oh yes, there’s a hole – you can go see for yourself. But as I’m not going down it, I don’t much care for it either way.”
Dwyn bid her good day and climbed back down again. “Well, sounds like things have been quiet,” she reported to her friends. “She said something about a hole, but who knows what that means.” Dwyn shrugged and jumped back on Ki Ja, hoping that Kjell and Karin would have made the journey up from Magnimar by now. They rode on as quickly as they could urge the horses.
“Have things been quiet in Sandpoint, then?” Dwyn inquired.
“Well, if you don’t count the dragon, and the giants, and the bears… mostly quiet ever since,” the woman replied.
“Great,” said Dwyn. “My friends and I tracked those giants down and they’ve all been sent away. Gone back home, or wherever they came from before. Turns out they had a really bad leader but he’s dead now. No more dragons – at least, none that we know of.”
“That’s a relief,” said the woman, without looking up from her knitting again. “Oh, I suppose we’ve had a few incidents, like that guardsman from the east bank who went down in the hole and never came out. But who knows what really happened – some say he ran away because his parents wouldn’t let him run the farm.”
Dwyn frowned. “The hole?”
“Oh yes, there’s a hole – you can go see for yourself. But as I’m not going down it, I don’t much care for it either way.”
Dwyn bid her good day and climbed back down again. “Well, sounds like things have been quiet,” she reported to her friends. “She said something about a hole, but who knows what that means.” Dwyn shrugged and jumped back on Ki Ja, hoping that Kjell and Karin would have made the journey up from Magnimar by now. They rode on as quickly as they could urge the horses.
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
Karin and Kjell arrived in Sandpoint after spending one night camping along the road from Magnimar. The unusually cold morning suited them both well. “It’s like going home again,” Kjell remarked. “Just think how great it will be to see snow again, to have a long season of snows!” Karin smiled – she had been smiling more often since they finally determined to move east.
Luckily the little bakery was easy to find and, with its warm ovens and comforting scents, offered a pleasant respite for travelers. Alma greeted them as if they were already family. They could stay in Dwyn’s room as long as they liked – she had been gone for so long this time, over a month already! But Kjell had done a sending and knew the Troubleshooters were on the way home.
Arika’s baby had arrived while Dwyn was away and few others subjects could occupy Alma’s thoughts for long. She did, however, introduce them to Pennae Kesk, who was delighted to hear everything Kjell had to say about life among the archers of the Deadeye Lodge where her son Ven was now starting an apprenticeship, just as Kjell once had. She was also delighted to find in Kjell a newly-engaged young man in need of wedding rings, and she kept him for hours in her shop until they had found the right ones: matching golden rings in the same size, each with a feather pattern outside and inscription inside: “love makes the heart light”.
“They’re magical, of course,” Pennae explained. “If the wearer falls, the ring helps to cushion the blow. Perfectly suited for a married couple, don’t you think?” Kjell nodded, relieved to be done with the search and thereby spared ever having to visit a jewelry shop again. “I hope she likes it. Dwyn isn’t really one for jewelry and fancy things.”
Pennae gasped in mock horror. “There is always time, my dear! Marriage means many years of gifts, and what lady doesn’t like a bit of sparkle? I’m sure you’ll find our prices in Sandpoint beat whatever you’ve been seeing in the big city. You might even be surprised about Dwyn. Why, just a few months ago she was in here buying necklaces. I can’t speak to her taste per se – if I remember correctly, one was a donkey pendant and another was a beetle, the type of necklaces we would usually expect to sell for children’s birthdays and such, but to each her own!” Kjell thanked her for the rings but silently vowed it would be his last jewelry purchase.
Luckily the little bakery was easy to find and, with its warm ovens and comforting scents, offered a pleasant respite for travelers. Alma greeted them as if they were already family. They could stay in Dwyn’s room as long as they liked – she had been gone for so long this time, over a month already! But Kjell had done a sending and knew the Troubleshooters were on the way home.
Arika’s baby had arrived while Dwyn was away and few others subjects could occupy Alma’s thoughts for long. She did, however, introduce them to Pennae Kesk, who was delighted to hear everything Kjell had to say about life among the archers of the Deadeye Lodge where her son Ven was now starting an apprenticeship, just as Kjell once had. She was also delighted to find in Kjell a newly-engaged young man in need of wedding rings, and she kept him for hours in her shop until they had found the right ones: matching golden rings in the same size, each with a feather pattern outside and inscription inside: “love makes the heart light”.
“They’re magical, of course,” Pennae explained. “If the wearer falls, the ring helps to cushion the blow. Perfectly suited for a married couple, don’t you think?” Kjell nodded, relieved to be done with the search and thereby spared ever having to visit a jewelry shop again. “I hope she likes it. Dwyn isn’t really one for jewelry and fancy things.”
Pennae gasped in mock horror. “There is always time, my dear! Marriage means many years of gifts, and what lady doesn’t like a bit of sparkle? I’m sure you’ll find our prices in Sandpoint beat whatever you’ve been seeing in the big city. You might even be surprised about Dwyn. Why, just a few months ago she was in here buying necklaces. I can’t speak to her taste per se – if I remember correctly, one was a donkey pendant and another was a beetle, the type of necklaces we would usually expect to sell for children’s birthdays and such, but to each her own!” Kjell thanked her for the rings but silently vowed it would be his last jewelry purchase.
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
Karin was the first to see Dwyn arrive, as she was sitting outside with her knitting when the small party rode up. “Karin!” Dwyn cried, leaping down from Ki Xa and grabbing the smaller woman in a bear hug. “It’s so great to see you - it feels like we’ve been gone forever! Have you been here long?”
Karin shook her head, feeling a little overwhelmed by Dwyn’s usual enthusiasm. “No, no, we’ve only been here two nights,” she replied. “Kjell has taken the cow out, I’m not sure where. But he should be back for lunch any time now. He’ll be so happy to see you, my dear!” Dwyn was overjoyed to see Alma and the girls again, especially after feeling so lonely during the holidays, and she was even more delighted to meet her new baby cousin. The comfort of being with family again helped to erase the horror she had felt at Jorgenfist, though the vision of a once-proud Giantess holding her son’s severed head aloft before the crowd still lingered in her nightmares.
As soon as Kjell returned they began planning the trip to her mother’s place, and soon enough a wagon and horses were headed east through the countryside. The greens of the wide valleys had by now turned to golds and ochres dotted with light snow. Dothan travelled with them as far as the farm but couldn’t stay long, as she had her own family to visit down the road.
If any band of travelers had ever before been greeted with such fanfare and excitement, certainly Karin and Kjell had never seen the like of it. The presence, in the flesh, of Dwyn’s fiancé was treated as a nearly miraculous event, and Karin had to scold herself for suspecting the faint whiff of disrespect for Dwyn in her sisters’ excessive amazement. The meals that day were prodigious; the pies alone would have been enough for a party three times the size.
Isolde and her daughters were, of course, even more enraptured by Dothan than before: by this time Dothan’s fame had spread widely, and everyone was thrilled to have already befriended such a superstar. So many new songs needed exchanging, and so many dances needed to be devised for the songs! Kjell was not one for dancing and though Karin had a light foot, she wasn’t inclined to show it off amidst a newly-met crowd of strangers, even if they would become family someday. Luckily Dwyn was content to sit with her and avoid dancing, though a terribly red-faced Kjell was made to attempt it with each of her sisters and even with the grandmother. Karin was sure she had never seen the like before, except perhaps at an actual wedding. Imagine the wedding they could expect from this family, if these were the festivities on a normal Wealday with a few guests!
Under the circumstances, Karin and Kjell were a bit relieved to be staying with Father Gerthin. He insisted on leaving the merriment of the party well before sundown, which these days arrived not long after supper. “Early to bed, early to rise!” he declared, in his usual gruff tone, and Karin noted that Isolde did not seem particularly displeased to be sending her future son-in-law and his mother off for the night, though she smiled apologetically and expressed her great hope for the day the newlyweds could stay there together.
Gerthin’s cabin was tiny but snug, and he was blessedly uninterested in idle conversation. To be sure, it was a bit trying to have one’s soundest sleep disrupted by a loud shout of, “Leave your bed behind you instantly!” as soon as the first rays of sun emerged, but Kjell was already awake and seemed amused by the old priest’s penchant for quoting the Parables. The two of them had planned to go out hunting, leaving Karin some much-needed time alone. She filled Gerthin’s one cooking-pot with water and set it over the fire to boil.
She was glad to have left Magnimar and her heart and even her body felt indescribably lighter. At last the timing had been right. Sandpoint was a lovely town and she had wondered if it might not be a mistake to press on further, rather than remaining there, but the coastal weather was still muggy and warm and she longed to be back in the forests and mountains. Turtleback Ferry would be sufficiently remote and from Dwyn’s account the town was desperately in need of newcomers, people who had something to offer as they tried to rebuild after the floods and, perhaps more importantly, the corruption that had infected the community until Dwyn and her friends had stepped in. Would she have anything valuable to offer, and would these new people accept her?
For Kjell she had great confidence: an archer of his skill and cleric with his compassion would be embraced almost anywhere. But people tended to fear the true talents Karin possessed, while her more mundane skills as a seamstress or cook were copper-a-dozen. Perhaps at least they would tolerate her presence along with her son, and someday soon the new couple, perhaps helping to take care of a new baby? She poured out the water for tea and stared into the cup, watching the color deepen. Grandchildren. The thought alone prompted tears for the sake of her husband and son, who would never be grandfather and uncle as they should have been. Yet the prospect gave hope that their little family would live on, that beyond their senseless deaths some form of purpose might yet be found.
With a deep breath, Karin blew on the tea and drank, her green eyes glowing with sudden intensity. As the leaves settled back down in the cup, she saw a swirl of pattern and held it up to the window’s light to get a better look. She could see herself in a rustic chapel in a tall stone tower. She was… happy? Maybe. But there were obstacles. A woman… menacing, untrustworthy. A man – no, two men – lonely and heartbroken. But neither of them Kjell, she observed with relief. He was with her; he was happy. Yet Dwyn was missing. Where was she? Somewhere… else, trapped, miserable, yet even more powerful than before, and safe. Grandchildren? Maybe. Impossible to tell.
Karin shook her head, feeling a little overwhelmed by Dwyn’s usual enthusiasm. “No, no, we’ve only been here two nights,” she replied. “Kjell has taken the cow out, I’m not sure where. But he should be back for lunch any time now. He’ll be so happy to see you, my dear!” Dwyn was overjoyed to see Alma and the girls again, especially after feeling so lonely during the holidays, and she was even more delighted to meet her new baby cousin. The comfort of being with family again helped to erase the horror she had felt at Jorgenfist, though the vision of a once-proud Giantess holding her son’s severed head aloft before the crowd still lingered in her nightmares.
As soon as Kjell returned they began planning the trip to her mother’s place, and soon enough a wagon and horses were headed east through the countryside. The greens of the wide valleys had by now turned to golds and ochres dotted with light snow. Dothan travelled with them as far as the farm but couldn’t stay long, as she had her own family to visit down the road.
If any band of travelers had ever before been greeted with such fanfare and excitement, certainly Karin and Kjell had never seen the like of it. The presence, in the flesh, of Dwyn’s fiancé was treated as a nearly miraculous event, and Karin had to scold herself for suspecting the faint whiff of disrespect for Dwyn in her sisters’ excessive amazement. The meals that day were prodigious; the pies alone would have been enough for a party three times the size.
Isolde and her daughters were, of course, even more enraptured by Dothan than before: by this time Dothan’s fame had spread widely, and everyone was thrilled to have already befriended such a superstar. So many new songs needed exchanging, and so many dances needed to be devised for the songs! Kjell was not one for dancing and though Karin had a light foot, she wasn’t inclined to show it off amidst a newly-met crowd of strangers, even if they would become family someday. Luckily Dwyn was content to sit with her and avoid dancing, though a terribly red-faced Kjell was made to attempt it with each of her sisters and even with the grandmother. Karin was sure she had never seen the like before, except perhaps at an actual wedding. Imagine the wedding they could expect from this family, if these were the festivities on a normal Wealday with a few guests!
Under the circumstances, Karin and Kjell were a bit relieved to be staying with Father Gerthin. He insisted on leaving the merriment of the party well before sundown, which these days arrived not long after supper. “Early to bed, early to rise!” he declared, in his usual gruff tone, and Karin noted that Isolde did not seem particularly displeased to be sending her future son-in-law and his mother off for the night, though she smiled apologetically and expressed her great hope for the day the newlyweds could stay there together.
Gerthin’s cabin was tiny but snug, and he was blessedly uninterested in idle conversation. To be sure, it was a bit trying to have one’s soundest sleep disrupted by a loud shout of, “Leave your bed behind you instantly!” as soon as the first rays of sun emerged, but Kjell was already awake and seemed amused by the old priest’s penchant for quoting the Parables. The two of them had planned to go out hunting, leaving Karin some much-needed time alone. She filled Gerthin’s one cooking-pot with water and set it over the fire to boil.
She was glad to have left Magnimar and her heart and even her body felt indescribably lighter. At last the timing had been right. Sandpoint was a lovely town and she had wondered if it might not be a mistake to press on further, rather than remaining there, but the coastal weather was still muggy and warm and she longed to be back in the forests and mountains. Turtleback Ferry would be sufficiently remote and from Dwyn’s account the town was desperately in need of newcomers, people who had something to offer as they tried to rebuild after the floods and, perhaps more importantly, the corruption that had infected the community until Dwyn and her friends had stepped in. Would she have anything valuable to offer, and would these new people accept her?
For Kjell she had great confidence: an archer of his skill and cleric with his compassion would be embraced almost anywhere. But people tended to fear the true talents Karin possessed, while her more mundane skills as a seamstress or cook were copper-a-dozen. Perhaps at least they would tolerate her presence along with her son, and someday soon the new couple, perhaps helping to take care of a new baby? She poured out the water for tea and stared into the cup, watching the color deepen. Grandchildren. The thought alone prompted tears for the sake of her husband and son, who would never be grandfather and uncle as they should have been. Yet the prospect gave hope that their little family would live on, that beyond their senseless deaths some form of purpose might yet be found.
With a deep breath, Karin blew on the tea and drank, her green eyes glowing with sudden intensity. As the leaves settled back down in the cup, she saw a swirl of pattern and held it up to the window’s light to get a better look. She could see herself in a rustic chapel in a tall stone tower. She was… happy? Maybe. But there were obstacles. A woman… menacing, untrustworthy. A man – no, two men – lonely and heartbroken. But neither of them Kjell, she observed with relief. He was with her; he was happy. Yet Dwyn was missing. Where was she? Somewhere… else, trapped, miserable, yet even more powerful than before, and safe. Grandchildren? Maybe. Impossible to tell.
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
Wealday was a perfect happiness. Dwyn couldn’t stop hugging her granny and sisters, especially Annwyl who had grown so much and yet still seemed so tiny. Being home was even better than she had imagined from the depths of the circular library at Jorgenfist, and this time she could share it with Kjell and his mother. She was so proud of him when he was introduced to her mother for the first time – the perfect gentleman! Granted, he had been at a bit of a loss for words, but she was sure her mother would absolutely love him and would someday be the best of friends with Karin too. She had known, of course, that Kjell would be fawned over, stuffed with food, scrutinized from every angle by everyone in the household, and then made to dance. She was only surprised that he hadn’t been made to sing as well, but between her mother and Dothan there was no room left for other singers. Now that Dothan was leaving to visit her own family, all bets were off.
The next morning she went for a long walk with Lowri, who kept steering them in the direction of Gerthin’s cabin until finally Dwyn gave up and just asked her, “Do you want to stop by and say hello?” Yes, Lowri certainly did, but they found only Karin at home, wrapped in a huge shawl and looking a bit melancholy. The men had gone out hunting and she didn’t know when they would return. Dwyn suggested that she walk back to the farm with them but Karin declined – it was her only chance to get more sleep before Gerthin came back.
Once they were out of earshot again, Lowri sighed heavily. “I will never find a husband like Kjell in this miserable place. Every boy here is terrible, the absolute worst! Kjell is so nice. He’s kind of cute, and he’s so shy and quiet, and he’s as tall as you but not too tall, and he has nice braids, and he’s a great hunter, and he…” Dwyn did not disagree but couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “Uhhhh, Lowri, why do you need a husband anyway? You’re 14! And don’t you want to do something else besides getting married.”
“Of course! But even you’re getting married now, so what’s wrong with getting married?”
“Nothing,” Dwyn said, momentarily puzzled. “But I’ve been doing all these other things, and it’s not like I’m going to stop just so I can get married.”
“What? You mean, you’re not staying here now until you two are married?”
“No way, we’re only here for a week, and then Kjell is moving to Turtleback Ferry and I’m going on another mission with my friends,” Dwyn replied.
Lowri gasped. “You’re kidding! Oh by Shelyn herself, do not tell mom or grandma that, or at least not when I’m around. I’m sure they’re already trying to plan a wedding, wondering what they’re going to do for flowers in the middle of winter. And why would you want to leave your fiancé again when you’ve been gone so long already? Aren’t you going to miss him? What’s he supposed to do while you’re gone, and what if you get hurt? What if he’s waiting around again for weeks and then you get hurt, or even die? Dwyn, no! No. You’ve got to stay here, you can’t leave again so soon.”
Dwyn shrugged, long accustomed to being peppered with questions she wasn’t prepared to answer. “I’m sorry, I have to do it,” she said flatly. “It’s that or let all the people here be overrun by evil giants and monsters and Erastil only knows what. I don’t think you get how risky it is right now.”
“That’s because nothing is wrong here. Yeah, we heard about the dragon that was in Sandpoint, but that was in the city. Nothing is happening out here, we’re totally safe.”
“I wish that were true,” Dwyn sighed. “It’s not like I want to leave. Of course I want to stay here with all of you, and with Kjell, but you gotta trust me. This is big. Maybe all of the bad stuff is somewhere to the north, but my friends and I, we have to do what we can to stop it from coming here. That’s the point: I want you all to stay safe here.”
Lowri looked dubious. “You don’t even know how worried Mom and Grandma have been. For weeks we didn’t even hear from you, and Alma had no idea where you were either. You know… you know Mom is always thinking that whatever happened to Dad, well… she’s worried. If you keep getting mixed up in these fights, and looking for trouble instead of keeping away from it… she’s afraid the same thing is going to happen to you.” Lowri stopped walking and put her hands over her eyes.
Dwyn stopped and put her arm around her sister. “Oh, come on, don’t cry about it!” she exclaimed. “I’m fine, and we’ve never met “trouble” we couldn’t handle. We have a wizard in our group, and you can’t even imagine how powerful she is! Fire just shoots out of her hands, like… zap!” she explained, gesturing. “And we have a healer who can practically pull people out of the grave, she’s so good. And Lowri… I don’t even want to talk about this, I don’t want to think about it, but you know that whatever happened to Dad happened while he was here, on the farm.”
“But it was because of what he… ”, Lowri began.
“No. It was here, because someone found him here when he was alone and vulnerable,” Dwyn said firmly. “When I go, I go with my friends and we’re strong together. You have nothing to worry about. Mom shouldn’t be worrying either and getting you all upset.” Lowri nodded and dried her eyes, but they walked the rest of the way to the house in silence.
The next morning she went for a long walk with Lowri, who kept steering them in the direction of Gerthin’s cabin until finally Dwyn gave up and just asked her, “Do you want to stop by and say hello?” Yes, Lowri certainly did, but they found only Karin at home, wrapped in a huge shawl and looking a bit melancholy. The men had gone out hunting and she didn’t know when they would return. Dwyn suggested that she walk back to the farm with them but Karin declined – it was her only chance to get more sleep before Gerthin came back.
Once they were out of earshot again, Lowri sighed heavily. “I will never find a husband like Kjell in this miserable place. Every boy here is terrible, the absolute worst! Kjell is so nice. He’s kind of cute, and he’s so shy and quiet, and he’s as tall as you but not too tall, and he has nice braids, and he’s a great hunter, and he…” Dwyn did not disagree but couldn’t help rolling her eyes. “Uhhhh, Lowri, why do you need a husband anyway? You’re 14! And don’t you want to do something else besides getting married.”
“Of course! But even you’re getting married now, so what’s wrong with getting married?”
“Nothing,” Dwyn said, momentarily puzzled. “But I’ve been doing all these other things, and it’s not like I’m going to stop just so I can get married.”
“What? You mean, you’re not staying here now until you two are married?”
“No way, we’re only here for a week, and then Kjell is moving to Turtleback Ferry and I’m going on another mission with my friends,” Dwyn replied.
Lowri gasped. “You’re kidding! Oh by Shelyn herself, do not tell mom or grandma that, or at least not when I’m around. I’m sure they’re already trying to plan a wedding, wondering what they’re going to do for flowers in the middle of winter. And why would you want to leave your fiancé again when you’ve been gone so long already? Aren’t you going to miss him? What’s he supposed to do while you’re gone, and what if you get hurt? What if he’s waiting around again for weeks and then you get hurt, or even die? Dwyn, no! No. You’ve got to stay here, you can’t leave again so soon.”
Dwyn shrugged, long accustomed to being peppered with questions she wasn’t prepared to answer. “I’m sorry, I have to do it,” she said flatly. “It’s that or let all the people here be overrun by evil giants and monsters and Erastil only knows what. I don’t think you get how risky it is right now.”
“That’s because nothing is wrong here. Yeah, we heard about the dragon that was in Sandpoint, but that was in the city. Nothing is happening out here, we’re totally safe.”
“I wish that were true,” Dwyn sighed. “It’s not like I want to leave. Of course I want to stay here with all of you, and with Kjell, but you gotta trust me. This is big. Maybe all of the bad stuff is somewhere to the north, but my friends and I, we have to do what we can to stop it from coming here. That’s the point: I want you all to stay safe here.”
Lowri looked dubious. “You don’t even know how worried Mom and Grandma have been. For weeks we didn’t even hear from you, and Alma had no idea where you were either. You know… you know Mom is always thinking that whatever happened to Dad, well… she’s worried. If you keep getting mixed up in these fights, and looking for trouble instead of keeping away from it… she’s afraid the same thing is going to happen to you.” Lowri stopped walking and put her hands over her eyes.
Dwyn stopped and put her arm around her sister. “Oh, come on, don’t cry about it!” she exclaimed. “I’m fine, and we’ve never met “trouble” we couldn’t handle. We have a wizard in our group, and you can’t even imagine how powerful she is! Fire just shoots out of her hands, like… zap!” she explained, gesturing. “And we have a healer who can practically pull people out of the grave, she’s so good. And Lowri… I don’t even want to talk about this, I don’t want to think about it, but you know that whatever happened to Dad happened while he was here, on the farm.”
“But it was because of what he… ”, Lowri began.
“No. It was here, because someone found him here when he was alone and vulnerable,” Dwyn said firmly. “When I go, I go with my friends and we’re strong together. You have nothing to worry about. Mom shouldn’t be worrying either and getting you all upset.” Lowri nodded and dried her eyes, but they walked the rest of the way to the house in silence.
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
“…I know that. And I’m not saying the two of them, together, are a bad match. I’m saying he’s … well, simple.”
“Oh Nimue, he can’t possibly be simple. He’s a cleric, and a well-educated one at that. He's lived for years in the city!”
“Not all city people or clerics are smart, Granny. Don’t you remember Brother Priebus who stayed with Gerthin two summers ago?”
“He was not… sophisticated in book learning, no, but he was excellent in agriculture.”
“He was an idiot who somehow helped vegetables grow by laying next to them, Granny. Just laying there, on the ground! That’s what he could do.”
“Okay, Kjell is nothing like that poor boy and you know it. He’s perfectly smart, he just isn’t in the habit of conversing a lot the way we are. This is all new to him and may even be a little scary. You ought to have some compassion and be happy for your sister. I’m sure we were all just as surprised to find out she had a boyfriend, after all this time, and now he has turned out to be a very sweet boy! Truly, I know a nice man when I see one, and I’m certain he’s a nice man. And he’s her fiancé! He’s going to be your brother soon enough, so you had better treat him as one.”
“We know, mother, you don’t have to lecture her,” said Isolde slowly. “She's looking out for Dwyn's best interests. Conversation isn’t everything, no, but it’s nice to be a little more forthcoming, especially with your new family. One doesn’t like to be … taciturn, and certainly his mother is no different. Yes, he’ll be our new son, but I’ll be his new mother, and I can’t say he seemed very enthusiastic about the prospect, at least if the way he speaks is any guide.”
Dwyn felt all the blood draining out of her cheeks when she heard her mother’s voice, but she turned away from the kitchen and crept silently upstairs before anyone could hear her. “Those who allow the words of others to disrupt them have given their minds away,” she repeated to herself.
“Oh Nimue, he can’t possibly be simple. He’s a cleric, and a well-educated one at that. He's lived for years in the city!”
“Not all city people or clerics are smart, Granny. Don’t you remember Brother Priebus who stayed with Gerthin two summers ago?”
“He was not… sophisticated in book learning, no, but he was excellent in agriculture.”
“He was an idiot who somehow helped vegetables grow by laying next to them, Granny. Just laying there, on the ground! That’s what he could do.”
“Okay, Kjell is nothing like that poor boy and you know it. He’s perfectly smart, he just isn’t in the habit of conversing a lot the way we are. This is all new to him and may even be a little scary. You ought to have some compassion and be happy for your sister. I’m sure we were all just as surprised to find out she had a boyfriend, after all this time, and now he has turned out to be a very sweet boy! Truly, I know a nice man when I see one, and I’m certain he’s a nice man. And he’s her fiancé! He’s going to be your brother soon enough, so you had better treat him as one.”
“We know, mother, you don’t have to lecture her,” said Isolde slowly. “She's looking out for Dwyn's best interests. Conversation isn’t everything, no, but it’s nice to be a little more forthcoming, especially with your new family. One doesn’t like to be … taciturn, and certainly his mother is no different. Yes, he’ll be our new son, but I’ll be his new mother, and I can’t say he seemed very enthusiastic about the prospect, at least if the way he speaks is any guide.”
Dwyn felt all the blood draining out of her cheeks when she heard her mother’s voice, but she turned away from the kitchen and crept silently upstairs before anyone could hear her. “Those who allow the words of others to disrupt them have given their minds away,” she repeated to herself.
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
They had been walking a long time in silence along an expanse of marshland when Father Gerthin suddenly called out, “Hullo, John!” He waved to someone crouched on a slab of rock behind a large, diamond-shaped canvas. The man turned around to wave and a spotted brown dog ran out to meet them, tail wagging furiously. “Nice blind you have there,” said Kjell, walking over to shake hands. “Blends right in. I’m Kjell. Honored to meet you.” Gerthin had told him John was an old friend of Dwyn’s father Anyon, and Dwyn had told Kjell the outlines of her father’s tragic story.
“Beautiful morning for us, lots of birds today,” said John, smiling. He surveyed Kjell’s longbow with a sharp eye and nodded.
“Kjell’s been at the Deadeye Lodge with Fendus a few years now,” offered Gerthin.
John nodded again. “One of the finest places, long as I’ve been born and longer still. Only seen it once myself, though.”
“May it endure forever,” added Kjell. “They were family to me there.”
Gerthin smiled but then rasped, in his usual fashion, “Nothing lasts forever but the sky!”
“When the wind blows, the grass bends,” replied John.
Kjell felt obliged to chime in with his own verse but came up with nothing. Before he could puzzle it out Gerthin motioned him in behind the blind, where a row of little holes was waiting for his arrow tip. They sat on the cold rock in silence for what felt like an eternity before spotting the first geese. Gerthin occasionally had to adjust his position, with a slight groaning and crackling of joints, but John remained nearly motionless, poised to pull back an arrow at any moment.
Kjell proved himself on his first shot, dropping the bird cleanly, with John swiftly following suit. Gerthin turned out to be worthless with a bow, so much so that Kjell raised a quizzical eyebrow at John after watching several wild misses. “Well then, let’s see what we’ve got there,” the old priest announced, leaping up and crunching his way across the freshly fallen snow after the dog. “He’s still the very best in the garden,” whispered John, rising to his feet. “And I still have ears!” shouted Gerthin.
After a few hours they had taken some geese, a few brace of pheasant, and one enormous rabbit. Kjell was positively buoyant. To be out shooting in the crisp wintry air, as far from the city as he’d been in years, restored his spirits and renewed his conviction that the move east was the right decision. He had refrained thus far from communicating with any creatures that day – it seemed an unsporting way of luring fowl – but he couldn’t resist congratulating the dog. Buddy was no Wallis but was nevertheless delighted to hear, in his own language for a change, what an excellent hunting companion he had been.
Gerthin fixed a suspicious eye on Kjell while he and the dog whined and chirped at each other. “I suppose you’ll be raising the Question with her today, then?” he asked. Kjell nodded. “I guess so. We’re all expected for dinner.”
“You too, John,” Gerthin added. “Especially if you bring these birds! Kjell needs all the help he can get!”
“Oh, those birds will take these birds,” John said with a grin, “but whether they’ll be happy with him is another question.”
Gerthin burst into loud guffaws, which Kjell found most unsettling. “Remember, son, “Each bird is a hunter in its own way.” That bird may sing like a canary but you’ll find she’s more like a raven.”
“Do you mean… Dwyn’s mother?” Kjell asked, confused. “She was nice when I met her yesterday,” he added tentatively. “And her grandmother was even nicer – she’s really a sweet lady!”
John and Gerthin laughed even louder, until Gerthin chortled, “The bear! The hunter fears the bear's kindness”, son, remember, he fears it!” and Kjell decided it was best to let the discussion trail off naturally from there.
“Beautiful morning for us, lots of birds today,” said John, smiling. He surveyed Kjell’s longbow with a sharp eye and nodded.
“Kjell’s been at the Deadeye Lodge with Fendus a few years now,” offered Gerthin.
John nodded again. “One of the finest places, long as I’ve been born and longer still. Only seen it once myself, though.”
“May it endure forever,” added Kjell. “They were family to me there.”
Gerthin smiled but then rasped, in his usual fashion, “Nothing lasts forever but the sky!”
“When the wind blows, the grass bends,” replied John.
Kjell felt obliged to chime in with his own verse but came up with nothing. Before he could puzzle it out Gerthin motioned him in behind the blind, where a row of little holes was waiting for his arrow tip. They sat on the cold rock in silence for what felt like an eternity before spotting the first geese. Gerthin occasionally had to adjust his position, with a slight groaning and crackling of joints, but John remained nearly motionless, poised to pull back an arrow at any moment.
Kjell proved himself on his first shot, dropping the bird cleanly, with John swiftly following suit. Gerthin turned out to be worthless with a bow, so much so that Kjell raised a quizzical eyebrow at John after watching several wild misses. “Well then, let’s see what we’ve got there,” the old priest announced, leaping up and crunching his way across the freshly fallen snow after the dog. “He’s still the very best in the garden,” whispered John, rising to his feet. “And I still have ears!” shouted Gerthin.
After a few hours they had taken some geese, a few brace of pheasant, and one enormous rabbit. Kjell was positively buoyant. To be out shooting in the crisp wintry air, as far from the city as he’d been in years, restored his spirits and renewed his conviction that the move east was the right decision. He had refrained thus far from communicating with any creatures that day – it seemed an unsporting way of luring fowl – but he couldn’t resist congratulating the dog. Buddy was no Wallis but was nevertheless delighted to hear, in his own language for a change, what an excellent hunting companion he had been.
Gerthin fixed a suspicious eye on Kjell while he and the dog whined and chirped at each other. “I suppose you’ll be raising the Question with her today, then?” he asked. Kjell nodded. “I guess so. We’re all expected for dinner.”
“You too, John,” Gerthin added. “Especially if you bring these birds! Kjell needs all the help he can get!”
“Oh, those birds will take these birds,” John said with a grin, “but whether they’ll be happy with him is another question.”
Gerthin burst into loud guffaws, which Kjell found most unsettling. “Remember, son, “Each bird is a hunter in its own way.” That bird may sing like a canary but you’ll find she’s more like a raven.”
“Do you mean… Dwyn’s mother?” Kjell asked, confused. “She was nice when I met her yesterday,” he added tentatively. “And her grandmother was even nicer – she’s really a sweet lady!”
John and Gerthin laughed even louder, until Gerthin chortled, “The bear! The hunter fears the bear's kindness”, son, remember, he fears it!” and Kjell decided it was best to let the discussion trail off naturally from there.
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
Everyone but Annwyl was positioned around the sitting room when Karin, Kjell, and John arrived. Karin smoothed her braid nervously and took the empty seat near the fireplace. “No Father Gerthin today?” Isolde inquired politely. “No, I’m afraid they wore him out earlier, tramping around the countryside,” Karin said. “He was already in bed with a bowl of pea soup when we left.”
“Good, then you can stay as late as you please!” exclaimed Dwyn. “Who’s playing first? Are we having music tonight?”
“I thought we would wait until after supper,” Isolde smiled. “Plenty of time for that later. So, Kjell, why don’t you tell us more about where you’re from. Before you were in Magnimar, I mean. What was your home like?”
“Well,” said Kjell slowly, turning a brighter shade of pink and shifting uncomfortably on the small chair, “it was really nice there, in the forest. We lived near a big river.”
“How very interesting,” said Nimue, leaning forward. “What did you do there, in the forest, by the river?”
“Well, the logs went down the river to port.”
“What difficult work that must have been,” said her grandmother Tian, glancing at Karin. “Did… both of you cut logs all day?”
“No,” replied Karin.
The ensuing silence was broken by Dwyn, who eagerly informed everyone that Kjell used to have a dog back in those days, an especially large and good one, and they ought to consider having a dog around here again too. “Dwyn, you know we have a cat,” protested Isolde, “and you know she doesn’t like dogs.” Dwyn frowned. She wasn’t particularly fond of her mother’s cat. As cats went, even the stray mousers who took refuge in the barn were better than that spoiled white furball. “Okay, fine, but tell them about your dog,” she said, jerking her head toward Kjell to prod him.
“Oh, our dog was the best ever!” said Kjell. “Wallis. Best dog anyone could have. We used to go on long walks and talk for hours. Wallis was my best friend.” After a pause and a hopeful glance at John he added, “And John had his dog Buddy with us today too. Another great dog.”
“Yep,” said John. “Buddy’s a good boy. Always a soft mouth with the birds.”
The room fell silent again, though Annwyl could be heard giggling somewhere beyond the hall. Finally Tian stood up. “Supper should be ready – I’ll go and check on the rolls. Why don’t we all go sit down now?” After a swift transfer of chairs, John was seated to Isolde’s right, followed by Karin, Kjell, and Merri’s new husband. Dwyn sat at the end of the table, while her four sisters and granny lined up on the other side, the better to have a look at Kjell and the other visitors.
“Thank you again for those wonderful pheasants,” Isolde said, mostly to John. “You must have been freezing out there this morning. That north wind reminds me of our days in the Kodars, remember, Dwyn?”
Dwyn always looked back upon their time in the mountains with fondness. “Oh yes, I loved it there. Hope I can go back someday. Actually, I was pretty far north this past month,” she said. “Not a very good subject to talk about, what we were doing there, but I really missed you all on Crystalhue. It’s so good to be home again!”
Karin smiled. “Oh, you celebrate Crystalhue here too? I’m glad to hear it! Back home up north, that was always one of the best holidays.”
“Oh indeed!” exclaimed Isolde. “This year we had the most elaborate display of prisms and crystals ever – the entire south wall over there was filled, the girls dyed their hair the full rainbow of colors, and Merri composed a whole new sonata for her flute, and then we all sang. It was the most delicate, shimmering veil of sound, like a sheen of ice on the window - we can recreate it for you later, can’t we girls? I suppose it’s not the same in Magnimar, where a little ocean breeze is enough to make everyone shiver. You have to get out in the country to really appreciate the atmosphere of the holiday.”
“You speak the truth,” said Karin, smiling more broadly. “Solstice isn’t the same without a real winter.” She was able to relax a bit more as Dwyn brought in the platters to pass around the table.
“Kjell, would you do us the honor?” asked Isolde.
“Of course,” he said, bowing his head solemnly. “Oh Elk Father, bless this meal and the hands that prepared it. We give thanks for your guidance in the field today, and for the many geese and pheasants, and let’s not forget that enormous rabbit, all of whose lives were cut short that we might live and thrive. We praise you for this turkey, and for the potatoes, and this… broccoli, and these rolls, and this…” He paused to survey his plate again. “And this casserole, and all the wonderful casseroles,” he concluded with conviction.
“What a lovely blessing,” Nimue declared with equal conviction, and once again Karin felt uneasy.
After everyone was able to make progress on the meal, Isolde turned back to Kjell. “Now that we’ve heard a bit about your life in the forest, why don’t you tell us about your time in the Deadeye Lodge? It must be very exciting to be one of the famous Archers!”
Kjell had just delivered an enormous forkful of potato and struggled to choke it down. “No… not so exciting,” he gulped. “Mainly we walked around the street. This food is delicious, by the way.”
Karin glanced around the table nervously and nudged her son with an elbow. “Don’t be shy, you did a lot of important work there. He really did. They all did. The whole district depends on them.”
Kjell flushed pink again. “It was our job to keep the Park safe – you know the Park? Oh, well, it’s a very large park in the Keystone district, maybe the biggest park in the city. It gives people a feeling of not being in the city at all. They can walk among the trees. But a place like that attracts an unsavory element, if you know what I mean.” He added in a low whisper, “Wasps. People like that.” The girls exchanged puzzled glances. “It was our job to keep them out, escort people, you know, things like that.”
“Yeah, and you were doing a great job of it until that night when I had to jump in,” Dwyn laughed. “Remember that? You were so surprised. I’ll never forget the look on your face!”
“Yeah, you scared those guys pretty good,” Kjell agreed, somewhat sheepishly.
“So my daughter had to help you, I mean, you and the Deadeye Lodge’s famous Archers, clear the park of “unsavory” characters?”
Kjell nodded. “Yeah, she barely even had to try. She can be downright terrifying when she wants to be. I mean in a good way – you’ve seen her armor, so you know. Terrifying! And with that hammer and all the other stuff? Oh yeah.”
Isolde nodded primly. “Yes, I’m sure Dwyn is very accomplished in her new line of work. I suppose that’s why you liked her, at first? Her being so terrifying, in the good way?”
Kjell pondered for a moment. “Not so much the terrifying part, no. It was more like, she just showed up one day at church, with Ki Xa. You know, the horse? He’s out there right now in your barn. He’s a great horse. I really enjoy talking with him. I think she liked that about me, it kind of got her on my side.” He grinned bashfully at Dwyn, who grinned back while the others stared at Kjell.
“Yep, I didn’t trust this guy at all, not even a little, but when I found out he liked to talk to Ki Xa, well, my whole feeling about it changed. Obviously! And then I found out, he can really put away a turkey leg!”
All of the younger girls burst out laughing at this point, as Kjell blushed a deeper shade. “So Dwyn showed up at church,” Isolde continued, “and…”
“Yeah, there she was, right there out of nowhere!” Kjell said. “I kept running into her when I least expected. It was almost weird, you know?”
“That’s how I am,” Dwyn added, “always popping up when nobody expects it!” Everyone laughed except Karin, who smiled politely and laid her knife and fork across the plate.
“Well, Kjell, that’s quite a tale of romance,” said Isolde in a sing-songy tone that rubbed Karin the wrong way. “I’m glad you like my daughter too, but we would rather hear more about you.” She ran her finger around the edge of her copper drinking mug, producing a little note that hung in the air for a moment. Then she waved her hand - rather too dramatically, in Karin’s opinion - in Kjell’s direction. He stammered for a moment and then said, almost apologetically, “Mom and I have been alone for a long time now. Just the two of us.” Isolde frowned, as if that wasn’t the answer she had been looking for, and Karin suddenly felt a shiver of real discomfort. What had just happened, and why was this woman looking at Kjell so suspiciously? Karin slipped her hand into her skirt pocket and nervously rubbed the few coppers she found there.
Nimue sighed dramatically and her grandmother shot her a warning look. “We’ve already heard that part, yes. But what about the rest of your family? What did they do? What kind of people were they? Don’t you have anything else to tell us about them?” Dwyn glanced anxiously at Kjell and Karin, wishing her family would stop prying into this particular area. They obviously weren't ready to talk about what they had been through or they would have said something already. Nimue rolled her eyes slightly and picked up her cup, but before she could drink she began sputtering. “Can’t go to bed before playing violin! Oh, sorry! What am I say- s- singing? I sing, plates and violin dancing, dance, and broccoli dancing!” Her little sisters collapsed in giggles as Nimue jumped up, horrified, and ran straight for the stairs. Both Isolde and Dwyn looked alarmed and Karin stared down at the plate, her green eyes flashing in distress, apparently wishing she could sink into the floor.
Isolde rose stiffly from the table. “Pardon the interruption, everyone, I think we’re done here. I had better go check on her, she’s obviously not feeling well. Please clear your own plates when you’re done. You can make a pile over there and put the silver in the tray. Girls, help our guests, please.” Looking bewildered, Kjell followed Dwyn to the kitchen and handed over his plate and cup to Lowri.
“I was hoping to talk to your mom after dinner,” Kjell whispered to Dwyn. “You know, just her and me.”
“Oh, the Question? Really? Oh wow, you were going to do it now?” she asked.
“Yes! I mean, we’re finally here and I wanted to get it over with. But maybe now isn’t the time.”
“No,” Dwyn agreed. “Maybe now isn’t the time. I wish they would stop quizzing you, especially about... things. People don't always want to talk about their personal business.” More loudly, she added, “I need to go check on the horses. Kjell, can you help me? There’s a lot to carry.” They slipped out the kitchen door, leaving Karin, John and Tian alone at the table. “Oh, these young people,” Dwyn’s grandma said, as if that explained everything, and John nodded sagely.
“Good, then you can stay as late as you please!” exclaimed Dwyn. “Who’s playing first? Are we having music tonight?”
“I thought we would wait until after supper,” Isolde smiled. “Plenty of time for that later. So, Kjell, why don’t you tell us more about where you’re from. Before you were in Magnimar, I mean. What was your home like?”
“Well,” said Kjell slowly, turning a brighter shade of pink and shifting uncomfortably on the small chair, “it was really nice there, in the forest. We lived near a big river.”
“How very interesting,” said Nimue, leaning forward. “What did you do there, in the forest, by the river?”
“Well, the logs went down the river to port.”
“What difficult work that must have been,” said her grandmother Tian, glancing at Karin. “Did… both of you cut logs all day?”
“No,” replied Karin.
The ensuing silence was broken by Dwyn, who eagerly informed everyone that Kjell used to have a dog back in those days, an especially large and good one, and they ought to consider having a dog around here again too. “Dwyn, you know we have a cat,” protested Isolde, “and you know she doesn’t like dogs.” Dwyn frowned. She wasn’t particularly fond of her mother’s cat. As cats went, even the stray mousers who took refuge in the barn were better than that spoiled white furball. “Okay, fine, but tell them about your dog,” she said, jerking her head toward Kjell to prod him.
“Oh, our dog was the best ever!” said Kjell. “Wallis. Best dog anyone could have. We used to go on long walks and talk for hours. Wallis was my best friend.” After a pause and a hopeful glance at John he added, “And John had his dog Buddy with us today too. Another great dog.”
“Yep,” said John. “Buddy’s a good boy. Always a soft mouth with the birds.”
The room fell silent again, though Annwyl could be heard giggling somewhere beyond the hall. Finally Tian stood up. “Supper should be ready – I’ll go and check on the rolls. Why don’t we all go sit down now?” After a swift transfer of chairs, John was seated to Isolde’s right, followed by Karin, Kjell, and Merri’s new husband. Dwyn sat at the end of the table, while her four sisters and granny lined up on the other side, the better to have a look at Kjell and the other visitors.
“Thank you again for those wonderful pheasants,” Isolde said, mostly to John. “You must have been freezing out there this morning. That north wind reminds me of our days in the Kodars, remember, Dwyn?”
Dwyn always looked back upon their time in the mountains with fondness. “Oh yes, I loved it there. Hope I can go back someday. Actually, I was pretty far north this past month,” she said. “Not a very good subject to talk about, what we were doing there, but I really missed you all on Crystalhue. It’s so good to be home again!”
Karin smiled. “Oh, you celebrate Crystalhue here too? I’m glad to hear it! Back home up north, that was always one of the best holidays.”
“Oh indeed!” exclaimed Isolde. “This year we had the most elaborate display of prisms and crystals ever – the entire south wall over there was filled, the girls dyed their hair the full rainbow of colors, and Merri composed a whole new sonata for her flute, and then we all sang. It was the most delicate, shimmering veil of sound, like a sheen of ice on the window - we can recreate it for you later, can’t we girls? I suppose it’s not the same in Magnimar, where a little ocean breeze is enough to make everyone shiver. You have to get out in the country to really appreciate the atmosphere of the holiday.”
“You speak the truth,” said Karin, smiling more broadly. “Solstice isn’t the same without a real winter.” She was able to relax a bit more as Dwyn brought in the platters to pass around the table.
“Kjell, would you do us the honor?” asked Isolde.
“Of course,” he said, bowing his head solemnly. “Oh Elk Father, bless this meal and the hands that prepared it. We give thanks for your guidance in the field today, and for the many geese and pheasants, and let’s not forget that enormous rabbit, all of whose lives were cut short that we might live and thrive. We praise you for this turkey, and for the potatoes, and this… broccoli, and these rolls, and this…” He paused to survey his plate again. “And this casserole, and all the wonderful casseroles,” he concluded with conviction.
“What a lovely blessing,” Nimue declared with equal conviction, and once again Karin felt uneasy.
After everyone was able to make progress on the meal, Isolde turned back to Kjell. “Now that we’ve heard a bit about your life in the forest, why don’t you tell us about your time in the Deadeye Lodge? It must be very exciting to be one of the famous Archers!”
Kjell had just delivered an enormous forkful of potato and struggled to choke it down. “No… not so exciting,” he gulped. “Mainly we walked around the street. This food is delicious, by the way.”
Karin glanced around the table nervously and nudged her son with an elbow. “Don’t be shy, you did a lot of important work there. He really did. They all did. The whole district depends on them.”
Kjell flushed pink again. “It was our job to keep the Park safe – you know the Park? Oh, well, it’s a very large park in the Keystone district, maybe the biggest park in the city. It gives people a feeling of not being in the city at all. They can walk among the trees. But a place like that attracts an unsavory element, if you know what I mean.” He added in a low whisper, “Wasps. People like that.” The girls exchanged puzzled glances. “It was our job to keep them out, escort people, you know, things like that.”
“Yeah, and you were doing a great job of it until that night when I had to jump in,” Dwyn laughed. “Remember that? You were so surprised. I’ll never forget the look on your face!”
“Yeah, you scared those guys pretty good,” Kjell agreed, somewhat sheepishly.
“So my daughter had to help you, I mean, you and the Deadeye Lodge’s famous Archers, clear the park of “unsavory” characters?”
Kjell nodded. “Yeah, she barely even had to try. She can be downright terrifying when she wants to be. I mean in a good way – you’ve seen her armor, so you know. Terrifying! And with that hammer and all the other stuff? Oh yeah.”
Isolde nodded primly. “Yes, I’m sure Dwyn is very accomplished in her new line of work. I suppose that’s why you liked her, at first? Her being so terrifying, in the good way?”
Kjell pondered for a moment. “Not so much the terrifying part, no. It was more like, she just showed up one day at church, with Ki Xa. You know, the horse? He’s out there right now in your barn. He’s a great horse. I really enjoy talking with him. I think she liked that about me, it kind of got her on my side.” He grinned bashfully at Dwyn, who grinned back while the others stared at Kjell.
“Yep, I didn’t trust this guy at all, not even a little, but when I found out he liked to talk to Ki Xa, well, my whole feeling about it changed. Obviously! And then I found out, he can really put away a turkey leg!”
All of the younger girls burst out laughing at this point, as Kjell blushed a deeper shade. “So Dwyn showed up at church,” Isolde continued, “and…”
“Yeah, there she was, right there out of nowhere!” Kjell said. “I kept running into her when I least expected. It was almost weird, you know?”
“That’s how I am,” Dwyn added, “always popping up when nobody expects it!” Everyone laughed except Karin, who smiled politely and laid her knife and fork across the plate.
“Well, Kjell, that’s quite a tale of romance,” said Isolde in a sing-songy tone that rubbed Karin the wrong way. “I’m glad you like my daughter too, but we would rather hear more about you.” She ran her finger around the edge of her copper drinking mug, producing a little note that hung in the air for a moment. Then she waved her hand - rather too dramatically, in Karin’s opinion - in Kjell’s direction. He stammered for a moment and then said, almost apologetically, “Mom and I have been alone for a long time now. Just the two of us.” Isolde frowned, as if that wasn’t the answer she had been looking for, and Karin suddenly felt a shiver of real discomfort. What had just happened, and why was this woman looking at Kjell so suspiciously? Karin slipped her hand into her skirt pocket and nervously rubbed the few coppers she found there.
Nimue sighed dramatically and her grandmother shot her a warning look. “We’ve already heard that part, yes. But what about the rest of your family? What did they do? What kind of people were they? Don’t you have anything else to tell us about them?” Dwyn glanced anxiously at Kjell and Karin, wishing her family would stop prying into this particular area. They obviously weren't ready to talk about what they had been through or they would have said something already. Nimue rolled her eyes slightly and picked up her cup, but before she could drink she began sputtering. “Can’t go to bed before playing violin! Oh, sorry! What am I say- s- singing? I sing, plates and violin dancing, dance, and broccoli dancing!” Her little sisters collapsed in giggles as Nimue jumped up, horrified, and ran straight for the stairs. Both Isolde and Dwyn looked alarmed and Karin stared down at the plate, her green eyes flashing in distress, apparently wishing she could sink into the floor.
Isolde rose stiffly from the table. “Pardon the interruption, everyone, I think we’re done here. I had better go check on her, she’s obviously not feeling well. Please clear your own plates when you’re done. You can make a pile over there and put the silver in the tray. Girls, help our guests, please.” Looking bewildered, Kjell followed Dwyn to the kitchen and handed over his plate and cup to Lowri.
“I was hoping to talk to your mom after dinner,” Kjell whispered to Dwyn. “You know, just her and me.”
“Oh, the Question? Really? Oh wow, you were going to do it now?” she asked.
“Yes! I mean, we’re finally here and I wanted to get it over with. But maybe now isn’t the time.”
“No,” Dwyn agreed. “Maybe now isn’t the time. I wish they would stop quizzing you, especially about... things. People don't always want to talk about their personal business.” More loudly, she added, “I need to go check on the horses. Kjell, can you help me? There’s a lot to carry.” They slipped out the kitchen door, leaving Karin, John and Tian alone at the table. “Oh, these young people,” Dwyn’s grandma said, as if that explained everything, and John nodded sagely.
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
After Kjell and Karin headed back to the cabin, Dwyn went out back to sit with John, who was smoking his pipe. “Yesterday was better, when Dothan was here,” she sighed. “Everyone seemed happier.” John had no reply for this, so they sat in silence a while.
“Well, what did you think of Kjell and Karin?” Dwyn asked. “He has to talk to Mom, you know, since Dad is gone, and if anyone else knows what Dad would have said, it’s you.”
“He’s a great shot and doesn’t waste idle words,” said John. “I can see why they made him an Archer. He must have been one of their youngest. Buddy likes him too, him and Karin. She never lets the wrong word slip.”
Dwyn breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, that means a lot. You know, Kjell lost his dad too, and his brother, so he knows what it’s like. But do you think Mom likes him any better now? And Grandma?”
“What, didn’t they like him before?” asked John, pleased at finding a way to evade the question.
“Oh, maybe I’m overthinking it,” said Dwyn anxiously, “but I’m not sure they did. The first day everything was going really well, even the dancing part, but today… I don’t know. Dinner seemed awkward. Usually everyone is talking, laughing, know what I mean?”
“There was some laughter,” observed John.
“Yeah, that’s part of the problem. Why were they laughing? They think he’s stupid or weird or something. And nobody even thinks he’s cute except Lowri.”
“And you too I hope,” said John with a grin.
Dwyn rolled her eyes. “Yeah. I’m the weird one in this family, I know it, but they still like me. They don’t really have a choice! They don’t have to like Kjell though, and you know how they are. They know how to make things… difficult, and when they all get going together....”
John nodded. “I know. But your mother means well. She has to look out for you girls and it’s not easy. The money you sent really helped – it helped all of us.” He paused to consider for a moment. “I’ve always been the odd one out too. Never married, never had a family. In the church that makes people wonder. But Gerthin knows, he understands why. Not everyone is right for marriage, and marriage isn’t right for everyone. So I can’t tell you about marriage but I can tell you about Anyon, and he would have liked this friend of yours. He would have said, he’s the right one for Dwynnie, and they would have been friends, sure as I sit here. The Earthshaker watch over his soul, best friend I ever had.” John stood up and tapped out his pipe. “Well, you’d better go talk to her. I’m off to my beauty rest.”
“Well, what did you think of Kjell and Karin?” Dwyn asked. “He has to talk to Mom, you know, since Dad is gone, and if anyone else knows what Dad would have said, it’s you.”
“He’s a great shot and doesn’t waste idle words,” said John. “I can see why they made him an Archer. He must have been one of their youngest. Buddy likes him too, him and Karin. She never lets the wrong word slip.”
Dwyn breathed a sigh of relief. “Thanks, that means a lot. You know, Kjell lost his dad too, and his brother, so he knows what it’s like. But do you think Mom likes him any better now? And Grandma?”
“What, didn’t they like him before?” asked John, pleased at finding a way to evade the question.
“Oh, maybe I’m overthinking it,” said Dwyn anxiously, “but I’m not sure they did. The first day everything was going really well, even the dancing part, but today… I don’t know. Dinner seemed awkward. Usually everyone is talking, laughing, know what I mean?”
“There was some laughter,” observed John.
“Yeah, that’s part of the problem. Why were they laughing? They think he’s stupid or weird or something. And nobody even thinks he’s cute except Lowri.”
“And you too I hope,” said John with a grin.
Dwyn rolled her eyes. “Yeah. I’m the weird one in this family, I know it, but they still like me. They don’t really have a choice! They don’t have to like Kjell though, and you know how they are. They know how to make things… difficult, and when they all get going together....”
John nodded. “I know. But your mother means well. She has to look out for you girls and it’s not easy. The money you sent really helped – it helped all of us.” He paused to consider for a moment. “I’ve always been the odd one out too. Never married, never had a family. In the church that makes people wonder. But Gerthin knows, he understands why. Not everyone is right for marriage, and marriage isn’t right for everyone. So I can’t tell you about marriage but I can tell you about Anyon, and he would have liked this friend of yours. He would have said, he’s the right one for Dwynnie, and they would have been friends, sure as I sit here. The Earthshaker watch over his soul, best friend I ever had.” John stood up and tapped out his pipe. “Well, you’d better go talk to her. I’m off to my beauty rest.”
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
Dwyn found her mother curled up in her favorite chair with Rosa laying on her lap. “Mom, can we go somewhere to talk for a minute?”
“What’s wrong with here?”
“Nothing, I just don’t want Merri or Nimue barging in.”
“Well then, you’ll be pleased that Nimue says she’s never coming downstairs again after what happened, and Merri and Alun went home an hour ago. You see I can’t get up when she’s comfortable like this, can I? No, of course not, nobody’s going to disturb you, baby. Look at her ears, don’t they look almost pink in the firelight?”
Dwyn pursed her lips. “No, not really. We’ve told you a hundred times, she’s not pink. She’s just a white cat.”
Isolde frowned. “Well, what do you need to talk about? Can you explain what happened to Nimue?”
“No,” Dwyn shrugged, “I have no idea. I’m just worried that it didn’t go very well, at dinner. I’m worried that… you don’t like Kjell very much. You were so happy about Alun, but for some reason when I bring someone home it's different. He's a great guy, really, he's just shy. But he's always nice - I hear he's really Father Fendus' favorite, and he's a terrific archer. Way better than me - not as good as Eldthor, but then, who is? Maybe nobody! Anyway, he's really good.”
“I’m sure he’s fine, Dwynnie, especially if you like him. That’s what counts. He doesn’t have to live here with us.”
“I know, but I want you to like him and be nice to him and stuff, and stop being nosy.”
“It’s hardly “nosy” to want an account of the man. First we heard you had a boyfriend, which was already a surprise, and now you want to get married to this boy we know very little about. They’re from somewhere beyond Kalsgard, but where? Are they all Ulfen? Are they going to expect you to move all the way up there someday and leave us?”
“Mom, they’re not telling us much about their family because they don’t have any other family. All of them died. His brother, his dad, his grandmother, even his dog!”
Isolde gasped. “Dwyn! Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“I’m sorry, there was never a good time – so much was going on yesterday, all the food and singing and noise, and it didn’t seem like the right time – like, oh, by the way, everyone’s dead! But carry on with the dancing!” Dwyn shrugged. “It’s hard to talk about – his dad and brother were both murdered by criminals. Pirates, actually." Isolde covered her mouth with a hand in shock. "He told me the story but there's a lot to it. It happened several years ago. I'll tell you later, or he can tell you, but it's a long story. The point is, I don’t think they want to talk about home. It’s why they’re moving east, to find a new home now, somewhere outside the city.”
Isolde had turned very pale. “That explains why I failed... and I wish… well, it’s done now.” She pushed Rosa gently off her lap and stood up. “Look how tall you are next to me!” she said, slipping her arm around Dwyn’s waist. “Almost as tall as your father. His parents were both tall too. You know I’m just trying to protect you. I can’t help worrying.”
“Mom,” Dwyn said, rolling her eyes, “I don’t need…”
“I know, you’re strong, and he’s right, you can even be a little terrifying, if you want to be,” Isolde smiled. “But it’s not easy to know who can be trusted. Your father was like you – many people wanted to hire him, to go on these trips. He fought and he killed – I don’t even know all that happened. It’s not easy to recover from it, to keep yourself whole. I don’t mean physically, I mean you.”
Dwyn nodded. “I know. This last time was probably the hardest. And missing the holidays didn’t help.”
“We missed you too, dear. Well, don’t worry, I will talk to Kjell and everything is going to be okay. I just want to know we can trust him, that he’s going to look after you and that he understands how difficult it might be. And I admit, I’m a little jealous about this move to Turtleback Ferry, because his mother will be with you all the time and I’ll only see you when you travel back here.”
“Oh Mom, you know I’m going to come back all the time, and you have everyone else here. It’s not like the house is ever empty.”
“No, but it’s empty of you, and you were my first baby. I never forget that! So take care of yourself, and make sure Kjell takes care of you too. I know you will be a good wife – you’re so honest, so dependable. But now we had both better get some sleep. I have a lot to get ready for tomorrow, and look how upset Rosa is now! She knows I’m staying up too late. She wants her warming stone in the bed!”
“Okay, goodnight Mom,” Dwyn said, hugging her. She wasn’t sure how, but she knew if her mom said it was going to be okay, then it was going to be okay.
“What’s wrong with here?”
“Nothing, I just don’t want Merri or Nimue barging in.”
“Well then, you’ll be pleased that Nimue says she’s never coming downstairs again after what happened, and Merri and Alun went home an hour ago. You see I can’t get up when she’s comfortable like this, can I? No, of course not, nobody’s going to disturb you, baby. Look at her ears, don’t they look almost pink in the firelight?”
Dwyn pursed her lips. “No, not really. We’ve told you a hundred times, she’s not pink. She’s just a white cat.”
Isolde frowned. “Well, what do you need to talk about? Can you explain what happened to Nimue?”
“No,” Dwyn shrugged, “I have no idea. I’m just worried that it didn’t go very well, at dinner. I’m worried that… you don’t like Kjell very much. You were so happy about Alun, but for some reason when I bring someone home it's different. He's a great guy, really, he's just shy. But he's always nice - I hear he's really Father Fendus' favorite, and he's a terrific archer. Way better than me - not as good as Eldthor, but then, who is? Maybe nobody! Anyway, he's really good.”
“I’m sure he’s fine, Dwynnie, especially if you like him. That’s what counts. He doesn’t have to live here with us.”
“I know, but I want you to like him and be nice to him and stuff, and stop being nosy.”
“It’s hardly “nosy” to want an account of the man. First we heard you had a boyfriend, which was already a surprise, and now you want to get married to this boy we know very little about. They’re from somewhere beyond Kalsgard, but where? Are they all Ulfen? Are they going to expect you to move all the way up there someday and leave us?”
“Mom, they’re not telling us much about their family because they don’t have any other family. All of them died. His brother, his dad, his grandmother, even his dog!”
Isolde gasped. “Dwyn! Why didn’t you tell me before?”
“I’m sorry, there was never a good time – so much was going on yesterday, all the food and singing and noise, and it didn’t seem like the right time – like, oh, by the way, everyone’s dead! But carry on with the dancing!” Dwyn shrugged. “It’s hard to talk about – his dad and brother were both murdered by criminals. Pirates, actually." Isolde covered her mouth with a hand in shock. "He told me the story but there's a lot to it. It happened several years ago. I'll tell you later, or he can tell you, but it's a long story. The point is, I don’t think they want to talk about home. It’s why they’re moving east, to find a new home now, somewhere outside the city.”
Isolde had turned very pale. “That explains why I failed... and I wish… well, it’s done now.” She pushed Rosa gently off her lap and stood up. “Look how tall you are next to me!” she said, slipping her arm around Dwyn’s waist. “Almost as tall as your father. His parents were both tall too. You know I’m just trying to protect you. I can’t help worrying.”
“Mom,” Dwyn said, rolling her eyes, “I don’t need…”
“I know, you’re strong, and he’s right, you can even be a little terrifying, if you want to be,” Isolde smiled. “But it’s not easy to know who can be trusted. Your father was like you – many people wanted to hire him, to go on these trips. He fought and he killed – I don’t even know all that happened. It’s not easy to recover from it, to keep yourself whole. I don’t mean physically, I mean you.”
Dwyn nodded. “I know. This last time was probably the hardest. And missing the holidays didn’t help.”
“We missed you too, dear. Well, don’t worry, I will talk to Kjell and everything is going to be okay. I just want to know we can trust him, that he’s going to look after you and that he understands how difficult it might be. And I admit, I’m a little jealous about this move to Turtleback Ferry, because his mother will be with you all the time and I’ll only see you when you travel back here.”
“Oh Mom, you know I’m going to come back all the time, and you have everyone else here. It’s not like the house is ever empty.”
“No, but it’s empty of you, and you were my first baby. I never forget that! So take care of yourself, and make sure Kjell takes care of you too. I know you will be a good wife – you’re so honest, so dependable. But now we had both better get some sleep. I have a lot to get ready for tomorrow, and look how upset Rosa is now! She knows I’m staying up too late. She wants her warming stone in the bed!”
“Okay, goodnight Mom,” Dwyn said, hugging her. She wasn’t sure how, but she knew if her mom said it was going to be okay, then it was going to be okay.
Re: TLDR Dwyn Stories, Part Two
Kjell awoke from a contented dream with an unpleasant start. “Cast it away like old shoes! Cast the bed away!” Gerthin was croaking at the top of his voice, as Karin rolled over toward the wall and buried her face beneath the blanket. Only the faintest light was visible behind thick cloud cover. It looked more like rain than snow, and Kjell was glad they had at least another few nights to stay before traveling in this weather.
Karin pulled herself up, looking like she hadn’t slept much. “Do you have anything here for breakfast, Father, or could I make something?” Gerthin went out, letting all the cold air into the tiny room, and returned with a handful of small eggs. He cracked two of them into his cup and, with an elegant flourish, handed it to her. She blinked for a moment. “Perhaps I could cook up the others you have there,” she suggested, pointing. “Suit yourself,” he replied, before downing the cup in one large gulp and smacking his lips. “Anything losing the proper nourishment will decay,” he chortled, giving her a questionable wink. “Now, to the woodpile!”
Gerthin was running low on firewood and Kjell had offered to help him split more logs. Karin insisted he be done in time to clean up and change into his nicest sweater before going to lunch at the house. “Remember to bring the basket!” she called. “I’m leaving it here by the door.”
Once they were safely occupied, Karin pulled on her warmest hat and extra wraps and slipped away down the path. She wasn’t looking forward to what she had to do. At least she didn’t feel guilty the way she had before, especially at the Lodge. She didn’t trust Dwyn’s mother, but guessed that she might at least understand her perspective in a way that Father Fendus and the others never would have.
She found Isolde already up and stoking a hearty fire in the kitchen. “I see you are up early – it must be a treat, staying with Gerthin. Dwyn is in the stables and the other girls are still sleeping,” she explained. “If you haven’t had breakfast, I’m just taking the porridge out and you’re welcome to join me.”
Karin gratefully accepted. “Today’s menu at the cabin is raw eggs, origin unknown,” she ventured. “Honestly, I’m surprised he doesn’t eat porridge like everyone else.”
“Surely he eats porridge! How could he not?” Isolde stirred some cream and a brown lump of sugar into each of the bowls, handing one to Karin as the huge cat rubbed against her leg. “Oh, how funny!” Isolde exclaimed. “Rosa never likes anyone, but I guess she likes you. Huh, isn’t that funny? I’m afraid she’s getting white hair all over that dark wool.”
Karin reached down to let the cat sniff her. “What a nice kitty. I haven’t had a pet cat since I was a child,” she sighed. “I think I’d like to have a cat.”
“Now, before you say anything else,” Isolde interrupted, “I’m glad we have a moment alone because I owe you an apology.” Karin raised her eyebrows in surprise. “I’m sure you can understand, Dwyn is my eldest daughter and only very recently left home. My husband is gone now these two years and it falls to me to guard the rest. I did not mean to pry unjustly; I only wanted to know if I could trust your son to look after her. I didn’t know what had happened to your family.”
Karin gave a start in surprise and opened her mouth as if to speak, but Isolde went on. “Dwyn told me, yes – not the whole story but just that it happened. I can’t imagine, even after what we have suffered here. My husband was killed too. But I have never endured the loss of a child.” She paused, her eyes filling with tears, as Karin looked down and tried to steel herself. “Anyway, as it is said in the name of the Goddess, “One should never strike first unless it is to protect the innocent.” That’s not an excuse but I hope it is an explanation, at least. I am sorry for what happened at supper last night and I won’t put you or Kjell in a spot like that again.”
“Thank you,” Karin said, faltering a bit. She had set out this morning prepared to explain herself but wasn’t expecting any of this. “As it is said, “The great person does not lose the child's heart.” Sometimes I find it very difficult. It’s easier to hide ourselves and distract others from the things we’d rather not discuss.”
“Well it was hardly the right time to question him, or you,” Isolde admitted. “Maybe we can agree not to ... resort to those methods. I mean that I hope we can trust one another in the future. After all, we will be family soon enough.”
“Agreed,” said Karin. “Definitely. You know, Dwyn is very like my own mother in some ways – she even resembles her a bit, a similar shape of face and nose.”
“Oh yes,” Isolde smiled, “she takes after Anyon, as you see. Spitting image of him. All the others look like my side, especially Nimue – well, you can tell right away that Dwyn’s the only tall one here!”
“Yes, Kjell looks like me, of course, but his brother Finn looked exactly like his father. You know, I met Fergus at church too. My parents lived closer to Kalsgard and he was from the woods. I thought he was so coarse at first, so backward – my friends and I used to make fun of him – but I soon learned how clever he was. There was no problem he couldn’t solve. But he was too trusting. He didn’t see the danger in people.”
“Not the fault of his trusting,” said Isolde. “But the fault of wicked men who don’t believe in trust, who never cared for justice.”
Karin dabbed her eyes on her sleeve. “You speak the truth. Kjell is too like him sometimes, like his father. He’s an honest man, he’s always been such a sweet boy, so good to me. He will always care for your daughter; he never does wrong. But I’m afraid I cannot say the same for myself.” Karin paused and Isolde held her breath, wondering what she might mean. “When the time came that I could take my vengeance on the guilty, I took it. And I was not sorry.” Tears rolled down her cheek as she spoke. “Those who struck down my firstborn and my husband had to suffer for their crimes. To suffer penance, you understand? I made sure of it. But I promise you, Kjell knew nothing of this; he would have chosen to bring them to justice the… proper way. The way I should have done. But I had to be sure, and maybe you can understand, the other way is never certain.”
Isolde nodded somberly, her eyes wide. “I’m so sorry,” she said, clasping her hand over the other woman’s. “I understand you perfectly. And you had to protect Kjell from this, too.”
Karin took in a deep breath. “Thank you. I never hoped anyone would understand, but it lifts a great burden from me to know you would not blame Kjell for what I have done.”
“Of course not,” whispered Isolde. “If anything, I’m ashamed to have so little of your courage. We don’t even know what happened to Anyon, and maybe I would be afraid to find out. Not for myself, no – I burn to know why! I’ve tried everything, looked at every angle, but there’s nothing. Sometimes I’m afraid of how much this rage consumes me. But I fear more for Dwyn. If we found something – anything at all - then she would… well, you see how it is. Whoever came here for him that day, couldn’t they do the same to her? It’s bad enough that she’s followed in her father’s footsteps, but he always trained her to fight, to be like him.”
Karin wished she could think of something reassuring to say, but at that moment Dwyn herself came through the back door into the kitchen. “Whooo! It’s colder than an iron rail in the outhouse,” she announced, before seeing Karin sitting at the table with her mother. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, “I was just coming in for breakfast. Hope you have some of that porridge?” Isolde got up to fill a bowl and Dwyn took her chair. “What?! I can’t believe Rosa likes you! She doesn’t like anyone but mom, trust me,” Dwyn said, moving her mittened hand closer to the cat, who stiffened immediately. “Just kidding, Rosa, I’m too smart to pet you. I’ve never seen her sit on anyone else’s lap before.”
“Well, Dwyn, there are a lot of things you don’t know about Rosa,” Isolde admonished, setting the porridge down. “She’s a very good cat indeed,” agreed Karin.
Karin pulled herself up, looking like she hadn’t slept much. “Do you have anything here for breakfast, Father, or could I make something?” Gerthin went out, letting all the cold air into the tiny room, and returned with a handful of small eggs. He cracked two of them into his cup and, with an elegant flourish, handed it to her. She blinked for a moment. “Perhaps I could cook up the others you have there,” she suggested, pointing. “Suit yourself,” he replied, before downing the cup in one large gulp and smacking his lips. “Anything losing the proper nourishment will decay,” he chortled, giving her a questionable wink. “Now, to the woodpile!”
Gerthin was running low on firewood and Kjell had offered to help him split more logs. Karin insisted he be done in time to clean up and change into his nicest sweater before going to lunch at the house. “Remember to bring the basket!” she called. “I’m leaving it here by the door.”
Once they were safely occupied, Karin pulled on her warmest hat and extra wraps and slipped away down the path. She wasn’t looking forward to what she had to do. At least she didn’t feel guilty the way she had before, especially at the Lodge. She didn’t trust Dwyn’s mother, but guessed that she might at least understand her perspective in a way that Father Fendus and the others never would have.
She found Isolde already up and stoking a hearty fire in the kitchen. “I see you are up early – it must be a treat, staying with Gerthin. Dwyn is in the stables and the other girls are still sleeping,” she explained. “If you haven’t had breakfast, I’m just taking the porridge out and you’re welcome to join me.”
Karin gratefully accepted. “Today’s menu at the cabin is raw eggs, origin unknown,” she ventured. “Honestly, I’m surprised he doesn’t eat porridge like everyone else.”
“Surely he eats porridge! How could he not?” Isolde stirred some cream and a brown lump of sugar into each of the bowls, handing one to Karin as the huge cat rubbed against her leg. “Oh, how funny!” Isolde exclaimed. “Rosa never likes anyone, but I guess she likes you. Huh, isn’t that funny? I’m afraid she’s getting white hair all over that dark wool.”
Karin reached down to let the cat sniff her. “What a nice kitty. I haven’t had a pet cat since I was a child,” she sighed. “I think I’d like to have a cat.”
“Now, before you say anything else,” Isolde interrupted, “I’m glad we have a moment alone because I owe you an apology.” Karin raised her eyebrows in surprise. “I’m sure you can understand, Dwyn is my eldest daughter and only very recently left home. My husband is gone now these two years and it falls to me to guard the rest. I did not mean to pry unjustly; I only wanted to know if I could trust your son to look after her. I didn’t know what had happened to your family.”
Karin gave a start in surprise and opened her mouth as if to speak, but Isolde went on. “Dwyn told me, yes – not the whole story but just that it happened. I can’t imagine, even after what we have suffered here. My husband was killed too. But I have never endured the loss of a child.” She paused, her eyes filling with tears, as Karin looked down and tried to steel herself. “Anyway, as it is said in the name of the Goddess, “One should never strike first unless it is to protect the innocent.” That’s not an excuse but I hope it is an explanation, at least. I am sorry for what happened at supper last night and I won’t put you or Kjell in a spot like that again.”
“Thank you,” Karin said, faltering a bit. She had set out this morning prepared to explain herself but wasn’t expecting any of this. “As it is said, “The great person does not lose the child's heart.” Sometimes I find it very difficult. It’s easier to hide ourselves and distract others from the things we’d rather not discuss.”
“Well it was hardly the right time to question him, or you,” Isolde admitted. “Maybe we can agree not to ... resort to those methods. I mean that I hope we can trust one another in the future. After all, we will be family soon enough.”
“Agreed,” said Karin. “Definitely. You know, Dwyn is very like my own mother in some ways – she even resembles her a bit, a similar shape of face and nose.”
“Oh yes,” Isolde smiled, “she takes after Anyon, as you see. Spitting image of him. All the others look like my side, especially Nimue – well, you can tell right away that Dwyn’s the only tall one here!”
“Yes, Kjell looks like me, of course, but his brother Finn looked exactly like his father. You know, I met Fergus at church too. My parents lived closer to Kalsgard and he was from the woods. I thought he was so coarse at first, so backward – my friends and I used to make fun of him – but I soon learned how clever he was. There was no problem he couldn’t solve. But he was too trusting. He didn’t see the danger in people.”
“Not the fault of his trusting,” said Isolde. “But the fault of wicked men who don’t believe in trust, who never cared for justice.”
Karin dabbed her eyes on her sleeve. “You speak the truth. Kjell is too like him sometimes, like his father. He’s an honest man, he’s always been such a sweet boy, so good to me. He will always care for your daughter; he never does wrong. But I’m afraid I cannot say the same for myself.” Karin paused and Isolde held her breath, wondering what she might mean. “When the time came that I could take my vengeance on the guilty, I took it. And I was not sorry.” Tears rolled down her cheek as she spoke. “Those who struck down my firstborn and my husband had to suffer for their crimes. To suffer penance, you understand? I made sure of it. But I promise you, Kjell knew nothing of this; he would have chosen to bring them to justice the… proper way. The way I should have done. But I had to be sure, and maybe you can understand, the other way is never certain.”
Isolde nodded somberly, her eyes wide. “I’m so sorry,” she said, clasping her hand over the other woman’s. “I understand you perfectly. And you had to protect Kjell from this, too.”
Karin took in a deep breath. “Thank you. I never hoped anyone would understand, but it lifts a great burden from me to know you would not blame Kjell for what I have done.”
“Of course not,” whispered Isolde. “If anything, I’m ashamed to have so little of your courage. We don’t even know what happened to Anyon, and maybe I would be afraid to find out. Not for myself, no – I burn to know why! I’ve tried everything, looked at every angle, but there’s nothing. Sometimes I’m afraid of how much this rage consumes me. But I fear more for Dwyn. If we found something – anything at all - then she would… well, you see how it is. Whoever came here for him that day, couldn’t they do the same to her? It’s bad enough that she’s followed in her father’s footsteps, but he always trained her to fight, to be like him.”
Karin wished she could think of something reassuring to say, but at that moment Dwyn herself came through the back door into the kitchen. “Whooo! It’s colder than an iron rail in the outhouse,” she announced, before seeing Karin sitting at the table with her mother. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, “I was just coming in for breakfast. Hope you have some of that porridge?” Isolde got up to fill a bowl and Dwyn took her chair. “What?! I can’t believe Rosa likes you! She doesn’t like anyone but mom, trust me,” Dwyn said, moving her mittened hand closer to the cat, who stiffened immediately. “Just kidding, Rosa, I’m too smart to pet you. I’ve never seen her sit on anyone else’s lap before.”
“Well, Dwyn, there are a lot of things you don’t know about Rosa,” Isolde admonished, setting the porridge down. “She’s a very good cat indeed,” agreed Karin.