“What do you mean when you say ‘equivalent’ to three coin in gold?” Lochlan said, once again suspicious.
“I have gold nuggets, but they spend just as well as coin. Let me show you.” Pearse reached into his bag of gold stones and picked out three pebbles the approximate size of coins then handed them over. Lochlan spent a moment inspecting them intently, then took his knife out and dug at one of them to check the quality.
“It is gold, and there appears to be more than two coin in these nuggets, so it is good. The dogs are yours.”
“Can you tell me how to make them obey me as they do for you?” Pearse asked.
“Can you whistle?”
“I whistle the same as you did when you sent the dogs out.”
“These dogs have been trained to work as a team, obey whistles, and simple voice commands. When you want them to come, go, stop, hunt, or go home, simply say what you want them to do in one or two words. More than that will confuse them. Say it as a command, and they will do it for you.
“These dogs obey whistles,” he continued, “just as you have seen. One whistle means go, and two whistles mean to return. Three means work harder or attack. It’s all the same to them. You want to be careful when you whistle three times, he warned. If they are working, when a stranger is nearby, they might attack. If that was to happen, just remember that you can call them off with two whistles.”
Lochlan gave the boy Tierney a hard stare. “These dogs just want to please you, so they will work for you until they drop. Remember that!” Lochlan said, pointing a finger in Tierney’s direction. “Never forget to tell them when they are done working, and to commend them when they do a good job for you. You are their master, so they love pleasing you.”
Tierney nodded, his eyes eager.
“Boy— do you want to try commanding the dogs?”
Unsure of himself but excited at the opportunity, Tierney asked, “What should I say?”
“Pet them first. Talk to them, so they can get to know you. When you think they are ready to work for you, stand, point at the field, and order them to hunt! Or whistle once. Make your voice strong, so they know you have commanded them.”
Lochlan took a few steps back to give the boy space with the dogs, then put his hands on his hips while he watched and waited. Anticipation built as Tierney took his time petting, talking, and reassuring the animals. The dogs soaked up the boy’s attention, squirming and rolling over so he could rub their bellies. When Tierney felt the time was right, he stood, pointed at the same field they had run in previously and commanded them.“Hunt!” cried Tierney. To his delight, the dogs were up and racing away like an arrow shot. ________________________
Due to Riordan’s supporters’ threats, Ammon was forced to leave his home and most of his belongings behind in Erlin. He was limited to what he and Valerie could carry on their backs. Since he was a hunted man, returning was out of the question. However, that left him without the supplies and raw materials needed to repair his equipment and outfit himself for hunting.
Upon his arrival at Pearse’s farm, his entire list of personal belongings included his two best bows, the bulk of his store of arrows, knives and axes, a tent, camping gear, hand tools, and the clothes on his back. The only personal item he truly cared about was his father’s sword, which was the first thing retrieved. Most of his clothes and household goods, unfortunately, had to be left behind.
While Pearse and Tierney were off buying dogs, Ammon set out that morning to hunt for suitable leather to rebuild his stores. He needed skins, leather, sinews, and bone, all must-have raw materials for a hunter. Those supplies allowed him to repair and replace the tools of his trade on demand.
Meanwhile, in the men’s absence, the women and children spent the morning dying wool in a copper pot. Working together, they built a fire in the roasting pit, filled the pot with water, mixed the dye as the water heated to a boil, and took turns stirring the pot with a wooden paddle. While the women were hanging the newly-colored material to dry, four horsemen riding hard appeared out of the morning mist.
Lauryn heard the riders before she saw them. The little woman stiffened, gasped, then screamed. Startled by the unexpected intrusion, the children cried and clamored for the safety of their mother as the horsemen rode in on them. “Shush, don’t be afraid,” Lauryn whispered in an attempt to hush the little ones.
The instant Valerie heard Lauryn’s scream, she looked up from her work and heard the hoofbeats, too. Before she could see them, she turned quickly away and removed her thumb ring, hiding it in her inner garment to prevent them from seeing the blackness of her eyes. By the time she turned around, her eyes had already returned to their natural pale blue appearance.
Without stopping or dismounting, the horsemen rode to within an arm’s length of the women and children, grinning and laughing as they slowly backed them up against the fire pit. Armed with a combination of swords, knives, bows, and arrows, these men were experienced intimidators. No doubt these were Riordan’s men, the very same ones their neighbor Padraig had reported seeing the previous day.
“Where are your men?” the lead rider demanded to know from the whimpering children, ignoring the women as though they didn’t exist. “Where is your father?” he demanded. When the children didn’t respond, his eyes fell on the women, his gaze moving rapidly between them, sneering with a mixture of condescension and disgust.
“Well? Are you going to tell me where your men are?” he whispered, this time with his eyebrows raised as if he were a beggar imploring them for a piece of bread. “You two are surely the ugliest pair of skirts I’ve ever laid eyes on! But—I’ll wager you do have men here…ALTHOUGH YOUR MEN ARE AFRAID TO SHOW THEMSELVES!” He crowed the last words over his shoulder, drawing howls of laughter from his fellow riders.
Not one to be intimidated, Valerie bristled at the intrusion. “State your reason for being here so we can be rid of you. We don’t like trash blowing through our yard.”
Whatever the riders found amusing previously evaporated instantly, replaced by angry stares and rage that threatened violence. The leader, a short but sturdily-built man, leaped off his horse, placing himself faceto-face, nose-to-nose with the older woman, his shoulders tense, and fists balled ready to strike. But he was half a head shorter than Valerie, which forced him to look up at the much taller unblinking steadfast woman.
Fearing for her safety and for the safety of the children, Lauryn attempted to defuse the situation by answering the man’s initial question. “Our husbands are on a hunt.” Although she lied, it seemed like a plausible excuse as any.
“No, they’re not hunting,” Valerie spat out, staring down the lead rider. “Here’s what’s happening,” she exclaimed, loud enough for everyone to hear. ”You idiots were making so much noise that our men heard you coming fifteen minutes ago. They took their bows and hid. Right now, you are surrounded. One wrong move and you will be eating arrows for breakfast. Now tell us why you are here while you can still leave in one piece. I suggest saying it loud enough so that they can hear you, or you may not live to regret it.”
Valerie saw it in the leader’s eyes first. The lead rider’s confidence melted away abruptly, replaced by dread. As he backed off a step, his face carried the apprehension he felt. It was obvious he believed Valerie’s ruse. The horses stomped their feet as the riders still on horseback shifted their weight, searching their surroundings for hidden archers.
“Now— tell us why you are here. What do you want!” shouted Valerie angrily.
“We are looking for a hunter named Ammon,” the lead man stated, loud enough to be heard at a distance. Valerie knew she had won the test of wills when the lead rider’s eyes darted toward the woods on either side of him.
“We don’t know any hunter named Ammon. Now leave!” Valerie stormed, pointing in the direction from which the riders had come. She continued pointing as the humiliated man turned and mounted his horse. However, once saddled, the man fired an angry finger back a
t her with a threat of his own.
“Be warned, woman. If you have hidden the hunter Ammon or know of his whereabouts without reporting it to my father, Councilman Riordan in Erlin, we will be back with a lot more men. Then I will see you die slowly for your lies.” His hissing glare left no doubt that he meant what he said. With those words hanging heavy, the men turned their horses and rode away at a gallop.
Chapter 12
Valerie. June, Present Day.
Asgardian was the only word Valerie could conjure that came close to describing the dream she had that night. All other names and descriptions fell short. It was readily apparent to her that
whatever person, power, or entity that had generated this dream was the same one that had been disturbing her sleep since she was a child. But this dream, she liked!
Previous dreams had a consistency to them that had become so disturbing, so maddeningly predictable that she hated to sleep. It was as if a video player had been hammered into her head with a mallet, then stuck in an endless playback loop. She suffered the same fate, night after night, for fourteen years. Although frightening, the repetition of those dreams had long ago become mundane. Valerie was tired of being tired of them.
However, this unique and wonderful dream changed everything. Unlike most mornings, she was well-rested and excited to start the new day. She hoped she had dreamed her last nightmare, that this vision of the night would be her new reality, and that she no longer need dread sleeping.
Valerie saw herself in an elegant spaceship crewed by aliens of every size, shape, and form imaginable in this dream. They traveled to a world where a massive palace stood, with stunning parapets, sky bridges, and spires. Upon her arrival, she and her entourage were treated as conquering heroes or royalty wielding tremendous authority.
She stepped onto a free-floating transport with two of her shipmates. The vehicle carried them past row after row of soldiers and dignitaries lined up along the promenade. These statuesque alien creatures waited patiently for her review—innumerable brigades adorned in impressive uniforms, polished armor, and fine regalia.
In the distance sat an arena, a theater with a grand throne platform at its center. Nobilities gathered around waited on her arrival. As they drew near the throne, one could be seen seated, presumably an emperor, wearing shining armor, symbols of his authority, and a scepter held in one of his four hands. As she stepped down from the transport, the one seated on the throne rose, then knelt prostrating himself at her feet. The king remained there until she beckoned for him to rise, which he did— towering over her by nearly a yard.
“Valerie of Earth, my dominion is yours,” announced the bronze monarch, his stony voice repeatedly echoing over the immense parade-grounds. The deposed ruler turned aside, gesturing for her to take his throne. Once she had assumed the seat of rulership, her companions took up positions beside her, acting as her first and second.
When the emperor handed his scepter over to Valerie, she noticed the cold chill it generated in her core. Regarding it as a manifestation of evil that needed to be done away with, she planned its destruction. However, as a symbol of the transfer of power, the scepter was an irreplaceable image at that critical moment, so she held it high for all to see. As she did so, the gathered masses bowed to her authority. Then she and her companions were ceremoniously adorned in fine robes, fitted with extravagant jewelry, and offered exotic morsels to nibble on.
All the while the humiliated despot stood aside, stoically awaiting her judgment and his destiny. He was hers to be judged; his future rested in her hands. How would she decide the fate of this defeated tyrant? Surely retribution was in order. Few would argue this one deserved whatever fate she deemed justifiable. Clemency was not called for, nor was it expected.
Seated on a throne that now represented the entire galaxy’s populated worlds, few believed Valerie would allow the tyrant more than moments to live. Certainly, she had the authority, the power, and more than enough reason to execute him. But Valerie never desired any part of thrones, rulership, or power. She never wanted anything other than peace for her people and their allies. The desire for peace and security drove her actions. She considered this ceremony more than a formality— this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to correct millennia of injustices. Peace and security for her people and her allies were her sole obligation.
When she rose from the throne to address the emperor, the thousands in attendance held their collective breath in anticipation. Absolute silence ruled as they awaited her pronouncement with keen interest.
“Peace and security!” she declared, allowing those words to hang in the air as they returned in echo. “Peace and security for all peoples has been established. This peace will be aggressively defended, ensuring that it endures for generations to come. No longer will conflict or conquest be allowed. With this promise, I return this man to you, your King, so you people can govern yourselves. His fate is for you to determine. Choose wisely.”
The dream concluded with an image of the emperor’s scepter floating in space as it fell toward the Boeckian home world’s star.
Upon awakening, Valerie was able to recall every moment of the lucid dream in vivid detail. Although with no way to interpret the dream’s meaning or implications, Valerie was left speculating. But one thing she was sure of: this was more than a dream. The dream was much too realistic and detailed to be random. The cold sting of the ruler’s scepter on her hand was unforgettable. She couldn’t help but regard the message as prophetic. Was it a portent of what her future held and what she would become? No other conclusion she could conceive made sense.
Nice dream, Valerie thought as she crawled out of bed. I could do that all day! I wouldn’t mind staying in bed and doing that one over and over again. If I thought I could get away with it, I would too; it was that great. But it must be more than that because no dream is that realistic. I even felt the cold sting of that scepter. Was it a dream—or a vision? she wondered.If it returns again tonight, maybe I’ll find out then.
________________________ The kitchen table in the old farmhouse would serve as the setting for Valerie’s first formal lesson. It consisted primarily of a history lesson interspersed with affirmations, discoveries, and eye-opening revelations. Corell felt it imperative that she understand what her predecessors went through to bring her to this moment in time. Corell paced the room as he spoke.
“For more than four thousand years, good people made enormous sacrifices to help you fulfill your destiny. My first duty to you is to help you understand and appreciate the sacrifices made on your behalf.
“Think of it—dedicated people, people you will never know or meet, spent their lives safeguarding the Hesaurun Rings so they could be returned to you! Those people had such great faith in your story that they sacrificed their lives, knowing they would never live to see the reunion of the rings. It was a noble sacrifice, made by people you will never know, for what they considered a worthy cause—I think that is pretty amazing!”
Corell stood there a moment, disappointed by the disconnected look on Valerie’s face. He needed to have confidence that she was up to the challenge before relinquishing his Hesaurun Ring. He considered helping the girl comprehend and appreciate the sacrifices made by Pearse, Lauryn, Brian, and their children to be critical to his success as her mentor. The chain of events set in motion by Valerie Dunne thousands of years prior was about to culminate. As he saw it, what happened next either saved the world or sentenced it to oblivion. Failure was never an option.
Corell continued pacing, then stopped, turned to face Valerie, and wagged a finger at her. “Do you realize that everything rests on your success as master of the five rings of Hesaurun? Once the fifth ring is yours, your work, your sacrifices have just begun. According to the ring journals, your journey will last for centuries, even millennia. The responsibilities you assigned yourself ages ago include a lifetime of commitment, struggle, and sacrifice. I can help you get going in the right direction, but I won�
��t be around forever. You need to be prepared mentally, physically, and emotionally for what lies ahead…”
“The Ring Bearer did such an extraordinary job of engendering a lasting belief in the alien threat that her legacy is strong today,” he said, pacing again. “Those journals really worked! They laid down a compelling narrative that stood the test of time. People who had never met her bought into her crusade, based on faith alone, which was remarkable in itself. That faith was strong enough to outlive her by thousands of years.
“You can forget whatever life planning you had for yourself—everything’s different now. There will never be medical school or work as a doctor in your future. From now on, consider those plans kaput! For the foreseeable future, you need to forget about all that stuff and concentrate on getting all five rings! I am going to show you—”
Corell stopped mid-sentence when he realized he had lost Valerie’s attention. She appeared to have checked out entirely, gazing out the window, paying no attention to her very first lesson. And I’ve only been talking for fifteen minutes! He wondered if she heard anything he said. Corell sat down next to her realizing he had gotten himself worked up, gone off on a tangent, and alienated his audience. The girl looked glassy-eyed, bored.
“Valerie—are you alright?” Corell asked, concerned.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I am just—over-communicated, that’s all.”
“Well, I got excited and digressed,” he admitted. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “I’m just not sure I can do this,” she nervously admitted.
“Don’t worry; you will be fine,” Corell assured her. “It’s my fault. I am just excited to be with you and finally be able to talk to someone about it. You know, I have been holding this in for a very long time.”
Valerie nodded and smiled. “It just seems like—a lot, that’s all.”
“I get it. It is a lot,” Corell admitted. “But you can do it. Hang in there, alright?”
The Rings of Hesaurun Page 32