Serenity Valley (14 page)

I said, “My lady, I speak for all of
us when I tell you we will do anything to protect you and our
home!”

“I know, Gamel. That is why you are
the chosen three; others will play parts, but the three of you are
the key to successful continuance of this way of life.”

Although Fulk was listening intently,
he kept turning the spitted meat and checking the kettle. Basilea
went to check the bread. The aroma now overpowered us, and many a
stomach growl could be heard from all of us.

Basilea was greeted in the kitchen
area by two horse heads poking through the open window over her
work table. She said, “We have a couple of beggars at the window.
Good thing I baked extra bread, huh, my fine beasties?” Both horses
whinnied and vigorously bobbed their heads up and down. By now,
Mildred was just as corrupt as Demon. Basilea called out, “The
bread is ready; how is the meat doing?”

“It’s ready,” I answered. “The tubers
are ready also.”

We plated the meat, then removed the
tubers and placed them in a bowl. Soon the table was steaming with
hot food. Basilea brought two loaves of her amazing bread to the
table. Four horse eyes watched her every move. Before we all sat
down to eat, Basilea took two loaves of the black bread and gave
one each to the greedy horses. They squealed and trotted off with
their catch. Basilea closed the window and shuttered it from prying
eyes. She repeated the process for the other rear window, then came
to sit down. “Hopefully they will be busy for a while and we can
eat in peace,” she said.

Basilea sat on one side of the table
next to me, and Fulk sat across from me, leaving the place at the
head of the table for Lady Bella. Bella called out, “I’ll be right
there. I have to get something from the basket.” She soon returned
carrying a large goat skin bag. Noticing the seating arrangement,
she said, “What is this? Why am I at table end?”

“My lady, out of respect, we would be
honored for you to take position at table head,” I said.

“I much appreciate your respect, but
this is one place I will feel relaxed and comfortable. Please move
down, Fulk. I prefer to be included in this group without regard to
title or position.”

Fulk moved down obediently, and the
lady seated herself on the bench next to Fulk and said, “Pass your
mugs this way so I may fill them with something suited for the
occasion. This is a sweet fruit wine from a French province in the
west, beyond the mountains known as Roschale. I must warn you that
the sweet, smooth taste hides a tremendously debilitating
effect.”

We all laughed and had our mugs
filled, and the lady made a toast. “To the four of us, the four
rogues.”

We all drank the sweet nectar, and I
said, “My lady, I do not wish to offend in any way, but do you mind
if we give thanks to our God on this important
occasion?”

“Not at all, Gamel. Although my God is
known by another name, I believe we all pray to the same
God.”

I was relieved, and the four of us
bowed our heads as I prayed. “Dear Lord, thank you for the
blessings you have bestowed upon us. Please help guide us in the
coming days to make decisions that are righteous and true. Thank
you for bringing the four of us together. Help us be stronger
together than separately. Bless this family. Amen.”

We looked at Lady Bella, who was still
praying in silence when I had finished. She raised her head.
“Sorry; the translation takes a little longer. My mother language
is not efficient and uses too many words to say
something.”

We all had a laugh and began passing
the food around the table. We all took small portions of the other
things so we could gorge on Basilea’s most favored bread. Looking
quite pleased with herself, Bella said, “Basilea, this is simply
marvelous. Thank you for teaching me the recipe.”

“You are most welcome, my lady,”
Basilea responded with a smile.

The bread was fantastic. Some of it, I
didn’t even bother to butter as to savor the natural
flavor.

“Basilea, you really must set up a
stand at next festival to sell this amazing bread,” Bella told her.
“I will help set up portable clay ovens and supply the fixings. You
can replace the fixings with a share of the profits.”

“Do you really think it’s that good,
my lady?”

“It’s better than that good. Just be
prepared to have a standing crowd waiting in line to buy it.
Perhaps you could recruit some of the kitchen staff to help you
handle the demand. They would no doubt enjoy the extra
coin.”

“Thank you, my lady. Thank you very
much!”

The lady looked slightly disturbed,
and after a moment, she said, “I would ask you three to do
something for me that you may think improper. When I was a little
girl, I was very mischievous, so they put bells on my feet to keep
track of me. Instead of my father calling me Bella, he used his pet
name for me; he simply calls me Bells. When we are away from
others, could you please call me Bells and reserve Lady Bella for
public use?”

“Oh, oh, sure Lady, I mean Bells. As
you wish. Just give us a bit of time to adjust to it,” I
said.

“It would mean so much to me, really.
You see, I hold no favor in being royal born and would much
preferred to have been the wife of a common man. We cannot change
who we are, nor can we tell our heart who to love. The heart knows
what it wants, and we must make a good life from the path we are
given.”

The lady’s honesty rocked us. We
looked at one another, and then back at her. Basilea was the first
to speak up. “We will do our best to comply my, I mean Bells,” she
said. Basilea was embarrassed and put her hand over her mouth. We
all started chuckling, then turned our attention to the meal once
more. When we had feasted on the bread, meat, and vegetables, we
cleared the table and returned to the chairs by the fire. Fulk fed
the fire, and the flicker of orange flame lit our faces as we
stared into the tangled flames. Enjoying the fire and the good
company, the lady seemed to quietly relax, as if she was long
overdue a rest.

After a minute, she asked, “Can I stay
here tonight? I don’t want to go back to the hold. For this night,
I wish to be just Bells, enjoying my family’s company. Can Lady
Bella take a night off?”

“My, I mean Bells, you are welcome
here for all time,” I assured her.

“Oh, thank you. I have been Lady Bella
for twelve years without fault. I just wish to be me
tonight.”

After that night, we looked at the
lady very differently. She was truly just a vulnerable woman
wanting simple happiness and was missing her family. The real lady
was quite different than what she projected to the outside world.
Tears ran unrestrained from her eyes. Basilea got up from where she
sat next to the lady on the wide chair, and I slipped in next to
her. I put my arms around her and placed her head on my chest. She
was shaking in my arms as she hugged herself against me. Basilea
returned with the wine skin and filled everyone’s mug.

Fulk stood up. “I will be right back,”
he said and left through the rear door.

In a few minutes, the lady had
regained her composure and sat up straight. She said, “I hope I
haven’t scared off Fulk?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t worry about it,”
Basilea told her. “Fulk has a good heart. Like you, Bells, he is
just now learning to let go and allow himself feelings.”

We sipped our wine. Before long, Fulk
returned through the rear door and resumed his place in the chair
he had vacated. Basilea took the other chair, and Fulk broke the
silence. “I gave word that the lady, also known as Bells in certain
groups, and Basilea would take their sleep at Sirates House
tonight. I didn’t want the captain to send out search parties, but
I would be very surprised if a guard isn’t already in place around
this house. Such a serious fellow, I think!”

With that remark, we all started to
laugh. We were all smiling again, when Bells said, “Thank you,
Fulk. I must admit you have a way with words.”

“Thank you, Bells. I have been
secretly observing Gamel, kind of learning my words from a proper
rogue.”

Everyone laughed once more. A knock on
the door gave cause for the lady to rise. “I know what this is. I
will be right back,” she told us. Opening the door revealed one of
the lady’s personal guards.

“Good evening, my lady,” he said. “I
just wanted you to know your night guards are in place. If there is
anything you need, please let one of us know.”

“Devin, how many of you are
posted?”

“There are five of us, my lady. Is
that sufficient?”

“Oh, yes, of course. Are you dressed
warm enough?”

“Yes, my lady, we have our cloaks if
we need them.”

“Very well. Hold for a moment,
please.”

“Yes, my lady.”

The lady went to the kitchen area and
cut five huge slabs of the black bread and pasted them with butter.
She grabbed five mugs from the cabinet and walked to the door.
Basilea followed with the jug of cider. Bells said, “Devin, here is
some bread and cider. Please see that your men get
some.”

Devin looked down at the bread with
wide eyes. “Oh, yes, my lady, of course. Is that the special black
bread?”

“Yes, it is. Basilea and I baked it
fresh just this evening.”

“Oh, my lady, you are too kind. Thank
you. We will enjoy it. Be sure of that!”

“Very well, Devin. If it gets cold,
you and your men build a fire ring and warm yourselves. Light the
porch lanterns if you wish.”

“Yes, my lady. We will, and thank you
again.”

While Basilea and the lady returned to
their places in front of the fire, Fulk and I secured the bedroom
windows and set fires in the bedroom stoves. As we were returning
to our seats in front of the hearth, Bells said, “See what I was
telling you, Basilea? If we had enough of your bread, we could
civilize every man in the land.” Basilea just chuckled, and the
lady smiled as she said, “Now, everyone fill your mug, and I will
tell you of some changes we will make starting tomorrow.” The three
of us looked at the lady and wondered what evil little surprise she
could be hatching now.

As soon as we all had mugs full of
sweet wine, Bells said, “In case anyone is wondering, I fully
intend to get drunk. Although I am not normally a corruptor of the
youth, please feel free to join me in the debauchery if you wish
to.” We all shared smiles with one another then began drinking with
renewed enthusiasm. The lady was getting a few sheets to the wind
and began talking. “What you all need to know is that our security
here is directly relative to how well we prepare ourselves. Gamel
has already been in training for some time now, and that will
continue. Now that you have improved your coordination, we will
start training with weapons. I have selected an array of weapons
that are fitting for your build, size, and strength. Although you
will be trained in conventional arms, you will concentrate on these
specialized arms. Your other primary duty will remain Demon. I know
he is vital to the future, although what part he will play remains
in question. Fulk, your commitment to Demon will also remain a
primary duty. Your other duties follow in kind with Gamel’s. You
will begin training for evasion, deception, and weapons. You
already move well and will be a great runner because of your
stature. Your primary weapons will be long bow, broad sword, and
dagger. I have arranged with the weapons master for you to start
training tomorrow with him.”

“Excuse me, Bells, but are you not to
see to my training personally?” Fulk asked.

“No, I will see to your secondary
weapons training. I am only fair with the long bow, but Master Ox
can fire twelve shafts or more per minute and find his mark. I have
seen him loose twenty shafts to flight before the first one finds
its target. He is a master archer, so he is naturally the best
choice to train you in such.”

“Oh, I had no idea my—I mean
Bells.”

“I fully expect you to match his
expertise in time, Fulk. Basilea, I have not forgotten you. Your
duties will change the most. I have touched base with Fina, and
Ada’s daughter will be taking over the bakery duties once you have
trained her.”

Basilea looked at the lady. “What is
it you would have me do if not bake, my—sorry, Bells?”

“Like the boys, you will enter a
training program similar, but unique for your abilities. You are
most like me, so your weapons will be fitting to your stature,
something I have much experience with. I will teach you to use
gracefulness and speed against much stronger opponents and defeat
them.” Basilea had a puzzled look on her face, but no question came
to mind. Bells said, “Oh, don’t be scared. Don’t any of you be
afraid. What you train for will probably not come to pass for many
years. I hope that none of you ever have to utilize what you learn,
but I know that there will be greedy men who would steal our way of
life from us. History has taught us that the unprepared are easy
targets and soon perish from this world. My primary concern is for
my family’s welfare. You are now part of my family. You will be
able to survive, and possibly save our beloved Serenity
Valley.”