God-Kissed: Book 1 (The Apprentices)
Page 38
Thinking quickly he decided to put this immediately to rest. “I will continue with the sum of one silver mark a week for each of the next few months until your families can adjust.”
Haspeth gave him a stare with one eye, as the girls getting a salary was still a sore spot with him. “I don’t recall getting-”
“Enough, just leave it at that!” Smiling at Haspeth he hoped he had gotten the message across not to bring it up again. He then reiterated to the girls his preference that they think about the specialty of healer as something to target.
All three girls expressed an interest. That just left one more subject to broach with the new apprentices.
“Now, by the way, the third level is strictly off limits to you three. We will arrange a tour of that area after you have settled in for a few days.” He hoped Neustus was going to give his blessing to all this, though in a way the man-bird already had since he was the one who dyed them in the first place. “I know we have mentioned Neustus a bit in class before … but let’s just keep that for another day.”
It was the evening of the eighth day for the girls when a large group of horsemen arrived at the gate. Shouts from the dwarves came immediately. “Who goes there? State your business!”
Several riders dismounted and then their leader came forth carrying a large bundle. “I’ll ask you the same as we are men of the Earl of Astrum!” The dwarves seemed unimpressed and so continued to stare in the fading light.
“Captain, sir!” One of the guards called out from the small barracks. “Welcome back, sir!”
“Yes, now explain why my courtyard is filled with dwarves?” Berdtom, demanded to know as he clinched tightly the bundle in his arms. Murac appeared about this time and waved Berdtom over, which required that he weave through piles of rubble and makeshift workbenches.
“Greetings, Berdtom!” Murac laughed. “Just a sudden expansion project for the new apprentices. Apparently the place was not fit for ladies.”
“Ladies, is Autbek taking on more than he should?” Continuing on past Murac he headed for the library where he found the door locked. Pounding on the door with his foot and then peering up the stairs he yelled for Autbek.
Soon Autbek came down followed by Haspeth and Castor. “Tom, so glad to see you back.” Autbek clasp the man’s arm and found himself pushed back a little by the bundle Berdtom carried.
“Glad enough to open the door, O’t!” Berdtom said with impatience.
“Ah, yeah sure! Un Papp…open the door please!” Several knocks later the door opened.
Berdtom glanced at the monk then to Autbek and then proceeded to barge passed Un Papp to place his bundle on a table after first brushing some scrolls to the side as if they were a worthless nuisance. He then seemed unwilling to move for a moment as he leaned atop the table.
“Careful Tom.” Autbek urged as he attempted to help.
“Sorry about that, Un Papp…but what I have here is worth more than this whole library. Now shut the door!” Everyone but the girls squeezed in through the door and after it was closed they watched Berdtom carefully unwrap the bundle. The outer layer was just a sack and under that a bag of oiled leather. Finally linen cloth was unrolled to reveal a very large unruly pile of old parchments.”
“This, my friends, is perhaps the last remaining copy of one of the Tesslodken Sta’s!”
Un Papp began bowing up and down excitedly as he urgently tried to get Berdtom to back away and let him near the parchments. “Please sir, do not touch! I must prepare them! Please … Please!”
“You found it Tom! How, I mean did they know what they had?”
“They most certainly did not know what they had. The fools had it among their urns … the ones we walked right by on our previous visit there.” He finally stepped back and then bowed to Un Papp. “I entrust this to you monk, but know it is more than your life is worth should harm come to it!”
Autbek had never seen Berdtom like this before, perhaps it was the traveling mixed with finding such a treasure. Whatever the reason Berdtom seemed different, almost frantic in his movements and mannerisms.
“Sit down, Tom.” Autbek then sent Haspeth for some ale as they watched Un Papp begin to lay out the parchments one at a time.
“I think it’s nearly complete, O’t! It’s like unbelievable…almost like a dream … we rode hard as soon as I got a hold of it. I just could not take a chance it would be taken from us. If it’s all there I shall die a happy man, O’t, truly a happy man!”
Autbek smiled and looked around at the others in the room to see their reaction. All looked as concerned as he at the way Berdtom was acting. “That’s great, Tom. Now have some Ale and try and relax a little bit. Un Papp is great at this … I’ve watched him the last few days and I can tell he is very skilled at handling things like this.”
“Ahh … gods, O’t. Do you realize what’s in this book. It’s like it was written when the gods still walked with men … like words directly from their mouths!
They stood, smiled, nodded and generally agreed with Berdtom as he went on and on until finally Murac came in followed by Haspeth with the ale. “The men are exhausted … think they have been riding for the better part of three days now. I sent them on to their barracks.”
“Thanks, Murac!” Berdtom said as he closed his eyes for a moment. Taking a few sips of ale he then asked for some blankets so he could lay down and watch Un Papp work. “Where is Eifled … he must see then!”
“He’s up with the Neustus I think.” Haspeth volunteered. “Practically lives up there with him now.” Haspeth then left to inform him of Berdtom’s arrival.
“I’ll get you something to eat, Tom. That is if your eyes are still open when I get back.” Murac chuckled with the others as he walked out the door.
They sat at a long makeshift table the dwarves had made that served as a place to eat until the dining hall was finished. The table was next to the cook fires which were now actually in the temporary kitchen since all had to be moved to the stable. Several of the dwarves were known for their storing telling and had been going at it ever since Berdtom had made his dramatic entrance.
Autbek and all five of his apprentices had been listening in fascination with blankets wrapped around them and the fire kept high to keep back the early spring cold. He waited for the latest tail of treasure found and lost to be completed before asking. “Do you dwarves know of the Tesslodken?”
Xajac, the chief dwarf took another swig of his ale nodding his head. “Some of us are from the north or have kin there and so have heard tales of old about them and our kind.”
“Really? What do they say of them?”
“Oh, not so much, but can recall enough to tell a tale or two of how they and our stone-fathers shaped this land when it was nothing but trees, elves, goblins and faerie folk!”
That got a good laugh from the other dwarves and from Murac who seemed to getting along well with them now. The dwarves it seemed loved their lore above most else and were ever ready to recount something done by a famous ancestor in previous centuries uncounted.
He went on to tell a tale of how dwarves from the east and south had come upon the Tesslodken in their timber halls way before the dwarves had seen other men. Tired of the elves and finding the men more similar to themselves in interests they formed an alliance whereby they stayed to their mountain halls deep underground and the Tesslodken occupied the surrounding hills.
“It is said that the Tesslodken were once god-kissed and so spoke still with the gods before other men shamed them into leaving.” One of the other dwarves added after Xajac finished his tale.
Resbeka listened intently as she sat between the other two girls. “Why did the Tesslodken leave then?”
“No, miss you got it twisted around. They did not leave, it was the gods who left, being uncomfortable with men and some would say us dwarves as well.”
“Oh. I’m Tesslodken … or my family was back then I know!”
Autbek looked over at he
r for a moment. “Not surprised to hear it. You look the part and the name Resbeka is not uncommon among their heirs.” He was sounding like Berdtom he realized.
“You know them, sir. How so?”
“Have I not said and can you not tell from the look of me and Berdtom? We are among the heirs of the Tesslodken!” He felt a little troubled to have said it now. Such talk shed light on Runeholden which was never good as far as his family was concerned.
“Yes, I can see that now. You look so much like some of my kin but I had not noticed it until now. That is why I feel I know you, sir!”
“Stop with the sirs, lass, or you will never know me!” Autbek said with exaggeration. The girls all giggled at him as each recalled being scolded over and over again about this.
Onaleen met his eyes. “O’t, I could not imagine such a place as this before now. Thank you for bringing us here.”
“You're not working them hard enough, O’t!” Castor said dryly as he sipped his ale. The kid still looked too young for it but next to the dwarves he did look a little older.
“Oh, please … I still get headaches after staring at that arcane-script all day. It makes me want to scream … it really does!” Pemmesa whined convincingly.
“You’ll get used to it soon, don’t worry!” Haspeth soothed as he put his hand on hers. “When you cast that first spell it will be like the finest wine served with the finest sauce on the finest summer day!” She smiled embarrassingly at him.
“Battle-mage poetry, ladies, it doesn't get any better.” Castor announced, getting a few laughs.
Haspeth gave him a dirty look then whispered loudly, “Watch where you keep your gold girls… he’s Dakish you know.”
“Proud of it!”
“Tell me then gentlemen and dwarves, what does god-kissed mean? I’ve heard it often from Murac, and now from you.” Autbek had never gotten around to asking Murac this question.
“Oh, it means much and more to some than others. We dwarves use it in our tales to mean those who are specially blessed and even closely watched by one god or another. It’s what keeps one hero alive when all others have fallen.”
“Ah, well is there a way to identify such people?” He thought now of Neustus who had singled out Murac.
No one spoke for a moment until Murac commented. “Only one way … and that is when everyone else with you is dead and you should be. When that happens over and over then you know … you’re god-kissed!”
Autbek found the tone of the conversation had gotten a bit morbid now. He wanted to ask more but out of respect for Murac he did not nor did anyone else ask.
“There you have it!” Xajac said with a fist to the table.
Berdtom awake from his near comma late the next morning. He had slept in the library the whole time, only waking twice for a moment to find Un Papp and Eifled laboring tirelessly, apparently all night. Sitting up now he found the monk meditating as he sat on the floor facing the tables that now had ancient parchments carefully arranged upon them.
“Good morning, Tom.” Eifled said from a corner of the library where he had been sitting. “And may I be the first scholar to welcome you to our ranks.” Eifled then shook his head with a frown as he watched Berdtom stumble over to look at some of the pages.
Berdtom attempted to read a bit of one page that was carefully spread out. It was Tesslodken that much he knew, for he had studied it some in Runeholden. The words were difficult and the meanings unclear so he stopped as his stomach growled.
“Leave it to Un Papp.” Eifled chided. “His patience will be sorely tested in rebinding this Sta, and likely each and every page will need to be transcribed before us scholars should be allowed to touch.”
“Is it all here do you think?” Berdtom then steeled himself for the answer as he feared to hear that it was incomplete.
“I would say it is or very nearly so.” Eifled replied. “That is judging by the size of the binding you found previously and the number of pages we can guess are here. We can’t as of yet count them all as many have bound themselves to others.”
Berdtom nodded his head and managed a smile as the turned to the monk. “I’ll leave you to it Un Papp.” He then walked to the door as Un Papp arose effortlessly and bowed low.
“Sir, you have honored me beyond all possible recognition and I am forever in your debt.”
“Thanks, my friend, but know your debt is not to me but to this book and to all who shall read from it in the future, whether this copy or the ones you will make.”
“I know not what to say, sir.” Un Papp whispered.
“Nothing than. This Tesslodken Sta will do all the talking for both you and me.”
He heard talking from upstairs as he prepared to leave the tower, so decided to stop by and see who it was that Autbek had invited to stay, though he could guess who they were.
“Greeting, O’t! Ladies, Haspeth, and Castor!”
“Welcome back Tom. Hope you are feeling better than last night.”
“I feel like I have been reborn! Thank you, O’t.”
They introduced him to the three young ladies, who seemed to be fitting in well and so he left them to find something to eat and somewhere to bath as he had not done so for many days. Walking into the courtyard he found neither, only chaos as dwarves moved about busily constructing the new hall. They already had a fair part of the roof done.
Finding his way through the mess he ended up in the stable where he found Murac and a couple of guards sitting at a long makeshift table. “Greetings, gentlemen, please leave Murac and I alone for a while.” He waved to the cook who indicated food was on the way as the two guards excused themselves.
Murac looked at him with a gleam in his eye. “Are you sure of what you have, my friend?”
“I am sure as I think is Eifled, though we don’t know yet for sure that it’s complete, but it looks to be.”
Nodding his head thoughtfully Murac wondered what that would mean for the group in the future. They had not gone off on the road much and so far had no specific plans other than keep the Earl happy and the apprentices at their studies. “What is it to men like us, Tom?”
Berdtom looked at him and then stared down at the table. “It means we will be like leaves in the wind, Murac. We will be blown about by its revelations as we are inspired to go in new directions not thought of before, in order to find what our hearts desire most.”
“Sounds like a book of poetry. Hope it’s more than that.”
“Oh it is. When our monk begins to translate it I believe it will drive us, Murac. And I don’t say that lightly. When I come back in a day or two I will show you what I have on the Sta’s and what more Un Papp has brought with him. I do worry that this knowledge may be too much for us.”
Never before had he seen Berdtom in such a serious state. The man was a master negotiator and planner, quick witted and ready to move on to the next challenge at a moment’s notice. “You are sounding more like a priest now.”
“Yes, I can see how it would look that way to you. You are not Tesslodken as I am but that will not matter much I think for this book transcends peoples. It was written when gods walked this land and its authors may very well have inscribed some of their very words directly.”
Murac inhaled deeply to express his skepticism. “Every priest, Tom, tells a similar tale, and when you have traveled as far as I have you learn that for a fact. They have their book each of them, and they claim it trumps all others.”
“Yes, I know, having traveled as you have. The difference in this one is that it was written before priests and was written for men, not to teach them to worship but how to stand nobly besides the immortals themselves. Murac, it was written before man had religion.”
“I can’t think of any god that would allow such a book to exist, Tom.”
“Precisely why I think it may be taken from us, for it may very well be the only copy not destroyed by them or their agents. I just hope to have time to read it and to have copies made.”
“Ah, so Neustus is behind this construction than?”
“Yep, though the hall was not what he wanted … we just needed something to keep the crew he picked out busy. Until, that is, you come up with more gold.”
“Hmm.” Berdtom grunted as he began eating. “I shall find it … and the library addition I think is a good idea.”
Autbek noticed Eifled and Un Papp were alone in the library when he walked by so he took the opportunity to ask Eifled’s opinion of what Berdtom had discovered. The sage had been strangely quiet about it but Autbek thought it likely Eifled was simply overwhelmed with the possible ramifications of their find.
“Let us speak to Neustus about it, shall we?” Eifled suggested after Autbek broached the subject.
Thinking it a little odd to try and get an opinion out of the man-bird Autbek decided to humor Eifled anyway and so the two of them ascended the stairs. He knew Eifled had been spending time with Neustus but the man-bird had always been in spirit-bird form so assumed not much information flowed between the two of them.
“Has he spoken to you much?” Autbek asked as he approached the rack where the Neustus was as usual spread-eagle and quiet.
“A little, O’t, but certainly not as we are about to do though I hope I’m wrong.”
“About me talking to you?” Autbek joked. “Hope the subject is not that upsetting.”
Eifled shook his head as he made himself comfortable on a bench. He had many of his personal items up here now and had been making himself at home. “The subject is daunting, Autbek, like few I have discussed before. I once had to tell a young prince that his father’s realm had ended and all those he had known and all the places they’d lived had vanished. This isn’t so sad but is perhaps as unbelievable.”