The Master's Chair (The Chronicles of Terah) (34 page)

Joan walked slowly around the room, touching the furniture as if to make sure that it was really there. When she turned back towards Blalick, she quickly swiped her eyes to catch the tears that threatened to spill over. “It’s absolutely beautiful! It’s the loveliest room I’ve ever had. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this. It’s really wonderful.”

At Joan’s gushing praise, a hint of pink crept up Blalick’s cheeks under his dark skin. “Ashni prepared this room for you. We hope you will enjoy it.” Then he backed out of the door and suggested that they move on to Theresa’s room.

They went back down the short hall that had led to Joan and Karl’s room and took the right-hand fork. A couple of minutes later, they came to a second door. When Blalick opened that door, Theresa led the way. Her room was not quite as large as the one that Karl and Joan were in, but it was still spacious. It was furnished very much like Joan’s except that the bed was a little smaller, there was only one chest of drawers, and there was only one chair in her sitting area. Her bedspread was also quilted, but the designs were floral and the blanket folded at the foot of the bed was light blue, to complement the dark blue rugs on the floor.

Theresa‘s room had a second door. After she walked around her bedroom for a moment, she stepped over to the door, put her hand on the door knob, looked back at Blalick, and raised her eyebrows.

Blalick nodded and said, “That door leads to another room. We thought you might need a workroom for you herbs.”

Theresa opened the door and everyone followed her down the short hall into the second room. Blalick, Karl, and Steve opened the glowstone boxes that lined the walls and soon the workroom was flooded with light.

The room was almost square and had a small stream running along the far wall where six troughs had been set up for cultivating herbs. In the center of the room, there was a long worktable. Along the left-hand wall was a large storage cabinet and a big sink. Extra shelving had been attached to the right-hand wall, and sitting to the right of the door was a wheeled cart.

As Theresa looked around, Blalick said, “I hope this workroom is satisfactory. Sari knew that a sister was coming to stay for a while and insisted on preparing this room herself.”

“It’s perfect. And I love the herb beds. We can set them outside for the growing season and then store the seeds and bulbs in here when the frost begins,” Theresa said as she wandered around the room, inspecting everything. “I can’t wait to meet Sari and thank her for all of this.”

“You will meet Sari and Macin tomorrow morning. They plan to help you unload your wagons. But Theresa, I do need to warn you. Sari has always been interested in healing and the medicinal herbs, so she will probably ask if she can assist you while you are here.”

“I’d love to have her help, Blalick, for as long as it lasts, but most of the work is just plain backbreaking and no fun at all, so don’t be surprised if she starts losing interest before long,” Theresa said with a smile.

After they left Theresa’s rooms, Blalick led them back down the hall past the fork and on to the walkway they had taken from the sitting room. When they reached the main walkway, he turned left, and led them farther away from the sitting room. After another fifty feet or so, a second corridor led off to the left. As they turned down that hall, Blalick announced that the next bedrooms belonged to Chris and Kevin.

The doors to both of the bedrooms were at what appeared to be the end of the hallway. Chris’s room was off to the left and Kevin’s room was straight ahead. Both of the rooms were large and almost square. The furniture was the same as Theresa’s, but their bedspreads and rugs were done in earth colors. The only difference between the two rooms was that Kevin’s room had a second door on the opposite wall, just like Theresa’s.

When Kevin asked about it, Blalick replied, “The tunnel continues through that door, and eventually leads to our house at Wildcat Pass, and then on to the peak of the mountain. Later I will show you which tunnels to take to reach our house, but for now, it would be best if you do not venture out on your own. There are a lot of side tunnels that wind around inside the mountain going nowhere, but there are also deep shafts that drop hundreds of feet into rock pits or underground pools of water.”

Blalick then changed the subject by using Kevin’s door to illustrate how to latch their doors once they were inside their rooms. “This latch will not really stop anyone who is determined to get in, but it will slow them down a bit, and they will make enough noise trying to break through that you will definitely be awake by the time they get in.”

“Do you really think we might be attacked here?” Darrell asked.

“No, I do not. However, I believe in preparation. I feel certain that all of you plan to keep your swords handy, even though you are tucked away inside a mountain. That is the same reason we put latches on your doors. Now, shall we move on to Darrell’s and Steve’s rooms?” Blalick asked as he motioned them back out of Kevin’s room.

Once they had returned to the main walkway, they once again turned left, away from the sitting room. This time they only had to go a short ways before they came to a corridor that went off to the right. Before they headed down that hall, Blalick pointed to a small alcove at the end of the main walkway. “You might want to use that area for some extra storage. We can put a door across it if you wish. It is not very big, but it might be useful.”

Then Blalick led them down the hall to a fork. He pointed to the right and said, “Darrell, your room is that way. The door is only a few feet down the hall, but the hall curves so you cannot really see it from here. And Steve, this is your room.” Blalick pointed to a door that was down the left fork.

Steve opened his door and walked into his room at about the same time that Darrell opened his. The rest of the Tellurians split up, half following Darrell and half following Steve. Their rooms were not quite as square as Chris’s and Kevin’s, but they were just as large.

After everyone had looked around the rooms for a few minutes, Blalick said, “Shall we go back to the sitting room? I imagine you would like another mug of scog before turning in for the night, and I feel sure that Ashni has prepared a snack.”

The walk back to the sitting room seemed quite short now that they knew where they were going.

Ashni had already set a tray with a large pitcher of scog and seven mugs on the coffee table, and was taking oatmeal cookies out of the oven just as the Tellurians walked in.

When Ashni brought in the tray of cookies, Joan said, “Ashni, those rooms are lovely. Did you make those quilts? They’re gorgeous!”

“Thank you. I am pleased that you like them,” Ashni said. “Sari and I made them.”

“I love those patterns, and the stitching is so delicate. Do you think you could teach me how to make quilts like that while we’re here?” Joan asked. “And where did you get those rugs?”

“I would be happy to show you. It will not take you long to pick it up. As for the rugs, I have a loom on which I made them. If you like, I will have Blalick make one for you,” Ashni said. “I set the coffee pot and coffee on the table beside the stove ready for the morning. I will come down around 8:00 and help you fix breakfast, if that is all right. The children will come down a little later to help you unload the wagons and store your things.” Ashni put her hand on Blalick’s arm. “We will say good night now, if there is nothing else that we can do for you tonight.”

“Thanks again for everything,” Steve said as Blalick and Ashni started towards the passage. “We really do appreciate all the trouble you went to.”

After the giants left, Joan poured scog into the mugs and handed them out while Theresa passed the tray of cookies around.

Once everyone was settled, Joan asked, “Do you believe those rooms? Who would have thought that life in a cave could be so luxurious?”

Chris nodded and said, “Once you get past the chamber pot and the wash basin, our rooms rival any four star hotel I’ve ever stayed in.”

Joan frowned and asked, “Why not a five star hotel?”

“Can’t say,” Chris said with a shrug. “I never stayed in one.”

After the chuckles died down, everyone drank their scog and ate cookies in relaxed silence. Finally Steve stood up and said that unless someone knew of something that absolutely had to be done that night, he was going to head for his room and stretch out on a real bed for a change. When no one said anything, he picked up his mug and started to take it out to the kitchen.

“Leave your mug on the tray, Steve,” Kevin said. “Chris and I’ll clear up tonight.”

“Hold on a minute, Steve,” Darrell said as he finished his last swallow of scog. “I’ll walk down with you.”

~ ~ ~ ~

After everyone else had left the sitting room, Kevin and Chris straightened up the area. As they carried the mugs out to the kitchen, Kevin asked, “What do you think about the fact that I have a room with a second door in it? Is it just a coincidence?”

“No. I don’t think anything connected with Blalick is coincidence. He’s far too organized and careful for that. He had a reason for putting you in that room,” Chris said thoughtfully. “Why give you a room with an extra door to defend?” Then after a minute he added, “Unless it’s an escape route.”

“But if it’s an escape route, wouldn’t he have shown me which way to go to get out of the caves, or at least told us that that’s what it was?”

“It doesn’t make a lot of sense, does it?”

“I got suspicious when he tried to scare us out of exploring it. Do you think it might lead to Glendymere?”

“I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Guess we’ll find out soon enough,” Kevin said as they finished washing up the mugs. “Let’s get some sleep. I have a feeling you and I are going to need all the rest we can get.”

Chapter 29

Settling In

By the time everyone woke up the next morning, got dressed, and showed up in the kitchen for coffee, it was nearly 8:00. Darrell was the last one to saunter in.

“Good morning,” Steve said as he handed Darrell a mug filled with hot coffee. “Did you sleep as well as the rest of us?”

“I slept like the proverbial log,” Darrell said with a sheepish grin. “I can’t believe I slept nearly ten hours without waking up once. I’ve never done that before. I must have been more tired than I realized.”

“We’re all worn out,” Theresa said. “We’ve been on the road for seven weeks.” Then she sighed and added, “I’m so glad we’re finally here, and do you believe we actually made it on time? Today’s the first of June.”

Karl nodded. “When we left Drisden, I wasn’t sure that we’d make it at all, much less on time. I wish there were some way we could let Kalen know.”

“I have a feeling that he’ll know soon, if he doesn’t already. I bet Blalick sent him a message last night,” Kevin said. The conversation paused as Joan used the last of the coffee in the pot to top off everyone’s cup.

“What did you think of your nightshirts?” Theresa asked. “Mine was so soft and warm I hated to pull it off to get dressed this morning.”

Darrell nodded. “I hope Ashni meant it when she said we could have them. I’d love to have a couple more of those.”

“They were probably so soft because they’re been worn a lot,” Joan said as she put a fresh pot of coffee on the stove to perk. “Those nightshirts were tunics that her children had outgrown. There’s no telling how old they are.”

“I never got anything that comfortable when I was wearing my brothers and sisters old clothes at home,” Chris said. “She can feel free to offer me hand-me-downs like that any time.”

Ashni walked into the kitchen with a basket on her arm in time to hear Chris’s comment. As she began to unload the groceries, she said, “I may be able to find a few more old tunics if you really are interested, Chris.”

“You bet I am.”

“They were made out of llama’s wool. I was afraid that they might be too warm.”

“Llama’s wool?” Karl asked in surprised. “You have llamas around here?”

Ashni nodded. “In the valley on the other side of Wildcat Mountain. We have llamas, big horn sheep, and a few goats. I spin the wool into thread or yarn, and then either weave it into cloth, use it for knitting, or use it to make rugs. We also have about ten dairy cows and a couple of dozen hens.”

“I don’t suppose you’d be willing to teach me how to do all of that, would you?” Joan asked, a little embarrassed. “I hate to seem so ignorant, but we bought our cloth pre-made where we came from.”

“Of course. I will be happy to show you how to do it. It really is not hard; it just takes time. Blalick can make you a spinning wheel after he makes you a loom. Now, shall we get breakfast ready so you can start unpacking? Blalick and the children will be here in about an hour.”

~ ~ ~ ~

Blalick walked in with his son and daughter right as the Tellurians were clearing the table. Macin was about ten feet tall, and looked and moved like a teenager in the midst of a growth spurt: his feet seemed to be too big for the rest of his body and his movements were a little awkward. His squarish face looked young, about thirteen or fourteen, but they knew that he was twenty-four years old. His eyebrows were thick and bushy, like Blalick’s, and his eyes were the same deep jade. The belt that he wore around his tunic was a replica of his father’s, and although the sword he wore at his side was a full four feet long, it looked small when compared to Blalick’s. When Macin said hello, his voice cracked, which increased his general discomfort and embarrassment.

Sari wasn’t quite as tall as Macin, only about eight and a half feet tall, and she favored her mother. Her thick black hair hung loose to her waist and was held out of her face by a headband like Blalick’s. Her face was oval with delicate features, and her eyes were the same shade of green as her mother’s, not as dark as her father’s and Macin’s. She had the same regal stature as her mother, although she was not yet as willowy and graceful. Her dress was similar to Ashni’s and, like Ashni, she wore a dagger at her side. Sari looked and acted like a shy young girl eleven or twelve years old, even though she was twenty. She kept her eyes either on her parents or on the floor, not risking even a glance at any of the Tellurians.

After Blalick introduced everyone to his children, he asked, “Shall we get started?”

“I’d like to take the horses out to the pasture first,” Karl said.

Blalick nodded. “Come along, Macin. You can help with the horses.”

After the men left, Joan said, “Theresa, why don’t you and Sari get started on your wagon?”

“Okay. Sari, let’s go get the cart from the workroom. It’ll make unloading all my stuff a lot easier,” Theresa said. Then as she started walking towards the hallway to her room she added, “I understand you’re the one I have to thank for my workroom. You really did a great job in there.”

“Thank you, miss,” Sari said in a quiet voice, but her eyes sparkled with pleasure as she turned to follow Theresa.

By the time Joan and Ashni finished washing the dishes and putting everything away, Theresa and Sari had returned with the cart, so all four of the women headed for the wagons to start unpacking.

While they were walking down the passageway towards the wagon room, Sari edged over next to her mother and whispered excitedly, “Theresa asked me to help her collect herbs for the beds.”

“That is nice, Sari, but remember, she will have other things to do too, so be careful not to overstay your welcome,” Ashni whispered back.

“I will be careful.” Then Sari walked a little faster to catch up with Theresa again.

The men were just coming in from turning the horses loose in the pasture when the women got to the wagon room. Karl looked at the two wagons and said, “Let’s tackle Theresa’s first.”

Darrell climbed up in the back of Theresa’s wagon and started handing things down to the others.

“Darrell, just pile the blankets and tarps on the seat for now,” Joan said. “I want to air them out before we store them.”

After everything except the herbs had been unloaded, Theresa climbed up in the wagon and started handing jars of powdered herbs out to Sari to load on the cart. Everyone else grabbed an armful of kitchen supplies and headed for the kitchen.

Joan and Ashni stayed in the kitchen to sort the food and cooking utensils while the others went back to help Theresa and Sari. When only the potted herbs were left, Theresa said, “I need to find a place to set up an herb garden. I don’t want to move all of these twice. Why don’t all of you take a break for a few minutes while Sari and I go outside and look for a good spot?”

“Let’s all go outside for a bit,” Darrell suggested. “I could use some fresh air.”

The men stretched out on the ground right outside the cave entrance while Theresa and Sari wandered around looking for the perfect spot for the herbs. About half an hour later, they found a small clearing that would work just fine.

While they were looking it over and planning how they would organize the plants, Sari said, “Would it help if we had some tables to set the pots on?”

“That would be nice, but we didn’t bring anything like that with us,” Theresa said.

 “Would you like for me to ask Father to make us some tables?” Sari asked.

Theresa considered it for a moment. “I hate to ask, but it really would help.”

Sari grinned and headed back to the cave entrance. By the time Theresa caught up with her, she had already asked Blalick to build a couple of tables for the potted herbs.

“How long would you like for the tables to be?” Blalick asked Theresa.

“Six or seven feet would be great,” Theresa answered.

Blalick nodded and said, “Would you like them waist high? Your waist, that is? About three feet?”

“If it’s not too much trouble,” Theresa said. “I really hate to ask you to do this, Blalick. You’ve already done so much.”

“It is no problem. Come along, Macin. Let us go get some wood and a few tools,” Blalick said as he stood up.

“Do you need some help?” Karl asked as he stood up and stretched.

“No, we will be fine. You still have some unpacking to do,” Blalick said. “We will be back in a little while.”

By the time all of Theresa’s potted herbs had been carried out to the clearing, it was time to break for lunch. While they were eating, Blalick and Macin returned.

“We left the wood and tools outside in front of the cave,” Blalick said. “When you are done, you can show me exactly where you want the tables and we will get them put up for you.”

As soon as Theresa finished her lunch, she, Sari, Blalick, and Macin left to go set up the tables in the herb garden.

 “I’ll take care of clearing up from lunch. Why don’t you go ahead and unload Kevin’s wagon?” Joan said to the guys when they had all finished eating.

“Let’s just leave the instruments in the wagon for now,” Karl said. “Next week I’ll borrow some wood and tools from Blalick and make a case for the harp and a cabinet for everything else.”

Joan nodded.

“What about the weapons? Where are we going to put those?” Darrell asked.

“We’ll only have to store the extras,” Steve said. “I’m sure we’ll all want to keep our own weapons in our rooms.”

“We could use that alcove that Blalick showed us, but we need to get some cabinets built down there first,” Karl said. “Maybe we should just leave them in the wagon, too.”

“I want one of the long bows in our room where I can get to it,” Joan said. “I plan to practice with it quite a bit while we’re here.”

“And I want to keep the stars in my room,” Darrell said.

“Karl, would you get Theresa’s bag and put it in her room for her?” Joan asked.

“Sure, and I suppose you’ll want me to get yours, too,” Karl said with a grin.

“Unless you’d rather wash dishes,” Joan said, ginning back.

After they finished with the dishes, Ashni said, “Let us go through the pantry so that you can get a good idea of what you have and what you are going to need. Macin will leave for his monthly trip to Abernon on Sunday, so you will need to give me your shopping list by tomorrow night. Include everything that you think you will need for the next month, not just food. If Theresa needs anything from the Chapel of Light in Abernon, tell her to add that to the list. Macin can stop by and pick it up for her.”

“How long does it take him to get there?” Joan asked.

“It takes him three days to get there, one day to pick up the supplies and to deliver the goods that we send in, and three days to get back.”

“Three days? You’re kidding! We traveled for ten days to get here from Abernon.”

“They must have sent you the long way around.”

“Must have,” Joan said, shaking her head. “You mentioned sending things to Abernon. What do you send?”

“Different things. I make wine from berries and grapes, so sometimes I send a few casks of wine. Sometimes I send some cloth, and occasionally a few quilts or rugs. In the fall, I send preserves and jams if I have any extra. Now, shall we get started on the pantry?”

As they were going into the pantry, Chris and Kevin walked through the sitting room on the way to their rooms, each holding one bag and carrying a cloak.

Ashni frowned. “They do have more clothes than what is in those bags, do they not?”

“No, that’s it. We each have four outfits, including the one we’re wearing,” Joan said. “I know we’re going to need warm clothing for the winter, but there was no way we could bring it with us. There wasn’t a lot of spare room in those wagons. I figured that we’d be close enough to a town that I could get some bolts of cloth and some thread. We’ve still got most of the coins that Kalen gave us, so we have the money, and once I get some material, it won’t take me long to make tunics and leggings.”

“Let us go through my attic first. I have a lot of winter clothes that Sari and Macin have outgrown. Maybe we can alter some of them. And we will need to have a new pair of boots made for everyone, a little larger than the ones you are wearing now, so that we can line them with fur. Did you say that you are leaving here in eight months? That is the end of January, the worst possible time of the year to cross the prairie.” Ashni shook her head. “We will make thick, bulky sweaters. We will use a double strand of wool, and…”

Joan interrupted her. “Ashni, we can’t take very much with us. Remember, we only have two wagons, and those wagons have to hold all of our instruments, weapons, food, camping supplies, and Theresa’s herbs. There isn’t going to be a lot of room for clothes.”

“Do not worry about that. I will have Blalick make another wagon. You will need it,” Ashni said firmly. Then she stepped into the pantry. “But, for right now, we need to see what you need for the next month. I hope you do not mind, but I started ordering extra supplies a couple of months ago to get you started. Shall we see what we have here?”

~ ~ ~ ~

A couple of hours later, Joan and Ashni had finished making the grocery order, Blalick and Macin had finished making Theresa’s tables, and the wagons were as unloaded as they were going to be for a while. As the work was finished, people began congregating in the sitting room.

At one point, Macin walked over to Kevin and quietly asked if he could speak with him for a moment. They walked into the kitchen for a little privacy.

“Glendymere is expecting you tomorrow morning, and my father has requested that I escort you to his cave,” Macin said. “Would it be all right if I met you at your room about 7:30?”

“That will be fine, Macin, but would you rather I meet you somewhere else?”

Macin looked a little confused. “No, your room will be fine, sir.”

“By any chance are we going to Glendymere’s by way of the tunnel that leads from my room?”

“Yes, sir. I am sorry. I thought you knew. Willow Canyon is on the other side of Wildcat Mountain. It is quicker to go through the mountain than to go over it.”

“7:30 tomorrow morning will be fine. Will Chris go with us, or does Glendymere want me to come by myself tomorrow?”