Serenity Valley (18 page)

The stranger proceeded to the back of
the wagon and then dismounted. After tying off his horse, he
withdrew two large money pouches from his pack bags and tossed them
on the wagon’s open tailgate. The clang of precious coin caught
Meeks's attention as he arrived at the wagon’s end holding two
large hide scrolls. All of his senses were on alert as he spread
the scrolls and used the coin pouches to weigh them down. Meeks
almost flinched at being in such close proximity with evil. He
forced himself to stand steady, explaining the large-scale map of
hold lands. Then he dissected the map of the hold structures
surrounding the main hall. Meeks’s nose twitched at the strange
scent emanating from the deadly stranger. All his senses told him
to run, even though he knew he couldn’t overcome his first
priority, greed. Meeks inched away, allowing the man to examine the
maps closely.

The stranger asked, “Broken lines for
hold wall is being?”

Meeks replied, “The broken lines are
fer construction. Da great wall is in process of rebuilding. The
crews estimate nine to twelve months to finish it.”

“Ahh, I see.” The stranger sighed.
“Very complete drawings provided you have. I am satisfied. You may
examine payment now.” Meeks’s greed overpowered his sense of
self-preservation as he dumped the money bags in the wagon and
started examining the strange Arabic struck coins. As Meeks
hurriedly replaced the coin in the bags, the stranger rolled the
scrolls and bound them with rawhide ties. He said, “Is payment to
satisfaction, Master Meeks?”

Meeks replied, “Oh, yes! Payment is
more than adequate.”

With the scrolls under his left arm,
the stranger patted Meeks on the shoulder, which caused him to jerk
away defensively. The stranger laughed and said, “So you are
knowing what I am about. Trust me when I tell you it is not yet
your time, Master Meeks.” The deadly stranger was still laughing
when he mounted his horse and cantered away without any more
words.

A very unsettled Meeks immediately
unlaced his britches and relieved himself. He then retrieved his
payment and boarded the wagon. He was still shaking when he
released the brake and chided the mules forward. It was several
hours later when Meeks found a good camp spot with water and grass
for the mules. With the beasts hobbled on grass near a stream,
Meeks prepared his bedroll next to the fire. The day’s stress of
flirting with death had taken its toll. A sense of physical
exhaustion overtook him. Deciding to take a brief nap before
eating, he wrapped up in his bedroll. Just before dozing off, he
scratched his itchy shoulder, where the creature had touched him.
The man truly made his skin crawl. As Meeks slipped into sleep,
toxin injected from a tiny needle prick on his shoulder continued
to spread throughout his body. Within two hours, Meeks was well
beyond sleep with no way back. He never woke the next morning. It
was two days past when curious travelers discovered his dead body
still wrapped in his bedroll.

Lady Bella was very pleased with our
progress in weapons, evasion, and deception. Our running and
conditioning improved, with Fulk proving exceptional as the Lady
had predicted. I believe he could outrun a horse in distances.
Basilea proved exceptional in tracking and could find the lady
almost every time. Fulk and I continued to be terrorized about half
the time. On one training session, the three of us tracked Lady
Bella into the dense forest. We had lost the trail several times
but picked it back up in a short while. The lady would leave false
trails, travel back on her own tracks, and sometimes, there were no
tracks. Sometimes there was just breakage and bending of shrubs and
grass or just a shine on a rock was all that could be found. As we
tracked the lady deeper into the forest, Basilea fell
back.

“Basilea, everything okay?” I
asked.

“Everything is fine. I just need to
get a stone out of my boot. I’ll catch up, go ahead,” she
said.

Fulk and I turned to continue and
noticed the tracks stopped in front of a large tree. Suddenly, part
of the tree broke away and came at us. Fulk and I froze in
disbelief. Then it reached out and grabbed us. We both screamed
bloody murder. Then the tree thing moved backward, folded, and fell
to the ground. The thing was guffawing hysterically! Behind us,
Basilea was rolling on the ground in hysterics as well. Fulk and I
looked at each other, still stunned from the fright.

The tree thing spoke, “You, you, it,
was, it was, it was really, really great. You should have seen your
faces.” We both realized we had been had.

“
You scared me to death,
Bells. I think I pissed myself!” I said.

Fulk added, “I believe I may have shat
myself. I’ll have to check to be sure.”

These comments just encouraged the
ladies to laugh harder. I said, “And you, my sweet, innocent,
beloved Basilea, you spotted Bells, didn’t you?” Basilea was
laughing so hard all she could do was shake her head up and down.
Fulk and I were beginning to see some humor in it and sat down. We
began to chuckle. It felt good to see the two of them enjoying
themselves, even if it was at our expense.

After a bit, Basilea came over and
squeezed in on the log between Fulk and me. She put her arms around
us. “I’m sorry; I don’t know what got into me. Normally, I’m a very
nice person, really. Can you forgive me?”

Bells just sat there taking it all in
with a wide grin on her face. I said, “Well, I don’t know. You both
have been very bad girls.”

Bells spoke up now, “Oh, they will
forgive us. They can’t help themselves. They love us!”

Fulk and I looked at each other. Fulk
responded, “Well, there is the love thing, and the black bread
too!” We all laughed together for a while again. It felt good. It
was hard to believe people could be closer than our little
group.

Fulk and I tried to set a trap for the
women two days later, and they detected us with ease. I think women
are just more perceptive in a sneaky sort of way. It wasn’t all
work and no play, though, as the fall festival was soon upon
us.

Lord Goodwin’s fall festival was
always popular, attracting people from great distances. The eastern
pasture closest to the main house complex would be reserved for the
festival activities. A great stage was erected to accommodate the
ministerial and theatrical groups the lord hired to entertain the
masses. Huge tents were set up on each side of the stage to serve
as rest stations for tired patrons. Vendors and craft masters from
far and wide would be setting up their portable shops along the
walking paths. Weapons, leather works, clothing, fine jewelry, and
numerous food vendors would be selling their goods.

The lady set up a large tent with clay
ovens for Basilea’s bread. A number of the kitchen staff would be
manning the operation. It was anticipated that the delicious bread
would be a tremendous success. Along with the promise of good
times, the festival had its troubled side. With all of the unknown
people coming and going, it would be easy for an assassin to
infiltrate. The captain of our soldier force was sick with worry
over how to protect the lord and lady. Not only would strangers be
allowed access to the grounds, but many noble families were to be
accommodated within the main house. This allowed suspect
individuals to enter with entourages that accompanied the wealthy.
Captain Terric had been in several heated discussions with the lord
and lady over protection within the main house complex. The lord’s
point being that if accommodation was denied to nobles and their
families, it would be taken as a grievous insult and enemies would
result, something the hold could not afford. Captain Terric pointed
out that if he surrounded lord and lady with dozens of men, they
would be insulted anyway. The lady, with her considerable wisdom,
managed to broker a compromise that they both could agree
to.

The captain would assign a vigilant
escort when lord and lady were partaking in festival activities.
Upon returning to the hold, the noble guests would be entertained
in the great hall. When the time came to retire for the evening,
the lord and lady would retire to their chambers, and the night
guard would be posted at the door. Once inside their chambers, lord
and lady would exit through one of the secret passages and make
their way outside the complex. They would take their rest within
Sirates House. The captain seemed appeased with the compromise and
would have several men lying in wait inside their bed chambers,
just in case. Only the few personal guards inside the chambers and
charged with protection of Sirates House would be aware of the
plan. Even they would not know until the first night of festival.
The best plans are known only to those who make them. The lady
insisted that men-at-arms and range riders in distant outposts be
relieved after two days of festival, so everyone would enjoy at
least two days of the festivities. Although not required, farming
and ranch tenants within hold lands would without doubt come in to
celebrate the lord’s festival. A few days before festival, people
started to arrive. The first to arrive were the traveling vendors.
They were driving their great wagons filled with wares. All sought
the prime locations to set up shop. Once settled, their heavy work
beasts were allowed pasture on the rich hold grasses.

The numerous minstrels and theatre
groups set up their wagons behind the stage area. Huge wings of the
main house had been prepared to accommodate noble families who were
beginning to arrive daily. Many of the nobles were customers or
suppliers of the hold and were accommodated with all respects and
amenities that were available. The main house kitchen responded
well to the increased demand as it functioned fluidly under Fina’s
direction. The house staff had been temporarily increased to cater
to the many wealthy guests. Fresh water, wine, fruit, and pastry
snacks were made available in each room. It was considered rude to
allow guests to be wanting for these simple amenities.

The day before the festival was
scheduled to start, the occupancy of the main house swelled to the
point that Captain Terric verged on a nervous breakdown. The plan
for lord and lady to take rest in Sirates House was executed
early.

Another plan was enacted that day that
was of my doing. With the twelve gold coins in my pocket, Fulk and
I went to check out the vendors. The best time to buy at festival
was early. To be the first customer ensured the best deals. Vendors
were traditionally superstitious, and to lose the first sale could
bring bad luck for the entire event. As Fulk and I made way to the
vendor grounds I said, “Fulk, how are you getting on with Trina’s
daughter these days? What is her name?”

Fulk said, “Her name is Nesta; the
most beautiful girl in the land. I think of her always. We talk and
walk a lot. She kissed me last night. I guess that means she likes
me, doesn’t it?”

I knew her name well and also that she
did like him. I had been mentoring the relationship from afar, you
might say. “Oh, that’s right, Nesta. If she kissed you, I would
certainly believe that means she likes you.”

“Oh, I’m glad to hear that, very glad
indeed!”

“Fulk, if you were to get her
something at festival, what would it be?”

“Oh, I have thought of such a thing
for some time. If I had the money, I would get her a beautiful
brush and mirror set, to brush those marvelous red strands of fire.
Hair that sets fire to barren desert sands, hair that!”

“Okay, okay, Fulk. Calm down, man.
You’re telling the wrong person here!”

We looked at each other and
laughed.

“Yea, guess I got carried away. Did I
get carried away?”

“Yes, yes, you did. If you want her to
kiss you again, just tell her that stuff, the stuff you were
saying.”

“You think that would work,
Gamel?”

“I have no doubts! Here, take this,
and get her the hair set.” I handed Fulk one of my gold
pieces.

“What’s this?” he exclaimed. “Oh, no,
I can’t take this. Here, take it back!”

“Fulk, it would make me feel very good
if you took it and got Nesta a present. On the other hand, if you
wish to insult and humiliate your best friend, then slap me in the
face with my good deed.”

“You are a terrible bastard to debate
with!”

“So I’ve been told. Look over there,”
I said, pointing. “That vendor setting up should have what you’re
looking for. Let me start the conversation, Fulk. We will get you a
good deal.”

We approached the vendor. He was an
older man, and the woman helping was probably his wife. I said,
“Good day, sir. How are you on this fine day?”

“Fine, boys,” the old man said, “very
well indeed. Me and the missus are looking forward to the festival.
Is there something I can do for you boys?”

“Well, sir, my friend is seeking a
present for a very special girl.”

“What would that be? Perhaps a nice
hair ribbon?”

“Oh, no, sir, Fulk here would not
dream of tying down such a thing of beauty. He believes her flaming
strands should blow freely as the flight of a hummingbird.” The
vendor’s wife was smiling and moved closer to ensure she heard all
the conversation. “Sir, we wish to see your fine brushes and
mirrors, if it pleases you.”