“The same place I got all of this,” Theus answered as he opened up the cloth and began to spread his booty around him. “Where are your bowls?” he asked. “And spoons?” he added.
Gretki pulled a lone bowl down from a shelf. “We don’t use spoons,” she answered as Theus took the bowl she handed to him.
Theus raised his hands up to her with the other vegetables he had acquired. She took them all and tucked them together under her arm.
“What is this all about?” she asked.
“I would like a nice chicken stew tonight,” Theus answered. “You cook that, and I’ll fix the medicine for Martle.”
He opened his containers of ingredients, and began to measure out needed amounts, relying on his infallible memory and his best judgement of the portions that he added to the contents of the bowl. Gretki looked down at him, then went to the other side of the small kitchen and started working on the stew. Theus used a finger to stir his remedy ingredients all together, taking longer than usual, but applying himself diligently until he felt the job was done.
His energy was recovering. He managed to lift himself up, then let himself back into the bedroom without comment. He looked at Martle, squeezed around between the bed and the wall, and carefully poured small doses of his medicine into Martle’s mouth, a little at a time, waiting until the ill man swallowed each small dose before he administered the next one.
After ten minutes he stopped, and he carried his mostly full bowl back out to the kitchen.
“We’ll dose him again tonight, then tomorrow too, and in another day or two he’ll be back at full strength and ready to go. But you’ll have to stop giving him milk as long as your dairy cows eat the blue lead thistles.”
“We’ll see about all your fancy reports,” Gretki harrumphed doubtfully, “but this stew you’ve brought will be the best meal I’ve had in months. We need to let it cook for a bit,” she reported.
“I’m going to go lay down in the barn for a while,” Theus said to the woman. “Call me if you need anything.” He walked across the yard to the barn, and lay down on the thin pile of hay. His sword dug into his leg, so he removed it and his knife for good measure, then lay down and began to nap.
He dreamed he was in the mountains, and he dreamed that a brutal snow storm was pummeling him with wind and snow and frigid temperatures as he stumbled along a trail.
“Come to me,” a familiar voice called, and Theus saw himself suddenly discover a narrow cave opening. As he squeezed into the cave, the world outside turned dark.
“It is the passing cloud of darkness,” the voice told him. It was not his companion’s voice, Theus recognized. But it was familiar, a voice he knew for some reason. Theus raised a hand to provide illumination, and made his fingers glow, revealing a large, long chamber that stretched far back into the mountain, beyond the reach of his light.
“You’ve become quite talented, I see,” the voice told Theus in the dream.
And then Theus awoke abruptly, as a wandering chicken plucked a scurrying insect off his arm.
He rose and walked back to the kitchen, where Gretki was stirring a pot on a burner on the small stove. The aroma in the kitchen was enticing.
“It smells good,” he commented.
“It does, and it tastes good too. I’ve sampled it,” the woman agreed.
“Would you go out and milk the cow for me? Do you know how?” she asked.
“I milked a goat on our farm growing up,” Theus said assuredly.
“The cow’s a little bigger,” Gretki cautioned.
“I’ll do it,” Theus replied, and he turned to return to the barn. He used the pail Gretki had used before, and found that the principle of milking the goat did apply to the cow, once he made allowances for the size of the animal.
“This milk, did the cow graze in the same pasture it’s been using?” Theus asked when he took the pail into the kitchen. “If it has, it’s still bad milk to drink.”
I moved her to a new pasture today. I had to trade our old pasture to the neighbor for the new pasture. He’s going to plant crops in the old pasture next week,” Gretki answered. “I would have liked to have planted crops in that pasture – it’s sat fallow for two seasons and had all the manure fall on it from the cow, but we don’t get all our wishes, do we?”
“The milk should be good then,” Theus confirmed.
“We’ll find out. The stew is ready,” Gretki informed Theus. She poured some into a small bowl for him, then poured some into another bowl for herself. They went outside and ate the stew by drinking it from the bowls – there were no spoons.
“This is very good,” Theus said contentedly as he finished his serving.
“Go have more; there’s plenty left,” Gretki suggested.
Theus stood up and replenished his bowl. He felt good. The nap had helped, and the food was helping too. Even having a sword and a knife helped him feel better. They also drew comment from Gretki when he sat down.
“I noticed you have blades now; you didn’t have them before. I wouldn’t have let you stay in the barn last night if I thought you were armed,” she told him. “You say you went to Greenfalls today, which no one on foot can do. But you’ve got foods and blades that I don’t know you could have got anywhere else. And you’ve given us the best food we’ve seen in a month of moons, and you say you’re going to keep Martle from dying.
“You’re a mystery to me. I don’t know whether to be thankful or scared that you came stumbling up to me,” she finished her soliloquy.
“It seemed to just be an accident that I came to your farm, but I didn’t want to miss the chance to do right by you,” Theus said. He didn’t see any need to explain more. She either believed he’d been to Greenfalls or she didn’t, and it didn’t really matter to him if she did believe him. He felt better about himself for having done what was right; he’d followed Eiren’s commandment to do the right thing in the case of his farming hosts.
Soon afterward, still feeling some weariness from his activities, he excused himself and went back to the barn to get a good night’s sleep.
Theus awoke in the morning when Gretki prodded him. The barn door was open, showing sunlight outside. He had slept well throughout the night; his stomach had been amply satisfied with the chicken and vegetable stew that Gretki had produced with the items he had provided.
“You’re a miracle worker, or awfully lucky with your timing,” Gretki told him as his eyes looked up at her. “Martle is sitting up in bed today, talking like he feels alive. It may be that medicine of yours is doing some good after all.”
“He has another dose he needs to take today,” Theus spoke. “Did you give it to him?”
“Just now, right before I came to tell you,” she affirmed.
“I think he’ll be alright. Just keep that cow in the new pasture,” Theus advised. He rose to his feet. “I’m ready to leave,” he told her. “I need to get to Greenfalls.”
“Are you going to go there and back in less than a day?” Gretki asked.
“No, I’m just going there. I don’t expect I’ll be back this way,” Theus told her.
“I hope you’ll do well. I expect with Martle healthy, you’ll be able to get more out of the farm,” Theus tried to sound encouraging, knowing as he did that farms could demand endless work without great reward.
“We’ll try. I don’t know what else we’d do. If you ever hear of a better place to farm, you let me know,” she said gruffly, emotion in her voice. She held out her hand and shook his vigorously.
“Good luck in whatever you’re doing. I expect it will be something special,” she bid him farewell.
Theus left the barn and walked out into the farm lane, then began walking south along the lane towards Greenfalls. He could take one of the small steps, a partial call upon his energy, as a way to shorten his trip, he decided. But he would not allow himself to end up stepping into some wild and unpredictable situation within the urban center itself. He prepared for his trip intern
ally, then grasped a portion of his energy, and stepped forward, into the middle of another field.
He could see the traffic of those with vehicles and those on feet, traveling on the main river road just one hundred paces to his east. He angled over as he walked across the field, feeling little discomposure from his limited use of his own energy. Once he was on the road, he let the pace of the people around him dictate his pace. An hour later he reached the walls of the city and entered through the gate.
Chapter 12
Theus stayed close to the river, and followed the roads that followed the busy waterway through the heart of the city. He was headed to the temple of Currense. He wanted to meet the priest there, Alsman. The man had been kind and generous with Theus when the boy had been at a loss in the city. Alsman had provided shelter, food, and a sense of normalcy for Theus. The wandering boy had gotten his wits together, and advanced from that point onward, down the Landwide River on a freighter, and to Great Forks.
Alsman had also introduced Theus to Coriae for the first time, forgettable as the encounter had been for the noble girl.
He spotted the temple before he reached it. The building was a massive structure, one that towered above the surrounding buildings. Even amidst the narrow lanes of the city, Theus could see it above the city a he trod towards it. When he arrived in the plaza in front of it, the appearance was just as he remembered; the building was a faithful interpretation in stone of the great waterfall of the Landwide River nearby.
Theus reached the temple shortly before midday, and entered the lobby where people came and went without any apparent pattern. Theus approached a priest and asked to speak to his savior from his previous visit.
“Alsman is serving inside the temple,” the man replied. “You’ll have to go inside and find him.”
Theus nodded his understanding, then walked to the large sets of double doors that led into the sanctuary. As he stepped across the threshold, the building began to tremble, and sounds of stones grinding against stones filled the air.
People throughout the building shrieked and screamed and began to run outside the building. Theus joined the throng; he had to, or he risked being run over.
“Welcome honored visitor,” a deep, melodious feminine voice spoke from inside the temple as the people hastily exited.
Theus joined a throng that loosely congregated in the massive plaza in front of the building. Minutes passed, and Theus watched as a cluster of priests, all wearing matching ceremonial robes, emerged from the temple and stood together at the top of the stairs.
“The temple is open, and all are welcome to return. The goddess spoke to welcome one of you, whoever her honored guest may be. Please come and call upon us, whoever you are, so that we may add our respects to hers,” a central figure called out from among the priests.
The crowd in the plaza began to walk forwards toward the entry to the temple, Theus once again among them. He kept his eyes on the temple priests, who were walking in small groups of twos and threes back into the temple as well. Alsman was in one of the clusters of men, and Theus bumped and cut and maneuvered to reach the other side of the steps up to the temple entry.
Alsman left the other priests and walked through a side door. Theus reached the door moments later and slipped in as well, then called as he spotted the shadowy figure of the priest ahead of him.
“My lord Alsman,” Theus called. “My lord,” he repeated.
The priest stopped, paused, then turned.
“Who calls? How can I help you, my friend?” he asked. He was squinting, Theus could tell, trying to see in the dim light that illuminated the hallway in theory more than practice.
“It’s me, my lord. My name is Theus. You took pity on me last year and gave me food,” Theus re-introduced himself.
Alsman was drawing nearer.
“Theus? Yes, I remember you quite well. You were a very handy young man to have during the rainbow festival. You worked very hard. We loaned you out to a member of the nobility even, if I recollect?” the priest arrived and extended his hand.
Theus shook hands warmly as he answered, thinking of that first encounter with Coriae, when he’d had no notion of how important the girl was to come to be to him.
“That’s true,” he agreed belatedly.
“I thought you were going to leave the city,” Alsman mentioned.
“I was; I did,” Theus agreed.
“But you’re back? Come have a seat and tell me about your life,” Alsman suggested. He waved his hand for Theus to follow, then he resumed strolling down the hall.
He led Theus to a doorway that led to a long set of rising stairs that led to a room with narrow windows. Theus went over to the windows and looked out; it was a view down at the temple’s sanctuary, giving a view of a large flowing fountain surrounded by many worshippers who knelt at the railing. A few pitched coins as offerings into the fountain, while others placed small pieces of boat-folded paper onto the surface of the water inside the railing, and they watched the subtle currents slowly carry the small boats over the edge of the fountain and into the unknown darkness below.
“Those are folded up prayers people write down and send to the goddess,” Alsman observed as he came to stand next to Theus. “Or did you know that? Are you a follower of the goddess now?”
“No, I think I follow Limber now,” Theus said hesitantly.
“I don’t think I know of anyone who follows Limber; I’m not sure there are even any temples in Greenfalls,” the priest replied.
There was a loud splashing noise from the sanctuary, and they both looked down to see that the fountain was spraying water unusually high into the air.
“What in confoundment caused that?” Alsman wondered.
“So, what brings you to Greenfalls? Can we do anything to help you?” the priest turned his attention back to Theus.
“No, I don’t need help. I just wanted to tell you thank you for being so kind to me,” Theus reported. “It helped a lot. I went to Great Forks, and I’ve been to many other cities too.”
“A well-traveled young man, eh? Well that’s good. I’m glad things have turned out so well. Will you be staying here long? Do you need a place to stay again?” Alsman asked.
Theus considered. It was only the middle of the day. He could begin his travel towards Limber if he chose to leave then. He had no sense of urgency, other than the Voice’s persistent pestering.
The room began to suddenly glow with a warm blue light that came from every direction. There was a sense of presence.
“Stay a day. Share your talents with my followers,” the deep feminine voice spoke again, emanating from within the room that the priest and the visitor occupied.
“Provide healing help to the worshippers, stay and enjoy our hospitality as our honored guest, and then follow your guide tomorrow,” the voice instructed.
Alsman was down on his knees, a worshipful expression on his face.
“My goddess, we will do as you command,” the priest spoke with deepest reverence.
“Do as this boy commands,” the goddess spoke. “He has a heavy burden to deliver.”
The door to the room burst open at that moment, and three other priests burst into the room.
“What’s happening up here? We can see the lights glowing through the windows from the sanctuary!” one of them asked as they all looked in wonder at the bluish illumination that engulfed the scene.
“Holy mother!” the man exclaimed.
“I am the mother of the river, and I accept your worship,” the voice spoke.
The new arrivals grew pale. Two of them immediately knelt, while the third fainted.
“We are yours to command, my goddess,” spoke the second new arrival.
“Treat this boy respectfully. Help him today, as he goes out to heal our supplicants,” the goddess instructed.
“And when he returns, be prepared to aid him and his master and his people,” the voice commanded. “Do these to please me.”
&n
bsp; “As you command,” all three of the kneeling priests immediately swore.
“I will be pleased,” the voice concluded.
The light dimmed, and the room suddenly felt emptier.
“Currense, great mother!” one of the priests wailed. “I have felt your touch! I am blessed!”
The sound of other feet trampling up the stairs grew, and Theus suddenly recognized that there was a murmur coming through the windows from the people in the sanctuary below.
“Theus, my son, I had no idea you were such an exalted visitor!” Alsman exclaimed. “You are the favorite of Currense! We are blessed by your visit! How may we assist you? What would you have us do?”
More priests came stumbling into the room, and multiple conversations broke out as those who had been present excitedly try to explain what had happened.
“Alsman, bring your guest and come down below,” one of the men instructed. An aisle cleared through the crowd of men, and Alsman and Theus walked to the stairs, then followed the speaker down, through a number of halls, and into a sumptuous chamber that was lined with shelves of scrolls, books, and curious objects, as well as a statute of a divine woman rising out of water.
Theus watched the man gesture towards chairs, and all three sat down together.
"What has happened in our temple this morning?" the man asked Alsman.
"Your grace, the goddess herself spoke to us," Alsman answered. "It was extraordinary!"
"And unprecedented," the high priest replied. "Are you sure? Do you vouch for what you saw? Who is your young guest who generated such an event?"
"This is Theus, "Alsman replied, and he proceeded to give a concise summary of Theus's previous visit and present visits.
"Thank you Alsman; your credibility is unquestionable, but these things are beyond what we ever expect to see," the priest replied.
“I’ve been listening to a Voice,” Theus spoke up.
The head priest looked at him with a wrinkled brow. “You’re going to tell me that Currense has been talking you?” he asked.
“No,” Theus said calmly, trying not to be manipulated by the man’s tone of disbelief. “It is more of a male voice, I think. It has helped me in my control of memory stones, and it has helped me learn white magic, and now it is sending me to the lost city of Limber to carry out a task.”
Unpredictable Fortunes (The Memory Stone Series Book 3) Page 12