by M. Gregg Roe
Winter was a nightmare. It brought more snow than Audrey had ever seen or imagined, although the older villagers assured her that they had seen worse in their younger days. For Audrey, it meant endless hours helping her father to clear paths and remove snow from their roof, followed by sleepless nights due to severely-aching muscles. Not for the first time she found herself wishing that she had brothers who could do such difficult work in her stead. But it was just her, and she did what was required of her without complaint.
On the first day of Winter, Violet and Orian were married in a simple ceremony conducted by Mayor Johan. She was happy for her friend, but not envious. Orian may have been strong and handsome, but he was quite dull-witted in her opinion. There was no question that Violet would be the one in charge. The newlyweds moved into the house that Quentin and his family had occupied for so long.
Audrey visited Violet frequently, but her friend often seemed sad. That worried her. Violet denied that there was anything wrong, but Audrey wasn’t fooled. She suspected that it had much to do with Violet’s lack of typical wifely skills, such as cooking, laundering, and sewing. All wives in Farmerton had those skills to at least some degree, but Violet just hadn’t been interested. She had grown up with an older brother and sister, and they had done all of the work. When they eventually married and moved out, Violet had just floundered along.
Audrey was different. She had practical skills and continued to work to improve them. She visited her aunt as often as she could manage. Berna began to teach her how to properly design articles of clothing, such as pants, shirts, skirts, and dresses. She spent the better part of a month making a summer dress for herself using some old linens. It turned out well, but she found herself wishing that she had access to better quality cloth and thread.
It was so cold for so long that Winter, that a large portion of the lake near the village stayed frozen for nearly two months. All of the children and many of the adults went out and enjoyed sliding across the icy surface. A few people even tried their hands at ice fishing. Audrey just couldn’t bring herself to join them. Going near the lake simply brought back too many bad memories. Despite the harshness of the season, no one in Farmerton starved or froze or died of an illness. That was unusual, and everyone kept talking about how fortunate they had been.
♦ ♦ ♦
Audrey walked away from the house in the direction where she could hear the most noise, but she decided to keep her distance and simply observe for now. She had been cleaning the fireplace, and she wasn’t exactly dressed to be meeting people.
A number of the villagers had congregated in the large open area south of the meeting hall. It looked like at least half the village had turned out. She maneuvered to where she could see Johan and his wife Abigail speaking with a group of five people, all of who looked to be armored and wearing swords. She carefully worked her way closer so that she could get a better look.
Audrey had no trouble identifying the four that the villagers had described to her all those months ago. The man speaking with Johan was wearing chainmail, had a round shield on his left arm, a metal helmet tucked under his right arm, and a long scabbarded sword strapped to his belt. He had to be Gabriel. The shorter man with chainmail, an equally large sword, and long hair must be Saxloc, and she felt excited to be finally seeing him. The thin man wearing black and with a much thinner sword would be Hankin. The blond woman with the shorter sword and leather armor was obviously Siljan. The fifth traveler was also female. She had short black hair and was armed with both a curved sword and a dagger.
A terrible thought suddenly struck Audrey: Could either Siljan or this new woman be romantically involved with Saxloc? The possibility had never occurred to her before, and now she was worried. If one of them was Saxloc’s girlfriend, then it would completely ruin her plan.
Audrey returned to her house feeling both depressed and nervous. She cleaned herself thoroughly, then spent time brushing and styling her thick, shoulder-length hair. She put on her new dress and went out into the house. Both of her parents were in the sitting room talking, and they looked up and smiled when they saw her.
“You look beautiful, Audrey,” said Marilee, smiling.
“Yes, you do,” agreed Anton. “Saxloc won’t be able to resist you. I’ve already arranged with Johan for you to be one of the ones that has dinner with the five of them. We’re counting on you, Audrey.”
She frowned at them and asked, “What about the new woman? I’m worried she might be Saxloc’s girlfriend. Or maybe the one called Siljan is.”
Her father was shocked by her question, but her mother smiled and answered, “No, I don’t think so. The new one’s named Ariel, and she seems closer to Gabriel than the others. She’s also got that weird accent like Gabriel and Siljan do.”
Audrey felt somewhat relieved, but she was still worried. She sat with her parents for a while before finally heading over to Farmerton’s meeting hall, where she knew the dinner was going to be held. All five of the travelers were already inside the hall, now dressed in regular clothing. Their armor, weapons, and backpacks were neatly piled in one corner. Also in the hall were Johan and his wife Abigail, Violet and Orian, and Josette and her parents.
Violet looked angry, and she gave Audrey a pleading look. The reason was obvious: Siljan was speaking with Violet’s husband Orian, clearly flirting with him. Siljan was now dressed in brown pants and a tight green shirt that made her look sexy. Audrey was relieved that Siljan wasn’t a threat to her plans, but she felt sorry for her friend Violet, who obviously had no idea what to do.
Audrey looked around to see what the other four visitors were doing. Hankin was standing in a corner, sipping a mug of cider and watching everyone. He was dressed in smart-looking black clothing. He didn’t look very handsome to her, but his blue eyes were striking. He suddenly looked directly at her and smiled, causing her to quickly look away.
Saxloc was dressed in dark blue pants and a white shirt. His clothing looked both expensive and well-made. The tops of his ears protruded through his hair and were indeed somewhat pointed. Audrey was disappointed that he wasn’t nearly as good-looking as she had been imagining. He appeared to be having a serious conversation with Josette’s parents. Josette was clutching her mother’s hand and shyly gazing at him.
Gabriel was every bit as handsome as Audrey had been told, and his clothing couldn’t disguise his muscular build. Ariel was good-looking, with brown eyes, a small nose, and a slim but shapely build. She and Gabriel were speaking with one another, although Ariel seemed to be doing most of the talking. They looked quite comfortable together, and that made Audrey feel better. She now suspected that Ariel was Gabriel’s girlfriend, and that meant that her plan could proceed.
Audrey picked up a mug of cider from the sideboard and then casually moved closer to the two of them to try to hear their conversation. When she got closer, she nearly dropped her cider in surprise. She couldn’t understand what they were saying at all! They must be speaking in a different language, but she hadn’t even known that there were any other languages spoken in Andoran’s Realm. But that did, she realized, explain the strange accent that the three of them had.
Ariel noticed Audrey and walked up to her. “Hi!” she said with a big smile. “I’m Ariel. I’ve never been here before.”
Audrey was caught off guard. “Uh … I’m Audrey. Welcome to Farmerton.”
“Thanks! What happened to your leg?” asked Ariel, sounding incredibly perky.
“I would guess that it was injured by a crocodile,” stated Gabriel, who had walked over to join them. “And that you are the young woman that Saxloc healed when we were last here.”
Audrey smiled in a friendly manner. “Yes. I am. I’m Audrey. I didn’t meet you before because I was too busy dying.”
Ariel started giggling. Gabriel smiled and made a small bow. “I am Gabriel av Mardan,” he said in a formal manner. “It is nice to meet you, Audrey.”
“It’s nice to meet both of you,�
� Audrey replied. She noticed that Saxloc had finished his conversation. “Excuse me, but I want to go and thank Saxloc personally.” Gabriel nodded, and she walked away from them.
Audrey went over and put her mug down on the sideboard. Then she ran up to Saxloc, threw her arms around him, and cried, “I knew you would return! The one who saved my life!”
Saxloc seemed surprised, and a bit disconcerted, but he smiled pleasantly and returned her hug. He was three inches shorter than her, but he felt incredibly solid. She suspected that he actually outweighed her by a fair margin.
“I’m happy to see that you recovered … Audrey, isn’t it?” he said. She nodded, pleased that he had remembered her name. He glanced at her legs and said, “How is your leg? It was injured quite badly, and I had a difficult time healing it.”
Audrey smiled sweetly. “It’s just fine, Saxloc. You did a wonderful job on it. I’m very grateful to you. Can I sit with you at dinner?”
“Of course,” he replied, and she felt a thrill.
As if on cue, village women began to carry in platters heaped with meat, fish, vegetables, and fresh bread. Audrey sat at one end of the long wooden table, with Saxloc to her left, and Josette and her parents opposite.
She noted with amusement Violet steering her husband away from sitting next to Siljan, who had taken the seat on the other side of Saxloc. Hankin took that seat instead, and Saxloc introduced Audrey to both of them. Hankin simply nodded, but Siljan grinned slyly and said, “Now I see why Saxloc volunteered to heal you when we were here.” Audrey didn’t know how to respond to that, and she was relieved when Siljan turned and began talking to Hankin.
As they ate, Audrey told Saxloc about herself and her life in Farmerton. He said little about himself other than that he lived with his parents in the Witch’s City and had no siblings. But he did seem flattered by all the attention she was giving him. It wasn’t all an act for her; she found his pointed ears fascinating, and she really enjoyed speaking with him.
Afterward, she invited him to go for a walk around the village and he willingly agreed. Audrey gave him a brief tour of the farms and fields before leading him into her father’s barn. Once inside, she took him in her arms and began to kiss him. To her delight, he returned her affections. But when she clumsily tried to take things further, he pushed her away with his face turning red. She could tell that he wasn’t very experienced, but she was completely inexperienced herself.
Audrey tried to look disappointed as she lowered her head and said, “I’m sorry. I know I’m fat and not pretty.”
“Um … that’s not it,” he replied, sounding embarrassed. “I like you, Audrey, but we’ve only just met. We should be back here in a few days after visiting the temple. How about if we get together then?”
It was more than she had hoped. She smiled and said, “Okay. I’m looking forward to it.”
He said he wanted to go back to the meeting hall, so she walked him there, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and then returned home. She told her parents what had happened. Her father was happy, but her mother was concerned and advised her to take things slow. Audrey knew she couldn’t afford to do that, so she just pretended to take her mother’s advice.
The five of them left early the following morning, and she found herself growing more and more impatient with each passing day. She went around and spoke with some of the young women in the village, asking them for advice. The suggestions ranged from totally impractical to unbelievably embarrassing, but there were a few helpful ones.
When she asked Violet for advice, Violet became angry and said, “No. It’s a bad idea. Don’t do it. Just try and make friends with him.”
“But there’s no time,” Audrey protested. “They were only here one night before. This time they might not even stay that long.”
“You’re too impatient, Audrey. I know you want to leave, but are you even sure the Witch’s City is where you want to go? What is a witch, anyway?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care. I just want out of here.”
♦ ♦ ♦
It was seven days before Saxloc returned as he had promised, but Audrey was surprised to see that neither Gabriel nor Ariel were with him. Instead, Saxloc, Hankin, and Siljan were accompanied by a woman named Alessandra and a young guard named Dayne.
Alessandra had long, wavy blond hair, blue eyes, and prominent cheekbones highlighting a beautiful oval face. She was wearing a bright blue robe cinched at the waist with a leather belt, but it couldn’t disguise how voluptuous she was. She held a staff measuring nearly two yards that appeared to be made of a light blue crystalline material. Alessandra carried herself with poise, confidence, and an air of authority. She looked to be nearly thirty years old to Audrey, who thought her quite beautiful.
Alessandra promptly announced that she was a Priestess of Kyran, and she soon had the villagers charmed and hanging on her every word. She went about the village, utilizing her magical powers to heal people’s injuries and even diseases. Audrey watched some of her healing work and was impressed. It seemed miraculous to her how the woman’s magic was able to rapidly heal injuries, and now she truly understood just how Saxloc had been able to heal her leg.
She returned to the meeting hall and found Saxloc outside. He smiled when he spotted her and shyly approached. “Would you like to eat dinner together?” he asked.
Audrey felt her heart begin to race. She smiled, saying, “Yes, I would. Very much. I know of a nice spot nearby for a picnic. Wait here, and I’ll go to my house and get us some food.”
“All right,” he replied. “That sounds nice.”
Audrey rushed home and asked her mother to pack up some food for the two of them. She quickly changed clothes and then headed back, carrying the food in a large sack. She led Saxloc to a small, lightly wooded hill. It was well away from the village and had a nice view of Fog Lake. She spread a blanket out on the ground and began to remove food from the sack.
Over dinner, he told her about the problems that they had with Ariel on the way to Alessandra’s Temple. He said that they had left her at the temple to be cared for. Gabriel had elected to remain behind because he was concerned about her. Audrey couldn’t really follow much of what Saxloc told her about Ariel, but she pretended that she could and didn’t ask questions. She had noticed that there seemed to be something a bit off about Ariel.
When they had finished eating, she cleaned everything up, but she left the blanket. Audrey suddenly pulled off her dress, having selected a loose one that required little effort to remove. She was now completely naked, and Saxloc’s jaw dropped open as he stared at her in shock. She stepped forward and pulled his head into her chest as she hugged him to her, taking advantage of her greater height. She was determined not to fail again.
Audrey did succeed, but it was not the magical experience that she had been imagining. Neither of them really knew what they were doing, and she was surprised by how much it hurt her at first. Saxloc managed to resist her efforts long enough to insist on using protection, and she was glad to comply. Becoming pregnant was definitely not in her current plans.
Afterward, Saxloc stared in shock at the blood. Audrey had been expecting it, but the sight was still unnerving.
“Are you all right?” he asked with a look of real concern.
“I think so,” she replied. “I’m told it’s a lot better after the first time, but I don’t think I can do it again right now.”
His cheeks colored slightly. “That’s fine. I was just worried about you.”
“Thank you, Saxloc.”
As he began to dress, Audrey used the blanket to clean herself off. After pulling on her dress, she rolled up the blanket and then turned to face him.
“Saxloc, please take me with you when you leave,” she begged.
“What!” he exclaimed with a look of astonishment. “What are you talking about?”
“Please. I hate it here. Take me to the Witch’s City with you. I’ll do whatever you want. I know how
to cook and sew. I can find a job. Please.”
Saxloc looked utterly appalled, and she could feel herself on the verge of bursting into tears. “Gods, Audrey! So that was why you wanted to have sex with me! Forget it! I am not looking for a whore!”
She burst into tears, startling him. “That’s not what I meant! I really do like you. I’m just desperate. Please take me with you.”
His expression hardened. “No. Find some other way. Find someone else.” He turned and walked off as she collapsed to the ground weeping.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this!” she sobbed to herself. “I messed up everything. Why didn’t I just ask him first? I’m so stupid!”
♦ ♦ ♦
When she returned home later that evening, Audrey shamefully told her parents what had happened. Her mother hugged her gently, saying, “Oh, Audrey. I’m sorry it didn’t work out like you hoped. Let’s get you cleaned up and then you can rest for a bit.”
“Well done!” said her father, smiling broadly. “You did all that was needed. I’ll take care of the rest.”
Audrey was confused, and her mother looked almost distraught. She wanted to ask her father what he meant by that, but instead, she allowed her mother to lead her to her room. Marilee helped her to clean up and change into her nightgown. Then she put her to bed and gave her a kiss.
She was sore and utterly exhausted, but sleep just wouldn’t come. She just couldn’t stop thinking about it. Her plan had been idiotic. She could have simply asked Saxloc and the others to escort her to the Witch’s City. Once there, she could have found a job and made a life for herself. She would have finally escaped their wretched little village. But now it was all over. Her life was over. She found herself wishing that the crocodile had just killed her. Then she would be dead and Quentin would still be alive. He deserved to survive far more than she. Quentin had been the village handyman. He had been useful.