Serenity Valley (43 page)

Bells asked, “Which way do you think
he went?”

Fulk said, “It is the favored opinion
that he went far south.”

Bells and Goodwin looked at Fulk for
some kind of a sign. Fulk checked to see if anyone else could see
him. He drew his finger across his throat.

Bells smiled, and Goodwin said, “Very
well, then, I will have the scribe draw up a divorce decree today.
I’ll sign it and enter it in the official ledger. By this
afternoon, Trina will be a divorced woman, and she can move on with
her life.”

Nesta asked, “Can you do
that?”

“Oh, yes, it’s all very legal, set
down in the original charter with powers granted by the church. I
can also marry people when and if the need arises,” Goodwin
said.

Nesta may have blushed, but no one
could tell with her face so swollen and discolored. She said,
“Finally, Mama can be free of that horrible man. That may sound
like a mean thing to say, but I just don’t feel anything for him,
even if he is my father.”

Fulk said, “I know it’s hard, but try
to put it all behind you. Look at it this way: you still have me.
What more could you want!” Everyone chuckled. The mood at the table
lightened, and the talk turned to more pleasant
subjects.

Goodwin said, “Ivan and Giselia,
runners have been dispatched to your traveling relatives as we
discussed. We need to draft your letter to relatives in your mother
country. I have a man who will hand carry your correspondence and
make all travel arrangements. Have you thought of what your family
may like to do?”

Ivan and Giselia talked for a while in
their native language. Ivan said, “Family has many talents, may
best to wait and ask what they wish doing. They good horses, sheep,
cattle, some farming, woodworking, leather, and some may like still
travel and sell on road.”

Goodwin said, “Fine, when they arrive,
they can use a wing in the main house complex until we settle
them.”

Ivan said, “Too kind for offer. Gypsy
people never much welcome anywhere. People start travel all time
when they be hunted long ago, almost all Gypsy peoples vanish from
earth.”

Goodwin said, “Whether your family
farms, ranches, makes furniture, or continues to travel, may
Serenity Valley be sanctuary for them. They will be part of our
hold society.”

Ivan translated for Giselia. With a
brimming smile, she said, “Never Gypsy peoples welcome; safe home
now will have, run no more.”

Gamel said, “Where would you like to
have your house built? A master healer must have a proper house of
their own!”

Ivan replied, “Not knowing where house
should be, never have house.”

Gamel said, “I believe next door to
this house would be a good spot. What do you think,
Goodwin?”

“I think that would be a very good
place to build. We can save on one fenceline for the turnout by
doing that. What do you two think of that idea?” Goodwin asked,
turning to Ivan and Giselia.

Ivan talked to Giselia again. Giselia
began crying and nodded her head in agreement. Ivan said, “We not
used to people wanting Gypsy near, always push Gypsy down road, go
away.”

Bells got up from her chair and walked
up behind Ivan and Giselia, putting her arms around the two of
them. She explained, “You are family now. No more running. You will
always have a home here.” Giselia turned in her chair and grabbed
Bells around the waist. She hugged Bells as tears flowed down her
cheeks.

Ivan said, “Wife of mine very happy,
have safe place for home now. Thank you for Ivan and
Giselia.”

“Ivan, Giselia, before you do anything
else today, why don’t you get Samuel and bring him home? I know you
miss him, and I would like to meet him!”

Ivan spoke to Giselia. Giselia started
tapping her feet and squealing, then she said, “Me Samuel good boy,
you see I bring my Samuel; now is okay?”

“Of course. Right now, go and get
Samuel!” I encouraged.

Giselia jumped out of her chair and
ran out of the front door.

Everyone at the table was smiling and
laughing. Bells sat down across from Ivan and said, “Ivan, you are
a very lucky man to have such a wonderful wife!”

With water forming in his eyes, Ivan
said, “I love Giselia, my wife, since I being five years. I be most
lucky man alive; my life be Giselia.”

Bells said, “We know that kind of
love. Everyone at this table shares that same kind of
love.”

The rear door opened. Trina, Eva, and
Fina entered the house carrying baskets of supplies.

Nesta yelled out “Mama!” and ran to
her mother and put her arms around her.

Trina put one arm behind Nesta’s head
and another around her back as she would comfort a child. “Sweet
baby girl, let’s have a looks at ya,” she said as she backed away
from her so she could get the full extent of the brutal attack.
Brushing Nesta's hair back, Trina’s face went white as a
ghost.

She fainted on the spot. She had no
more than hit the ground than Fulk was there picking her up. He
carefully placed her on the great chair and put a blanket under her
head. Fina put another blanket over her. Bells arrived with a wash
basin and a cloth. She began swabbing Trina’s face with the cool
water. Fulk added wood to the hearth fire. Eva said, “She be all
right. She hasn’t slept or ate anything since yesterday. She just
got a shock seeing her baby beaten like that is all.”

Nesta filled a mug with hot tea and
sat on the floor near her mother’s head. She pulled her hair in
front of her face to hide herself. Ivan took one of Trina’s arms
and felt her pulse. He said, “Heart calm now, soon be normal; she
be okay.” Everyone relaxed a bit.

Gamel said, “Fulk, why don’t you put
her to bed? She is exhausted.”

“That’s a good idea,” Fulk
agreed.

Trina was coming around. She said, “I
be all right, just got a bit dizzy tis all.”

Fina said, “Here, drink this tea Nesta
brought for you.” Trina sat up and took the cup from Nesta and
sipped the tea.

“I’m sorry, Mama! I’m so ugly I made
you faint,” Nesta said miserably.

“No, darling child, I fainted 'cause I
let dis happen ta me baby. I be ashamed wit da guilt.”

“No, Mama, you saved me. He was going
to kill me. Don’t feel bad, Mama. I would be dead now if you hadn’t
saved me!”

Trina placed her rough, callused hand
gently on Nesta’s swollen face and said, “I would rather die then
see me baby hurt!”

“I know that, Mama. You saved me, and
now I can have a good life, thanks to you.”

Fulk stood up and said, “I need to run
an errand. Gamel, see that she doesn’t leave. Get her to eat. I’ll
be right back.” He flew out the rear door.

Gamel bundled Trina up in her blanket
and picked her up. He deposited her at the table next to Basilea.
Basilea said, “Now I don’t feel so odd. Gamel has cocooned you
also.” Everyone relaxed and sat around the big table. Bells put
together a break fast biscuit for Trina and put the plate in front
of her.

Nesta put her mug of hot tea next to
the plate and said, “Please eat, Mama. It will make your poor baby
girl feel better if'n ya did.” Everyone at the table grinned. Trina
began to eat and wash down the delicious biscuit with the hot
tea.

Trina said, “This be good; no wonder
da guards like ta post here!”

“Mama, Lord Goodwin said he can give
you a legal divorce. You will be free to start a new
life.”

“Well, my lord, does ye think it be
necessary?”

A smiling Goodwin said, “It would be
best. Then you’ll have no cause to avoid any future social
entanglements; should you choose to get involved in such a thing,
that is.”

A couple more minutes passed, then
Fulk and Ox arrived through the rear door. Ox boomed, “Fulk here
tells me there being a parcel a beautiful ladies here servin' up
delicious food.” He took a chair directly across from Trina. Trina
and Ox looked at each other and smiled. Nesta delivered a break
fast biscuit to Ox along with a mug of hot tea. Ox said, “Why,
thanks ya, lass. Come here, lets me sees ya.” Nesta walked over to
Ox but hid her face from him. Ox said, “Closer, darlin', I not
goin' ta bite ya.” Nesta bent down. Ox moved her hair out of the
way and inspected the damage. All the muscles in his face and neck
looked like they would burst. The mug he held in his left hand
exploded, spraying tea all over the table. Realizing what he had
done, Ox calmed himself and let go of the mug pieces still in his
grip. Fina ran over with a cloth and began mopping up the mess. Ox
said, “Sorry, everyone, got da dropsies tis morning.” Eva replaced
the broken mug with a new one. Ox said, “That won’t leave no marks,
baby Nesta; be healin right fast, it will. Got me face run over by
a wagon once, and look at me pretty face now.” As he talked, he was
pointing to the long scar that ran across his nose and down his
cheek.

Bells said, “I thought you got that
when you got drunk and fell through a window?”

Half the people at the table hadn’t
heard the story before and were already laughing. Ox moved his hair
back and showed his half an ear. He said, “That’s how I lost me
ear. Me scar on the face actually caused by a ring.”

Fulk asked, “How could a ring cause
the scar on your face, Master Ox?”

“Oh, it didn’t; fella made fun of me
half ear after a got shit-faced an fell through da window. Said me
ear looked like a opossum’s ass. He wore da ring.”

Everyone was laughing now. Goodwin
asked, “So you got in a fight with this fellow and he cut you with
his ring?”

“Oh, goodness no. A beat him
unconscious and took da ring. That’s when the trouble
started.”

Trina asked, “Sir, I ain’t following
ya, how da ring cause ya scar?”

“Well, I tried ta sell it to da
innkeeper fer another bottle, but thens, I seen his
dagger.”

Basilea asked, “So the innkeeper cut
you with the dagger?”

Ox replied, “Nah, child, I traded da
ring for da dagger; a right fine one, 'twas.”

Everyone was roaring now. Eva asked,
“What became of the dagger?”

“Well, a left da inn and lost da
dagger in da street.” Ox stopped and started to eat his biscuit,
washing it down with hot tea.

Fina offered, “I seen him do this
before. He won’t go on unless ye asks um a question.”

Trina was giggling as she said, “Okay,
I’ll bite. What becomes a da dagger, Master Ox?”

Ox slowly took another bite of his
biscuit, washed it down with some hot tea, and said, “Well, I be
rootin' in da muddy street fer da dagger, an' a wagon comes along
an' runs over me head. Smushed it right down in da mud.”

“So the wagon wheel cut your
face?”

Ox said, “Heavens no, da wagon pushed
me face down on the dagger blade, cuttin' me face.”

Gamel said, “So you traded
the ring for a dagger that ended up cutting your face. You lost the
ring
and
the
dagger in the end.”

“Beg yer pardon, me dagger be right
here wit me.” Ox placed a finely crafted dagger on the table and
finished with, “But a wish I never seen that damn ring!” Everyone
howled with laughter. Ox picked up the dagger, and with grin on his
face, he began cleaning his fingernails with it.

It was at least two minutes before
everyone calmed down. Even Ivan was wiping tears out of his eyes.
Trina said, “No more stories, Master Ox. I almost peed meself.”
More laughter erupted.

The laughter was interrupted by Demon
and Mildred’s whinnies. Gamel said, “Sounds like Samuel is
here.”

“Well, let’s all go outside an'
welcome Samuel, shalls we?” Ox suggested.

Everyone started to get up and move to
the door. Gamel cocooned Basilea and picked her up. Before Trina
could get up, Ox was stuffing her hands under the covers and
wrapping her tightly in the blanket. He picked her up gently and
headed for the door. Trina whispered in Ox’s ear, “Lord Goodwin be
givin' me a divorce today. I be a free woman.”

Ox quietly said, “Well, that be a bit
a good news now; yep, bouts da best news me ever heard, I thinks!”
They looked at each other and smiled.

Everyone gathered in front of the
house. Demon and Mildred could hear and smell the other horse
before he could be seen. Heavy vibrations could be felt through the
ground as Samuel climbed the steps from the brook. Coming up over
the top of the incline were two huge ears, followed by a huge face
with black eyes. As Samuel rose over the hill, his massive body
could be made out. He was a dark dapple gray with jet black mane
and tail. His fetlocks were covered by long, shaggy black hair. He
stood some nineteen hands or better at the withers. His massive
muscles twitched as he seemed to move forward in slow motion.
Mildred was a big horse, but Samuel must have outweighed her by
five hundred pounds. He looked absolutely majestic. On top of his
back sat Giselia. She was taller than the average woman, but atop
Samuel, she looked like a squirrel riding a bear. Everyone talked
quietly among themselves, totally taken by the sight. Ivan said,
“Samuel, he good boy, strong and gentle like gentle
giant.”