Loss of a Name: 16B
Tuesday, March 16, 2004 (06:50:55)

Posted by TerishD

Chapter Sixteen - Part 2

The Athurly River was more like what the three considered a normal river. The water held to its own channel, but the bed was more spread out making the actual depth relatively small. At one particular point the river spread to a width of about a hundred feet with a thin layer of clear water flowing over bottom of smooth stones. Acting as if he was still a boy who considered mud puddles to mark the proper paths for walking, Oggelly wandered into the water.

"Why haven't we been fishing?"


As our heroes even more acclimate themselves to their world, things continue to build elsewhere.


Chapter Sixteen - Part 2

The Athurly River was more like what the three considered a normal river. The water held to its own channel, but the bed was more spread out making the actual depth relatively small. At one particular point the river spread to a width of about a hundred feet with a thin layer of clear water flowing over bottom of smooth stones. Acting as if he was still a boy who considered mud puddles to mark the proper paths for walking, Oggelly wandered into the water.

"Why haven't we been fishing?"

"The water is clear enough," answered the lady, "but I do not remember seeing any fish."

Feladin added his observations. "No cane for a pole. I do not remember seeing hooks when we shopped. You could scavenge thread from the cloth, but what are you going to use for a lure and bait?"

Sylvia was actually studying the water. "What do you expect to catch? Trout? There may be catfish in the deeper spots, but there is just not enough plant life to please bass."

Oggelly looked around him. "Anything would be a change of diet."

"Come on, Oggelly," Feladin said, "let us get another mile behind us."

"Why? What type of schedule are we on?" The half?elf stood defiant in the middle of the river. "What if we spent a day fishing and relaxing?"

Sylvia found an argument. "You were fusing at me earlier for becoming a lady, now you want me to lie about and entertain you with my company?"

"When did you become too good to fish?"

She was willing to argue, but decided to first see just how serious her brother was. "We have a few hundred yards until the next trees. Both of us will need a pole."

Oggelly came back to shore. Sylvia joined him walking along the bank watching the water for signs of fish. There were fish in the water. A couple of turtles were also seen. They both came to the conclusion that life had been in the water all along, but they just had not really looked.

The two took the rest of the day to fish. Two saplings were found that were straight and sturdy enough to satisfy the Eglets. They worked at separating some of the old stained orange cloth for thread and tying together lengths. Worms were found in a place where there was damp black dirt, just like both suspected there would be. Hooks were the only problem. Each tried carving a hook from wood. Problems with the carving process and the hook wanting to float kept the two arguing and working for a section of the day.

Feladin went off by himself. He truthfully wanted to join the fishing, but from somewhere he felt that he really just wanted to spend time with the lady of the party. He did not like that thought. He wanted to support Sylvia, but that is as far as he wanted to take it.

He took the bow confiscated from the man he killed and practiced with it a while. While he loosed the arrows, he tried to sort through his thoughts. It was nice being again in a healthy youthful body, but he was again facing situations that he once relegated to the past. What especially troubled him was that he believed himself to have been successful at relationships. He considered what his feelings would be if he had the same history as his companions. They looked at their present with a sense of being able to start anew and possibly get it right this time. Oliver had to consider that his present persona might actually fail.

He had to admit that he liked Sylvia. He considered the lady a friend. Strangely, he saw her brother as competition, and yet Oggelly was as protective of her as he. No wonder the lady complained. Feladin went off hunting to assure that he left the two alone.

Fish were caught. The worms were wonderful bait. The first time that a fish came from deep water and struck caught the lady by surprise, but she knew to set the hook. That set the competition in motion. They soon learned that the fish tended to stay in deep water where it was dark in spite of the purity of the liquid. The aquatic animals smelled or otherwise sensed the existence of the food, because they would dash out to snatch at the lure. It took some perfection in timing to assure a catch, but the two considered the task a contest and each worked to out perform the other.

Feladin returned empty handed, but found plenty of food being prepared. The human sat and watched as his companions playfully worked to cook the fish. Without access to butter or lemon, creative cooking was the order of the evening. The fish were placed on a plate and allowed to marinate in a mixture of wine, beer, and spices. They were then either placed on a stick and roasted or thrown in seasoned boiling water.

All were stuffed and preparing for sleep when Oggelly said, "Thank you, Sylvia. I needed to spend a day with you. I was getting disturbed with the changes." The minstrel did not forget the other member of the party. "Thank you, Feladin."

The priest replied, "I understand. You have known the lady longer than I have."


Lefremillion looked up as the door opened. She was glad to see her husband, but with her hair being styled there was little that she could do. The maid working on her hair could be sent out. The styling procedure would need to be completely restarted, but time with her husband always had to be taken when he had it available.

The king waved to the maid to let her know to continue her work. He was not certain how this conversation would go, so considered the presence of the maid a benefit. The lady could possibly be trusted to the point not to spread any rumors, but Dureillorshin hoped that his queen would consider her presence before she got too irate.

The monarch started with a safe opening. "I received word that another letter from Poyrastiosh arrived."

"Yes, my lord." She understood that he was leading to something, but she would allow him to conduct his business as he saw fit. "He had just returned from an overseeing tour with the viscount. It seems that the visits were rather enjoyable. Considering our concern with the eventual problem of succession in his realm, the present demeanor of the viscounty appears healthy."

Dureillorshin took the information calmly. "Well, Salloriate has yet to undergo his final growth stage, so the baronies know that he has at least a century more of control. It would be nice if he would name a successor. I would rather have someone take over the office who had a few decades of experience behind them."

Lefremillion decided to mention the parts of the letter she had considered important. "Poyrastiosh did not mention anything to that affect, my lord. He did mention that Ellaniviya's handmaid was in her time, so he had his wife alone on the trip. He made a number of comments about helping his wife perform some of her basic wardrobe changes. They were all positive."

The monarch knew that it was good news that his son and daughter?in?law were continuing a loving relationship. The amount of attention that a noble lady had to give to her appearance demanded that she be accompanied by someone who could afford to focus on the particulars of clothes and hair allowing the noble lady to concentrate on the particulars of upcoming meetings. To be temporarily without the services of her handmaid, Ellaniviya would be under stress to appear her best and manage any social engagements. Poyrastiosh had his duties as well, but it was worthy of him to find the time to aid his wife.

All women had their time. It was written in the holy book to She?Who?Sings?in?Trees about the decisions of Elva. The first mother of the elves was a deformed human woman who ruled a kingdom in the chaotic time before Vintagelle. Chormunish had come to She?Who?Sings?in?Trees for aid in developing a race of beings who would set an example of stability on the world. The goddess went to Elva, who was a devote follower of Chormunish, and convinced her to accept a new healthy body in return for mothering a new race. The lady drove a hard bargain stating her preference for death with one of the desired changes to her form to be an altered type of bodily cycle.

Most elven women wondered about the wisdom of the first mother. Their bodies stayed graceful enough, but their life was not all pleasant. The frail tiny monsters that they had to love and nurture for decades before the beauty of the elven form showed itself was one burden that seemed much more excessive than that of the base humans. The melt was an oddity that elven women suffered that most considered much more unpleasant than their knowledge of the monthly cycles of human women. For two weeks a year an elven lady lost all sense of sanity. She craved the touch of a man, but was extremely protective of who could come near her. She treasured beauty, but was overly conscious of imperfections. No elf woman could rationalize her motives or actions during her melt. The men, who had a hard time rationalizing the motives or actions of women anyway, simply kept a sane distance. Both sexes wondered if the mind of their first mother shared some of the deformity of her body.

Dureillorshin felt it best to keep the topic on family. "I am glad to hear that our son is doing well. I am so plagued by problems that I worried about Poyrastiosh having troubles as well. The witches are presently keeping an ache in my head."

"Yes, my lord." Ellaniviya felt certain that her husband would not read into that response. "It seems that our son has found Quershallivat to be good place for education."

The monarch's demeanor was improving. "Well, I am glad to know that he is not getting into trouble. A good example needed to be set for certain men in that realm. He is establishing good marks for his leadership in maintaining a presence amidst the underlying turmoil of future succession and present dalliances."

The queen felt that she needed to state what she considered the true problem. "He is not requesting to come home, my lord."

"Good." The monarch felt the meeting had gone well and was preparing to leave. "I will send for him before winter, but at present I hope to track down those missing orange shirts."

"Why?"

Dureillorshin could not believe that his wife asked that question, and only turned his head around to state what he considered the obvious answer. "Because they have disrupted a means of security."

Lefremillion felt a need to state what she considered a glaring fault in her husband's logic. "Caidemon was going to be out of service for at least a few decades anyway."

He moved to his wife. "But we have potential saboteurs."

"That is not our problem. It is the witches who deal with Caidemon. The benefit we gain is insubstantial."

"I cannot allow the slaughter to return."

"The goddess has told us not to concern ourselves with the missing orange shirts."

"But I am the king!" He was not trying to impress her with his power, only with his logic. "The normal people should not be concerned, but I must oversee all problems, especially those that might concern the forest as a whole. The matter of Caidemon definitely falls into that category."

The queen continued to face her husband. "Have you spoken to the goddess about that?"

He turned his glare away from his wife. "Keir Thyyellinth does not like the witches."

She softened her voice. "I do not believe that the goddess does either."

"They are the accepted agents for Caidemon. I have no choice."

The queen turned her eyes and made certain that she sounded like she was changing the topic. "I will tell Poyrastiosh that it would not be wise to return at this time."

The king turned to the door certain that there was work to do. He would like to have his home restored to normal before winter.


Things are definitely not as peaceful as our heroes believe. Another major development occurs in the next installment.