NOTE! This is an ongoing story. If this is your first visit, please read the About This Page link, and then use the Table of Contents links to go the first chapter.
“Are you sure about this?” Lilly asked for what seemed to Samantha to be the hundredth time.
Sam reined her horse to a stop in the middle of the road so forcefully that it snorted in protest.
“Have you ever led an army?” She demanded of her grandmother. “Let alone an army into battle?”
“No,” Lilly admitted reluctantly.
“Neither have I, and neither has Bob or Tink or the King. Do you know anyone who has?”
“Just one person.”
“Uh-huh,” Sam nodded. “And who is that person?”
“You know damn well who it is, Sam. My son, your father.”
“And has this conversation sunk into your stubborn skull yet?” Sam asked hotly. “Or do we need to have it another half a dozen times? If we do, let me know now so I can start thinking of another way to say it so you get it.”
“I’m sorry, Samantha,” Lilly said with a heavy sigh. “I guess I am just a bit nervous about this, is all.”
Anger fought with confusion in Sam’s mind until confusion won out.
“Nervous?” she asked. “I didn’t see you look nervous when we were facing fifty men in a bar. What is it about seeing Dad that makes you nervous?”
“I’m not nervous about seeing your father,” Lilly said. “It’s your mother.”
“My mother?”
“Do you know what it’s like to sit quietly and listen to veiled insults and blatant criticism of every aspect of your life, knowing that you can’t kill the person doing it?”
Sam thought a moment, envisioning the scene.
“Mmm, Yeah. OK. I see your point,” she admitted. “Now that you bring it up, I doubt Mom will be very cordial to either of us. I haven’t spoken to her since I left.”
The two women resumed their ride down the dusty road, family resemblance showing in the way the nervously chewed their lower lip. The horses crested a low hill and the women looked into the dale at the family farm.
“There he is,” Sam said with a nod of her chin towards the small field.
“Yeah, I see him,” Lilly said as she stood up in the stirrups. “Any sign of the harridan… I mean, your mother?”
“She’s probably in the house. There’s smoke coming from the chimney.”
Sam clicked her tongue at her horse and gave its ribs a gentle prod. Lilly hesitated a moment, then urged her horse to follow Sam down the hill. As they approached the freshly tilled field, Sam’s father turned at the sound of hooves. He pulled the mule to a stop as his eyes narrowed towards to approaching figures. He gave a glad cry as he watched the women dismount.
“Sam!”
He ran towards the fence dividing the field from the road, heavy boots kicking up clods of dirt. Lilly, who had been mostly hidden from his view stepped out from behind her horse. The man slid to a stop several yards from the fence, his mouth hanging open in shock.
“By the Gods,” he breathed.
“Hello, Charles,” Lilly said in a formal tone. “You look well.”
“Mother,” he returned the greeting, matching her tone. “I thought you were dead.”
“Not hardly.”
“It’s… good to see you,” Charles said cautiously. He turned to face his daughter. “What brings you home, Sam?”
“We need a favor, a big one.”
“What kind of favor?” Charles asked suspiciously.
Sam glanced at Lilly, who met her gaze and shrugged. Sam took a deep breath.
“We need to come with us to a Kingdom not far from here and train its army,” she said quickly. “Then we need you to lead that army into battle to defend the Kingdom.”
Charles stared at his daughter for several seconds, and then looked to his mother. Lilly merely nodded at him. Without another word, Charles turned on his heel and marched to the house. The door slammed behind him.
“Well,” Lilly said sarcastically, “he sure seemed excited.”
Sam glared at her before following her father to the house. She paused for a moment at the door before opening it and entering. Lilly gave a deep sigh, and then followed.
Charles was seated in a large chair in front of a roaring fire. Sam’s mother stood in the kitchen, holding a motionless spoon over a mixing bowl on the table. She was rapidly looking back and forth between her husband and daughter, and then saw her mother-in-law enter the house.
Sam placed herself between her father and the fireplace before kneeling down to her fathers’ eye level. “Daddy?”
Charles said nothing, looking past Sam into the dancing flames. Lilly walked in and stood behind Sam, her arms crossed. After several minutes, Charles finally looked up into his mothers face.
“Did it ever occur to you,” he demanded, “that I did not tell my family about my past for a reason?”
“We’ve been down this road before, Charles,” Lilly said. “I understood your reasons for abandoning the life you had, but I have never understood why you chose to hide it.”
“Because I didn’t want my wife and children to be ashamed of me!” He exploded. “If they knew the things I have done, if they knew the things I have seen, I would have no wife! I would have no children!”
Sam stood and looked at her father, the truth finally erupting in an epiphany.
“But you have already told us, haven’t you?” she asked quietly. “All those stories, all the tales you told at night in front of this fire… You saw them all happen, didn’t you?”
“You only heard the parts I could bear to tell,” Charles said, not meeting his daughter’s eyes. “I never told about the grim truth of war. I never told about the slaughters, the screams of dying men.” He paused. “I never told you, because I was ashamed of myself, and I couldn’t bear the thought of my family being ashamed of me, too.”
Lilly was suddenly in motion, pushing past Sam so forcefully she was knocked to one side. She grabbed her son by his rough tunic and hauled him to his feet. Her nose almost touched his before she began to speak in an angry snarl.
“You haven’t listened to me for twenty years, but by the Gods, you will listen now! I have wandered all across these lands for years, and I have heard a lot of tales and listened to a lot of bards. No one knew who I was, just an anonymous warrior woman, drinking in the tavern. Since you never told me what you had done with your life, I had to find out about it from strangers. It took years, but I finally believe that I have the whole story.”
She pushed Charles away and he stumbled back into his chair.
“You worked for a good King,” She began. “The army you led never once invaded another country; you were defense, not offense. Your men had the utmost respect for you and your integrity. The only enemies who died by your army did so on land you were defending. You were a great leader, and all who served with you honor you.”
“Do the men who died under my command honor me?” Charles demanded. “Do the widows and orphans of my slain troops honor me? How could they?”
Lilly scowled as she took a step towards her son. Suddenly, she slapped him across the face, hard. A gasp erupted from the kitchen and Samantha stared in shock.
“Yes!” Lilly screamed. “They do! I’ve talked to them! I’ve seen their tears as they thought of their fallen loved ones, and I have seen their tears of pride when they talk about what they accomplished. None of them, not a single solitary one, ever said anything about blaming the General.”
She glared at Charles, who would not meet her eyes.
“The only person who blames you,” she concluded softly, “is you.”
Silence filled the little cottage, the only sound came from the rattling pot lid over the fire. Samantha’s mother entered and removed the pot from the heat. She turned to face her husband and opened her mouth as if to speak. She closed it without a sound and hurried from the room.
Charles heaved a deep sigh, and finally raised his eyes to his mother.
“So what king of mess have you gotten my little girl into?” he asked.
“A cliché,” Lilly answered with a smile. “Evil Prince, evil Chancellor, evil Magician. We uncovered their evil plot, and the King booted ‘em out. They took the best troops and are probably coming back to try and take over the Kingdom. The only defense is a big castle and a bunch of angry peasants.”
“Well, hell, Ma,” Charles said with a forced smile. “I thought you said you had a problem.”
Samantha’s mother entered the room carrying a large blanket, which she draped over Sam’s shoulders. Sam looked up at her in surprise.
“You looked cold, dear,” she explained.
“Mom, with that fire going I was already breaking a sweat. What could have possibly made you think I could be cold?”
“I just thought you might be a little chilly, is all.”
“I’m fine, mother.” Sam said as she started to remove the blanket.
“I am just concerned about you getting a cold; I really think that you should…”
“Leave the girl be, Wanda” Charles interrupted. “I better have some details about what you two are facing.”
Between the two of them, Lilly and Sam related the events that had led them to the small farm. Unnoticed, Wanda slipped quietly down the hallway into a back room. When the tale had been told, Charles sat in silent contemplation. Wanda emerged from the dark room, dragging a heavy trunk behind her.
“I found some of your old clothes, Samantha,” she said, opening the trunk and removing a frilly dress. “Why don’t you go see if they still fit?”
“What the hell are you doing?” Lilly asked angrily. “Can’t you see we have more important things to discuss than fashion? What she has is fine!”
“Oh!” Wanda raised her eyebrows in surprise. “I’m sorry; I didn’t realize she had more clothes. Are you washing them in the creek while you talk?”
“I’m wearing my clothes, Mom,” Samantha answered between her teeth.
Wanda looked her daughter up and down for several seconds. “Are you sure that you wouldn’t like to try some of these on? I’m sure that some of them might be a bit snug, but should still fit.”
Sam looked at her father, who shrugged.
“Why do you think they would be snug?” Sam asked in a dangerous voice. “And why are you so insistent on me putting on those clothes?”
“Well, dear,” Wanda answered in a placating tone, “I can see that you aren’t the size you used to be.”
“You think I’m fat?” she demanded. She rounded on her father. “She thinks I’m fat!”
Charles smiled and said nothing. Sam turned to her grandmother.
“Am I fat?” She demanded.
“Now, now, Samantha,” Wanda chided. “I never said you’re fat, and I don’t think you’re fat. But you have filled out in some areas since you wore these clothes.”
“So why do you want me to take my old clothes?”
“Well, dear, I know you are a very proud girl, and that you would never accept any kind of charity. So I thought that since these are already your clothes, it wouldn’t be charity. I can’t think of any reason other than you not having any clothes that would cause you to roam the countryside in your underwear.”
“These are my clothes,” Sam shouted, “not underwear!”
“Don’t worry, dear, we won’t tell anyone,” Wanda said consolingly. “And I am just certain that things will improve for you and you will be able to afford some very lovely dresses.”
“Ugh!” Sam snorted in disgust, dismissing her mother to look at Charles. “Dad, are you going to be able to help us out?”
“He most certainly will not!” Wanda answered for her husband. “We should have a good harvest this year. We will have enough for us and be able to sell the rest and finally get some new furniture to replace this old stuff I am forced to suffer with.”
Sam looked at the cottages furnishings. “This isn’t the same stuff that was here when I left,” she observed.
“That was ages ago Samantha,” Wanda said dismissively. “Your father will not be going off with you and your unstable grandmother to get killed in some ridiculous war that has nothing to do with us, and that’s final!”
“Wanda,” Charles argued, “It sounds as if that kingdom could use the help. No one should be forced to live under the rule of a bad King, and it appears that is exactly what they will have if this Prince gets his way.”
“And just what will you do to help?” Wanda demanded. “You were a dirt farmer that became and soldier and now you are a dirt farmer again. What will you do? Teach them to plant?”
“You never told her the whole story either?” Lilly asked her son.
Charles shook his head at her before continuing his argument with his wife.
“I really think I could help them, Wanda.” He said. “And Sam has asked for my help for the first time in her life.”
“I said that it was final,” Wanda stated, crossing her arms firmly across her chest. “You are going to stay here, get the crops in and buy some new furniture. I also need some new clothes so I can look nice when we go to town. And Samantha should be offering to help you, not asking for your help.”
“Well,” Charles said with a wink at Sam, “I guess that’s that. It looks like you two wasted a trip.”
“What!?” Lilly demanded, “Don’t tell me you are going to let this little money grubbing…”
“OK, Dad,” Sam interrupted. “I guess we better head back to the palace. I hope the servants haven’t done too much to prepare for your arrival.”
“Palace?” Wanda asked quietly.
“Please tell them that I am sorry, if they have,” Charles said.
“I sure don’t want to be the one to tell the artisans,” Lilly said, finally catching on. “They sure have been working hard on the suite. And that bed! Just what they had done before we left was incredible!”
“All that expensive wood, gone to waste,” Sam said, watching her mother closely. “Mahogany is so hard to come by these days.”
“I’m sure the King can find someone to take it,” Sam said as she turned towards the door. “He was just going to give it to Dad when this was all over anyway.”
“Charles,” Wanda began, “Perhaps I have been a bit selfish. You have been working awfully hard lately, and I feel a bit guilty about not letting you go.”
She paused, her gaze fixed on the floor.
“I only hope nothing happens to me while you are away at the palace,” her voice trembled with false emotion.
“You could come with us and stay at the Palace,” Charles told her.
“No, no,” she protested, “I wouldn’t want to be a bother. You will be so busy being a general that I would just get in the way.”
“The palace servants will keep you occupied,” Lilly countered. “All those people who have just been waiting for someone like you to boss them around. You two get packing while Sam and I try to scare up a wagon to take us all to Rom.”
“If you think that’s what’s best,” Wanda said, “then I guess that’s what we should do. What about Rupert? Will he be coming along as well?”
“Oh, yeah. Rupert.” Charles said. “We better, otherwise he’ll probably forget to eat for a week again.”
“Rupert’s still here?” Sam asked. “Where is my big brother?”
“Probably down at the creek again,” Charles sighed. “He’s been collecting turtles lately. Except, there is only one turtle in the creek. He catches it, brings it home and forgets about it, then it makes it’s way back to the creek. After a couple of days, Rupert catches ‘another’ turtle and brings it home. That turtle is getting really pissed off. Rupert almost lost a finger the other day.”
“He didn’t get any smarter, huh?” Sam asked with a frown.
“Nope.” Charles answered. “Just bigger, stronger, and better looking. The boy can carry a colt, but has no idea why he picked it up in the first place. I’ll go find him. Wanda, you start getting us ready to go.”
Sam and Lilly rode into town and purchased a wagon and a matched pair of draft horses using the expense money Tink had provided. “Get a receipt and bring it back or its coming out of your pay,” she had admonished. When they pulled up to the house, Charles was shaking hands with a neighbor.
“Jeb here is going to run the place while we’re away,” he explained. “If we’re gone all season, he will store food for us and keep the rest as payment.”
A huge figure appeared in the doorway, legs like tree trunks visible beneath a monstrous wooden chest. The chest was wider than the door, and it slammed into the frame with a boom. The legs staggered back a step, and then repeated the process. Charles sighed and started walking towards the door.
“Just a second, son,” he said as he walked through a rain of straw knocked from the thatched roof by a third bang.
Charles stepped behind his son and placed his hands on the huge shoulders. He pivoted his son a quarter turn and gave him a push sideways through the door.
“Thanks, Dad,” Rupert said in a deep voice as he walked sideways all the way to the cart. He tossed the chest into the bag of the wagon, causing the horses to toss their heads in alarm.
“Sam!” he cried, spotting his sister. He ran forward and lifted her into a great bear hug. Sam winced and tolerated the embrace for a moment, the pushed herself away.
“It’s good to see you, Rupert,” she said. “Meet your Grandma”
“H’lo, Ma’am,” Rupert said with a blush before disappearing back into the house.
“He doesn’t do well with strangers,” Charles explained. “If he could, he would still hide behind his mother’s apron when meeting new people.”
Rupert continued loading trunk after trunk onto the wagon while Charles took care of last minute details.
“I have just one more thing to fetch,” he said. “Sam, come help me out, would you?”
He led her to the barn and walked immediately to the familiar stall. He once again nudged aside the piles of straw, just as he had with Samantha so many years ago.
“I remember when you showed me this,” she said.
“Well, I didn’t show you everything.”
He pulled the hidden door open and rummaged inside until he found what he was looking for. He removed a large bundle and handed it to Sam before reaching in again.
“What’s this?” Sam asked, examining the burlap wrapped package.
“Something I thought I would never need again,” he answered, “but could never bring myself to get rid of.”
He pulled two more bundles from the hole before standing and kicking the compartment shut again. He opened the larger of the two to reveal a massive shield. He handing this to Sam, then carefully began to remove the leather bindings from the other. In moments, he slid a long broadsword from the wrappings and held it up in the dim light. Sam gasped. It seemed to gather all the light around and reflect it back at her eye, so bright that she almost could not look directly at it. Flashes of color blazed from the hilt, precious stones surrounding the guard and hilt.
“It’s beautiful,” she breathed.
“As beautiful as an instrument of death can be,” her father agreed, sliding the blade into a scabbard attached to the shield. He took the sword and shield from Sam’s hand and set them aside. He took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes.
“I’m proud of you, Samantha,” he said. “Very proud.”
Sam said nothing, not sure what words would be appropriate, and not entirely certain that she would be able to speak around the sudden lump in her throat. Charles pulled her into an embrace, and she suddently found that she needed no words. Holding her, Charles whispered into her ear.
“I’ve heard about you since you left. I still have a few friends from the old days that are good enough to keep my secret. But they tell me about what happens outside of this farm. You act with honor, and integrity, and word of things like that spread around. You’ve done me proud, and any doubts I may have once had about sending you down this path have been eliminated from my mind. I’m proud of you, and I love you very much.”
He gave her a quick tight squeeze that almost took her breath away before releasing her.
“Enough sappy stuff,” he told her in a gruff voice. “We’ve got a kingdom to save!”
Moments later, the fully loaded wagon was on its way to Rom.
