Age of the Gods: The Complete, twelve novel, fantasy series (The Blood and Brotherhood Saga) (16 page)

Sara

The only light remaining in the room was a small candle upon the large table holding the basins. Sara stopped Seth before he left the table, and pulling his head low to the basin of water, she rinsed the dried blood that still remained in his hair as best as she could and helped him to dry it. Smiling in satisfaction, Sara then took up the brush and began to brush the tangles from her own hair. Seth stood watching her practiced strokes. He stepped behind her as she worked a knot from her hair and placed his hands upon her hips. Hearing his brother’s and Aston’s light snoring he pulled her into himself and reached around her waist. Taking the brush from her hand, he returned it to the table. Raising one hand Seth gently pulled her hair back over her shoulder, keeping the other hand firmly around her waist. As he exposed her neck, he bent slightly and bringing his lips to the warm flesh of her neck he kissed her softly. Sara trembled with the kiss. Seth kissed her again, this time a little higher than the last. Again Sara’s small frame quivered. So he kissed her neck again and again, working his way up her neck to her fragile jaw and continued to kiss her all the way to her ear lobe. Here he exhaled slightly, blowing warm air into her ear, sending a powerful shudder through her small body, and she spun in his arms, turning to face him.

Sara’s face was flushed red and she threw her arms around his neck and jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist. Seth held her there tightly, their bodies entwined. Sara kissed him several times on the mouth, each time more passionately, each time more vigorously than the last. Seth kissed her back, giving her everything in return that she gave him.

Seth relaxed his hold on Sara and gently pulled back to look her in the face.

“I’m sorry Sara,” Seth whispered to her. “I let it go too far.”

“No you didn’t,” Sara stated matter-of-factly.

“Yes I did, and it won’t happen again, I promise,” Seth said painfully.

“It had better happen again,” Sara replied in a joking tone.

“What? Why?” Seth asked, not understanding her tone.

“Because, my love,” Sara said, barely louder than a whisper. “Because I want it to happen again, because I want you to love me freely and because I love you.” Sara made the last statement more boldly than the previous one, making sure he heard her.

Seth was taken aback. He had not expected this turn of events. Not so soon in any case. He had hoped for it, wished for it, even prayed for it, but never expected it. Wanting more than anything to make her happy, he too whispered to her.

“I love you too, I have loved you from the moment I first laid eyes on you, and I shall love you beyond the day when my eyes no longer open.”

Seth did not hold back this time, and he kissed her furiously, yet gently, all the while crushing her body to his.

Seth was unsure if it was due to the weakened state of his mending body, or to the long hours on the trail, or simply because of the fact he was so overcome with emotion, but his knees began to tremble. Afraid he might fall and hurt Sara he finally forced himself to put her down. She acquiesced, unwillingly, but soon realized he had released her due to necessity, not because it was what he wanted. Sara helped to steady Seth and walked him across the room towards the door. Seth pressed his back to it and slid to the floor landing a bit uncomfortably, seated against its wooden frame. Sara dug through his pack and retrieved their blanket. She wrapped it around his shoulders and began to climb into his lap. Seth put his hand up in protest, stopping her in her tracks. Thinking he was in more pain than she had imagined she sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder.

“That’s not what I had in mind,” Seth stated, a jovial tone to his voice.

With that, he reached one arm around Sara’s waist and pulled her around in front of him, facing him. He pulled her to his body and gently lay down on his side, bringing her body with his. Seth stretched out his legs and wrapped one arm under Sara’s head to support it. Then he pulled her close, bringing her face to his chest. He wrapped his other arm around her waist, and slid one leg between hers. Bending his neck slightly he kissed the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her long black hair. They lay in the light of a single distant candle, their bodies pressed together tightly, entwined lovingly, reveling in each other’s embrace.

For long moments they lay together in silence just enjoying one another’s company, however, it was not long before Sara spoke words that Seth hoped he would hear each and every day of his life from that moment forward.

“I love you Seth,” she said simply.

“And I love you, my beautiful Sara,” Seth replied.

Again Sara pulled her face into his chest and Seth pulled her tightly to his body. This way they remained until darkness took them and they passed into sleep.

The following morning both Seth found himself still entwined with Sara, though only briefly. They had awoken to a muffled conversation Garret was having with Ashton across the long room, and seeing Seth and Sara stir, the conversation had ended.

Seth rose to greet their companions, extending a hand to help Sara rise as well.

“What you guys talking about?” Seth asked.

“We were discussing our options,” Garret stated simply. “We’ve been on the road six days now, but with horses we aren’t really in a rush.”

“Yeah,” Ashton chimed in. “We could stay another day here in Paldoon’s, and explore a bit, or continue on to Valdadore and see the sites there.”

“So if we’ve been on the road six days already, then we have six more to go until The Choosing,” Seth thought out loud. “What did you guys come up with?”

“Both of us kind of want to keep going,” Ashton stated.

“Just in case there are any more delays,” Garret added.

Seth thought it over a moment and agreed with them. Thus far they had encountered several delays. It was best they move on now while there was time to spare, rather than wait and run out of time altogether.

“I agree,” Sara said, beating him to the punch.

“Yeah, me too,” Seth added.

Unanimously decided, they gathered their belongings and headed back out the door, down the hall, and down the grand stairs to the first floor.

The common room looked exactly as it had the night before, rows of lanterns in the windows and along the walls. People sitting in groups or in solitude at the various tables throughout the room talked quietly amongst themselves. The bar this morning was unoccupied, however, Whalen stood behind it and waved the travelers over to join him. They accepted his unspoken request, and quickly seated themselves upon the same stools they had sat on the previous night.

“G’mornin young masters” Whalen greeted them, his grin spread naturally across his face. “I hope ye all rested well.”

They each nodded that they had, and Whalen’s grin seemed to widen with their unspoken approval.

“It’s good to see you all rested. Will you be leaving Paldoon’s Hold today then?” Whalen asked the question in earnest, though it was apparent to Seth that he actually only wanted to know if they would be staying another night at his inn.

“Yes,” Garret answered. “We have decided to make haste to Valdadore to enjoy its festivities before the ceremony.”

“Indeed that should be enjoyable,” Whalen agreed, nodding to himself as he did. “Then I shall send for your horses. Is there anything else you will be needing then? A hot breakfast? Some supplies for the road perhaps?”

“I’m sure we would all welcome some more of your delicious hot food, as well as two days’ worth of food and water for the four of us,” Garret replied, and then added as if it were an afterthought, “that is, if it isn’t too much to ask.”

“No…no of course not, Master Garret, I will see to it that your supplies are gathered quickly and I shall send for your horses,” Whalen stated all the while speaking in his jovial tone. “But in order to fulfill your request I had better get cooking.”

With his last statement the short, bald-headed man turned on his heel and strode through the door behind the bar.

The companions sat silently, each wondering what they might be eating for breakfast, and how long it would take for the horses and supplies to be gathered. Not long after the door had closed behind Whalen, it popped open again and a young boy poked his head out. Eyeing the companions briefly, he nodded as if deciding something to himself, and then his head disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. A few moments later, the door again sprang open and another boy darted out, around the bar and across the large common room to the door. He quickly exited the building, closing the door softly behind him. Having watched him run across the room and out the door, none of the companions had noticed that Whalen had also emerged, so they were each startled when they spun back around in their seats to face the bar and saw the short man where just a moment ago there had been no one.

Whalen handed them each a plate of food and a mug of fruit juice. The friends thanked Whalen who, as he had done the night before, accepted their thanks and disappeared through the door.

Upon each plate was a large half circle comprised of several eggs. It had been fried and folded back onto itself. Within its fold was placed bacon, cheese, onions and chopped red peppers. Beside it, on each plate, was placed a stack of sliced, toasted bread, cooked until crisp. Each slice of bread was generously buttered. The food still steamed from being freshly cooked and the aroma convinced each of the four companions to attack the food vigorously until it was consumed. They washed it down with the large mugs of juice which they decided together was mostly orange juice, with a hint of raspberry. The juice was fresh and cool and complemented the food nicely.

As they finished their meal, they saw the boy who had rushed out of the inn earlier return. This time he walked around the bar casually, with no speed or purpose in his pace, and he wandered through the door behind the bar without even so much as a glance at the four companions. No sooner had it swung shut behind him than the door burst open once again, bringing with it Whalen and his naturally grinning face.

“Well folks,” Whalen said. “Your supplies will be here momentarily. The horses are tied out front. If that be all you will be requiring then I suppose it is time we square your tab.”

“How much do we owe you, Whalen?” This time it was Sara who spoke to the round barkeep. Her voice and attention seemed to please the man and his grin widened, stretching almost unnaturally across the entire width of his round face.

“Well miss,” Whalen started. “The room is six silver, and the combined eight meals another twelve silver. The horses will be costing you fifteen silver apiece, and your supplies another five silver and fifty copper each.” Whalen spoke the prices, each with a nod, obviously calculating the numbers in his head.

Reaching down to the belt that held her small quiver, Sara released the small pouch of coins that had been given into her charge. Rummaging her fingers through the coins she brought forth a single gold coin, the exact amount due to the barkeep. Pressing it firmly into her palm she placed her hand on the bar, keeping the coin shielded from view.

“Thank you, Whalen, for your hospitality. You have a lovely inn,” Sara said to the grinning innkeeper, a smile on her own face.

With her words Seth watched as she released the coin onto the bar and slid it across the polished surface with her fingertips towards the barkeep. If Whalen had been surprised that such a young woman possessed such a coin, his expression had not betrayed it. His grin still on his face, he snatched the coin from the bar’s surface and deposited it into a pouch on his belt without even a second glance at it.

“Thank you m’lady,” Whalen said, nodding in response to her prompt payment.

As Whalen spoke a young boy joined him behind the bar. The group realized it was the same boy that had poked his head through the door earlier and had stared at them briefly. He waited patiently to see if the conversation had ended before speaking to the inn’s owner.

“They’re all set, grandpa,” the boy said in his young, high pitched voice to Whalen.

“Thank you Sedrik,” Whalen replied. “Now run along and see if your mother or grandmother needs any help in the kitchen.”

The boy neither hesitated nor complained, as many other children might have done. Instead he rushed quickly through the door to the room beyond, eager to help.

“So folks, your horses are loaded with your supplies, your breakfast is finished and your tab is paid.” Whalen stated the facts as if checking off a list mentally as he did so. “So if there is nothing else I can get you…” he paused briefly, waiting to hear if they would voice any new needs, and seeing they had no intention to speak he continued. “Well then, I shall bid you farewell and good luck for the remainder of your journey.”

Seth and his friends said goodbye to Whalen each in their own way, and thanked him appreciatively for his services. Before letting them leave, Whalen told them there were several stables within Valdadore where they could return the horses. He also gave them a small piece of folded paper sealed in wax to give, with the horses, to the stable master at whichever stable they chose. Their instructions completed, the group picked up their belongings from beside their stools, and slung their packs across their shoulders. Sara also slung her crossbow over one arm, and adjusted it for a comfortable fit. They turned together and walked out of the inn, feeling as ready as they ever would be for what awaited them next.