The Kings of the Seven Bells

by Marti Talbott

  “I feel the same. What are we to do about the Pendernics? They need our help.”

  “What good are we to them when we have no love in our hearts for each other. I fear the Pendernics would be something to argue over. I can hear it now – are the Carbollo the most kind to the Pendernics, or are the Mobbox? How could a king pretend to measure kindness?”

  “The opposite of kindness is cruelty, which troubles me more. While the Carbollo speak openly, the Mobbox hide their cruel words behind closed doors. It is cruelty I fear most.”

  Raxton leaned forward. “If it is so, that we were once all one civic, then the Pendernics are not kept from us – we are kept away from them, for their sake.”

  Nerratel thoughtfully looked up at the ceiling. He had not been in that room enough to know, but the paintings on the ceiling somehow looked brighter. He dismissed that for now and tried to think of a solution. “Perhaps we should introduce the Pendernics to our people one at a time and see what happens.”

  Raxton smiled. “If she is willing, I choose Artilly. She is delightful. She and Binna could live in the castle, and if anyone can find her way back to upper Extane, it is Artilly.”

  “Yet, we cannot risk their happiness.”

  “True,” Raxton agreed.

  Once more the two men remained silent. “The marks separate us, but the Boons do as well.”

  “That it also true. A king, a true king, should hear all the complaints. ‘Tis the best way to teach them.”

  “And Raxton, there is something else. The Carbollo wear braids and the Mobbox do not. That too separates us.”

  Raxton considered that. “I have always hated my braid. It is heavy and it takes unnecessary time to braid it after every washing. I only wear it as a sign of...”

  “Pride?”

  “Yes,” Raxton admitted. “Pride. You could cut it off for me.”

  “You want me to cut your hair?” Nerratel asked.

  “Let the people see that I am willing to change. Let it be the sign of a new beginning.” Raxton stood up, withdrew his knife, turned it around and gave the handle end to Nerratel.

  SARINNA AND GINCAR were amazed that they could see and hear Raxton and Nerratel in the throne room. Together, they watched Nerratel cut Raxton’s braid, and let it fall to the floor. It was the little girl with no hearing, that took Gincar’s hand. When she tugged, Gincar stood up and moved to stand in front of Sarinna. “Will you not cut my braid off?” Gincar asked.

  Sarinna grinned. “Gladly.” She accepted the knife Lentee handed her, stood up and when Gincar turned her back, Sarinna began. As soon as the haircut was accomplished, all the people cheered. To Sarinna’s amazement, Gincar actually hugged her.

  “It is enough?” Artilly asked Oberra.

  “Not yet,” Oberra answered. “First the bells, and then they must decide which is to be king.”

  “The bells,” Artilly sighed. “I do hope we do not need to hide them again. I found that game boring years ago.”

  IN THE THRONE ROOM, Nerratel handed Raxton’s knife back, and then gave his friend a look-over. “It suits you.”

  With both hands, Raxton fluffed his hair. “It feels much better.”

  “Now what do we do? I see no advantage in ringing the bells in the right order, or even ringing them at all. Are we not better at deciding which of us should be king?”

  “Perhaps neither of us should be king.”

  “Yet, who would teach the people, if not one of us.”

  “They need both of us,” Raxton muttered.

  “Are we to become Boons with no king?”

  “That would only serve to keep the people separated,” said Nerratel. “No, we must have one king, and the other to give the king wise counsel.”

  “Good. I like that idea.”

  “That leaves but one question – which of us shall be king?”

  ON LOWER EXTANE, SARINNA sighed. “They cannot decide. Raxton must give it hours and hours of contemplation, and Nerratel shall...”

  “Look at him, Sarinna,” said Oberra. “Nerratel is not hasty. He too is contemplating.”

  She decided Oberra was right, and returned to just watching and listening.

  NERRATEL REMEMBERED something. “Oberra said my inattention keeps me from hearing the people. We could let them decide.”

  “Perhaps they can choose the next king. For now, I have decided you shall be king. I have a little sister to care for, and she will need more attention than a king can give her.”

  “You will not change your mind?” Nerratel asked.

  “No, you have shown me that you will be a good and kind king, which is what both our civics need.”

  “Will you go with me to tell them?”

  “I shall. But first, we must decide what to do with the bells. If we both have seven, they shall argue over which of us should have won.” Raxton grinned. “Perhaps I have only found six. After all, Oberra gave me one that I did not have to find.”

  “Very well, we shall hide one of your bells. I must say I am relieved not to have to ring the bells in the right order. I was dreading that part of the quest.”

  Raxton opened his sack and then laughed. “We need not hide one, I only have six!”

  “Artilly,” Nerratel whispered. “Thank you.”

  AS THE MIST COVERED the image of the throne room, each and every person on Lower Extane strained to see what Oberra would say.

  Oberra put one arm around Binna, the other around Artilly and grinned, “’Tis time.”

  Never had the people on Lower Extane been so happy. They left all that they owned behind, even their pots of money, and began to follow Oberra through the archway into the mist.

  As soon as everyone else was gone, Lentee said, “Come. We shall take you and Gincar home.”

  “We truly can go home?” Gincar asked. When she looked down, the little girl had ahold of her hand and was pulling her toward the archway. “I suppose that means yes.”

  “Where are all the people going?” Sarinna asked Lentee.

  “We are going to our rest on Upper Extane.”

  “Oh,” said Sarinna. When she glanced back at Gincar and the little girl, Gincar’s mark was gone. She reached up, touched the place where her mark had been, and felt only flesh. Sarinna smiled.

  It was then she witnessed something even more remarkable. Lower Extane was beginning to fill with water. She let Gincar go in front of her, and turned to look back. “’Tis the Ocean. Fear not, for all shall be safe,” she heard Lentee say. Sarinna watched until the sweet smelling salt water began to flood the village, and then hurried to follow the others. When she arrived, the countryside that was Upper Extane was just as beautiful as Lower Extane, but in a different way. Yet there wasn’t time for Sarinna and Gincar to enjoy their surroundings. Instead, there was a door without attached walls to hold it in place. “When you go through the door,” Lentee explained, “you shall be home.”

  Lentee hugged Gincar first. “The day shall come when you will convince yourself that what you have seen and heard is just a dream.”

  “A wonderful dream,” Gincar said, looking down at the little girl. “Can she come with me?”

  “I am sorry, no,” said Lentee. “She needs her rest the same as all of us.” Lentee turned her attention back to Sarinna. “Tell Nerratel the quests shall be no more, and he need not fear opening any more doors.”

  “I will tell him,” Sarinna said. “Can you not come with us?”

  “Sarinna, you do not yet understand, but you will. For now, you carry our love with you to all the people, both Mobbox and Carbollo.”

  With Sarinna and Gincar watching, the people of Lower Extane began to walk up the road. The last to leave, the little girl finally dropped Gincar’s hand and followed. A few seconds later, she stopped, turned around waved. And then she ran to catch up.

  Gincar again had tears in her eyes, but she quickly brushed them away. “I will not object if you marry Raxton.”

  “Thank you,” Sarinna
said. She took a deep breath, and then opened the throne room’s side door.

  “Raxton was the first to turn around. “Sarinna?” He held his arms out just as she ran into them. “How...”

  “We have been on Lower Extane,” Gincar explained to Nerratel.

  Nerratel slowly walked around Gincar. “You cut your hair too?”

  “Well, if Raxton can do it, so can I.”

  “And your mark is gone?”

  “So is yours,” Gincar pointed out.

  Nerratel touched his forehead. It felt as though the mark was gone, but he went to a mirror on the wall just to make certain.

  “Brother,” Sarinna said, with her arms still wrapped around Raxton. “We have been on Lower Extane and we saw it all. Do not ask me how, but we did. It occurs to me the two of you shall need our help as well, if my king will allow it?”

  “Nerratel chuckled. “Your king will love every moment you are with him.”

  “By the way,” Gincar explained. “the people outside think Telder and Enor took us. Of course, they did, but explaining how we got back might take some doing. Even I do not completely understand it. Perhaps we might say we have been in the castle all this time.”

  Raxton finally understood. “It was for the two of you they searched.”

  “Together,” Sarinna pointed out.

  “About the people on Lower Extane,” Nerratel started.

  “They are gone,” Gincar interrupted. “Everyone left Lower Extane and went to Upper Extane, so you need not worry about them.”

  Nerratel nodded. “I am relieved.”

  Sarinna finally went to hug her brother. “The ocean will soon cover their village. It is true – Extane is an island. We just never realized that.”

  “We paid no attention,” Nerratel said. He kissed his sister on the spot where she no longer had a mark. “Ready?

  “Ready,” the other three answered.

  CHAPTER 23

  THE PEOPLE ON EXTANE had long since given up the search for a way down the cliffs. With no other ideas, they instead gathered in front of the castle to wait for Nerratel and Raxton to come back from the quest. They too, had lost their lust for gambling, wanting nothing more than to find the missing women and discover which would ring the bells in the right order.

  They were not expecting what happened next.

  Raxton and Sarinna walked out onto the balcony, followed by Gincar and Nerratel. The shocked people cheered the return of all four until they noticed Raxton and Gincar had short hair. An abrupt hush fell over all the people, including the Boons.

  That did not stop Sarinna’s mother from rushing up the stairs to greet her missing daughter. She hugged Gincar too, and then looked at her hair. “It becomes you and I believe it turns yellow again.”

  Gincar’s mother was not far behind Sarinna’s, and threw her arms around her daughter. She was so happy to see that Gincar was alive and well, she almost wouldn’t let go. “Will you cut my hair?” She grinned when Gincar nodded. It was then that Gincar noticed her mother’s hair was turning a shade lighter than brown, and when she looked, the people were no longer separated by age according to their hair color. Instead, curly and straight hair alike was turning to different shades of yellow, brown and even red.

  “Is the quest finished?” one of the men finally asked.

  “It is,” Raxton answered. He opened his sack and one at a time, began to set his blue glass bells on the balcony railing.

  The Carbollo moaned. “Raxton has only six bells?”

  It was Nerratel’s turn, and when he displayed all seven of his bells, the Mobbox loudly cheered. Soon, they began to chant, King Nerratel Mobbox – until Nerratel fiercely glowered at all of them.

  Again, a quiet fell over all the people.

  “Good people of Extane,” Nerratel began. “From this day forward we are neither Mobbox nor Carbollo. We began as one people and we shall return to the way we began.” He waited until the muttering subsided. “I ask you, what true difference has there ever been between us?” He did not wait for them to answer. “The Mobbox are just as prideful as the Carbollo, and the Carbollo are just as envious as the Mobbox. Is there one among you who denies it?”

  Men looked at other men, while women exchanged worried glances.

  When Nerratel heard no response, he continued. “We have each chosen cruelty, anger and viciousness over love and kindness to one another.”

  “I HEAR RUSHING WATER,” a woman screamed, quickly picking up her youngest child.

  “FEAR NOT,” Sarinna said stepping forward to stand beside her brother. “’Tis the ocean.”

  “What is the ocean?” the woman asked.

  Sarinna answered. “Extane is an island. The water shall soon surround us, but it will not spill over. It will calm us.”

  Raxton spotted his father first, and watched as Lamine carried a small bundle up the stairs. The words, “If she lives...” immediately entered Raxton’s mind. “Father?” he asked.

  Raxton’s father was careful not to speak too loudly, and instead whispered in his son’s ear. “The babe has but three fingers and a thumb on her left hand.”

  “Yet she lives?” Raxton asked.

  “She lives,” Lamine answered.

  “And mother?” Raxton asked.

  Lamine grinned. “She is well.”

  To Lamine’s amazement, Nerratel asked, “May I hold her?”

  Raxton’s father balked. “She is a Carbollo.”

  “Nerratel lifted the blanket off the baby’s face. “Is she? I see no mark on her forehead.”

  Lamine’s eyes widened. He looked once and then again at the baby’s forehead. Sure enough his daughter had no mark. Pleased, he carefully gave the baby to Nerratel. “Do not drop her.”

  “I promise,” Nerratel grinned. He turned back to the people. “As your king, I have much to teach you, and it begins with the children. I hold in my arms the first child born on the new Extane, and she shall be allowed to play with any of the children she chooses. She shall learn music from the Mobbox children and drawing from the Carbollo – and she shall be happy or all of you shall hear from me!”

  AND SO IT WAS, THAT the first child born into the combined Civics of the Mobbox and the Carbollo was named Artilly. Sarinna and Raxton were married without the slightest complaint, at least none said openly. Thirteen blue crystal bells adorned the throne room, and now that they could not get lost, all the people were invited in to see each and every room in the castle. The Boons resigned their positions in favor of a normal life with wives and children, and now that there was a king, Boon Carbollo was able to marry his true love.

  Raxton became Boon for them all and he made certain the children played together.

  It took time for the people to learn to accept ways that were different from theirs, but day after day, the pastel that was Extane brightened into brilliant reds, greens, blues and yellows.

  ~The end~

  The Viking

  Book 1 (The Viking Series)

  Sample Chapter

  At not quite fifteen, Stefan’s father finally let him board the longship Sja Vinna to take part in his first Viking raid. Yet, the battle was not at all what he expected and he soon found himself alone and stranded in Scotland.

  Thirteen-year-old Kannak’s problem was just as grave. Her father deserted them and the only way to survive, she decided, was to take a husband over her mother’s objections. Suddenly she was helping a hated Viking escape. Could Kannak successfully hide a Viking in the middle of a Scottish Clan? And why was someone plotting to kill the clan's beloved laird?

  CHAPTER 1

  IT WAS NEAR THE END of Stefan’s fourteenth year that his father, the commander of the Viking longship Sja Vinna and its fleet of seven ships, at last agreed to take him aboard. Standing on the beautiful Scandinavian shore, his smile was wide and he was certain no happier laddie ever was or ever would be again. He watched the other men wade into the crisp waters of the bay, toss their gear inside, turn around, lift
themselves up until they could sit on the rim of the ship and then easily swing their legs over. It was something he had practiced several times and knew precisely how to do.

  Why he failed he would never be quite certain, but he guessed it was because the boat he practiced on was smaller than his father’s ship. He managed to toss his extra clothing, a heavy blanket, his warm cloak and even the shield his father had given him the night before into the ship. But when he tried to sit the rim, he was suddenly face down in the water. Just as abruptly, his father hauled him out – one hand grasping the back of his baggy brown long pants and the other taking hold of the back of his red tunic. Stefan was swiftly pulled aboard and abruptly dropped - leaving him wet, face down on the deck and completely humiliated amid roars of laughter and jeers from not only his father’s men, but the crowd standing on the shore.

  Humiliated indeed, but not enough to set aside his elation at being aboard, even when, none too gently, his father shoved him into a sitting position in the stern, warned him to stay there and took little notice of him for a long time after.

  Stefan’s father was named Donar after a Norse god of storms most no longer believed in. He had a square face with neatly trimmed facial hair and although his nose had obviously been broken more than once, it was straight and pointed, which all the woman agreed, made him exceedingly handsome. His long blond hair, sharp blue eyes, and height of nearly six and a half feet made him by far the strongest and the mightiest, which earned him the respect, if not the fear, of the other men.

  As soon as his son was settled, Donar began barking orders. He needn’t have bothered, for his men were well aware they were expected to be seated facing the stern on the narrow benches that lined both sides of the deck, holding their long oars straight up – which was exactly what they were doing.