The Journey - Chapter 5

Al was at a local merchants shop purchasing supplies for his trip. This particular store was well known in the area and beyond as the premiere place to purchase quality road rations and travel goods. The journey from here in Conval to S’with was going to be long. Al was going to travel along the main trade route, which had numerous trade posts and inns along the way, however Al didn’t have a lot of money and he had heard many stories about bandits and generally unsavory characters who frequented these outposts.

Almost as if on mental queue Al heard a boisterous voice arguing over the price of a small barrel of ale. Turning, Al quickly recognized the man who was quite adamant about saving every last gold piece. It was Dunrik! Dunrik noticed Al then and quickly a huge grin spread across his face laughed and said, “Ah my boy! You are still here? I figured you’d be half way across the Graymore range by now.”

Al grinned, but sheepishly looked at his own feet and admitted, “I’ve only just worked the courage to make the trip. I was just buying supplies.”

Dunrik took a look at the goods in Als’ arms and shook his head, “Now then, how do you expect to maintain your health on such a long trip with jerky and dried fruit?”

Al frowned, “I only have so much money Dunrik. I cannot eat and stay in inns every night. I will hunt small game, rabbits and foul when I need fresh meat.” Al felt confident of his planning and was feeling a bit defensive about Dunriks comments.

“It’s alright my boy. I’m sure your skills are quite good. You are a slim fellow, but I can see you are plenty healthy so you obviously know how to fend for yourself.” Dunrik paused for a moment, and then another large grin appeared on his face. “Say! Why don’t we travel together? It is much safer. Bandits are more likely to attack a single traveler than two with a wagon. I have more than enough room for your supplies too. Plus,” patting the small barrel, “I enjoy sharing my food and drink as much as my company. What do you say?”

Al was certainly temped. Excitement crept up in his mind and undoubtedly his face. He was not good at hiding his excitement and Dunrik noticed and grinned slightly larger. “Dunrik, I must think about this for a moment. You owe me nothing. Why would you make such a generous offer to me, essentially a stranger?”

Without hesitation Dunrik patted Al on the shoulder and said, “Because I like you.”

That made Al quickly throw Dunrik a questioning and concerned look.

“Now now, that isn’t what I ment.” With a laugh he continued, “You are a good kid with a lot of potential. I can see it. Also I’m a nice guy,” he said with a large laugh. “And it would be nice to have someone with carpentry skills along. My poor wagon is starting to show her travel age. Consider that your payment. Is that fair?”

Al agreed that it would be fair and he would be happy to travel along. “Dunrik, I was going to sell many of my tools to help offset my travel costs.”

Dunrik, being the wiser man, suggested, “Sell the more specialized tools, but bring along your standard fair.” With a more serious note, “If you have any expensive tools, tools that are inlayed with precious metals or gems, sell them and get plain replacements. Bandits will ignore the tools in general. They are looking for everyday precious items. I hope we don’t run into any bandits, but we should be prepared to look as poor as possible. Why give them anything to come sniffing around about, the dogs!” Dunrik was more serious than Al had ever seen him, in his short time around him. Als guess was that he had a run in with some bandits.

Dunrik sensed Als slight unease and said, “I’ll tell you all about what we can expect from the bandits on the way. Grab your goods and lets get moving. I was hoping to leave in the next hour. Will that work for you?”

Al thought for a moment, ‘Wow so quickly! But, I’m ready. I just have to sell those tools and that won’t take long. I already have a buyer all lined up.’

“You bet I’ll be ready. Shall we meet here?”

“My wagon and gear are at the Horny Buck Inn, meet me there in an hour.”

Al laughed to himself, ‘Why am I not surprised he’d stay there.’ To Dunrik, “I’ll be there!”

- Almond

The Journey - Chapter 4

Spring was soon to past and the dry days of summer would be coming in hard on the heels of the passing rains. Always happened like that, one big thunder storm to announce the end of spring.

Rose went about her morning work with in the store, checking supplies, marking off on her list what items to order, what items not to stock as they where no longer need now that the winter snow has melted into clear cool streams. The bell rings atop the door as she turns to Walt and smiles. Walt’s been around the store for as long as she can remember. Her father hired him when she was just a child. Walt wasn’t much more then a boy himself when he started working at the store. A broad kind of child like smile came across Walt’s face when he said hello to her every morning. His smile could always brighten her day. Rose and Walt had always been friends’ buddies of sorts. She knew in her heart he would always be her “big brother”. At times she new he looked at her in a more loving nature, but nothing he would ever act upon. Walt simple knew a friend was all Rose really needed right now. Walt watched out for her, made sure no one did unkind to her. Walt’s major job was to keep the store clean and take care of all the heavy shipments when they came in. It was a shame Walt had been born slow. He was a good man and deserved a good life. “He is gifted”, Rose remembered her father telling him when she asked about Walt’s slow speech.

The soft sound of the bird in the coo coo clock reminded Rose of the hour. “Never good business to open your doors late,” words her mother spoke rang through her mind. Rose headed to the windows to open up the shutters. Rose was reminded of the other problem that got her burr every morning. Had to open the shutters just right or they would fall off. Latch them to the wall and pray that they stayed tell closing. Walt was a good helper around the store, but a handy man he would not be. Rose chuckles remembering the day he nailed the shutters to the wall and was so proud of himself for fixing them. She couldn’t tell him he made it worse. She simple popped out the nails and never said a word. Door bell started clanging again as another busy day at the store begins.

On a much needed break in the midst of the day, while cooling her tired feet in the silent brook that passed out back of the store. She thought to herself, “why do you keep this store’? Why don’t you sell it, it’s too much of a burden for a young lady, she could hear the towns people say. She never could honestly answer that question not to them nor to herself. It was if an unforeseen force or will, have you was always telling her to “stay, stay just a little bit longer”. So Rose stayed a little bit, and a little bit more, soon 5 years had past and she was still here waiting that little bit longer. Laying back on the soft, grassy bank leaving her feet in the cool soothing water Rose closed her eyes. Rose always could see him in her dreams a tall man, not wide at the shoulders like most, but handsomest then many she’s seen past. Eyes of deep blue, full of mystic and magic and a smile. A smile so loving and kind, so amazing was such a smile she always catch her breath and awake from her dream. It frustrated her at times not to see his face, but the mystery kept her captivated in her dreams. For the next time she closed her eyes and wished him there in dreams
Breathing in the scent of the grass and the warm summer wind. Rose puts on her shoes and returns to the store. With a small inner voice more male then female almost, whispered “just a little bit longer and you will see.”
CASHEW

The Journey - Chapter 3

Those fowl words almost escaped her lips. Rose hated that short walk from her small humble home to the store her parents once owned. Ever since they built the boarding home she had to endure the cat calls and the whistles from the windows above. “Boarding home, ha, she would say, more like a whore house. Rose wished they had never moved here.

A sweet longing of days running through fields full of scented wild flowers, watching butterflies fly together like sheets in the wind. Rolling down hills covered in buttercups tell your clothes became patched in yellow. That where she rather be. Ah but her fathers small store in a small country villa was no place for a girl to grow up. No culture he would say.

So they moved to Arenden, the city of sounds and scents. At first it was like a dream a wonderful new play ground and other children to play with. So many things to learn and to do lots of images to spark her imagination. But, after her parents died it was more of a place to life not to love. But at night there was always that peaceful place she could go. Nights drew her quietly to herself a pleasure she was learning to enjoy. Rose would open her bedroom window and sits silently a pond the edge. Close her eyes, lean back against the wood sill, left her head towards the heavens, letting her thoughts of the day just drift away. She could smell the sent of wildflowers in the wind as it whisped her long blonde hair around her neck and chin. How she wished she could go home.

Everyday Rose walked by the boarding home on her way to the store. Through the ruts and muck made by so many horse and cart. Every night she walked home the same way. With barely enough light from a pale moon. Yes there was days when she was asked to come to an evening social. But Rose never had a will for such things. Oh Rose knew why they would ask, they all believed she was too old to not be married and have children. She was going to be an old spinster if she didn’t marry soon. “So be it” was her thought. “I like being self taught, independent and owning my own store, which I do quite well she had added.”

What Rose really wanted was love, not just a man to say she is married, but love. Love like she seen when her parents looked at each other, when they had a big water fight near the pond on a hot summer day. This made her smile to remember her parents playing and laughing like children. Many sweet memories, she held safe and close to her heart. In a child like manor Rose still wonders if they are proud of her. “Wondering thought can get a young lady in trouble’, her mother would say.

No, Rose didn’t want just a man, just so she would be married like everyone else. Rose wanted love, love as safe caring and enduring, in the ways she seen while growing up. “Have to stop thinking” she says in a small trembling voice. “Only brings the tears”. Climbing the few steps to the store she fishes the key from her apron pocket. Turning the key in the door and bracing herself left shoulder up against it, as she did ever morning cause as she knew if she didn’t push hard on that first turn of the key when it rolled the latch inside she be fighting to get it open. Timing was everything as she pushed the door ajar and rubbed her tender shoulder. A smile comes across her lips. As she smirks at the door “I have won again”. Someday I’ll have to fix that door.

- Cashew

The Journey - Chapter 2

Al had never forgotten what Dunrik had told him. The lands beyond the mountains, S’with, were lush with many forests of various types of woods, many that Al certainly had never seen but in the most expensive keeps in the area, which there were few of. The land was a mixture of rolling hills, small rivers and fertile green pastures. The cities are large and industrious, but full of culture and art. The people are warm and friendly, kind and generous, welcoming in strangers and the down and out.

All considered his own home, Conval. Here the people were friendly, but guarded. There were those who were scared of strangers knocking on their doors. Farms very distantly removed from the towns. Farms that rarely dealt with the local town, except for supplies. It was rumored that if someone wanted those lands, they would simply wait until after a farmer got his bi-annual supplies, then attack the farm, kill the family and simply take the farm as their own. By the time anyone realized there was a new owner of those lands, it was much too late to prove there had been foul play. Many farmers “moved away” in the more remote areas of Conval.

Al really didn’t expect that there would be no crime in S’with, however the draw was great to find a new home. Perhaps Conval really wasn’t all that bad, but Al was caught by the dream of a new land and couldn’t escape it.

Now all that Al needed was the confidence to make the jump. It wasn’t easy. His friends urged him to stay. Some of his family felt he should stay close to home and help the rest of the family. Thankfully his mother and father encouraged him. Later he would understand better why they had.

Day after day went by while Al made up his mind. He continued to work, but it was even more dreary and mundane now than it had ever been. His dreams were elevating to near mythic proportions. With those dreams came confidence. The confidence to go make those dreams come true. Al had become blind to the fact that he had no idea where he was going or what he’d do when he got there, but that didn’t matter now.

He began packing what few things he needed and sold much of the rest. Knowing the journey was going to be a difficult one, Al elected to sell many of his tools as well. It would be less costly to buy new ones than to attempt the trip with a packhorse or a cart. Just him, a horse and what they could carry was all he would take. A tent, some clothes, some food and water, and his sword were all he took. Hopefully he would not need the sword, but there were some wild and scary tales about the mountains ahead.

Almond

Return of the Jedi

I've been a bad boy. I was going to write some more on my story tonight, but instead I decided to watch Return of the Jedi on FOX. Empire Strikes Back is my favorite of the bunch, but I'm getting excited about Attack of the Clones. It has a stupid name, but it looks really exciting and fun.

I think Star Trek fans are more common and get more publicity just due to the fact that the shows are on all the time. Star Wars fans on the other hand only get periodic tastes of the SW stories. Sure there are comics and books and games, but they are not on par with the movies! When the movies come out though, the passion of the Star Wars fans really starts to surface. I find that to be true for myself in any case. I'm not going to go put on a StormTrooper outfit and parade around, but I really get excited about the movies.

One thing that has me just as excited is a new game they'll be releasing in the fall. Star Wars Galaxies! Massively multi-player and interactive. They'll even have a space battle add-on pack later! Based on the screen shots I've seen it will be amazing. Truely something for the fans. Those of us who have grown up with Star Wars and those who are discovering the stories now.

God I'm such a dork sometimes! - Almond