by B. K. Parent
“I was directed to check the back trail, for Shueller felt he had been followed and was very concerned. While Shueller was having his meal, I slipped out of the woods and up to the top of the road where it enters the valley, taking care not to be seen. I climbed up to a well-concealed outcropping and hid. From my vantage point I was able to watch the road in both directions. Not long after I settled in, I caught movement below me. At first I could not make out if it was animal or human. I must admit the pair was good, dressed as they were in green and brown, but definitely not of the Günnary. Too tall,” Ohanzee said with an easy grin. “I give you that they were silent in the woods and covered their movements well, but not well enough. They hung back while Shueller, to all outward appearances, had a leisurely meal and rested his horses. I imagine they thought he was going to camp there that night. Who knows what would have happened if he had.”
“We briefly talked about him staying,” stated Torger, “but if whoever was following him meant him no good, we did not want it to happen in our backyard, so to speak. We, Shueller and I, felt he needed to put some distance between here and him. There is a good lane leading south not far from the pass you entered the valley by. It is possible that those following Shueller would think he just drove into the valley for a break, for there is good water and good grazing here. Once Shueller left the valley, and those following him followed, we sent others besides Ohanzee out to cover the back trail and make sure there were not any other surprises awaiting those headed our way.”
“That might explain our feeling of being watched or followed,” commented Beezle.
“In part,” Torger replied, “but make no mistake. Others entered the valley shortly after you began the uphill climb to the standing stones, and we covered your trail as best we could, but I am not letting Ohanzee complete his tale.”
“By the time Shueller had finished his meal and checked the horses, Charla had joined me, and then we observed the two who were observing Shueller follow him out of the valley. We followed them. Quite a procession we made, the two of them trying not to lose Shueller yet stay out of sight, and the two of us following them and trying to stay out of sight,” Ohanzee said with a slight chuckle. “I have to hand it to Shueller. He’s a crafty one that one, for several hours later he pulled over fairly deep into the Whisperers Woods.”
“Oh, he always was a clever fellow,” exclaimed Yola, who had entered the room just then, bringing in a pitcher and a stack of cups.
“I know little of this Whisperers Woods,” stated the Princess. “Why would camping there be helpful?”
I am glad she asked, so I did not feel like the only one who was without a clue concerning why where Shueller had chosen to camp was a clever idea. I got up, took some of the cups Yola was carrying, and helped her pass out what turned out to be a chilled berry juice.
Once we had all settled, Ohanzee explained. “The Whisperers Woods is a long stretch of dense woods that covers a ridge that runs through a bog. It is a great overgrown tangle of trees, vines, and brush. The lane that runs along the top of the ridge is barely kept open each year, even though the locals keep cutting it back. They say if you were to camp in the woods for more than a week, the vines would grow right over your wagon. It is called the Whisperers Woods for several reasons. One is that sound becomes very confusing in the woods. Sounds from across the bog seem much nearer than they are, and it is hard to tell what direction the sound is coming from. Second, if there is any kind of wind blowing up from the bog, it causes a rustling in the leaves that sounds like whispers. Some nights when you camp in the woods, you could swear that there are folk all around you talking, but too softly for you to make out the words.”
“Sounds eerie,” said Beezle, “but how did camping there help Shueller?”
“There are several spots that are kept clear for pulling wagons over and camping, and Shueller pulled into one of them. The two following him needed to stay close but out of sight, so they went in a ways off the lane and cleared a spot for themselves to hunker down in for the night. The whispers can unnerve you, but they can also be lulling, and soon the one who was supposed to be watching was asleep. Like I said, things grow fast in the Whisperers Woods, sometimes naturally and sometimes I think with the help of the woods’ dwellers, but at any rate, by morning, the two found themselves wrapped up in vines,” Ohanzee said, with a broad smile on his face. “Charla and I alerted Shueller that his trailers would be tied up for a while, and he left pre-dawn. Shueller would have connected with a more well-traveled road about two hours out. Charla rode with him to that point and helped him confuse the trail. She should be back in a couple hours, if all went well.”
“Did you find out why the two were following him, and when they picked up his trail?” Torger asked.
“I did indeed, and quite cleverly, if I do say so myself. I climbed a tree near where the two were tied up and began whispering, gradually becoming just loud enough for them to make out my words. Those two were so scared that they answered all of my questions. Seems they suspected Shueller might be a Günnary from tales their grandfather used to tell them. Being the type that wishes to gain fortune without having to work very hard for it, they thought to follow him to find us. They had followed him from the fair at Snoddleton, but at a very discreet distance, so discreet that I think they missed the exchange of the Princess.”
“Ironic, isn’t it, that at any other time, Shueller would not have come anywhere near us this time of year, so he almost led those two fools right where they wanted to be. Had he followed his normal routine, they would have wound up in Springwell-over-Hill with naught to show for their efforts,” Torger exclaimed. “Did you just leave them wrapped up in the forest?”
“As the sun began to rise and reach the woods, the vines withdrew, leaving a very stiff and disgruntled pair. They hobbled off, but I noticed that they stayed in the very middle of the lane and kept glancing very nervously from side to side.”
“Well that explains those two, but how did the exchange between Jonzee and Shueller take place?” questioned Master Clarisse.
“It was very quickly done,” the Princess remarked, and we all turned to look at her. “Jonzee Smed told me when we stopped so I could stretch my legs that I would need to be ready to move very quickly when we reached the exchange point. He had explained to me that we were to meet Shueller, and I needed to be ready to move swiftly to the back of the wagon, and exit upon his signal. He would slow the wagon down, signal, stop the wagon briefly, and after a slow count of five, I was to get out and climb aboard Shueller’s homewagon. It was really quite a clever exchange, for the two wagons pulled alongside each other, as if to exchange information about road conditions, and were pulled so close that anyone following Shueller would not have seen me slip out of one wagon and into the other. Jonzee Smed apparently had made quite certain he had not been followed.”
“We know why Shueller was being followed, but that does not explain why four royal guards entered the valley shortly after we met with Nissa and her companions at the standing stones,” Torger remarked.
“I chanced upon Camden, a shepherd, on my way back here, and he said the royal guards questioned him and asked if he had seen any wagons in the valley in the last few days. He told them he had not,” said Ohanzee. “They did not explain who or what they were looking for. They headed south out of the valley.”
“Sounds like a general search rather than a specific one,” Master Clarisse said to the group gathered. “It must be obvious by this time that the Princess is missing, but I can’t imagine that the Regent wants that to become general knowledge.”
“Rather looks bad when you misplace the royal heir,” Beezle said with a grin, “especially considering the number of regular and special royal guards crawling all over Snoddleton.”
“The question that now faces us is, what happens now?” Master Clarisse asked, which was a question that had been grow
ing in all of our minds.
“It is near time for the evening meal, and I am sure all of you would like to refresh yourselves,” stated Yola. “At the very least, you are safe here for this night, and there is time this evening to discuss more weighty decisions.”
I thought her idea of taking a break was a good one. With the addition of the Princess to our group, the stakes did not just get higher, they were overwhelming, at least to me. By saying yes to Shueller, I had inadvertently thrust myself into a situation which could be very detrimental to my health. When I left home all those weeks ago, I was just going to find Da and hopefully bring him home. Now I was sitting in a cave, albeit a well-furnished one, drawn ever deeper into the conflict within Sommerhjem. What was I doing here? I was not even prepared to go on the road alone, much less become involved with a fugitive princess whose life was in danger. It is one thing to talk about being loyal to the Crown, but how many folks actually find themselves putting their lives on the line for what they believe? Should we be caught, I had no doubt that the Regent would not be kind to those who had helped the Princess.
Pondering questions again and again in my head for which I had no answers was not productive, and so, as I followed Yola through a series of corridors, I tried to close those thoughts out and pay attention to where we were going. Yola led Master Clarisse and I down a series of stairs and into a room that was moist and warm.
“We are blessed with warm underground springs for bathing. Please take your time, and I will come back for you in a while,” she said. “Leave your clothes outside the door, and I will have them washed and returned to you. In the meantime, there are robes you can wear for this night. I had some sent up from stores that are made for those taller than ourselves, so you need not worry that the robes will be too short.”
Slipping into the warm water was lovely, but I needed to ask Master Clarisse some questions, and I thought if I asked questions first, she might forget her dire warning that “we needed to talk”.
“Master Clarisse,” I quietly called to her, for she seemed to be almost asleep in the pool.
“Yes.”
“In my mind I have questioned if what I heard you say when you first saw the Princess was just my imagination brought on by my relief that I had made it up the ladder, and the shock of finding out that I was in the same room with the Princess and heir to the throne, but I don’t think I’m mistaken. I heard her call you ‘Ressie’ and you called her ‘Essey’ which seemed very informal and very familiar.”
“Oh, ah, you heard that, then, did you? Well, um, my mother once worked in the palace, you see, and . . .,” Master Clarisse started, but she was interrupted by the arrival of two Günnary women coming in to use the bathing pools.
Our conversation did not continue, and soon we had finished our ablutions and were being escorted back to the Princess’ chambers. Once everyone had reassembled, it was time to discuss what to do next. Torger started the discussion.
“Your Highness, the Günnary, while loyal to the Crown, have always been reticent to become involved in the doings outside our own community and have successfully faded into the memories of the land in general, for our own safety. We continue to pay tribute to the Crown in a roundabout way, and that arrangement was always sufficient to the Queen, your mother. Since her death, this land we occupy has been ‘held’ by Lady Gersemi who has sent our tribute on to the Regent’s coffers. If you asked, we would shelter you. Know that your asking for shelter here puts not only folk but a way of life at risk, should you be found here. Should the Regent take control here, we might once again become slaves in the mines, as we were long ago when greed ruled. While we can defend this place for awhile, we are not guards or fighters.”
“While a time might come when many will be called on to take a stand for Crown and country, I do not think this is the time,” the Princess graciously suggested.
Her suggestion surprised me a little. Maybe I had misjudged her based on all the rumors I had heard about her. Many had been saying she did not care for her folk, she had no ruling skills, she was just a puppet of the Regent, and other similar statements. Yet, her being here, and how she got here, that alone should have begun to cut through the image I had previously formed of her based on talk rather than knowledge.
“The truth of the matter,” the Princess continued, “is I need to get to the capitol by my birth date, and staying in one place only increases the chances I will be found by those I would not choose to be found by. The question is, how do I do that?”
“Did Shueller have a plan?” I asked looking at Torger. “Or Master Rollag?” I said, looking at Master Clarisse.
“I cannot answer for Master Rollag,” Master Clarisse replied. “He did suggest I stick with you when you left Snoddleton, but other than that I was not aware of a plan for anyone in the guild to help the Princess leave Snoddleton. I think he always proceeds under the idea of the less we know, the less we can let slip.”
“I had a very quick chat with Shueller before we brought the Princess here. He suggested that the best way to hide the Princess would be to hide her in plain sight, for folk tend to see what they expect to see,” Torger replied. Seeing the looks of puzzlement on our faces, Torger went on to explain. “What Shueller told me was he had hoped to meet you, Nissa, and between the two of you, turn the Princess into a rover and have her travel with you along the trade and fair route to the capitol.”
“What!” I exclaimed.
Chapter Fifty-Five
I was stunned, to say the least. What had Shueller been thinking? My immediate reaction was to say no, just no, it would not work. Why? They would ask. How would I explain? Just because the Princess wore rover clothing, that did not make her a rover. That might work at a glance, but another rover would know, because, well because . . . well, because there are customs, and ways of doing things, and, and, and secrets that we do not share, and . . . Oh, this was not going to work. What was Shueller thinking?
“Nissa, are you alright?” Master Clarisse asked, with a great deal of concern in her voice.
I realized that after I said a surprised “what?” I had been carrying on a conversation in my head and probably looked as taken aback as I had felt.
“I’m fine. Just very confused. How did Shueller even think that such a plan would work?”
“Shueller, as you must have surmised by now, is a Günnary by birth, but felt the call of the road, even as a young lad. Rovers occasionally came this way long ago, and when the time was right for him to venture out from here, he left with a rover family to seek his own way. The life of a rover suited him. His example suggests to me that one does not need to be born into a rover family to become a rover,” Torger said.
“He married someone in that rover family, then?” I asked.
“No, Shueller never married,” Torger said, looking somewhat puzzled by my question.
Most of us are rovers by birth. Some, like my mother, become rovers by marriage. Shueller, it would seem, was one of the very few who was accepted as a rover, taken into a clan for some other reason besides birth or marriage. That made him a very special and rare man indeed. But he had had a lifetime to learn our ways. How did he expect to teach the Princess how to be a rover overnight?
Before I had a chance to raise any objections to this plan, Beezle spoke up and asked, “Just how did Shueller expect to be able to hide the Princess in plain sight?”
Yola entered the conversation for the first time. “Folk see what they expect to see.” When we all looked at her skeptically, she continued. “If you see someone dressed in forester garb, you think to yourself, there is a forester, so perhaps Shueller thought that if you saw the Princess in rover garb, you would think she was a rover.”
“At first glance that might be true,” Beezle stated, “but when we were in Snoddleton, Nissa saw a man dressed in forester garb, who at first glance seemed to be a
forester, but on closer inspection, raised doubts. His hands were too smooth, so unless he had worn gloves all his life, he had never done any hard labor. Besides, Your Highness, your picture graces a great many places in Sommerhjem, and so you are fairly recognizable to those who are looking for you and to many of your subjects.”
Before the Princess could respond, Yola once again entered the conversation. “Her features are easier to change than you might suspect, Beezle. Give me a half hour with her, and you will not recognize her.”
“Changing her physical appearance is the least of our worries,” I stated with conviction. “It would not be difficult, as you said Yola, to make her look different, and in rover clothing such as she is wearing now, as long as no one spoke to her, she could pass.”
“Ahem, if the rest of the world could ignore me as effectively as you all are doing now, as if I am not in the room, there would be no problem. I could just quietly pass unnoticed straight to the capitol,” Princess Esmeralda stated with dry humor.
As I looked around the room, I wondered if I looked as embarrassed as the rest of the folk in the room. As we began to offer our apologies, Princess Esmeralda waved them away.
“I have a question,” Princess Esmeralda said. “Why would talking to me give me away?”
Since the others were looking to me to answer, I did. “There are two reasons I can think of right off hand. First, your speech is a bit more formal than mine. Second, and this would apply to other rovers, you’re not well versed in our customs, so might not know how to respond as a rover might, but maybe we could get around that. Yola, can you make her appear older?”
“Yes. Why?”
“We might be able to weave a story about her being married to a distant cousin and a very young widow. That would make her married into, but not born of the rovers, and help explain her lack of knowledge and different way of speaking. Also, since she is a recent widow, it will give her an excuse to stick to the homewagon for she will still be grief stricken. But that will only help a little bit. She would still need to know her way around the homewagon and have some cooking and camping skills, for life goes on. Do you have those skills?” I asked.