001 - 005 - The Storm Ends

Elyria rose from her wooden stool and pulled her dagger from her belt at the same time. She pointed her knife at Fendor, who stood up, also. His blade remained in its sheath in his belt. Fendor turned his hands palms up and held them away from his body in a gesture of non-violence.

Elyria stepped back from him two paces, her breathing heavy, fear settling in her chest. She gripped the leather-wrapped hilt of her knife hard causing her fingers to turn white. She did not speak. She looked from Fendor to the door, gauging her ability to get out before he could catch her.

Fendor did not move.

"Let me explain." He gestured to Elyria to calm down. He leaned towards her. She tensed her body even more.

"I will remove my knife and place it on the floor." He held one arm away from his body and moved the thumb and forefinger of his left hand together, moving his hand inch by inch to the hilt of the dagger. He pinched the end of the hilt and lifted it from his belt. Yellow and red fire lights danced along its edge. He tossed it off to the side behind Elyria and away from the door. The rabbit in a trap feeling left her, but she remained wary.

"Can we talk now?" Fendor’s eyes looked into hers and held her gaze. He did not blink.

She nodded her head. Her black hair curled around her face, tiny wisps of new hair in gentle ringlets. She reached up, grabbed the thick mass, twisted it and pulled it over her shoulder. She continued to twist her hair in her hand as she waited.

"Come back and sit down." He waved to the stool.

"No. You sit down." She moved her chair away from him and gestured for him to sit. "Be quick with your story. I’m on edge."

"Yes, of course. I should not have startled you so. I misspoke before."

Fendor took a deep breath and let it out in a steady stream.

"I do not know you. You do not know me. I meant to say I came looking for this place." He paused and looked into the fire, once again gazing into its depths. He remained quiet so long, that Elyria sat down, waiting for him to continue. She did not move any closer to the warmth of the fire.

She held her weapon in front of her, just in case he pulled a sudden move. She waited.

There came a noise of scratching at the door, startling the quiet. Fendor looked around as if he just woke up. Elyria went to the door, opened it and in bounded One and Two. They sniffed around Elyria’s feet and Fendor’s breeches, then simultaneously ran over to the bunk, jumped in, curled around each other and fell asleep. Elyria and Fendor looked at each other and laughed. The spell of fear broke.

Fendor got up, moved his seat away from the fire and put Elyria’s stool closer to the warmth. He gestured to the stool and performed a deep bow.

"Come sit down and be easy." He waited until she sat before he continued. The shadows grew in the corners of the room as dusk settled outside around them. The fire crackled in the hearth, with an occasional pop as sap exploded in a log.

"I traveled a long distance to get here," he began. "Not from my birth home (which I may tell you about another time) but from the place I have called home these past four years, Alexandria. Do you know this place?"

Elyria shook her head, "No, I do not."

"It is on the Africanus continent."

"Of that exotic place I have heard."

"Alexandria is a great city on the northwestern coast, by the Nile River. The city’s great harbor on the Mediterranean Sea shelters vessels and merchants from such far away places as Britannia in the Northern Seas and the Mongolian wilderness in the distant east. People from many nations come to Alexandria. The library at the Serapeum temple houses knowledge from many ages past and any citizen may use it."

Elyria listened, fascinated. She leaned her elbows on her knees, gazing into the flames, picturing wild men in colorful dress, strange animals and odd smells.

"Many new thoughts and ideas breathed their first breaths there. Many religions coexist in peace and harmony. The body, mind and spirit are spiced with the herbs of many people. At least, not long ago, this was true. Now, things are changing." He sounded sad and disappointed.

He stiffened as he spoke. His displeasure in his thoughts showed in the rigidity of his limbs.

"Why? How do such wonders change?" Elyria turned to Fendor. She couldn’t imagine these great things he spoke of disappearing. Once obtained, wouldn’t people cling to the knowledge they gained and never let it go?

"Men of power become obsessed with their own self worth."

"I do not understand."

"Men of power exist that wish to have all of the power and knowledge for themselves. They think themselves gods here on earth, destined to rule men’s hearts."

"You still befuddle me. Tell me plainly what you mean."

"A new religion born from the old Hebrew beliefs is spreading amongst people everywhere. It requires that its believers worship only their one God."

"Many people worship one God. What makes this new religion different?"

"These people may not pay homage to the Emperors. Their God comes first and last." Fendor stood and paced across the room. One and Two raised their heads. He ruffled both of their mussels, scratching behind their ears. He sat beside them and they rested their chins one on each of his thighs. He continued to stroke their heads.

The shadows danced around the three figures across from the fire. Light and dark ran around them, hiding in and out of the hills and depressions that their bodies formed. The effect was hypnotic and Elyria swayed in her seat. Two humpfed in his throat and One yipped in reply.

Elyria shook her head, reawakening herself to the subject at hand.

"How does this have anything to do with this place here? These mountains harbor ancient Gods, alive in the depths of the earth."

"I need a hiding place for some very special people." Fendor’s voice slid between the varying shades of light, quiet and sincere, urgency around the edges. “I heard tales of deep caverns.”

"Saltmines."

The fire glowed in embers. Elyria placed more logs on the coals, each leaning against the other forming a pyramid of wood. The bark caught fire and flamed up, lighting the hut momentarily in a bright halo.

"I found maps."

"Not about here?"

"Yes, in the temple library."

"That can not be," she said. "The knowledge of these salt and ice caverns pass from generation to generation through our village elders and shamans. Only people from our clans would know this information."

"These maps were written by a one time hermit who spent ten years living in the caves." Fendor patted the dogs’ heads and got up. He stretched, his fingers touching the ceiling. "The caves were said to be above a town perched on a hillside at the base of alpine mountains and on the very edge of a deep and isolated lake."

He leaned up against the wall and yawned deeply.

"That could be many places." Elyria yawned, too.

"No. I searched the records. Only this place matches the hermit’s description."

"Tales. Stories. Fireside entertainment."

"Are you telling me no hermit lived here?"

"No hermit has lived in this hut."

Fendor slumped, dejected, against the stones behind his back. His body could no longer support his mind. He needed rest. He spent more than a full moon’s cycle out in the open on his journey here.

"We will talk about this again at first light." He pushed himself upright and went to the door.

"I will check on my beasts and get my bedroll and more wood. Prepare yourself for sleep."

"You are not planning on sleeping in here?" She stood, remembering the knife in her hand. "It quit raining."

"I have had enough of the stars for the time being." He looked back at Elyria. "You can not still think I will hurt you?"

She shrugged her shoulders, unsure.

"I have done nothing against you. You have both of my weapons." He pointed at his sword propped up in the far corner and his dagger still lying on the hard packed earthen floor. He walked out of the cabin.

Elyria picked up his knife and put it under her pillow. She dragged his sword from its resting place and forced it under her bed. She admitted to herself that she too seemed to be beyond exhaustion. She went out to the privy, marveling at the change in the weather. Cool, refreshing breezes blew through the leaves, knocking drops of water down to the ground. No clouds floated in the sky. The stars stood out, clear and bright. Tomorrow would be a new spring day.

On her way back, Elyria heard Fendor talking to his animals. His voice echoed low and reassuring. She couldn’t hear the words he spoke, but the sound soothed her. She listened for a few minutes, until she heard him rummaging through his packs. Then, she went back into her home.

She climbed into her bed, the pups rearranging themselves around her feet. She sat waiting for Fendor to return.

He came back presently with his bedroll over his shoulder and an armful of wood. He also had a drink bladder swinging from the crook of his elbow. He added the logs to the woodpile. After spreading out his bedding, he came over to Elyria and offered her the flask.

"Spiced wine." He held the sac out to her, but she did not take it.

"I do not care for any." Elyria lowered herself to one elbow.

"It will help you sleep and take away hunger." Fendor unstopped the flask and took a long pull. He offered Elyria the drink again. She took it this time and took a small sip. She tasted the spices, their unusual flavor sweet and appealing. She drank again, a longer swallow. The wine tasted of fruits unknown to her and she took another drink.

Fendor took the bottle back.

"Not too much the first time. It's potency is deceiving." He went over to his pallet, spread it out in front of the trunk and sat on the bedding. He pulled his boots off and tossed them away. He took more of the wine. He put the cork back in the flask and lay down, the flask still in his hand.

In a few seconds, Elyria heard his snores. She remembered no more.