Through the Looking Glass

by Rebecca Lorino Pond

  She tossed the clump of mud and weeds to the side as she crawled farther underneath the big bush she was currently trying to save. A vine of unknown species had wrapped itself around every stem of the bush and was slowly killing it. The bush looked like it had been a type of rose bush but without the thorns.

  The light in the sky was beginning to fade. That was her cue to finish up what she was doing then head to the bath to get cleaned up. Jakar typically made his appearance right before dinner was served in the dining hall. The little amount of time she had been here so far, she knew that Jakar would be in the dining hall at exactly six o’clock and he wasn’t one to miss a meal intentionally.

  Brushing the dirt and grass off her hands and skirt, she headed into the castle. The amount of work she was able to accomplish today surprised even her. She had, so far, managed to clear half the garden with the hardest part still to go. It would take her at least another week or so to get it all cleared. She just prayed she had enough time to do so.

  She cleaned up in record time and headed to the dining hall. It was busy as usual in the large area with soldiers, staff, and any guests that were staying in the castle. Thankfully, Jakar hadn’t come in yet. His place at the head table remained empty. The noise in the room was at a comfortable level which made it pleasant in the room. Occasionally, the noise would be so loud in the room, usually when the men were drinking, she would have to leave the room before a headache could creep its way into her head.

  She took her place in her normal position at the table and waited for her husband. One of the servant boys handed her a glass of wine then placed an empty plate in front of her. Sipping the wine slowly, she let her gaze travel around the room. A small group of children sat off to one side of the room laughing and giggling as they devoured the food in front of them. She assumed they were children of the staff that lived in the castle full-time because she had seen some of them numerous times. One little girl in particular stood out among the rest.

  The little girl couldn’t have been more than four or five years old and had a head full of red hair. It was parted down the middle then braided into two plaits that hung past the girl’s waist. The girl’s face reminded her of a cherub with her fat cheeks and round eyes. She noticed that the little girl wasn’t taking part in the childish conversation but would laugh when another child said something to elicit a reaction. She studied the child for quite some time and wondered who her parents might be. Apparently, the child was very shy because when any adult came near the table she would cast her eyes down.

  “Umm. I wonder what’s up with that,” she said in a low tone.

  “What’s up with what?”

  Isobel jumped at the voice coming from behind her. She knew it was Jakar but still, he had startled her.

  “Geez, you scared me!” she replied as she watched him take his seat next to her. She put a hand on her chest as if to still her rapidly beating heart.

  “Sorry,” Jakar replied and gave her a big smile. “Tell me what you were saying.”

  She hesitated as if she wasn’t sure she should ask him about the girl. Thinking there was nothing wrong with her curiosity about the child, she went ahead and asked. “Who is the little girl with the red hair? The one sitting at the end of the table over there.” She directed her gaze and nodded her chin in the direction of the girl.

  Jakar followed her gaze then turned back to her. “That’s little Skye. Why do you ask?”

  “I was just curious. That’s all.” She took a sip of her wine. “Who does she belong to?”

  Jakar took a big swallow from his own wine glass before he answered her. “Her father is one of my men. Her mother died in childbirth.”

  “So, who takes care of her?”

  “Mostly Nana and the kitchen staff. Everyone watches out for her. She stays here in the castle when her father is away.” He reached for the platter of meat that had just been set on the table in front of them.

  “Oh,” she said quietly. She took the offered plate Jakar held out to her.

  The rest of their dinner was passed in silence. Isobel’s eyes returned to Skye more times than she could count. There was something special about the girl that tugged at her heart strings for some reason.

  While they ate, several men came up to speak with Jakar. Most of it was to deal with the castle and its workings but the last to stand before them was a man she had never seen before.

  “My lord.” The man bowed before them quickly. “I have come to offer you the assistance of my men. I have thirty with me and there is another twenty in a camp not far from here.”

  Isobel sat quietly watching the interaction. This definitely wasn’t one of Jakar’s people she guessed. She looked to her husband to see his response.

  “Where have you come from?” Jakar asked as he chewed a mouthful of meat.

  The man shifted from foot to foot as if he were nervous to reveal where he came from. He must have been choosing his words carefully before he took the chance and told of his origins.

  “We are from south Aslog,” he stated bluntly.

  Isobel felt and saw Jakar tense beside her. He was on his feet in a second calling out to the guards and soldiers who were eating in the hall.

  “Guards!”

  Within seconds anyone in the hall with a weapon moved to surround the man standing before Jakar with weapons drawn and at the ready. Jakar moved slowly around the table to confront the man offering his troops.

  “How did you get passed the guards at the gate?” Jakar asked.

  “I informed them I had men who wished to join your cause,” the man replied simply.

  “What is your name?”

  “I am Horas. My village is about fifty miles south of your border.”

  Jakar studied the man as Isobel studied Jakar. The air was thick with tension as everyone waited to see what the ruler of their land would do about this man who was supposed to be an enemy.

  “Do you expect me to just take your word that you are here to join with my army and not sent here by Tuloch to infiltrate my land? That would be mighty brave if you think so.” Jakar folded his arms across his muscled chest.

  The man was obviously afraid that Jakar was going to do something drastic. His eyes moved around the room as if he were seeing the odds he was up against. The room was dead silent as everyone waited on pins and needles. Jakar took a step closer to the man, putting them not more than a few inches apart.

  “Where are your men now?”

  “Waiting at the gate for me to return,” Horas replied quickly.

  “Until I find out if what you say is true, I want you and all but one of your men to remain here under guard. Send one man back to your camp and have your people make their way here.”

  Horas heaved a sigh. Isobel knew Jakar wasn’t a trusting man and was surprised by his actions. Hell, it had taken an act of congress for the man to believe her story. Why was he more skeptical of her than of a group of men who could attack his castle? From the inside nevertheless!

  “Done.”

  “My men will escort you to the gate and bring you all back here,” Jakar said.

  “Yes, my lord. Thank you.” Horas gave another gracious bow then left with the group of soldiers that surrounded him.

  Isobel let out the breath she must have been holding. It was strange to see Jakar in defense mode and willing to meet with the foreigners. She got up from the table and went around to stand by him. She wasn’t sure if she should say anything but she felt like she had to.

  She came up beside his left arm then whispered so that only he could hear her. “Do you think it’s safe?” Her eyes watched the man being escorted out of the dining hall.

  “I’m not sure, little one. I didn’t get any ill feelings about the man. I should have called Nyla in to see if he was telling the truth.” The words had no sooner left his mouth when the fairy came zooming into the hall at a high rate of speed. “Ah, there she is!” He smiled up at the fairy who had been a part of his life for a long
time now.

  “Aye, my lord. The man is telling the truth. As soon as I got word of the mysterious people and their camp, I went in search of it. They are camped not far from here over the hill near the forest where the lake begins.” Nyla hovered in front of them as she spoke.

  “How many would you say there are?” Jakar asked.

  “It looks to be about a hundred or so. His count of his soldiers was correct and the rest are women and children. A few elderly people but not many.”

  “Perfect! Thank you Nyla.” Jakar turned and walked away.

  Isobel was speechless as she watched Jakar walk away. She shouldn’t take offense because she knew he had a lot on his mind and now with this unexpected problem, he would only become more stressed.

  “How is the garden coming?” Nyla drew her attention away from her departing husband.

  Isobel turned and looked at her tiny friend. “You would know if you showed up and helped me!” She struggled to suppress a smile but failed miserably. “It’s coming along nicely. When are you coming back?” She folded her arms across her chest and tapped her fingers on the sleeve of her dress.

  Nyla cackled as she fanned her wings frantically in Isobel’s face, playing with her. “Oh I might come tomorrow.”

  “You might? This whole thing was your idea! It’s bad enough that Betsy caught me in there!”

  Nyla stopped short and looked at her seriously. “Someone else knows?”

  She nodded her head in response. “Betsy came across me this afternoon. I don’t know how she found me but she was definitely there chewing me a new ass. I don’t like her. She’s changed and I don’t understand why. As far as I know, I haven’t done the girl anything. But, I get this awkward feeling now whenever I am near her.” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms as if to ward off a sudden chill.

  “Umm…well, I will just have to make a visit to Miss Betsy and see what she is up too.”

  Chapter 19

  Daniel and his goons arrived on the outskirts of Jakar’s castle around mid-day on the fourth day after leaving Tuloch. In the days preceding his arrival, he had shaved his head and had refused to shave. This was his only hope of Isobel not recognizing him until he had her safely away from Jakar’s grasp. The weather hadn’t been of any help either on the way there.

  Numerous times they had to find alternate ways across the overflowing streams and rivers swollen with all the recent rainfall. The ground was miserable to sleep on because the water would seep through their woolen bedrolls, chilling them to the bone. At times he wished he was back in Isobel’s world with all its modern conveniences and inventions. He was even tempted to ask the witch to send him back once he delivered his package to Tuloch.

  “Hold up!” Daniel called and held up a hand. The men with him sidled up alongside of him and waited for his directions. “Does everyone have the story straight?”

  “Yes, sir,” came the replies from all.

  “Good. You all know what Isobel looks like, so once you have seen her, send a man to come find me. Do not whatsoever lose sight of her,” Daniel warned. He had gone over their plan numerous times to make sure no one would become confused in his own role. They needed to get in there and get back out quickly.

  “We’ll leave the horses behind and walk into the village. I saw a secluded spot a ways back.”

  Wasting no more time, the group made their way to hide the horses then travelled on foot in the direction of the village and castle. The road wasn’t busy until they neared the entrance of the castle gates where most of the market was located. If asked, they were on a supply run for their tiny village farther north. Daniel knew of such a village because it was where he was originally from.

  They walked to the main gate and were immediately stopped by the castle guards. Daniel was prepared for this to happen, so it was he who took charge of the situation.

  “State your business, sir,” the guard asked as he stepped in front of him, blocking his way.

  “Come to buy supplies,” Daniel replied nonchalantly.

  “Where are you from? I have not seen you before.” The guard eyed him and his suspiciously.

  “Oh, we are from the village Knotturn. Had to come a long way to find what we need.” Daniel smiled at the guards.

  “I would say so. What is it you are looking for that you were not able to find nearer your home?”

  “We are in desperate need of medicine. The smaller villages around us didn’t have any to spare and directed us to here. I am just praying that we didn’t come all this for nothing.”

  “How long do you plan to stay?” The guard was starting to ask too many questions now.

  “Few days. Our horses need to rest before we start the journey back. Do you think we could buy feed from the stables?” Daniel threw this in for good measure.

  The guard asking the questions eased his stance as he became more comfortable with Daniel. Inward, he was smiling and talking to himself about how much of a fool this guard really was.

  “Oh, I am sure they could spare some. The healer’s hut is farther into the market near the Keep. If you get lost or turned around just ask another villager. Have a good day.” The guard waved a hand in the direction of the open gate.

  Daniel and his men moved into the castle walls then stopped to look around. The area was busy with activity and would be easy for them to mix with the crowd of people who were out doing daily shopping or selling goods.

  “You two go that way and we’ll go this way. I want every booth and stall checked. Meet back here within two hours to give me a report.” Daniel instructed his men then headed off in his own direction with one man. It was going to be a long, tedious task to find Isobel, but he had a backup plan just in case she was a no show in the market.

  They searched every nock and cranny that they were able to get into. No sign of Isobel was ever found, but he knew she was here. He was about to turn around and go back to the indicated meeting place when he caught sight of Jakar out the corner of his eye.

  Jakar was heading to the stables when an idea crossed his mind. Daniel followed behind Jakar as he went to the stables. Once Jakar had reached the fence that surrounded the stables, he stopped to speak with a man who was putting out fresh hay for the horses in the fenced yard. Jakar leaned on the railings of the weathered fence and put one foot up on the bottom rail. He stood there watching the horses as they meandered past him or stopped for a pet on the nose. Jakar’s back was to him when he decided to make his move.

  He approached the stable as if he were in no hurry. “Excuse me, sir?” Daniel called out to the back facing him.

  Jakar pushed away from the fence and turned to see who had spoken to him. “Aye?”

  “Do you thing I might be able to speak with man who takes care of the stables? I wish to ask him something.” Daniel stopped within feet of Jakar who had looked at him suspiciously.

  “You can state your business to me. These are my stables.”

  Daniel did the best he could to act surprised. He needed Jakar to believe he was being genuine in his request and not some shady passerby who intended to do harm.

  “Lord Jakar?” Daniel spoke as he made his eyes open wide.

  “Aye, that’s me. I have not seen you before. Where are you from?”

  “We come from Knotturn,” Daniel replied.

  Jakar looked him up and down before he spoke again. “Long way from home aren’t you? What takes you so far from home?”

  Daniel kept his calm as he thought about what he needed to say to this man. “Unfortunately, yes. We have been on the road for some time now and are hoping this is our last stop before we return home.” Daniel paused for a moment. “We have come in search of medicine. Our small village has run out of most of what we need and the nearer villages didn’t have anything to spare. We were directed here and were told this would be our best chance of securing the medicines.”

  Jakar seemed to visibly relax or, at least, that’s what Daniel thought. That was good, very good.<
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  “I’m sure you will be able to find what you need here. We have several healers who keep their supplies up in order to sell to those in need.”

  Daniel let a smile cross his face. “Wonderful! I will go see one of these directly!” He acted as if he was about to leave then turned back to Jakar to ask the question he was wanting to know the answer to. “My lord?”

  “Yes?” Jakar faced the man again.

  “Along our journey, we came across a small group of travelers who told us that you have married. I wish to express my congratulations.” He tried to sound sincere. When Jakar smiled then spoke, he knew the answer even before the lord said it.