Just One Drink (141 page)

Her father nodded and turned to look at Kieran who stood a few steps behind the woman. As soon as Kieran made eye contact he took a step forward and kneeled in respect to her father. He rose up and her father noticed the sword. He leaned back and whispered to his daughter that his sword was one that was spoken about in stories, only to be wielded by those deemed worthy by the gods. He smiled and turned his attention back to the queen.

“She just enlightened me on the deal as well.” He reached behind him and pulled Clara up so that she was standing beside him. “What say you?” The woman thought for a moment and reached behind her. With her long, bony fingers she grabbed Kieran’s arm and pulled him forward.

“We will allow you and your men to log the two acres that are nearest your southern wall.” She pushed Kieran forward so that he was standing on the line between field and forest. “My men will make sure that it is constantly cared for.”

“There will always be a garrison of men ready to act at any moment.” He squeezed his daughter's arm and kissed her on the forehead. He gently prodded her forward towards Kieran. “Just call from this horn and they will come.” As Clara made her path towards Kieran her father slowly walked towards the queen. As he got close he knelt down and held his horn up to her. The horn was ornate, engraved with precious stones and made out of a shell. She told him to rise and he did.

“And with this marriage, the first bond between forest and mortals will be made.” She took the horn from Clara’s father and held out her hand. He took it and kissed the single ring on her hand. She curtseyed for him and she leaned over and whispered to Kieran. “I will lift the mandate of immortality that you originally took.” Kieran thanked her just as Clara stepped up and embraced him. “I will also lift the binding spell I placed on you so that you may leave the forest for short trips with your wife.” Kieran nodded and looked back at Clara who had her arms wrapped around his chest.

“My wife,” he said with a smile. As soon as they kissed, the townsfolk from behind them erupted in applause. Her father clapped for her and wiped away a tear that fell down his cheek. The men of the town clashed their swords against shields and Clara could hear kegs of ale being tapped.

Not to be outdone though, Kieran’s clan released doves to fly from the forest canopy like fireworks and cries of joy could be heard throughout the forest. Clara searched for the faces and found them, soft and smiling at her, their teeth normal, pearly white. She looked back at Kieran, who kissed her again and swung her up into his arms. “Let’s go home.”

THE END

Karla ended up spending her eighteenth birthday like she spent most of her other days. She woke up before the sun rose and took her father’s old bow out into the woods behind the village. She was always the first one in the village awake, but there was something about being alone in nature that make her so content. Karla always knew that she was an independent woman and she was dreading her future now that she was considered a “woman.”

Ever since she was young her mother and father had made it known that their intention for her was that she would be married to a Viking warrior in either their own town or a neighboring town if there was some kind of peace or trade agreement that she could be a part of. It was how her own parents were wed and they spoke of it with such reverence and grace that it almost made her sick. She couldn’t understand how anyone could stand to not have a say in their own future. Karla decided from a very early age that she would be different.

When she was born she was third child to her parents and was the first girl. Being raised with two older brothers gave her a different understanding of the world and she saw how much choice they had in their futures. Her eldest brother became a blacksmith and forged weapons for the warriors. He had an interesting relationship with the warriors because even though he was not fit to fight, they still respected him as one of their own. Her second brother though was bred to be a fighter. He was tall and muscular and had a temper that wasn’t matched. He was the prize fighter of their village and would often lead out expeditions to raid nearby villages.

However, one thing they both had in common was being overprotective of Karla. They had always been there keeping a watchful eye over her from the very beginning which drove her crazy. She wanted nothing more than to be considered adult enough to stand up for herself. It had worked in her favor in the past though because there are a number of things that she was able to do because she was their sibling. For instance, the only reason she ever learned how to use a bow was because her brothers taught her.

So, as she gracefully weaved in and out of the trees, she looked down at the bow and thought of her brothers. She spent the majority of the morning in the woods and as the sun rose and she knew her parents would start inquiring about her she began to make the short journey back home. It didn’t take her long and as she neared the edge of the forest she heard a branch snap in the distance. Karla froze and turned to see if there was an animal but saw nothing. She brushed it off and continued her trip home.

She had to slip in through the window of her room to go unnoticed as soon as she slipped into the bed, the door slammed open. Her father’s large frame filled the doorway and he lumbered towards the bed. Karla peaked out from the animal furs and saw that he was pretending to sneak up on her, so she played along. After a moment of his loud footsteps landing on the floor he leapt up into her bed and began to shake her.

“Karla, my daughter, you are now a woman,” he exclaimed. “Wake up so that you may see the sun as it rises on your future.” Karla laughed as she always did when her father, the stoic man and great warrior that everyone knew, acted like a child. It was a side that only she ever saw. He could not act like this around his sons who are grown or his wife, but with Karla he could. “Come, come, I have a gift for you.”

“Alright, alright,” she replied, still laughing. “What could possibly be so important that you feel the need to do it this early.” She didn’t think her parents knew about her early morning rendezvous into the forests, and she didn’t want them finding out about them. Her father jumped down off the bed and made his way out the door. He motioned for her to join him and she did.

They walked through the house in silence, the others were still asleep, at least they were before her father started yelling. Her father led her out the front door and around the small house to the shed that her father used as a sort of workshop for his different hobbies. Her brother got his love of blacksmithing from their father who always allowed him to tinker with all his various weapons he had made. He swung open the door and allowed her to enter first.

Her eyes took a moment to adjust, but sitting on the wooden work bench along the wall was a brand new bow. It was made with the finest Yew and it was a soft white color. There were intricate patterns both carved into the wood and fitted with metal.

She looked back at her father, mouth agape, but her father just looked at her and smiled. He nodded towards the bow and winked, to which she reached over and picked it up.

“I had it made special for you,” he said as her fingers slid perfectly into the grooved handle. “I imagine at this point your hands won’t grow too much more, so it’s fitted for you.” She felt the cool leather grip and looked it up and down. Her father pointed out the engraving on the bow.

“I had that all designed and then your brother did the metal work. We weaved it all in together so that it’s actually stronger now than your standard wooden hunting bow.” Karla continued to stare at it in disbelief and was unable to even speak. “Well, you’ve gotta say something, Karla.” She looked back towards her father and set the bow back down.

“It’s perfect,” she said as she hugged him. Her arms could barely reach all the way around his massive chest and he giggled as she tried. She took a step back and looked at the bow again. “I’d love to go test it out at the shop. I know they have a target out in the back.” Her father looked at her confused.

“Well now why would we go to the range when we have a perfectly good morning?” Karla looked at him and tilted her head.

“You’re not saying what I think you’re saying are you?” Her father’s eyebrow raised and a smile began to creep across his face. “But you said that you would never go hunting with me.”

“Well today’s a special day, isn’t it?” The large man raised his hands to his mouth and whistled. Out of nowhere she saw both of her brothers appear from outside. Both of them were carrying bows of their own and quivers full of arrows.

Karla ran forward and hugged them both. Her father grabbed his bow off the wall and began to walk towards the forest. “If your mother asks, we were all out just taking a walk,” he called over his shoulder.

****

Karla’s walked behind her siblings and father into the forest. She had taken this path countless times, but there was something wonderful about walking the forest paths with someone else. There was comfort in the sounds of the leaves and twigs crunching under their feet.

It was spring, so there was no frost on the ground, but she remembered how comforting that noise was to her during the winter. She could only imagine that it would get better the more feet crunched through it.

They had been walking for about ten minutes when her middle brother slowed down so that he was walking side by side with Karla. She was always surprised by how large he was. He was only a few years her senior and yet he was massive in comparison. His arms were the roughly the size of her thighs and whenever he hugged her, she was scared that he would crush the life right out of her tiny lungs. As they walked he looked down at her.

“So, have we ever told you the tale about the man who lives out here?” The words left her brother’s lips and instantly her eldest brother was turning around to chime in.

“Do you think she’s ready to hear this story? I don’t know, brother.” His voice trailed off and Karla couldn’t tell if he was joking or not. They had always ruffled her feathers, but she was a woman now. She could hear the story, even if it was a joke.

“Of course I’m ready to hear the story. I’m a woman now.” Her middle brother looked at her eldest and shrugged.

“She has a point, she is a woman now.” The eldest brother slowed down so that he was walking on the other side of her. Karla looked up and saw her father shaking his head. She knew they must be joking at this point, but she would play along.

She couldn’t help but wonder though about the noise she heard when she was out in the forest this morning though. She couldn’t tell them about it though or else they would know about how she often spent the mornings running through the forest alone.

“You see, sister.,” said the middle brother. “A few years before our dear brother here was born there was a man who lived in the town. He was one of the best warriors our village had ever seen. But one day he lashed out against his soon to be wife, disfiguring her. She was devastated that she had lost her beauty and killed herself. But not before she cursed him, saying that he would never find love.”

“Enough.” The tone of her father’s voice cut through the woods, and their mood. Her brother had been smiling, but immediately dropped the humorous tone. “I told you not to tell that story anymore there’s truth in it that isn’t funny.” Karla’s brother apologized and whispered to Karla.

“It was father who banished him.” He said it so quietly that Karla could barely hear him, but her brother sped up his pace so that they were all scattered once again before she could ask him any questions.

That meant that there was someone out in the woods though. And it was a man scorned by her father. There was no way that he knew who she was and would have wanted to harm her, but she realized that she would have to be more careful when alone in the woods.

Karla’s mind began to wander as they walked through the woods, the footfalls that once comforted her now made her tense. Unsure of whether they were theirs or the footfalls of another man. She watched their feet closely, just to be sure that she could account for all of the noise. However, while she was watching them she failed to note the large buck that was standing in the distance. Her father stopped, and before she knew what was happening so did her brothers.

She tumbled into them, bumping them all forward. Her father let out a small yelp from his son stepping on the back of his leg and the buck looked up, searching for the source of the noise. They all froze. Even in their uncomfortable position, they were able to see that this was a master buck that they would all want to get their hands on. Slowly, her middle brother slipped an arrow from his quiver. He notched the arrow and quietly pulled back the bowstring. He aimed up his shot, but his father held up his hand.

Her father looked towards Karla, who was doing her best to stay quiet. She knew that this buck was on the edge of her range and that it would be a risk for her to take the shot. Even if she could make it that far there was no chance she could get the kill.

However, her brother nodded and slowly released the bowstring. He unnotched the arrow and handed it to Karla who looked at the tip. Most arrows she saw were the typical arrow head, but this arrow was barbed. It was clear that if she hit, this one would stay in place.

She notched the arrow onto her bow as her brothers and father quietly kneeled so that she had an unobstructed view. Karla held the bow up and pulled the bowstring back towards her cheek. She could feel her hands beginning to shake, but she fought the urge to stop.

Her muscles were drawn tighter than the sting and she prepared her shot. The wind was soft on her cheek and she knew that she wouldn’t need to account for that. With a single glance she was able to figure the distance and corrected her aim to take the drop into consideration.

Karla took in a deep breath and held it. She loosed the arrow and watched it snap off the string. At the moment it snapped off the string though she heard a loud noise in the distance. As if there was something just waiting for her to shoot so that they could scare the buck. In what felt like slow motion she saw the buck twitch at the noise and attempt to bound away. Her arrow had some velocity though and ended up catching in the thigh of the buck as it took off.

Her brothers and father swore under their breath as they stood up. Karla wasn’t content with a wing though, she was going to hunt it down. She took off at a full sprint after the buck and heard her brothers calling out to her. She couldn’t hear what they were saying though because the wind was rushing past her ears. Looking over her shoulder she called out to them.

“This is my birthday, keep up or go home.” With smiles stretched across their face her brothers chased after her.

****

Karla had never felt more alive than she did in that moment. Her feet were landing perfectly in front of her and she felt like she was getting faster with each foot fall. In the distance she could see the buck bouncing between the trees.

She had often wondered if she would be able to keep up with an animal like this, and she now had her answer. If it was wounded, yes, she could. As she ran she would look down and see the trail of blood that the buck was leaving. Her brother’s arrow had done the trick.