To Face the Ugly Deed
Chapter Twenty-Five
(Nebard)

…
When Makinor tried to offer me a cloth, I said, “I took her. I just took her. Yes, she made me promises, but it didn’t matter. I know it didn’t matter to most of the others with me. She was just a prize. I took her.”

The other champion of a goddess of love said, “And you are loving her.”

“Both of you did things to earn what you have. I killed people. I did nothing to gain blessings. I gained honor for doing something ugly and wrong.”

To Face the Ugly Deed
Chapter Twenty-Four
(Jelnaya)

…
I guess it was good that Makinor asked a question, as I readied my drahaberd not about to explain myself. “What are you doing, Jelnaya?”

“It’s there. Not just watching, but active. Look at the floor. This is where they transformed the people.”

He bent down to touch etchings on the floor, then said, “You don’t fight this alone, Jelnaya. Don’t let Fergush kill you.” When I glared at him, he rose to say, “This is not his mission.”

To Face the Ugly Deed
Chapter Twenty-Three
(Nebard)

…
“No. Allow your wife to be your wife. Allow her to become just as much a part of your reality as that horse.”

Those words did not satisfy me, and I let my goddess know it by stating, “It’s not a horse.”

“The words from Pordarrish were good. They need to be become horses.” I felt all the tension in my body to drain away as Quafrey then said, “I love you, Nebard.”

To Face the Ugly Deed
Chapter Twenty-Two
(Jelnaya)

…
I smiled seeing the horses trying to pull at their tethers, and while my position again felt uncomfortable I spoke instead of adjusting my place. “That’s grass out there.” Seeing the heads of the animals turn to me, I explained. “Grass. I could also bring you to some water. For the rest of your lives, grass and water. No meat. No cooked vegetables. No wine, beer, whiskey. Grass and water.”

I believed one of the animals tried to say more, but all I understood was, “Kill.”

To Face the Ugly Deed
Chapter Twenty-One
(Nebard)

…
As she left to go back through the building, I simply commented, “She’s something.”

Makinor looked at me and asked, “Is Quafrey telling you the same thing Onathia is telling me?” I simply looked at him, so he went ahead and supplied the information. “Jelnaya is going to go the distance, and do all she can to be ready for whatever might be faced. Onathia is telling me that is what is going to be required of me.”

I looked around at this strange building to some strange deity that allowed its hallow ground to be desecrated and thought of all the odd things I had seen while asking, “Why haven’t you been doing that?”

To Face the Ugly Deed
Chapter Twenty
(Jelnaya)

…
Hearing him say that he would joke with Onathia had me feeling good about Makinor, although my own thoughts kept me from smiling. “I told you I saw into a Hell. That is not a place for mortals. I gained my immortality because I needed to challenge someone from a divine realm by following him into a divine realm. Would have come directly into the presence of the Goddess of that reality if I had not been stopped.”

“And where are we going?”

“Don’t know, but we chase this. If you need immortality to face this opponent, I expect not to face him alone. I might be the fighter of our group, but I am expecting that both of you will be there with me.”

To Face the Ugly Deed
Chapter Nineteen
(Nebard)

…
As she moved off, Makinor said, “I really pity the man that gets Jelnaya for a wife.”

I felt able to reply, “I believe she will be a wonderful wife.” Thinking about Eashae, I mumbled, “I believe she will let her husband touch her.”

As if I had spoken out loud, Makinor exclaimed, “Touch her? Whoever gets her better hold, fondle, and squeeze her. And I don’t mean late at night either. I see her as the type of wife that will track her husband down and have him take her wherever he is.” I guess he understood my expression, as he asked, “Your wife does not treat you that way?”

To Face the Ugly Deed
Chapter Eighteen
(Nebard)

…
Makinor said, “Yes, I am getting the same impression. The problem with me is that I should know my job. I’ve been at this longer than Jelnaya. No offense intended, as I can clearly see that Fergush knew what he was doing in calling her, but I should be the one teaching her.”

“Yes, but I – DAMN!” I saw both my companions turn to me, so worked to explain. “All I hoped to do was set things right and return to my life. I had a life. I grew up being taught to do things a certain way. I learned how to work with animals, secured a house, and was ready to get married, have kids, and start things for the next generation.” I had to hold back tears as I looked around while saying, “I’m not going to get to go back home, am I?”

To Face the Ugly Deed
Chapter Seventeen
(Jelnaya)

I could have chosen a life in a world of high science. Between my father and his father I however learned a lot about weapons. I found those in this community to stress certain lessons. When I picked up one of their weapons, they were scared of the weapon. I thus did not use the instruments of high science, but went around breaking them, as I wanted those I met to be scared of me.

To Face the Ugly Deed
Chapter Fifteen
(Jelnaya)

…
I saw my wife smile. The expression made me feel really good. I believe the smile on Jelnaya’s face indicated she caught our expressions, although her words were not to embarrass us.

“Well, good. Listen, you tell Quafrey that I appreciate the freedom she is giving me in doing this job. I feel it is going to get bad, really bad, and I don’t need some smothering goddess limiting my options.”

Eashae asked, “Really bad?”

“Yes.”