Harmon was quiet as he weighed Todd’s words. He still hadn’t decided on how to handle the Sorensons when they came to Plainview.
“I still think it’s best if I meet them by myself,” Todd insisted. “I don’t want to cause your family any problems.”
“Let me be the judge of that, Todd,” Harmon replied evenly. He had come to really like the young man over the last several days. His mother had certainly raised him right. He was nothing like his father or uncle.
Ashley was listening hoping there wouldn’t be any trouble with the Sorensons. Surely, Todd’s father would be relieved that they had taken care of him. However, after listening to some of the things Todd had told them his family was doing to the people that lived on their side of the valley, Ashley felt extremely uneasy. She wished her powers of sorcery were stronger; there might come a day when they were needed. She had already decided that as soon as the snow cleared from Beaver Mountain, she was going to go and pay another visit to Snowden.
-
For the next week, the snow continued to melt. There was mud everywhere and large puddles of water. It was all that Ashley and her mother could do to keep the kitchen clean from all the mud that was being tracked in constantly. Katrina kept a close watch and whenever Harmon, Stephen, or Todd came in, she would demand that they take their shoes off before they stepped into the kitchen.
“I don’t know what men would do if women weren’t around,” she said to Ashley as she watched Harmon pull his mud encrusted boots off.
Ashley just laughed and then began giggling as Stephen lost his balance and landed in a pile of mud in the open door.
“Now you can just go change your pants,” Katrina admonished, shaking her head in exasperation.
-
Very soon after that, the roads began to dry up. Todd continued to work with Stephen on his sorcery several times each day. Harmon had even sat in several times, curious to see if there were any differences in how the Andrews taught sorcery compared to the Sorensons. Ashley knew that Stephen was becoming very close friends with Todd, even with the age difference. Twice Todd and Ashley had been able to get off by themselves and talk privately.
On one of those occasions, Todd had been helping her feed the horses in the barn. “Ashley, you know that I care for you,” he began hesitantly.
Ashley was the only girl he had ever felt comfortable around, but for some reason, today he felt nervous. He was afraid that if he didn’t tell her how he felt, he might not get another chance.
“I know, Todd,” replied Ashley, smiling as she dropped an armful of loose hay into one of the stalls. “I feel the same way.”
Ashley turned to face Todd and stepped closer to him. “These days together have been wonderful.”
“I’m afraid they are about to end,” Todd replied with a crestfallen look upon his face. “My father and brother will be here any day now.”
“When will we get to see each other again?” asked Ashley, knowing in her heart that they might be separated for quite some time.
“I don’t know,” replied Todd, shaking his head. “I suspect my father will be keeping a close watch on me for awhile.”
“Don’t worry about it,” spoke Ashley, wishing things were different. “Someday things will work out.”
“I certainly hope so,” Todd replied with a weak smile.
On an impulse, Ashley leaned forward and gently kissed Todd on his cheek.
Todd stood still, too surprised by Ashley’s kiss to do anything other than just stand there. He felt his heart hammering and his face felt flush. It was at that moment that he realized he was truly in love with this beautiful young woman.
“I need to go help Mom,” Ashley spoke with a teasing smile. “I think she’s cooking something special for tonight.”
-
The next day, Ashley and Todd were sitting on the porch swing enjoying the unusually warm winter afternoon. Ashley heard a horse approaching and, standing up, looked down toward the road. It was her Uncle Mark. Ashley felt a sudden empty feeling in the pit of her stomach; there was only one reason her uncle would be coming out here: her father had ridden to town several days previously to tell his two brothers about Todd. Neither had been happy at hearing the news, but both agreed that Harmon had done what was right.
“Todd, go and tell my father that Uncle Mark is here,” Ashley spoke as she went down the steps.
Todd knew what this meant and went inside to get Harmon. He felt deep sadness at knowing his time with the Andrews was over.
“Hello, Ashley,” Mark said pleasantly with a smile as he got down from his horse. “You’re turning into a beautiful young woman. The boys will be after you one of these days.”
Ashley flushed and nodded to her uncle. He had always enjoyed teasing her. Her Uncle Mark was thirty-eight years old with dark black hair, which was just beginning to show hints of gray.
“Todd went in to get Dad,” Ashley spoke.
Harmon and Todd stepped out on the porch. Stephen, who had an upset look upon his face, closely followed them. He had hoped that Todd would get to stay for a few more days.
“Are they here?” asked Harmon, stepping down the steps to stand in front of his younger brother.”
“Yeah,” replied Mark, gazing at Todd with a measuring look. This was the first time he had seen the young Sorenson sorcerer. “Jacob, Kensett, and Edward are all in town at the tavern.”
“My father, uncle, and brother,” Todd commented. He had hoped that Edward wouldn’t come; that could spell trouble.
“I guess we need to go and get this over with,” Harmon said. “Stephen, go down to the barn and saddle up two of the horses.”
“Dad, I want to go,” Ashley spoke suddenly. She had to see what was going to happen. This might be her last opportunity to see and speak to Todd for quite some time.
Harmon turned and looked sharply at his daughter then nodded his head. “Go down to the barn and saddle up your horse. You can watch from the general store.”
“What do you think, Todd?” Harmon asked. He had come to respect the young man’s opinion.
“I wish that Edward hadn’t come,” spoke Todd, uneasily. “I think that if I just go along with them peacefully there won’t be any problems. But don’t be surprised if my father or uncle run their mouths some; they have a tendency to threaten people a lot.”
“Threats we can handle,” Mark responded confidently. “Robert is waiting for us at the general store. He and Mason are keeping an eye on the tavern where the Sorensons are.” Mason was his son and he felt this would be a good learning experience for the boy. His son also had strict instructions not to come out of the general store.
A few minutes later, Stephen and Ashley came out of the barn leading three horses. Stephen stopped and gazed questioningly at his father.
“Can I come?” he asked with a pleading look in his eyes.
“Not this time,” replied Harmon, shaking his head. “I want you to stay here with your mother.”
Stephen nodded, feeling disappointed. Todd walked over and put his hand on Stephen’s shoulder. “I’ll see you again,” he said reassuringly. “Just keep practicing your sorcery as I showed you.”
“I will,” Stephen promised. “I will practice every day!”
The four mounted their horses and left Stephen standing in the yard, watching them leave. He wondered if he would ever actually get to see Todd again. He had been like an older brother to him.
Katrina stepped out on the porch and looked at the receding riders. She had been listening to everything from the door. “Come inside, Stephen; I need help in the kitchen.” Katrina hoped everything would work out. She also knew this would prove to be very hard on Ashley and Todd; young love was always a difficult thing.
-
Ashley, Todd, Mark, and Harmon rode into Plainview. Ashley looked uneasily around with her left hand unconsciously moving to touch her amulet through her sweater. There didn’t seem to be many people around, and she knew it wasn’t due to the we
ather. They stopped in front of the general store and Ashley dismounted. She saw her Uncle Robert and her Cousin Mason step out onto the porch. Mason waved at Ashley and smiled. Mason and Ashley were almost the same age, with Ashley only a few months older.
“The Sorensons are over at the tavern,” commented Robert, looking worriedly down the street. “They have been boasting about how they now control over half of the valley, and how any trade we want to do in Glendon will have to go through them.”
“Sounds like my father and uncle,” spoke Todd, shaking his head in aggravation. “They always seem to be trying to stir up trouble.”
Robert took a long hard look at Todd before replying. “They said you’re supposed to come over to the tavern as soon as you got here.”
Everyone had now dismounted and tied their horses up to the wood rail in front of the general store. The horses stomped their feet and seemed to be unusually nervous, as if they sensed that something wasn’t right.
“I guess we’d better get over there,” said Harmon, wondering how this meeting was going to play out. “Ashley, you and Mason need to stay in the general store. You can watch from the windows, but neither of you are to come outside under any circumstances. Do you two understand that?”
“Yes, sir,” replied Mason, looking at Ashley. He wondered why Ashley had come.
“We will stay in the general store,” Ashley promised as she went up the steps and gestured for Mason to follow her.
Mason and Ashley went inside, and Mason immediately turned toward Ashley. “Why did you come? This could be dangerous.”
“Todd’s my friend,” Ashley replied as she looked out the nearest window and saw the three adults and Todd walking toward the tavern.
“Friend!” sputtered Mason, shaking his head in denial. “He’s a Sorenson. You can’t be friends with a Sorenson.”
“I can be friends with whomever I want,” Ashley replied defensively, putting her hands on her hips. “Now, let’s not argue. I want to see what happens.”
Mason quieted down. He stepped over next to Ashley and gazed out the window. He still didn’t understand how an Andrews could be friends with a Sorenson.
-
Harmon pushed open the door to the tavern and stepped inside, followed by the others. It was darker in the tavern, and it took a moment for his eyes to adjust. He spotted the three Sorensons sitting at a side table next to the wall. One of them stood up, and Harmon recognized Jacob, Todd’s father.
“About time you brought my son,” Jacob grumbled in a rough voice. “I was hoping we wouldn’t have to come looking for him.”
“Dad, I’m fine,” interjected Todd, stepping between the two older men. “My horse threw me and if not for Mr. Andrews, I would have died in the snowstorm.”
“Yeah, the snowstorm,” repeated Jacob, looking angrily at Edward. “I don’t know what you were doing on this side of the valley. We will discuss that when I get you home.”
Todd walked over to stand next to his father. Edward was watching the entire exchange with a smirk on his face. His right hand was toying with his red amulet, which hung in plain sight from his neck.
“We don’t want any trouble,” spoke Harmon, staring unabashed at Jacob.
Jacob was silent for a moment as he looked at the three Andrews men. “Your sorcery doesn’t measure up to ours,” Jacob reminded them.
Edward stood up and laughed. “Not even close.” A small red fireball suddenly formed in his hand.
Harmon’s hand went instantly to his amulet. “We won’t back down from trouble,” he warned, staring into Jacob’s eyes. “This is our section of the valley, not yours!”
Jacob glanced sharply at Edward, and the fireball vanished. “For now,” he said casually. “We control the rest of the valley including Glendon.”
“Glendon is supposed to be neutral territory,” Mark reminded Jacob. “That was decided long ago. You have no rightful claim to the village.”
“Times change,” responded Jacob, shrugging his shoulders. “Glendon is ours. If you want to do any trading in Glendon, it has to go through us. That includes using the roads and passes that lead to New Haven on the coast.”
“You don’t control New Haven,” Robert grated out, anger flashing in his eyes. “There’s no sorcery allowed outside of the valley.”
“That may be so, but we do control the roads and the passes,” Jacob reiterated. “You can trade with New Haven, but you will have to pay a fee to do so.”
“And who do we pay this fee to?” Robert asked in a loud voice.
“Why, to us, of course,” Jacob replied with a crafty smile. “For a small fee we will allow trade with New Haven. Just consider it a payment for us to keep the roads and passes open.”
“You shouldn’t be doing this,” Harmon stated in an even voice. He kept his hands down at his side. He didn’t want to give the Sorensons any excuse to start a fight. “This is only going to cause trouble.”
“Are you threatening us?” Edward asked in a hard voice. “We don’t take kindly to threats.”
“No threats for now,” replied Harmon, ignoring Edward and speaking directly to Jacob. “But we are responsible for Plainview, and we take that responsibility very seriously. I think it’s time for you to return to your end of the valley, Jacob. You got what you came for.”
Jacob was silent for a moment, and then nodded his head slowly. “For now we will leave, but if I find out you did anything to Todd or put any crazy notions in his head, we’ll be back.”
Mark, Robert, and Harmon watched as the Sorensons left the tavern. Todd didn’t look the least bit happy to be back with his family.
“Now what?” asked Mark, glancing at Harmon. “I don’t think they’re going to stop with Glendon. I’m afraid that, at some point in time, they’re going to want our section of the valley also.”
“Mark’s right,” added Robert with concern in his voice. “What do we do then?”
“It hasn’t happened yet,” Harmon reminded them, letting out a deep breath. “We have some time. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.” Harmon knew that his brothers were right. The Sorensons would be back.
However, the Andrews had one ace in the hole the Sorensons didn’t know about. That ace slept beneath Beaver Mountain. But Harmon wasn’t sure how Snowden could help or even if the dragon would.
“We need to keep a watch out from now on,” Mark stated. “If the Sorensons attempt to make a move on our side of the valley, we need to be ready.”
“What about trade with Glendon and New Haven?” Robert asked. “The village people aren’t going to be happy about having to pay a fee to the Sorensons.”
“I know,” Harmon replied, his eyes darkening. “I’ll talk to Alfred over at the general store and inform him of what’s going on. He does more trading than anyone else and will be most affected by this.”
The three became quiet as they mulled over what the future held. They hoped this didn’t become a fight between the two sorcery families; there would be nothing positive to come out of that.
-
Ashley watched the door to the tavern nervously, wondering what was happening inside. She fidgeted, wishing she could hear what was being said.
“Dad thinks there is going to be a fight someday between the Sorensons and us,” Mason said quietly to Ashley. “What does your father believe, Ashley?”
“He’s worried,” Ashley confessed. “I guess it depends on Edward. He’s the unknown in all of this.”
“I heard he’s grown very powerful with his sorcery abilities,” Mason said worriedly. “My father says there hasn’t been a sorcerer of his reputed abilities in centuries.”
It was at that moment that the door to the tavern opened, and the Sorensons stepped out. They went immediately to their horses and mounted up. Ashley noticed they had brought an extra one for Todd. As they rode out, Ashley saw that Todd was riding next to his father. Watching Todd, she suspected he would have a lot of explaining to do on the way home. H
er dark blue eyes followed them as they rode out of town, and her heart felt the loneliness of Todd leaving. Taking a deep breath, she hoped she would see Todd again.
Chapter Nine
It was early spring, and Ashley was on Spirit riding toward Beaver Mountain. It was a cool morning, and she had on a light jacket to help combat the ever-present chill. It was quiet, other than the steady beat of her horse’s hoofs against the ground. She shivered slightly as she guided Spirit around several large pine trees and finally came to a stop in the small clearing at the base of the mountain.
Looking up on the nearer slope, she could see scattered areas of snow. The top of the mountain was still encased in a deep layer of the white stuff. It would be almost mid summer before the uppermost peak of Beaver Mountain became free of snow.
The last few months had been depressing and worrisome. There had been no sign of Todd or any of the other Sorensons in Plainview. Alfred Dotson, the owner of the general store, had twice made the trip to Glendon to trade and barter for different goods for his store. Both times the Sorensons had demanded ten percent of his trade goods as a fee to trade at the larger general store in Glendon.
Her father had ridden into Plainview a number of times to meet with his brothers to discuss what they would do if the Sorensons returned. They all three agreed that it was only a matter of time before that happened. For the first time in years, Ashley saw her father practicing his sorcery on a regular basis. Sometimes one or both of his brothers would join him at the farm and they would retire to her father’s study to talk privately. Then they would go outside and work on different sorcery spells. All of this made Ashley feel really uneasy.
Stephen had continued to practice his sorcery and pointed out to Ashley that it would be next to impossible for Todd to be able to sneak back to Plainview. If they wanted to see Todd, they would have to go to Glendon. Ashley knew with the present situation that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.
Ashley sighed deeply as she dismounted. She stood for a moment and stretched. Her parents and Stephen had gone to Plainview for the day to do some shopping and to visit her Uncle Robert. Ashley had feigned not feeling well as an excuse to stay home. She knew they wouldn’t be home until nearly dark.
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