The Fairest Thing Chapter 13

Some say that the fairest thing upon the dark earth is a host of horsemen, and some say a host of foot soldiers, and others again a fleet of ships, but for me it is my beloved. And it is easy to make anyone understand this. ...I know that in this world man cannot have the best; yet to pray for a part of what was once shared is better than to forget it... - Sappho, translated by J.M. Edmonds ==Chapter 13== Practice continued for the next several days while the Brothers of Equality raided ships, and had Peewit examine the loot with his newfound talent. The Eye of Balor remained locked in the storehouse until a better plan could be made for what to do with it. Ronan had confirmed there were indeed very old legends of a giant named Balor whose single eye could kill with a look, but its lid was so heavy it took four servants to open it. He was eventually killed by his grandson, who went on to become a High King. Johan did not go on any of the raids, instead choosing to brainstorm with Dennis and Peewit for a way to break Fulk's blockade in a better way. Considering they had only had knowledge of part of the politics of the region, it was not an easy problem to solve. Maenad disappeared completely, allowing Dennis to get much needed rest during his accelerated training. "For being one of Fulk's ships, that was a very easy one to take," commented one of the crewmen as they unloaded a particularly good haul. "It was a little too easy, if you asked me," commented Cyneric, glancing at Peewit, who had been called to inspect it all. "Something about it strikes me wrong. I can't put my finger on it, though. How about you, Peewit?" There was indeed a magical item in the loot, an ugly pewter pendant in the shape of a woman holding a fish-like infant, tucked inside a chest of fine linens. "There's this," he said dangling it in his hand, "But I can't tell what it does, exactly. It looks like a badge, like a pilgrim might wear." "Let me see," said Cyneric. "Innsmouth? What on earth? I've never heard of such a badge, or such a pilgrimage." "I'm going to show it to Johan. He might know." Maenad might know too. But he didn't dare suggest she was more than a mere dog, and besides, she had gone missing. Johan had never seen such a badge before, and neither had Edelhart. Since it seemed to be a deliberate mockery of a Christian holy item, he suggested it be disposed of far from the village. Johan agreed that there was something subtly repulsive about the pendant and volunteered to be the one to dispose of it. Dennis and Peewit wanted to accompany him, and it was agreed that the next day they would find a good place far from the village to get rid of the blasphemous badge. In a camp miles away, Lothar relaxed in a luxurious tent belonging to Sir Gerlach, a knight of Lord Fulk's. "Just how long will it take the beacon to start to work?" Asked Gerlach, helping himself to a table filled with food. He was an older, balding man, and judging by his girth he had helped himself to plenty of rich food in his lifetime. "Not long. I have the companion pendant to the Pilgrim's Badge. See? It has a fish on it that will point the direction my men and I need to go," Lothar said, drawing an ugly pewter badge from his shirt to show Fulk. The fish on it was indeed arrow shaped, and though crudely rendered, seemed to be slowly changing direction as if swimming in a river current. "And after your men find the place where the pirates are hiding with…whatever it is Lord Balthazar wants from them, you will send for the rest of my Lord's troops?" Lord Fulk was an impatient, short tempered man. He was as annoyed with the vagueness of Lothar's mission as he was with having to quarter Balthazar's troops on short notice. He sent Gerlach to supervise and serve as an informant. If he had to play along with this wild goose chase, he might as well ferret out the location of the village that was harboring the pirates and those who had become dissatisfied enough with his rule to run away. "Indeed I will. My only mission is to retrieve the item for my lord, but I will gladly lend a hand against the ruffians who have caused your lord so much distress." Swanhild accompanied Johan, Dennis, and Peewit on their trip to dispose of the pendant. Having grown up in the area, she knew of the best places to leave a potentially evil magic pendant so that it could never be found. Much to the dismay of her three companions, this meant a journey back into the bogs, far off the beaten path. Swanhild proved to be a good guide, however, and soon they came upon an isolated pond. Dead trees and a rank smell contrasted with the greenery of the rushes and vegetation in and around the water. Ducks and a heron lazily splashed about in the humidity, oblivious to the stinging bugs that annoyed the humans. It almost seemed a shame to mar a place of such tranquility with the ominous Pilgrim's Badge. "Here we go. This is far enough away, I think. There's no path or roads that come this way for miles around." Johan stood on a high bank, produced the pendant and threw it far across the water, where it fell with a plunk, frightening away a pair of ducks. "That was easy!" exclaimed Dennis. "Where have I heard that before…" said Peewit warily to himself. The four decided to stay near the pond for lunch. Despite the pendant being close by, it was difficult to be too anxious on such a summer day in such a peaceful place. Even Peewit's serenade about the beauty of a summer's eve didn't sour everyone's pleasant mood. After they had eaten, Swanhild rose and dusted the dry grass from her skirts. She only wore men's clothing when she was doing "business" but kept a short sword on her hip at all times. She'd been ambushed too many times to feel safe without something, she explained. "Are we heading back?" Asked Johan. "Not unless you want to. I'd rather stay here where it's cool a little while longer myself. Also, I just remembered there's a stone monolith I wanted to have Peewit look at before we go. See if he can make anything of it, since nobody I know here can. Come on, Peewit." The jester was about to protest being used as a portable magic detector, but saw that Swanhild was already marching through the tall grass going north, and he rushed to follow her. "Should we…follow them?" "No, let them be. I have a feeling there's more going on than looking at an old rock." Denis giggled and they sat, looking at the water for a while. Johan took out a whetstone and began to sharpen his sword, while Dennis examined the rings on his fingers. With the glamour spell on them, they appeared to be no more than plain bands of bronze, nothing ostentatious. But with her own eyes Sabina saw the almond shaped gold seal ring and the band of silver with the garnet cabochon that Johan had given her earlier that summer. It seemed ages ago. "Out of curiosity, I'm told you and Lady Maenad are a couple. Is that true, given her, um, condition?" "What? No! …no that's not it. I'll be honest with you Dennis, We have an agreement and nothing more. She's just a friend." "But you do have a Lady Love, surely?" "No," Johan murmured, "Not now. There was another one, who I cared about very much, but she's married now. You know how it is, we were never meant to be together." "Do you have anyone else in mind? I'm sure there's plenty of ladies…" "No. I don't think I'll find anyone like her again." "Johan! What is he doing here, and with the Pilgrim's Badge?" Growled Lothar from the cover of reeds on the other side of the pond. "You know this lad?" Gerlach asked. They had followed Lothar's pendant all day and night with a group of Lothar's troops. "He is part of the reason I had to leave my kingdom." "Him? He doesn't look a day over seventeen." "Don't underestimate him, or his friends. Especially if he's with a little swarthy curly-haired woman." Lothar didn't mention the fact that he had lost his kingdom due to a failed kidnapping and assassination attempt that Johan and Peewit had stopped. "He's obviously is in league with the pirates, how else would he get hold of that cursed Pilgrim's badge? It's not like there are dozens of them swimming around!" continued Lothar. "You make a good point. Whoever that knight is, he's trouble for us. Better do something now while they're outnumbered. Besides, I'm sick of hiding here like a coward, knee deep in sludge." "Um, Johan, there's something I should probably tell you," Dennis said after a long pause. "Oh? What's that?" Johan replied nonchalantly. The crash of splashing water and shouting interrupted Dennis. Johan leapt up, sword in hand, and ran to the commotion with Dennis close behind. They were intercepted by Gerlach, Lothar, and three armed soldiers. "You! I recognize you, and the coat of arms you're wearing! You should be dead!" Johan exclaimed, taken by surprise. "Yes, but it seems I'm very much alive, which is more than I predict for you and your friends. We have you outnumbered. Surrender would be your best choice, boy." With that, Lothar lunged at him, sword drawn in his intact hand. Johan met him with his own sword and quickly outmaneuvered him, He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw that the soldiers had captured Peewit and Dennis, with Swanhild fighting fiercely against two others who were trying to capture her. Johan started to lose ground against Lothar and Gerlach, who had drawn his sword and joined the fray. They edged closer to the water. Waist deep in reeds, Johan's boots began to slip in the mud along the pond's edge. "We'll only give you the chance to surrender! Your choice of company makes you an outlaw; if you give up now, Lord Fulk might go easy on you!" There was rapid rustling in the reeds behind the two attackers. If it was reinforcements, Johan feared he and his froends were doomed. Lothar and Gerlach bore down on him harder. Johan was still able to defend himself, but he was beginning to lose his footing. Suddenly, Gelach fell face first in the mud. On his back was a huge grey and brown wolf with eyes the color of new copper coins, shining with glee. He had short legs and a broad flat head. Another werewolf? Johan's question was quickly answered when Maenad leapt from the reeds, and bared her teeth at Lothar with a snarl. "Looks like she wants your other hand, traitor!" Johan chided. Lothar shrieked and ran towards his soldiers, screeching for them to kill the wolves. Maenad, the new wolf and Johan followed him, and the attack was thrown into disarray. The soldiers were too afraid of the direwolves to do much damage to them, and to make matters worse, they lost control of Dennis, Peewit, and Swanhild, who fought their captors with renewed ferocity. Gerlach staggered to his feet, wiped the mud from his eyes, and heard an eerie howl, answered by several more. He saw Lothar frantically trying to bring the situation back under his control. Before long, four more wolves came from the brush, all short legged and stocky like Maenad. A few of the soldiers tried to swipe at them, but they were quickly stopped by the fangs of Maenad and the copper-eyed wolf. "Retreat! Run!" Lothar cried upon seeing the new wolves. The soldiers didn't need much convincing, especially the wounded ones. The scattered into the reeds, with only a few stragglers staying to fight. One was holding a struggling Peewit, the other was putting Dennis's newly-honed fencing skills to the test. Swanhild ran to Johan, panting. "I'll get Peewit, you help Dennis!" Johan nodded, and ran to his squire. Dennis paused when he saw Johan coming, and gave the soldier an opening. He lunged at him. Dennis managed to miss the sword's edge, but toppled over the steep bank in to the cool, murky water. Johan assumed the water was shallow, and that Dennis could swim. After a few seconds, it became apparent that neither was true. Peewit and Swanhild ran up to chase the soldier away, and saw Dennis thrashing and gasping, trying to get his head above water before disappearing completely. "Do something! She can't swim!" Peewit shouted, running to the bank. Without questioning Peewit's slip, Johan dove into the water. Maenad and the copper-eyed wolf ran to the water, as the last of the soldiers had disappeared into the marsh. Seconds crawled along before Johan resurfaced, dragging Dennis with him. Or rather, someone who was dressed like Dennis. Swanhild had never seen this girl before, with pale skin and short cropped red hair. But judging by the look of complete shock on her cousin's face when he wiped the water from his eyes and looked at her, he certainly had. "Sabina? It can't be!" It had to be a trick. It had to. He took her hands in his. One hand was bare, but on the other was a familiar silver ring with a garnet cabochon. No, not a trick. Oh, God. Next chapter