Chapter 3 Part 5

It was mid afternoon when the wagon pulled up to a cottage in a glade several hundred meters off a little traveled road.

To one side of the cottage was a garden where vegetables of all types and varieties were growing. A small shack further back had been placed next to a spring and a stream of clear water bubbled out of the rock cropping. Flowers bloomed around the cottage and a tree at one corner bore fruit that appeared to be ready to pick.

From out of the garden an elven maiden, perhaps a bit smaller than Calista, carried a basket full of vegetables. She waved as they approached and turned towards the cottage. Armegon surmised this to be the druid of whom Avery was infatuated. He could hardly blame his friend, her long, bronze colored hair was very attractive. He noted that Avery had a silly grin on his face as he watched her enter the cabin.

They pulled to a halt next to the stream where the mules could drink. Avery entered the small shack and soon returned with a pail of grain which he put in a wooden hopper. The mules, having been freed of their tethers by Ultrecht, gratefully began eating.

"Welcome to our home," Avery said with a grand gesture that encompassed the whole compound.

"'Home', is a very unusual word to hear from a ranger," Ultrecht teased.

"Don't listen to him," Armegon approved. "I like it."

"It kind of reminds me of home," Sam observed.

"Your home was like this?" Calista asked as she took his hand. "I think I’d like to have seen your home. You must’ve been happy there."

"I didn’t know what happiness was until I met you," Sam replied putting a reassuring arm around her."

"Isn't he the sweetest thing?" the girl asked the sickened adults. "Couldn't you just eat him up?"

"Yeah," Armegon conceded wearily. "I could just eat him up," he sighed giving up the attempt to dampen the silliness that came with calf-eyed puppy lovers.

"Heee's my widdle kitty-cat," she baby talked as she fondled his neck. "Yez heee is!"

"I’m going to be sick," Ultrecht announced.

Avery looked amused. "She is of age?" he asked.

"So we were led to believe," Armegon responded.

The discussion was interrupted by a loud shriek and a crash from the cabin. The door of the cabin burst open, and Mirfak bolted out with the tiny elven woman, skillfully wielding a broom, in hot pursuit. She chased the giant beast who could at any moment have crushed her to nothingness with one massive paw, around the cabin three times before a good whack in the rump sent the coyodiak howling--a sound suspiciously like that of laughing--into the forest.

"Avery," she turned to the spectators. "Try to convince him to leave my cooking alone. There is little enough room inside with him there that we do not need him to add a few extra pounds of fat to his bottom."

Avery sighed and walked over to the small figure. Avery himself was only about five and a half feet tall, and this woman was even smaller. She was obviously less, though not by much than five feet tall. She could not have weighed more than one hundred ten pounds herself, where Avery was very stocky and pushed about one sixty to one seventy pounds of concentrated muscle. As they embraced, they looked slightly comical.

"Allow me to introduce," Avery said readdressing his guests, "Nikki." He quickly made introductions and Nikki greeted each kindly in turn.

"We are so glad to have you here," she said with a musical voice. "Avery has spoken of the two of you often," she said to Armegon and Ultrecht.

"I deny everything about me, and confirm everything about him," Ultrecht said as he jerked a thumb towards Armegon. Nikki laughed and Ultrecht gave her a hug.

"I always knew we’d lose him to a woman one day," Armegon whispered to her as he hugged her too. "I’m glad to see that he chose well. It seems he’s gotten a prize worthy of him"

"Are you taking notes on this?" Nikki asked Avery, who was snickering at that last comment. "You could say things like that to me as well, you know."

"I do," Avery reminded her. "But you usually hit me with the broom for it. Always remember that anything that white haired hippie says," he referred to Armegon, "has several meanings and not all of them are nice."

Nikki smiled. "Well I am sure he was being nice this time," she said.

Avery introduced Sam and Calista as well. Nikki was extremely interested in the story of their relationship. During its telling, halfway through the trial, she pulled a handkerchief from a pocket and started wiping tears away from her sparkling eyes. She pulled on the long braid of rust colored hair as Sam told of his fight with the harpies. She clapped her hands and praised his victory then joyfully gave Sam a big kiss on the cheek. He found her scent like that of wildflowers, and decided he liked her. Calista nudged him when his eyes lingered on the elven woman longer than she thought appropriate.

Nikki invited them all into the cabin for supper as she took Avery's hand and led him to the small shack by the stream. She urged them to make themselves at home and assured them that she and Avery would return soon.

"She is real nice," Sam observed as they parted company.

"She certainly was nice to you," Calista said coldly. "I think you should try remembering to whom you are bonded."

"How about that," Ultrecht observed, "free entertainment." Armegon laughed in agreement.

They entered the cabin and found the place roomy despite its appearance from the outside. There were four independent rooms with doors and windows. The common room was circular and constructed around a central hearth and fireplace. There was a rack of roasted mutton nearby keeping warm. Through one door, Armegon discovered a bedroom with a large bed and appropriate vanities for a lovely woman. Another room housed a cot and rock outcropping from which flowed a spring. The water flowed into a basin and the spillage flowed into a trough that disappeared down a hollow log whose sides had been coated with some kind of waterproof resin. The log carried the water into the ground and probably out of the cabin. Armegon noted that this particular part of the cabin looked much older than the rest.

The last room was for storage space. Various plants and roots were hung on the wall to cure or dry and a few animal hides were being softened and stretched in one corner. Armegon closed the door and returned to the common room. A chest and desk decorated one section of the room a small table and two chairs sat facing a large shuttered window to finish the decoration.

"Home sweet home," Armegon smiled. With a little work, they could add on two or three more rooms and a laboratory of some sorts.

Ultrecht was satisfying his curiosity at the desk. He thumbed through some papers and books that were laying about.

Sam and Calista sat in the chairs and held hands as they rocked back and forth. "What do you suppose they are doing," Sam wondered at the absence of their hosts.

"Ask me again later," Calista giggled naughtily, "and I'll show you."

About an hour later the residents of the cabin entered. Nikki's face was flushed, and Avery was particularly interested in a baby raccoon that was riding on his shoulder.

"I see you have not lost any of your carpentry skills," Armegon complimented Avery.

Avery removed the raccoon and passed it Calista's eagerly waiting hands. "She likes to nibble on the cuttings from that mutton," he informed her as she cuddled the small creature. "Get her a bowl of water so that she may dip her food and you may feed her. The water is in the small room through that door," he continued pointing to the room older part of the cabin."

"Yes," Avery answered Armegon. "That old cabin Nikki had was too small for the four of us."

"Four?" Armegon asked.

"Mirfak and baby there," Nikki said nodding to the raccoon, "make four."

"Actually the problem was Mirfak," Avery laughed. "It is hard to keep that pest outside, especially when it rains."

Ultrecht cut a wedge of mutton and placed it in a bowl. "I see you haven’t been idle in your studies," he said with a nod at the the cluttered desk. "You appear to have a set of maps that cover the entire planet."

Avery smiled and sat in the chair Calista had vacated. "Yes. I made a couple of trips up to Tycho and ravaged their geographical section of the Northern Archives."

"How complete is their information?" Ultrecht asked.

Avery frowned disappointingly. "Not very," he answered. "Geographically they are excellent. Also they are very good in some of the natural sciences and medical arts, but in greater magic and political structure they are severely lacking. I’d planned to go down to Allentown next moon and try to scout out the information I need to hide my magic from these damned warlocks."

"Ultrecht has already figured that one out," Armegon interrupted. "How’s the history section in Tycho?"

Avery frowned. "I haven't really paid any attention."

"I guess we’ll find out when we get there," Ultrecht said. "Why the interest?"

Armegon shrugged. "I’m just curious about the history we are going to have to deal with."

Avery rocked his chair back and forth gazing at the the ceiling. "I take it you were headed that way?"

"Yeah," Armegon replied. "We were taking Sam out to see some of the world."
Ultrecht glanced around. "By the way, where is he?"

"He went out to relieve himself," Nikki said as she pulled the cork from a bottle of wine. This action caused Ultrecht to lick his lips. Nikki smiled and poured him a cup. "It is fireberry wine," she said. "Avery made it. It is very spicy so drink it slowly. The water is in the next room if you need it."

Ultrecht took a sip. The wine was cool, but the spice within stung his tongue. He opened his mouth and began fanning its interior with his hand. He stood and walked quickly to the other room where Calista was feeding the baby raccoon.

"Fireberrys are basically a pepper," Avery explained to Armegon as Nikki filled his cup as well. It is best to lick the wine off an icicle. It is quite good that way."

"Where do you get the icicles," Armegon asked.

"Oh, we usually pick them from the roof every morning," Nikki said pouring a third cup. "We are far enough north that we get a light freeze each night, although it has been warmer than usual this last week." She passed the cup to Avery and poured one more for herself.

"This wine’ll really wake you up on a cold morning," Avery said. "I would’ve liked to see Seymore and Scarlet tackle this brew."

"They probably wouldn't have noticed," Ultrecht said as he returned. He carried a pitcher of cold water and a ladle. "I think they pickled the nerves in their mouths long ago."

They sat in silence for a moment remembering their lost comrades. Avery rose and walked over to one of the chests and opened it. He withdrew a short handled sledge hammer, just like the one Scarlet used to use. Its striking surface was unmarked indicating its newness. The backside had a long tapered wedge that was coated with silver. "I had a smith in Tycho make this on the anniversary of Scarlet's death," he said reverently as he hefted the weapon. "It’s a well crafted piece, worthy of an enchantment," he added as he passed it to Armegon.

Armegon accepted the instrument. "It is a very good copy," he noted. "Scarlet's hammer was unique and of his own making, but this is the same design."

"The blacksmith who made it for me liked the design as well," Avery said. "He did a good job considering all he had to go on was my description from memory."

Armegon passed the hammer to Ultrecht. "We'll think on it," he said. He approached the fireplace. "But right now I’m ready to eat and relax."

They spent the evening engaged in small talk and relishing in the musical talent of Nikki as she strummed a dulcimer. Calista, it turned out, was an accomplished singer as well as cook and she delighted in entertaining her companions with old ballads and songs of love. Avery particularly enjoyed the ballads of the Forester, and Sam blushed at some of the more descriptive love sonnets.

As the evening wore on, one by one individuals went to bed. First Calista, with Sam in tow, bade everyone a good night. Avery suggested they take the old room. He showed Calista where the blankets were stored and he set up a large hammock. Then he folded the cot and stored it in a chest. Finally he filled two large pitchers of water and carried them from the room so that if water was needed during the night, the young couple would not be disturbed. Nikki too announced that she was ready for sleep. She kissed Avery briefly then disappeared into the bedroom.

"Aren't you going to bed?" Armegon asked him.

Avery glanced back at the room. "No," he answered. "I have some things I need to do tonight and I don't want to disturb her when I get up."

"Well I think I’m going to go to sleep as well," Ultrecht said with a yawn.

"You’re welcome to the storage room," Avery said indicating the closed door. "There are no windows, but it’s well insulated and the support columns will hold two more hammocks."

"What is with all the hammocks?" Armegon asked suddenly.

Avery leaned back and drained his cup. "Well, before I finished expanding the house," he explained, "there wasn’t really enough room for a bed and a coyodiak at the same time, so I had to hang a hammock across the room so that we could both fit. Over the year, we have had a visitor or two and I made one or two extras."

"That reminds me," the ranger added, "Mirfak will curl up in front of the fireplace later on this evening so don't get excited if you have to visit the outside and you stumble over him on the way out."

The glow of the fire dimmed greatly over the next hour but Avery assured Ultrecht when he asked about it that there were enough coals to keep the house warm throughout the night. "Just beneath the wooden floor is a large sheet of rock, and that’s what the fireplace is resting on. That kind of rock is an excellent heat conductor, and the floor will stay warm all night long."

About that time, Sam emerged from his room. Armegon greeted him and asked if he was okay. "Yes sir," came the reply. "I just have trouble sleeping at night. I am going to look about outside."

"Fine," Armegon said. "Take your staff."

Avery watched the youth go. "I think this might be a good time to get to know Marlena's son a little better," he said.

"You can try," Armegon agreed, "but he has been acting a little weird lately."

"I’ll try to be nice," Avery promised as he fastened his cloak. He opened the door. "Good night," he said as he exited the cabin.