“Good, then you can stay as late as you please!” exclaimed Dwyn. “Who’s playing first? Are we having music tonight?”
“I thought we would wait until after supper,” Isolde smiled. “Plenty of time for that later. So, Kjell, why don’t you tell us more about where you’re from. Before you were in Magnimar, I mean. What was your home like?”
“Well,” said Kjell slowly, turning a brighter shade of pink and shifting uncomfortably on the small chair, “it was really nice there, in the forest. We lived near a big river.”
“How very interesting,” said Nimue, leaning forward. “What did you do there, in the forest, by the river?”
“Well, the logs went down the river to port.”
“What difficult work that must have been,” said her grandmother Tian, glancing at Karin. “Did… both of you cut logs all day?”
“No,” replied Karin.
The ensuing silence was broken by Dwyn, who eagerly informed everyone that Kjell used to have a dog back in those days, an especially large and good one, and they ought to consider having a dog around here again too. “Dwyn, you know we have a cat,” protested Isolde, “and you know she doesn’t like dogs.” Dwyn frowned. She wasn’t particularly fond of her mother’s cat. As cats went, even the stray mousers who took refuge in the barn were better than that spoiled white furball. “Okay, fine, but tell them about your dog,” she said, jerking her head toward Kjell to prod him.
“Oh, our dog was the best ever!” said Kjell. “Wallis. Best dog anyone could have. We used to go on long walks and talk for hours. Wallis was my best friend.” After a pause and a hopeful glance at John he added, “And John had his dog Buddy with us today too. Another great dog.”
“Yep,” said John. “Buddy’s a good boy. Always a soft mouth with the birds.”
The room fell silent again, though Annwyl could be heard giggling somewhere beyond the hall. Finally Tian stood up. “Supper should be ready – I’ll go and check on the rolls. Why don’t we all go sit down now?” After a swift transfer of chairs, John was seated to Isolde’s right, followed by Karin, Kjell, and Merri’s new husband. Dwyn sat at the end of the table, while her four sisters and granny lined up on the other side, the better to have a look at Kjell and the other visitors.
“Thank you again for those wonderful pheasants,” Isolde said, mostly to John. “You must have been freezing out there this morning. That north wind reminds me of our days in the Kodars, remember, Dwyn?”
Dwyn always looked back upon their time in the mountains with fondness. “Oh yes, I loved it there. Hope I can go back someday. Actually, I was pretty far north this past month,” she said. “Not a very good subject to talk about, what we were doing there, but I really missed you all on Crystalhue. It’s so good to be home again!”
Karin smiled. “Oh, you celebrate Crystalhue here too? I’m glad to hear it! Back home up north, that was always one of the best holidays.”
“Oh indeed!” exclaimed Isolde. “This year we had the most elaborate display of prisms and crystals ever – the entire south wall over there was filled, the girls dyed their hair the full rainbow of colors, and Merri composed a whole new sonata for her flute, and then we all sang. It was the most delicate, shimmering veil of sound, like a sheen of ice on the window - we can recreate it for you later, can’t we girls? I suppose it’s not the same in Magnimar, where a little ocean breeze is enough to make everyone shiver. You have to get out in the country to really appreciate the atmosphere of the holiday.”
“You speak the truth,” said Karin, smiling more broadly. “Solstice isn’t the same without a real winter.” She was able to relax a bit more as Dwyn brought in the platters to pass around the table.
“Kjell, would you do us the honor?” asked Isolde.
“Of course,” he said, bowing his head solemnly. “Oh Elk Father, bless this meal and the hands that prepared it. We give thanks for your guidance in the field today, and for the many geese and pheasants, and let’s not forget that enormous rabbit, all of whose lives were cut short that we might live and thrive. We praise you for this turkey, and for the potatoes, and this… broccoli, and these rolls, and this…” He paused to survey his plate again. “And this casserole, and all the wonderful casseroles,” he concluded with conviction.
“What a lovely blessing,” Nimue declared with equal conviction, and once again Karin felt uneasy.
After everyone was able to make progress on the meal, Isolde turned back to Kjell. “Now that we’ve heard a bit about your life in the forest, why don’t you tell us about your time in the Deadeye Lodge? It must be very exciting to be one of the famous Archers!”
Kjell had just delivered an enormous forkful of potato and struggled to choke it down. “No… not so exciting,” he gulped. “Mainly we walked around the street. This food is delicious, by the way.”
Karin glanced around the table nervously and nudged her son with an elbow. “Don’t be shy, you did a lot of important work there. He really did. They all did. The whole district depends on them.”
Kjell flushed pink again. “It was our job to keep the Park safe – you know the Park? Oh, well, it’s a very large park in the Keystone district, maybe the biggest park in the city. It gives people a feeling of not being in the city at all. They can walk among the trees. But a place like that attracts an unsavory element, if you know what I mean.” He added in a low whisper, “Wasps. People like that.” The girls exchanged puzzled glances. “It was our job to keep them out, escort people, you know, things like that.”
“Yeah, and you were doing a great job of it until that night when I had to jump in,” Dwyn laughed. “Remember that? You were so surprised. I’ll never forget the look on your face!”
“Yeah, you scared those guys pretty good,” Kjell agreed, somewhat sheepishly.
“So my daughter had to help you, I mean, you and the Deadeye Lodge’s famous Archers, clear the park of “unsavory” characters?”
Kjell nodded. “Yeah, she barely even had to try. She can be downright terrifying when she wants to be. I mean in a good way – you’ve seen her armor, so you know. Terrifying! And with that hammer and all the other stuff? Oh yeah.”
Isolde nodded primly. “Yes, I’m sure Dwyn is very accomplished in her new line of work. I suppose that’s why you liked her, at first? Her being so terrifying, in the good way?”
Kjell pondered for a moment. “Not so much the terrifying part, no. It was more like, she just showed up one day at church, with Ki Xa. You know, the horse? He’s out there right now in your barn. He’s a great horse. I really enjoy talking with him. I think she liked that about me, it kind of got her on my side.” He grinned bashfully at Dwyn, who grinned back while the others stared at Kjell.
“Yep, I didn’t trust this guy at all, not even a little, but when I found out he liked to talk to Ki Xa, well, my whole feeling about it changed. Obviously! And then I found out, he can really put away a turkey leg!”
All of the younger girls burst out laughing at this point, as Kjell blushed a deeper shade. “So Dwyn showed up at church,” Isolde continued, “and…”
“Yeah, there she was, right there out of nowhere!” Kjell said. “I kept running into her when I least expected. It was almost weird, you know?”
“That’s how I am,” Dwyn added, “always popping up when nobody expects it!” Everyone laughed except Karin, who smiled politely and laid her knife and fork across the plate.
“Well, Kjell, that’s quite a tale of romance,” said Isolde in a sing-songy tone that rubbed Karin the wrong way. “I’m glad you like my daughter too, but we would rather hear more about you.” She ran her finger around the edge of her copper drinking mug, producing a little note that hung in the air for a moment. Then she waved her hand - rather too dramatically, in Karin’s opinion - in Kjell’s direction. He stammered for a moment and then said, almost apologetically, “Mom and I have been alone for a long time now. Just the two of us.” Isolde frowned, as if that wasn’t the answer she had been looking for, and Karin suddenly felt a shiver of real discomfort. What had just happened, and why was this woman looking at Kjell so suspiciously? Karin slipped her hand into her skirt pocket and nervously rubbed the few coppers she found there.
Nimue sighed dramatically and her grandmother shot her a warning look. “We’ve already heard that part, yes. But what about the rest of your family? What did they do? What kind of people were they? Don’t you have anything else to tell us about them?” Dwyn glanced anxiously at Kjell and Karin, wishing her family would stop prying into this particular area. They obviously weren't ready to talk about what they had been through or they would have said something already. Nimue rolled her eyes slightly and picked up her cup, but before she could drink she began sputtering. “Can’t go to bed before playing violin! Oh, sorry! What am I say- s- singing? I sing, plates and violin dancing, dance, and broccoli dancing!” Her little sisters collapsed in giggles as Nimue jumped up, horrified, and ran straight for the stairs. Both Isolde and Dwyn looked alarmed and Karin stared down at the plate, her green eyes flashing in distress, apparently wishing she could sink into the floor.
Isolde rose stiffly from the table. “Pardon the interruption, everyone, I think we’re done here. I had better go check on her, she’s obviously not feeling well. Please clear your own plates when you’re done. You can make a pile over there and put the silver in the tray. Girls, help our guests, please.” Looking bewildered, Kjell followed Dwyn to the kitchen and handed over his plate and cup to Lowri.
“I was hoping to talk to your mom after dinner,” Kjell whispered to Dwyn. “You know, just her and me.”
“Oh, the Question? Really? Oh wow, you were going to do it now?” she asked.
“Yes! I mean, we’re finally here and I wanted to get it over with. But maybe now isn’t the time.”
“No,” Dwyn agreed. “Maybe now isn’t the time. I wish they would stop quizzing you, especially about... things. People don't always want to talk about their personal business.” More loudly, she added, “I need to go check on the horses. Kjell, can you help me? There’s a lot to carry.” They slipped out the kitchen door, leaving Karin, John and Tian alone at the table. “Oh, these young people,” Dwyn’s grandma said, as if that explained everything, and John nodded sagely.Statistics: Posted by Phoebe — Thu Oct 31, 2019 11:03 pm
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