1
Jean dreamt of the day his sister was born. He was running through the forest, away from the dragon. There was a blinding flash in this dream. Fire. He could feel the cold breath, the icy fire of the beast. It narrowly missed Luna and the children.
In the waking world, Jean’s eyes were tight shut. Cold sweat soaked his brow. His breath was short, and his face disturbed.
Back in the dream, by some miracle of the Lord, they had escaped the dragon. Suddenly his vision went dark, and he was moving fast. His arms were wrapped around something. Hair, soft hair, like a horse’s mane. He opened his eyes and saw the white steed. A shadow flashed on the trail ahead. The horse reared.
But it wasn’t a horse. It was–
And then he woke up, his little sister pulling at his green sleeves.
“Jean! Jean! Aunty Luna says it’s time to get up!”
The elder brother flicked his hand free to wipe the sweat and sleep from his face. "I'm awake! Frieda, I'm awake!"
Frieda ran out to let him get ready for the day. Jean stretched a kink in his lumbar and yawned. Then he looked out his bedroom window and laughed. His sister was one of the nicest girls he'd ever known, but she could be a pesky brat all the same. Was she really ten years old already? So much was different from then. He couldn’t complain about the straw bed, but it was nothing compared to the comfort he had slept in at Martin’s Castle. As much as Luna had done for him and his sister, she could only do so much.
Ten years passed since Frieda was born, ten years Luna spent on children that belonged to someone else. Nevermind that her Andre could very well count for three children just as himself, the rascal that he was.
Jean and Frieda were provided food, and a roof over their heads. That was enough to be thankful for.
The young man opened his window and met the day. Fresh breeze complimented the soft sun’s warmth while birds hummed their morning tunes.
Isolated in a little cottage hidden just south of Brissland, only nature knew where they lived, or that they still lived at all. Well, nature, and Andre’s uncle Danger. But he rarely stopped by. Ten years like this.
How time marches on. At least, Jean supposed, that his sister would always be a pesky brat.
While Jean was finishing his final stretches, he heard a yelp from his brother’s room down the hall; preceded by a splash of water.
Case in point, but the thief had to be incentivised to get out of bed, otherwise he’d just pretend he was awake before falling right back to sleep. Good way to waste a day.
“D! D! Aunty Luna says it’s time to get up!” Then came another splash, and another yelp.
“I was already awake, Frieda!” yelled D. Another splash, another yelp, then a little girl’s giggle as she ran out the room. A wet pillow hit the door as she sped out.
Frieda ran back towards Jean’s room, trying to get downstairs, but was stopped by Jean as he exited his room. He ruffled her hair before she dove between his legs and crawled down the steps. Andre, soaking wet, ran out of his room with fury on his face. His eyes locked on Frieda, and he charged like a bull, until he too was stopped by Jean, who still stood in the same spot.
“It’s nice to see you took my advice on the bath. Still, you better dry up before you go downstairs. You know how your mom doesn’t like water soaking in the floorboards.”
Andre fumed. But he knew that Jean was right. His mother hated her floorboards getting wet. And it was their job to replace them when they started to warp. Andre turned around and stomped back to his room.
“Who’s stomping?!” yelled Luna from downstairs. “Andre, I’ve already got a spatula in my hands, don’t make me come up there!”
*****
First breakfast, then chores. Bacon, eggs, and toast. Luna chided the boys for “smelling like boys,” and told them to take a bath after they were done with their chores. Jean and D fed the animals and pulled weeds from the garden while Frieda helped Luna with their dishes and laundry. A sweep here, a mop there, and the kids were off for their day’s adventure.
****
Westwood River ran all throughout the county. It started somewhere north from their home and ended somewhere south. That was all the kids knew, as they were never allowed to travel too far from home. Not that Jean and D didn’t ever go just a little bit further than they were told they could.
“Aunty Luna says we aren’t supposed to go to the river.” Frieda whined at her brothers. While they walked, she was stuck with all of D’s provisions. Jean held his own gear of course, and D only carried a fishing rod.
“She told us we needed a bath.” D replied. “Besides, who’s gonna say no to lunch?”
Frieda scrunched her face and spat out her tongue.
“Yuck! Fish!”
“Don’t worry,” Jean whispered, “It’ll be good. As long as D doesn’t cook it.”
“I heard that!” D called.
“Heard what?” Jean asked.
A pinecone flew towards the summer knight's face, missing him by five feet.
And so they walked.
And while they walked, the summer knight closed his eyes. His ears tuned themselves to the rush of the river. But it wasn’t just the water he heard. A song was in the air. In the sun and sky, in the wind and leaves. His hands curled. How he wished he had his lute. But when his boots crunched on the dirt and pine, he could still say the line;
“Song of the fay:
Come what may, seize the day.
Listen, and rise.
I’m with you forever, in every way.
Love never dies…”
A mystified Frieda looked up at her older brother with a tilted head.
“What’s that?” asked D.
“I dunno. It just kinda… came to me.” But whatever compelled him to sing was gone now. It fell on and off the young man the same way rain falls to dry in the sun. Sometimes the music was just another part of Jean’s natural instinct, like the drums in his heartbeat.
2
Water splashed as D ran into the river. He had given up trying to catch anything with his pole, deciding instead to catch the swimming trout by hand. If he was going to catch anything, he knew the only way would be by hand.
Jean hummed to himself as he watched D’s bold efforts. Unlike D, Jean had yet to run out of patience, he simply sat by the river and enjoyed the weather, keeping an eye on his still line.
“Ha!” D shouted, “I got one!”
He pulled something out of the water. Jean and Frieda couldn’t make out what D was holding, but it didn’t look much like a fish. D tossed it back.
“Nevermind, it was just a weed.”
Something tugged on Jean’s line, he set the hook and reeled it in, landing a fair sized trout. He beat it swiftly, then tied it to a stick in the ground, letting it float in the river before he’d eventually gut the thing.
“That was just luck!” D called.
“He’s lucky to have caught anything at all, with you running around like a goofball!” Frieda said.
“Goofball? Me? How could you say such a thing?”
Frieda spat her tongue out at D.
“Now you’ve done it!”
D ran back to Jean and Frieda. As he neared them he threw water at Frieda, splashing her and her brother. Jean let D splash Frieda more, before stepping in to save the day.
“Sir thief,” he grinned, “you’ve done me wrong.”
“Uh oh.”
Jean set his pole aside and hopped into the river. Just like that, another epic battle between knight and thief had begun. They wrestled in the water. But as strong as Jean was, he had a clear advantage. So D ran out of the river and grabbed a stick to defend himself. Jean’s grin widened as he completely submerged himself in the water. He disappeared from D’s sight.
This made D wary. He neared the bank slowly and scanned the river. He still couldn’t see Jean. After a moment, he started to worry for his brother.
“Jean?” he asked. He went closer to the spot he last saw the summer knight.
When D came to the very spot, Jean leaped from the river bank and ran to his provisions and grabbed the tiny wooden blade from his childhood.
“Sir thief, you know how this ends.” Jean spoke to his brother.
D ran to the shore with his stick. “Indeed I do! With you crying, Sir Greensleeves!” he declared.
Their weapons clashed.
“Get him, Jean!” Frieda called.
*****
Eventually, the boys were tuckered out, and they laughed all the while. As always, Jean had won. He was bigger, stronger, and more practised in the way of the blade.
But that hardly meant that D was completely outmatched. The thief had a spirit of his own. He was quick and full of tenacity, and put his best efforts in their playful sparring. Jean respected him for that.
Jean and D each cast another line from their fishing rods, and the three of them put their backs to the grass as they stared at the clouds. D and Frieda listened as Jean hummed the same tune as before. It was stuck in the young man’s head and refused to leave.
3
With two more fish caught, the three decided to gather their things and head home. D stopped as they turned from the river.
“D? What’s up?” Jean asked.
D stared across the river and into the woods on the opposing side. Something was wrong.
“What’s that sound?”
“What sound?” Jean stopped and listened carefully. He heard it too. The faint sound of movement, of boots snapping pine and dirt. There were rough voices too, and laughter.
D couldn’t help but wonder what those people on the other side of the river were laughing about. Whatever it was, it sounded fun. He needed to see.
Jean noticed his shoe was untied, and bent down to correct it.
“Well,” Jean began to say as he stood back up, “we should probably get-”
D was already halfway across the river.
“What are you doing?! Come back! D!”
But Jean’s voice was behind him, and D could pretend not to hear it over the roar of the river and the laughter across. His excuse became easier when he got even farther, and Jean’s voice quieter.
When D reached the marsh on the other side, he climbed up a tree to stay out of sight. Then he hopped about from branch to branch along the pines to get closer to the voices. He spotted a road, along which were four men. Three wore scarlet red jackets. The fourth wore chains. The men in red spat and laughed at their prisoner, one going so far as to punch him in the gut.
The prisoner fell to his knees, then his head was held up by his curly hair.
“Low blow, Teran,” the prisoner said, “Quite literally.”
“Shut up!” The man called Teran responded, and punched him again.
D wasn’t sure what was going on, but he figured the men in red jackets were bad guys. Or at least Teran was, because he didn’t have the decency to enjoy the prisoner’s jokes. Teran clearly couldn’t recognize genius when he saw it. Or heard it.
Yessir, bad guys if I’ve ever seen them. D thought to himself.
Teran held a knife up to the funny man’s face. “Nice hair you got there. Be a shame if something were to happen to it.”
“For me or you?” the prisoner asked. He took another smack to the face. His face was bleeding.
*****
Hidden high up in the tree branches, D was careful not to be spotted. But if there was something to be done, now was the time. He picked a pinecone from his tree and took a deep breath. After another breath, he threw the pinecone.
It flew fast and hard, before landing on Teran’s head. Teran spun around and D slipped closer to his tree.
The man with the red jacket sheathed his knife and brandished a sword. Teran took a few steps towards the tree. His eyes scanned left and right, up and down, and then they spotted two branches that did not move, not even in the wind.
But before Teran could take a closer look, a horse and rider emerged from the brush on the other side of the road. The mare whinnied as they flew, and they landed directly at the prisoner’s feet.
D heard the sound of metal snap, the prisoner’s chains were broken. Though D saw the rider had a firm grip on his sword hilt, he never drew the blade.
The rider lent a hand to the prisoner, who quickly mounted the mare before they took the road.
That left all three men in red jackets, as well as D, stunned.
“Whoa! That dude just kidnapped Thomus!” said a voice beside D.
The boy turned, and was surprised to see a familiar face sketched with scars sitting on the same branch as he.
“Uncle Danger!?” a startled D screamed. Then, in wake of his surprise, D fell from his tree. He landed face first on the dirt road, catching the attention of all three men in red jackets.
Uncle Danger hopped down to defend his nephew.
“How’s this?” Teran mused, “First one, and now the other!”
“What are you talking about?” Danger asked, “I don’t know Thomus!”
The three men grinned. D figured the man who just escaped was named Thomus.
“Especially after all this time of travelling with the man!” Danger added. “You’d think we’d know a bit more about each other, but nope. Why, just the other day when we were stealing from you guys–”
“I don’t think you’re helping.” whispered Danger’s nephew.
“Little Danger, I’m disappointed in you. You sound just like Thomus! Maybe I don’t know either of you!”
Taking advantage of the nephew and uncle’s distraction, the three men closed in.
4
Jean didn’t like the sounds coming from the woods. It would be getting late soon, and Aunt Luna would be worried. He had to do something.
He felt safer with the tiny wooden blade strapped to his belt.
“What are you going to do, Jean?” Frieda asked.
“I don’t know,” he answered, “but hopefully I’ll be back with D. If I don’t return soon, I want you to run back home, understand?”
Frieda nodded her head. She would stay put. Satisfied, Jean hugged his sister and bolted across the river to save his brother. He snuck between trees, looking up every once in a while to see if D was hanging above him. He heard voices before him, and proceeded with caution.
A few minutes later he came across the owners of the voices. At a glance he could see D tied down next to his uncle. Apparently Danger D’angelo was in town. Great. That man brought nothing but trouble.
Two guards stood on either side of D and Danger. Jean, hidden in the shadows of the trees, picked a pine cone and threw it at a sagebrush. One guard went to investigate while the other watched. The summer knight used this opportunity to creep behind his bound friends. Well, one of them was his friend. The other was a…it would be more polite not to say what Jean thought about Danger.
He went behind D and tapped his brother on the shoulder.
“Jean!” D whispered. Jean put a finger to his mouth and tried to untie the knot that tied the thieves down. It was an unfamiliar knot, and he had the pressure of time; the thugs’ attention would only be bought for so long. Jean struggled to loosen the rope.
“Run!” D tried to warn, but it was too late. A hand gripped the summer knight’s shoulder and turned him around. Three men in red jackets stood behind him.
“It’s our lucky day, boys! Lord Martin’s sure-”
Jean swung the toy sword directly into the red jacket’s ankle. Teran fell to the ground, and Jean struck him once more in the head for good measure. The foe was out cold, but before the summer knight could challenge his next duel, the other two grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged him to another pine tree.
“No!” D cried.
“You’ll pay for that, you little bastard!” one of the men said, and he raised a hand to slap the boy. His wrist was stopped by the hand of the other man.
“Martin will pay more if they are unharmed.”
5
Jean hadn’t come back yet, and Frieda worried that the sun would sink soon. It would be dark, and she would be alone. She was scared. She wanted her brothers to come back. She wanted to go home.
She was told to head home and alert Aunty Luna, but what would happen to her brothers if she did? What if Aunty Luna came back and it was too late?
“Jean!” called the sunset princess, “D!” She tried again to no avail.
Tears welled up in the little girl’s eyes. She sat down.
“What ails you, little one?” a voice asked, “And what are you doing out here by yourself?”
Frieda looked up to see a brown cloaked rider before her, and a young man with curly blue hair sitting behind him. She couldn’t see the other rider’s face between the shadows of his large plumed hat and scarf, but he seemed friendly enough.
“What does she have to do with anything?” the young man asked, “Danger’s still back there, we’ve gotta help him!”
“You know Uncle Danger?” Frieda stood up, “Is he in those woods? My brothers are in there!”
“What?” the shadowed rider exclaimed, “Thomus, take this girl home, I’ll take care of Danger!”
“Why-” Thomus fell off the mare as it reared and dashed into the woods.
That left the odd young man with curly blue hair and the little girl alone in the dark. Thomus was scared. He wanted Danger to be safe. He wanted to go home. “What a jack-heel.” he said to himself, then turned to the girl, “So, you live far from here?”
6
“Your mom’s gonna have our hides for this, D.” Danger said, as if that was the more immediate threat. “What are you doing anyway? You shouldn’t be this far from home.”
“We could ask the same of you.” Jean and D said in unison. “You shouldn’t be this close to home.”
“Well, you see, a few months back I ran into this guy (you saw him earlier, Little Danger, curly hair, shot-guntar, talks way too much if you ask me), one thing lead to another and we kind of became partners in crime, and-”
“How romantic.” D joked.
“Why does everyone say that? It’s purely a professional relationship. On my end, that is; Thomus ain’t all that professional. He’s always combing his hair. Just last week, he paid for his food at a restaurant before we robbed the place. That man is an amatuer thief at best. I bet you’d make a better pickpocket than him, Little Danger.”
D beamed with pride. He believed it, and so did Jean, who rolled his eyes. Danger continued his story. “Well, we heard of this big score in Lucksworth and figured, since we knew the territory, that it was easy pickings! Real simple job. But then, and totally not my fault at all, there were complications…”
“What kind?” Jean asked. “What was the score?”
“Well,” Danger nodded toward an open empty chest not far from the trees they were tied to. It was empty. “We heard a shipment of Martin’s was passing through the rose city. We weren’t exactly sure what it was, because Martin’s a selfish cow who keeps his business to himself, but we did know it was worth a large sum, so we took a gamble. Turns out Martin likes to keep his stuff well guarded, and we were overwhelmed by his bad-hands and buckaroos. Somehow, when we were escaping –professionally and bravely, I might add– Thomus was clumsy enough to trip over my foot while I got away. But as you can see…”
“What happened to the score?” asked D.
“What do you mean ‘Thomus tripped over your foot’?” pressed Jean.
“Sadly the score got away from me. It’s out there somewhere.”
All three stared at the forest, their imaginations running wild.
“Okay, but what do you mean, ‘Thomus tripped over your foot’?”
“Well you see,” Danger began again, before being cut off by a noise in the distant woods. It sounded like a wolf’s howl.
The two conscious men in red jackets sat by a fire they had just built. One tended Teran, while the other kept the flame steady. When they heard the howl, the man keeping the flame stood up.
“Did you hear that? It’s close!”
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“Well don’t just stand there!” said the other, “Go get him!”
“Right!”
He ran alone into the woods. There were sounds of growling, of the man shouting and crying in pain. Then there was the sound of a canine’s yelp. Eventually the man came back holding a small puppy in his arms. The dog growled and tried to fight his way out of the arms, and bit the man on his hand.
“Ow!” He cried, “You rat!” He smacked the dog on the head and shoved it in the chest. The chest was slammed shut and locked.
This struck a nerve in all three prisoners. The men in red jackets were proving themselves to be more and more evil as the night went on.
“What are we going to do?” D whispered.
“We gotta get out of this rope.” Jean said, “Danger, do you have a knife or something?”
“Why would you think that of me? Just because I’m a thief? You think that makes me a dangerous criminal?”
Jean sighed.
“There goes that idea.”
Just then, the rider in the large plumed hat burst through the trees, sword in hand. His mare whinnied.
“Hey, that’s the guy that kidnapped Thomus!” Danger said.
“No, Danger!” the rider declared, “I’m a friend!”
The red jackets drew swords of their own and surrounded the horseman. Teran was quick to his senses, even quicker to his blade. He pointed his sword at the prisoners.
“All right!” Called Teran, “Why don’t we all settle down. We wouldn't want anything happening to these young lads, now would we?”
The swordsman calmed his mare. The other red jackets stood still, their blades poised to lunge.
“What do you propose?” the rider asked.
“State your business.” Teran demanded, “Then we might arrange some sort of trade.”
“No.” the rider said. “Hand over the prisoners and I’ll let you keep your worthless lives.”
Meanwhile, Danger was whittling a stick to pass the time. After a few seconds his eyebrows raised with realisation.
“Wait a minute…” he whispered. He did have a knife!
Jean and D felt their ropes loosen and fall from their hands. The rider noted this, and kept the men in red jackets’ focus on him.
“What say you, dogs?! Are your three lives worth theirs?”
“I thought the dog was in the chest.” whispered D, “What’s he talking about?”
“Don’t worry about that right now.” Danger whispered back. “Boys, stay still and wait for my signal.” Then he snuck up as carefully and quietly as he could behind Teran.
“I’m afraid you’re not being very reasonable, sir.” Teran said to the cloaked rider, “It was a high gamble for you to return. You bushwhacked us before, but now you’re in the open. Three on one. I like those odds.”
“Three on one plus one plus one plus….” Danger pinned Teran down, then paused as he tried to do maths in his head. “Bah, forget it. Now, boys!”
Jean and D sprang into action. The summer knight dashed for his wood blade beside the chest while D rifled through the thugs’ provisions.
The rider’s mare reared, and she kicked her hooves at an approaching villain. The man fell over, with the wind knocked clean from his chest.
The other man in the red jacket, who was not Teran, stepped toward the preoccupied D.
“Oh no, you don’t!” Danger cried, he wrested the blade from Teran's hand and ran to defend his nephew.
Teran regained his footing, and saw an opportunity to win his sword back from the thief who pinned him down. Danger might not be worth much money dead, but a corpse would be easier to carry than a fighter. Teran had been struck down one too many times to consider mercy.
Before the buckaroo could move, however, a blade flashed before him. It was at his neck.
“I wouldn’t.” said the rider.
Danger brought his blade down, swinging for the red jacket’s head. The villain evaded Danger, but felt a sudden pain in his head and his vision went black. Jean had knocked him out with his trusty oak toy.
D found the key and opened the chest. The terrier barked and growled, not trusting of the young thief.
“It’s okay, boy!” D said, “We’re friends! We’re getting you out of here!”
*****
With the tables turned, the men in red jackets were tied to the trees, while our heroes stole their horses and provisions.
“Sweet revenge.” D mused, holding the dog in his arms.
“Truly.” his uncle agreed.
Jean sighed. “Aunt Luna’s gonna have a cow when we get back.”
He looked to the rider, trying to peer through the shadow cast by the man’s hat.
“Who are you?” D asked.
“My name is Beaumains.” the swordsman replied.
“Did you happen to see my sister?” the summer knight blurted, “Is she safe?”
“She is. I sent her home with Danger’s friend.”
Jean sighed once more, frightened to see what Luna’s fury had in store for him and his brother. Their true tribulation was still waiting at home.
7
“You reek like fish guts and dirt! What am I going to do with you two?”
D started to defend himself, but Jean stopped him before disaster struck.
“Sorry, Aunt Luna. D, why don’t you take the first bath?”
“What? You’re not the boss of me!”
Luna glared at her son.
Andre was wise enough not to argue with the look that his mother gave him. Defeated by forces greater than any man, D obeyed his mother, and went to draw himself a bath.
With her hands on her hips, Luna’s look turned to Jean.
“What were you thinking?! You could have been killed!”
“D went into the woods alone, I tried to stop him. He wouldn’t listen to me, so I went in after him.”
“Not only that, you left your baby sister all by herself! Then a stranger brought her home! What if something happened to her?! As the eldest brother, it’s your job to watch both of your siblings. What were you doing that far from home?”
She had a point there. Maybe it wasn’t the best move to leave his sister alone.
“I’m sorry, Aunt Luna. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“You could’ve stopped your brother from going out on his own. You could’ve come to me at the first sign of trouble. You could’ve taken a bath this afternoon when you were told to. You know better. I’ve told you a thousand times not to go near the river.”
There was nothing left to say, but that did not stop Luna from scolding Jean in circles until it was his turn to take a bath.
8
Jean got dressed in fresh clothes. As he stepped into the hallway he could hear D and Frieda playing in the adjacent room. He peaked downstairs to see if Beaumains was still there.
He was standing in the kitchen with Luna, as she scolded her brother Danger and his friend with the curly-blue hair. Beaumains’s face was still obscured between his hat and scarf, something Jean was surprised his aunt allowed. Beaumains raised his hand to acknowledge the summer knight.
“Ah, Jean. Step outside for a moment. I have something for you.”
Then the man walked out the door. Cautiously, Jean followed, pretending not to see the desperate plea in Danger’s face as he passed by.
Beaumains sat on the porch swing, humming an old song to himself. Jean took a seat next to him. A breeze whistled through the summer evening, adding itself to the man’s song. Grass rustled and crickets chirped. Even the swing’s creaks were another instrument in the evening’s orchestra. The stranger stopped humming, and the tune faded into the background.
“I hear you broke your lute.” Beaumains said.
“How did you know?” Jean asked.
“I know things, young sir.” he said with melancholy.
There was a pattern there, even if Jean did not see it.
“So, I got you this,” Beamains said, pulling a new mandolin from his bag. He handed it to Jean. Its maplewood shape fit perfectly between Jean’s arms and his lap, its strings were steel, and the shape of maple leaves were carved into its headstock.
“Try it.” Beaumains said.
Jean hesitated. A single note came to him. He played it. Then another, which he played as well. A couplet, a single note, then a full chord. His fingers got a slow start, but they eventually found a rhythm and Jean went with it. The strings felt right in his hands and had a decent sound to them.
His hand slipped, he missed a note. He stopped playing.
“Thank you.” Jean said.
“Of course,” replied Beaumains. He stood up. “I should probably be going. Take care, Sir Greensleeves.”
Jean watched as Beaumains rode his mare away from the house and into the evening woods. He turned and waved to the summer knight.
“And take care of your sister!” he called, before disappearing into the shadows of the forest.
Jean sat on the porch swing, staring at his new instrument in contemplation.
Who was the mysterious rider Beaumains? Why did he hide his face? Everything about him reminded Jean of Frieda’s father. But Gareth was dead, killed by Martin’s men. Wasn’t he?
What a long day it had been.
9
“I don’t want to take care of that dog!”
Jean, Freida, D, Danger, and Thomus all sat on the couch while Luna laid down the law.
“I don’t want him to take care of that dog either!” Danger said, “He’s of value to me, if you don’t remember! I think it’d be better if-”
Luna glared at her brother. Danger shut up. He was wise enough to know not to argue with that look.
“It’s decided.” Luna said, “How else are you going to learn responsibility, Andre?”
“I’m responsible!” D protested. “What about Jean? Doesn’t he get to be responsible too?”
Luna didn’t like that.
“DO YOU WANNA TURN OUT LIKE YOUR UNCLE, YOUNG MAN?”
“Am I in trouble, Aunty Luna?” Frieda asked, tugging her aunt’s pale-blue dress.
“No, dear.” Luna bent down and kissed the girl’s cheek. “You didn’t do anything wrong.” She turned to the boys.
“We’re going to town tomorrow for groceries. I want you two to pick up supplies for the dog.”
“What about us?” Danger asked.
“I want you gone by tomorrow.”
“That doesn’t sound too bad.” Thomus said, “I guess that means we’ve got a place to sleep, right, Danger?”
Danger grinned.
“That’s my baby sister. No matter what I do, she can’t stay mad at me. She loves me too much.”
Luna grinned back.
“I’m glad you feel that way, Danger.”
*****
Jean looked out the window to see Thomus and Danger fighting over the porch swing pillow below. Rain was pouring, and they weren’t given any blankets. While there was a spare bed inside, Frieda thought their new dog should have it. Even though Frieda’s bed was big enough for her and the terrier. In fact, they were sharing her bed anyway.
This served Jean as a reminder not to test Aunt Luna’s wrath. He and D had gotten off lucky compared to those two, even if D didn’t see it.
“What are we supposed to do now?” he asked. “I don’t know the first thing about dogs!”
“We’ll have to learn, I guess.”
Jean grabbed the mandolin off his nightstand and tuned it. Frieda sat in her bed, holding the dog away from her while it tried to lick her face.
“Lights out soon, you guys!” they heard Luna call.
“Alright, Mom!”
Jean fingered notes from the mandolin, the song from earlier still in his head.
“So what are we going to name him?” D asked, looking at the dog.
A magpie cawed outside. That sent the dog yapping at the window, protecting his new owners from the devastating threat that was the bird.
“God, jer’ so annoying.” D said. He paused. “...Y’know what, that’ll work.”
“What’ll work?” Frieda asked.
“The name!”
“What?”
“Godger!”
Jean stopped.
“Godger?”
“Yeah! Watch!” D called Godger by his new name. The dog hopped off the bed, looked up at D for a moment, then jumped back up to be with Frieda.
“Traitor.” D grumbled.
“Don’t call him that!” Frieda said, “He’s a good boy! Aren’t you, Godger?” Godger simply licked the girl’s face. “Ah! No! Bad dog!” she screamed.
Jean snickered and stood up. “We oughtta get to sleep. We’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”
He grabbed a book off his nightstand and read his sister to sleep. Godger snuggled up against her, his head resting on her shoulder. The summer knight replaced the book and mandolin on the nightstand and blew out the candle light illuminating the children’s room, now replaced by moonlight. Jean stood silently by the window.
“You going to sleep, Jean?” D asked.
“In a minute.”
Those words lingered in his mind. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t get the song out of his head. He looked at Frieda, and found himself thinking of Lyonesse. It was amazing to him how much the girl looked like their mother.
He wondered what she was doing right now, locked away in the Vault. Was she asleep, like his sister before him? Was she wasting her life away, working in the taverns and taking the harassment handed to her like it was before? How had ten years gone by so quickly since he last saw his mother?
He wished Frieda could have met her. He whispered the song to himself and looked out the window. Beyond the trees he could make out the lights of the rose city. Lyonesse was out there somewhere, beyond the lights. He looked below to see that Thomus and Danger were asleep on the porch. He shut the curtain and went to bed.
10
Sunshine filled the cloudless sky with its warmth as the wagon rolled along. Godger barked at animals and passersby. He sat in Frieda’s lap, tail wagging. It was clear he was enjoying himself.
“Can you believe him?” Danger complained, “After all the effort we went through to save that little guy, all he cares about is the girl and wagon rides!”
“Right?” asked D.
Lucksworth was coming up ahead. Luna stopped the wagon.
“Get out.”
“You’re gonna make me walk all that way?”
Luna glared at her brother, there were sparks in her eyes. “I took a big enough risk letting you stay the night. It’s bad enough that I’m taking my family into town as it is, but we have no other choice.”
It was a fair point. Danger and Thomus hopped out of the wagon and walked off the side of the road. They’d wisely decided it was a good idea not to let the sparks in her eyes catch fire.
“Well, thanks for having me over.” Danger said, “I hope we see each other again soon, little sister!”
“Just as long as it’s not in the middle of one of your adventures.” Luna replied, “You were always such a troublemaker, you know that?”
“Don’t say that, I’m an innocent soul! You know you love me!”
Luna fought her laughter. She knew indeed.
“See you around, Danger.” She said, “Don’t get caught.”
“Me? Caught? Do you think I escaped Martin’s Vault all those years ago just to be caught?”
“Wait, what?” the boys gasped. “You escaped from the Vault? You know where it is?”
“Well sure,” Danger said, “there’s lots of trails leading to it, most of which are hidden. I just headed south along Westwood River and about a week later I ended up in Lucksworth!”
Luna urged the horses forward. “Say goodbye, kids.”
“Bye, Uncle Danger!” The kids waved to the thieves as the wagon pressed forward. Jean examined Danger’s companion. There was something in the face of Thomus that seemed familiar. Jean couldn’t place it, so he dismissed the thought. The city held more interesting things to consider than the face of a thief.
*****
The evil count of In Pace County was obviously an influence on the county seat. If not for the church, Martin would own every block and building of Lucksworth. Most people in the rose city were either loyal to Martin or the church. In fact, most enterprises traced back to the count regardless. That’s why Luna and the children had to be careful. Northward eyes were everywhere. They did not come to the city often.
There were buildings of all shapes and sizes. Some were tall enough that they seemed to touch the sky. Others were so small that Frieda wondered how anyone could fit in them, let alone run a business full of customers. But even as she wondered, there they were, full of customers.
The family passed by a building, its sign read, “Frontier Books”. The sight of it put a pang on Jean’s heart, reminding him of The Eternal Return. He had lost his copy the day his family escaped the dragon. Of all the books he read to Frieda, that was the one he wanted to read to her most.
Song of the fay…
“You okay, Jean?” D asked.
“Yeah, it’s just that song again.”
“Oh?” Luna asked, “Are you coming up with something new?”
“I’m not entirely sure,” Jean said, “there’s something that just keeps coming to me. It feels like someone’s trying to send me a message.”
“Keep at it, Jean. You’ll figure it out.”
They stopped outside the general store. Luna told Jean to watch his sister and the wagon while she went inside with her son. Jean plucked at his mandolin while they waited. Frieda rested her head on the summer knight’s shoulder, and Godger sat in her lap, resting his head between his paws. It was a quaint tune, but nice for the ears. Even the dog seemed to enjoy Jean’s music.
“Jean?”
He stopped.
“Yeah?”
“What was mom like?”
And he sighed.
“She was a lot like you,” he said, “She had a big heart with lots of love. She’d always read to me the same way I read to you. It seemed like she had the answer to everything, and she probably did.”
“What about dad?”
He sighed once more.
“He was a hero. Not just to me, but to the entire county. He’s one of the bravest people I’ve ever met, and he was exactly the man that mom deserved.”
“What happened to him?”
That was not a question Jean wanted to answer. But staring at his sister’s wide eyes, he had to tell her something.
“No one’s really sure. We haven’t seen him since you were born. I bet he’s somewhere out there out on his adventures. Doing what he can to keep us safe, I guess.”
“Do you think we’ll ever see them again?”
The summer knight wrapped an arm around his sunset princess.
“Maybe. I hope so.” He said. Jean continued plucking strings, singing the song stuck in his mind, and another verse flowed through from him:
“Over hill and under tree,
Where silver streams laugh and fairies sing,
I’ll meet you there and join the song
So stick with me through our journey long
We can share our affections and keep our tune
Come along with me,
I’ll meet you there and join the song.”
“I love you, Jean.” Frieda said.
“And I’ll love you forever, Frieda. Never forget that.”
She never did.
*****
Luna entered the pet shop. When she walked in, she was surprised to find it filled with the squeaking noise of a thousand rats.
Rats in cages with other rats, rats in cages with other animals, and rats out of cages entirely. It took a careful effort for Luna to step around the rodents and their messes, until she got to the counter. Behind it was a short, smelly, balding man feeding dirty rags to dirty rats.
“Excuse me,” said Luna, “Where is Eilonwy, and why are there so many rats?”
Eilonwy was the owner of the pet shop, a kind lady who was never seen without her winged-rabbit Fluffy.
The smelly man twitched his nose and ears, and looked at the customer with his beady little eyes. Then he spoke in a high-pitched voice and an alleyway accent. “She took her soft-speaking big stick and went on one of those rat-less ‘adventures’ her kind gangs aft agley. You know the sort.
“I’m Eugene, by the way. I’m filling in for Eilonwy while she’s gone. And I’m improving her business model. She didn’t have enough rats, you see. So I brought some of my friends to help out. My friends are the rats, you see.”
“I see.” Luna replied, pretending she had a clue on what the funny little man was talking about. “Well, I’m looking for some dog food and supplies. How much would it cost for–”
Eugene cut her off with an enraged outburst. “DOG?! DOG?! WOMAN! Look around you. Are you sure you want dog food? We sell supplies for real pets, you see. Rats only.”
“Er–Dog is the name of my rat. I named him that because he really likes dog food. And he…told me he really wants to be taken out on walks with the harness and leash that those…rat-less dog owners use.”
Eugene’s face softened considerably. “Ah. He’s one of those rats.” He chuckled to himself. “I’ve seen ‘em before. Chiwawas.” Then Eugene walked to a shelf where Eilonwy kept her provisions for the canine inclined. “You spoil him too much. As long as he doesn’t think he’s a cat. Those are the worst kind of rat.”
“Yes, well, I’ll make sure to spray him with a bottle of water if he does.”
Eugene’s face curled in horror. “Never clean a rat. Not even in jest. It borders heresy, you see.”
“Er…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it.”
“I know you didn’t. Otherwise I’d have my rats eat the skin from your bones.” Eugene laughed loudly. Luna chuckled nervously along. The man scrunched up his nose and bared his yellow teeth. “Anyways, since I like you, I’ll be generous with my offer. Two bottles for a bag of dog-food and ten shots for the leash.”
“EXCUSE ME?” Luna demanded.
Now in Lucksworth, a shot was upward of ten silver dollars, and a bottle was worth twenty shots. Most men were lucky to get paid more than a shot a week, averaging two dollars a day. Needless to say, the price was outrageous.
Upon hearing the price, Luna gave the shopkeeper a look that would scare any self-respecting rat. Eugene may have been crazy and unwise, but he was wise enough not to argue with that look. He was quick to correct himself.
“That is to say, that is the normal rate. For you, being a friend of the owner’s, three dollars for everything. Altogether. Whatever you want.”
Luna’s face softened to a smile, and she took just what she needed. “A pleasure doing business with you, Eugene. Give Eilonwy my regards.”
The rat man’s nose twitched. There was a glint of beady eyes, it was clear he wasn’t complimented often.
“I run a good business, I do. Just enough rats. I run my own business too, you know. ‘Eugenic Extermination Services,’ I help get rid of…”
Eugene noticed something he’d not noticed before. “...pests…” he finished. Luna raised her eyebrow, and she took her business somewhere else. What an unlikeable creature, she thought.
*****
Jean and D helped Luna carry supplies to the wagon. Godger barked happily when he saw food and treats tossed in the wagon bed.
“Is there anything else we need while we’re here?” Luna asked.
“Well,” Jean said, “I was wondering… I’ve been reading the same six books to Frieda over and over, and I was wondering if we could get a new one?”
Luna looked to Frieda, then back to Jean. She was smiling.
“I don’t see why not.”
And so they made their way across the street to Frontier Books. It was safe enough to go there, since Martin had no use for books or the bookish market. A clerk’s counter stood on the left hand side of the entrance. Full shelves stacked all the way up to the ceiling, all in neat rows like toy soldiers at the ready.
“How can I help you?” the clerk asked.
“We’re looking to expand our library,” Luna said, patting Frieda on the shoulder, “What would you recommend for this one?”
“What does she like?”
While they carried on with their conversation, Jean scanned the store, fascinated. He noticed an ascending staircase, apparently this was just the first floor. He could smell coffee and hear the soft chatter of people as they sat at small tables and stood between the isles. Amazing! How had he not been here before?
For once in a while, he felt free. He stepped toward the nearest shelf and rubbed his fingerprints over all the spines. This section contained books of romance. Nothing the summer knight would like. Another held studies of maths and science.
Then at last, he neared the stairway. There were other shelves to explore, but his sense of adventure beckoned him up the stairs.
“I wonder what’s up there.” D said.
“Have you been following me?” Jean asked, startled.
“Yeah. You didn’t notice?”
“I guess not.”
They proceeded up the stairs to see a globe guarding the top step. Paintings and maps hung on the walls of the second floor. To their right sat a desk, a letter opener set upon a stack of blank envelopes. This floor had a more interesting selection, poems, histories, myths and legends. Curiosity drew Jean to explore these isles. He couldn’t be entirely certain but there may have been a chance…
“What are you looking for?” D asked. Jean was too focused on his search to hear the question, and so he kept looking. D examined the shelf, curious to see if anything here would peak his interest. As his eyes scanned the spines he noticed a piece of folded parchment on the floor. He picked it up and saw a rough sketch of-
“Thank you kindly, Andre. I was looking for that.”
The boys turned. Hovering over their shoulders was the obscured face of a tall man. Only a nose peaked out between a scarf and the shadow of his large plumed hat.
“Beaumains,” Jean said, “what are you doing here?”
“Most good songs have a bridge between verse and chorus.” The swordsman thought aloud, for a moment his eyes were distant. “I wonder if you hear it too…”
Then he refocused his attention, “I was just running some errands before embarking on an adventure. Thank you again, Andre, I need that.” he extended his hand. Without thought, D handed the swordsman his parchment.
“You boys be good. And give the ladies my regards.” Beaumains tipped his hat to the boys and swiftly disappeared. When Jean was sure the man was out of earshot, he asked D about the paper.
“It looked like a map. Of Brissland.” D said. And the boys wondered in a shared silence what Beaumains was up to. Brissland was full of adventures, but did anyone just go to the magical forest for the sake of it? It seemed awfully reckless.
*****
Finished with her shopping, Luna called the boys to the entrance of the bookstore. Jean noticed D’s hands were stuffed into his pockets, and he could almost make out what looked like some kind of handle.
He matched a glance with the thief, arching a brow.
“What?” D asked, grinning.
“Nothing.” the summer knight answered.
Frieda showed Jean her new books. Three volumes, none of which were the one he wanted. Regardless, they’d be sure to enjoy reading the books together. Godger rested in Frieda’s lap, enjoying the warmth of the sun. Jean plucked at his mandolin, considering today’s events. Beaumains’s map, Danger’s reputation, and the song. Something about it all seemed to fit together. Like everything was part of a single story.
11
“What else did you steal?” Jean asked.
“I thought you’d never ask.” D emptied the contents of his pocket onto his bed. Among the letter opener was a folded piece of parchment.
“Is that Beaumains’s map?”
“The very same.”
“But why? When?”
“When he wasn’t looking, obviously. I don’t exactly know why, I mainly wanted to see if I could. Besides, I thought it looked cool.”
“You’re gonna have to return that next time we–”
“Oh! And something else!” D reached into his other pocket.
He pulled a small handful of cookies from his pocket.
“How long have you had those?”
“Not long. Mom made them a minute ago.”
“Why didn’t you just bring up a plate?”
“Things taste better when you steal them. Uncle Danger taught me that. Want one?”
Jean accepted a cookie before they heard steps coming toward their bedroom door. D rushed to get his things back in his pocket before Frieda came in. Jean stuffed the cookie in his mouth. He could feel the lint of D’s pocket between his teeth.
“Aunty Luna said it’s time for dinner.”
*****
Jean awoke that night in another cold sweat. He couldn’t quite remember what in his dream had scared him awake, all he knew was that his mother was involved. There was a vague sense of uneasiness in the dream, like he was on some sort of timer, and he had to act quickly before time ran out.
He grabbed the mandolin from the nightstand. He had almost made it to the door before Godger let out a single questioning bark.
“Jean?” the sunset princess yawned, “What’s going on?”
“Nothing, Frieda,” the summer knight kissed his sister’s forehead, “go back to sleep.”
But she already had, so Jean went down the creaky staircase with Godger at his heels. He sat on the porch bench, pet Godger, and plucked a few notes on his lute. His palm rested on the bottom of the strings, so as not to make too much noise. His thoughts dwelled on Lyonesse as he played. It was that song again, something about it lured him in to the point where he couldn’t play anything else.
His train of thought led him to the woods of Brissland. He couldn’t make out its glow at this angle, but he found himself looking northward. He remembered his mother telling him about the glowing trees and the naira’s song. He wondered for a moment if it was the same song that he was playing. He couldn’t quite explain it, let alone prove it, but somehow it made sense.
He had that same feeling when he played the song at the river, and every time he played that feeling grew stronger. Jean swore he could almost hear the rushing of the river now, buried under the sounds of whatever dwelt among the nearby trees and the soft get-up-and-go business of the distant rose city. For a moment he also thought he heard a few beats of faint percussion, but the noise disappeared, and another sound came to his ears.
Jean… Frieda… Gareth…
The summer knight shivered as love and sadness suddenly flowed throughout his body, as if somehow the emotion were a physical part of him. He knew that voice, he could pick it out of a crowd of loud ramblers. Jean was almost brought to tears, but he fought them hard, lest he wake up his family. His dream feeling hung in the air. There was little time. Time for what?
He remembered his conversation with Freida in the wagon. Who knew when he would see his parents again? What were they doing now? What became of Gareth, and what cruelties did Lyonesse face in the Vault? Jean hated to think about it. He wished he could have done something to spare his mother from her fate. But what? He was too little to do anything about it then. But he wasn’t so small anymore…
Jean… Jean!
And then somehow everything made sense, just like Beaumains knew whenever Jean broke his instrument, the summer knight knew it was his mother’s voice he heard. It was her song that he sang. She would die soon, if he didn’t act now he would never see her again, and Frieda would never see her at all.
The summer knight had to save his mother from the Vault. But how? There were few who knew where the Vault was, and even those who did wouldn’t share that information. But Uncle Danger knew, and he said that you just head north along the river. Plus there was the map D stole.
Jean looked up at the moon. He had stopped playing, but the song still rang out in his head. His sense of adventure began to tingle, a fire kindled in his heart. This was his quest. But not just that.
It was the fate of his family, as versed in The Eternal Return.