Now Barcus wasn't sure if she was cursing him or not.
“I don't know how you're doing this.” She risked a glance at him.
“Doing what?” Barcus returned quietly.
“This magic you are using on me.” Still pacing, she said “You say I am free, but I seem to be binding myself to you...with chains I am making myself.” She was about to cry.
She stopped in front of him. Even sitting, he was as tall as her. Suddenly, she pounded his chest again. He let her. Again and again. “I have always hated the Keepers!” she screamed at him. She slowed until the pounding stopped. “How can you MAKE me want you?” came out in a coarse, gasping whisper. Tears finally spilled in a torrent.
Wisps of hair had come loose. They clung to her face where the tears still spilled.
She kept looking at him and at her own feet. She started collecting the remains from lunch, collecting herself by visible force of will. When she was ready, she looked straight at him and said, “It's forbidden to strike a Keeper. A death offense.”
“Remind me after breakfast. Perhaps it's the anvil for you,” he said, straight faced.
Her eyes went wide that he would say such a thing, but before she could reply, she saw his face go from playful, to serious again.
“Po, I lied to you.” He was the one to look away this time.
“Tell me.” She said.
“I don't think I could ever let you go.”
It was her turn to stare at him. He didn't know if it was the right thing to say.
“Thank you, my Lord.” She smiled.
She collected the lunch things and walked out.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Wine and Sleep
“The level of terraforming on this planet remains a mystery, even with all the data this archive contains. The AI was actively researching this aspect of the planet Baytirus, without informing Barcus in any way.”
--Solstice 31 Incident Investigation Testimony Transcript: Emergency Module Digital Forensics Report. Independent Tech Analysis Team.
<<<>>>
Barcus sat there letting it sink in just how badly Po, and all the women here, were treated.
“Em, where is Langforest?” The now familiar regional tactical map popped up in his HUD. Whitehall centered. Directly south and a little east was an icon marked Langforest. It was one of the icons just below “the gorge,” a wide deep cut of a river that had steep walls, rapids and many waterfalls. A single bridge was near Langforest, the only bridge he could see on his map.
“Do we have any BUGs there yet?”
“No, not at this time. Do you want me to modify the survey sweeps on the schedule to pass near there? We would have no need to go south of the gorge unless you want that.”
“You decide while on the sweep.”
“I estimate, twelve to seventeen days. Depending on what other random events you put us up to.” Barcus could hear a smile in Em's voice.
“We just need to finish the wall. Enclose the water system. Maybe cover the Redoubt,” Barcus said.
“Ash has a full maintenance and repair schedule. The clearing of the Redoubt will be a winter-long job.”
“How many Redoubts do you think there are?” Barcus asked.
“There should be approximately thirty-two, if there were two Exodus class ships.”
“Is there any way to locate other ones? I wonder if there could be any decent salvage down there.”
“Right now it looks like they were using this one for cellars. Wine storage.”
“That reminds me. We are having wine with dinner?” he asked. Then he added, “Is Po okay?”
“She's fine.” A window popped open. She was in the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. She had just added wood to the oven. In fact, she looked far better than fine. She was flush and animated, and her eyes were bright. She looked, healthy, happy.
Barcus continued his tour of the vast interior spaces in The Abbey. He found two floors that were more barracks. The bunks were built in, part of the building. There were drawers below each bunk and more cupboards in between the bunks. They had the look of a long train, with sleeper cars, with a wide aisle. There were no windows, and the barracks were completely empty except cobwebs and mouse nests. Some of the drawers were missing.
“We definitely need some cats,” Barcus said as a mouse scampered across the floor.
“Barcus, it is kind of ironic that it was likely the villagers and residents nearest to this place who salvaged everything from here.”
Barcus brushed the cobwebs aside and ran his hand along the ancient wood. It was real wood. He had spent so many years on spaceships, dreaming of real wood. It was lovely to touch, to feel.
“Just The Abbey could house about 600 people when it was fully up and running. Not including the Redoubt.”
Down the last flight of stairs, and he was in the basement. This level was directly on the foamcrete roof of the Redoubt. The floor was white, and the wall directly to his right was white. A wide hallway curved off into the distance and darkness.
Cells lined the wall on the right as he walked this hall. Every cell had a heavy ring on the wall opposite the door. The entire place was dry and deeply dusty. There was a distinct lack of cobwebs, which he found interesting.
“Em, bring up this level on the floor plan.” It popped up. “Now lightly superimpose the level above,” Barcus requested.
“Could there be something more, directly behind these cells? The halls and stairs wind you around so you might never notice, but if the foundation of the upper levels are along this edge, there could be a huge area here.” Barcus gestured with his hands.
“I believe that area is all topsoil for the trees and plants above in The Abbey. It's getting late, Barcus. It looks like Po has dinner ready.”
“Call her, please,” he said.
He was already watching her in a window when her Plate made a delicate chime. She had just finished uncorking a second bottle of wine.
“Barcus?”
“Hello, Po.”
“Hello, where are you? It's very dark.”
“I am in the lowest level under the western section. I am heading back now, but I am covered in cobwebs, so I'm going to stop and clean up a bit on the way back. Fifteen minutes or so.”
“Thank you for letting me know.” She was still talking too loud and slow for the Plate.
“See you soon. Bye.”
“Goodbye.” She put her mouth close to the Plate as she spoke, then slid the Plate back into the pouch at her hip and skipped to the oven.
He returned to the stairs and ascended. All the way up to the top of the wall. It was twilight as he moved along. He passed through into the North Tower and out the other side and finally to the stairs that went down to the bath suite. He cleared off most of the cobwebs and washed his hands and face.
He made the meandering way back to the gatehouse. Before going in, he checked the stables and added extra wood to the fire in the tack room that heated that end of the stable. He checked that the gate was barred at the entrance, and finally he went into the gatehouse and found the table set with several extra lit candles.
He took off his tabard and cloak and hung them on the pegs, noticing that they had even more cobwebs and dirt on them than he had feared. He added more wood to the fire, thinking again how they sure used a lot of it. He also recalled that he had not carried in a single armful since before, when he was alone. He'd have to remember to change that.
He heard a rattle at the door. Since he was standing right there, he opened it. Po had two trays piled with various bowls and dishes and almost dropped one when the door was opened. Barcus reached out quickly and took a tray from her. It was very heavy.
“These weigh a metric ton! What are these bowls made of?”
“Careful, they are hot. They are made of stone and heated on the warming shelf of the oven. You really don't know anything do you?” She was amused.
“Only what you tell me.”
&nbs
p; “Here, let me show you,” she said as the last dish was moved to the table. She took the lid off one of the bowls with a wood hook-like handle. It had what looked like mashed sweet potatoes and smelled of cinnamon and other spices. She lifted what looked like a miniature tea kettle and drizzled something on the potatoes and lightly folded it in. She replaced the lid, saying, “If you do not know when you will be serving or have a long way to the kitchen, they are very useful.”
She went to the fireplace and got the kettle before opening the next bowl. The same kind of wooden hook handle was lifted, and he could see mixed onions and a greenish carrot dish on a bed of thin wooden sticks. “This kind is much hotter.” She poured in the water, and it instantly began to boil and steam beneath the vegetables as she replaced the lid.
“This one here keeps meat moist.” It had two sides with steaming spiced water on one side and grilled steaks on the other. There were also sliced mushrooms in butter.
Barcus sat and let her fill the plates.
She was getting used to eating with him. Last of all, she poured him a taste of wine. She poured gently so as not to let the wine splash as it poured into the crystal wine goblet.
It was the best wine he had ever tasted.
“This is wonderful!” He gestured for her to fill her glass as he waited.
Olias asked in common tongue, “May I offer the toast?”
“Please do.” He held up his glass.
“A full belly, warm bed and another day. Willing,” Olias said in common tongue.
“You are supposed to say 'willing' when he does,” Po shared.
“Willing,” Barcus replied.
They all dug in.
The dinner was amazing. Everything was excellent.
“You sit in front of the fire while Olias and I clean up. I'll join you with another bottle of wine,” Po said to Barcus.
When they had gone, Em walked from behind him to sit in the chair opposite him, “I think we are ready for winter. How are you doing?”
“I'm fine. We will be fine for the winter.” He paused, “Em, thanks for keeping me sane when I was alone.”
Barcus moved to his comfy chair and filled his glass with the last of the wine from the decanter. He looked at the decanter, wondering when she had filled it. When he turned back, Em was gone. Po was back in short order without her apron, but her sleeves were wet. She excused herself to change into her night tunic.
Barcus watched in the other room via a window as she popped the button at the nape of her neck. The single button, carved from bone, was all she had been allowed. He thought about its strategic location as he stared into the fire. Without that button, her entire dress would fall to the ground. Clearly, a Keeper design, he told himself.
She was back in less than a minute and sat in the other chair after filling both glasses. Barcus raised his glass and said, “To Po and her own kind of magic. Willing.” Po said the word “willing” with him, blushing.
“Tonight was the first time I have ever had ANY of those dishes, even though I have cooked them many times. I loved them. Thank you,” she said sincerely.
“Thank Olias the next time you see him. Where did he get steaks?” Barcus drank more of the glorious wine.
“He brought a whole side of beef, wrapped in cheesecloth. Thanks to Ash. He says there is more. But our meat locker isn't cold. The beef will freeze where it is in Greenwarren for now.”
“Another item for the list,” Barcus said. It appeared on a task list inside his HUD.
“This wine tastes like Hermitage,” Po said, surprising him.
“I think it is. That's actually what it said on the case,” Barcus said. “How did you know?”
“Some Keepers will not drink alone. Drinking is against the true faith. They can blame the sin on a woman if she is there. Do you realize that a bottle of that wine is worth as much as those horses? It's all that Volk would drink, even though it's harder and harder to find. Wait. Where did you get it?” she asked.
“Ash found it in the water.” Barcus didn't want to explain about the Redoubt tonight. “There might be more.”
“Did you know wine is forbidden? Not a death offense, but it is technically forbidden in the scriptures. They say they flog people in the south if they are discovered drunk.”
“Oh really? But there has been a tavern in every village I've seen.”
“In the wilds of the north, much is relaxed.” She raised her glass again. Barcus refilled them.
“This region is not held, not claimed by any Keep. You can see it on the great floor map. Nothing above the gorge. But there are almost 200 towns and villages here.”
“Do you know a lot about the region?” Barcus asked.
“Not really. I've lived near the gorge my whole life though,” Po replied.
“There is nothing north of here except the east way river.” She put her hand on her mouth, stifling a flash of despair.
“What's wrong?” Barcus asked.
“Greenwarren was such a prosperous town because of the lumber. The winters allowed them to move the long massive logs easily over the snow on special sleds. They would bind them together and take them down the river to the sea in the spring during the high waters. They say there is a real city there where they sold the lumber as masts and beams and poles.”
Po sighed heavily.
“No masts this spring,” she said.
“I saw that river. There is a port there. It’s deserted,” Barcus said. He could see her slipping into sadness.
“When I was a boy, my parents had a cottage. It was far away from the city where we lived. It was by a river much like the east way. Our cottage was up on tall poles, four of them, as high as the walls here. It was one large room and a balcony that overlooked the river. We climbed a ladder to get up to it. The times that we were there were the best times of my life. We were free.” He tried to stop the memory there. Before the pain.
“The cabin was on the floodplain, and in the spring when the river spilled over the banks, it stayed dry. The roots of the trees around it kept it safe year after year. Even then it was beautiful. I went there with a friend once in a boat during the flood, just to see. It was beautiful and frightening. We lost the boat and the ladder we tied it to one night when the river rose quickly.
“My father rescued us. He never told my mother. He never said another word about it.”
“Why?” Po asked.
“Well, let's just say I worried my mother too often back then. He wanted to spare her the fear. That and...my friend was a girl.”
“Oh, I see.”
“I gave her that cottage years later, after my parents had both passed away. I didn't think I'd ever go back there again. I hope her children enjoy it as much as I did.”
“Were you with her long?” Po asked. Barcus sensed that this was a difficult personal question for her to ask.
“No. Not long. The flood happened in the spring. I never saw her again after that summer.”
“What happened?” Po asked.
“We traveled with my father. It wasn’t much longer before he was supposed to retire. My parents had saved their entire lives just so they could retire early and...’live.’”
“They were killed on that next trip. It was an accident. I never went back home.”
“I'm so sorry, Barcus,” Po said.
“Thanks, it's fine. It was long ago. It's a shame to waste good wine on sad stories,” He said.
“It's not a sad story. Not to me. You've had family, friends and love. And magic. Books. A full belly. Good wine.” She raised her glass again and then emptied it.
Barcus picked up the decanter and refilled both of their glasses. She drank again.
“You know, this is the first time I have had wine just for the pleasure of it.” She sipped again. “Wine is completely different, depending how you feel when you drink it.”
“I never knew my parents. The closest thing I had to a father was the Smith from Langforest manor. He was a hard man.
He looked after me in his way. He did a good job keeping me out of Volk's line of sight.” She drank more, pausing. “It was easy when I was small, when I got a bit older, fifteen years old, the household staff noticed me. Smith could not stop them from taking me from him. They put me to work. I was luckier than most.”
Barcus had the sense she was glossing over most of it.
“What happened to the smith?”
“The last I heard, he had lost an eye to the whip. Even that word was years ago.”
They talked for another hour about repairs to The Abbey. When Barcus reached for the decanter, he realized all the wine was gone. He also realized that Po was asleep, curled up, head on the overstuffed arm rest, hugging an empty goblet.
He got up and changed into his nightshirt and turned down the bed.
Gently, he slipped the glass from her hand and placed it on the table. He carefully lifted her tiny frame like a sleeping child. She helped by burrowing into his chest, curling up even more in his arms. Slowly he knee-walked onto the bed and placed her down, going with her.
He drew the covers up over them both, her back to him, matching the curve of him, feet tangling in his legs.
Finally giving in to the wine and warmth, he fell asleep holding her.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
The Telis Raptor
“The first new Baytirus species cataloged that is unique to this planet.”
--Solstice 31 Incident Investigation Testimony Transcript: Emergency Module Digital Forensics Report. Independent Tech Analysis Team.
<<<>>>
Barcus woke in the early dawn. He smiled.
Po was spread-eagled, sound asleep. She was on her back, diagonal on the bed with her arms over her head. Barcus was on his side, his face pressed against her ribs. Her right leg was thrown over him, the soft portion of her knee following the curve of his hip, her skin on his skin. She usually slept curled in a ball. She was softly snoring.
Solstice 31: The Solstice 31 Saga, Books 1,2,3 Page 20