Serenity Valley (24 page)

Everyone was keenly interested,
especially Goodwin. “Oh, I would like to meet these people, Gamel!”
The rest of the group was of like mind.

“If you think it safe, I could invite
them to eat with us tomorrow.”

Goodwin said, “I defer to your
judgment, Gamel. You know their character.”

“They are good and honest people, in
my opinion. Giselia has a bit of a language problem, but I know you
will like them.”

“Good, then. I will make up some
excuse to escape the evening meal with the stuffy nobles, and we
will enjoy another evening here. I really envy you three. I would
trade all the wealth and power for the ability to live a more
satisfying life with my Bells, but we must make a good life with
what we are given.”

I thought about what Goodwin said.
“Goodwin, I believe that the best nobleman is the one who does not
seek or want the title.”

Bells looked at me carefully. “Gamel,
you are much too wise for your short years.”

Fulk did not restrain himself. “That
must be why I make such an exceptional assistant!” Everyone
laughed. The evening wore on a while more.

Fulk, Basilea, and I soon excused
ourselves and retired to the sleeping quarters. Within a short
time, Basilea was tucked against me in my bed. I noticed she still
wore the locket. I got too warm during the night and opened the
shuttered window by my bed, and soon fell back to sleep.

Just before day break, Basilea and I
were jarred awake by being doused in the face with ice-cold water.
We leaped out of bed, looking everywhere at once. Fulk was just
sitting up to see what the fuss was about. It was then that I
noticed a dark shape in the window. I turned up the oil lamp, which
cast light on Demon’s head sticking through the window. Water was
dripping from his mouth. I yelled, “Demon, you! I’m going to get
you! Just stay right there.” Demon started squealing and tossing
his head up and down. “Stay right there!” I said again. “I’ll deal
with you!” Demon snorted, squealed, then turned and ran.
Fast-moving hoofbeats could be heard all the way out into the
turnout. Fulk thought it extremely funny.

When I went out to feed the horses a
bit later, Demon had already forgotten all about it. Horses are
well known for short memories. They live in the present. Goodwin
and Bells left before breaking fast so they could dine with their
guests. The guard stayed in place as part of the cover story. Soon
Basilea left for the festival grounds and the bread-baking tent.
Fulk and I decided to take the horses out for a bit of showing
off.

The first stop was the kitchen, where
the horses traded their flowers for pies. Nesta came out when she
saw us. She said, “Good morning, Sir Fulk. Did you sleep
well?”

“No, my sweet. I must say no, for
every time I started to doze, I would picture your beautiful
flaming tresses. My heart would not allow sleep for missing the
sight of your beautiful face!”

Nesta smiled and giggled. The women in
the kitchen started cackling among themselves. “Why, he be as bad
as Gamel!” “Another rogue with silver tongue this one be.” “Lord
help us, now there be two um!”

“Good Sir, shall I be seeing you a bit
later, then. Do you plan to take me to theatre this
evening?”

“Lovely princess of flame and fire, no
force known to man or beast should attempt delay me in my return to
your side!”

Nesta was a bright red and enjoying
all the attention. The kitchen staff was snickering at the nonsense
Fulk was delivering. I was impressed. He was coming along just
fine. Nesta stepped to Fulk and gave him a tender kiss on his
cheek. “I will see you after midday meal then, kind
sir.”

“Beloved princess of flame, my heart
is shattered in such tiny pieces, they could pass through the head
of a needle. Shattered it shall remain until once more I can gaze
into your enchanting eyes!” With that, Nesta turned a brighter red,
kissed Fulk again, then dashed back into the kitchen.

The staff was having a
fit. “I tell ye, this one’s to be worse than ta other!” “I thinkin'
that might be the best lie yet!” “God protect us, this one be
ta
golden
-tongued
rogue he be.” “It be romantic; do ya remember young love?” “What ya
talkin' 'bout, we ain’t never been young!” With the staff laughing,
Fulk and I made our way on the path curving to the front of the
main house. Perhaps we could entertain some more
noblemen.

“Fulk, I am totally impressed! You
seem to have found the gift of poetry!” I said as we walked
away.

“Oh that, yes, well, it just seemed to
be the right thing to say!” We were both grinning.

“Well said, Fulk, well said,
indeed!”

When we neared the front of the main
house complex, I spotted Bells playing hostess to a group of
noblemen, ladies, and children of various ages. Bells was dressed
in a pale green dress with matching tunic, trimmed in gold and
light wood toggles. The dark green sash tied at her waist was the
exact color of jade. Her hair was up and held in place with her new
comb and pins. The delicate tassels floated from the ends. She was
beautiful. So elegant and subtle, her attire made the other ladies
look gaudy and overdone in comparison.

When she saw us, she called out, “Oye,
Master Gamel, Assistant Fulk, out for a walkabout, are
you?”

“Yes, my lady,” I answered. “Good day,
my lords and ladies.”

“The ladies want to know where my comb
set came from, “she said with a twinkle in her eye.

“Oh, yes, my lady, it was the Gypsy
wagon of Master Ivan and Lady Giselia. They are fine, honest people
dealing in rare treasures from the most distant lands.”

A noble lady asked, “I say, young
master, are their prices fair?”

“Oh, yes, my lady. The comb set was
secured for a pittance of its actual value.”

Bells looked at me, grinning, and
winked one of her golden eyes.

One of the lords took note of the
horses. “I say, Master Gamel, those are two fine horses. Is that
the Sirates colt?”

“Yes, my lord. This is Demon and his
stepmother, Mildred. Would you like to meet him?”

“Certainly would!”

The group moved closer. I looked at
Fulk and winked. He grinned in response. The game was on.
Yesterday’s performance was repeated. The lord and ladies were
entertained as Demon and Mildred pranced around the group, soaking
up praise. Fulk hefted several spoiled youngsters onto Mildred and
gave them a short pony ride around the group. Everyone was
extremely impressed with the horses. Several lords inquired about
paying in advance to have one of Demon’s first offspring. Bells
deferred to Goodwin regarding the horse business. Of course, a
couple of the lords also inquired about our boots.

“Master Gamel, what kind of boots do
you two wear? I have never seen anything like them.”

“My lord, these are the newly designed
forest boot made right here by our master tanner, Forwin. They are
lightweight, extremely durable, and comfortable. They are also
available for the ladies in any color desired.”

Bells added, “Indeed, they are
comfortable. I am wearing mine right now. They are my running
boots. I confess I should have waited for my dress colored boots to
be finished, but I couldn’t stand the thought of wearing
uncomfortable footwear.” Bells picked up her dress so they could
see her boots. The ladies were keen to examine them.

“Are they really comfortable, Lady
Bella?” one lady asked. “You don’t even notice you’re wearing them.
I’m having a dozen pair made in different colors to match my
dresses.” Bells once again gave me an almost imperceptible wink.
Fulk didn’t miss it, and we both looked at each other casually. It
was fun playing with the rich, jealous, privileged class. To polish
off the performance, I asked Demon some questions, to which he
answered, causing the group to clatter about and applaud. This was
Demon and Mildred’s cue to parade and prance around the group.
Coming to a stop in front of them all, Demon and Mildred took their
bow, much to the crowd's excitement.

One of the lords asked, “Do Demon and
Mildred understand you, Master Gamel?”

“My lord, Demon and I are bonded
together by circumstance. We understand each other quite well.
Mildred learns from Demon by example.”

“Amazing! I never seen anything like
it before. Been round horses all my life! How did you become bonded
to one another?”

Bells stepped in and rescued me. “It
is the most amazing tale of tragedy, heroism, and triumph one could
ever hope to hear of. Let me tell you the tale on the way to
festival, where we can do some shopping.”

Fulk and I quickly bid them all
farewell and trotted away with the horses. When we were well away
from the group, Fulk giggled. “So how long have you been putting on
this show?”

I said, “Second day running, but I’ll
be here all week!”

We both started laughing, and Fulk
said, “That is a lot of fun, Gamel. Bells is very clever, isn’t
she?”

“She is a master of manipulation,
Fulk! God help Forwin and my Gypsy friends. They are about to be
overrun by a very wanting group!” Fulk just laughed and shook his
head.

As we neared the festival grounds, the
most heavenly scent filled the air. Fulk and I looked at each
other. The aroma of Basilea’s bread made our stomachs growl. As we
passed Master Forwin’s tent, we could see a crowd of people that
extended well outside his tented area.

“Well, it looks like Forwin has his
hands full, aye, Fulk?” I said.

“Yea, and then some!” he
agreed.

“Oye, Master Gamel, Assistant Fulk,
hold please!” Forwin was scurrying over to us with a smile so wide
it must have hurt. “Gamel, what have you done?” he asked as he drew
closer to us. “I have been overrun since yesterday! My whole family
is helping in the booth, and I had to hire the lord’s master
accountant to write deposit receipts for orders.”

Fulk and I were laughing. I said, “I
take it the forest boot is selling well?”

“Well! I have over five hundred pair
ordered, and more all the time. I will have to run the tannery
round the clock to make enough leather. I’m bringing in my
brothers, uncles, nephews, and their families to help. This one
festival would allow me a great retirement if I wished. I almost
feel guilty!”

“Master Forwin, please don’t retire,
as you are the best master tanner in the country. Do not feel
guilty, either, as your product is of the finest quality and well
worth the price!”

He said, “I just can’t believe it.
What did you do, Gamel?”

“I guess you could say that a bit of
manipulation has taken place,” I replied.

Fulk started laughing. “He has the
greedy lords so wanting of anything within hold boundaries, they
would buy turds if we let them. In the case of your footwear, they
solicit us. We just show them the fine product, and it sells
itself! Everybody loves your boots! Lady Bella is wearing her boots
under her gown, and I bet Basilea wears them also.”

“She wears them?” Forwin
said.

“Oh, I need to warn you, Master
Forwin. Lady Bella wings this way with a group of noble ladies
wanting to purchase your boots in colors to match their wardrobes.
She is waiting for her dozen pair of dress boots of various colors.
Just a little white lie, but no misrepresentation of your goods.
She showed them to the ladies, and jealousy did the
rest!”

Forwin just stood there in shock for a
moment. Then, he seemed to spring into action. “I’ll have to
expand, so many things to see to. Thank you so much, Gamel; you
started it all.”

I said, “Master Forwin, you are simply
getting recognition you deserve now. No need to thank
me!”

“This is for you, Gamel.” Master
Forwin handed me a sack of coin.

“No need for that, Master Forwin. Keep
your coin.”

“I insist. You insult me to refuse. I
won’t forgive you for making me feel guilty!”

Fulk and I started laughing. Forwin
was laughing also while he grabbed my hand and slapped the heavy
bag into it. As he did so, he said, “I am also going to make you
the finest saddles for these fine horses. I will make one for the
mare immediately, but I suggest waiting on the colt until he grows
out to ensure the fit. Please follow me, young men.”

Forwin took us to the rear of his
covered tent. His whole family was showing goods and talking to
customers. The master accountant was busy recording receipts for
payment and upgrading a ledger.

I asked, “Are they all paying in
advance, Master Forwin?”

“Oh, yes. The master accountant
insists, that way no one backs out and sticks me with the goods. No
one will argue with a master accountant; that is why I wanted
him!”

“Shrewd, sir, very shrewd!” I
said.

Forwin said, “Now, let me measure the
mare for a saddle.” Taking out a marked strap and stick, he took
numerous measurements, making notes on a slate as he did so. After
a few minutes, he said, “Well, that does it. This fine mare will
never suffer a saddle sore from my product. Is there anything else
I could possibly do for you, Gamel?”