The Fairest Thing Chapter 6

The Fairest Thing Chapter 6
The Smurfs arrived for what they thought was the adoubement, but what was in actuality the departure of Sir Johan on his first quest as a Knight. Though they were sad to have missed it, the understood Johan's reasons for rushing though, and they had a quick visit before the humans and Maenad were to leave. Johan was curious if the Smurfs, who were incredibly long-lived creatures, knew anything about the moors they were going into, or the pirates that supposedly lived in them. "Those moors smurf on for about five hundred miles, Johan. Not many people live in them, though they used to be more populated, as I remember. It will be very tough smurfing," Papa Smurf said as he stroked his beard thoughtfully. "That would explain why most prefer to sail around them, even with pirates on the coasts and rivers," replied Johan. "There's a plank road though, I remember using it. It goes to a lake." added Maenad. "Are they really haunted, though?" asked Peewit. That was the biggest concern on his mind. "I…didn't see any ghosts when I was there, it was more the living people there I worried about, they were not the most friendly." "Sounds like they're still none too friendly now!" "I think I may have a map somewhere in my laboratory. It will be out of date, but if I find it, I will send some of my Little Smurfs to Smurf it to you. I think it might smurf in very helpful." "That would be very helpful, Papa Smurf, thank you for offering, my friend," replied Johan. The three set out at dawn. Johan rode out on Bayard, wearing a regal new tunic that featured the King's chevron coat of arms. Peewit had his normal colorful attire and a lute across his lap, and Maenad was dressed in a heavily embroidered man's tunic, hose and leather boots that looked fifty years out of fashion. Her hair was braided and held in a tight bun with carved bone pins, and she walked with Reynard on long reins, the pony loaded down with provisions. Sabina left later that morning, with several chests loaded on Gerard's coach, filled with clothing and jewels for her wedding preparations as well as her dowry. As a proper princess, she was compelled to represent Hauvon's fashions, manners, and culture in other courts. She waved a tearful farewell to her uncle, Dame Barbara, and all her friends who remained. She never thought she'd be so heartbroken to leave this place in all her life. Count Tremaine had volunteered to be part of their escort in case they should be attacked; a party of wealthy and politically well-positioned young people would provide an easy target for highwaymen. On previous journeys Johan and Peewit had escorted them and fought off attackers, but those days were gone forever, the princess thought ruefully.

The long ride to Gerard's castle was agonizing for her. She couldn't help but miss Johan, and her only distraction was Gerard and Francesca planning their wedding and making small talk. They were truly in love with each other, and each show of affection wounded her, though she pretended it was just the jolting of the carriage on the dusty, wheel-rutted road and heat that were responsible for her discomfort. After far too long of a discussion about what colors, flowers and banquet foods they would use for their respective weddings so as not to appear to be copying each other, Sabina changed the subject to concern over her friends going to search for pirates in the northern marshes. "Yes, it is strange how Sir Johan took a jester and a Lady with him instead of other knights or even squires," mused Francesca. "Peewit has more than proven himself on quests for the King, and Maenad has proven herself as a competent fighter too," Sabina replied. "It's true, my love, Clockwork can tell you about how Johan and Peewit both saved us from my power hungry uncle," added Gerard. "I'm sure they will be fine. Though it is odd to bring a Lady along on such a dangerous quest and not at least a squire, even if the Lady is serving as a guide." Clockwork was a mechanical Smurf who stayed with Gerard from time to time and acted as his adviser. He had been magically animated by Handy Smurf, a testament to the Smurfs's technical and magical skill. Maenad's much less a lady than you think, thought Sabina, though this conversation gave her a wonderfully dangerous idea. While Gerard and Francesca went back to discussing wedding plans, Sabina thought to the ring she had secreted away in one of her trunks. Johan, Peewit and Maenad entered rural countryside, filled with poor peat farms and a handful of ramshackle towns. The further into the marshes they traveled, the fewer and more far between the humble farmhouses became, as well as the roads and paths that connected them. Woodlands became more sparse, and were replaced by heath grasses bearing colorful blooms and scattered pines. In a tiny town they visited a tavern, where they attracted much attention; Johan looking every bit like a knight and a nobleman, and Maenad and Peewit looking and acting completely foreign. Maenad asked about the plank road that led to the lake. None of the locals who would talk to her had ever heard of it. Peewit demanded mountains of food and sang badly. A couple of farmers pulled Johan aside and warned him that villagers had vanished in the marshes from time to time without a trace. "It's possible my sister slipped into a bog and simply drowned while looking for duck's eggs, of course, but there are wild men in those moors, and…things, so be careful." "…simply drowned?" Peewit cut his song off abruptly and snapped a lute string in the process. "Hush, Peewit," Johan said, and asked the villagers if they had heard of any pirates in the area. They had heard rumors, but nothing more than what Johan already knew. "Wild men? Drowning? Things? " Peewit continued to sputter after Johan joined him and Maenad at the table. "These 'wild men' could be the pirates we're looking for, Peewit!" He looked at Maenad, who drank her pint silently. "Do you remember anything about any 'wild men' Maenad? Anything you'd like to share?" "The people were all wild last time I was in these parts, completely uncivilized. It wouldn't surprise me that they hide criminals." Considering that she considered him and Peewit barely civilized, that wasn't exactly helpful either. He hoped the Smurfs would catch up to him soon with that map. The Moor of the North proved to be sweltering under the June sun, and difficult to navigate. Days passed, and soon the houses and farms disappeared completely. Maenad loped ahead in wolf form, finding the safest route through the bogs and marshes, and looking for the elusive plank road and lake. "It doesn't make sense! The road should be here! We should be near the lake shore!" she complained, shifting to human form one morning as she returned to their camp. "Maybe we're not in the right area, this place all looks the same to me," said Peewit, shooing away a cloud of mosquitoes. "No, we have to be in the right area. I remember it like it was yesterday. The people here took good care of the road because they used it for their processions to the goddess's island." Processions to a goddess's island? That didn't sound right... "What kind of processions did they have again?" asked Johan warily. "Oh, you know, the tribes here had a sacred island on the lake, they'd have these festival processions to all the local villages and then to the island to give offerings to the goddess who lived there. Called Nehru or something. No one my people worshiped." "When…when did you see this exactly, Maenad?" "Hmm, it was quite a while ago. My family had all died off, but I was able to find a position with a few other werewolves as a mercenary with a legion…I want to say Diocletian was Emperor…" "Diocletian? That was…that was eight hundred years ago! Do you mean to tell me you haven't been back here since then?" "I did say it had been quite a while since I'd traveled this way multiple times." "Eight hundred years is not 'quite a while!' It is a very, very long time!" Johan buried his face in his hands in frustration. "So there's no plank road anymore? We're lost?" exclaimed Peewit. "No, there's no plank road. It probably rotted away centuries ago. And now we have no idea where we are, thanks to Maenad's senility." Maenad bristled at the accusation. "Look here, you whelp. I didn't see you or anyone else come up with a better plan to find these pirates than having me lead you! Do you think I wanted to go cross a haunted, stinking, sweaty bog with a pony that tries to kick me whenever I get near it if I wasn't trying to help you?" They continued to argue throughout the morning, unaware that they were being followed. Next chapter