Alec the Wanderer: Generations of Eredwynn #4 (2 page)

I queried, “So, do you think that we’ll get rain anytime soon? Much more of this dry weather and the crops will take a beating.”

Kyle laughed. “The weather huh? We’ve seen worse and we’ve seen better. I do believe that we’ll get rain soon though. I saw a bird fly from a tree and he swooped toward the ground before he was airborne. That’s a sure sign that the weather’s changing.”

“If you’re right, I better walk back in to Edil in the morning and pick up a tent. I usually carry one, but I saw a man in Clodfey who was homeless and needed a place to get out of the weather. I felt he needed it more than I did.”

Kyle looked at me as if he were trying to understand me. “You’re a very unusual and generous young man. And you said that your name is Alec?” I nodded. “I don’t remember hearing your last name.”

“Thank you, sir. I take unusual as a compliment right along with generous.” I looked around to see where Kyle’s sons were because I was sure blowing off the last question wouldn’t work. They had already been talking dung about the male royal siblings, and I really didn’t want to leave yet.

Kyle said firmly, “Son, you didn’t tell me your last name.”

I sighed. “My name is Alec Stephenson, sir, at your service.”

Caroline gasped and Kyle just nodded his head. “I figured as much when you came to the defense of the royal sons. So this is what you do and how you blend in huh?”

“Yes sir. I hope that you don’t plan on telling your sons my identity because they don’t seem to like me much. I don’t think that I’ve ever done anything to wrong them.”

Kyle chuckled. “The truth be told, they’re jealous. You and your brothers grew up surrounded by beautiful women that would do anything for or with you, just because of your title. Out here there aren’t beautiful women to choose from.”

I smiled. “Sir, I beg to differ. You found a beautiful woman to marry and I think that your daughter is quite lovely. Perhaps your sons would have to look in some of the larger towns, but this country is full of beautiful women.”

Mitri announced that dinner was ready but there wouldn’t be room at the table for everyone. She filled plates and set them out on the table. Kyle and I stood back to allow the ladies of the house to go first, but the brothers had no such compunction. They grabbed plates quickly and piled onto the couch that Kyle and I had just vacated. When we all had food in hand, Kyle suggested we sit on the porch. The two ladies, Kyle and I went outside, leaving the noisy young men to discuss their day.

…

When we finished eating, Caroline jumped up and carried my plate back inside for me. Kyle smiled and said, “Before it gets too dark we should see about finding you a comfortable spot in the barn.” We walked out to the spacious and fragrant barn and I looked around. He had several cows that had been closed into stalls and a number of chickens that had decided to roost in a warm, dry corner. Kyle pointed to the hay loft and suggested that I sleep up there if I had no problem with heights.

“I thought that you’d have a spot for me on the floor since you sent your sons out to make sure the cows didn’t step on me.”

“I just wanted them out of our hair so we could get your true identity out in the open. Now I’d like to make an odd request for a father. My daughter isn’t cut out to be a farmer and is too small to handle the load that workin’ a farm puts on a woman. Stars know that we’ve tried to put some weight on her, but she stays scrawny no matter what. She’s quite smart and that ain’t just a father talkin’. I think that she would be better off in a city or even on the road gittin’ to know this big world. I wouldn’t ask this of just any young man passing through, but from all accounts you’re an honorable sort. Would you consider either taking Caroline to a city to find a job in a shop, or maybe even wanderin’ with you?”

I laughed. “And have two very large farm boys hot on my trail? I don’t really know if that is something that I’d like to have happen. Maybe your daughter would be better off having her brothers escort her to Tesil or Ohana.”

Kyle shook his head. “Her brothers don’t like it when she is out of their sight and wouldn’t take her to the city and leave her. I know you noticed that Caroline seemed quite smitten by you. To be honest I had hoped that there could be somethin’ between the two of you even before I knew who you were. I understand if you don’t want to have to look out for anyone else while you’re out doing what you do. I also don’t blame you for worryin’ about those boys of mine. They are quite large and I’m sure they’d want to go lookin’. I could keep them home if that would make you feel better.”

I smiled and
levitated
my pack up to the loft. “I’m not terribly worried about them. You’ve been quite honest and open with me Kyle, so I’ll sleep on it. Maybe I’ll have a change of heart with the sunrise. I’ll let you know then, and you can tell Caroline that I’m thinking about it, if she knew what you were coming to talk to me about. Goodnight, sir.”

Kyle winked. “Goodnight Your Highness. I never thought that I’d be puttin’ up a member of the royal house in my barn. I’d forgotten all about your magic until you put your pack in the loft. Now I’d certainly keep my boys from trailin’ you!”

I chuckled as he shut the barn door behind him. I climbed into the loft and fluffed the hay then laid my bedroll out. I stripped off my tunic and laid it on my pack by my head and dimmed the lamp that was providing light in the barn. I let my mind wander through the events of the day.

There have been many times on the trail when I’d get lonely. A man can travel thirty miles a day on foot if he pushes himself and some of the towns in Eredwynn are hundreds of miles apart. I could always
fly,
as the rest of my family would, but that just wouldn’t be me. If Caroline did come with me, I’d have to get gear for her, but that wouldn’t be a problem. I always carried a hundred gold and platinum in my pack, along with assorted silver and copper in my pocket. While I was thinking about it, I dug five platinum coins out of my pack to slip to Kyle before I left. He was a good man who was working hard to make his farm work. A little help would be accepted gratefully. I sighed to myself and decided that I’d ask Caroline to travel with me. If she turned out to be annoying, I could always
port
her to the closest city of her choice or even back home. With my decision made, I rolled to my side, cast a small
dome shield
and went to sleep.

Chapter Two

T
he next morning I woke with the sun. That will always happen if you share a building with a rooster. I dressed and packed up then climbed from the loft. I made my way to the house and didn’t hear any noise coming from inside. I kicked back on the steps and made myself comfortable until the family started stirring. Caroline came out of the house and almost kicked me as she stepped off the porch. She was carrying a water bucket which she gladly handed over when I reached for it. We walked to the well, filled the bucket and I carried it back to the house. She was all smiles as we entered but her brother’s mood went rapidly south.

Adam grumbled. “I’da helped ya with that, sis.”

Caroline grinned. “That’s all right, Adam. Alec was sitting on the porch and offered to help when I went out. A gentleman will offer to help and won’t have to be asked.”

I cringed at her last comment. The conversation could have ended without her goading her huge brothers. I made sure I didn’t make eye contact with the now seething brothers and looked at Kyle. I gave him an accepting nod and he smiled. I could tell that he harbored mixed emotions about sending his daughter off with a virtual stranger, but he hoped he was a good judge of character. He steered his wife off into the bedroom and they were gone for several minutes.

When they returned, Mitri’s eyes glistened and she smiled at me. I could read the plea to take care of her little girl in her eyes. I signaled Kyle. “Would you mind stepping outside for a moment? I’d like your opinion on the weather before I leave.”

As he came out the door behind me Kyle laughed. “The weather again? You’re really going to have to get a new line. What did you really want to see me about, son?”

I pulled the five platinum coins from my pocket, knowing that this good man wouldn’t see this much money in a year. “I’d like to give you this and you should know that I can afford to. With Caroline going with me you’ll be a farmhand short and this may ease any inconvenience.”

Kyle stared at the coins. “I’d heard that there were platinum coins but ain’t seen one before. Thank you, Your Highness.”

I laughed. “My name’s still Alec, regardless of how much coin I pass out. Now I just have to ask your daughter if she’d like to join me in my wanderings, or if she wants to be escorted to a city. If she does go with me, I think that your boys will have to be distracted. I could
port
us away, but I prefer to use magic as rarely as possible. Before you ask, my family does consider me odd.”

“I’ll send them boys off to work the field and have Caroline come out to chat after they leave. If she decides she ain’t gonna leave, I’ll give ya the money back.”

“Keep the money either way, my friend. You’re a good man and work hard. Just consider it a gift, or a reward for taking in a wanderer.”

Kyle went into the house and I opened my pack. I adjusted and shuffled things to make carrying it easier. Actually, I wanted to look like I was doing something when Adam and Alain came through the door. They eyed me suspiciously, and then grabbed shovels and hoes from the shed. They took off across a huge field, looking back from time to time as they went.

When they were out of sight, Caroline came out of the house. “Father said that you wanted to talk to me about something.”

“I’m going to be leaving this morning and have an offer for you. You could join me until we reached a big city were you could get a job you’d like better than farming. If we seem to get along with each other, then maybe you’d like to just stay and join me in my wanderings. I know that my lifestyle might not be suited to a pretty lady like you, but it’s my life and I enjoy it. I told your father what I was going to ask you, so you can take it up with him if you’d like.”

She stared at me for a minute and I noticed that she had the prettiest green eyes. They matched her auburn hair nicely. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d noticed any features of a woman that weren’t related to her gender. She noticed me staring back and looked away shyly. “I’d like to speak with my parents for a moment. You aren’t leaving right now, are you?”

“Not right now, but soon. I’ll need to walk to Edil and grab some supplies. I need to know what you’d like to do before I do that, so I’d know if you needed road gear, too.”

She nodded and went inside. I wandered around the front yard with my pack on my back. I’d been in one place for too long and was itching to get back on the road. I knew that her father would be all for her going with me, because it was his idea. I had no idea how her mother would react. A mother can be more protective of her children than a father is, as anyone that has seen an angry mama bear can attest. She wasn’t gone too long before the she and her parents came outside. The ladies stayed on the porch and Kyle came out into the yard to talk to me.

“She said that she’d really like to go with you, Alec. She’d travel to the closest city and that would be Tesil. She also said that if the two of you got along and she enjoyed being on the road she might travel farther. She does have one concern, and it’s a worry for her mother and me as well. You have a reputation for havin’ fun with the ladies. We’re worried that you might think that her sharin’ your bed might be the payment you’d ask for taking her along.”

I laughed. “My reputation might be deserved or it might not. That would depend on how you looked at the situation. I earned my reputation by visiting with the young ladies that work in the inns and pubs of Eredwynn. I’ve always paid well and been a big tipper so I’m welcomed back, any time. If you’re like some of the more prudish folks that think visiting a working girl’s bad, then you can judge me as you see fit. Outside of a place like that, I’d never ask a young lady that I didn’t care about to share my bed. That’s the way we were all raised, contrary to the belief of some.”

Kyle smiled. “That’s what we’d hoped to hear. Just between you and me, I’ve visited the workin’ girls myself. I’m not sure that the wife would be thrilled with that knowledge, so we ain’t gonna tell her.”

I chuckled. “Sounds fair.”

“I’ll let them know what you’ve said and then you can get on the road. I can tell that you’re itchin’ to get goin’ again.”

I agreed and he walked up to the porch. I wandered in circles while they talked and made sure that I stayed out of earshot. I didn’t want what they had to say to each other to be influenced by my standing too closely. When I saw the hugging, I knew that I was going to have company for a while. I was glad that she was very cute, but was concerned that she was so young and petite. I knew that she’d be taking almost twice the steps I was to get to anywhere. I was a giant in my family at five feet ten inches. I walked and worked fields with farmers and even hauled hay wagons, so my muscles were well built. At one hundred seventy pounds, I outweighed my smallest brother by about ninety-five pounds. That’s not a fair comparison, since his mother is a Naiad. I was waved to the porch and walked up.

Kyle asked, “What will she need to take with her?”

“If she has a pack, that would be great; if not, I’ll buy one for her. All I can think that she’ll need is a change of clothes. She’ll need to wear something suited for walking and not some flouncy dress. If she stays in Tesil, I’ll buy her something that she can wear to find a job. Other than that, she’ll need whatever she wants and whatever she needs that a man wouldn’t think of.”

Mitri nodded and the ladies went inside.

Kyle said, “She’s very excited about going and, fair warning, she thinks you’re quite handsome. I’ve taught my kids to be self-sufficient and she does have some survival skills. I doubt you’ll need them, but she can build a fire and handle a knife.”

I smiled. “I’ve never traveled with a woman on the road and you did mention once that she knew how to cook. Perhaps I’ll have better meals than I’m used to while we’re out. Has she given any thought as to what kind of work she is interested in doing in Tesil?”

He shook his head. “I don’t think that she’s thought that far in advance. She can read and write, so perhaps she could work in a shop. I just hope that I don’t learn that she went to work in a pub. I don’t have anything against the girls that do that, but she’s my daughter.”

“I understand, sir, and don’t blame you. I know a few of the shop keepers and have some pull with them. I’ll make sure that she isn’t working in the pub. Who knows, maybe I’ll be charming enough that she’ll want to keep me company on the road. I’ve never had the best charm skills in my family though.”

Kyle nodded. “Well young man, if you do decide that you’d like to keep her company, just be yourself. Trying to be someone else to win a lady is starting with a lie. A relationship like that can never work out.”

I smiled thoughtfully. “That’s very good advice sir. I don’t think I’d ever thought of it like that.”

The ladies returned with Caroline looking excited and her mother dabbing at tears. She was wearing a backpack and normal female fieldworker’s clothes. They were just male clothes but perhaps a bit looser in places. It consisted of a simple tunic and trousers with a drawstring. I smiled when I saw that she’d belted on a small dagger, and knew I’d be
shielded
if I complained about her cooking.

I shook hands with Kyle and bowed to Mitri, then led the way out to the road. Caroline came up beside me. “Now that we’re not around my parents would you mind calling me Carol? Caroline just sounds like an old woman’s name and I’m only seventeen.”

There was a sudden, unfamiliar twinge in my gut. “Seventeen? I had you figured at closer to fifteen, if not younger. Perhaps it’s because you’re so petite and your brothers are so protective. I certainly feel better about you going with me now, Carol. The age thing is the reason that I kept deflecting the suggestions to court you. We’re not five minutes from your home and things have already started changing in my mind.”

She looked at the ground shyly. “Now that you know I’m older than you thought, you’d consider courting me?”

I laughed. “I think that if we were courting I’d have to call on you. Since we’re practically living together for the next few days maybe, we won’t give it a title. How about me saying that I’m really interested in getting to know you now?”

“I don’t think that walking down the road is living together. I’ll admit that I thought you were cute when I saw you talking with father. I was disappointed when I learned that you hadn’t come for me. Perhaps we’ll hate each other before we get to Tesil. But there is the chance that we won’t; what then?”

“Then we’ll walk down the road holding hands, and if I felt brave, I might steal a kiss.”

I heard her mumble under her breath, “I wonder if Edil has an apothecary with a bravery potion.” Since I wasn’t supposed to hear I fought off the laughter and walked along.

In Edil we went to the dry good store and I told her to grab anything she thought that we’d need. When she asked for how long, I suggested as long as she thought we’d need. That was a ploy to try to find out whether she wanted to stay on the road, or if we’d be parting company when we got to Tesil. She gathered a skillet and some other cooking items I wouldn’t have thought of, while I got a tent and bedroll for her. I’d left my pack sitting next to the door when we’d come in and Carol was close.

“Carol, would you mind reaching in my pack and getting two platinum coins out for this gentleman? Then we can be on our way, if you can’t think of anything else to do.” She opened my pack and I heard her gasp as she found my platinum pouch. I chuckled at her reaction and knew that if she saw how much money I had stashed at Wizard’s Castle, she’d faint. She took the coins out, tied the pack closed and dragged it behind her to bring me the money. She didn’t want to leave it unattended any longer.

As we walked out of the general goods store, there was a loud scream. I turned in the direction of the scream and saw a young woman pushed to the ground by a teenage boy. He yanked a bag from her hand and ran down the street toward me. I smiled, happy that I could be in the right place at the right time. I stepped in front of the lad and wrapped my arms around him as the guards started making their way over. Suddenly an arm came around my neck and middle and started to choke me. A voice in my ear growled, “Let the boy go!”

I tried to wiggle free, because I’m too hardheaded to do what I’m told by a bully. I jumped at the loud sound of a gong in my ears and the arm around my neck loosened. The approaching guards were laughing so hard I didn’t know if they would keep their feet. I was glad when they got to me so I could learn what was so funny. They finally arrived and took the thief into custody. I turned and looked behind me and saw a bear of a man lying unconscious on the ground. Carol was standing over him with a very determined look and the skillet that we’d just purchased still in her hands.

One of the guards looked at me. “Alec, I always wondered when you’d wise up and get someone to watch your back. It seems like you made a wise choice with this bodyguard. She may be tiny, and she did have to jump to do it, but she cracked your attacker right upside the head with that skillet. He’ll have a splitting headache when he comes to in jail.”

I turned to Carol and traded the bag that had been stolen for the skillet. She returned it to a very grateful women and I packed the skillet in my pack. As Carol came back I said, “The skillet’s in here if you need it. Thank you very much for looking out for me. I guess I owe you one now.”

“I just didn’t want to see you get hurt, Alec. I haven’t had much of a chance to get to know you yet. If you turn out to be a jerk later we can come back and you can play with your friend again. You must have been friends considering how much of a hug he was giving you.”